While such a course permits the student a certain degree of orientation before specialization, it in no way gives her any information with the parallel literature outside of England, except as she may be studying it in modern language courses. Comparative literature is offered only at Radcliffe. No opportunity for acquaintance with ancient literature is offered, except as the student elects the classics. A possible consideration for the increasingly large proportion of students who do not elect Latin or Greek might be a literature course which would include translations of the classics. The excuse for locating such courses in the English department is obviously as a means of the interpretation and evaluation of the English literature.

At the other chronological extreme American literature is dealt with in all of the colleges to the extent of one course each with the addition at Radcliffe and Wellesley of a course each which deals with America and England both.

At Radcliffe and Mount Holyoke the arrangement of the courses in semesters is used to a greater degree than at the other colleges, where full-year courses predominate. When full-year courses are devoted to individual writers, not much literature is possible for the general student. The period basis, as we have seen in the special analyses, is followed to some degree by all of the colleges.

The teaching of literature at Vassar, Wellesley, and Barnard is in a greater degree in the hands of professors and associate professors than is composition. The following percentages of the teachers are of the grade instructor: At Vassar, 66 per cent; at Wellesley, 44 per cent; at Radcliffe, 54 per cent; at Barnard, 50 per cent; at Mount Holyoke, 83 per cent.

The doctor's degree is much more common among the members of the literature department than among those of the composition department.

Of the number of hours in English offered by the five colleges, Mount Holyoke leads in composition, the other colleges following in the order of Vassar, Wellesley, Barnard, and Radcliffe. In literature Wellesley offers the largest number of hours, the other colleges following in the order of Radcliffe, Vassar, Barnard, and Mount Holyoke.

VASSAR.

At Vassar the English composition and literature, departments are not separated, five of the members of the faculty giving courses in both branches.

In the composition work Course 1 covers the required three hours of the freshman year. It is a study of prose selections with writing of themes. The method is based upon a textbook, Buck and W bridge's "Course in Expository Writing."

In the elective courses narrative writing, critical writing, and descriptive writing are dealt with in separate courses, followed by a full course in advanced composition. Argumentation has a year course and a semester course allotted to it.

By this arrangement the student has a full course in the analysis of the short story with practice in writing it; a full course in journalistic writing, and a semester course for practice in the various forms of descriptive writing. Vassar devotes more time to argu mentation than the other four colleges.

A course which has significance for both composition and literature is that of literary criticism which alternates with the poetic courses. A general introductory course is required as preliminary to all the other courses in literature. It deals with the development of English literature from Beowulf to Johnson. Following it, the periods are dealt with as follows:

Special writers are dealt with in courses on Beowulf, Chaucer, and Shakespeare, to the study of whom two courses are given.

At Vassar, while nineteenth century literature, both prose and poetry, is dealt with thoroughly, the only opportunity for study of eighteenth century literature appears in the course which includes both the classic and the romantic movements and which begins with Spenser. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are covered by the course called Shakespeare and his age. The work, as may be readily seen, is offered largely on the period basis.

WELLESLEY.

At Wellesley College the departments of English composition, literature, language, and reading and speaking are quite separate, each with a different head and a separate faculty, with the exception of one member of the composition department and the two members of the language department, who have work in the other depart

ments.

All courses at Wellesley are classified in Grades I, II, III; Grade I including elementary courses and Grade III the most advanced courses. According to this classification, the English composition department offers one Grade I course, three Grade II courses, and three Grade III courses.

The general prescribed course, as at Vassar and Radcliffe, is a three-hour course for the year. Ten members of the faculty teach it, each having entire charge of one or more divisions for the class work, the theme reading, and the conferences. The work is outlined closely enough to keep the different divisions practically parallel. Weekly themes are required the first semester, and fortnightly themes the second.

Course 2 of argumentation will not be offered after the year 1915-16. It represents the second course formerly required for a degree. Two other full elective courses on argumentation seem, however, to supply sufficient training.

The Grade III courses offered by the composition department are as follows:

Long and short themes; a general course in writing which includes the critical study of one novel at least. Two-hour year course.

The theory and history of criticism; a lecture course dealing with the critical theory of Plato and Aristotle, and with English and French critics. One-hour year course.

Advanced course in English composition; a general writing course including studies in structure and style.

Classified by grades, the literature department offers one Grade I course, seven Grade II courses, with a 1-hour course in addition, seven Grade III courses, with a 1-hour course in addition. With the above exceptions of 1-hour courses, the rest are 3-hour courses. Nine teachers conduct the work.

As at Radcliffe and Vassar, a general course is given on the development of English literature, and as at Vassar but not at Radcliffe, this course is prerequisite to all other courses in the department. The course is sometimes passed off by examination. Courses based on periods rather than special writers are:

American literature___.

Eng.sh literature of the fourteenth century.

3-hour year course.

3-hour year course.

English lyric poetry of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries___.

3-hour year course.

1-hour year course.

Tendencies of twentieth century poetry--.

Less emphasis is placed on the eighteenth century literature than at Radcliffe and more on the modern.

Special writers are dealt with in courses on:

Milton

Spenser.

English drama through Shakespeare_.
Modern authors. (Two each year.).

English masterpieces

-3-hour year course. 3-hour semester course.

3-hour year course. 3-hour year course.

3-hour year course.

A course on the Arthurian Romance, a 3-hour year course, and a 1-hour year course in poetics are also offered. A course called Critical Studies in English Drama, three hours for the year, aims to give graduate training in literary investigation.

The English language department is devoted to the study of Old and Middle English. It offers in 1915-16, a course in the History of the English Language, and a seminar for the study of Old English. Both are 3-hour courses for the year, of Grade III. In none of the other colleges are these language courses separated from the English department.

Spoken English at Wellesley is called reading and speaking, and has no connection with any branch of the English department. It consists of one Grade I course of two hours, one Grade II course of three hours, and one of two hours. The first two courses are given to training of the body and voice, and the third to the interpretation of Shakespeare. Unlike Vassar, the courses at Wellesley count toward a degree.

RADCLIFFE.

At Radcliffe, in all of the departments, the courses are classified primarily for undergraduates, for undergraduates or graduates, and primarily for graduates. Between the groups there is, however, no strict division line, the only restriction being that courses primarily for undergraduates shall not count toward the M. A., and that undergraduates are to be admitted to courses primarily for graduates only on recommendation of the instructor. This generous provision allows the able student great freedom of choice in courses and makes it possible for her to accomplish nearly, if not quite, the work required for both A. B. and A. M., in four years.

English at Radcliffe includes without separation into departments composition, literature, and spoken English. "Study of literature forms a part of nearly every course in English composition, and practice in composition forms a part of many of the courses in English literature." Members of the faculty sometimes teach both composition and literature. The courses of comparative literature are grouped into a separate department.

The only prescribed work at Radcliffe is a three-hour course of rhetoric and English composition; an introductory course in the theory and practice of English composition, both oral and written. The theory is taught by lectures, recitations, and readings, the practice by the writing of themes which are criticized and rewritten. Short daily themes and longer periodical papers are required of the student.

This prescribed course may be anticipated by examination. For the freshmen who have anticipated it by the grade A or B, the course called English composition is primarily intended. It is conducted in much the manner of the prescribed course, but deals with a selected group of students.

The instructor in charge of the undergraduate composition courses, which are usually large at Radcliffe, gives the lectures. The themes are criticized and marked by assistants who hold conferences