"" inwardness of migration as was the case a century ago, and that practically all our information on this subject is connected with mass-movements, so that we are ignorant of the wanderings of individual birds. The acquisition of a knowledge of such individual movements will, it is urged, aid, not only in the study of the general migration of species, but will assist in analysing the factors connected with migration as a whole. Active measures are being taken to inaugurate a system of bird-marking in the United States.

A similar movement has been started in this country by Mr. H. F. Witherby, the editor of British Birds, the details of which will be found in the June issue of that serial. The rings used for marking are extremely light, and do not in any way interfere with the bird's power of flight; each is stamped Witherby. High Holborn, London," and bears a distinctive number, which in the smaller sizes is stamped inside the ring, and it is hoped that anyone into whose hands should fall a bird so marked will send the bird and the ring, or, if this is not possible, then the particulars of the number on the ring, the species of bird, and the locality and date of capture, to the address given.

Yet another centre for bird-marking is to be established at Aberdeen, as announced in the June number of British Birds.

The history of the rise and progress of ornithology in South Africa is presented in concise and popular form by Mr. A. Haagner in Popular Bulletin No. 2 of the South African Ornithologists' Union, recently published Pretoria.

at

To No. 1679 of the Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum Mr. E. A. Mearns contributes a paper on new and rare birds from the Philippines, while in No. 1683 of this serial the same author gives a list of birds recently collected in the Philippines, Borneo, and certain other Malay islands.

UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

pose of endowing American colleges and universities. The Board had already received 8,600,000l. from him. Some forty institutions of higher education have benefited by this trust, including Harvard and Yale Universities. The correspondent states that the Board's policy is governed by the belief that every city of more than 100,000 inhabitants should possess a college. The annual income of the Board is said to be 200,000l.

THE accounts of the London Polytechnics for the year ended July 31, 1908, have been printed by the London County Council. The council's comptroller points out that the total ordinary receipts of these eleven institutions amounted to 212,4951., an increase of 8,5431. over the previous year. The council's grants amounted to 80,503., or 37.88 per cent. of the total receipts. Grants from the Board of Education amounted to 38,2291., or 17.99 per cent.; the sums received from the City Parochial Foundation were 27.7041., or 13.04 per cent., and from City companies, &c., 6,929l., or 3.26 per cent. The total ordinary expenditure on revenue account of all the polytechnics amounted to 211,950l., an increase of 4,431l. over previous year. Taking the results as a whole, so far as ordinary income and expenditure are concerned, there was a surplus of 5451. on the institutions, as compared with a deficit of 3,5671. in 1906-7. The amount expended on teachers' salaries reached 99,2861., or 47-84 of the total expenditure; other salaries accounted for 25,500l., or 12.30 per cent.; rent, rates, and taxes absorbed 11,5861., or 5.58 per cent.; and apparatus and other educational appliances and furniture cost 18,3271., or 8.83 per cent. of the total expenditure.

the

TEACHERS at agricultural schools and colleges in this country will be interested in the full and detailed syllabus issued by the Colorado State Agricultural College. The requirements for admission strike an English teacher as severe, and we can only congratulate the Colorado College if it is in a position to insist on the high standard they imply. The student is expected to have a certain acquaintance with English literature, gained by reading specified classics, and to be "familiar with the essential principles of rhetoric," including the following:-"choice of words, structure of sentences and paragraphs, the principles of

FROM the Observatory we learn that Mr. J. Lunt, astrophysical assistant at the Cane Observatory, has been given the honorary degree of D.Sc. by the University of Manchester.

THE annual meeting of the Midland Agricultural and Dairy College will be held on Monday, July 26, when the report on the year's work will be presented. The Duke of Rutland will address the meeting, and present the diplomas and certificates gained during last session.

MERELY to mention the titles of four of the six articles contained in the February-March issue of the Southern Educational Review is to demonstrate the importance its editor attaches to the education of the negro. These articles are those on "Results of Attempts at the Higher Education of the Negro of the South, ""The Essential Requirements of Negro Education," "Negro Rural Schools," and "Relation of the State to the Education of the Negro." The review is published at Chattanooga, Tenn., U.S.A., by the editor, Mr. H. Elmer Bierly.

