October 29, 1891] 



NATURE 



619 



ilternate potential differences are transformed up from 

 about 100 to 2000 volts ; and to enable the transmission 

 to be effected with three wires instead of four, Messrs. 

 Schuckert arrange the transformer at each end of the line 



The actual method employed by Messrs. Schuckert for 

 winding this special transformer, as well as its apfjearance 

 when completed, are seen from Figs. 15 and 16. This 

 transformer, then, instead of consisting of merely a double 



Fig. 16.— Schuckert t» o-i-h: se alternate current ttansfcrmer (ccmpleied). 



as shown symbolically in Fig. 13. Hence, if the currents 

 produced by the dynamo be represented by A sin 6 and 

 A cos 6, the currents in the main wires, W3, \\\^ and 

 W2, will be represented by A cos (- B), A sin(- 6), and 

 A {sin(- ^) -|- cos(- 6)\ respectively. 



ring of laminated iron as indicated in the symbolical 

 diagram. Fig. 13, may be regarded as being composed 

 of a connected series of laminated iron rings, each of a 

 wedge-shaped cross-section. 



( To be continued^ 



THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY MUSEUM} 



'in HE following memorandum is based, not only upon 

 -*• observations made during a recent visit to Oxford, 

 but also upon a fairly intimate knowledge of the origin 

 and progress of the different departments of the iMuseum, 

 acquired at various intervals of time extending over more 

 than thirty years. 



In entering upon the consideration of the subject which 

 you have referred to me, it will first be necessary to define 

 the purposes for which the Museum is maintained. These 

 I take to be somewhat manifold, but they may be classed 

 as follows : — 



A. The first and main purpose is undoubtedly to assist 

 in the educational work of the University, by illustrating 

 the teaching of the professors and lecturers. 



Besides this, however, it subserves, to a greater or less 

 degree, other and what may be considered, as compaied 

 with the first, secondary, but nevertheless important func- 

 tions. These are— 



B. The exhibition of a collection, arranged in a sys- 

 tematic, orderlx-, and attractive manner, open to the in- 

 spection, under proper regulations, of all members of the 

 University, and also of residents in and visitors to the 

 town, which shall tend to awaken and keep up an interest 

 in various subjects of which most educated persons, 

 besides those actually engaged at the moment in obtaining 

 instruction, desire to possess some knowledge Such a 

 collection is a most legitimate adjunct to the University 

 as a place of general culture. 



C. Certain collections have already, and possibly will 

 in future, become added to the general Museum, the aim 

 and scope of which reach beyond either of the above, 



' Prof. Flower's Rrport to the Committee on Colkctc ns appointed by the 

 Delegates cf the Ui.iversity Museum, Oxfoid, dated Maich 14, 1S91. 



being of value, not to the ordinary student, not to the man 

 or woman of average general culture, but only to the ad- 

 vanced student who wishes to enter seriously into the 

 pursuit of some special branch of knowledge. Such is 

 the Hope Collection of Insects, and to a certain extent 

 the Pitt-Rivers Ethnographical Collection. 



It is a grave question how far such collections should be 

 maintained at the cost of the University. On the one 

 hand, they must be a cause of expense, without which no 

 collection of any value can be maintained ; and the 

 larger and better ordered they are, the greater must be 

 the cost of maintaining them. Unless properly cared for, 

 not only as regards actual preservation of the objects 

 contained in them, but also as regards the continual re- 

 arrangements and augmentations necessitated by the ad- 

 vance of science, they will become comparatively valueless 

 in the course of time. If the care of many such collec- 

 tions were undertaken unaccompanied by special endow- 

 ments for their maintenance, the burden would become 

 such as only a national institution could afford. 



On the other hand, looking at the University, not 

 merely as a place for the education of youth, but also as 

 a centre of culture for the whole country, the possession 

 of some such collections is of great importance. As they 

 contain in them objects which can be found nowhere else, 

 they attract men of learning and science, not only from 

 other parts of the country, but also from distant places, to 

 visit the University, or even to become permanent resi- 

 dents. The value of collections of rare books, even upon 

 subjects interesting to scholars whose numbers are very 

 limited, have long been recognized. From the same point 

 of view, special collections of rare specimens of natural 

 history or works of art may take their place in the general 

 scheme of a University Museum, but the care of such 

 collections should not be undertaken without full con- 



NO. I 148, VOL. 44] 



