?30 



NATURE 



[October 14, 1920 



The collection is arranged in six sections : Aero- 

 planes and aeroplane models, aeroplane construction, 

 engines, instruments, experimental apparatus, and 

 ballooning. 



In the first of these an object of especial historical 

 interest is the Henson Hying machine model of 

 1842-45, which bears a striking resemblance to the 

 modern monoplane, but was doomed to failure chiefly 

 ■on account of the lack of a light engine of high 

 power. Early pioneer work in gliding is illustrated 

 by Lilienthal's glider, similar to the one on which 

 the inventor met his death in 1896. 



The development of the modern aeroplane can be 

 followed in the series of scale models by which the 

 machines of the Brothers Wright, Voison, Farman, 

 Bl^riot, Santos-Dumont, and the German Taube are 

 represented. .Among the full-size machines are the 

 onlv existing machine of Cody and the Vickers-Vimy 

 Rolls-Royce aeroplane which crossed the Atlantic last 

 year. 



In the section devoted to aeroplane construction 

 are examples of historical and modern propellers, and 

 actual portions of early and modern aeroplanes in 

 which the methods of construction may be compared. 

 Portions of an early Wright biplane have been pre- 

 served, and the visitor can operate and study the 

 control mechanism of this machine. 



The collection of aeroplane engines ranges from 

 the early steam engines of Henson and Maxim to 

 the modern high-power petrol engine, and the col- 

 lection of engines of types used during the war, 

 including British, French, Italian, as well as German, 

 models, is of great interest. 



h. wind-channel and a water-channel for experi- 

 mental work may be seen in operation ; the principal 

 instruments used in aerial navigation and recon- 

 naissance are also shown. Balloons and airships are 

 not as yet fully represented, but to all sections 

 additions are continually being made. 



University and Educational Intelligence. 



Cambridge. — An extension of the metallurgical 

 department of the chemical laboratory, provided bv 

 the generosity of the Goldsmiths' Company, was 

 opened on October 5 by the Prime Warden. It in- 

 cludes rooms for the study of high temperatures, 

 general metallographic research, assaying of gold ancl 

 silver and their ores, a balance-room, and general 

 provision for students working at analytical and 

 general metallurgy. 



E. K. Rideal has been elected a fellow of Trinity 

 Hall, and H. Glauert and k. D. Ritchie fellows of 

 Trinity. 



We learn from Science for September 17 that the 

 University of Buffalo has received from O. E. 

 Foster a gift of 400,000 dollars for the erection of a 

 chemistry building. It has also received anonymous 

 gifts of 250,000 dollars towards endowment and of 

 a library building. 



A COURSE of ten public lectures on " Medieval Contri- 

 butions to -Modern Civilisation " will be delivered at 

 King's College, London, during the present term on 

 Wednesdays at 5.15. Philosophy will be dealt with 

 on October 27 by Prof. H. Wildon Carr, and Science 

 on November 3 by Dr. Charles Singer. Other sub- 

 jects are Religion, .Art, Literature, Education, Society, 

 Economics, and Politics. 



The Pioneer Mail for September 17 states that the 

 Bill to establish and incorporate a Moslem university 



NO. 2659, VOL. 106] 



at Aligarh has been passed by the Imperial Legisla- 

 tive Council. The Viceroy congratulated the Moham- 

 medan community on the new institution, and several 

 Mohammedan members expressed their thanks to his 

 Excellency for his interest in the provision of educa- 

 tional facilities for their community. 



In a public address delivered during the course of 

 the recent second annual conference of the Reading 

 and District Teachers' .Association, Mr. H. A. L. 

 Fisher, President of the Board of Education, stated 

 some facts relative to the cost of education. In the 

 last two years the net total expenditure has risen 

 from igi millions to 45? millions, i.e. the cost of 

 education has been more than doubled. The largest 

 part of this increase is represented by additions to the 

 salaries of teachers, of whom there are now nearly 

 200,000 in the public service. The additions to salaries 

 amount to 130 per cent, increase on pre-war salaries, 

 while the cost of living during the same period has 

 risen by 152 per cent. ; this increases the cost per 

 child by 119 per cent. Before the war, local educa- 

 tion authorities bore 53 per cent, of the expenses in- 

 curred, and the Board of Education 47 per cent. ; 

 now the position is exactly reversed. Mr. Fisher is of 

 opinion that developments under the Education .\ct 

 of 1918 and the cost of putting into effect the recom- 

 mendations of the two Burnham Committees which 

 are now sitting will give rise to a steady increase in 

 the cost of education. 



The report of the University of Leeds for the year 

 1918-19 has been received. Full lists are given of the 

 professorial and executive staff, before entering upon 

 the report proper, which, it is worth noting, is the 

 fifteenth which has been issued since the charter was 

 acquired in 1904. It reviews the growth of the Uni- 

 versity from the autumn of 1918 to the spring of 

 1920, although the statistics and accounts are mostly 

 confined to the session 1918-19. During the period 

 under review the number of students taking full-time 

 courses has been doubled ; unfortunately, only one- 

 sixth of this number enjoy collegiate life in the limited 

 number of hostels available. The financial strain 

 caused by the increased demand for higher education 

 bears heavily on the University, and in consequence 

 an appeal for 500,000/. has been issued. During the 

 war more than fifteen hundred members served in 

 his Majesty's forces, and some five hundred casualties 

 were sustained. The head of the chemical depart- 

 ment acted as chief chemical adviser to the Home 

 Forces, and other members of the faculty undertook 

 the responsible duties of testing varnishes, of manu- 

 facturing antiseptics and drugs, of testing high ex- 

 plosives, etc. The leather, engineering, textile indus- 

 tries, and colour chemistry departments also took 

 active parts in researches instituted by the Govern- 

 ment. -Among the grants which have been 

 made to the University, the most important is 

 a sum of 36,oooi. from the Treasury as an 

 annual grant, and a further non-rerurrent sum of 

 9000I. for the session 1920-21. .An annual grant of 

 3800/. for five years has also been made towards the 

 maintenance of the School of -Agriculture. -A number 

 of friends of the late Sir Swire Smith from Keighley 

 and district have raised the sum of 3000/. for the 

 endowment of a fellowship, open to graduates of any 

 faculty, for the purpose of conducting research. The 

 remainder of the report is devoted to a statement of 

 the deaths, resignations, arid appointments of L'ni- 

 versity officials. Towards the end of the report each 

 department is taken separately, and an account 'of its 

 w'ork during the past academic year given. 



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