528 



NATURE 



[February i6, 191 i 



pyrheliometers. The establishment of this scale through 

 Mr. Abbot's standard pyrheliometer has been supple- 

 mented by the distribution abroad and at home of several 

 secondary pyrheliometers constructed through a grant 

 from the Hodgkins Fund. The constancy of the scale of 

 these secondary pyrheliometers has been established, and 

 it is desirable to compare this scale with those in use 

 elsewhere. It is hoped that finally all pyrheliometric 

 observations will be made on the same scale as that used 

 here. 



(2) The second result of the year's work is the agree- 

 ment within I f)er cent, of the " solar-constant " observa- 

 tions obtained by Mr. Abbot at the Smithsonian Mount 

 Whitney station in California at an elevation of 14,500 

 feet with those obtained simultaneously at the Mount 

 Wilson station in California at an elevation of only 6000 

 feet. _ This determination, in combination with the above- 

 mentioned establishment of an absolute scale of pyrhelio- 

 metry, gives 1-925 calories per square centimetre per 

 minute as a mean value, for the period 1905-9, of the 

 rate at which the earth receives heat from the sun when 

 at its mean distance. Determinations made with various 

 forms of apparatus show no systematic difference in this 

 value of the " solar constant." In 1905 this " constant," 

 according to various authorities, was stated at values 

 ranging between 1-75 and 4 calories. 



It_ is improbable that observations would have been 

 continued since 1902 on " solar-constant " work but for 

 a suspected variability of the radiation sent to us from 

 the sun. The laws governing this variability are of 

 extreme importance for utilitarian purposes apart from 

 their interest to astronomers. While confident of the 

 existence of variations of this value extending over some- 

 what long periods, and of the probability of short-period 

 variations as shown by the observations obtained on 

 Mount Wilson, yet, in order to establish full confidence 

 in the minds of others of this variability of the sun's 

 heat, there is a very pressing need of observations made 

 simultaneously at some other place where they could be 

 made over a longer period than is possible at Mount 

 Whitney. This new station should be so situated that 

 observations could be continued there while the winter 

 rainy season prevents them at Mount Wilson. A station 

 in Mexico would best fulfil such conditions. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 

 Birmingham. — The University of Birmingham has for 

 some years been in considerable financial difficulties, for, 

 in addition to the great outlay incurred in erecting and 

 equipping the new buildings, it has been faced with an 

 annual excess of expenditure above income. On last year's 

 working the loss was about 12,000/., and it is estimated 

 that, even with most rigid economy, there will be a deficit 

 of io,oooZ. on the present year. This fact, combined with 

 the additional circumstances that the University has prac- 

 tically reached the limit of its power to borrow money, 

 has been a cause of grave anxiety to those responsible for 

 the management of the finances. At present the situation 

 is critical, and it is felt that unless further help is forth- 

 coming, not only must further development be out of the 

 question, but even a retrograde movement will be inevit- 

 able. Indeed, in the existing state of affairs economy is 

 being exercised to such an extent as to imperil efficiency. 

 The response of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the 

 recent appeal of English universities brought matters to a 

 crisis, for, as is well known, the allotment of the increase 

 of the Treasury grant is to be determined largely by the 

 extent to which local support is forthcoming. At this 

 juncture a letter was sent by the Chancellor (the Rt. Hon. 

 Joseph Chamberlain) to the Lord Mayor asking for further 

 assistance from the City Council in the form of an addition 

 to the halfpenny rate already granted for the support of 

 the University. The matter was referred to the Educa- 

 tion Committee, with the result that the committee recom- 

 mended the City Council to increase the rate to an amount 

 equivalent to " one penny in the pound for the year 

 1911-12 . . . and so from year to year until the council 

 shall otherwise direct. Further, that it be a suggestion 

 to the authorities of the University that they should 



NO. 2155, VOL. 85] 



increase the number of maintenance scholarships avaii:i 

 for persons who would not otherwise be able to t^ 

 advantage of university teaching." This recommendai 

 has now been approved by the council, with the excepii>..i 

 that the grant is for the one year only. In view of the 

 probability that the " Greater Birmingham " scheme will 

 have come into effect by next year, it was deemed advisable 

 that the matter should then be open to discussion by the 

 enlarged council resulting from that scheme. An interest- 

 ing feature in the discussion of the question throughout 

 was the evidence of a widespread desire that further facili- 

 ties, in the nature of scholarships, should be provided for 

 poor students. 



