yo 



NATURE 



[May 20, 1897 



(2) To encourage the study of languages and literary and economic 

 subjects, and to meet the objection that the Science and Art 

 grants tend to promote a one-sided education, it is proposed 

 that any bond fide student attending an evening science or art 

 class shall be able to earn a grant by attendance at University 

 Extension courses of lectures. It is expected that the grants 

 made on this account will only absorb an infinitesimal propor- 

 tion of the total grants disbursed by the Department of Science 

 and Art. (3) Hitherto certain restrictions as to income have 

 existed which precluded some students from earning grants or 

 winning scholarships. These are to be abolished ; but, to pre- 

 vent abuse, a regulation has been added that schools in receipt 

 of payment must be *' approved by the Department as suitable 

 in character and financial position to receive aid from public 

 funds," and with reference to persons eligible to hold certain 

 scholarships and exhibitions, a provision has been added that 

 " the Department may refuse to fill them with persons whose 

 circumstances do not appear to warrant such aid." (4) It is sug- 

 gested that the Honours examination in each subject should be 

 divided into two parts, one less advanced in character than the 

 other. 



Lord Herschell, the Chancellor of the University of 

 London, took the opportunity of referring to the need of a 

 teaching University, at the meeting held on Wednesday in last 

 week for the distribution of medals and certificates. A Uni- 

 versity was not worthy of the name, he is reported by the 

 Times to have said, unless it inspired a love of knowledge 

 for its own sake. If was this conception of the mission of a 

 University which made him desire to introduce a different 

 element into their University, so that it should no longer be 

 the main object of its members to obtain degrees ; and if, 

 even as regarded a minority of students, the function of teach- 

 ing were added to that of examining, the idea of a University 

 would be realised in a far higher degree than it was at 

 present. The question of a change in their constitution had 

 been before the country for many years, and he would not 

 approach it in a controversial spirit, but he could not but 

 express a hope that some step would soon be taken. The 

 discussions of the last two years had removed many miscon- 

 ceptions between those who held widely different views from 

 each other ; and the progress of consideration and the inter- 

 change of views might, he thought, lead to approximation 

 between those who appeared to stand asunder. But he was 

 inclined to think that the questions at issue might better be 

 solved by an independent body than by mutual concessions 

 on the part of opposing parties. The danger of compromise 

 was that each side might concede something which ought not 

 to be conceded — a danger which an independent body might 

 avoid. The main objection urged against change was that it 

 might tend to lower the quality of degrees. If that were 

 likely to be the result, he should be the enemy of change ; 

 but he did not believe it passed the wit of man to devise 

 means whereby the University should become a teaching body 

 and yet both maintain its present high standard and safeguard 

 the interests of external students. Certainly those members of 

 the Senate who were favourable to change were the last men 

 who would wish to lower the degree standard. But he wished 

 to point to a real danger. There could be nothing more fatal 

 to the prestige and influence of their University than that 

 there should arise by its side another University in London 

 which should teach as well as examine ; and if the choice lay 

 between such a second University and the modification of the 

 existing University of London, surely the latter alternative 

 was preferable. The feeling in favour of a teaching University 

 was so strong that in one form or another it must succeed in 

 its aim, and surely it was wiser to look facts in the face than 

 blindly to oppose the inevitable march of events. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 

 Physical Society, May 14.— Mr. Shelford Bidwell, Presi- 

 dent, in the chair.— Mr. W. Watson described an instrument 

 for comparing thermometers with a standard. The thermometers 

 to be compared are inserted together in an enclosed vapour-tube, 

 the temperature of which can be maintained very constant at 

 different parts of the scale. The apparatus is an adaptation of 

 the arrangement designed by Ramsay and Young for vapour 

 densities. It consists of a wide vertical glass tube, with a 



NO. 1438, VOL. 56] 



narrower tube attached at the top. The narrow tube bends down- 

 wards, and communicates with a closed vessel of considerable 

 volume. A portion of the vertical tube is surrounded by a con- 

 densing-jacket, and a manometer-tube is inserted near the top. 

 The object of the large vessel is to diminish errors arising from 

 fortuitous changes of pressure, resulting from small leakages or 

 "bumping" of the boiling liquid. Electrical heating of the 

 bulb containing the liquid, effectually removes the "bumping." 

