November 25, 1897] 



NATURE 



91 



case but one, though we could keep them in prime condition 

 until we struck the polluted waters of the coast, when they died 

 quickly. Our failures, however, have suggested remedies, and 

 next )ear we hope to show Octopus, Paltnurus, Ibacus, Aplysia 

 and the sea-anemones, as well as the fishes. The fishes thrive 

 in the Aquarium, although the water is several degrees cooler 

 than they are accustomed to, and the salinity much less. There 

 would be little difficulty apparently in carrying them from New 

 York across the Atlantic, if that were desirable, under the same 

 conditions that we carried them from Bermuda. 



Our hasty survey strengthens the idea of establishing a station, 

 and we are planning to have one in working condition by the 

 summer of 1899, if not before. It will have two stories, the 

 lower given up to aquaria, as at Naples, and open to the public 

 during the winter at a small fee ; the upper story will be fitted 

 up for a laboratory, and while under the charge of the University 

 will be open to any one competent to carry on an investigation 

 in botany or zoology. It is not intended to rival any of the 

 stations on the Atlantic coast, but to supplement them, and to 

 afford opportunity to investigators of America and Europe to 

 study the flora and fauna of a tropical horizon with ease and 

 comfort. The health fulness of the place is testified by the 

 yearly visitation eft' over two thousand guests who spend the 

 winter months there. Malaria is unknown, as is also prostration 

 by heat. The climate during June and July is not disagreeable, 

 the thermometer rarely going up beyond 82° F. 



Another project in hand with the station at the Bermudas is 

 the exploration of the West Indies with the Bermudas as a base. 

 Two lines of steamers connect the islands with the West Indies, 

 and the investigator starting on them equipped from the appli- 

 ances of the station may make a rapid collecting trip to a desired 

 place, and return to work over his material under the more 

 favourable conditions at the station. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — The examination for University Mathematical 

 Scholarship and Exhibition will begin on January 20, 1898. 



At the Junior Scientific Club on Friday last, November 19, 

 Mr. A. C. Le Rossignol (Exeter) read a paper on "Nitro- 

 explosives." Mr. H. Balfour (Trinity), exhibited a series 

 showing the ancient and modern use of bones of animals as 

 skates. Mr. N. V. Sedgwick (Ch. Ch.) was in the chair. 



The regulations for carrying into effect the provisions of the 

 statute relating to the training of teachers are as follows : — 

 I. To obtain the certificate the candidate shall (i) satisfy the 

 authority appointed by the delegates in practical work done 

 under supervision in Oxford ; (2) present a record in writing, 

 satisfactory to the delegates, of lessons prepared and given by 

 him, or her, during the training course in Oxford ; (3) have 

 taken a further probationary course of teaching in some school 

 appointed by the delegacy ; such course to include not less than 

 one hundred lessons, and the report of this work to be signed 

 by the head master or mistress ; (4) pay a fee of 2/. is. when 

 the diploma is awarded. II. In the case of candidates already 

 teachers (with the exception of those who shall have passed, or 

 taken honours at, the second public examination after Trinity 

 Term, 1898), the delegacy will certify that a candidate has 

 satisfied them of proficiency in the practice of teaching, • pro- 

 vided that the candidate (i) has taught for a year in a secondary 

 school approved by the delegacy ; (2) has attended at least one 

 holiday course held under the authority of the delegacy ; (3) 

 has satisfied the persons appointed by the delegacy of his, 

 or her, proficiency in the practice of teaching ; (4) shall pay 

 a fee of 3/. y. 



A HALL of physics, in connection with Syracuse University, 

 will, it is expected, be built next year, the sum of 5000/. having 

 already been subscribed for the purpose. 



Sir William MacCormac, the President of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons, England, has been appointed a Governor 

 of the Mason College, Birmingham, for five years. 



The new chemical laboratory building of the University of 

 Berlin, which is at present in course of erection, will, it is stated, 

 contain four large laboratories and twenty-five research rooms, 

 and accommodate 250 students. Its cost will be about 50,000/. 



