Vol. XXIV. No. S.] 
POPULAR SCIENCE Is^EWS. 
115 
origin of a. numerous school of physicians. In 
i.!2oa medical school already existed in Montpellier. 
As was the custom at that time, it was connected 
with the religious authority and under the control 
of the high dignitaries of the church. It certainly 
existed previously, since in 1220 it was recognized 
necessary to give a new organization to the whole 
body. In 1289 the university was created through 
the IS (die of Pope Nicolas V., and the schools 
of medicine, law, and arts were the different parts 
of the university. The customs and lives of stu- 
dents and professors at that time were certainly 
very curious, and many queer facts might be related 
concerning the modus vivendi of the large family 
of which masters and students were members, and 
concerning the privileges and rights^some 'very 
peculiar — of the university. Of the different schools, 
the medical remained prominent. During a long 
period it was, in fact, the only important one in 
Europe, and, although it may have, through the 
influence of some men, fallen during the last cen- 
tury into theories which are no more upheld, it 
remains a valuable and active school. 
Since many years the antique university organi- 
zation has disappeared in the whole French educa- 
tional system, when there existed only one university, 
the Universite de France, which comprised all schools 
of all towns. A tendency has shown itself in the 
last ten years to allow more liberty to the different 
groups of scientific institutions, and to revive the 
ancient name of university, although the govern- 
ment keeps the hold it has taken, and remains the 
head of the different universities, since it appoints 
the professors. Montpellier was anxious to secure 
the title of Unirtrsity, and there were good reasons 
for allowing this town to get it. All its schools are 
very ancient, and the inhabitants are much attached 
to them. While the government was very favorable 
to the plan, the local authorities determined to act 
energetically, and a large part of the congratula- 
tions must be sent to the students themselves, who 
have powerfully organized themselves in a compact 
and active corps, similar to those which exist in 
Germany and Switzerland, the Association des 
Etudiants. At the same time the professors of the 
schools have with much energy given a stimulus to 
all, high and low, and all have asked for the re- 
establishment of the antique title. Under such 
circumstances, the government, which was favor- 
able, has been happy to comply with the desires 
of the whole population, and this has been the 
reason of the splendid celebration of the sixth cen- 
tennial, which has been graced by the presence 
of 'the President of the republic. No such cere- 
mony had yet been performed in France, Snd it will 
be difficult to imagine any more curious and inter- 
esting university celebration. Invitations had been 
issued to all parts of the world. Among the dele- 
gates were many of the most glorious names 
of science : Helmholtz, the great Berlin physicist; 
Zirkel, the Leipzig geologist; M. Oilman, Presi- 
dent of Johns Hopkins University; Delboeuf, the 
philosopher of Liege; Fredericq, of Ghent; Put- 
zays, of Belgium; Stanton, of Ithaca; Magellan, 
of Coimbre; Barcklay, of St. Andrews; Gobi, 
of St. Petersburg; d'Vry, of Rotterdam; With, of 
Copenhagen, and hundreds of others. Among the 
French delegates of other towns were Darbouse, 
the Dean of the Sorbonne Scientific Faculty, 
de Lucaze-Duthiers, Boissier, Lavisse, Armand 
' Gautier, Brouardel, and numerous other illustrious 
men of science. Foreign students were also very 
numerous, with their insignia and peculiar head- 
dresses, or ribbons. All parts of Europe were 
represented,— Russia, England, Ireland, Scotland, 
Italy, Roumania, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, 
Austria, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Holland, Portu- 
gal, — Egypt, the Argentine Republic, and United 
States (Pennsylvania and California.) Then hun- 
dreds and thousands of French and foreign masters 
and students were arrayed in their professorial 
robes, generally of a very handsome color, and 
marched through the streets in a very unique and 
striking procession, from the university buildings 
to the main place of Montpellier, where a large tent 
had been erected, under which, in presence of the 
President of the republic, speeches, numerous and 
long, were delivered, among which the most promi- 
nent was that of the minister of public instruction, 
who promised to grant in a few months the title 
of university to the group of schools of Montpellier. 
The ceremony was a splendid one. Held in a high, 
square garden, which is the highest place in Mont- 
pellier, and from which the view extends to the sea 
on one side and to the mountains on the other, 
during a warm, clear day, with deep blue sky, 
amidst the varied and brilliant colors of the profes- 
sorial robes, it was quite peculiar and unique to the 
eyes of all who assembled there. 
Numerous were the rejoicings which followed 
Banquets were abundant, the largest one assembling 
some eleven hundred persons. Balls followed, and 
theatricals, and during the celebration the popula- 
tion of Montpellier was about 100,000 in excess 
of the normal number. Whole villages and small 
towns in the neighborhood came over to Montpel- 
lier to witness the proceedings. One of the most 
curious features w^ a visit of the students to 
Aigues-Mortes, an old (12th century) town, from 
which Saint Louis started upon the crusade. The 
expedition was organized by them, and they invited 
many foreign students and delegates. Aigues- 
Mortes is a wonderfully well preserved old town, 
the towers and walls being as fresh and complete 
as if they had been built twenty years ago. The 
Mayor of the town addressed the visitors; and as a 
band was playing there, it struck up a dancing air, 
and the students wanted to dance. So they went up 
to the curate and asked him to allow his female 
parishioners to dance with them. He first allowed 
those over fifty ( ! ), and, seeing that no evil effects 
followed, finally allowed all. It certainly was a 
very curious scene, the large place — in the middle 
of which Saint Louis's statue is erected — being 
converted into a large ball-room ; and when the 
visitors left, the ancient town fell sadly into its 
antique silence and slumber. 