IT is proposed to establish in connection with the Paris University a system of exchange between French and foreign professors on similar lines to that which has for some time been in vogue between Berlin and America. M. Liard, rector of the university, has made an appeal to the friends of the university to create a fund for the purpose. M. Albert Kahn has placed at the disposal of the rector an annual grant of 30,000 francs for five years. The Revue scientifique states that two million francs are necessary for the success of the scheme.

It is announced by the New York correspondent of the Times that Mr. John D. Rockefeller has celebrated his seventieth birthday by giving 2,000,000l. to the General Education Board, which he founded in 1907 for the pur

is another essential subject, and the teacher who is preparing pupils for the college is informed that "the mere learning of a text will not give the preparation that the colleges desire. Effort should be made to cultivate the power of handling facts and of drawing proper deductions from data, to develop the faculty of discrimination, to teach the pupils the use of books, and how to extract substance from the printed page. The other subjectsmathematics, chemistry, physics, "other languages "-are to be taught in a similar spirit. Students so trained would form admirable raw material, and could have no great difficulty in taking the fullest advantage of the college course.

THE Board of Education has issued [Cd. 4736] its regulations for technical schools, schools of art, and other forms of provision of further education in England and Wales which will come into force on August 1 next. No changes of special importance have been made as compared with those of last year. It is satisfactory to note that the amount of each of the royal exhibitions, &c., tenable at the Royal College of Art and the Imperial College of Science and Technology, South Kensington, has been raised from 50l. to 60l. per session. The old royal exhibitions and national scholarships tenable at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, have been combined as royal scholarships, the competition for which is to be conducted on the lines hitherto adopted for the award of national scholarships. In place of the former studentships-in-training in science, the Board of Education has established special studentships for teachers of science and technology who are qualified to enter on the third or fourth year of the course provided at the Imperial College. We notice that in future such teachers-in-training are not to be permitted to continue for more than two years in all at the Imperial College, a change which, in view of the need for highly qualified teachers in our provincial schools of science and technology, seems of doubtful wisdom.

THE new laboratories of St. Paul's School, built to celebrate the quatercentenary of the foundation, were opened on Wednesday, July 8, by Lord Curzon. In his address, Lord Curzon said he noticed how the school had kept pace with the spirit and reforms of the day, how during the last hundred years its numbers had increased from 153 to 500; how the modern side had grown to equal the older side in numbers and importance; and he told how great had been the achievement of the school under the late high master, Dr. Walker, one of the great school-masters of the nineteenth century. Lord Curzon went on to say that we lived in an age of self-depreciation, of a too great selfdepreciation. Foreign critics were always coming to our public schools to learn how, having their superior equipment and their excellent organisation, they might obtain also "that training in character, that sense of moral responsibility, that spirit of civic patriotism, that ordered sense of personal liberty which were among the chief and most honourable characteristics of our public school system." So while content to learn from others we were not to forfeit that in our educational system which had done so much in the civic government of the country and the empire. The Bishop of Manchester referred to the conditions, so different from those obtaining now, under which he had learnt at St. Paul's School; yet he had learnt there that most valuable of lessons, to think. The high master, Dr. Hillard, said that St. Paul's had taken its full share in all those changes in educational method which began with Arnold's life at Rugby.

SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES.

LONDON.

Geological Society, June 16.-Prof. W. J. Sollas, F. R.S., president, in the chair.-The Carboniferous Limestone of County Clare: James A. Douglas. The district forms

