474 



NATURE 



[April 13, 1876 



ing rotation of the glass envelope when the vanes are held 

 fixed in space. The radiometer carries a magnet on its arms, 

 and is floated on water so as to be free to move, (6) Radi- 

 ometer having inside it a platinum spiral, (7) Radiometer with 

 one vane counterpoised by a mirror, showing method of keeping 

 the steel point from falling off the cup. (8) Radiometer con- 

 structed of metal, showing reverse movement on cooling, (9) 

 Bar^Photometer, showing the method of balancing one light by 

 another. (lo) Heat Engine : A Turbine Radiometer, having ice 

 below and hot air above ; working by difference of temperature. 

 Connected with this subject. Prof. Osborne Reynolds and Dr. Schus- 

 ter exhibited various apparatus : — (i) Dr. Schuster's experiment, 

 showing that the force discovered by Mr, Crookes reacts on the 

 vessel in which the vacuum is. (2) An experiment, showing that 

 apparently no part of the force is referable to radiation, (3) 

 An instrument to show that the force acts in a direction perpen- 

 dicular to the hot surface, (4) A photometer which measures 

 the heating effect of light. Among other objects exhibited 

 were : — A series of four Rheotomes, constracted and exhibited by 

 Mr. Apps ; Fossil Elephant Bones, found near I,ondon, exhibited 

 by Prof. Tennant ; New method of measuring the position of 

 Absorption-Bands in Spectra, and Specimens of Pigments from 

 Human Hair, illustrated by drawings, exhibited by Mr. H. C. 

 Sorby, F.R.S. ; New Form of Wave Apparatus, invented and 

 exhibited by Mr, C, J, Woodward ; Micro- Geometric Pen, and 

 Medical Battery, with De La Rue's (modified) Chloride of 

 Silver and Zinc Elements, exhibited by Tisley and Spiller ; Dr. 

 Siemens exhibited his Bathometer recently described in Nature, 

 and an Attraction Meter, an Instrument by which the attraction 

 of Masses is demonstrated ; Mr. Spottiswoode exhibited the 

 largest pair of Nicol's Prisms yet made, and Prof. Tyndall Infu- 

 sions exposed to Self-cleansed Air ; Mr. J. Browning exhibited a 

 large number of beautiluUy- constructed apparatus, and Mr. W. 

 F. Stanley a Chronobarometer and Chronothermometer, new 

 instruments for registering Atmospheric Temperature and 

 Pressure ; Edison's Electric Pen, exhibited by Mr. T. D. Clare, 

 Altogether the objects exhibited were varied and of great interest. 



At a meetixig of chairmen of sections for organising the con- 

 ferences in connection with the approaching Loan Collection of 

 Scientific Apparatus at South Kensington which was held on the 

 10th inst., it was resolved that the conferences should be held on the 

 following dates : — Physics (including Astronomy), May 16, 19, 

 and 24 ; Mechanics (including Pure and Applied Mathematics 

 and Measurement), May 17, 22, and 25; Chemistry, May 18 

 and 23 ; Biology, May 26 and .29 ; Physical Geography, Geo- 

 logy, Mineralogy, and Meteorology, May 30, June I and 2. It 

 is proposed that addresses should be delivered on special sub- 

 jects, and that the more important instruments exhibited should 

 be described and discussed. 



A MEMORIAL has been forwarded to the Prime Minister on 

 the subject of University reform at Cambridge. It is signed 

 by eighteen out of the thirty-four professors, and the Master of 

 Trinity, eighty-three resident Fellows, twenty-nine University 

 officers, lecturers, &c., have appended their names. The 

 memorialists call the Prime Minister's attention to the following 

 points contained in a memorial addressed to Mr. Gladstone three 

 years ago : — " I. No fellowship should be tenable for life, except 

 only when the original tenure is extended in consideration of ser- 

 vices rendered to education, learning, or science, actively and 

 directly, in connection with the University or the Colleges. 

