August 13, 1891] 



NATURE 



351 



In the evening Dr. John Evans opened the Antiquarian 

 Section with an address on the proT;res» of archjeology. The 

 address covers the whole ground from Christy and Lartet's 

 researches on the Dordogne to the Assyrian tablets. 



By an Imperial Decree of June 8, the Gold Medal for Art 

 and Science was bestowed by 11. 1. M. the Emperor of Austria 

 on Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, of the British Museum. 



At the graduation ceremony of the University of Edinburgh, 

 held on the ist inst., the Cameron prize was pr,;sented to Dr. 

 Ferrier, F.R.S., by Prof. Eraser. Prof. Ftaser said that Dr. 

 Ferrier's researches had gained for him a well- merited fame 

 throughout the whole civilized world. He had contributed to 

 the alleviation of suffering in some of its most distressing and 

 painful manifestations, and therefore the Senatu? had thought 

 that they were fully justified in awarding to him the prize, 

 which had been founded for the recognition of important and 

 valuable contributions to practical therapeutics. lie had much 

 pleasure in announcing further that Dr. Ferrier would, early 

 next session, communicate to the University a paper describing 

 some portion of his researches into this important subject. Prof 

 Ferrier, on appearing upon the platform to receive the prize, 

 was received with most enthusiastic cheers. 



At a meeting of the Academy of Medicine of Paris on the 

 28th ultimo, Sir Joseph Fayrer, of London, and Dr. Bateman, of 

 Norwich, were elected Associates of the Academy. These 

 gentlemen had both been for some years Corresponding Members 

 of the Academy, but they shared the Membership with only six 

 other members of the profession in this country, viz. Sir James 

 Paget, Bart., Sir Richard Owen, Sir Joseph Hooker, Sir 

 Thomas Longmore, Dr. West, and Sir Spencer Wells, Bart. 



Dr. Thorne Thorne, F.R.S., has been elected a Corre- 

 sponding Member of the Royal Italian Society of Hygiene, 



Prof, du Bois-Reymond has been elected Dean of the 

 ^ledical Faculty of the Berlin University for this year. He has 

 .already more than once filled this post. Prof. Foerster, the 

 astronomer, has been chosen Rector of the University. 



Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Exhibition of 185 1 

 have offered nomination to Science Scholarship; for the year 

 1892 to the following Universities and Colleges. The Scholar- 

 ships are of the value of ;i^i50 a year, and arc tenable for two 

 years. The scholars are to devote themselves exclusively to 

 study and research in some branch of science the extension of 

 which is important to the industries of the country : — University 

 of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Aberdeen ; 

 Mason College of Science, Birmingham ; University College, 

 IJristol ; Durham College of Science, Newcastle; Yorkshire 

 College, Leeds ; University College, Liverpool ; Owens Col- 

 lege, Manchester ; University College, Nottingham ; Firth 

 College, Sheffield ; University College of North Wales, 

 T5angor ; Queen's College, Cork ; Queen's College, Galway ; 

 I'niversity of Toronto, University of Adelaide, University of 

 New Zealand. 



It has been decided to perpetuate the memory of the connec- 

 tion of Dr. Leidy with the University of Pennsylvania by raising 

 a fund to endow the Chair of Anatomy and to found a memorial 

 museum. Dr. Leidy was Professor of Anatomy for thirty-nine 

 years, and his devoted services will b: suitably recognized by 

 connecting his name with the chair which he so lon^ adorned. 



The arrangements for the World's Fair at Chicago seem to 



be advancing quickly. Seeing that so much benifit to scienc* 



may be anticipated from the comparison of the best instruments 



and methods of working in use in different countries, which 



NO. I 137, VOL. 44] 



such exhibitions render possible, it seems a pity that political 

 questions may render them less representative than might be 

 wished. The Nexu York Nation refers to the reluctance of 

 French manufacturers to take part in the World's Fair, due to 

 the bad feeling created by the McKinley Bill, and to the belief 

 entertained that any expense incurred in exhibiting goods would 

 be lost by reason of the commercial reUrictions which that 

 measure was intended to create and has created. "Nobody 

 cares to spend his money for mere purposes of show. Unless 

 trade follows as a consequence of the exhibition, the money 



will be sunk It does not advance matters, or help 



on the Fair, to show that both countries are wedded to a false 

 system. It should serve, however, to open the eyes of people 

 on both sides to the a'>siu Jity of inviting each other to show 

 their goods, and then creating barriers to prevent each other 

 from buying and selling. Imagine an American McKinleyite 

 meeting his French brother at a. World's Fair in Paris or in 

 Chicago, and exhibiting to the latter a choice lot of provisions 

 put up in Mr. Armour's most approved style, while the latter 

 exhibits a fine assortment of woollens, silks, gloves, &c. If 

 they could look in each other's faces without laughing, they 

 must have a gravity exceeding that of two Roman augurs. 

 Ordinary self-respect ought to teach the commercial classes of 

 both countries to keep away from World's Fairs until they learn 

 the A B C's of trade." 



E pur si viuove. Technical instruction in the provinces is 

 growing apace, small thanks to our statesman and legislators, f ^r 

 we owe to an accident the possibility of meeting the most 

 crying needs of the time. We may refer to what is going 

 on in Lancashire as an indication of the general awakenment. 

 The total sum available for technical instruction is ;i^40, 391, and, 

 after the sums already guaranteed by the County Council and some 

 special amounts now in question are taken into account, there is a 

 balance of about ;^29,ooo to be dealt with, which the committee 

 of the Council recommend should be apportioned between the 

 urban and rural districts of the administrative county on the 

 dual basis of rateable value and population. The committee 

 recommend that a direclor of technical instruction be appointed 

 at ;^5oo per annum, with travelling expenses ; that ^^3600 beset 

 apart to provide twenty scholarships not exceeding £(iO each for 

 a term not exceeding three years, apportioned as follows — eight 

 for science (tenable at Owens College, Liverpool University 

 College, or other approved public institution), two for art, four 

 for commercial subjects, and six for the science of agriculture, 

 including horticulture ; that ;i(^l200 be set apart for pro- 

 viding eighty exhibitions of £,iS> tenable for one year at Owens 

 College and Liverpool University College evening classes, or at 

 some approved technical, commercial, or intermediate school, to 

 be apportioned as follow.^ — thirty-two exhibitions for science, 

 eight for art, sixteen for commercial subjects, and twenty-four 

 for agriculture ; that ;^2OO0 be set apart for founding travelling 

 scholarships and free studentships of £i to ^10 to assist stu- 

 dents in attending technical schools ; that the various urban and 

 rural sanitary authorities, through or in conjunction with any 

 district committees that may be appointed, be permitted to nomi- 

 nate candidates for the above, two-thirds of whom shall be 

 children of parents whose incomes do not exceed ;i^300 per 

 annum ; that all the scholarships and exhibitions be opened to 

 students of both sexes resident in the county ; that a sum not 

 exceeding £1000 be granted for the purpos: of aiding University 

 Extension lectures ; that a sum not exceeding £yx> be granted to 

 carry out the arrangements with the council of the Harris Institute 

 in Preston for the promotion of technical instruction in agricul- 

 ture ; and that a sum not exceeding;^ 1000 be granted for staff and 

 office expenses. The migratory dairy school having been much 

 appreciated, arrangements have been made to start a second 

 school at Ulverston on August ir. A scheme for agricultural 



