May 1 6, 1901] 



jVA ture 



59 



kinematographic records ; and it is good news that the Post- 

 master-General of South Australia has provided them with a 

 pocket apparatus for tapping the overland telegraph line when 

 in the vicinity of their route. We are also informed that during 

 Prof. Spencer's absence some of his duties are being partly per- 

 formed by Miss Ada M. Lambert, a distinguished student of 

 the Melbourne University, whose name and work will be well 

 known to all who follow the progress of zoology at the 

 Antipodes. 



Dr. Gustav Zeuner, of Dresden, has been elected a corre- 

 spondant of the Paris Academy of Sciences, in the section of 

 mechanics. Dr. Oudemans has been elected a correspondant 

 in the section of geography and navigation. 



One noteworthy feature of the modern educational revival in 

 this country is the gradual conversion and development of the 

 older grammar schools so as to bring them more into harmony 

 with the requirements of the time. Among the latest examples 

 of this enlightened policy is the King's Middle School at Warwick, 

 one of the most ancient foundations in the country. Its founder is 

 said to have been Lady Ethelfleda, daughter of King Alfred, and 

 in date it is coeval with the castle, although the present buildings 

 are modern. The School was opened on May 4 as a School of 

 Science by Sir George Kekewich, who addressed a large meeting 

 in the central hall, in the course of which he said that " science 

 had now come to be regarded as a proper part of the education 

 of every man, in whatever class he might be and in whatever 

 position of life." He added also, among other pregnant remarks, 

 that " it was the new knowledge in science that paid. It was 

 the new knowledge that preserved the nation that produced it 

 in the forefront of commercial and industrial supremacy." The 

 Earl of Warwick, chairman of the board of managers, presided 

 at the meeting, and gave in his opening remarks a brief account 

 of the history of the School and the origin of the present develop- 

 ment. The expense of building the new laboratories, ikc, 

 has been partly met by a contribution from Sir Thomas White's 

 Charity and partly by a grant from the County Council. Among 

 other speakers who addressed words of encouragement to the 

 managers and scholars were the Countess of Warwick, Dr. 

 Oliver Lodge, representing the nearest University (Birmingham), 

 with which he hoped to see the school hereafter affiliated. Prof. 

 Meldola, Mr. Bolton King, chairman of the Warwickshire Tech- 

 nical Instruction Committee, the Mayor of Warwick, Mr. Alder- 

 man Glover and others. The head-master is Mr. H. S. Pyne, 

 who in organising the curriculum hopes to include the scientific 

 subjects bearing upon agriculture, this being the predominant 

 industry in the districts immediately contiguous to the ancient 

 county town. The mining industry is already provided for by a 

 mining school, established elsewhere by the County Council. 



The conversazione of the Society of Arts will be held 

 this year at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, on 

 June 28. 



Mr. REGiN.'iLD Smith, of the British Museum, has just 

 conducted a second excavation on the Winklebury Estate, 

 Basingstoke. He found fragments of pottery, which he said 

 undoubtedly belonged to the ancient British period, i.e. before 

 the Roman invasion of Britain, 



The eighty-fourth annual meeting of the Swiss Natural History 

 Association will be held at Zofingen on August 4-6. At the 

 same time and place, the Swiss Geological, Botanical and Zoo- 

 logical Societies will hold their meetings. Intending visitors 

 should send their names before July 15 to Herr Ulr. Animann, 

 Zofingen. 



The death is announced, on ."^pril 8, of Giulio Bizzozero, 

 professor of pathological anatomy of the University of Turin. 

 NO. 1646, VOL. 64] 



Bizzozero was born on March 20, 1846, and was elected ai 

 fellow of the Accademia dei Lincei on November 12, 1883, and 

 became a senator of the Italian Government in 1890. His best 

 known discoveries refer to the spinous cells of the epidermis,, 

 the functions of the medulla of the bones, the intestinal epi- 

 thelium, .and the morphological elements of blood. He founded 

 a school of histology for Italy, and included Golgi among his 

 pupils. 



A FEW days earlier, on April 5, the Accademia dei Lincei 

 was bereft of its president, Signor Angelo Messedaglia, who was 

 born on November 2, 1820, and obtained the fellowship of the- 

 .\ccademia in 1875. Messedaglia's speciality was political 

 economy and statistics, but his knowledge also embraced 

 modern and ancient literature, history, mathematics, astronomy, 

 geography and physics. His last work on Homeric uranology 

 bears abundant testimony to his wide range of study and careful 

 reasoning. He preserved his full activity and intellect nearly 

 till his death. 



The steps taken to provide a memorial of Dr. Walter Myers, 

 who lost his life at Para on January 20 from yellow fever, caught 

 while investigating that malady for the Liverpool School of 

 Tropical Medicine, were explained at the last meeting of the 

 committee of the School. The committee has offered to erect 

 memorial brasses in University College, Liverpool, and \n 

 Birmingham University, and the offers have been accepted. 

 The School has also erected a tombstone over the grave of Dr. 

 Myers at Para. It has been resolved to found, as a permanency 

 in the School, the Walter Myers Chair of Tropical Medicine, 

 besides a supplementary fellowship for the next five years, to 

 be called the Walter Myers Fellowship of Tropical Medicine. 



The Whitsuntide excursion arranged by the Geologists' Associa- 

 tion is to the new line of the Great Western Railway from Wooton. 

 Bassett to Filton, and the district around Bristol. The party 

 will leave Paddington Station on Saturday, May 25, and returr> 

 in the following week. Many sections, beds, and other features 

 of geological interest will be examined, and the excursion will be 

 enjoyed by all who take part in it. The Yorkshire Naturalists' 

 Union have arranged an excursion to Brough on Whit- 

 Monday for the investigation of Welton, Elloughton and 

 Brantingham Dales, and the southern extremity of the York- 

 shire Wolds. 



We are pleased to learn from Science that the Legislature of 

 the State of Wisconsin has presented to Dr. S. M. Babcock, 

 of the University of Wisconsin, a fine bronze medal " recognis- 

 ing the great value to the people of this State and the whole 

 world" of his inventions and discoveries, "and his unselfish 

 dedication of these inventions to the public service." Scientific 

 work is so often overlooked by the State that it is pleasing Xa 

 record the recognition of it. Dr. Babcock's renown rests largely 

 upon his milk test, which has proved of immense value in the 

 dairy industry, but to men of science, who are familiar with 

 dairy and agricultural investigations, his many discoveries in 

 these fields are regarded as even more brilliant and of more 

 value to science than the invention for which he has now been 

 honoured. 



The educational and scientific sides of war will receive 

 special attention at the Naval and Military Exhibition shortly 

 to be opened at the Crystal Palace. Demonstrations will be 

 given of wireless telegraphy, the Rontgen rays and other 

 scientific experiments applied to the uses of war in the Army 

 and Navy. The use of the balloon in military operations will 

 be demonstrated ; and a special interest attaches to this section, 

 as Sir Redvers BuUer is lending the balloon employed by 

 him during the siege of Ladysmith. In connection with this 



