Sept. 2 2, 1887] 



NATURE 



499 



obvious that adequate endowment is essential. To provide this, 

 and properly equip the observatory, several tliousand pounds are 

 needed ; but the Committee have no assurance that anything at 

 all approaching the necessary amount has yet been subscribed or 

 even promised. As they have now b2en in existence for between 

 three and four years with this negative result, they are of 

 opinion that the Committee should now be dissolved." In con- 

 sequence of this resolution the Committee have not drawn the 

 £20 voted at Birmingham, and they do not now request their 

 reappointment. 



Report of the Committee on Tidal Observations in Canada. — 

 In the absence of Prof. Johnson, Mr. Robert E. Baynes pre- 

 sented this report. He said that no grant had yet been obtained 

 from the Dominion Government, for though the Hudson Bay 

 Expedition was ended, the Canadian Government had under- 

 taken to pay half the expenses of the re-survey of the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence. This survey would probably take two years, but 

 when it was concluded there was the greatest possible expecta- 

 tion that a special grant might be given to the Committee. In 

 the meantime, Lieut. Gordon, commanding one of the Dominion 

 cniisers, had been ordered to make certain preliminary 

 observations. 



Report 0/ the Committee on Magnetic Observations. — The 

 Committee had met at various intervals during the year. The 

 subject which chiefly occupied them at present was the diurnal 

 variation of terrestrial magnetism and the reduction of the 

 observations. The great difficulty of the Committee was the 

 want of proper observations in the southern hemisphere. The 

 observations which had been made went to show that the two 

 hemispheres were pretty well symmetrical, and at present the 

 Committee had to take for granted that it was so. They hoped 

 in another year to be able to give a more complete report, and 

 some definite results. 



Report of the Committee on Standards of Light. — The Com- 

 mittee have compared the standards hitherto proposed, but have 

 not done much. Prof. Adams has, however, presented a report 

 of some experiments, and the Committee think that if funds are 

 provided they will be able to settle the question of standards. 



Report of the Committee on DiJ^erential Gravity Meters. — 

 Since last report the Committee have received from Mr. Boys 

 an account of experiments in which he is engaged. They await 

 the result of those experiments before proceeding with the 

 construction of an instrument. 



Report of the Committee on the Translation of Foreign Scien- 

 tific Memoirs. — In reply to a communication from the Com- 

 mittee to the Royal Society, Prof. Reinold has informed them 

 that the Royal Society is not at present able to undertake the 

 publication of foreign memoirs in a systematic manner, but 



lything of special interest would be attended to. 



NOTES. 



We learn that the Government of Jamaica ofters a premium 

 of £,\<x> for the production of the best practical elementary 

 text-book of tropical agriculture specially applicable to Jamaica, 

 and embodying the first principles of agriculture. It is stated 

 that the object of the manual is to create in the mind of the 

 young an early and intelligent interest in the soil and its products, 

 and particular attention is to be paid to simplicity, brevity, and 

 freedom, as far as possible, from technical terms. It is stated 

 that the propagation and cultivation of tropical economic plants 

 should have due prominence. Manuscripts are to be forwarded 

 to the Government of Jamaica on or before August i, 1888. 



The Iron and Steel Institute held their autumn meeting 

 at Manchester last week. It was an entire success both as 

 regards the papers and discussions and the excursions to in- 

 dustrial works and places of interest in the neighbourhood. 

 We shall give a report of the proceedings in our next week's 

 issue. 



One point which seems to be determined by the news which 

 has Just reached Zanzibar concerning Emin Pasha is that Albert 



Nyanza and Muta Nzige are two distinct lakes, a point which 

 has hitherto been doubtful. It is stated that in the recent 

 campaign between Mwanga, King of Uganda, and his neigh- 

 bours the whole country between these two lakes has been laid 

 waste. Doubtless we shall soon have full details as to this, as 

 well as to the results of the recent explorations, from Emin 

 Pasha himself. 



Mr. Richard Quain, F.R.S., Surgeon Extraordinary to 

 the Queen, died on Thursday at his residence, 32 Cavendish 

 Square, at the age of eighty-seven. He began his career in 

 1828, and speedily rose to high distinction. He wrote many 

 books on medical subjects, such as "Anatomy of the Arteries 

 of the Human Body," and was Honorary Fellow of the Medical 

 and Surgical Society of Edinburgh, Emeritus Professor of 

 Clinical Surgery in University College, Consulting Surgeon at 

 University College Hospital, and President of the Royal College 

 of Surgeons. 



The Annual Congress of the Sanitary Institute of Great 

 Britain was opened on Tuesday at Bolton. Lord Basing deli- 

 vered the Presidential Address, in which he reviewed what has 

 been done for the protection of public health since the import- 

 ance of the question was brought home to the minds of legis- 

 lators. An exhibition of sanitary appliances and apparatus was 

 opaned at the same time in the Drill Hall at Bolton. 



The University College of Bristol has recently been enabled 

 by the generosity of local firms to make a notable advance in the 

 matter of engineering education. At a meeting held in the early 

 part of the present year the desirability of instituting engineer- 

 ing scholarships was considered. The practical result of this 

 meeting was that most of the firms of the neighbourhood agreed 

 to institute bursaries, or scholarships, at their works. The 

 holders of these are to be nominated by the College authorities. 

 Some will be awarded on the results of the annual examinations, 

 while others will be reserved for deserving students who may be 

 unable to pay the usual premiums required on entrance into 

 works. The educational scheme adopted at Bristol does not in- 

 clude any attempt to impart practical workshop instruction 

 within the College walls, but the students will spend six months 

 (April to October) in each year acquiring practical experience in 

 the works and drawing offices of the engineers of the west of 

 England. This system is found to answer so well that Messrs. 

 Stothert and Pitt, of Bath, and the Bristol Wagon Works Com- 

 pany propose to make it obligatory on all their pupils to attend 

 the College courses in the winter months for the first three years 

 of their pupilage. Several firms have also signified their willing- 

 ness to take College students for short periods, so that civil 

 engineering and electrical engineering pupils may spend one or 

 two terms of six months in works, while at the same time 

 mechanical engineers may have experience in two or three 

 different establishments during their College career. In return 

 for these concessions the Council of the College has decided to 

 permit deserving apprentices or artisans, nominated by the local 

 engineers, to attend the College courses at reduced rates. It is 

 expected that about nine first-class scholarships, and a larger 

 number of second-class ones, will be available during the coming 

 session. 



Messrs. Crosby Lockwood and Co. will publish during 

 the forthcoming season the following scientific and technical 

 works : — " Flour Manufacture : a Treatise on Milling Science 

 and Practice," by Frederick Kick, translated by H. H. P. Powles, 

 illustrated ; " A Dictionary of Terms used in the Practice of 

 Mechanical Engineering"; "Practical Surveying," by George 

 Wm. Usill ; "The Mechanical Engineer's Office Book," by 

 Nelson Foley (second edition) ; " British Mining : a Treatise 

 on the History, Discovery, Practical Development, and Future 

 Prospects of the Metalliferous Mines in the United Kingdom," 



