August 8, 191 8] 



NATURE 



459 



G, D, A, and E. The D string was plucked by a 

 sharp point, the other strings were bowed. The white 

 line shows the longitudinal motions of that corner of 

 the bridge near which the first or E string passes. 



VIII. — Conclusion. 



With respect to the sympathetic vibrations occurring 

 in stringed instruments, it is obvious that, though 

 some little has been done, much more remains await- 

 ing attack. Thus the violoncello, guitar, and harp 

 might be dealt with, but especially, because of its 

 immense vogue, the pianoforte needs thorough inves- 

 tigation. A start was made some time ago by Mr. 

 G. H. Berry, and further researches are now in pro- 

 gress in London under the joint direction of men of 

 science and piano manufacturers. 



In the past music-lovers and men of science alike 

 have been deeply indebted to the makers of musical 

 instruments, who have themselves received but little 

 help from science in return. The lecturer expressed 

 the hope that science might shortly pay off part of its 

 debt to the musical craftsmen of the country, and 

 help to make the British piano second to none in the 

 world. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 



INTELLIGENCE. 



The Moxon m^dal of the Royal College of Physicians 



of London has been awarded to Dr. F. W. Mott. 



The Weber-Parkes prize is not to be awarded this 



year. 



A Vocational Training Bill carrying an appropria- 

 tion of 4oo,oooi. has been passed by the U.S. Con- 

 gress. It provides for a system of training for soldiers 

 in more than three hundred trades. 



A Committee has been appointed to inquire and 

 report as to any improvements which may appear 

 desirable to be made in the conditions of service and 

 in the methods of remuneration of teachers in inter- 

 mediate schools in Ireland, and in the distribution of the 

 grants made from public funds for intermediate educa- 

 tion, and as to the best means in the public interest 

 of effecting such improvements. The members of the 

 Committee are : — The Rt. Hon. T. F. Molony (chair- 

 man), the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, the Rt. Hon. 

 W. J. M. Starkie, Sir J. Larmor, the Rev. P. Canon 

 Marshall, the Rev. T. Corcoran, the Rev. Brother 

 Hennessv, Prof. J. M, Henrv, Prof. R. M. Henrv, 

 Mr. J. Thomoson. Miss H. M' White, Miss M. Rvan, 

 .Mr. W. J. Williams, Mr. C. R. Beavan. Miss A. 

 McHugh, Miss E. Steele, Mr. G. Fletclin , Mr. I"., 

 Ensor, and Mr. M. Headlam. 



The govefnlng body of Birkbeck College has ap- 

 pointed Dr.- George Sen ter to the office of principal 

 recently vacated by Dr. George Armita(4( -Smith, whti 

 had filled the position for more than twtntv \(ars. 

 Dr. Senter, who is well known for his research and 

 writings in chemistry, is head of the chemistrv depart- 

 ment of the college. Formerly he held the readership 

 in chemistry at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, 

 and, in addition to important examining and tutorial 

 posts in London University, held a seat on the Lmi- 

 versity Senate. His election comes at an interest! in 

 time in the long and eventful history of the collei^i , 

 which, familiar to many thousands as a pioneer in 

 public education, has continuously developed the scope 

 and nature of its activities under Dr. .Armitago-Smith, 

 and has been recognised bv Roval (lunmission as 

 the future centre of evening unl\iisit\ work in 

 London. 



The report just received of the conference of repre- 

 sentatives of provincial museums held at Sheflfield 

 on October 16-17, which dealt with the educational 

 value of museums and the formation of* war-museums, 

 contains interesting accounts of what is being done 

 in Manchester and other towns to bring the museums 

 into closer relation with the schools, but beyond 

 affording evidence of a desire on the part of museum 

 authorities to depart from their traditionally passive 

 attitude, the discussion shows little sign of any 

 attempt to grapple with the principles upon which 

 successful effort in this direction must be based. 

 Neither circulating collections of museum objects nor 

 organised visits to museums as such solve the educa- 

 tional problem. They often mean nothing better than 

 a more elaborate form of the old-fashioned object- 

 lesson, which is discredited because it commonly 

 touches no vital interest. Reaction against verbalism 

 may easily plunge us into another kind of abstract 

 teaching, which is none the less abstract because it is 

 based on things present to the senses. It is only when 

 contact with an object is revealing, when it illuminates 

 a dark place in our minds or opens up an aspect of 

 the world hitherto unrealised, that it is, rightly speak- 

 ing, educative. We may u.se it to give information, 

 of course, but information has in itself slight educa- 

 tional value. From this point of view Mr. Haward's 

 account of his work at the Manchester Art Gallery 

 is the most valuable contribution to the subject. He 

 has in mind a revelation, and, even though the children 

 mav not feel the ultimate message he would convey to 

 them, it is precisely the ultimate message which should 

 determine the whole procedure. This is true also of 

 similar work in the museum, and a future conference 

 might well address itself to the problem of this final 

 outcome, for it is in the light of that we may hope 

 to discuss profitably particular proposals and particular 

 practice. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Dublin. 

 Royal Irish Academy, June 24.— The Most Rev. J. H. 

 Bernard, D.D., .Archbishop of Dublin, president, in the 

 chair.— H. Ryan and W. O'Riordan : «-, B-, and 



7-trinitrotoluenes. An attempt was made to ascertain 

 whether differences in the reactivities of the trinitro- 

 toluenes exist which might explain the instability of 

 trinitrotoluene in some rare cases. The behaviour of 

 the three isomers towards alkalis, alkyloxides, 

 amines, hydrocarbons, and aldehydes was examined. 

 All three isomers yield black, amorphous, explosive 

 h(.<li.s when heated with alkalis. The iS- and 

 -,-ix.iners have each one nitro-group replaced by a 

 hvdroxvl, giving dinitrocresols. The a-isomer _ yields 

 hexanitrodibenzyl. The yS- and 7-ispmers readily ex- 

 change a nitro-group for an amino-group, the ^-isomer 

 being apparently the more reactive. The a-isomer 

 foims additive compounds, without substitution, by 

 interaction with amines. Tho additive compounds ob- 

 tained from the 7-isomer aiul imiiics readily pars into 

 substitution derivatives. lowaul^ hydrocarbons such 

 as ohenanthrene the three isomers behave similarly. 

 While o-trinitrotoluene interacts readily with alde- 

 hvdos. forminu stilbene derivatives, the latter could not 

 'iird und-r similar conditiiins from the ^- and 



r.\Ki>. 

 Academy of Sciences, July ib.— M. L^on Guignard 

 in the chair.— G.' Bigourdah : The* observatory of the 

 H6tel of I ai anne : works and co-ordinates. This 

 observati)r\ \va- founded about 1710 by Louville, who 

 was the first to use a filar micrometer in astronomy. 



NO. 2545. VOL. lOl] 



