39- 



NA TURE 



[August 15, 1901 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



The doctorates conferred by American Universities during 

 the academic year lately concluded, and the subjects of the 

 theses presented, are summarised in Science of August 2. The 

 degree of doctor of philosophy was conferred on 253 candidates 

 — a number which is probably greater than that of any previous 

 year. Of these degrees 122 were given for subjects belonging 

 to the humanities, and 131 for science subjects. Harvard and 

 Yale have this year given as many degrees in the sciences as in 

 the humanities, whereas in previous years the humanities have 

 predominated, as the sciences have at Johns Hopkins and 

 Cornell. There was a relative excess in the number of degrees 

 in chemistry at Johns Hopkins ; in physics at Cornell and Johns 

 Hopkins ; in mathematics at Vale ; in zoology at Chicago ; in 

 psychology at Clark, Vale and Harvard, and in geology at Johns 

 Hopkins and Harvard. Taking all the Universities together, 

 the six subjects in which the most doctorates were conferred 

 are : — chemistry, 28; physics, 23 ; mathematics, iS; zoology, 

 15; psychology, 13 ; geology, 10. The remaining 24 degrees 

 were divided among twelve sciences. 



Special courses of e%'ening lectures for teachers and advanced 

 students have been arranged by the London Technical Educa- 

 tion Board at University College, King's College and Bedford 

 College. The courses of instruction will afford an opportunity 

 to students who can study only in the evenings to obtain in- 

 struction in well-equipped laboratories, and will make available 

 to evening students the same advantages as are enjoyed by 

 University day students, but they are only intended for those 

 who are practically engaged during the day in some trade, 

 business or occupation. At University College, Prof. J. A. 

 Fleming, F.R S. , will give a course of ten lectures, followed by 

 laboratory demonstrations, on advanced electrical measurements. 

 Prof. Carus Wilson will give a course of lectures on the electric 

 motor, with special reference to its employment in electric tram- 

 car traction. In connection with these two courses, a special 

 course of about twenty lectures on alternating currents will be 

 given at King's College by Prof. E. Wilson, followed by a class 

 for practical work. Prof. D. S. Capper will give about twenty 

 lectures upon steam and gas engines, accompanied by laboratory 

 work, and Prof. J. D. Cormack will lecture upon properties and 

 testing of materials of construction. .^ course of civil engineer- 

 ing will also be given by Prof. Robinson. A course of twelve 

 lectures on the recent developments of chemical theory will be 

 given, under the direction of Prof. Ramsay, at University 

 College, and a course of eight lectures dealing with the methods 

 of spectroscopy, especially in connection with the photography 

 of the spectrum, will be given by Mr. E. C. C. Baly. Saturday 

 morning courses have been arranged for teachers ; they include 

 lectures on the teaching of mathematics, by Prof. Hud.son, 

 F.R.S. : physics, by Prof. W. Grylls Adams, F.R..S., and Mr. 

 S. A. F. White : practical physiology, by Prof. Halliburton, 

 F. R.9» : and a course on the teaching of elementary chemistry, 

 by Mr. H. Cronipton, at Bedford College. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



P.\RIS. 



Academy of Sciences, August 5. — M. Fouque in the 

 chair. — On Poisson's theorem and on a recent theorem of M. 

 Buhl, by M. Paul AppelL The theorem of Buhl is a particular 

 case of Poisson's theorem. — The law of pressures in cannon, by 

 M. Vallier. — New method of preparing aniline and its analogues, 

 by MM. Paul Sabatier and J. B. Senderens. A mixture of 

 hydrogen and nitrobenzene vapour is passed over reduced copper 

 kept at a temperature of from 30o°-400' C. , the yield of aniline 

 being nearly theoretical. If nickel is employed instead of the 

 copper, the reaction goes farther even at 200°, benzene and 

 ammonia being produced. — On the luminous variation of the 

 planet Eros ; curves of light ; amplitude of the variation, by 

 M. Ch. Andre. — On the infinitely small deformation of a 

 spherical elastic envelope, by MM. Eugene and Francois 

 Cosserat. — On a relation which probably exists between the 

 characteristic angle of deformation of metals and the Newtonian 

 coefficient of restitution, by M. G. Gravaris. The characteristic 

 angle of deformation (a), and the Newtonian constant of restitu- 

 tion (e!), appear to be related according to the equation 7rt- = 2«. 

