Nov, 7, 1889] 



NATURE 



23 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 

 Cambridge. — The following examiners have been appointed : 

 Natural Sciences Tripos : Physics, Prof. Carey Foster and W. 

 N. Shaw ; Chemistry, Prof. W. A. Tilden and Prof. Liveing ; 

 Mineralogy, Prof. Lewis and L. Fletcher; Geology, Prof. 

 Green and \V. W. Watts ; Botany, F. Darwin and D. H. 

 Scott ; Zoology, Prof. Lankester and S. F. Ilarmer ; Human 

 Anatomy, Drs. Hill and Windle ; Physiology, Prof. Stirling 

 and C. S. Sherrington. 



First M.B. and Special B.A. : in Elementary Physics, S. I.. 

 Hart and H. F. Newall ; Elementary Chemistry, F. H. Neville 

 and S. Kuhemann ; Elementary Biology, S. Y. Harmer and 

 Prof. H. M. Ward ; Special B. A. in Geology, Prof. Green and 

 W. W. Watts ; in Pharmaceutical Chemistry for Second M.B., 

 M. M. Pattison Muir and H. Robinson. 



The following are Moderators (Mathematical Tripos) for the 

 year beginning May i, 1890 :—W^ W. R. Ball and A. J. 

 Wallis. Examiners in Part I., W. L. MoUison and E. G. 

 Gallop ; in Part H., Prof. Darwin, J. Larmor, and R. 

 Lachlan. 

 I W. B. Hardy, of Gonville and Caius College, has been 

 I appointed lunior Demonstrator of Physiology. 

 i L. R. Wilberforce, M.A., of Trinity College, is approved as 

 a Teacher of Physics for M. B. lectures. 



There has been a serious discussion of the financial manage- 

 ment and prospects of the mechanical workshops at Cambridge. 

 Whatever be the merits of the points in dispute, such division of 

 opinion and feeling is very unfortunate, and much to be deplored 

 in the interests of mechanical science and engineering in the 

 University. It was unfortunate that the University declined to 

 establish an advanced examination or Tripos in engineering sub- 

 jects ; and it is calamitous that the Museums work should not 

 be given to the Department located within their own borders. 

 W^e trust a cordial understanding may soon be re-established ; 

 for this division is very unlike the strong action by which, even 

 when opinions have been divided, scientific teaching has steadily 

 progressed of late years at Cambridge. 



The managers of the John Lucas Walker Fund, have made the 

 following grants in aid of original research in pathology :^ 

 ;^I4 2s. 3(/. to J. G. Adami, Demonstrator of Pathology, for ex- 

 penses of his investigations on the pathology of the heart ; ^35 

 to William Hunter, M.D. Edin., John Lucas Walker Student, 

 to defray expenses incurred in his research on the pathology of 

 the blood ; ;^3o to E. Hanbury Hankin, to defray expenses 

 of his research on the nature of immunity from infectious diseases. 

 Mr. J. W. Clark has been re- elected President of the 

 Philosophical Society. 



St. John's College.— At the annual election of Fellows, on 

 Nov. 4, the choice of the Council fell upon the following members 

 of the College : John Parker, Seventh Wrangler, 1882, well 

 known as the author of numerous papers, in the Philosophical 

 Magazine and elsewhere, on thermodynamics and electricity ; 

 Humphry Davy Rolleston, First Class Natural Sciences Tripos 

 (Human Anatomy and Physiology), 1886, who has been Uni- 

 versity Demonstrator in Patholo;,'y, in Human Anatomy, and in 

 Physiology, author of memoirs on endocardiac pressure and on 

 other anatomical, physiological, and pharmacological subjects, 

 now one of the Assistant Demonstratos of Anatomy at St. 

 Bartholomew's Hospital ; Alfred William Flux, bracketed 

 Senior Wrangler, 1887, and First Class (Division i) Mathe- 

 matical Tripos, Part H., 1888, Marshall Prrizeman in Political 

 Economy, 1889, author of papers on physical optics. Mr. 

 Rolleston is the .son of the late Prof. Rolleston, of Oxford. The 

 success of students of physical and biological science at this 

 College is striking. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, October 28.— M. Des Cloizeaux, 

 President, in the chair. — M. Bertrand presented a volume 

 entitled " Lectures on the Mathematical Theory of Electricity, 

 delivered at the College of France." — On some hybrids observed 

 recently in Provence, by M. G. De Saporta. Three are de- 

 scribed : (i) between Pimis halepensis, Mill., and F. pinaster, 

 L. ; (2) between Quercus Mirbcckii and Q. pubesccns. Wild. ; (3) 

 between Tilia platyphylla. Scop., and T. argcntea, Desf. ; in 

 each case, the pollen of a preponderating species acting on that 

 of a subordinate one, or one accidentally introduced, being 



carried by wind or insect.*, w bile the agency of man, birds, or 

 wind, disseminated the hybrid seeds,— On the relation of certait> 

 magnetic perturbations to earthquake?, by M. Mascart. The^ 

 former, in the Park of St. Maur, and the latter, at Gallipoli, 

 seem to have occurred simultaneously at 11.35 P-ii' en October 

 25. The suspended copper bar was not in the least deflected, 

 and the magnetic disturbance cannot be attributed to mechanicaV 

 transmission of the shock.— On certain harmonic linear elements,, 

 by M. Rafiy. — On a formula connecting vapour-pressure with 

 temperature, by M. N. de SalofT.— On the equilibrium of dis- 

 tribution between chorine and oxygen, by M. IL Le Chatelier. 

