540 



NATURE 



[April 6, 1905 



until next year, and a site for the new building can 

 hardly be secured before the Act is got, so that if all 

 goes smoothly, a year or two must elapse before the 

 united societies, to be known as " The Society of 

 Arts and the London Institute," can receive "their 

 friends under the altered conditions, and in their new 

 premises. 



The idea of thus combining into a single body two 

 scientific institutions, each of considerable importance, 

 IS a bold and novel one, and it is to be hoped that it 

 may not fail of success. It would be a pity if any 

 narrow views or selfish considerations hindered the 

 carrying out of a very interesting e.xperiment. Each 

 of the two corporations can supplv much of what the 

 other lacks. The constitution of the London Institu- 

 tion IS unfortunate. It consists of a body of share- 

 holders, the descendants or heirs of the original 

 founders, many of whom are naturally out of sympathv 

 with the objects of the institution, and no means exist 

 of introducmg fresh blood or attracting to its member- 

 ship the men who would most fitly carrv on its proper 

 work. \ery early in its career the kindred Roval 

 Institution altered its constitution, disendowed its pro- 

 prietors, and adopted a more popular and democratic 

 organisation. Its unfailing success ever since has 

 proved the wisdom of the change. But the Finsburv 

 institution possesses considerable property. It has a 

 magnificent library. Its list of members is still 

 a showy one. It only requires the infusion of fresh 

 blood; it wants new life and vigour. The Society of 

 Arts is a very popular and vigorous body, full of' life 

 and energy. It does much reallv useful' public work. 

 Its examinations, for instance, attract more candidates 

 than that of any other private body in the kingdom. 

 Its Cantor lectures (which are always freely open to 

 London students) are a valuable educational agencv. 

 But It IS hampered by want of larger offices, its library 

 IS tar from being a credit to it, and it might well devote 

 more attention and more funds to purposes of research 

 and investigation. 



A new institution such as should be formed ought to 

 possess the good points of both its parents, while avoid- 

 ing the weaknesses of either. It might also form a 

 nucleus round which might gather many of the smaller 

 societies, now often inadequately housed. In a suit- 

 able building accommodation might well be provided 

 tor many other societies, scientific, literary, and 

 artistic, which are now scattered about in 'various 

 quarters of London. 



Even a larger scheme is conceivable. Burlington 

 House can hnd room for but a small proportion of the 

 scientific bodies of London. Why should not this pro- 

 posed amalgamation lead to the' erection of a second 

 Burlington House, of which those of our laro-er and 

 richer societies who are not satisfied with their pVemises 

 should erect each their own part, independent certainly 

 of one another, and yet combined under a common 

 roof? 



-VOTE5. 



Lord Kelvin, who has been out of health for some 

 time, underwent a serious operation on March 29. He 

 passed a restless night on March 30, but has much im- 

 proved since then, and appears to be making satisfactory 

 progress toward recovery. The King and the Prince and 

 Princess of Wales have made special inquiries as to his 

 condition ; and there have been numerous callers. 



Sir William Ramsav, K.C.B., F.R.S., has been elected 

 a member of the Athenaeum Club under the provisions of 

 the rule which empowers the annual election of nine 

 persons " of distinguished eminence in science, literature, 

 the arts, or for public services." 



NO. 1849, VOL. 71 J 



It is reported by the Exchange Telegraph Company that 

 a violent earthquake occurred at Lahore on Tuesday, 

 April 4, causing serious loss of life and great damage to 

 public buildings and other property. 



\ GRANT of 30,000;. has been authorised by the Carnegie 

 Institution, Science states, for the solar observatory on 

 Mt. Wilson. It is expected that the first equipment will 

 cost about twice this sum. 



We learn with sincere regret that Prof. Pietro Tacchini, 

 formerly director for many years of the astronomical 

 observatory of the Collegio Romano, and of the Central 

 Office for Meteorology and Geodynamics at Rome, died 

 on March 24 at sixty-seven years of age. 



The Times states that the Chartley herd of white cattle 

 has just been purchased by Mr. J. R. B. Masefield, of 

 Cheadle, Staffordshire, on behalf of the Duke of Bedford, 

 who has come forward and saved the herd from leaving 

 the country or falling into the hands of the taxidermist. 



-An agricultural education and forestry exhibition will 

 be held in connection with the show of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society at Park Royal on June 27-30. .Any offers 

 of exhibits, or inquiries, should be addressed to the secre- 

 tary of the society, at 13 Hanover Square, London, W. 



The Easter excursion of the Geologists' Association will 

 be to mid-Lincolnshire. The party will leave London for 

 Grantham on Thursday, April 20, and after visiting several 

 places of geological interest will leave Lincoln for London 

 on Wednesday, .'\pril 26. The excursion secretary is Mr. 

 W. P. D. Stebbing, 8 Playfair .Mansions, Queen's Club 

 Gardens, London, W. 



.\ GREAT historical pageant is in active preparation at 

 Sherborne, Dorsetshire, to commemorate the 1200th anni- 

 versary of the founding of the town, bishopric, and school 

 by St. Ealdhelm, a.d. 705. The pageant, which will be 

 presented in the ruins of Sherborne Castle on June 12-15, 

 will take the form of a folk-play written by Mr. Louis N. 

 Parker and dealing with the chief historical events of 

 the town. 



The death of Dr. L. Bleekrude, of the Hague, is 

 announced in the Chemical News. Dr. Bleekrode's work 

 was principally connected with electrical matters, his first 

 paper, in 1867, being on the influence of heat on electro- 

 motive force. In 1870 he wrote a paper on a curious 

 property of gun-cotton ; other papers dealt with electrical 

 conductivity and electrolysis in chemical compounds, 

 observations on the microphone, &:c. 



We regret to see the announcement t>f the death, on 

 March 25, of the eminent German metallurgist. Prof. 

 Bruno Kerl, at the age of eighty-one. He was professor 

 of metallurgy at the Clausthal School of Mines, and sub- 

 sequently at the Berlin School of Mines, and was the 

 author of a number of metallurgical works. His first 

 book, on the smelting processes of the Upper Hartz, 

 was published in 1852. His important treatise on metal- 

 lurgy was translated into English by Sir W. Crookes and 

 \i. Rdhrig in 1868. His books on assaying were also 

 translated. 



The importance of the application of mathematics to 

 engineering problems has frequently been insisted upon in 

 these columns. .Another instance of the close connection 

 between pure and applied science is afforded by an in- 

 vestigation of some disregarded points in the stability of 

 masonry dams, by Prof. Karl Pearson and Mr. L. W. 

 .AtcherUy, referred to by Sir William Garstin in connec- 

 tion with the scheme for raising the Nile dam, in a recent 



