The Elective Pamphlet.

The elective pamphlet for 1885-86 appeared last Saturday. It contains several notable changes and innovations. In the first place, it is larger than last year by eight or ten pages, a circumstance chiefly due to the addition of all the freshman electives. Many of the changes in the different departments are strong evidences of progress, while they all show that attempt is made to satisfy, as far as possible, the demands of the students. It is quite true, however, that the clamorers after courses in Stenography, Journalism, and Common Law have still to wait another year at least, contenting themselves with the advances that have been made and looking forward to other and greater ones to come.

The corps of professors and instructors is slightly changed. Prof. J. W. White, Prof. Byerly and Mr. Moore are to be away, and their departments must be weakened by their absence. The new names that appear are those of Mr. Fowler in the Greek, Latin and Fine arts departments, Dr. Sawyer in Chemistry, and Messrs. Webster and Sawin in Mathematics. Prof. Norton, who is now abroad, will resume his courses in Fine Arts for 1885-86. In several courses the instructors have not been decided upon.

Elective courses for freshmen are as follows: In Greek, six; in Latin, five; in German, three; in French, two; in History, two; in Mathematics, seven; in Physics, two; in Chemistry, two; and in Natural History, four. Total, thirty-three.

The new courses for upper-classmen are: In German one, a half course which is for "practice in writing and speaking German," and which will satisfy a need that has long been felt by the less advanced students of German; in Political Economy, one; in History, two, and in Mathematics, three. The new course in German, numbered 9, will doubtless prove very successful and popular. Conducted by Prof. Bartlett, it is a great addition to the German department. The new courses, Political Economy 10 and History 20, open only to graduates and other students of advanced standing, are destined to be very valuable. They are both intended for "special advanced study and research," and will doubtless be of great practical worth, requiring as they do original work. Such courses must always be regarded as marks of growth and advance in their departments. Prof. C. J. White's new course, Mathematics 12, comprising "Descriptive and Spherical Astronomy," will be welcomed by the students of astronomy and mathematics. Natural History 19, to be conducted by Prof. Goodale, is an advanced course on "Systematic and Economic Botany."

The numbers of elective courses in the different departments, including freshman courses, are as follows: Semitic Languages, twelve; Indo-Iranian Languages, five; Greek, eighteen; Latin, nineteen; Greek and Latin, three; English, twelve; German, nine; French, eleven; Italian, four; Spanish, three; Philosophy, thirteen; Political Economy, ten; History, twenty; Roman Law, three; Fine Arts, nine; Music, five; Mathematics, twenty; Physics, ten; Chemistry, nine; and Natural History, nineteen. The reader is at liberty to compute the total.