OD 



^6 



NATURE 



[February 13, 1896 



some extent how curiously useful and protective their forms and 

 colours often were, and all this was of great use to me." 



I had hoped to be able to discuss some of the current problems 

 which are before biologists, and towards the solution of which 

 entomology might contribute largely. Such, for example, are 

 Galton's and Weismann's views on the non-transmissibility of 

 acquired characters, the rdle of what Mr. Bateson calls "dis- 

 continuous variation " in the origin of species, the recent efforts 

 to throw light on the all-important subject of variability by the 

 statistical methods introduced by Galton and now being worked 

 at from the experimental side by Weldon, and from the mathe- 

 matical side by Karl Pearson. I feel, however, that I have 

 trespassed already too long upon your forbearance, and while 

 again thanking you for the honourable position in which you 

 have placed me, I can only express the hope that my special 

 plea for a more liberal use of the speculative method among our 

 working entomologists will not be regarded by those who hold 

 different views as a breach of the privilege of that office to which 

 by your courtesy I have been elected. Should there be any who 

 entertain this opinion, I beg them to make a liberal discount for 

 personality, and they will find that the ultimate motive has been 

 to promote the best interests of our science. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford.— The Waynflete Professor of Mineralogy (Mr. H. 

 A. Miers), who has been absent during the early part of 

 the term through illness, announces a course of lectures on 

 Elementary Crystallography. 



In a Congregation held last week, the proposal that a sum 

 not exceeding ^150 per annum for three years from October i, 

 1894, should be applied out of the Common University 

 Fund in maintaining a scholarship to be held by a student at 

 the Marine Biological Station at Naples, was agreed to, neinine 

 contraduente. 



In a Congregation to be held on February 18, a form of 

 statute amending the provisions of a statute made for the 

 administration of the Lichfield Trust for Clinical instruction, 

 will be proposed. The object of the statute is to provide for 

 the conduct of the Pathological Department at the Radcliffe 

 Infirmary by the Regius Professor of Medicine, or a person 

 appointed by him, and for giving instruction in Pathology in 

 accordance with the Regulations of the Board of the Faculty of 

 Medicine. 



The interest of the University is at present absorbed in the 

 resolutions respecting the admission of women to the degree of 

 B.A., which are to be submitted to Congregation on March 3. 

 The first resolution, which proposes that women shall, under 

 certain conditions, be admitted to the degree of B.A. , will if 

 carried tend to promote the study of every subject by women in 

 Oxford, and therefore has an ultimate bearing on scientific 

 studies. At the same time it will compel women to go through 

 Responsions and the other examinations from which they are 

 now exempt. There are some who think that this will be 

 injurious to their interests. The most that can be said in the 

 case of those who wish to read Natural Science is, that 

 it will compel them to learn Latin and Greek either before they 

 come to Oxford, or after they have come up. If the latter, they 

 will find themselves obliged to keep four years residence, which 

 most do not as things now are. If they know enough Latin and 

 Greek to pass Responsions before coming into residence, their 

 case will not be altered, for a woman competing for honours in 

 one of the final subjects in the Honour School of Natural Science 

 always passes the preliminary examinations required by the 

 statutes in the case of men. It is not proposed that the strict 

 B.A. course should be obligatory on all women students. Those 

 who do not wish totake up Latin and Greek, but wish to read 

 Natural Science or another subject such as History, will be 

 allowed to do so under existing regulations, and so may escape 

 Responsions ; but they will also have to forego the distinction 

 of the degree. 



Cambridge.— St. John's College has made arrangements 

 for the admission of post-graduate students desiring to pursue a 

 course of advanced study or research under the new regulations 

 of the University. Until the statutes now before the Privy 

 Council are approved, candidates for admission are required to 

 present a letter of recommendation from the Professor or other 

 teacher under whom they propose to work in Cambridge. 



NO. 1372, VOL. 53] 



Further particulars may be learned on application to one of the 

 tutors of the College. 



Mr. J. N. Langley, F.R.S., Lecturer in Physiology, has been 

 approved for the degree of Doctor of Science. 

