menced by General de Nansouty and his coadjutors in 1873, at the foot of the Pic, about 2300 metres above the sea, and were continued under great hardships, and at considerable personal expense for about eight years. The present station was established in 1880, by public and private subscriptions. The accompanying illustration gives a general view of the station as it now exists. On the left the thermometer screen may be distinguished near the erection on which the anemometer and actinometer are placed; at the other end of the terrace is the equatorial building, and the apparatus for celestial photography. The magnetic instruments are placed in vaults underneath the terrace. The meteorological observations are regularly published in the annals of the Central Meteorological Office; useful predictions have been given to the inhabitants of the plains of impending thunderstorms, and of probable floods owing to the sudden melting of the snow on the mountains. Amongst the miscellaneous observations undertaken under the able direction of M. Marchand, we may specially mention those relating to the zodiacal light, to solar phenomena, and the

persons have attended the various local lectures provided, while 1000 students entered for the courses offered by agricultural colleges. The expenditure of the counties is given in detail, and presents some curious anomalies; thus the London County Council assigned to agricultural education 7421., while the authorities of one of the most fertile divisions of Lincolnshire, in which agriculture is practically the only industry, voted 651. for the purpose! Again, East Sussex, with a total income from the "Residue Grant" of 77731., spent 61161. in grants to agricultural colleges or schools, while West Sussex, with an income of 45031., gave nothing for collegiate instruction, and was satisfied with an expenditure of 2751. upon horticulture and poultry keeping. Conditions vary from county to county, but differences in the needs of the agriculturist do not explain the widely different educational policy of the local authorities. Under the new committees, it is to be hoped that the unsystematic and spasmodic efforts that have been too common in the past may disappear, and though it is probable that in the

connection of the latter with magnetic disturbances. His observations in this direction have shown that whenever a terrestrial magnetic disturbance occurs, spots or faculæ exist on the central meridian of the sun. Important spectroscopic results have also been obtained respecting the atmospheres of Venus and Mars.

AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

AN important new feature of the annual report on the distribution of grants for agricultural education and research is a return giving the character of the instruction in agriculture provided by the county councils of England and Wales. The return shows that most counties are now spending considerable sums on agricultural education-altogether 88,8931. in 1902-3, and to this sum 9200l. was added by the Board of Agriculture in the form of grants to collegiate centres. It is estimated that some 22,000

immediate future less money will be spent on agricultural education, it is likely to be expended to greater advantage. The Board of Agriculture's report should be studied by all members of county education committees who are interested in agricultural education.

A piece of work which has just been completed in the library of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has greatly enhanced the value of the leading Continental agricultural journals for English-speaking students. Complete card catalogues of "Annales de la Science agronomique," "Landwithschaftliche Jahrbücher," and "Die landwithschaftlichen Versuchs-stationen have been prepared. Each index card gives author's name, title of article, and a brief outline of the scope of the article. The catalogues may be purchased in two series, either "author entry sets, permitting papers to be indexed under the authors' names, or "complete" sets, furnishing two or more cards for each paper, which may then be indexed under the author's name, and also under the subject or subjects to

which the article relates. The cost of the three sets of catalogues in the latter and more useful form is about 12l. The sets now issued bring the indexing down to 1903, but the work will be continued, and supplementary sets will be printed from time to time. Students who do not desire references to all branches of agricultural science may obtain sets of cards dealing with special subjects, such as soils, plant diseases, or forestry. Particulars of the eighteen subject-groups under which the cards are classified are given in Bulletin No. 9, issued by the Catalogue Division of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

In the fourth report on the Woburn fruit farm, the Duke of Bedford and Mr. Spencer Pickering, F.R.S., discuss the results of several years' experiments in the manuring of fruit crops. In an introduction the soil of the fruit station is described, and chemical and mechanical analyses are given; the report then describes experiments on strawberries, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and apples. For various reasons the experiments on currants and raspberries were unsatisfactory, but trustworthy data were obtained in the work on the other crops. It was found that 12 tons of farmyard manure per acre increased the strawberry crop by 12 per cent. to 15 per cent., and that the size and quality of the fruit were greatly improved. A mixed artificial manure supplying about the same quantities of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash and magnesia as the dung similarly increased the yield, but did not improve the quality. Farmyard manure much increased the gooseberry crop, but the artificial mixture failed to do so, and it is explained that the increase in the former case was probably due to the greater quantity of moisture retained by the dunged soil. Nitrate of soda applied in summer was found to benefit apples in certain seasons, but with this exception no kind of manure had any marked effect on the apple crop.

UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL

INTELLIGENCE.

BIRMINGHAM.—Mr. Chamberlain, the Chancellor of the University, presided at the annual meeting of the Court of Governors held on February 6. Speaking after the adoption of the annual report, Mr. Chamberlain said that when the governors of Mason College met some five or six years ago and came to the decision that the time had come to give Birmingham its own university, it was thought that the least sum of money which would justify them in applying for a charter was 100,000l. But very shortly afterwards they found that there was a great opportunity, not only for themselves, but for other great provincial cities, to create a series of universities which in the first place would bring home to all the population the advantages of the highest education, and in the second place, would specialise this highest education with some more definite idea of its application to science than hitherto had been found to be possible. The moment they decided on a departure of that kind they found that it meant something quite different from what they had previously supposed. New buildings had to be specially devised, a very large and expensive equipment had to be provided, and new chairs had to be created; altogether a completely new ideal had to be developed. And then they put their demand-a demand which, indeed, they did not strictly limit themselves to, but they thought it would probably be sufficient for the present generation-they put their demand at the expenditure of one million of money. They had received at once nearly half that sum, largely from Birmingham. And he might say in passing that the liberality of the local contribution was a ground for the claim which they made for some further State support. "It is something," he said, "that we have found that the Government are becoming alive to our needs and to our deserts, and that they have been able to double the sum previously given for the university education. But we may bear in mind at the same time that the present Chancellor of the Exchequer has promised to double it again in his next Budget, and, therefore, I anticipate that from that source we shall receive a very considerable addition. I do not at all accept it as in any way a satisfaction of our demands, because it is my conviction that public opinion will soon insist upon larger sums being

devoted to this purpose. When I think that we are spending 13 millions a year at least on primary education I say the sum now given for the purpose of the highest education, the most profitable of all the investments we can make in that direction, is altogether inadequate."

CAMBRIDGE.-The voting on the report of the Studies and Examinations Syndicate will take place on Friday, March 3, and on Saturday, March 4, on both days from 1-3 p.m. and from 5-7 p.m. No votes will be taken after 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 3.

In view of the discussion on the report the syndicate has issued the report in an amended form. The chief changes include as alternatives in the papers in classical languages (1) passages for translation from a selected book or books; (2) unprepared passages for translation, a vocabulary of unusual words being supplied, also the abolition of distinct grammar papers, although questions on syntax and accidence will be set in connection with the translation papers; further, one of the Synoptic Gospels is Greek, is now proposed as an alternative to one of the Synoptic Gospels, together with the Acts of the Apostles in English, and logic is included amongst the optional subjects in part iii. These proposals are embodied by the Council in five graces. It is on the second of these, which deals with the question of compulsory Greek, that attention will be centred.

LONDON. Sir Michael Foster has consented to offer himself for re-election to the next Parliament as member for the University of London. He seeks re-election as a representative of science and higher education; if re-elected he will take his seat as a member of the Liberal Party. A committee, with Sir Thomas Barlow as chairman, has been formed to promote his election. This committee comprises graduates belonging to different political parties who are supporting Sir M. Foster on the ground of his many public services and in the belief that his special knowledge will continue to prove of great value to the House of Commons.

OXFORD.-Mr. George Longstaff, New College, has presented 50l. to the Hope Department of Zoology, and has offered to provide an extra assistant in the department for the years 1905 and 1906.

A SHEFFIELD gentleman, who does not wish his identity in connection with the Sheffield University movement that to be disclosed, has, says the Sheffield Telegraph, intimated he is prepared to subscribe 10,000l. towards the endowment fund, provided four other sums of 10,000l. are contributed. As an alternative, he is willing to give 5,000l. provided nine similar donations are promised. Under either condition a sum of 50,000l. would be raised, and, roughly, this is the amount still required to complete the fund.

AT a public meeting held under the auspices of the University of Leeds on February 6th, Mr. Alfred Mosely, C.M.G., gave an address on "Some Lessons learned by the recent Mosely Commission of Educationists to the United States." In the course of his remarks he said: Much remains in England to be done so that she may be brought into line with the United States and Germany in the matter of education. In America the people realise that if the nation is to be made and saved it must be through the medium of education. The time has come for us to reconsider our position, and above all to realise that the Board schools and the primary schools are but the prelude to secondary education, which in the United States has made such satisfactory strides-as it has also in Germany. The great difference in the education of the United States and that in our own country is the appreciation there of everybody, from the highest to the lowest, of the value of education. The Government has realised its obligations, and private citizens pour out their money like water. The University at Chicago, for instance, has been built up through the liberality of one man, who has given millions of pounds sterling. Why is there not the same spirit in England?

