AtlgUSt 22, 1878] 



NA TURE 



435 



clined to rate too highly the educational influences of the 

 British Association on our legislators and on the general public. 

 The rational conclusion to be drawn from the admissions in 

 the passage we have quoted is that there ought to be some kind 

 of scientific council which Government could consult in re- 

 gard to measures involving questions of science. The British 

 Association has done good ser\'ice in helping to draw the 

 attention of the public to the real nature of science, but it 

 can never be a substitute for such a council as that which the 

 most eminent of our men of Fcience maintain would be the 

 only effectual guarantee for enlightened legislation in scien- 

 tific matters, and the establishment of which was recom- 

 mended by the Duke of Devonshire's Commission. It is grati- 

 fying to find that the Times admits that "physical science 

 affords an admirable means of mental training in schools," and 

 we tnist the day is not distant when it will be placed on a footing 

 of equality with other branches of education. From another 

 leader on Prof. Huxley's address we may infer that this chief 

 representative of average British opinion has advanced from its 

 obstinate opposition to the doctrines associated with the name 

 of Darwin; indeed, the tone of the article to which we refer 

 seems even more "advanced" than the address which was the 

 occasion of it. It is comforting to find that, in scientific matters, 

 at least, a better spirit is beginning to pervade the paper wh'ch 

 is both an index and a leader of middle-class public opinion. 



The time of meeting of the German Naturalists and Physicians 

 at Cassel has been changed from September 18-24 to September 

 I1-18. This change has been caused by the fact that during 

 the time originally fixed a series of military manoeuvres are to 

 take place which will cause a great influx of military men into 

 Cassel, the lodging resources of which, it is feared, would not 

 be commensurate with the requirements of a simultancDUs meet- 

 ing of the men of science and of war. 



The meeting of the French Association will not take place at 

 the Palais des Beaux Arts, as it was originally contemplated, but 

 in the rooms of the Lycee Saint Loxib. The session begins 

 to-day. 



A SOMEWHAT curious discussion has been recently occupy- 

 ing the attention of the Paris Academy of Sciences. It origi- 

 nated in the publication by M. Berthelot, in the Revue Scicntifiqne 

 of July 20, of a series of laboratory notes by the late Claude 

 Bernard, on alcoholic fermentation, in which the great physiologist 

 came to conclusions opposed to those so long advocated by 

 M. Pasteur. It was natural that M. Pasteur should endea- 

 vour to weaken the force of M. Bernard's experiments and 

 conclusions. In the seance of July 22 he drew attention to the 

 publication of the notes, and explained their apparent opposition 

 to his theory by the statement that Bernard's method of working 

 was to proceed to the investigation of every theory as if its oppo- 

 site were true, thus submitting every point to a crucial test. He 

 declared his intention of taking up Bernard's series of experi- 

 ments and working them out from the latter's standpoint, in the 

 confidence that the result would be entirely in favour of his 

 (Pasteur's) theory of fermentation. At the next sitting of the 

 Academy M. Pasteur stated that he had found that many changes 

 had been made for typographical and other reasons in the notes as 

 they appeared in the Revue 2.% compared with the original MSS., 

 though these changes do not seem materially to alter the sense of 

 the " Notes." M. Berthelot rejoices that M. Pasteur intends to 

 repeat Bernard's experiments, and whatever may be the result, 

 science is likely to be a gainer. There at present the matter rests. 



We notice the death in Jena, on July 25, of the well-known 

 botanist Prof. Christian Eduard Langethal. He was bom at 

 Erfurt in 1806. After completing his botanical studies at Jena 

 he was for some time assistant to the famous agriculturist Prof. 

 Schulze, and in 1835 teacher of natural sciences at Eldena. In 



1839 he was called to a professorship at Jena, which he occu- 

 pied up to the date of his death. Prof. Eangethal was the 

 author of several standard works, among others, "Geschichte 

 der deutschen Landwirthschaf t " (1846-56); " Lehrbuch der 

 landwirthshaftlichen Pflanzenkunde " (1841-45 ; fifth edition, 

 4 vols. 1876); " Beschreibung der Gewachse Deutschlands " 

 (1858); " Terminologie der beschreibenden Botanik;" and 

 "Flora von Thiiringen," issued in conjunction with Schenk and 

 Schlechtendal. 



The model of the Gauss monument has just been finished by 

 Prof. Schaper. The design is made after an original portrait of 

 Gauss, in the possession of Gottingen University, and the monu- 

 ment itself is now to be executed in bronze at the atelier of Herr 

 Gladenbeck, of Berlin. It will be erected at Brunswick, the 

 birthplace of the great mathematician. 



The Royal Academy of Sciences at Munich has just elected 

 to membership Prof. Krehl, of Leipzig, and Mr. Charles 

 Darwin. 



Measures arc being taken for the foundation of a geological 

 institute at St. Petersburg, which shall accomplish for the 

 Russian empire what the Imperial Institute at Vienna has done 

 for Austria. At present geological work is attempted only at 

 the instigation of mining companies and the learned societies, 

 and the want of unity in the efforts made for the development 

 of Russian geology has long been painfully felt. 



The French Minister of Public Instruction has authorised the 

 director of the newly created Central Meteorological Bureau to 

 hire a hotel in the Rue de Varenne, in a populous part of Paris, 

 where no observations can be taken, in which to establish the offices 

 of his administration, which, within a few days, will be removed 

 from the observatory. It is fair to state that Admiral Mouchez 

 will not discontinue the taking of meteorological observations 

 with the instruments established by Arago. It is pretty certain 

 that the magnetical instruments established at a great expense 

 by Leverrier will not be removed at a period so important in the 

 history of terrestrial magnetism. We can state that new obser- 

 vers will be paid for that purpose, if necessary. 



The Meteorological Commission of Vaucluse again this year 

 ascended Mont Ventoux. M. Mascart, the new director of the 

 Meteorological Central Bureau, was one of the party, having 

 com^ from Paris for that purpose. Simultaneous observations 

 were taken at Orange, Carpentras, 'Avignon, and Apt. But 

 the principal object of this scientific excursion was to deter- 

 mine the best manner of erecting the contemplated observatory 

 at the top of this motmtain, which is 1,919 metres above the 

 level of the sea, and 1,692 above Apt, the nearest meteorological 

 station. 



The Giffard captive balloon has become a great favourite 

 amongst the visitors to -Paris, as well as the Parisians them- 

 selves. The greatest number of ascents in one day has been 

 seventeen, and the money taken has been 6,000/. in eighteen 

 days, including three in which ascents could not take place, 

 owing to the boisterous state of the weather. The chaiges are 

 one franc for witnessing the ascents, and twenty francs for 

 ascending. 



The Lords of the Committee of Council on Education have 

 determined to award bronze medals to students who obtain a 

 first-class in honours in any subject of science at the May 

 examinations. 



In an Appendix to the Annual Report (for 1878) of the 

 Lyceum of Valparaiso, Mr. Edwyn C. Reed gives an account of 

 the progress he has made in commencing a Mureum of Natural 

 History for this Institution, which, if we understand rightly, is 

 not intended to be simply for the instruction of the scholars of 