 The following liquids, used consecutively, give a range of tem- 

 perature from 20" C. to 120° C. : carbon bisulphide (20° to 46°), 

 ethyl alcohol (80°), chlorobenzine (120'). The apparatus when 

 once started required very little attention ; from results submitted 

 by the author, the variations do not exceed 0'02° C. per hour. 

 In constructing the various parts, the difficulties of glass- 

 blowing are reduced by making the joints of india-rubber 

 stoppers, attached to the glass with india-rubber solu- 

 tion. Each joint is jacketed with glycerine. If the above 

 liquids are used in the vaporiser, the scales of the thermometer 

 can always be read within the tube ; it is only with water that 

 the condensed vapour gives trouble. Prof. Ayrton thought the 

 apparatus would come into extensive use ; it did away with 

 errorc arising from differences of length of thermometer stems ; 

 it left no question as to the equality of temperature of the 

 two bulbs ; and there was no probability of error due to 

 a difference of thermal "lag" in any two thermometers. 

 Mr. Watson, in replying to a question of Prof. Perry's, said 

 the fact of using india-rubber joints limited the available range 

 of temperature. Working with blown joints, Ramsay and 

 Young had found no difficulty with their vapour-density ex- 

 periments at higher temperatures. — Prof. Carey Foster read a 

 paper, by Mr. D. K. Morris, of Zurich, on the effect of tem- 

 perature upon the magnetic and electric properties of iron. 

 The investigation relates to the measurement of the magnetic 

 permeability, hysteresis, and electrical resistance oi iron, 

 simultaneously, at different temperatures. The specimens are 

 formed into annular rings, made from iron strip. The strip is 

 first lapped round with asbestos paper and mica, and then 

 wound upon itself to the required thickness. A platinum wire 

 is included in the mica lappings, for thermometrical purposes. 

 Upon each annular ring are the following windings : (i) a 

 primary magnetising coil ; (2) a secondary coil connected to a 

 ballistic galvanometer ; (3) an electrical heating coil. Further, 

 the iron strip is itself connected to a Wheatstone's bridge, for 

 resistance measurements. The coil can be heated to 1050° C. 

 At the higher temperatures, the surrounding air has to be freed 

 from oxygen ; this is done by enclosing the coil in a suitable 

 vessel, and exhausting with an air-pump. When most of the 

 air has thus been removed, the residual oxygen is absorbed by 

 an electrically-heated iron wire. Curves are drawn represent- 

 ing the changes of permeability at the different temperatures ; 

 and, at the same temperatures, the corresponding hysteresis 

 loops are plotted. The hysteresis diminishes with temperature ; 

 it nearly vanishes at about 764° C. At the suggestion of Prof. 

 Ayrton, it was agreed that the discussion on this paper should 

 be adjourned until the publication of the results. The paper 

 will, therefore, be printed without delay. — Mr. Rollo Apple- 

 yard read a paper on the formation of mercury films by an 

 electrical process. If a sheet of damp leather, or similar per- 

 meable substance, is used as a separating diaphragm between two 

 bodies of mercury, and a current is sent through it, a film of mercury 

 is deposited upon the surface connected to the positive pole ; and 

 the film remains on the diaphragm after removal from ilie 

 apparatus. If the diaphragm is replaced in the apparatus, and 

 subjected to a current in the reverse direction, the film vanishes 

 from that surface, and a second film appears on the other side ; 

 that is to say, the film is always on the side of the diaphragm 

 connected to the positive pole of the battery, and there is no 

 film on the negative surface. Different diaphragms and films 

 were exhibited on filter- paper, asbestos-paper, plaster of Paris, 

 &c. A current of about one-fiftieth of an ampere, or more, is 

 necessary. A sheet of tinfoil included between folds of filter- 

 paper becomes perforated with pin-holes when the current is 

 passed between the outside surfaces. This happens whether the 

 outside electrodes are mercury or metal plates. If the top 

 electrode should be tinfoil, this also becomes perforated as well 

 as the included sheet. A further experiment was shown in 

 which a gold coin is placed upon the folds of filter-paper ; the 

 current produces a gold-discoloration which penetrates the folds. 

 This, it was suggested by the author, may help to account for 

 the formation of metallic lodes and veins as they exist in rocks ; 