NO. 1465, VOL. 57] 



Among a number of bequests by the late Sir Thomas Elder, 

 of Glan Osmond and Adelaide, South Australia, are : — 40C0/. to 

 Prince Alfred College, Adelaide ; 2000/. to Way College, Ade- 

 laide ; 25,000/. to Adelaide University ; and 20,000/. to the 

 Medical School of Adelaide University. 



Manufacturers having at heart the advancement of tech- 

 nical education should emulate the action of Messrs. Brunner, 

 Mond, and Co. This firm voluntarily tax themselves to the 

 extent of one penny in the pound on their works at Anderton, 

 Barton, and the rural portion of Winnington, in the interests of 

 technical education in Cheshire. 



Ar a meeting of the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons, 

 England, on November il. Felstead School and Watford 

 Endowed Schools were added to the list of recognised places of 

 instruction in chemistry, physics, and practical chemistry ; and 

 the South-west London Polytechnic Institute, which was already 

 recognised for instruction in these subjects, was added to the 

 recognised places of instruction in elementary biology. 



The Court of the Drapers' Company have approved the plans 

 of a new building at Oxford, which will be the future home of 

 the Ratcliffe Library if the authorities at Oxford accept them. 

 The cost of the new structure will be 18,500/. The Ratcliffe 

 Library was founded by Dr. Ratcliffe considerably over a 

 century ago, but the space it now occupies will be absorbed by 

 the extension of the medical school. The Drapers' Company, 

 in the interests of education, has undertaken to erect the new 

 building, the plans of which have been prepared for the 

 Company by Mr. T. G. Jackson, R.A. 



Among recent appointments abroad, we notice the following : 

 Dr. Theodore Curtius, of Bonn, to succeed the late Prof. Victor 

 Meyer at Heidelberg ; Mr. G. S. Wilkins to be professor of 

 civil and mining engineering at the University of Alabama, and 

 Dr. John Y. Graham to be professor of biology at the same 

 institution ; Dr. Max von Frey, of Leipzig, to be professor of 

 physiology at the University of Zurich ; Dr. Kraus to be 

 professor of botany at the University of Halle ; Dr. Max 

 Dessoir to be associate professor of psychology af the University 

 of Berlin ; Dr. Lothar Heffter to be associate professor of 

 mathematics at the University of Bonn ; and Dr. Brikencajer 

 to be associate professor of mathematics at the University of 

 Krakau. 



The extent to which County and County Borough Councils in 

 England are working in connection with secondary schools may 

 be seen in a tabular statement published in the current Record 

 of Technical and Secondary Education. The tables go to show 

 that during the year 1896-97, sixty-three local authorities gave 

 direct or indirect assistance to three hundred and twenty-eight 

 individual secondary schools to the extent of 144,871/., this sum 

 including the value of scholarships and exhibitions granted for 

 pupils proceeding from secondary schools to higher institutions. 

 Other ways in which the sum referred to was expended were in 

 capitation grants, for teaching staff, maintenance, apparatus, 

 &c., and buildings. 



The Birkbeck Science Society has just been formed in con 

 nection with the Birkbeck Institution, London, and purpose^ 

 holding meetings on the first and third Saturdays of each 

 month, for the reading and discussion of papers on scientific 

 and philosophical subjects. It is also intended to make fre- 

 quent excursions to places of scientific interest, especially 

 chemical and physical works. It is further intended to publish 

 a journal, containing abstracts of the papers read before the 

 society, together with reports of the scientific excursions. The 

 first meeting of the Society was held on Saturday, in the Chemical 

 Lecture Theatre of the Institution, when a large number of past 

 and present students were present. The Principal of the Insti- 

 tution, Mr. (i. Armitage-Smith, occupied the chair, and after 

 welcoming the Society on behalf of the governing body, made 

 some very appropriate and interesting remarks about the value 

 of scientific study. An interesting and instructive paper on 

 "Cavendish and his Work" was then read by Dr. J. E. 

 Mackenzie. The lecturer started by picturing the state of 

 science at the beginning of Cavendish's work, and traced it 

 down to the present day, showing that the i per cent, of gas 

 which always remained after his experiments with air, was in 

 reality the argon discovered by Lord Rayleigh and Prof. 

 Ramsay. The Secretary's report was very encouraging, showing 



