136 



NA TURE 



[June 9, 1904 



+ o"o82 and ±o"-045 for photographs taken with the two 

 instruments respectively. With the parallactic factor of 

 October 26 and October 27, it results that two of the 

 Thompson plates at the beginning of the evening compared 

 with two at the end are sufficient to give the solar parallax 

 with a probable accidental error of +o"oib. We may 

 therefore expect an adequate result for the somewhat 

 arduous measurements and reductions involved. 



\o observations were made with the spectroscope during 

 the year. 



The solar activity increased considerably during the year 

 ending May 10, the sun being free from spots on only 

 25 days, as against 190 in the previous year. The mean 

 daily spotted area for 1903 is nearly six times as great as 

 for 1902 ; still, as yet, the rate of increase is not so great 

 as in the corresponding periods of the two preceding cycles. 

 The greatest outburst of the year commenced on 1903 

 October 5, with the appearance at the east limb of the 

 sun of a group of spots much larger than any seen since 

 1898 September. Several fine groups have appeared since. 



The principal results for the magnetic elements for 1903 

 are as follows : — 



Mean declination ... 

 Mean horizontal force 



16° I9''i West. 

 ( 40132 (in British units) 

 '■■ t I '8504 (in Metric units) 

 Mean dip (with 3-inch needles) 67° o' 51". 



The magnetic disturbances in 1903 have shown a marked 

 increase in number and extent. There were five days of 

 great magnetic disturbance and seven of lesser disturbance. 

 Traces of the photographic curves for these days will be 

 published in the annual volume. The calculation of diurnal 

 inequalities from five typical quiet days in each month, 

 selected in concert with M. Moureaux and Dr. Chree, has 

 been continued. 



The mean temperature for the year 1903 was So°2, or 

 <i°- above the average for the fifty years 1841-90. 

 During the twelve months ending 1904 April 30, the 

 highest temperature in the shade was 87°s on July H- 

 The highest temperature in the Stevenson screen was 

 84°-2, and in the observatory grounds 85°o, on the same 

 day. The lowest temperature of the air recorded in the year 

 was 23°-8 on January i. During the winter there were 

 forty-three days on which the temperature fell below 32°o, 

 being thirteen days below the average number. 



The mean daily horizontal movement of the air in the 

 year ending 1904 April 30 was 300 miles, which is 18 miles 

 below the average of the preceding thirty-six years. The 

 greatest recorded movement was 796 miles on Februarv 13, 

 and the least 69 miles on January 23. The greatest re- 

 corded pressure of the wind was 36 lb. on the square foot 

 on September 10, and the greatest hourly velocity 43 miles 

 ni September 10 and 11. 



During the year 1903, Osier's anemometer showed an 

 excess of sixteen revolutions of the vane in the positive 

 direction N., E., S., W., N., excluding the turnings which 

 are evidently accidental. 



I he number of hours of bright sunshine recorded during 

 the twelve months ending 1904 April 30, by the Campbell- 

 Stokes instrument, was 1361 out of 4472 hours during 

 which the sun was above the horizon, so that the mean 

 proportion of sunshine for the year was 0304, constant 

 sunshine being represented by i. 



The rainfall for the year ending 1904 April 30 was 3542 

 inches, being 10 88 inches greater than the average of the 

 fifty years 1841-qo. The number of rainy days was 182. 

 The rainfall during 1903 was 35.54 inches, the heaviest 

 ever recorded at Greenwich during the calendar year. The 

 summer months in particular were very wet, more than 

 16 inches being recorded in June, July, and August, viz. 

 607 inches registered in June, 527 inches in July, and 

 482 inches in August. The greatest fall registered at 

 Greenwich in a single day for many years past, viz. 246 

 inches, occurred on July 23. In 1904, January and 

 February were wet months, so that the total fall from 

 1903 March i to 1904 February 29 was more than 37 inches. 



The determination of the longitude of Potsdarn by Prof. 



