6o5 



NATURE 



[October 19, 1893 



than twice that required to maintain it when once started. 

 These experiments show that the behaviour of a gas with refer- 

 ence to the passage of an electric spark is analogous to that of a 

 vapour condensing to a liquid, the freezing of a liquid, or the 

 deposition of crystals from a saturated solution. For in the case 

 of a gas which contains a foreign substance (water vapour) the 

 potential difference which the gas can support without a spark 

 passing is approximately steady, but when the gas is care- 

 fully dried it can support an abnormally large potential dififer- 

 ence, though when once the discharge has started the potential 

 difference at once falls to its normal value. The passage of the 

 spark producing a supply of modified gas which persists for 

 some time after the discharge has stopped. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — The opening of the new department of Human 

 Anatomy was the occasion of some ceremony on Saturday after- 

 noon. The Vice-Chancellor presided at a large gathering of 

 scientific and medical men, including some distinguished visitors 

 from the leading medical schools and universities. After 

 speeches from Sir William Turner, Mr. Arthur Thomson, Sir 

 Henry Acland, and Prof. MacAlister, the Vice-Chancellor 

 declared the buildings open, and the proceedings closed with a 

 vote of thanks to the Vice-Chancellor, moved by Prof. Burden 

 Sanderson. 



The lectures and practical courses in the Natural Science 

 Department are as follows for the current term : — In 

 Physics, Prof. Clifton lectures on Electricity, and gives 

 practical instruction with the assistance of Mr. J. Walker 

 and Mr. S. A. F. White. Mr. R. E. Baynes, lectures at 

 Christ Church on Heat and Light, and Sir John Conroy and 

 Mr. F. J. Smith lecture at Balliol and at Trinity College, 

 respectively, on Elementary Physics and on Mechanics and 

 Physics. 



In Chemistry, Prof. Odling lectures on Organic Chemistry, 

 and Mr. W. W. Fisher, on Inorganic Chemistry. Other 

 lectures and practical instruction are given by Jlr. J. Watts, 

 Mr. V. H. Veley, Mr. J. E. Marsh, and Mr. J. A. Gardner. 

 Mr. Vernon Harcourt and Mr. P. Elford lecture at Christ 

 Church and St. John's respectively. Prof. A. H. Green 

 lectures on Geology in the Museum on Mondays, Wednesdays, 

 and Fridays. 



Prof. Ray Lankester lectures three days a week on the Com- 

 parative Anatomy of the Vertebrata, and Dr. W. B. Benham 

 and Mr. G. C. Bourne give other lectures in the Linacre 

 Professor's Department. Mr. J. Barclay Thompson lec- 

 tures on the Osteology of Fish and Amphibia ; and the Hope 

 Professor of Zoology, on Means of Defence in the Struggle 

 for Existence. 



In Physiology, lectures and practical instruction in the sub- 

 jects for the Final Honour Examination are given by Prof. 

 Burden Sanderson, Mr. J. S. Haldane, and Mr. M. S. 

 Pembrey. 



Prof. S. H. Vines gives advanced and elementary courses 

 on Botany at the Botanical Gardens. 



In Anthropology, lectures are announced by Dr. E. B. Tylor, 

 by Mr. H. Balfour, and by Mr. Arthur Thomson. 



It is announced that the examination for a Biological Fellow- 

 ship at Merton College will commence on November 14. 



Examinations for Natural Science Scholarships and Exhibi- 

 tions at Balliol, Christ Church, and Trinity, are announced to 

 begin on November 21. 



Cambridge. — The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that Mr. 

 H. Yule Oldham, University Lecturer in Geography, will 

 deliver an inaugural lecture on the progress of geographical 

 discovery, in the large lecture theatre of the chemical 

 laboratory, on Tuesday, October 24, at noon. 



During the Michaelmas and Lent terms, Mr. Oldham will give 

 courses of lectures on the principles of physical geography, in 

 the same theatre, on Thursdays, at noon, beginning on October 

 26. 



The Council of the Royal Geographical Society offer to 

 award during the present academical year an exhibition of ;^loo 

 to be spent in geographical investigation (physical or historical) 

 of some district approved by the Council, to a member of the 

 University of not more than eight years' standing, who shall 



have during his residence attended the courses of the lectures in 

 geography. Further particulars will be announced. 