 2. A permanent professional career should be as far as possible 

 secured to resident educators and students, whether married or 

 no. 3. Provision should be made for the association of the colleges, 

 or of some of them, for educational pui-poses, so as to secure more 

 efficient teaching, and to allow to the teachers more leisure for pri- 

 vate study. 4. The pecuniary and other relations subsisting be- 

 tween the University and the Colleges should be revised, and, if 



necessary, a representative Board of University Finance should be 

 organised." The memorialists then go on to express their convic- 

 tion that, in the interest of science, learning, and education, the 

 reforms specified are urgently required, and the hope that they 

 will be distinctly recognised in any Bill that may be proposed 

 in reference to this University. 



We learn from the Times that the following are the names of the 

 fifteen candidates for the Fellowship of the Royal Society selected 

 by the Council to be recommended to the Society for election. The 

 day fixed for the election is June i :— Captain Abney, H. E. Arm- 

 strong, Rev. W. B. Clarke, J. Croll, E, Dunkin, Prof, Erich- 

 sen, Dr, Ferrier, Colonel Lane-Fox, A. H. Garrod, R, B. 

 Haward, C. Meldrum, E. J. Reed, Prof. Rutherford, R. 

 Swinhoe, and Prof. Thorpe. 



We are much pleased to hear that Lord Walsingham has 

 been appointed a trustee of the British Museum, Lord Wal- 

 singham is known to all entomologists as a most zealous collec- 

 tor of and authority upon Microlepidoptera, There being at 

 present but one true biologist among the fifty trustees, the 

 addition of a v/orking naturalist will tend to place the depart- 

 ment on a more satisfactory footing. 



The Committee of the German African Society has decided 

 upon making another attempt to explore Central Africa from the 

 West Coast, under the direction of the African traveller, Herr 

 Mohr, 



We understand that Mr. Henry Whitely, jun., so well known 

 for the natural history collections which he has made in Peru, 

 who has recently returned to England, is again about to visit 

 that country, and proposes on this occasion to explore the more 

 northern portion of the Republic. His agent in this country 

 is his father, who resides at 28, Wellington Street, Woolwich. 



We have received the prospectus of *' A Monograph of the 

 Cinnyridse, or Family of Sun-birds," by Capt. G. E. Shelley, 

 F.Z.S., the author of "A Handbook to the Birds of Egypt," 

 &c. The work is to be issued in quarto-sized guinea parts, 

 about twelve in number, each containing ten plates. The plates 

 will be from the pencil of Mr. Keulemans ; and the whole will 

 be published as rapidly as their proper execution will permit. 

 The author has, for some time past, been engaged in collecting 

 Sun-birds, and has taken the opportunity of studying them 

 mostly in a state of nature in both Western and Southern 

 Africa. 



It is stated that Prof. Andrews of the Queen's College, 

 Belfast, will probably be President of the British Association in 

 1877. 



Dr. James Risdon Bennett, F.R.S,, has been elected Pre- 

 sident of the Royal College of Physicians, London. 



The April number of the New Quarterly Magazine contains, 

 among other articles of general interest, a paper by the Hon. 

 W. H, Drummond, author of "The Large Game of South 

 Africa," on some incidents of African travel. 



" On opening his letters last week," the British Medical 

 Journal states, ' ' Prof, Huxley found in one of them a cheque 

 for one thousand jDounds, sent by Mr, Thomason, of Manchester, 

 in the name of his lately deceased father, who was a great 

 admirer of Prof. Huxley, and highly appreciated his great achieve- 

 ments in furtherance of our knowledge of the science of life," 



We have much satisfaction in noting that General Myer, 

 Washington, U,S,, has resolved to publish, in the Bulletin of 

 International Meteorological Observations, the barometrical obser- 

 vations made at all stations i,cxx> feet high and upwards, in two 

 columns, one column giving, along with the height, the results 

 reduced to 32° and corrected for instrumental errors only ; and 



