March 29, 1888] 



NA TURE 



519 



industries which will remove the temptation now felt to drift to 

 the larger settlements and towns. The Kwakiool, with other 

 Indians of the coast, already cultivate in a desultory manner 

 small crops of potatoes, on such minute patches of open ground 

 (generally the sites of old villages) as are to be found along the 

 shore. Their bent, however, is not that of an agricultural 

 people, and the densely-wooded character of their country calls 

 for labour, herculean in proportion to the unsystematic efforts of 

 these people, before it can be cleared and reclaimed for agri- 

 culture on any large scale. They are excellent boatmen and 

 fishermen in their own way, and Dr. Dawson has no doubt that 

 under favourable conditions they would readily learn to build 

 boats, make nets, and cure fish in such a manner that the pro- 

 duct would be marketable. To effect these objects the most 

 essential step, in Dr. Dawson's opinion, is the establishment of 

 industrial schools, where the younger people may be separated 

 from their old associations and instructed in various callings 

 appropriate to their condition and surroundings. 



We have received the Report of the Rugby School Natural 

 History Society for the year 1887. This is the twenty-first issue. 

 The editors point out that owing to various causes a perhaps 

 unusually large number of the meetings were taken up with 

 lectures. Among the contents are two exceptionally interesting 

 papers : one on " Specialization," by Mr. E. Solly, and one on 

 "Natural History in Southern Germany," by Mr. E. E. Austen. 



Mr. E. Stanford has issued a pamphlet, by Mr. F. A. 

 Velschow, of Copenhagen, on "The Natural Law of Relation 

 between Rainfall and Vegetable Life, and its Application to 

 Australia." The object of the paper is to show why, in the 

 author's opinion, the regularity of the downpour of rain "de- 

 pends directly on one particularquality appertaining to vegetable 

 life." He also undertakes to prove that " vapour rarefies the 

 atmosphere instead of increasing its specific gravity, as is now 

 supposed." 



The last Calendar of the Imperial University of Japan, to 

 which we have already briefly referred, shows in a very striking 

 manner how the Japanese are beginning to rely upon themselves 

 for instruction in matters relating to higher education. The 

 following figures will show to what extent the Japanese now 

 avail themselves of European assistance in their University : — 

 (i) Law Department : 19 professors, assistants, and lecturers, of 

 whom 5 are foreigners ; (2) Department of Medicine : 53 pro- 

 fessors and assistants, of whom 2 are foreigners ; (3) Engineering 

 Department : 33 professors, assistants, and lecturers, of whom 

 4 are foreigners ; (4) Literature Department : 19 professors and 

 lecturers, of whom 6 are foreigners ; (5) Department of Science : 

 25 professors and assistants, of whom 2 are foreigners. The 

 academical and other qualifications of the Japanese professors 

 and lecturers appear in most cases to be all that could be 

 expected from men holding their positions. The distribution of 

 the foreign professors and lecturers in the University is, we 

 believe, as follows : eight British, eight Germans, two French- 

 men, and one American. Not many years ago a large ma- 

 jority of the employes of the University of Tokio, as it was 

 then called, were Americans ; and of the present number of 

 foreigners the majority appear to be employed in teaching 

 foreign systems of law and foreign languages. We notice the 

 appointment for the first time of a Professor of Sanitary Engin- 

 eering, wherein the Japanese University is in advance of nine- 

 tenths of the educational institutions of the West. It is also 

 curious to notice that the Professor of Japanese Philology and 

 Literature is an Englishman. 



Ellis's " Irish Education Directory and Scholastic Guide" 

 for 1888 has just been issued. The publication of the volume 

 has been delayed in consequence of the many important changes 

 made in the regulations of the medical licensing bodies in 



Ireland. During the past year the work has been carefully re- 

 vised, and it contains full information as to the Irish Universities 

 and professional schools, and the institutions of Ireland for 

 promoting intermediate and primary education. There are also 

 complete alphabetical lists of Irish colleges and schools, and 

 copious alphabetical and classified indices. 



The examination papers set in 1887 in connection with the 

 Royal University of Ireland have been published in a separate 

 volume as a supplement to the University Calendar for the year 

 1888. 



According to Allen! s Indian Mail, the principle of payment 

 by results in the primary schools, has not been altogether 

 successful in India. Last year it proved a failure in Kachar, 

 and this year it is having its final trial in Assam. The teachers 

 in charge of certain selected schools were offered their choice of 

 fixed salaries or payment by results, and if they did not work 

 the latter system successfully they were to revert to the former. 

 The rules for payment by results have recently been revised, 

 larger rewards being offered, and the scheme has been opened 

 to all primary schools. 



On Monday a deputation representing Islington, Hackney, 

 and Stoke Newington, waited upon Mr. Anstie, Charity Com- 

 missioner, to confer with him about a proposed scheme of 

 Technical Institutes for the North of London. Mr. Anstie was 

 reminded that the Commissioners had suggested to a previous 

 deputation that St. Pancras, Islington, Hackney, and Stoke 

 Newington should combine in order to formulate an educational 

 scheme which would benefit the North of London. Since that 

 time three of the parishes — Hackney, Islington, and Stoke 

 Newington — had met, but St. Pancras had declined to join 

 them, and they now desired to know what assistance they could 

 get out of the City Parochial Funds for their scheme. The 

 deputation said it would be difficult to raise money, but, sup- 

 posing that they raised ;^6o,ooo in Islington and Hackney, could 

 the Charity Commissioner-; promise them one-half of that 

 amount ? Mr. Anstie replied that the Charity Commissioners' 

 proposal to South London was to contribute pound for pound, to 

 be applied rather to permanent endowments than to pay any 

 preliminary expenses. The Commissioners were very anxious 

 in any scheme that was proposed that provision should be made 

 for children between the ages of 13 and 16 to continue their 

 instruction, and they particularly wished to benefit the poorer 

 classes. In fact, they were bound to do so under the provisions 

 of the Act. If St. Pancras stood outside, then the Commis- 

 sioners would have to treat with the three parishes alone. He 

 urged them very strongly to use every effort to get as much 

 money as possible. The Commissioners would look most 

 favourably upon a scheme which contained in it the promise of 

 the largest contributions. 



During the approaching summer a new branch of the 

 London Geological Field Class will make a detailed study of the 

 Chalk formation under the direction of Prof. H. G. Seeley, 

 F.R.S. The other branch under the same direction will follow 

 the course of former years by investigating the principal geo- 

 logical features in the neighbourhood of London. Full particulars 

 can be had by intending students on application to Messrs. G. 

 Philip and Son, 32 Fleet Street, and from many booksellers ir» 

 the suburbs. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Shining Parrakeet {Pyrrhidopsis splendens) 

 from the 'Fiji Islands; two Banded Grass Finches {Poephila 

 cinda) ; two Bicheno's Finches {Estrelda bichenovii) from 

 Queensland ; two Mandarin Ducks {^x galericulata) frona 

 China, purchased ; a white-fronted Lemur {Lemur albifrons 

 born in the Gardens. 