the westernmost limit of the central Carboniferous Limestone plain of Ireland. The area, for the purposes of description, is divided into two main districts. The northern region is formed by an elevated plateau of Viséan Limestone, which rises on the north and east in terraced cliffs, but to the south-west dips below the "Coalmeasure" series. The surface is of bare rock, devoid of vegetation. The southern district is not formed of limestone; the high ground on the east is of Old Red Sandstone and Silurian rocks, that on the west of Coalneasures. The older formations appear as two anticlinal flexures, forming the mountains of Slieve Aughty and Slieve Bernagh. The margin of the syncline is formed by Tournaisian shales and limestone, while the Viséan limestones occupy the core. The limestone fauna show that the Geological Survey boundary between the Upper and Lower Limestones corresponds with the transition from a Tournaisian to a Viséan fauna, and the Middle Limestone contains a fauna distinct from that of the Upper, although they are not separable on lithological grounds. The Old Red Sandstone is succeeded by a series of sandy shales containing brachiopods characteristic of the Cleistopora zone; at the base are found modioliform lamellibranchs. The Zaphrentis zone is well developed. The most remarkable portion of the whole sequence is included in the Syringothyris zone. These beds show evidence of deposition in shallow water. The fauna is compared with that of the Waulsortian phase of Belgium. The incoming of a Viséan fauna is well marked at the base of the Seminula zone; in the middle of this zone occurs an important bed of oolitic limestone, with abundant gasteropods. The Dibunophyllum zone attains a thickness equal to that of the Midland area.-The Howgill Fells and their topography: J. E. Marr, F.R.S., and W. G. Fearnsides. The Howgill Fells form a monoclinal block, from which the Carboniferous rocks have been denuded. The northern slope probably corresponds with the sloping plane of unconformity between the Carboniferous rocks and Lower Palæozoic strata. On the south the slope to the Rawthey is along a block-fault. The chief drainage was originally north and south from the watershed at the summit of the block. The tract was

truncation of spurs, the formation of conchoidal scoops in the concavities of the valleys, a general widening of the valleys, and but slight deepening. A feature of interest is the contrast in this small area between these glaciated valleys and others of V-shaped cross-section, which are typical water-carved valleys unaffected by glacial erosion. -A new species of Sthenurus : L. Glauert.-Some reptilian remains from the Trias of Lossiemouth: D. M. S. Watson. The fore-limb of Ornithosuchus woodwardi is shown in a specimen in the Manchester Museum. Ornithosuchus is restored as an animal walking on all fours, with the head carried rather low. The proportions are identical with those of Etosaurus. A description is given of the skeleton of a very small reptile, interesting as recalling tosaurus in its armour.-Some reptilian tracks from the Trias of Runcorn (Cheshire): D. M. S. Watson. Four types of tracks which occur on the slab of sandstone from Weston Point, described in 1840 by Dr. Black, are discussed in this paper. It is suggested that some of these prints may quite well belong to such thecodonts as Ornithosuchus.-The anatomy of Lepidophloios laricinus, Sternb.: D. M. S. Watson.

Linnean Society, June 17.-Sir Frank Crisp, vice-president, in the chair.-The growth of a species of Battarea : J. G. Otto Tepper.-The deposits in the Indian Ocean : Sir John Murray.-The Sealark Penaeidea, Stenopidea, and Reptantia: L. A. Borradaile.—The Sealark Lepidoptera: T. B. Fletcher.-Report on the Porifera collected by Mr. C. Crossland in the Red Sea, part i., Calcarea: R. W. H. Row. The African species of Triumfetta, Linn. T. A. Sprague and J. Hutchinson.-New species of Malesian and Philippine ferns: Dr. H. Christ.-The acaulescent species of Malvastrum, A. Gray: A. W. Hill. DUBLIN.

