June 19, 1879] 



NATURE 



185 



t proprietatibus, plusquam Horatianum annoram numerum huius 



1 intra sciinia clauses, iamdudum flagitamus ; quos, uti par est 



i' omnibus numeris absolutes, aliquando prodituros esse speramus. 



\ Interim in negotiis Academicis singular! urbanitate din versatus, 



nunc non mode coUegio auguram-Britannicorum qui caeli prae- 



sagia observant praesidet, sed septemviris quoque Academiae 



Oxoniensi legibus conscribendis ascriptus est. Academiae illius 



pulcherrimae inter decora diu numeretur, diu Platonis praecepto 



obsecutus videat ut 01 iv rfi Ka\\tir6A(i geometriam nequaquam 



»ueglegant. Duco ad vos Henricum Stephen Smith. 

 Of Prof. Huxley the Orator spoke thus : — 

 Academi inter silvas qui verum quaerunt, non modo ipsi veri- 

 tatis lumine vitam banc umbratilem illustrare conantur, sed Ulus- 

 trissimum quemque veritatis investigatorem aliunde delatum ea 

 qua par est comitate excipiunt. Adest vir cui in veritate ex- 

 ploranda ampla sane provincia contigit, qui sive in animantium 

 sive in arborum et herbanim genere quicquid vivit investigat, 

 ipsum illud vivere quid sit, quali ex origine natmn sit ; qui 

 exquirit quae cognationis necessitudo, inter priores illas viventiiim 

 species et has quae etiam nunc supersunt, intercedat. Olim in 

 oceano Australi, ubi rectis "oculis monstra natantia" vidit, 

 victoriam prope primam, velut alter Perseus, a Medusa repor- 

 tavit ; varias deinceps animantium formas quasi ab ipsa Gorgone 

 in saxum versas sagacitate singular! explicavit ; vitae denique 

 universae explorandae vitam suam totam dedicavit. Physicorum 

 inter principes diu honoratus, idem (ut verbum mutuemur a 

 Cartesio illo cuius laudes ipse in hac urbe quondam praedicavit) 

 etiam " metaphysica " honore debito prosecutns est. lUum 

 demum liberaliter educatum esse existimat qui cum ceteris animi 

 et corporis dotibus instnictus sit, turn praesertim quicquid turpe 

 sit oderit, quicquid sive in arte sive in rerum natnra pulchrum 

 sit diligat ; neque tamen ipse (ut ait Aristoteles) "animalium 

 parum pulchrorum contemplationem fastidio puerili reformidat," 

 sed in perpetua animantium serie hominis vestigia perscrutari 

 conatus, satis ampla liberalitate in universa rerum natura 

 " humani nihil a se alienum putat." Duco ad vos virum intre- 

 pidum, facundum, propositi tenacem, Thomam Henricum Huxley. 



Finally, among the scientific men who were honoured with the 

 degree was Mr. H. C. Sorby, of whom the Public Orator 

 said : — 



Quam magna est rerum natura, in magnis quam immensa, in 

 minimis quam magna. Quam multa miracula, antiquis ignota, 

 illis nuper ostendit qui minuta curiositate arcana ilia quae ocu- 

 lorum aciem fugiunt, instrumentorum novorum auxilio perscru- 

 tantur. Hie autem ille est qui, et terrestrium et de caelo delap- 

 sorum lapidum investigandis dementis primis, primus inter 

 Britannos talium instrumentorum usum accommoda\-it. Nuper 

 focietatis geologicae praeses electus, annorum triginta labores 

 oratione cumulavit in qua vere marmoreum sibi monumentum 

 exegit. Illud vero acutissimum quod crystallis etiam minutis- 

 simis exploratis in quibus (ut fit) pars altera est aquae plena, 

 altera aeris quoque vacua, olim indicavit qua potissimum caloris 

 temperie inclusa ilia aqua totum illud vacuum implere, quo 

 potissimum rerum statu saxum illud, quondam ignibus prorsus 

 liquiuum, primum durescere potuisset. Scilicet crystallum illud 

 (ut Claudianus ait) 



non potuit toto mentiri corpore gemmam ; 



sed medio mansit proditor orbe latex, 

 auctus honos ; liquidi crescunt miracula saxi 



et conservatae plus meruistis aquae. 



Suo phaselo vectus quot maria mox lustrabit, in terra iam pridem 

 unum saltern Argonautarum, qui terram oculis penetrabat, eatenns 

 aemulatus, quod in intima saxorum materia perspicienda, ipie 

 oculo potuit " quantum contendere Lynceus." Duco ad vos 

 Henricum Clifton Sorby. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



The Clothworkers' Company have voted 3,500/., over and 

 above 10,000/. previously voted, to cover the complete cost of 

 the site, building, funiishing, and fitting with all necessary ap- 

 pliances the textile industries and dyeing instruction departments 

 01 the Yorkshire College, Leeds, and they have further agreed 

 to maintain the building and its operations in full effect without 

 extraneous or adventitious aid, for a period of five years as from 

 January X next, at a cost of 1,200/. per annum. This increased 

 annual subvention has been necessitated by the addition of in- 

 struction in dyeing and applied chemistry connected . with the 



finishing of textile fabrics. The new buildings will be completed 

 about October next. 