Cambridge. — The special board for biology and geology 

 has nominated Mr. K. R. Lewin, Trinity College, to use 

 the University table at Naples for si.x months from 

 March i. 



Sir Francis E. Younghusband, K.C.I.E., will deliver a 

 lecture in Cambridge on Thursday, February 23, oh 

 " Practical Geography." 



The Secretary of State for India in Council has in- 

 formed the Vice-Chancellor that, as the result of careful 

 consideration of the existing regulations as to the training 

 of probationers for the Indian Forest Service, he has 

 decided to modify them in accordance with the following 

 decisions at which he has arrived : — (i) Any university 

 which possesses a forest school approved by the .Secretary 

 of State shall be permitted to train forest probationers. 

 (2) The Secretary of State is prepared to approve for this 

 purpose the forest schools existing at the Universities of 

 Oxford, Cambridge, and Edinburgh. (3) A course of 

 training in practical forestry in Germany or elsewhere, a 

 certain standard of knowledge in an Indian vernacular, 

 and any other special qualifications that the Secretary of 

 State may prescribe, shall be imposed upon all proba- 

 tioners. (4) The studies of the probationers shall be con- 

 trolled on behalf of the Secretary of State by the director i 

 of Indian forest studies (hereafter styled the director). ; 

 (5) The director shall be a selected officer of the Indian 

 Forest Service, shall be paid such salary as the Secretary 

 of State may determine, and shall hold office for a terrn 

 of five years. 



London. — It is understood that the residue under Sir I 

 Francis Galton's will is bequeathed to the University for 

 the encouragement of the study of eugenics. During his 

 lifetime the testator gave a considerable sum of money to 

 the University for the establishment and maintenance of 

 the eugenics laboratory at University College, and it is 

 presumed that permanent provision will now be made for 

 the continuance of the work of the laboratory. 



Oxford. — The following is the text of the speech 

 delivered by Prof. Love in presenting Prof. Edgeworth 

 David for the degree of D.Sc. honoris causa on 

 February 7 : — " Adest Tannatt Willelmus Edgeworth 

 David, Geologiae praeclarus auctor. Huic viro accepta 

 referenda sunt fere omnia ; quae de ratione geologica et 

 antiquis caeli vicissitudinibus, quibus usa est Australia, 

 comperta habemus. Velut hie inventus est qui doceret ' 

 continentem illam glacie oppletam fuisse eo tempore cum I 

 silvae densissimae, in carbonem hodie conversae, 

 Britanniam nostram tegerent. Huius etiam laus est, 

 quod, cum corallinum quoddam ' dorsum Oceano .^ustrali I 

 supereminens usque in mille pedes terebraret, et omnia | 

 saxi frusta, summa, media, infima inspiceret, rationem | 

 Darwinianam de eiusmodi insularum ortu confirmare j 

 potuit. Quattuor abhinc annos novis Argonautis interfuit j 

 continentem Antarcticam exploraturis, quibus id potissi-j 

 mum munus propositum erat ut Australis Zonae magneti- j 

 cum, quem vocant, polum accuratissime definirent. Cuius i 

 rei causa itinere periculoso et laboris maximi suscepto 

 huius praesertim vii-i scientia atque constantia feliciter ; 

 navata sunt omnia. Xescio an nulli vel Borealis vel j 

 .Australis poll exploratores tantos scientiae fructus reporta-| 

 verint, quem eventum huic nostro David imprimis deberi 

 censeo." | 



Prof. H. H. Turner, F.R.S., has been appointed Halley! 

 lecturer for the year 19 11. _ ! 



The statute on faculties and boards of faculties was j 

 again taken into consideration by Congregation on ' 

 February 14, and the remaining amendments, thirty m 



