2 so 



NA TURE 



[July i6, 1903 



and the other resting on the tape. When no signals 

 are being received the pen draws a fine line on the 

 .paper, but when a signal arrives it is deflected. The 

 result can be seen from the specimen of tape in Fig 4. 

 There is an arrangement by which the amplitude of 

 the deflection can be controlled by rnaking the syphon 

 come up against a stop. It is obvious that the tops 

 •of the humps in the line representing dots and dashes 

 are not needed for reading the message, since it is 

 easy to see from the length of the break in the base 

 line whether the signal is a dot or a dash. The tops 

 •of these humps have, however, a special interest. It 

 will be noticed, on examining them closely, that they 

 are not smooth, but are slightly irregular. These 

 irregularities represent the sparks, and it is possible 

 therefore to see from the form of the humps whether 

 the sparking at the transmitting end is good or bad. 

 A particularly bad spark is seen at the beginning of 

 the third signal (the second dot) in the letter \, and a 

 careful examination, of the dashes more especially, 

 ■shows quite clearly the nature of the sparking at the 

 transmitting station seven miles off. This not only 

 points to the great sensitiveness of the coherer, but 

 shows that it should prove particularly useful in re- 

 search, since by its use one can obviously much better 

 investigate the conditions necessary for good signal- 

 ling. In spite of this delicacy, it is remarkable how 

 easy the coherer is to adjust. A milled head screw 

 allows the mercury to be raised or lowered at will, 

 and it is quite easy to get proper adjustment in a few 

 •seconds, even though one starts with the disc either 



(6) Does the University of afford any special facili- 

 ties for post-graduate study (in particular with regard to 

 applied science) to the graduates of colonial universities? 

 Does the university reward special post-graduate students 

 by bestowing upon them degrees, and on what conditions 

 as to residence or tests of fitness are such degrees bestowed? 



(c) Does the University of possess any special en- 

 dowments for the encouragement of colonial students ; or 

 are colonial students habitually aided by any endowments 

 not under the control of the university? 



(d) What is the average number of colonial students 

 studying in the University of — — ? 



The colonial universities (with the exception of the 

 universities of India) had meanwhile been asked to 

 appoint delegates to represent them at the conference, 

 with the result that, when the conference opened, 

 almost every university within the Empire was directly 

 represented. 



The actual session occupied one day only, but a 

 good deal of hospitality was exhibited during the 

 week, and whatever view may be held as to the value 

 of the business actuallj' ti'ansacted, there can be no 

 question as to the quality of the entertainment pro- 

 vided. The informal meetings between the delegates, 

 both before and after the session day, constituted 

 probably the most important part of the conference ; 

 the opportunity for interchange of ideas was abso- 

 lutely unparalleled in the history of British education, 

 for not only were the delegates drawn from practically 

 every university within the Empire, but they were, on 

 the whole, exceptionally well qualified for their duties. 

 It is not possible to set down in writing a precise 



s\j — \J\J\ 



f\J\ 



Fig. 4. — Facsimile of Tape. 



"in permanent contact or right out of contact with the 

 mercury; in fact, the whole coherer can be dismantled 

 -and set up again in a few minutes. This coherer seems 

 to us one of the most promising features of the system ; 

 it is a device at once quite simple and thoroughly 

 mechanical, easy to reproduce, and easy to adjust, 

 and, judging by the results which have been obtained, 

 is both sensitive and trustworthy in practical work. 

 :So far as one can judge without lengthy experiment, it 

 is more promising than any other form of receiving 

 .apparatus yet devised. 



vVe may add that the system has been adopted by 

 ■the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company on its 

 two new cable ships, and is reported to be giving every 

 ;satisfaction. In conclusion, we should like to express 

 thanks to Messrs. Muirhead and Co. for showing us 

 the system at work, and for lending the photographs 

 from which the illustrations to this article have been 

 made. Maurice Solomon. 



THE ALLIED COLONIAL UNIVERSITIES 

 CONFERENCE. 



A STRONG committee— Sir Gilbert Parker being 

 the moving spirit — addressed the following 

 ■circular letter to the universities of the United King- 

 'dom on May 30 : — 



In order to facilitate the proceedings at the Allied 

 ^Colonial Universities Conference, to be held at Burlington 

 House on July 9, I shall be very much obliged if you can 

 assist me with information upon the following points : — 



(a) Whether, and if so in what way, the conditions under 



■which degrees are given by the University of are 



modified in the case of persons who have studied in or 

 taken the degrees of colonial universities. 



NO. 1759, VOL. 68] 



[ estimate of the advantage to be drawn from informal 

 conversations between those who are interested in the 

 same things but have few opportunities of discussing 



i them; the British Association, however, affords a 

 proof, repeated annually, that there is a very important 

 advantage to be gained in this way. Those engaged 

 in carrying on university work in new countries and 

 in communities where the importance of that work is 

 not always properly understood, are apt to wonder now 

 and again whether they are really on the right track, 

 whether their work is, after all, as important as they 

 have been in the habit of thinking it is, and whether 

 their methods are sound and progressive. To such 

 men the stimulus of a conference such as the one just 

 over is invaluable, and the chance of learning at first 



i hand what others are doing is also invaluable. 



To come to the conference itself. The chairman, 

 Mr. Bryce, called the meeting to order with commend- 



[ able punctuality, and explained in a scholarly way — 



I though in the most general terms — how universities 

 might cooperate to their mutual advantage. The 

 Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge then proposed the first 

 resolution : — 



"That in the opinion of this conference it is desirable 



j that such relations should be established between the 

 principal teaching universities of the Empire as will 



j secure that special or local advantages for study, and 

 in particular for post-graduate study and research, be 

 made as accessible as possible to students from all 

 parts of the King's dominions." 



This was supported with businesslike brevity by 

 various delegates both from the United Kingdom and 

 from Greater Britain, and was finally passed without 

 dissent. From thie discussion the following principles 

 finally emerged :— 