 . T.R.H. the Grand Duke of Hesse and Prince Henr)' of 

 Prussia have presented to the Museum of Zoology the skeleton 

 of a wild boar. 



The following have been appointed Electors to the undermen- 

 tioned professorships: Chemistry, Prof. Thomson; Plumian 

 (Astronomy), SirG. G. Stokes ; Anatomy, Downing (Medicine), 

 Surgery, and Pathology, Prof. Foster ; Botany and Physiology, 

 Prof. AUbutt ; Geology, Dr. Phear ; Mineralogy, Prof Liveing ; 

 Zoology, Mr. J. W. Clark ; Experimental Physics, Prof. Clifton ; 

 Mechanism, Mr. Horace Darwin. 



A MEETING was held at Cardiff last week to start a public 

 subscription in aid of the erection of new buildings for the 

 University College of South Wales. A sum of ^20,000 is 

 required to meet the conditional grants made by the Treasurj 

 and the Drapers' Company. Contributions amounting to 

 ;(^ 1 3,000 were promised at the meeting. Lord Windsor, who 

 presided, will contribute ^2500, and a substantial sum has 

 also been promised by Lord Tredegar. It is expected that 

 ;!^30,ooo will be raised. Mr. Alfred Thomas, M. P., contributes 

 ^1000, and Mr. John Cory a like amount. 



Science announces the following gifts to education in America : 

 The University of Pennsylvania has received a gift of 5000 dols. 

 from Mr. Charles M. Swain, and of 5000 dols. anonymously, the 

 money to be used without restrictions. The will of the late 

 Martin Brimmer, of Boston, to take effect on the death of his 

 wife, bequeaths 50,000 dols. to Harvard University. Ground 

 has laeen broken for the first of the four buildings of the new 

 biological school of the University of Chicago, which is to be 

 erected with part of the 1,000,000 dols. recently given by Miss 

 Culver. It is proposed to erect special buildings for zoology, 

 botany, anatomy, and physiology, instead of one biological 

 building, as planned before the receipt of Miss Culver's gift. 



Principals of Technical Schools and others who assist in 

 deciding the character of instruction in chemistry, would do 

 well to take to mind the lesson contained in the following ex- 

 tract, referring to the work of the Chemical Department, from the 

 programme just received from the Central Technical College : 

 "The object aimed at in this part [first year] of the course 

 will be to encourage habits of accuracy and thoughtfulness, and 

 to teach the art of experimenting with a logical purpose rather 

 than to impress mere facts. ... As soon as students have 

 acquired the necessary proficiency as analysts and sufficient skill 

 in preparing pure substances, they will be encouraged to under- 

 take an original investigation, in order that they may learn to 

 apply their knowledge, as well as develop their powers of 

 observation and reasoning : and thus become fitted to solve 

 problems which are continually presenting themselves in practice, 

 and to improve and advance the industry with which they ma)- 

 be connected. The importance to students of thus devoting 

 themselves, sooner or later, to the higher branches of chemistry 

 cannot be too strongly insisted on ; in no other way is it pos- 

 sible for them to acquire the breadth of view and the power 

 of grappling with new problems, as they arise in practice, which 

 are required of the technical chemist." 



Dr. H. E. Armstrono has been for some time trying to 

 instil a little scientific spirit into the School Board for London. 

 In an address recently delivered at the Borough Polytechnic 

 Institute, and printed in full in the Technical World, he de- 

 scribed the excellent results attained by the introduction of the 

 scheme of instruction in scientific method, drawn up by a Com- 

 mittee of the British Association. The Board has every reason 

 to be proud of what its science demonstrators have done to pro- 

 mote the reformed methods of science instruction, of which Dr. 

 Armstrong is the most active exponent. The methods have 

 been proved to be practicable, and the results obtained by follow- 

 ing them are most satisfactory. It remains for the School 

 Board to recognise this by extending to all its schools in the 

 metropolis (girls' as well as boys' schools) the teaching which has 

 been so successfully carried on in one of its districts. If that 

 were done, a great advance in education would be assured. 

 Those who are engaged in the work of technical education are 

 agreed, as Dr. Armstrong pointed out, that it is all but impos- 

 sible at the present time to give true technical education in this 



