526 



NA TURE 



[April 2, 190; 



manner, as regards both their positions and forms, while 

 the student of Jupiter occupies himself in taking transits of 

 the various spots visible in order to ascertain the rotation 

 periods of objects situated in different latitudes. The 

 rotation period of Mars is much more exactly known than 

 that of any other planet (the earth excepted), and Prof. 

 Bakhuyzen's value for this is 24b. 37m. 22'66s., deduced 

 from 220 years' observations. 



It seems desirable to note the accurate times when 

 certain well-defined objects on Mars cross the central 

 meridian in order to test the correctness of the ephemeris 

 (Monthly Notices, June, 1902). Such transits will be most 

 precisely obtained by micrometrical measurement. The 

 particular forms, relative prominence and positions of the 

 various dark and bright markings require further careful 

 record, and must always be regarded as the most important 

 aims in the observational study of this object. A large 

 number of excellent charts of Mars have been published 

 affording a useful means of comparison, but the observer 

 need feel no disappointment should he fail to discern the 

 supposed double canals, the oases, or the thick network of 

 interlacing lines which eminently distinguish some of the 

 drawings and impart a very singular aspect to Martian 

 topography. With the planet's diameter apparently very 

 small, as at present, no observer can expect to secure com- 

 prehensive views of detail. 



For obvious reasons the transit times of spots on Mars 

 cannot be determined with the same accuracy as those of 

 Jovian markings. The small disc of Mars, and its com- 

 paratively slow rate of axial motion, are responsible for 

 this. In one hour rotation carries the surface of Mars 

 through only I4°'62, whereas on Jupiter the value is 36°'7. 

 At intervals of about forty days the various features on 

 Mars are presented at nearly the same times as before. 

 Early in March that conspicuous marking known as Syrtis 

 Major was favourably displayed in the evenings, and it will 

 be similarly well seen near the middle of April. 



W. F. Denning. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 

 Dr. Alexander Paine, of the Jenner Institute, has been 

 appointed lecturer in bacteriology at the Bedford College For 



Women. 



Dr. Bleibtrel-, of Bonn, has been appointed to the chair 

 of physiology at the University of Greifswald in succession 

 to the late Prof. Landois. 



The authorities of the Clark University, Worcester, Mass., 

 have arranged again this year to hold a summer school from 

 July 13-July 25, where university students, teachers, 

 lecturers in pedagogy, and others may take courses of work 

 in psychology, biology, pedagogy, and anthropology. The 

 lectures and demonstrations will be under the direct super- 

 vision of President G. Stanley Hall and other professors of 

 the University. 



A telegram through Laffan's Agencv from New York, 

 dated March 28, states that Mr. Carnegie has presented an 

 additional 310,000?. to the Carnegie Institution at Pittsburg, 

 bringing up his total donations towards the cost of the build- 

 ings and their endowment to 1,570,000/., exclusive of the 

 400,000/. given for branch libraries of the institution, for 

 fossil excavations in Wyoming, and for other purposes. In 

 addition to this, Mr. Carnegie has promised from 600,000/. 

 to 1,000,000/. for a new technical institute. 



^ In a recent paper read before the Society of Arts on 

 " Education in the Netherlands," Mr. J. C. Medd remarks 

 that in Holland " few things in recent years have been more 

 striking than the development in nature-studv. It is taught 

 universally in schools of every grade, urban and rural, for 

 its great educational value in developing certain faculties, 

 especially those of observation, quite apart from its value as 

 a preparation for science, or in its possible relation to rural 

 pursuits. . . . Text-books are seldom used. Plants and 

 flowers, gathered by the children themselves, are studied 

 objectively, and their structure explained." 



NO. 1744, v OL. 67] 



The calendar for the session 1902-3 of the University 

 College of Sheffield provides numerous interesting facts con- 

 cerning the work of the college. For instance, the new 

 endowment fund started in 1895, and the scheme of which 

 was later enlarged when, in 1897, the original Firth College 

 was constituted by Royal Charter a university college, has 

 now reached about 42,000/. The calendar shows that the 

 scattered and inadequate nature of the buildings has long 

 been a serious hindrance to the college. Funds have been 

 raised towards the erection of new buildings on a single 

 site for the whole college, and it is hoped a beginning will 

 be made during the current session. Further donations for 

 this purpose are much needed. 



The first volume of the report of the U.S. Commissioner of 

 Education for the year 1900-1901 contains, as usual, a great 

 wealth of material for the student of educational problems. 

 It is impossible here even to enumerate the articles contained 

 in the 12 16 pages which the volume contains. Among those 

 of more immediate interest to readers of Natcre may be men- 

 tioned the Commissioner's introduction ; the review of educa- 

 tion in Central Europe — in which due prominence is given 

 to university and technical education ; the account of the 

 International Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 Arts, and Education ; the address of the director of the U.S. 

 Geological Survey on the relations of the national Govern- 

 ment to higher education and resean h ; the Carnegie In- 

 stitution of Washington, with a list of the most notable gifts 

 of money bv Mr. Carnegie for libraries and other educational 

 purposes — this list shows that Mr. Carnegie has given away 

 in this manner more than thirteen millions sterling ; and the 

 chapter on higher commercial education. There can be no 

 doubt the Bureau of Education is not only assisting Ameri- 

 can education by the issue of these reports, but that of all 

 the great countries of the world. 



The retirement of Sir William Abney from the principal 

 assistant-secretaryship of the Board of Education, South 

 Kensington, was marked on Tuesday by the presentation 

 to Lady Abney of his bust in bronze, the work of Prof. 

 Lauteri. Sir John Gorst made the presentation, and in 

 the course of his remarks he referred to the great influence 

 Sir William Abney has exerted upon educational progress 

 in this country. The bronze bust presented to Lady Abney 

 is a token of the esteem in which Sir William Abney is held 

 by his colleagues and a mark of regret at his retirement. The 

 valuable work now being done in schools of science owes its 

 initiative almost entirely to Sir William Abney, who is re- 

 sponsible for the development of scientific instruction in 

 schools since he took charge of the work of the old Depart- 

 ment of Science and Art. With a man like Sir Wiliam Abney 

 at the head of affairs, proper provision was secured for the 

 study of science in schools under his control, and the work 

 of these schools has forced ether secondary schools to find 

 a place in the curriculum for rational scientific instruction. 

 It is impossible to estimate the great influence which Sir 

 William Abney has thus exerted upon scientific education 

 in this country, but all who know his work understand that 

 his retirement deprives science of one who has always pro- 

 moted her educational interests. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 



Royal Society, March 5 — " The Electrical Conductivity of 

 Solutions at the Freezing Point of Water." Bv W. C. D. 

 Whetham, F.R.S. 



The paper contains an account of experiments which 

 bring to greater concentrations a series of measurements 

 on the conductivities of dilute solutions at the freezing point, 

 communicated to the Royal Society in February, 1900. 



The earlier experiments were conducted in a platinum cell, 

 with the object of eliminating any solvent action of gla--. 

 Any such action would be quite inappreciable at the concen- 

 trations used in the experiments now to be described ; re- 

 sistance cells of glass were consequently used, and the labour 

 of observation was much reduced. 



The measurement of the electrical resistance was per- 

 formed exactly as in the earlier set of experiments. The 

 current from one or two dry cells was alternated by means 