 — Critical study of the general theory of mechanisms, by M. G. 



NO. 1659, VOL, 64] 



Kcenigs. — Ov: disruptive discharge in electrolytes, by M. K. R. 

 Johnson. — Remarks on a communication of MM. A. Broca and 

 Turchini. — The electric capacity of the human body, by M. G. 

 de Metz. It follows from the experiments described that it is 

 illusory to compare the electric capacity of the human body 

 with that of an ellipsoidal conductor. The same person may 

 possess several capacities according to the conditions under 

 which he is placed. The average figure found is about O'oooii 

 microfarad. — The difference of potential and the deadening of 

 the electric spark wdth oscillatory character, by .M. F. Beaulard. 

 — On the transmission of Hertzian waves through conducting 

 liquids, by M. Charles Nordmann. For the liquids studied 

 (solutions of sulphuric acid, common salt, potassium chloride 

 and magnesium sulphate), the maximum thickne.ss which could 

 be traversed by the waves employed, that is to say, the trans- 

 parencies for the waves, varies in the same sense as the resist- 

 ances, but not in proportion. —The vapour tension of solutions. 

 The hypothesis of Arrhenius, by M. A. Ponsot. — An attempt at 

 an immediate analysis of nervous tissue, by M. N. Alberto 

 Barbieri. — On the cycloplasmic maturation, by >L Vves Delage. 

 — Carboniferous goniatites in the Sahara, by M. Collot. The 

 discovery of goniatites in the carboniferous layers of the Sahara 

 points loan age a little more recent than that deduced by M. 

 Ficheur, and it shows further that there were several levels, 

 amongst which that which furnished the goniatites may be con- 

 temporaneous with the layers observed by Foureau in the 

 Tassli Adzjer. — A physiological photometer, by M. G. M. 

 Stanoievitch. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Miall and Fowler's 'Selborne" 369 



The Origin of European Peoples. By A. C. H. . 370 

 A Mechanism for the Transmission of Stimuli in 



Plants. By J. B. F. . . 371 



American Agricultural Researches. By Prof. R. 



Warington, F.R.S 372 



School Hygiene 373 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Banks and Solander : "Illustrations of the Botany 

 of Captain Cook's Voyage Round the World in 

 H.M.S. Endeavour m 1768-1771."— W. Bolting 



Hemsley, F.R.S 374 



Dedekind : "Essays on the Theory of Numbers. 

 I. Continuity and Irrational Numbers. II. The 



Nature and Meaning of Numbers." — M 374 



Kirby : " Familiar Butterflies and Moths " .... 375 

 Laar : " Lehrbuch der -mathematischen Chemie " . . 375 

 " Philip's Educational Terrestrial Globe " .... 375 

 Schulz : " Die Krystallisation von Eiweissstoflfen und 



ihre Bedeutung fiirdie Eiweisschemie." — VV. T. L. 375 

 Wright : " P'lowers and Ferns in their Haunts."^ 



W. H. L 375 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Pearl and Pearl-shell Fisheries.— Prof. W. C. 



Mcintosh, F.R.S 376 



A Possible Method of Attaining the Absolute Zero of 



Temperature. — Geoffrey Martin 376 



Food of the Senegal Galago.—M. O. Hill 376 



Pseudoscopic Vision without a Pseudoscope. — A. S. 



Davis . . 376 



Photographic Analysis of the Movements of 



Athletes (Illustrated.) 377 



Professor Wilhelm Schur. By Dr. William J. S. 



Lockyer 380 



Baron de Lacaze-Duthiers 380 



Notes 38' 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Encke's Comet 3^4 



Observations of Mars 384 



Variations of the Magnetic Needle 384 



Variation of Eros • 3^*4 



Orbits of Algol Variables, RR Puppis and \' Puppis . 384 

 Polish, (lllustraled.) By the Right Hon. Lord 



Rayleigh, F.R.S 385 



The Functions of a University. By Prof. W. 



Ramsay, F.R.S 388 



University and Educational Intelligence 392 



Societies and Academies 392 



