October 21, 1897] 



NATURE 



607 



7 to 9 ; Natural Philosophy, under the direction of Prof. W. 

 C.rylls Adams, F.R.S., on Wednesdays, from 6 to 8.30 ; and 

 on Pure Mathematics, by Prof. Hudson, on Thursdays, from 

 6 to 8 These courses are desip;ned for students who have, by 

 attendance at other classes, already reached an advanced stage 

 in their technical work. Intending students should com- 

 municate by letter with the professors, taking the class they 

 propose to attend, and giving particulars of their previous train- 

 ing. The courses of instruction afford an opportunity to 

 students who can study only in the evenings to obtain instruc- 

 tion in well-equipped University laboratories, and make avail- 

 able to evening students the same advantages as are enjoyed by 

 University day students, but they are only intended for those 

 who are practically engaged during the day in some trade, 

 business, or occupation. There are also held at King's College, 

 the following free Saturday morning classes for teachers : — 



(1) Physics, on Saturday morning from 10 to i, under the 

 general superintendence of Prof. W. G. Adams, F. R.S. 



(2) Mathematics, by Prof. Hudson, on the teaching of 

 elementary mathematics, on alternate Saturdays, at 10 a.m. 



(3) Strength of Materials (Saturdays, loa.m.), by Prof. Capper. 



(4) Principles of Practical Physiology (Saturdays, 11 a.m.), by 

 Prof. Halliburton, F.R.S. The Saturday morning classes, we 

 understand, are full, but there are still vacancies at some of the 

 evening classes. 



The encouragement given to higher scientific instruction by 

 the London Technical Education Board is shown in the latest 

 number of the Board's Gazette, which contains a list of the 

 principal public institutions of London at which instruction 

 adapted to the requirements of the London University examina- 

 tions above the matriculation will be given during the session 

 just commencing. In the case of most of the institutions re- 

 ferred to in the list, evening as well as day classes are held in pure 

 and mixed mathematics, experimental physics, chemistry, botany, 

 zoology, biology, physiology, and geology. No institutions 

 are included in the list except institutions of recognised 

 university rank and polytechnics. Another list in the Gazette 

 shows the principal evening classes in science, art and technology, 

 to be held in London during the session 1897-98. The most 

 noteworthy addition since last year to the supply of technical 

 instruction is the scheme of instruction provided by the North- 

 ampton Institute in Clerkenwell. This institution has drawn up 

 a very comprehensive series of courses especially adapted to the 

 workers in the building and engineering trades and in artistic 

 crafts, .such as watchmakers, jewellers, goldsmiths, silversmiths 

 and electrotypers. It is interesting to notice that this institution 

 offers for the first time, together with the Regent Street Poly- 

 technic, special instruction in cycle making. The electro- 

 chemical department is one that should be capable of consider- 

 able development in the future. The Northern Polytechnic also 

 enters on its first full session. Admirable provision is made in 

 this institution for the study of chemistry and physics, and the 

 polytechnic is also provided with good carpentering and 

 engineering workshops. The Borough Polytechnic is erecting 

 new buildings for giving additional accommodation to classes in 

 printing, bookbinding, boot and shoe making, carpentry, and 

 wheelwrights' work. A model bakery is also in process of 

 erection. The Battersea Polytechnic is providing additional 

 accommodation for the teaching of chemistry and biology. The 

 Bolt Court Guild and Technical School offers instruction in 

 various branches in lithography and photo-process work. The 

 classes at St. Thomas' Charterhouse School have been to some 

 extent remodelled and placed on a new basis, and considerable 

 additions have been made to the laboratory accommodation. 

 The classes are being organised into a definite institution under 

 the name of the St. Thomas' Charterhouse and Rogers' Institute. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 

 Meteorologische Zeitschrift, September. — Investigations re- 

 specting wind velocity, by Prof. G. Hellmann. Our knowledge 

 of wind direction over the globe is fairly satisfactory, but as 

 regards the velocity it is defective, owing to the paucity of good 

 anemometrical observations until within a few years. These 

 observations are also affected by several causes, such as differ- 

 ences of height above ground, the exposure of the instrument, 

 methods of reduction, and instrumental errors. The author has 

 deduced the yearly period of wind velocity for all stations for 

 which he could find a series of ten years' observations, for all 



NO. 1460, VOL. 56] 



parts of the world. The paper is accompanied by tables and 

 diagrams, showing the mean velocity in metres per second for 

 each month and for the year, and contains a valuable discussion 

 of the results. The general conclusions are : (i) That the velocity 

 increases with latitude, and decreases from the coast inland. 



