NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Mr. Herbert Spencer appeared for the first time in public in this country at a reception given to him a few days since by the faculty of the Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore.

Notwithstanding his great age, the late Dr. Pusey took a leading part, until recently, in all affairs concerning Oxford University. His venerable figure, with the black skull-cap he invariably wore, was seldom missing from the meetings of the council. - [Ex.

In six contests the Yale crew of '83, says the News, has been victorious. Her career is even more glorious, for she has furnished six university men, including two substitutes, who have been the means of bringing victory to Yale on the Thames twice, and who, we fervently trust, will add still another triumph to Yale's account over Harvard before they graduate.

Dr. Guild, librarian of Brown University, is engaged in making a complete card catalogue of the library. It will be arranged by topics. The library now has about 55,000 volumes, besides 17,000 unbound pamphlets.

Speaking of the Harvard Crimson the Acta says : "True, not much fear is to be entertained of the rivalry of the Advocate, for it is decidedly too Philadelphian in tone and is greatly in need of a firm stick from a long pin in the hands of an athletic sticker."

The Nation thinks that "Owen Wister's 'The New Swiss Family Robinson' (Cambridge : C. W. Sever) hits the mark as a satire, but for sustained humor it suffers by comparison with Rollo's Cambridge adventures, that earlier trophy of the Harvard Lampoon. On the other hand, 'College Cuts' (White & Stokes), chosen from the Columbia Spectator, a college paper with a humorous corner or corners, compares well with the larger and more heterogeneous collection of designs from the Lampoon. There is more chic and a higher average quality in the drawing. Politics are altogether eschewed in favor of collegiate and social topics. The legends are noticeably good."

An examination has been going on at Barsenose College, Oxford, which marks the abolition of one of the richest abuses in the university. In 1691 a Mr. Hulme founded four exhibitions, which were to be confined to members of Brasenose. The property, being situated in Manchester, has enormously increased in value, and latterly there have been seventeen exhibitions, each of the annual value of pound135 in cash and pound20 in books. They were held for four years, and any member of the college who had resided three years was eligible. There was no pretence of any examination, and the authorities of the college had nothing to do with the elections, which were vested absolutely in the dean of Manchester and the rectors of Prestwich and Bury. The charity commissioners have lately overhauled the whole of Hulme's bequest, and the seventeen "idle exhibitions" have now been replaced by competitive scholarship, tenable on strict condition of residence, diligence and good conduct.