348 



NATURE 



[February 13, 1896 



to be infinitely superior to the ordinary method of lec- 

 turing on the non-metallic elements and on physics, and 

 setting qualitative analyses as practical work. The only 

 examination of which I had experience lately is the 

 London University Matriculation, which has recently in- 

 troduced practical questions ; my boys have always gone 

 up with confidence, and found these distinctly easy, a 

 matter in which others with whom they compared notes 

 have not agreed with them. I have never had a failure 

 in chemistry. 



At the same time, I must insist upon the point that I 

 do not believe that this kind of knowledge can be properly 

 tested by examination ; the true criterion of the success of 

 this syllabus must be the opinion of those professors who 

 carry on the scientific education of our boys after they 

 have left us. I have received a large number of letters 

 from various professors, in which they complain bitterly 

 of the present preparation of most of their students, and 

 state that they believe such changes as those contem- 

 plated by this syllabus would be of the greatest value. 

 One of these I feel justified in quoting. 



" I am a very strong advocate for change in the method 

 •of teaching science in schools. The method that usually 

 prevails is, in my opinion, worse than barren. Not only 

 is no satisfactory foundation laid for future teaching, but 

 bad and slovenly habits of mind and manipulation are 

 formed, with the result that a large portion of my work 

 and that of my colleagues consists in the attempt (too 

 often futile) to eradicate these habits." 



The syllabus, if it has a fault, is that it is too long for 

 an elementary course. Several of the Committee were of 

 opinion that a course on mechanics, to lead up to the 

 construction and use of a balance, would be sufficient; but 

 it was pointed out that the Science and Art Department 

 would not accept any syllabus which did not include a 

 complete course of statics. This will explain why the 

 syllabus includes an amount of statics out of all propor- 

 tion to the other subjects ; it is a sacrifice to the exam- 

 ination fiend ; personally I should leave this work for a 

 more advanced course. 



I can, in conclusion, heartily recommend to all science 

 teachers to try this syllabus with their classes of 

 beginners, not 'following it slavishly, but adopting those 

 points which appeal to their experience. 



Charles M. Stuart. 



NOTES. 



Lord Kelvin reaches this year his jubilee as Professor of 

 Natural Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. The event 

 will be recognised by a joint celebration, in which the City, 

 University, and students will take part, on June 15 and 16. It 

 is anticipated that delegates and addresses will be sent from 

 numerous home and foreign Universities to express the esteem 

 in which the distinguished investigator is held. 



The date fixed for the next " meeting for discussion " at the 

 Royal Society is April 23, when the subject will be "Colour 

 Photography," and the discussion will be opened by Prof. 

 Lippmann. 



The Bakerian Lecture will be delivered before the Royal 

 Society on the 20th inst. , the lecturer for the year being Prof. 

 Roberts- Austen, and the subject, "The Diffusion of Metals." 

 The Croonian Lecture will be given, probably on March 12, by 

 Dr. A. D. Waller, who has chosen for his subject, " Electrical 

 Changes in Isolated Nerve." 



r-THE Odessa correspondent of the T^zwd^j- says that the Russian 

 Government will send a special scientific expedition to observe 

 the total eclipse of the sun on August 9. The expedition will 

 be in charge of three astronomers from the Nikolas Observatory 



t Pulkova, and leaves Odessa in May, by one of the cruisers 

 NO. 1372, VOL. 53] 



belonging to the Russian Volunteer Fleet Committee, for 

 Vladivostok, whence it will go near the mouth of the river 

 Amour for observations. The Committee has agreed with the 

 Government to convey the party from Odessa to Vladivostok 

 and back again to Odessa free of charge. 



A Committee was formed in Paris, in December last, to obtain 

 the means for erecting a monument to Pasteur, by international 

 subscriptions. In the furtherance of this resolution a circular 

 has been widely distributed, appealing for funds, and asking for 

 the organisation of local committees, so that the monument in 

 Paris shall be worthy of the man whose labours against disease 

 and death it will commemorate. The French Comite de 

 Patronage includes the President of the Repubhc, many of the 

 Ministry, and a large number of distinguished scientific men ; 

 while the Commission which is organising the memorial is 

 composed of members of the Council of the Pasteur Institute. 

 It is to be hoped that a generous response will be made to the 

 committee's appeal for subscriptions and assistance. 



A CIRCULAR has recently been issued to draw the attention ol 

 biological professors and lecturers to a course of instruction in 

 Marine Biology which has been organised in connection with the 

 Plymouth Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association. 

 This course, which is intended to be supplementary to the 

 ordinary academical courses in Comparative Anatomy, will be 

 conducted during the forthcoming Easter vacation between 

 March 23 and April 24, and will be superintended by Mr. 

 W. Garstang, Fellow and Lecturer of Lincoln College, Oxford, 

 and formerly naturalist on the staff of the Plymouth Laboratory. 

 England has undoubtedly been behind the times in the lack of 

 any organised arrangements by which biological students could 

 be enabled to enjoy the various advantages which a well- 

 equipped marine laboratory affords for the study of some of 

 the more fascinating aspects of animal life ; and it is to be 

 hoped that this new departure in biological education in England 

 will meet with the success and encouragement which it deserves. 



Judging from a Renter's telegram, a meteorite which fell 

 at Madrid on Monday produced exceptionally striking effects. 

 Reports of remarkable meteoritic falls are comparatively rare, 

 so we give a fairly full transcription of the telegram : — " At 

 half- past nine this morning an aerolite of considerable size ex- 

 ploded in the atmosphere above Madrid. The phenomenon 

 was accompanied by a vivid glare of blinding light, followed by 

 a loud report, which caused a general panic among the people. 

 All the buildings in the city were shaken, and many windows 

 were smashed by the concussion. The sky was clear and the sun 

 was shining brightly at the time of the explosion, all that was 

 visible in the heavens being a white cloud bordered with red, 

 which was travelling eastward at a great rate, leaving behind it 

 a train of fine, light dust. The panic was general throughout 

 the city. Many shopkeepers closed their establishments. Not 

 only were buildings shaken, but at least one house is known 

 to have collapsed. At the United States Legation a partition 

 wall fell in, and many of the windows were shattered, but no 

 other damage was done to the building. A great many houses 

 throughout the city sustained similar damage, partition walls 

 being shaken down by the force of the explosion. The excite- 

 ment in the city, and especially in the suburbs, has not yet calmed 

 down. The explosion was heard over a distance of several 

 kilometres from Madrid. At Guadalajara, a town about forty- 

 six miles from the capital, the explosion was very strongly felt." 

 The following official communication has been issued from the 

 Madrid Observatory :—" At 9.29 this morning a strong light 

 was observed proceeding from a small cloud moving from the 

 south-west to the north-east. A minute and a half later a 

 terrific report, followed by several others of less intensity, 