(2) In the yearly period, the maximum in higher latitudes and 

 exposed coasts occurs during the cold season, while in the 

 interior of the continents it occurs between March and July. 



(3) The period of maximum velocity generally corresponds with 

 that of the stormy season. (4) The minimum velocity generally 

 occurs in August or September at those inland stations which 

 have a spring maximum, while at coast stations which have a 

 winter maximum, the minimum takes place in June or July. 

 (5) The amplitude of the yearly period is greater on the coast 

 than inland, but greatest in districts subject to strong periodical 

 winds and monsoons. — Meteorology and terrestrial magnetism 

 in Finland, by A. Heinrichs and E. Biese. The paper contains 

 a summary of the meteorological observations made during the 

 last 1 50 years, and which furnish good materials for investigations 

 into secular changes of climate. The magnetic observations 

 date from 1780. The organisation and discussion of these 

 valuable observations during the last half of the last century 

 and the first part of this, were principally due to the encourage- 

 ment given by the University of Abo. 



T\i^ Journal of Botany for October reports a very remarkable 

 addition to the British flora, in Stachys alpina, found by Dr. C. 

 Bircknall in Gloucestershire, apparently wild. Mr. G. Murray 

 gives an interesting account of his observations on the minute 

 free-floating vegetation of the west coast of Scotland, carried on 

 at the request of the Fishery Board of Scotland, with a de- 

 scription of the method used for the capture of the minute 

 organisms. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 

 Entomological Society, October 6. — The Rev. Canon 

 Fowler, Vice-President, in the chair. — Mr. W. H. Bennett 

 aud Mr. B. Tomlin were elected Fellows'of the Society. — Mr. 

 Merrifield exhibited specimens of Aporia cratcegi and Argynnis 

 paphia, subjected to high and low temperatures during the pupal 

 stage. In both species the examples which had been cooled 

 were much darkened. Mr. Tutt showed for comparison the 

 extremes of over 500 examples of A. cratiegi bred or captured 

 in Kent between i860 and 1868, but none were so marked as 

 those which had been artificially treated. — Mr. Tutt showed a 

 remarkable melanic aberration of Neineophila plantaginis, in 

 which all trace of the pale ground colour of the hind wings was 

 lost ; also a series of Abraxas ul/nata captured during the past 

 summer by Mr. Dutton in the neighbourhood of York. Pre- 

 viously aberrations of the species had been rare, but a large 

 number of this series were suffused with blue-grey or smoky- 

 ochreous. Many of the aberrant forms were cripples. He also 

 showed for Dr. Riding bred specimens of both broods of 

 Tephrosia bistortata from Clevedon, Somerset, and bred speci- 

 mens of T. crepusciilaria and its' ab. delavierensis from York. 

 Hybrids were exhibited between T. bistortata ( S and ? ) and 

 T. crepuscularia ( ? and 6 ), between the former and the form 

 delamerensis ( ? and 6 ), and between the two latter crosses. The 

 offspring of the first crosses were roughly divisible into two 

 groups following the parent forms, those of the second tended 

 to become mongrel in "appearance. Hybridisation led" to the 

 production of continuous broods, and certain broods tended 

 to produce mlaes only. The colouration became more intense 

 with increase in the duration of the pupal stage. — Dr. 

 Dixey drew attention to the experiments on hybridisation 

 recorded in Dr. Standfuss's " Handbuch der Palaarktischen 

 Gross-Schmetterlingen," and gave a summary of the results. — • 

 Mr. Champion showed for th6 Rev, J. H. Hocking an example 

 of the long- bodied moth Satacovia agrionata, from New Zea- 

 land ; also one of Protopaussus walkeri, Waterh., from China, 

 the subject of a later communication ; and specimens of the 

 rare Eviblethis verbasci, ¥., from the Scilly Isles.— Mr. Jacoby 

 showed a Halticid beetle with a singular abnormality, the side- 

 margin of the prothorax being split to embrace a long process. 

 — Dr. Chapman exhibited and described varieties of Spilosoma 

 lubricipeda and Acronyda psi bred by Dr. Riding and himself. 

 In the latter species the characters of the different races were 