Royal Dublin Society, June 22.-Dr. J. M. Purser in the chair. The fossil hare of the ossiferous fissures of Ightham, Kent, and on the recent hares of the Lepus variabilis group: M. A. C. Hinton. The paper describes the fossil remains of Lepus variabilis, Pall., obtained from the rock fissures at Ightham, and deals with the osteology of the recent and fossil hares of the L. variabilis group. The Pleistocene hare of England is referred to a new subspecies, L. variabilis anglicus, which is to be regarded as the immediate ancestor of L. variabilis hibernicus, its relationship with the existing Scotch form not being so close. The subspecies anglicus and hibernicus are shown to be the most primitive members of the variabilis group. The most important conclusion reached is that, contrary to the prevalent view, the variabilis group of hares has originated in temperate latitudes, and not in the high north. The value of benzidine for the detection of minute traces of blood: Prof. E. J. McWooney. The author began by explaining the chemical nature of benzidine, which is a di-p-diamino diphenyl. This substance, when dissolved in acetic acid and brought into contact with blood in presence of H,O,, at once undergoes oxidation with formation of a brilliant blue colour. The reaction is in principle the same as that with guaiacol, the old-fashioned Van Deen's or Schönbein's guaiacum test. The colour base from guaiacol differs from the benzidine colour-base in the same way as an amine (aniline) differs from a phenol, or an aurine from a rosaniline dye. The test is ten-fold more delicate than that with guaiacum, and detects blood in solution as weak as 1/500,000; but for medicolegal purposes it is preferable to bring particles of the suspected matter into contact with the reagent, when each granule, if blood, at once strikes a most brilliant blue. The reaction can be observed under the microscope. The test worked well with blood-stains many years' old, and seemed to be independent of the nature of the substratum. Controls, and a time limit of about a minute, were essential, and the sensitiveness of each batch of benzidine had to be worked out beforehand. Of all the substances tested, none gave the typical blue colour so speedily as blood, save fresh vegetables and fruit, which at once struck an intense blue, at first limited to the fibro-vascular bundles. Boiling deprived them of this power, owing to the destruction of the oxydase, whereas blood solutions gave the blue reaction at once after five minutes' boiling. The author recommended this test to the attention of medical jurists.

PARIS.

Academy of Sciences, July 5.-M. Émile Picard in the chair. Some new trialkylacetophenones and the trialkylacetic acids derived from them: A. Haller and Edouard Bauer. It has been shown in a preceding communication that dialkylacetophenones can be converted into trialkylacetophenones by treatment with an alkyl iodide in benzene solution in presence of sodium amide. These trisubstituted ketones, when further heated with sodium amide in toluene give a nearly quantitative yield of the amide of the trialkylacetic acid, together with benzene. In the present paper alkyl groups of high molecular weight are introduced. It has been found that on treatment with sodium amide these trialkyl ketones always give the fatty amide, the expected change into benzamide and the trialkylmethane not being effected. The preparation and properties of several new ketones are described. The tectonic relations of the island of Elba with Corsica, and the situation of the latter in the Alpine chain Pierre Termier.-The new Recueil of levellings of Russian railways as a basis for the hypsometry of the country J. de Schokalsky.-Central Asiatic Russia and the level of the lake basins: J. de Schokalsky. There is evidence that the levels of the Siberian lakes are slowly rising. This is connected with the fact that the annual rainfall for the last twenty years has been slowly increasing. It is possible that there are alternate dry and wet periods in Siberia, and that at the present time the wet period has passed its maximum.-M. J. C. Kapteyn was elected a correspondant in the section of astronomy.Occultations of stars observed at the Observatory of Lyons with the Brunner 16-cm. equatorial during the eclipse of the moon of June 3: J. Guillaume. The summation of Dirichlet's series: Marcel Riesz.-The singular integrals of certain algebraical differential equations: B. Gambier.Linear differential equations and uniform transcendentals of the second order: René Garnier.-Some inequalities having a bearing on the theory of elastic vibrations and electrical vibrations: A. Korn.-The conductivity of a gas at atmospheric pressure under the influence of a high alternating voltage: A. Chassy. The conductivity of a gas increases continuously with the voltage, and it is only for the highest voltages well above the critical voltage that the capacity of the gas condenser is the same as that which would be obtained if the gas were replaced by a liquid conductor. It is possible that under these conditions the gas is a true conductor and follows Ohm's law. The radio-activity of potassium salts: Emile Henriot and G. Vavon. The minute radio-activity shown by potassium salts would appear to be a property of the potassium atom, since all attempts to concentrate the radio-activity by a series of fractionations failed. This confirms the results of Campbell and MacLellan. The rays have been identified with the B rays. Tautomeric changes elucidated by means of the magnetic rotatory power: P. Th. Muller and M. Thouvenot. A differential method was employed to increase the sensitiveness of the measurements. Experiments were made with methyl cyanacetate and its sodium salt and with acetoacetic ester and its sodium derivative. The results indicate a change in the internal structure when the molecule passes into the sodium derivative.-The chlorides of silicon: A. Besson and L. Fournier. The evolution of hydrogen from silicochloroform under the action of the silent discharge has been confirmed by working in a current of hydrogen chloride gas.-A new method for the isolation of terbine: G. Urbain.-The oxidation of aldehydes by silver oxide: Marcel Delépine and Pierre Bonnet. The aldehyde in aqueous solution is mixed directly with silver nitrate, and baryta solution added in a proportion sufficient to set free the silver oxide and neutralise the organic acid formed. Various applications of the method are given, the yields being very high, usually more than 90 per cent. of the theoretical.-The hydrolysis of proteid materials by means of hydrofluoric acid; some new results: Hugounenq and A. Morel. By varying the strength of the hydrofluoric acid used for the hydrolysis the reaction can be stopped at definite stages. The process is especially advantageous for the isolation of the simple peptides.Study of the principal layers of the alkaline rocks of the French Soudan: G. Garde.-The elaboration of the materials containing phosphorus and saline substances in the leaves of living plants: G. André.-Two new carbohydrates

