558 



NA TURE 



[April 12, 1894 



NOTES. 

 At the meeting of the Convocation of the University of 

 London on Tuesday, the University was saved from committing 

 an act detrimental to its best interests. The report of the annual 

 conimitlee condemning the recommendations of the Gresham 

 ■Commissioners as to the reconstruction of the University was 

 under consideration. It was urged by the supporters of the 

 report that the rapidly increasing number of candidates who 

 present themselves for the University examinations, was a 

 ■sufficient argument against any change of constitution. We 

 agree with Ur. Hart, that the University has raised the standard 

 of education, that it has encouraged the aspirations of persons 

 unable to bear the expense of residence in University towns, and 

 that it has done much for the higher education of women. But 

 the time has arrived when the University must become more than 

 a mere examining body, if it wishes to keep pace v\ith the times. 

 Members of Convoca ion who are jealous of the prerogative 

 position at present occupied should look around, and then a^k 

 themselves whether London ought not to have a teaching 

 University like those of other capitals in Europe. A mistaken 

 idea as to the dignity of the University should not be allowed 

 to stand in the way of the proposed developments. It would be 

 far more dignified to accept the changes, unless, indeed, the 

 University of London de^ires to find itself eclipsed by another 

 with a charter more suited to the requirements of to-day. Some 

 of the most eminent members of Convocation recognise the 

 nece-sity of the old order giving place to the new. Prof. 

 Sylvanus Thompson pointed out that when functions were, 

 .as in the case of London University, extremely limited, they 

 should be extended. " Why should not," he .•■aid, "the University 

 perluim all ihose great duties of encouraging research and learn- 

 ing and of teaching, which were an essential part of a true 

 University. He hoped the matter would be approached in a 

 temperate spirit, and that they would not stand on a mistaken 

 notion of their dignity. There might be blots on the scheme 

 which they should seek to remove, but was it wise to oppose the 

 scheme in a thoroughly hostile spirit? Let them beware of 

 showing such a spirit, for it might be that a new University 

 would arise, discharging all the functions of a University, and 

 the present University of London might be l-ft in the cold. 

 The sut)sutution of a new charter for an old lid not, as they 

 knew from past experience, impair the continuity of their exist- 

 ence. \ would be a great pity if two Universities should arise — 

 one not called by the name of the capital, but doing all the work 

 of a University, whilst that which was called the University of 

 .London was restricted to the narrow sphere of examinations." 

 Mr. Thiselton Dyer also supported the recommendations of the 

 'Royal Commissioners, rightly remarking that the scheme would 

 enable the University to develop its full powers, especially in 

 the department of post-graduate study, in which lies the true 

 glory of a University. The resoluiion of the annual committee, 

 protesting against the w ithdrawal of the present charter, was 

 eventually set aside by an almost unanimous vote. This is satis- 

 factory as far as it goes, but it does not dispose of the matter 

 in a very effective manner. A motion was afterwards proposed by 

 Sir Albert Rollit, in the following form ; — " That, with a view to 

 the speedy and satisfactory reconstitution of the University, it 

 is desirable to secure, if possible, the co-operation of the Senate 

 and Convocation, and with this object Convocation refers the 

 -whole question of the reconsiitulion of the University to the 

 annual committee, with power to nominate me ibers of a joint 

 ■consultative c .mmittee of the Senate and Convocation." This 

 was unanimously adopted ; su the University is once more given 

 the chance of reconsidering its policy, and of gracefully accept- 

 ing the proposed changes before they are forced upon it. 

 Mn 1276, VOL. 49] 



In August, 1892, the Board of Trade sent to the Directors 

 of each of the railway companies of the United Kingdom a 

 copy of the report of the Royal Society's committee on colour 

 vision (Nature, vol. xlvi. p. 33), asking for observations upon 

 the recommendations it contain=. It was pointed out that, as re- 

 gards the officers employed in the mercantile marine, the Board of 

 Trade had taken steps to give effect to the recommendations of the 

 committee on the method of testing, and the Directors were 

 urged to give careful consideration to the matter as far as con- 

 cerned persons employed on their railways. A Parliamentary 

 paper just published contains the replies received from the rail- 

 way companies. On the whole, the result is satisfactory. 

 Many of the companies accept Holmgren's wool test for colour 

 vision, and Snellen's type system of testing form, though a 

 large number use modifications of them, or supplement them 

 with other tests. The necessity of ppriodical examinations is 

 generally recognised, but the interval between the examinations 

 varies in different companies from si< months to five years. The 

 directors of the Metropolitan District Railway consider that the 

 committee's recimmendation that the colours used for lights on 

 board ship, and for lamp signals on railways, should, as far as 

 possible, be uniform in tint, as quite inadmissible. They say 

 that the shades of light adopted for their signals are the result 

 of long and careful experiments, and of trials of many shades 

 and gradations, and are best adapted to the peculiar circum- 

 stances of underground working. It i> also remarked that 

 the cases of sighting at sea and sighting upon a railway, subject 

 to such atmospheric variations as occur on the underground 

 systems, are totally different. This strikes us, however, as 

 sheer nonsense. 



The French National Society of Horticulture will hold its 

 tenth congre.'-s next month, and at the same lime the annual 

 hortlcuhura) exhibition will take place. The congress will be 

 of an international character, and a number of in cresting ques- 

 tions are down for discussion. Among these subjects are : 

 Chlorophyll considered in relation to the vigour of cultivated 

 plants ; capillarity in relation to the preparation of the soil ; 

 the means of accelerating the nitrification of substances contain- 

 ing'nitrogen, and therefore to reiider them moie easily assimil- 

 able ; the necessity of a unit of comparison for use in connection 

 with the various systems of healing with hot ^vater. Further 

 inl'ormation concerning the congress can be obtained by appli- 

 cation to the Society, 84, Rue de Crenelle, Paris. 



An Intermtional Exhibition of Horticulture and Fruit 

 Culture will be openeil in St. Petersburg on September 22, 

 and will remain open until November 12. 



The death is announced, at Saratoff, of M. Paul Jablochkoff, 

 the inventor of the Jablochkoff cin He sy-item of electric 

 lighting. 



The Right Hon. Lord Bowen, a friend of science and a 

 supporter of her interests, died on Tuesday at the age of fifty- 

 nine. He was elected a Fellov of the Royal Society in 1885. 



An astronomical congress will be held in San Francisco in 

 J une next, in connection with the Caliiornian Midwinter 

 International EKhibiiion. 



Mr. a. D. Hall has been appointed Principal of the 

 Agricultural College at Wye, established by the joint county 

 councils of Kent and Surrey. 



A WRITER iu the current number of the Chemical Neivs 

 enumerates some of the streets, avenues, and pu'dic squares in 

 Pari'^, named after eminent men on account of their scientific 

 labours. In some instances the streets thus designated are ap- 

 propriately placed near learned insti'.ulions with which the 



