We must question whether ’in the natural order of the development of the human faculties, the mind of the child takes cognizance first of the forms of objects.’  Form is a result of particular extensions: evidently, extension must be known before form can be.  But again, visibly, form is revealed through kinds and degrees of light and shade; in one word, through color.  Evidently, then, color also must be appreciated before visible form can be.  But this ’natural order of the development of the human faculties,’ is a seductive thing.  In phrase, it is mellifluous; in idea, impressively philosophical.  It would be well if this book, while cautiously applying developing processes to the little learner, were to dogmatise less to the teacher.  But when the development-idea is carried into the titles of the sections, it becomes, we think, yet more questionable.  Thus, a section is headed, ’To develop the idea of straight lines.’  First, would not the idea of a straight line come nearer to the thing actually had in view?  Again, ’To develop the idea of right, acute, and obtuse angles.’  ‘The idea,’ taking in all these things, must be most mixed and multifarious; it could not be clear, though that is a quality mainly to be sought.  Is not the intention rather, to develop ideas of the right, the acute, and the obtuse angle? Instances of this sort, which we can not understand otherwise than as showing a loose way of thinking, are numerous.  But then, again, it is assumed that the lessons develop all the ideas successively discoursed about.  Far otherwise, in fact.  In many instances, of course, a sharper, better idea of the object or quality discussed will be elicited in the course of the lesson.  This is, at best, only a sort of quasi-development, individualizing an idea by turning it on all sides, comparing with others, and sweeping away the rubbish that partly obscured it.  In others of the topics, the learner has the ideas before we begin our developing operations.  But the great misfortune of the usage of the term here is, that develop properly implies to unroll, uncover, or disclose something that is infolded, complicate, or hidden away; but mark, something that is always THERE before the developing begins, and that by it is only brought into light, freedom, or activity!  Thus, we may develop faculties, for they were there before we began; but we simply can not develop objective ideas, such as this book deals with, but must impart them, or rather, give the mind the opportunity to get them.  First, then, this term thus employed is needlessly pretentious; secondly, it is totally misapplied.  Would it not help both teacher and pupil, then, if we were to leave this stilted form of expression, and set forth the actual thing the lessons undertake, by using such caption as for for example, To give the idea, of a triangle, or to insure, or to furnish the