178 



NATURE 



[April 7, 19 10 



important subject ; hence it is hoped that these experi- 

 ments will be useful in the study of the dependence of the 

 earth's temperature on radiation. 



(2) Spectrobolometric measurements of the solar constant 

 of radiation have been continued at the Mount Wilson 

 Observatory in California. As in former years, evidences 

 of a fluctuation of solar radiation were found in the results 

 of the measurements thus far obtained. A new and 

 improved standard pyrheliometer was found to be more 

 satisfactory than the one used in 1906, and great confidence 

 is felt in the results obtained with it. Efforts have also 

 been made to carry the bolometric measurements much 

 farther in the ultra-violet through the use of a large quartz 

 prism, a large ultra-violet glass prism, and two magnalium 

 mirrors. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. — ^The special board for biology and geology 

 has appointed Mr. Leonard Doncaster, of King's College, 

 to be superintendent of the Museum of Zoology, and the 

 Vice-Chancellor has approved of the appointment. 



Glasgow. — Principal Sir Donald MacAlister, K.C.B., 

 has been appointed to represent the Senatus of the Uni- 

 versity at the centenary festival of the University of 

 Berlin in October next. 



A scheme for the formation of a clinical branch of the 

 medical school of the University, to be situate at the Royal 

 Infirmary, was approved by a Parliamentary Commission, 

 after a two days' hearing, on April i. The provisional 

 orders for the purpose contemplate the establishment of 

 four professorial chairs at this infirmary, in addition to 

 those held at the Western Infirmary, namely, those of 

 medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and pathology. The neces- 

 sary funds, amounting to about 2000Z. a year, are provided 

 for from existing endowments and by grants from St. 

 Mungo's College, the Muirhead trustees, and other 

 benefactors. All the instruction thus provided will be open 

 to women students of the University as well as to men. 



The late Colonel G. E. Church, who died on January 4, 

 bequeathed loooL to the Royal Geographical Society 

 towards a fund for the enlargement of its premises or 

 towards a new building for its use. He left to Harvard 

 University his collection relating to North and South 

 America, consisting of books of travels, voyages, explora- 

 tions, boundary-line questions, geography, ethnology, and 

 history, as well as all writings by Latin and American 

 authors, to be known as the " George Earl Church Collec- 

 tion." Should the authorities of the University not accept 

 this gift within four months of his death, then the collec- 

 tion is to be offered to the Brown University, Rhode 

 Island, or the Stanford University, in California. 



In Class iv. (Education, Science, and Art) of the Civil 

 Service Estimates for the year ending March 31, 191 1, 

 the estimate amounts to 18,651,483/., a net increase of 

 697,718/. on the amount voted in 1909. The estimate for 

 the Board of Education shows a net increase of 417,663/., 

 of which 348,775/. arises under the subhead of grants in 

 respect of public elementary schools, &c. A sum of 

 200,000/. is again provided for special grants to certain 

 necessitous local education authorities. The estimate for 

 scientific investigation, &'c., includes a grant of 7500/. in 

 aid of the expenses of the aeronautical section of the 

 National Physical Laboratory, and a grant of 20,000/. in 

 aid of the expenses of the British Antarctic Expedition of 

 1910. 



The following courses of free advanced lectures have 

 been arranged by the University of London : — a course of 

 five lectures on " Fertilisation and Related Phenomena," 

 to be given by Prof. J. B. Farmer, F.R.S., at the Royal 

 College of Science, on Wednesdays at 5 p.m., beginning 

 on April 27 ; a course of five lectures on " The Anatomy 

 of Plants in Relation to External Conditions," to be given 

 by Mr. L. A. Boodle at University College on May 26, 

 M^y 30> June 2, June 6, and June 9, at 5 p.m. A course 

 of three lectures on " The Geologv and Geography of 

 Charnwood Forest " will be given by Prof. W. W. Watts, 

 NO. 2 1 10, VOL. 83] 



F.R.S., at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, 

 on Mondays at 5 p.m., beginning on April 25. The lectures 

 are addressed to advanced students of the University and 

 to others interested in the subjects. Admission is free, 

 without ticket. 