THE current number of the Quarterly Review contains an article entitled The Direction and Method of Education." The writer passes in review many of the official publications of the English Board of Education and the

Scotch Education Department, Prof. Sadler's report on secondary education in Liverpool, and other publications. Men of science would do well to note what is given as the sum and substance of official activity in education since the passing of the recent Education Act. The writer says, If we were asked to describe in one word the whole tendency of English education as manifested at the present time, we should speak of a humanistic renaissance." And again later," English education, we believe, is working round to the humanistic ideal." Literary studies are included in every satisfactory scheme of elementary and secondary education, and the man of science recognises fully the value of the humanities in the work of schools and colleges. But whatever "humanistic renaissance" there may be dawning upon the world of education, it is to be hoped that the danger of a return to the conditions of fifty years ago, when instruction in the methods of science was unknown in our schools, and no opportunity to become acquainted with natural objects was offered, will be borne in mind by all education committees and other authorities.

THE Hon. Maude Lawrence has been appointed to a newlyestablished post of Chief Woman Inspector under the Board of Education. Miss Lawrence will direct a staff of women inspectors of special qualifications and varied experience, who will assist the Board in dealing with many questions for the treatment of which they have hitherto been somewhat imperfectly equipped. Instruction in various domestic subjects, such as needlework, cookery, laundry work, household management, and hygiene, has for some time past been given under the regulations of the Board for schools of different grades. But the report of the InterDepartmental Committee on Physical Deterioration points to the need of a reform in the methods now commonly employed in the teaching of these subjects. It is considered that this instruction has been less effective than it should have been, because it has been too theoretical and has not been kept sufficiently in touch with the needs and habits of daily life. The new branch of the inspectorate will be employed to assist local authorities in providing, as part of their educational system, ample opportunities for girls of various ages to obtain a training for home life simple, practical, and adapted, where necessary, to the special circumstances of each locality. There are also many questions of importance involving the national physique, as affected by the studies, the life, and the treatment of children, and especially of very young children, from day to day in elementary schools, which women inspectors are specially qualified to investigate and to advise upon.

THE Council of the Association of Technical Institutions has published its report of an inquiry, undertaken in May, 1904, as to the conditions of admission to evening classes in technical institutions and evening continuation schools throughout the country. The council considers that the returns and expert opinions recorded in this report justify the following conclusions :-(1) That it is undesirable to establish any general system of free admission to evening

continuation schools, or of free admission or admission at specially reduced fees to evening classes in technical institutions. (2) That it is unnecessary to grant entirely free admission, to evening classes in technical institutions, to any special class or body of students or workers engaged in skilled industries, such as apprentices or persons under twenty-one years of age. (3) That there is need for the establishment in all technical institutions of sufficient" free studentships or "scholarships" to secure the admission of all qualified and deserving students who are unable, by reason of their limited means, to pay the usual class fees without more sacrifice than should reasonably be expected of them. The plan to secure information adopted by the council was to issue a letter and form of inquiry to the education authorities and technical institutions throughout the United Kingdom asking for information as to the existence of the following conditions of admission to evening classes: (a) entirely free, (b) at less than normal fee, (c) by scholarships, (d) by arrangement with employers. Replies were received with reference to sixty evening continuation school areas and from eighty-three technical institutions. Of the technical institutions, fifty-five are not

in favour of free admission, and one only in favour of it. The remaining institutions gave no definite answer. Thirty-eight education committees are against free admission to evening continuation schools, two are in favour of it, sixteen expressed no opinion, and four suggest scholarships.

SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES.

LONDON.

Royal Society, November 24, 1904.-"The Flow of Water through Pipes.-Experiments on Stream-line Motion and the Measurement of Critical Velocity.' By Dr. H. T. Barnes and Dr. E. G. Coker. Communicated by Prof. Osborne Reynolds, F.R.S.

In a brief note published in the Physical Review (vol. xii. P. 372, 1901), the authors described a thermal method of observing the change from stream-line to eddy motion for water flowing through pipes of different diameters.

The impossibility of heating a column of water uniformly throughout while flowing in stream-line motion has been previously observed. It was shown that, when water is heated electrically while flowing through a tube of two or three millimetres diameter by a central wire conductor, the heat is carried off by the rapidly moving stream, which forms a cloak of hot water around the wire, and leaves the walls of the tube almost entirely unheated.