Albrecht and Dr. Wanach was completed in July. The 



result, which has been recently published by Prof. Albrecht, 



leads to an indirect determination of the longitude of Paris 



NO. 1806, VOL 70] 



which is in close accordance with the results obtained by 

 the Greenwich observers in 1902. 



The revision of Groombridge's Catalogue for 1810, in 

 connection with the Greenwich Second Ten Year Catalogue 

 (1890), and the determination of the proper motions of 

 about 4000 stars froin Groombridge's observations, com- 

 pared with recent Greenwich observations at an interval of 

 about eighty years, have now been completed under Mr. 

 Thackeray's supervision, and the results will be published 

 without delay. 



HIGHER SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION IN 

 FRANCE. 

 AT one of a, series of education conferences held recently 

 at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Sociales in Paris, 

 Prof. Appell, of the University of Paris, delivered an im- 

 portant address on the present facilities provided in France 

 for higher instruction in the various branches of science, 

 paying special attention to institutions established for this 

 purpose in Paris. The address is published in the Revue 

 gen(>rale des Sciences for March 30 last. 



The address opened with a general historical account of 

 the evolution of current estimates of the importance of 

 scientific education of university standing and of the stages 

 in the growth of French institutions in which such higher 

 instruction is now given. Prof. Appell then recapitulated 

 concisely the actual organisation of higher scientific teach- 

 ing in existing schools and colleges in France, and supple- 

 mented his survey by indicating various improvements 

 he considered desirable. Agreeing with British men 

 of science, he urged that students must from the beginning 

 of their work be led to avoid " une tendance facheuse i se 

 contenter d'apprendre et de r^peter la parole du maitre," 

 and that the object of all teaching should be to develop the 

 scientific spirit and to encourage in the students a desire 

 to apply to everything the methods of research. 



The succeeding section of the discourse was concerned 

 with scientific education in its relations to the practical 

 applications of science to the needs of industry. ."V very 

 liberal interpretation was given to the expressiorj 

 " technical " school, and the term was used to include such 

 institutions as the schools of pharmacy, schools of mines, 

 and agricultural colleges. Prof. Appell pleaded for a differ- 

 entiation of the functions of the nuinerous establishments 

 in which higher scientific education is being given, and in 

 speaking of the work of all these technical schools, em- 

 phasised the great importance of insisting upon a good 

 basis of general scientific knowledge on which to rest all 

 instruction in technology. The absence of a due co- 

 ordination of the work of existing scientific institutions in 

 Paris was then pointed out, and a scheme outlined indicating 

 the changes and developments desirable in order to realise 

 " une union f^conde entre la science et les applications." 



The concluding subject of the address appeals in an 

 especial manner to readers of N;\ture. In it Prof. Appell 

 indicated the increasing need in modern times for every 

 great nation to encourage scientific research liberally. He 

 coiidemned the danger most likely to exist in a democracy 

 of judging the importance of a chair or lectureship at a 

 university by the number of students it attracts ; the test 

 ought rather to be, it was pointed out, the number of dis- 

 coveries which can be associated with a given laboratory 

 or the amount of research work done in connection with 

 it. The fallacy of disparaging new results in science 

 because at the time they appear only of theoretical interest 

 was demonstrated by reference to the researches of Newton 

 and Pasteur. Suggestions were then made as to how to 

 encourage the best students of science to devote a number 

 of years to research work, and also in the direction of 

 ensuring the most scientific and economical arrangement 

 of buildings intended for research work in science. As an 

 example. Prof. Appell referred to one of the needs of the 

 University of Paris. This want was described as the 

 creation on a large site, distinct from the Sorbonne, of an 

 institute of chemistry, where laboratories for, and advanced 

 instruction in, inorganic, organic, biological, and technical 

 chemistry could all be found under the same roof, instead 

 of being situated, as they actually are, in three distinct 

 parts of Paris. 