 He shows that the value of all the coefficients may be calcu- 

 lated a priori, and supplies the required formulje. — On some- 

 double nitrites of ruthenium and potassium, by MM. A. Joly 

 and M, Vezes. In contact with alkaline nitrites, the brown 

 sesquichloride of ruthenium is transformed into a red salt. 

 According to the temperature, and according as the nitrite 

 or the red chloride predominate, a deposit is formed either oF 

 yellow crystalline powder, sparingly soluble in cold water,, 

 or of large, very soluble orange-red crjstals. These two sub- 

 stances are double nitrites of potassium and ruthenium. The 

 formula obtained do not at all agree with those for similar 

 compounds obtained by Claus. — P"ixation of nitrogen by 

 the Leguminosse, by M. Breal. Having before found that 

 nodosities full of Bacteria could be easily produced en the 

 roots of a leguminous plant, by pricking with a needle previously 

 inserted in a nodosity, he here shows that such plants, will* 

 nodosities, flourish on soil poor in azotized matter ; yielding crops^ 

 rich in nitrogen, and fixing this element in the soil by their roots. 

 — On air in the soil, by M. Th. Schloesing, fits. Ploughed 

 land was found to contain a relatively large amount of oxygen 

 at least to the depth of 50 or 60 cm. The carbonic acid gener- 

 ally increased with the depth ; but in two cases the reverse 

 occurred, when high wind (renovating the upper layer) had beeO' 

 followed by hot and calm weather, and more CO.^ was generated 

 in the soil than in the sub-soil. In sloping pastures, most 

 CO2 was found at the bottom. The mobility of air in the soil 

 should be taken into account. — On sorbite, by MM Vincent 

 and Delachanal. This substance very frequently occurs ir». 

 nature; it is found in all fruits ofRcsacese, and is especially 

 abundant in ] e.irs (8 grammes per kilogramme), cherries and 

 prunes (7 grammes). Acted en by hjdricdic acid it yields- 

 )8-hexylene and other products (the same as are thus ob- 

 tained from mannite). The fcimation of a hexacetyl deri- 

 vative from sorbite proves that it is a hexatomic alcfhol. 

 The formula of anhjdrous sorbite is C6H8(OH)6. — Researches^ 

 on crystallized digitaline, by M. Arnaud. He regards it as a 

 definite chemical species ; and it appears lo be the type of a 

 whole series, including tanghinine (one of the active principles 

 of the tanguin. — Experimental researches on the metamor- 

 phosis of Anoura, by M. T'. Bataillon. He finds acceler- 

 ation of the rhythm of respiration (65 to 120), and re- 

 tardation of that of the heart (70 to 45) during metamorphosis. 

 Before appearance of the fore-legs, the two movements were 

 nearly synchronous. At the stage of this appearance, further, 

 the production of carbonic acid was found to have dinrinished 

 considerably, and lhe|curve rose suddenly when aerial respiratioi> 

 was established. — On the earthquake of July 28, 1889, in the 

 island of Kiushiu, in Japan, by M. J. Wada. This was pre- 

 ceded by exceptional rains during July. The longer axis of the 

 ellipse of land affected was north-east to south-west, and cut in 

 the middle, at right angles, the line joining two volcanoes, ico- 

 kilometres apart. 



Berlin. 



Physiological Society, October 18. — Prof. duBois-Rcymond^ 

 President, in the chair. — Prof. Kossel spoke on the application 

 of the microscope in connection with physiological chemistry. 

 It has long been the practice to seek for and identify any minute 

 crystals in tissues which occur either naturally or as the result of 

 treatment with reagents, in order to arrive at a qualitative deter- 

 mination of the localized distribution of certain well-known 

 substances in the organism. To identify a crystal by measure- 

 ment of its angles is a laborious process, and to determine it by mere- 

 comparison of its appearance with drawings of known crystals is 

 insuflficient. The optical properties of crystals are extremely 

 well adapted to assist in their identification ; this is exemplified 

 in the case of determinii g the plane of vibration of the ordinary 

 and extraordinary rays when crystals are examined belweeiv 

 crossed Nicols. To carry out the determination by this menns,. 

 the field of view of the microscope is provided with cross-wires^ 



