February 15, 1900] 



NATURE 



381 



not only discusses the broad effects of great seasonal changes, 

 but considers ihe minuter variations noticeable month by month. 

 Still unsatisfied and fearing that some effects are masked by the 

 fallacious system of averages, into which occasional and irregular 

 disturbances can enter with perplexing and even misleading 

 effect, he finally studies the air movement during normal days 

 in each of the characteristic weather periods that mark the 

 climate of India. In this way, and in this way only, does it 

 seem possible to assign a correct physical interpretation to the 

 various types of air movements that are shown to exist. It is 

 impossible to read this section without acknowledging the 

 presence of a master hand, in the closeness of the reasoning, 

 in the clear marshalling of facts, and in the accuracy of the 

 deductions. 



The broad result is to show that there is an upward move- 

 ment during the day hours from about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., giving 

 southerly winds with more or less westing, and having their 

 maximum intensity at 2 p.m., and a downward movement 

 during the remaining hours, giving northerly winds with more 

 or less easting. A comparison of the barometric readings, at 

 the hill and plain stations respectively, shows that this observed 

 transfer of air (from hills to plains by night, and plains to hills 

 by day) is accompanied by a similar transfer in the opposite 

 directions in the upper strata of the atmosphere. In other 

 words, there is a complete air circulation between the hills and 

 plains of the Western Himalayas. 



From the arrangement of his facts Mr. Eliot passes to a 

 theoretical discussion based on the diurnal variation of the ver- 

 tical pressure anomalies and of the temperature conditions pre- 

 vailing in the hills and plains, establishing the existence of 

 horizontal pressure gradients from the plains to the hills in the 

 day hours, and from the hills to the plains in the night time, 

 giving rise to alternating movements, roughly proportional to 

 the diurnal range of temperature in the Punjab plains. The 

 hours at which the gradients disappear are worked out with 

 care, and demonstrate the existence of a see-saw motion. Such 

 alternating movements cannot be without their effect on the 

 temperature and humidity of the air at Simla. In fact, the 

 maximum day temperature over the East Punjab plains mainly 

 determines the maximum day temperature at Simla, while the 

 height of the snow line on the Himalaya range will affect the 

 minimum readings. Into the cloud observations and the humidity 

 conditions we have not space to enter. We can only say that 

 the author leaves untouched no clue that can throw light upon 

 this important feature of day and night alternating currents. 

 The observations at his command do not extend over a very 

 long period, in which it might be expected that disturbances 

 would counteract and destroy each other ; but by the careful 

 sifting of the evidence the author has been able to deduce many 

 pomts of interest, and has left a model which may serve for any 

 luture discussion of local air movements. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford.— An additional year has been granted, in addition 

 to the usual University period of residence, which qualifies for 

 examination in any honour school, to those members of the 

 University who shall have been absent on military service in 

 connection with the war in South Africa. " 



In a congregation held on February 6, the preamble of the 

 statute in.stituiing the degrees of Doctor of Letters and Doctor 

 of Science was approved, without opposition. By this action 

 the University undertakes to institute these degrees ; the exact 

 provisions of the scheme will, of course, be arranged later, but 

 it has l)een proposed that a candidate for the degree shall submit 

 pub/isheii papers or books containing an original contribution to 

 the advancement of learning or science. {See Nature, vol. 

 Ixi. p. 164). 



The curators of the University chest are authorised to expend 

 such sums as may be necessary in maintaining the rooms assigned 

 to the new department of geography. A considerable number 

 of s'udents have availed themselves of the opportunities afforded 

 by this new department. 



Cambridge.— The decision of the Senate on the question of 



remodelling the Mathematical Tripos, is to be taken to-day 



(February 15). The discussion by means of fly-sheets indicates 



that the opposition will be strong ; but the arguments adduced 



VC. I 581, VOL. 61] 



against the present proposals of the ^lathematical Board, point 

 rather to regression towards the old undivided and unlimited 

 examination than to the maintenance of the existing Tripos, 

 with which few persons are perfectly satisfied. 