The following awards for proficiency in Natural Science 

 have been made at St. John's College, Cambridge : — Foundation 

 Scholarships to W. A. Forbes, Fleming, Hart ; a Proper Sizar- 

 ship to Samways ; Exhibitions to Lister, Samways, Stuart (al- 

 ready scholar), and Weldon. Forbes received also a Wright's 

 Prize and augmentation of the year's emoluments to 100/. The 

 Open Exhibition was awarded at Easter to Edmunds ( University 

 College, London), and a Second Exhibition to T. Roberts 

 (University College, Aberystwith). 



The amended report of the Cambridge Botanic Garden Syndi- 

 cate has been confirmed so far as relates to the stipend of the 

 curator, which is fixed at 150/., he not to take private pupils, 

 and to be allowed 25/. per annum for the rent of a house until 

 one is provided in the garden. 



Probably the oldest teacher in existence is the venerable M. 

 Chevreul. This eminent chemist, who is about ninety years of 

 age, has been advertised as lecturer on chemistry in the Paris 

 Museum. The first part of his lectures will be devoted to the 

 subject of contrast of colours. M. Chevreul enjoys excellent 

 health, and exhibits admirable bodily as well as mental activity. 



The fourth centenary of the foundation of the University of 

 Copenhagen was celebrated in that city on the 4th inst. No less 

 than 4,000 people took part in the celebration, including the 

 Royal family and all the highest civic and military authorities. 

 The festive address was delivered by the Rector Magnificus, Dr. 

 Madvig. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Bulletin de V yicadhnie Royale de Belgique, No. 4.^ — Besides 

 communications on the blood of the lobster (Fredericq), dis- 

 placement of spectral lines of stars (Spec), and perpetual 

 motion (Plateau), we have here a paper by M. Fredericq 

 on the theory of respiratory innervation ; he is led to regard 

 the spinal cord as containing an inspiratory centre and an 

 expiratory centre, chloral acting to paralyse the former. — M. van 

 der Mensbrugghe contributes a paper on new applications of the 

 potential energy of liquid surfaces, dealing with the principal 

 cause of loss of charge by water-jets, origin of the energy of 

 motion acquired by waves of the sea, cause of production fof 

 bars at the mouths of certain rivers, and origin of the force of the 

 Gulf Stream. — M. De Selys Longchamps communicates the 

 additions to the synopsis of the Calopterygines. 



Atti della R. Accademia dei Lincei, April. — We note here 

 the following : — Influence of boric acid on acetic fermentation, 

 by Prof. Herzen. — Distribution of subsoil water in the Agro 

 Romano, and its influence in production of malaria, by S. 

 Tommasi-Crudeli. — On giant-cauldrons, by S.Botti. — Geological 

 studies on the northern Graian Alps, Italian side, by Prof. 

 Baretti. — On the supposed identity of columbine with limonine, 

 by SS. Patermo and Oglialoro. — On the kinzigite of Calabria, 

 by Prof, Lovisato. — New rock-specimens from Calabria, and 

 remarks on the serpentine formation of that region, by the same. 

 — On the geodetic line ; third general problem ; analysis of 

 spheroidal triangles, by Dr. Wurterberg. — On observations of 

 the horizontal diameter of the sun, made at the Royal Observa- 

 tory of the Campidoglio in 1878, by S. Respighi. — Catalogue 

 of algx gathered during the cruise of the cutter Violanle, and 

 especially in some small islands of the Mediterranean, by S, 

 Ficcone. — On the motion of a simple pendulum in a railway 

 carriage, by S. di Saint-Robert. — On the difiiculty of obtaining 

 sulphuric acid perfectly free from arsenic, on the mode of obtain- 

 ing it, and on some things relating to arsenic, by S. Selmi. — On 

 the miocene strata of Siena, and considerations on the upper 

 miocene. — On the crystalline form of anglesite of Sardinia, by 

 S. Sella. — Obituary notice of Volpicelli, with list of published 

 works. 



Journal of the Franklin Institute, May. — Limit of efficiency 

 in heat-engines, by Prof. Thurston. — The driving-power of 

 leathern belts, by Mr. Cooper. — On the initial effect of the 

 earth's rotation on the free pendulum, by Prof. Tobin. — On the 

 measurement of tidal heights, by Mr. d'Auria. 



The Verhandlungen des Vereitis fiir naturwissenschaftlicht 

 Unterhaltung zu Hamburg (vol. iii. 1876) contain, amongst 

 other less important ones, the following papers : — On the man- 

 ners and customs of the Hamran tribe, by M. Eckardt.— On flie 