The difficulty of reaching the cultivator of the soil foi 

 any educational purpose has not as yet been overcome ir 

 any country, and certainly not here. Some interest, there^ 

 fore, attaches to a scheme that has been at work in the 

 West Indies for about eighteen months, and has provec 

 so effective that it is to be adopted permanently. Course; 

 for home reading are drawn up, divided into three parts 

 at the end of each of which are held examinations knowr 

 respectively as the preliminary, the intermediate, and the 

 final. The preliminary examination requires a general all 

 round education, and is dispensed with in the case o'. 

 students who possess certain qualifying certificates. Th( 

 intermediate examination requires such knowledge of thf 

 general principles of agriculture, and of planting work ir 

 particular, as might be expected from an intelligent over 

 seer of a few years' experience, while the final examina 

 tion reaches the standard necessary for a man capable 

 managing an estate. A leaflet is issued by the Wes 

 Indian Agricultural Department containing a syllabus o 

 the subjects necessary for each part, with hints as to wha 

 books should be read. In addition, the Agricultural News 

 the fortnightly paper issued by the Department, devote; 

 nearly a page in each issue to notes bearing on the curren 

 work of the estate, thus giving the necessary practica 

 illustrations of the general principles set out in the text 

 books. A few questions are also set which students ar< 

 advised to attempt. The Department, however, does no 

 set up to act as a correspondence college and correct thi 

 answers to the questions. It is left to the student t< 

 find someone who will discuss his work with him and helj 

 him over those hard places where a man, reading on hi: 

 own account without any assistance, inevitably get 

 stranded sooner or later. At first the officers of the Depart 

 ment gave a good deal of help by organising students 

 meetings where difficulties could be discussed ; voluntar 

 workers also came forward. The examinations are con 

 ducted by the staff of the Department, acting in conjunc 

 tion with some of the planters. The intermediate and th 

 final are essentially technical in their nature ; the candidat 

 is expected to be a better man at field or plantation wor! 

 as a result of his reading, and he must demonstrate hi 

 superiority to the satisfaction of the planters on th 

 examining board. In this way the interest and sympath 

 both of masters and of men can be enlisted, and both ar 

 brought to realise that the certificates awarded indicat 

 increased efficiency on the part of the holder. Interest i 

 the scheme is said to be spreading among the cultivators 

 while the organisers have found certain modifications thj 

 will still further increase its utility. It will be carefulli 

 watched by those in this country who are engaged i 

 elementary agricultural education. 



The National Union of Teachers held its conference th: 

 year at Plymouth during Easter week. Naturally, most < 

 their discussion was confined to various aspects < 

 elementary education, but other subjects of nation; 

 importance were also considered. Mr. Marshall Jackmai 

 the president, was chiefly concerned with a demand ft 

 more money from the Treasury for elementary educatioi 

 to relieve the financial straits in which many local educi 

 tion authorities find themselves. Mr. Jackman contende 

 that we build Dreadnoughts regardless of cost, not becaui 

 we want them, but because we feel the necessity of keei 

 ing pace with our neighbours. If we could have a simili 

 cry in education to the Two Power standard cry for tl 

 Navy we should be able to do much for educational pr 

 gress. He set out a national educational standard whi( 

 he thought was worthy of this great Empire. Is it t< 

 much to demand that the educational opportunities f 

 British boys and girls shall be no less than those for tl 

 children of any other nation ? His new standard was th 

 all forms of education should be as free to the Britii 

 child as to the American child, the elementary schools 

 Britain should be manned by teachers no less eflicie 

 than those in the schools of Sweden, the classes of tl 

 schools in Britain should be no larger than those of De 



