June i6, 1892] 



NATURE 



15 



"9h. 135m. G.M.T. The broadening of the east ansa 

 near its end is probably due to Tethys and Enceladus being on 

 opposite sides of it near its east end. gh. 22m. The east ansa 

 seemed a little longer than the west, perhaps due to Tethys 

 now following it. Dione was seen close to the east end." 



With the other observations and remarks of M. Bigourdan I 

 quite agree. The straightening of the northern edge of both 

 ansae has frequently been noticed by me both before and after 

 May 20. So lately as June 3 both ansae seemed broadest at a 

 distance of three-fifths of their length from the ball, and the 

 following ansa was almost detached from the ball, partly by the 

 shadow thrown by the ball on it, and partly by the more 

 elevated part of the middle ring concealing all within it in 

 the neighbourhood of the ball. A. Freeman. 



Murston Rectory, Sittingbourne, June 6. 



The aurora of May 18 was seen here. I first noticed it at 

 II p.m. (Dublin time), and watched it until i a.m., though I 

 did not see either the beginning or the ending. It extended 

 from west-north-west to north-north-east, and had a general 

 altitude of 30^, though occasional streamers reached beyond 

 Polaris. It was moderately bright, but certainly not brilliant, 

 and showed no colour. About 12 o'clock horizontal streamers 

 began to show themselves like electric search-lights, and con- 

 tinued for some time, their appearance being accompanied by a 

 lengthening upwards of the radial streamers. The air was 

 slightly hazy, and there was much stratus about, with detached 

 masses of cuniulo-stratus coming up from the west. Wind-force 

 3 of Beaufort's scale ; barometer 30*05, stationary. 



James Porter. 



Crawford Observatory, Queen's College, Cork, May 31. 



The Atomic Weight of Oxygen. 



I NOTICE that Lord Rayleigh gives the following summary of 

 resu Its on the atomic weight of oxygen : — 

 Dumas 1842 15*96 

 Kegnault 1845 15*96 

 Rayleigh 1889 I5*89 

 1892 15*882 



showing the remarkable fact that the atomic weight has been 

 steadily decreasing for the last fifty years. I would suggest, as 

 the explanation of this, that the increased population of the 

 world, together with the great consumption of coal, have 

 caused great wear and tear of these atoms, so that they are now 

 mostly deficient in weight. It would seem, in fact, desirable 

 that a Congress of chemists should be called to consider the 

 question of providing for the renovation of the oxygen supply, 

 and issuing trustworthy atoms of the standard weight, 16, as 

 sealed patterns. 



RoBT. Lehfeldt. 

 Firth College, Sheffield, June 3. 



Carnivorous Caterpillars. 



Every experienced breeder of Lepidoptera knows to his, or 

 her, cost that many caterpillars are either habitually, or casually, 

 carnivorous and cannibalistic. 



Useful hints on this subject are given in Dr. Knaggs' " Lepi- 

 dopterist's Guide " (Gurney and Jackson). 



Lewisham, June 13. R. McLachlan. 



The Cuckoo in the East. 



In May 1887 I wrote to you that I had heard the cuckoo at 

 Mussoorie. This year, on coming up here, I heard it at 

 Doneira (about 2000 feet) and at Mamul (4000 feet). I have 

 been here five days and have not heard it at all. There has 

 been a deficiency of rain here, and it has been unusually hot. 

 Both notes were very clear and distinct. 



Dalhousie, May 22. F. C. Constable. 



The Nitric Organisms. 



I AM most reluctant to occupy any of your space with a claim 

 to priority. A statement made on p. 137 of your last issue can 

 hardly, however, be allowed to pass without notice. Dr. P. F. 

 Frankland states in his lecture at the Royal Institution that the 

 possibility of the existence of a nitric organism was foreshadowed 

 by himself, and that this hypothesis has recently been confirmed 

 by Winogradsky. He then describes the method adopted by 

 Winogradsky for separating the nitric from the nitrous organ- 

 ism, and the chemical properties of the former. The fact that 

 the existence of a nitric organism was proved in the first in- 

 stance by myself, its separation from the nitrous organism effected, 

 and its chemical behaviour studied, before any publication on 

 the subject by Winogradsky, is entirely omitted! Frankland's 

 statement of the case is the more remarkable as Winogradsky 

 frankly admits in his paper that our results were nearly the same, 

 -and that his were published subsequently to my own. 



R. Warington. 



Harpenden, June 10. 



NO. II 81, VOL. 46] 



THE NEW LONDON UNIVERSITY. 

 "VylT'E have received for publication from the Associa- 

 *^* tion for Promoting a Professorial University for 

 London the following proposals, adopted by the Associa- 

 tion at a meeting held on Tuesday last : — 



(i) It is desirable that there should, if possible, be one 

 University in London. 



(2) The objects of the University should be to organize 

 and improve higher education and also to promote the 

 advancement of science and learning. 



It is desirable that the University be constituted on the 

 following lines : — 



(3) Subject to Clauses (9) and (12) the University to be 

 governed by a Senate which shall ultimately consist of the 

 Professors and a certain number of Crown nominees. 



(4) The Professors to be nominated in the first instance 

 by some independent authority, such as the Crown or the 

 Commission contemplated in Clause (14), afterwards in 

 such manner as the Senate may determine. 



(5) The University to have power to absorb institutions 

 of academic rank in London, which may be willing to be 

 absorbed, due provision being made for protecting the 

 interests of the teachers in such institutions, and for pre- 

 serving the character of special trust-funds. 



(6) The University to have the power of appointing 

 Readers and Lecturers, either to supplement the teaching 

 of the Professors, or to deliver graduation or other courses 

 of lectures within the metropolitan area at such places as 

 may be determined by the Senate.^ 



(7) The University to have power to grant degrees and 

 to institute degree examinations. These examinations 

 may, if found necessary, be different for those who have 

 followed prescribed courses and for those who have not. 

 Each Professor of the University to be ex officio an 

 Examiner in the subject of his chair, but not necessarily 

 to take part in every examination in that subject. Examin- 

 ers, who shall not be Professors in the University, to be 

 appointed by the Senate to take part in all degree examina- 

 tions. 



(8) The Professors, Readers, Lecturers, and other 

 Teachers of the University to be grouped into Faculties, 

 which shall have such consultative and administrative 

 powers as shall be determined by the Senate. 



I This side of the University work would probably include teaching of the 

 following kinds : — 



(a) Teaching, conducted in the University Buildings, supplementary to 

 that of the Professors. 



(J)) Courses of instruction of a special or advanced character recognized 

 by the University, c.^. of the type given by the German Privat-Docentcn. 



(f) Teaching of a more or less academic character conducted by lecturers 

 appointed by the University at Institutions and Colleges, the objects or the 

 standing of which render complete absorption into the VJniversity undesir- 

 able. 



(rf) Lectures at various local centres of the type known as •' University 

 Extension " lectures. 



(.e) Courses of lectures or occasional lectures by members of the Umversity 

 staff, or by other persons recognized by the University, for which a con- 

 venient centre might, with the co-operation of the Corporation of London 

 and of the Mercers* Company, be found at Gresham College. 



