November 26, 1914] 



NATURE 



OOO 



R. H. Cambage and Dr. Cuthbert Hall. Time, and 

 .Mr. Maiden's too numerous duties as local secretary, 

 prevented adequate discussion of these valuable papers 

 on one ot Australia's most variable, abundant, and 

 adaptable genera. 



Prof. Seward represented the section in a joint dis- 

 cussion with Sections C, D, and E on the past and 

 present relations of Antarctica. A verbatim report of 

 this debate was authorised by the council. 



Prof. Margaret Benson spoke on recent advances in 

 our knowledge of Sigillaria. Papers were also con- 

 tributed by Prof. T. G. B. Osborn on t}-pes of vegeta- 

 tion on the coast in the neighbourhood of Adelaide, 

 and on the life-history of Ophiobolus graminis, by 

 Mr. A. G. Hamilton, a well-known local botanist, on 

 the xerophytic characters of Bossiaea scolopendria. 



Dr. J. B. Cleland described certain features in the 

 spores of Basidiomycetes. Mr. F. Turner illustrated 

 his botanical survey of New South Wales by many 

 specimens, as did Mr. R. P. Gregor\- in the account 

 of his investigations on inheritance in certain giant 

 races of Primula sinensis. A long motor drive through 

 fine scenery to Bulli, the source of Sydney's water 

 supply, under Mr. Maiden's guidance, proved a charm- 

 ing addition to our excursion experiences. Field ex- 

 cursions in plenty, systematic botany contributions, 

 especially by botanists working in Australia, valuable 

 Mendelian contributions in this Mendelian year, seem 

 to be the outstanding features of the Botanical 

 Society's activities in Australia. Some of us had the 

 good fortune to visit Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, 

 Port Darwin, Java, Peradeniya, and Singapore, in 

 nearly all of which not only was the local Hora seen, 

 but also the botanical gardens were visited. To Mr. 

 F. M. Bailev. the Government botanist of Queensland, 

 and his family, to Mr. Shirley, and to Mr. Burkill, 

 of Singapore, we owe thanks for mariy kind atten- 

 tions. At all "call" places on our way hume we were 

 w-elcomed, entertained, and shown features of botanical 

 interest, making it not a little difficult to settle down 

 once more to normal life. T. J. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Liverpool.— Dr. W. Ramsden, senior demonstrator 

 in physiology, University of Oxford, has been elected 

 to the Johnston chair of biochemistry in the University 

 rendered vacant by the resignation of Dr. Benjamin 



Moore. 



LoNPON. — The resignation of Prof. F. T. Trouton, 

 F.R.S., from the professorship of physics at University 

 College has been accepted by the Senate. 



More than looo applications for commissions in the 

 Army have been forwarded to the War Office from 

 cadets and ex-cadets of the University contingent of 

 the Officers Training Corps, and other students and 

 graduates since the outbreak of war. 



Sir Alfred Pearce Gould is acting as Vice-Chancellor 

 during Sir Wilmot Herringham's absence at the front. 



The Rev. Dr. J. P. Mahaffy has been appointed 

 Provost of Trinitv College, Dublin, in succession to 

 the late Dr. Traill. 



It is stated in Science that Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt 

 has given 27,150/. toward the purchase by Columbia 

 University of a half block of land adjoining other land 

 owned by the university ; and that the University of 

 Pennsylvania receiver io,oooZ. by the will of the late 

 Miss Anna Blanchard, of Philadelphia. 



The Department of Agriculture and Technical In- 

 struction for Ireland is offering for competition in 



NO. 2352, VOL. 94.] 



19 15 among students of science and technolog)' a 

 limited number of scholarships and teacherships-in- 

 training tenable at the Royal College of Science, 

 Dublin. The scholarships are of the value of 50Z. 

 per annum, and, in addition, entitle the holder to free 

 instruction during the Associate course, and third-class 

 railway fare for one journey each session to and from 

 Dublin. A teachership-in-training entitles the holder 

 to free instruction during the Associate course, a main- 

 tenance allowance of 215. per week for the session of 

 about forty weeks each year, and third-class railway 

 fare for one journe)- each session to and from Dublin. 

 Candidates must have been born in Ireland, or have 

 been resident in Ireland for three years immediately 

 prior to June i, 1915. They have to satisfy the 

 Department as to their knowledge of English and ol 

 one other language. Applications for admission to the 

 examination must be made not later than April 29, 

 1915, on Form S. 34, copies of which may be obtained 

 upon application to the Secretary, Department of Agri- 

 culture and Technical Instruction for Ireland. Upper 

 Merrion Street, Dublin, or to the Registrar, Royal 

 College of Science, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin. 



The report on the work of the Department of 

 Technology' of the City and Guilds of London Insti- 

 tute for the session 19 13-14 has now been published. 

 At the recent examinations, 23,119 candidates were 

 presented in technology from 467 centres in the United 

 Kingdom, and of these 14,570 passed. These figures 

 show an increase of 1241 in the number of examinees, 

 and of 952 in the number of those who passed. By 

 including 753 candidates from India, from the over- 

 seas Dominions, and from other parts of the British 

 Empire, 998 candidates for the special examination in 

 magnetism and electricity, held by arrangement with 

 the Postmaster-General, 67 for special examinations 

 in cookery and needlework, and 1839 for teachers' 

 certificates in manual training and domestic subjects, 

 the total number examined was 26,776. The report 

 states there can be no doubt that the teaching of 

 technologv' has improved greatly during the past 

 few years; but it is noted that the examiners have 

 still to direct attention to the insufficient knowledge 

 that some candidates possess of the principles of their 

 subjects, and to the lack of practical knowledge 

 shown bv others, and they think the unsatisfactory 

 answers in consecutively numbered papers which have 

 been found to be the work of students of the same 

 class indicate fault}- teaching as the source. The 

 ! purpose of technical instruction being the better 

 j training of the artisan to understand and appreciate 

 I the scientific principles that underlie his trade or craft, 

 the attention of teachers should especially be directed 

 to the necessity for a more thorough training of 

 students in fundamental principles. The inability of 

 ' candidates to express themselves clearly is perhaps 

 not so noticeable as in past years, but the examiners 

 i have again to point out the difficulty that simple 

 mathematical calculations present to many candidates 

 i — a defect which can only be attributed to insufficient 

 preliminary training. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 

 Royal Society, November 12. — Sir William Crookes, 

 president, in the chair. — W. L. Balls and F. S. Holton : 

 .\nalyses of agricultural yield. Part I. — Spacing ex- 

 periments with Egyptian cotton. The aim of the 

 experiments is the statistical analysis of the yield of 

 agricultural crops, in terms of plant development, by 

 careful recording of all stages. The effects of environ- 

 mental conditions on crop development can then be 



