November 17, 1904] 



NA TURE 



55 



of his master's easy chair. A short time ago I had occasion 

 to call on Mr. VV., and the dog was, as usual, occupying 

 the chair, from which he was removed to his basket. He 

 showed his resentment of this disturbance of his slumbers 

 by becoming very restless. Presently he trotted over to the 

 door, which he rattled by pushing with his nose, his usual 

 method of attracting attention when he wished to go out. 

 His master immediately rose and opened the door, but in- 

 stead of the dog going out he rushed back and jumped into 

 the chair his master had just vacated I The rapid wagging 

 of his tail and the expression on his face showed the dog to 

 be very pleased with the result of his ruse. The dog has re- 

 peated the same joke once or twice since, with much evident 

 delight to himself. Arthur J. Hawkes. 



Bournemouth. 



Occurrence of a Tropical Form of Stick-Insect in 

 Devonshire. 



A FEW weeks ago I obtained through the kindness of a 

 lady in Paignton a living specimen of a stick-insect, one 

 of several individuals which had appeared in her garden. 

 My example was met with on the plaster outside a window, 

 and owing to the tenacity with which it adhered to its posi- 

 tion required some force to dislodge it. I preserved it in 

 captivity for about a fortnight, at the close of which period 

 it died, having refused to feed on the foliage of any of the 

 plants with which it was supplied. 



It is an apterous female, and is, I think, referable to 

 Cladoxerus phyllimts. Gray. I have not been able to obtain 

 any clue as to the cause of its occurrence. 



Robert O. Cunmngh.am. 



A Probable Variable of the Algol Type. 



On the evening of October 29, while examining the 

 Pleiades with a binocular at about 9 p.m., G.M.T., I noticed 

 that the- star Atlas (27 Tauri) was slightly fainter than 

 Pleione (28 Tauri), a little to the north of it. I did not 

 remember at the time what the relative brightness of the 

 stars was, and on looking them up in the Harvard Cata- 

 logues I was surprised to find that Atlas was measured 

 3-80 magnitude, and Pleione 5- 19. I find that all the 

 estimates for the last 300 years agree in making Atlas con- 

 siderably brighter than Pleione. The nights following 

 October 29 were cloudy, but on the evening of November 9 

 I found Atlas of its usual brilliancy, and more than i mag- 

 nitude brighter than Pleione. The observed variation was 

 therefore about 15 magnitude. As Atlas is not a long period 

 variable, it seems probable that it is a variable of the Algol 

 type. The star should be watched, and observations for 

 variable radial velocity would be very desirable. 



J. E. Gore. 



THE PREVIOUS EXAMINATION AT 

 CAMBRIDGE. 

 'T* HE first report of the studies and examinations 

 -'■ syndicate, issued on November 11, deals with 

 the previous examination. Tliis is the first public 

 test imposed on candidates for degrees at the uni- 

 versity, and since 1822 has included a compulsory 

 examination in both Latin and Greek. In response to 

 a demand for reform sent up by teachers, parents, pro- 

 fessional men, and men of science in the direction of 

 making Greek, at least for some students, an optional 

 subject — a demand supported by a large majority of 

 head-masters and assistant masters in the secondary 

 schools — the syndicate proposes a new scheme for the 

 examination in which this demand is recognised. 



Briefly, the scheme provides that for all candidates 

 the " previous " shall consist of three parts, to be 

 taken together or separately at the convenience of the 

 student. Part i. includes Latin, Greek, French, and 

 German, the papers in each to require unprepared 

 translation and composition. " Set books " are 

 abolished. A candidate may take Latin and Greek, or 

 either Latin or Greek together with French or Ger- 

 man. In other words, he must take two languages, 

 NO. 1829, VOL. 71] 



of which one at least is an ancient classical language. 

 Part ii. includes arithmetic, algebra, and geometry as 

 heretofore. The paper on " Paley's Evidences " is 

 abolished ; it is not a school subject, and it is got up 

 largely by an effort of memory from a bare abstract 

 or analysis. Part iii. includes English composition as 

 a compulsory subject, and two of the following alter- 

 natives : (i) English history; {2) scripture knowledge 

 (a Gospel and Acts in English) ; (3) elementary organic 

 chemistry ; (4) experimental mechanics and other parts 

 of elementary physics. Natural science, in the shape 

 of physics and chemistry, is thus introduced for the 

 first time. The syndicate was urged by weighty 

 authorities to require from all candidates some know- 

 ledge of science; but, after full consideration, it is 

 unable to recommend more than the inclusion of science 

 among the alternative subjects. Probably, in view of 

 the imperfect organisation of science teaching in many 

 public schools of the classical type, to make science 

 compulsory at this stage would have involved the 

 adoption of a standard so low as in effect to discredit 

 the subject. 



For the benefit of certain students, among whom 

 students of science may certainly be reckoned, to 

 whom the power to read French and German is more 

 important than a special knowledge of one only of 

 these, it is provided that the translation papers in each 

 of the two languages may be substituted for the trans- 

 lation and composition papers in one alone. 



For a boy from a modern school or technical insti- 

 tute, therefore, the examination provided might thus 

 include, for example, Latin, French, and German 

 translation, mathematics, English composition, ele- 

 mentary chemistry, and elementary physics. On the 

 other hand, a boy from a purely classical school might 

 take the following combination : Latin and Greek, 

 mathematics, English composition, scripture, and 

 English history. ^For him the examination would be 

 an improvement on the old " previous " examination, 

 not only by reason of the higher standard proposed to 

 be required, but also on account of the wider range of 

 literary subjects to be included. 



The report represents a serious attempt to recognise 

 and to provide for the changes which are in progress 

 in modern English education. By asking from every 

 aspirant evidence that he has seriously studied one, 

 at least, of the classical languages, it safeguards the 

 traditional virtue ascribed to that form of intellectual 

 training. By admitting that modern languages (in- 

 cluding English) and physical science are possible 

 components of a liberal education in the twentieth 

 century, it indicates a certain widening of academic 

 aims and ideals that may lead to better things here- 

 after. There is little doubt that the report will meet 

 with strenuous opposition from those who, in the sup- 

 posed interest of ancient learning, dare not make any 

 concession to modern knowledge. It will not escape 

 criticism from reformers of the more advanced type, 

 who would sweep away Latin as well as Greek. But 

 the proposals at least remedy a genuine grievance in 

 a practical manner, and they make for progress along 

 the lines of a sounder and broader education than the 

 older universities have yet sought to foster. 



THE EXPLORATION OF THE TRANSVAAL.'- 



IN this first report, drawn up by Mr. H. Kynaston 

 and his colleagues, we see the prospect of healthy 

 rivalry between the geologists of Cape Colony and of 

 the newly acquired territories to the north. No tirne 

 has been lost in issuing one of those small folio 



I '-Geological Survey of the Transvaal. Report for the Year 1903-" 

 Pp. ii-f 43 ; with 24 plates, folding maps, and sections. (Pretoria : Printed 

 at the Government Printing Office, 1904.) 