The following have been appointed Electors to the several 

 scientific chairs : — Chemistry, Prof. Dewar ; Plumian of Astro- 

 nomy, Lord Rayleigh ; Anatomy, Dr. D. MacAlister ; Botany, 

 Zoology, and Agriculture, Sir M. Foster ; Geology, Mr. W. 

 H. Hudleston ; Jacksonian of Natural Philosophy, Prof. Live- 

 ing ; Downing of Medicine, SirT. Lauder Brunton ; Mineralogy, 

 Sir G. G. Stokes ; Experimental Physics, Prof. Darwin ; Engi- 

 neering, Prof. A. B. W. Kennedy ; Physiology, Dr. Gaskell ; 

 Surgery, Mr. T. Holmes ; Pathology, Dr. L. Humphry ; Mental 

 Philosophy, Prof. Sidgwick. 



Profs. Liveing, Marshall Ward, Hughes, and Somerville, 

 and Messrs. Warburton, Widdicombe, Adie, and McCracken, 

 have been appointed examiners for the Diploma in Agricultural 

 Science. 



By the will of the late Mr. W. Hiddingh, who died or>, 

 December 10, 1899, the University of the Cape of Good Hope 

 is bequeathed the sum of 5000/. for the foundation of a. 

 scholarship to enable young persons to pursue and complete 

 a course of professional study, the scholarship to be tenable 

 for four years. The University is also bequeathed the sum of 

 25,000/. for the purpose of building a university hall and suit- 

 able university offices, and a large piece of ground for the site of 

 the building. The South African College will receive the sum 

 of 10,000/. for the erection of a students' building. 



It appears from a return just published that the amount ex- 

 pended on technical education, exclusive of the sums allocated 

 to intermediate and technical education under the Welsh Inter- 

 mediate Education Act, was in 1897-98 860,104/., and the esti- 

 mated total expenditure during the year 1898-99 was 874,611/. 

 The amounts raised by loan on the security of the local rate 

 under the Technical Instruction Acts were — in 1897-9869,333/.,, 

 and in 1898-99 133,583/. The total amount of the residue re- 

 ceived under the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Act by 

 the councils of counties and county boroughs in England, except-^ 

 ing Monmouth, in respect of the financial year 1897-98 was 

 834,826/., of whiA 759,400 was appropriated to educational 

 purposes, and 75,426/. to the relief of rates, the latter sum in- 

 cluding 42,108/. devoted by the London County Council, Jo 

 relief of the rates. Of the forty-nine counties forty are applying 

 the whole of the residue, and nine a part of it, to technical edu- 

 cation. The total of the residue paid to the thirteen county 

 councils and the councils of three county boroughs in Wales 

 and Monmouth was 40,061/., and these local authorities are- 

 devoting the whole of it to intermediate and technical educa- 

 tion under the Welsh Intermediate Act, 1889. In the case of 

 Ireland the residue is not applicable to technical education. 

 Twelve local authorities expended on technical education during 

 the year 1897-98 5649/., and the estimated total expenditure by 

 them during 1898-99 was 4523/. 



The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is well knowa- 

 to be among the foremost educational institutions in the United 

 States. The " Annual Catalogue," for 1899-1900, which has- 

 just been received, is an instructive volume for any one 

 interested in the methods of technical education followed in. 

 America. The equipment of this Institute accords with the 

 view that the foundation of all sound technological educa- 

 tion requires, not only thorough theoretical training, but 

 also prolonged, well-directed laboratory drill which shall 

 first give the student the power of close and accurate observa- 

 tion, and then bring him into direct contact with the material 

 problems of his future profession. The laboratories of the 

 Institute are numerous and extensive, the Kidder laboratories 

 of chemistry affording accommodation for more than six 

 hundred students ; their equipment is correspondingly ample» 

 and is kept well up to the rapid advances in technical 

 practice. Provision is made for exact general training in the 

 problems of physics and chemistry, for highly specialised work 

 in these and other sciences, and for engineering tests and 

 processes on a practical scale. Great importance is attached 

 to the study of mathematics, both as a means of mental dis- 

 cipline, and as affording a necessary basis for further instruction 

 in the engineering and other courses. The instruction in applied 

 chemistry includes the use of text- and reference-books in both 