The office of Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum is vacant 

 by the resignation of Dr. Middleton. A new Director will be 

 appointed on Friday, November 17. The stipend is ^300 a 

 year. Candidates are to send their names to the Vice-Chan- 

 cellor by Friday, November 10. 



The Walsingham Medal, founded by the High Steward of 

 the University, will be offered during the present academical 

 year for the best monograph or essay giving evidence of original 

 research in any subject connected with biology or geology. 

 Essays are to be sent to Prof. Newton by October I, 1894. 



There are this year 132 freshmen who have indicated their in- 

 tention of studying medicine in the University. 



Entrance Scholarships in Natural Science have been awarded 

 at Christ's College to A.V. Cunnington (^60), Clifton College, 

 and J. Hart-Smith (£'yo), Berkhampstead School ; and at 

 Emmanuel College to W. F. A. Ermen {£y>), Clifton College, 

 and R. G. K. Lempfert (£so), Manchester Grammar School. 

 At Downing College an Examination for Minor Scholarships 

 (;^5o) in Natural Science will be held on April 17, 1894. At 

 St. John's the Examination for Natural Science Scholarships 

 (;^8o and under) and Exhibitions (£$0 and under) will begin on 

 December 5, 1893. 



The United States Bureau of Education has published a 

 remarkable "Circular of Information," by Dr. Arthur 

 Macdonald, entitled " Abnormal Man." The volume includes 

 essays on education and crime and related subjects, with 

 digests of literature and an extensive bibliography. With 

 regard to the effect of education on crime a statistical investiga- 

 tion shows that in France and Italy there has been an increase 

 of both education and crime. Germany shows an increase of 

 habitual criminality and a general increase of both university 

 education and crime. As far as statistics are accessible, Austria 

 shows an increase in education and a decrease in crime. Also, 

 while there has been a decrease in the number of convictions 

 for crime from 1881 to 1887 in Norway and Sweden, there has 

 been an increase in education. But in Norway alone for the 

 year 1888-89 there was an increase in the number of crimes. In 

 England, Scotland, and Ireland all statistics are in accord in 

 showing an increase in education and a decrease in crime from 

 1885-1890. Japan and Saxony also exhibit an increase in edu- 

 cation and a decrease in the number of convictions. It thus 

 appears that while some countries show an increase in both 

 education and crime, yet not a few, and some of the most 

 developed nations, show an increase of education and a decrease 

 of crime. The statistics, therefore, fail to show the exact 

 relation between education and crime. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 



American Journal of Mathematics, vol. xv. No. 3. (Balti- 

 more, 1893). — On groups whose orders are producls of three 

 prime factors, by F. N. Cole and J. W. Glover (pp. 191-220). 

 In this paper the authors fully determine! the groups for three 

 prime factors, equal or unequal. Those of order /(/ and/- are 

 known from Netto. — The nature and effect of singularities ofplane 

 algebraic curves, by Miss Scott (pp. 221-243) is a continuation 

 of the paper in vol. xiv. In the earlier memoir the method em- 

 ployed was stated to be directly applicable, in general, to the 

 determination only of the joint components of the singularity ; 

 in this the restriction is removed, and it is shown that the process 

 enables one, in every case, to enumerate the double lines (double 

 tangents and inflexional tangents) involved in the singularity. 

 — The elliptic irregularities in the lunar theory, by E. W. 

 Brown (pp. 244-263), gives a general solution in series of the 

 problem ; a system of three bodies is in motion in one plane, 

 the first is revolving about the second, and is disturbed from 

 its elliptic orbit by the third. The third body is supposed 

 to be of infinite mass, and to be moving in a circle of infinite 

 radius with a finite angular velocity. Given the relative positions 

 of the three bodies at any onetime, to find their relative positions 

 at any other time. The differential equations used at the out- 

 set are given in Dr. Hill's paper (vol. i.)and M. Poincare's 

 researches (.-/c/a J/<;//i. vol. xiii.) afford considerable help in the 

 work. — On the transformation of linear differential equations of 

 the second order with linear coefficient--, by Oskar Bolza (pp. 



NO. I25I, VOL. 48] 



