medical education to female students was made at one time, but the ladies were refused permission to attend the College June 27, 1873; they are still debarred from studying; surgery here, and none have as yet entered their names on the list of theological students. In the other departments greater facilities have been allowed the fair sex. a Central High School for girls being opened at the College September 17, 1879, accommodation being provided For eighty pupils. The Museum of Natural History formed at the College soon after its opening, long one of the town attraction for visitors, was presented to the Corporation, and formed the nucleus of the heterogenous collection at Aston Hall. The medical students have the advantage of an extensive Anatomical Museum, and there is, besides, a library of about 6,000 volumes of the best works and books of reference that could be obtained.
Oscott College.—The old Roman Catholic College of St. Mary's, at Oscott, was first used as such in 1808. The present building was commenced in 1835, and opened May 31, 1838, and is considered one of the chief English seminaries for Catholic students in theology. The chapel is ll2ft. long by 33ft. wide, and is richly decorated, having side chapels and several handsome memorial windows. The College library is very extensive, and includes many very rare, valuable, and ancient works, some choice MSS., and a number of "old masters," the latter having been contributed by the late Earl of Shrewsbury.
Saltley Training College, which covers nearly seven acres of land, was instituted in 1847, and was opened at Easter, 1852, for the education of future schoolmasters in connection with the Established Church. The building cost nearly £18,000 and will accommodate 100 students) who undergo a two years' training, the College being under the inspection of the Committee of Council on Education, Government grants amount to about two-thirds of the income, the balance being raised by public subscription and from fees. In addition to over fifty scholarships tenable by students who pass their examination, there are four exhibitions arising from a sum of £2,000 given in October, 1874, by the late Mr. Arthur Ryland (for a donor who desired to be anonymous), to the governing body of this College "to found a trust for promoting the teaching of teachers the laws of health, and inducing teachers to make that subject one of the things statedly taught in their own schools," and a further £1,000 for four exhibitions to students.
Severn Street First Day Adult School.—The name tells pretty well that this school was commenced by some members of the Society of Friends, though there is really nothing sectarian about it. Established in 1845, in a simple way and with but few classes, there is hardly an institution in the town that can be compared to it in the matter of practical usefulness, and certainly none at which there has been exhibited such an amount of unselfish devotedness on the part of teachers and superintendents. The report to the end of 1883 stated that during the year the progress of the school had been of an encouraging character. The following statistics were given of the total attendance at all the schools connected with the movement:—Number of teachers, 57 males, 25 females—total, 82, average attendance, 51 males, 23 females—total 74. Elementary teachers, 173 males, 21 females—total, 194; average attendance, 152 males, 19 females—total, 171. Number of scholars, 3,370 males, 653 females—total, 4,023; average attendance, 2,510 males, 510 females—total 3,080. The total number admitted since the men's school commenced in 1845, and the women's in 1848, had been 40,350. In connection with the school there are a number of organisations of great utility, such as sick societies, building societies, savings' funds, libraries, excursions clubs, &c. In the savings'