The visitors have now departed, and Montpellier 
has become once more the quiet town it formerly 
was ; but great expectations are in store for her, and 
the university will certainly receive a fresh impetus. 
New professorships must be decided, and young and 
active professors will be numerous, so that new life 
and great activity are to be expected ; and I would 
not wonder if many prospecting students from all 
parts of France would prefer coming to Montpellier, 
with its mild climate, easy-going life, and pleasant 
student associations, rather than to larger towns, 
where they see less of their professors and do not so 
well benefit by their teaching. H. 
MoNTi'ELLiER, May 30, 1890. 
fOriginal in Popular Snence A'ewa.J 
FLIES OF PREY. 
BY GRACE HENDERSOX. 
Many distinguished family names in the history 
of our English-speaking nations are comparatively 
familiar to us, but perhaps some of us are not 
acquainted with the celebrated family of " Ichneu- 
mon." They are extremely numerous. Graven- 
horst has described 1.650 European species, and 
they are equally abundant in other parts of the 
world. Some of the family are very minute insects. 
and a few of the tropical species are among the 
largest insects. Their abdomen is united to the 
thorax by a pedicle, and the whole form is atten- 
uated. The antenniE are generally thread-like, and 
composed of a great number of joints ; these are 
kept in constant vibration. 
But the particular reason that brought the ichneu- 
mon into notice, was the fact that it dejrosits its 
eggs either in or on the bodies, eggs, or larvie 
of insects, and, sometimes, in spiders. This makes 
them extremely useful to the farmer and gardener in 
destroying noxious insects. Some species which 
have a long ovipositor use it to reach eggs or larva; 
under the bark of trees, in holes in wood, etc. 
Arthur Lakes, the geologist, related an interesting 
incident that occurred while he was in camp, on 
Trout Creek, in Colorado. He said: "While I 
was nooning on a ledge of rock, my attention was 
attracted to what seemed to be a large grasshopper, 
travelling very briskly over the turf". On closer 
inspection it proved to be a sort of ichneumon-fly, 
something between a small black hornet and a large 
flying ant, with a tight-laced waist, packing a green 
caterpillar at least ten times its own size and 
weight, as briskly as would a railway porter a light 
valise on his shoulders. The fiy, standing with his 
long legs astride of the body of his victim, held 
him tightly with his jaws by the throat, upside 
down, to prevent the caterpillar's legs from catching 
at obstacles on the road. The strength and leverage 
applied must have been comparatively enormous. 
Presently the fly reached a little bush, and climbed 
it, tossing and dragging his prey among the 
branches, till he succeeded in hanging it securely 
in a fork, out of reach of marauding ants and other 
flies of prey, as a hunter slings his venison out 
of reach of wolves. Then he descended and pro- 
spected for a suitable den. Presently he reached a 
small round hole, — either his own, or, more proba- 
bly, a spider's, — and bustled in without ceremony. 
Apparently satisfied with his lodgings, he returned 
to his quarry and hauled it down frofii the bush to 
the hole; dropping it at the entrance, he descended 
and drew the body' down lengthwise after him. 
Returning again to the surface, he began carrying 
out of the way on his jaws the larger stones and 
sticks near the entrance, preparatory to covering up 
and caching his prey in the same manner as a 
dog caches a bone, by rocking the fine sand behind 
him into the hole, descending every now and then 
to press and thump it down tight with his head. 
More dust-rocking and more packing till the hole 
was filled ; and then, collecting on his jaws all the 
larger stones and rubbish he had before laid so care- 
fully out of the way, he strewed them around in a 
careless, natural sort of manner over the surface. 
Thus, by a fly, as complete a cache of his larder was 
made against other marauding insects as ever wily 
hunter or Indian made of his dried meat and 
powder, with every precaution against possible 
discovery. All made safe, like a good business fly 
he did not stop to loaf, but started promptly after 
fresh game." 
Arthur Lakes amusingly added: "I once saw 
one of them reversing the order of things by pack- 
ing home a good-sized spider, 'to his parlor,' with- 
out even the polite invitation to 'walk in.'" 
Varieties of Coal appear to depend greativ 
upon the nature of the plants from which they have 
been formed. In some, for instance, ferns and lyco- 
podium may predominate; in others, mosses and 
conifera;, etc. ; but the varied circumstances in 
which they have been formed, and the conditions 
(action of volcanic rocks, etc.) under which they 
have subsequently been placed, must be taken into 
account. 