The change from stream-line to eddy motion can be very clearly observed in a tube heated on the outside, since the temperature of the emerging stream immediately increases when the flow rises above the critical point. The point of change is very sharp, and the disappearance of the streamlines instantaneous.

It is clear from a study of the work of Osborne Reynolds that the change from stream-line to eddy motion may take place within a wide range of velocities. Critical velocity is measured in two ways: either by observing the velocity at which the stream-lines break up into eddies, or by obtaining the velocity at which the eddies from initially disturbed water do not become smoothed out into streamlines in a long uniform pipe. The first change may be at any velocity within certain limits depending on the initial steadiness of the inflowing water, while in the second, the change can take place at only one velocity.

Osborne Reynolds's experiments were carried out by the method of colour bands in a long rectangular tank. By using a very much larger tank under a high head of water the authors were able to obtain a higher degree of steadiness than was obtained in the comparatively small tank used by Reynolds. A large number of experiments were obtained, an account of which forms the main part of the present paper.

Briefly, the result of the work may be summarised as follows:

stream-line flow for certain sizes of pipes fed by perfectly (1) The attainment of exceedingly high velocities of quiet water under a high head.

(2) The re-formation of stream-lines in certain cases after eddies had formed, with a subsequent breaking up of the stream-lines at a very much higher velocity.

(3) A small divergence from the law of the change in viscosity with temperature for the upper-limit of streamline flow.

(4) A verification of the viscosity temperature law for the lower-limit of stream-line flow by separate methods.

January 19." Further Histological Studies on the Localisation of Cerebral Function.-The Brains of Felis, Canis, and Sus compared with that of Homo." By Dr. A. W. Campbell. Communicated by Prof. Sherrington, F.R.S.

This addendum to a work on cerebral localisation, presented by the same author to the Royal Society in November, 1903, aims at elucidating certain obscure functional analogies and structural homologies pertaining to the brain.

The points emphasised are as follows:-Giant cells characterise the cortex of the lower mammalian cruciate zone, and this represents the motor area, as defined by Profs. Sherrington and Grünbaum in the anthropoid ape,

and by the author in man. The compensatory ansate and coronal sulci are respectively interchangeable with the upper and lower constituents of the primate fissure of Rolando. The common sensory area forms a morphological buffer behind the cruciate zone. Quite one-sixth of the lower animal's brain surface is allotted to visual cortex. The "true calcarine" fissure is the antecedent of the human anterior calcarine, the intercalary sulcus undergoes retrograde changes, and the suprasplenial sulcus is the derivative of the "sulcus intrastriatus lateralis." In the limbic region, human types of cortex are repeated, and the genual fissure is the homologue of the calloso-marginal. Parietal cortex is older, in the sense of phylogeny, than frontal. The lateral sulcus is the forerunner of the

intraparietal. Out of the ectosylvian region of lower animals is developed the Sylvian region, including the insula, and much of the temporal lobe of primates.

It is concluded that the stability of the architectural plan of any given field of cortex is directly related to the phylogenic age of that cortex, and to the importance, as a means to survival, of the function it subserves; and, that while the human brain has expanded more decisively in some parts than in others, yet that expansion, if we except the visual and olfactory areas, has been general in kind.

January 26.-"On a Method of Finding the Conductivity for Heat." By Prof. C. Niven, F.R.S.

The first part of the paper contains a detailed account of the methods employed for finding the difference of temperature, and a description of the apparatus used. The results of some experiments made with it are also given, and compared with those found by other observers. The second part of the paper contains a solution of the mathematical problem of the diffusion of heat in an infinite solid from a line at which it is supplied at a constant rate, and the solution of some other allied questions. One result of the investigation suggests a method of finding the diffusivity directly, when the substance is of sufficiently great extent.

The Boring of the Simplon Tunnel, and the Distribution of Temperature that was encountered." By Francis Fox. Communicated by C. V. Boys, F.R.S.

February 2.- On the Compressibility of Gases between One Atmosphere and Half an Atmosphere of Pressure." By Lord Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S.

The present memoir contains a detailed account of the observations referred to in the Preliminary Notice of February, 1904. In addition, results are now given for air, carbonic anhydride, and nitrous oxide. In the following table are recorded the values of B for the various gases at specified temperatures, B denoting the quotient of the value of pv at half an atmosphere by the value at the whole atmosphere :

By means of a formula given by D. Berthelot the compressibilities at o° C. are inferred, and applied to deduce the ratio of densities as they would be observed at o° C. under very low pressures. According to Avogadro's law these are the relative molecular weights. From the densities of nitrogen and oxygen we get N = 14-008, if 0 = 16. Again, from the densities of oxygen and nitrous oxide we find N = 13.998. The former is probably the more trustworthy.