L.

extracted from asparagus: Georges Tanret. These have the composition (CHO), where n is about 15. Details of the method of isolation and properties of these carbohydrates are given.-The role of the fluorescent bacilli of Flügge in plant pathology: Ed. Griffon.-The biometrical study of the seeds of Vitis vinifera: P. Seyot.-The supposed utilisation of atmospheric nitrogen by certain special hairs of plants: François Kövessi. The development of plant hairs is independent of the presence of atmospheric nitrogen, and there is no evidence that these organs have specialised absorptive powers for nitrogen.-Seeds killed by anææsthetics retain their diastatic properties: Jean Apsit and Edmond Gain. Grains of wheat, the germinating power of which had been destroyed by treatment with ether, retained both their diastatic and peroxydiastatic properties. The sensation of relief: A. Quidor. The presence of attractive spheres and of centrosomes in the cells resulting from the parthenogenetic segmentation of the fowl's egg, and on the characters of these formations: A. Lécaillon. The caves of Lacave (Lot): Armand Viré.— The morphological zones of western Switzerland: E. Romer. The earthquakes of June 11 and 23 Alfred Angot.-An attempt to guard against hail: M. de Beau. champ.-New observations On earth currents between stations differing greatly in height: B. Brunhes and P.

David.

CONTENTS.

Regeneration. By Dr. Francis H. A. Marshall
A Naturalist in Tasmania
Properties of Building Materials. By H. B.
Economic Bacteriology. By Prof. R. T. Hewlett
Forestry . . . .

New Books on Organic Chemistry. By J. B. C..
Physics for the Lecture Room and Laboratory
Our Book Shelf:-

Cosserat: "Théorie des Corps déformables".
Hawk: "Practical Physiological Chemistry."-
W. D. H..

Pike "Behind the Veil in Bird-land."-W. P. P..
Koehler: "An Account of the Deep-sea Asteroidea
collected by the R.I.M.S.S. Investigator"
Wang: "Antimony

Soliman: "Étirage, Tréfilage, Dressage des Produits
métallurgiques.'
-A. McW..

Reinheimer: "Nutrition and Evolution

Letters to the Editor :

Bessel's Functions.-A. B. Basset, F.R.S.

Musical Sands. -Cecil Carus-Wilson

The Commutative Law of Addition, and Infinity.-
Philip E. B. Jourdain; G. B. M.

The Theory of Crookes's Radiometer.
F.R.S..

Rayleigh, O.M.,

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The Identity of Comets 1908a and 19086 (Encke)
Comet 1909a.

The King on Increased Provision for Advanced
Scientific Instruction and Research

The Science Collections at South Kensington
Eskdalemuir Observatory

The Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Scottish Expedition to Spitsbergen
Bird Notes .

University and Educational Intelligence
Societies and Academies