Chemical Society, January 18.-Prof. W. A. Tilden, F.R.S., president, in the chair.-Nitrogen halogen derivatives of the sulphonamides: F. D. Chattaway. A number of the nitrogen halogen derivatives of the sulphonamides, which are obtained by the action of hypochlorous acid on the suphonamides and the alkylsulphonamides, were described, and the ease with which they can be prepared and crystallised demonstrated.-Electrolytic oxidation of the aliphatic aldehydes: H. D. Law.. The chief product of oxidation of the lower members of the saturated aliphatic

aldehydes is the corresponding organic acid, but small quantities of carbon dioxide and monoxide and saturated hydrocarbons are also formed in some cases.-The diazoderivatives of the benzenesulphonylphenylenediamines : G. T. Morgan and F. M. G. Micklethwait. A description is given of the substances produced by the interaction of nitrous acid with the benzenesulphonyl derivatives of o-, m- and p-phenylenediamines, illustrating the different behaviour of these isomerides with this reagent.-The molecular condition in solution of ferrous potassium oxalate S. E. Sheppard and C. E. K. Mees. Ferrous oxalate was shown to dissolve in alkali oxalates forming double salts, such as K,Fe(C2O1)2, which dissociate according to the scheme 2K+ Fe(C2O)2. Spectrophotometric

an

+

measurements indicated that the formation of ferrous ions at moderate dilutions was negligibly small.-A further analogy between the asymmetric nitrogen and carbon atoms: H. O. Jones. The author showed that, during the formation of an asymmetric nitrogen atom in a compound containing asymmetric carbon atom, two isomerides, which are called the a- and B-compounds, are produced. For this purpose methyl-l-amylaniline has been combined with allyl and benzyl iodides.-The formation of magnesia from magnesium carbonate by heat and the effect of temperature on the properties of the product : W. C. Anderson. Experiments were made with native and artificial magnesium carbonates to ascertain (1) the lowest temperature at which the evolution of carbon dioxide could be distinctly recognised; (2) the comparative rates at which the expulsion of the gas takes place at higher temperatures under atmospheric pressure; and (3) the extent to which the magnesia obtained dissolves in water after being kept at different known temperatures for a fixed period. It is inferred from the results that polymerisation takes place when magnesia is heated, and that this goes magnesia.-Transformations of derivatives of s-tribromoon more quickly in the "heavy" oxide than in "light diazobenzenes: K. J. P. Orton. The addition of sodium hydrogen sulphite to ketonic compounds: A. W. Stewart. -The reduction products of anisic acid: J. S. Lumsden. When anisic acid, dissolved in amyl alcohol, is reduced by sodium, the products are hexahydrobenzoic acid and 8-ketohexahydrobenzoic acid.-The physical properties of heptoic, hexahydrobenzoic, and benzoic acids and their derivatives: J. S. Lumsden.-The influence of solvents on the rotation of optically active compounds. Part vii. Solution-volume and rotation of menthol and menthyl tartrates: T. S. Patterson and F. Taylor.

Royal Microscopical Society, January 18.-Dr. Dukinfield H. Scott, F.R.S., president, in the chair.-The President delivered his annual address, the subject of which was an inquiry as to "What were the Carboniferous Ferns?

Geological Society, January 18.-Dr. J. E. Marr. F.R.S., president, in the chair.-On the geology of Arenig Fawr and Moel Llyfnant: W. G. Fearnsides. This paper contains a detailed description of the succession of beds in Sedgwick's typical area of development of his Arenig series. The author discusses the relationship of the various divisions he describes to corresponding beds of other areas. He gives a description of the intrusive igneous rocks, and some account of the structure of the district and the nature of its glaciation.

Physical Society, January 27.-Dr. R. T. Glazebrook, F.R.S., president, in the chair.-Action of a magnetic field on the discharge through a gas: Dr. R. S. Willows. It has been shown previously that a transverse magnetic field, if applied at the kathode, may in some cases reduce the potential difference at the terminals of the tube. It is shown in the paper that the pressure at which this decrease commences corresponds to the pressure at which the voltage required to maintain this discharge, under normal conditions, is a minimum. This is also found to be the pressure at which the positive column is first completely striated. Reasons why such action takes place are given.-Action of radium on the electric spark: Dr. R. S. Willows and J. Peck. In certain cases the authors have found that the spark from a Wimshurst machine is extinguished by the action of the radiations from radium and that the current