252 



NA TURE 



[JUI.N' 14, 1904 



and so truly scientific. In spite of his modesty, his 

 ffieat natural abilities made him famous in Geneva, 

 in Switzerland, and abroad. His death leaves a gap 

 difllcult to fill. R. G.\UTIER. 



PROF. THEODOR BREDICHIN. 



FOR the past ten years Prof. Bredichin lived in 

 well-earned and dignified retirement in Saint 

 Petersburg. After a life spent in directing, with con- 

 summate ability, the activities of the two great astro- 

 nomical observatories of Moscow and Pulkova, he 

 sought, while his energies were still vigorous, oppor- 

 tunity for cultivating with greater leisure those studies 

 to which he had conspicuously devoted himself while 

 in a public position. In the midst of that self-imposed 

 work and at the zenith of his reputation, he has been 

 removed by death to the profound loss of science in 

 Russia. In 1857, he was called to fill the chair of 

 astronomy in the University of Moscow, and with it 

 to undertake the direction of the observatory. There j 

 he remained for thirty-three years, and devoted him- 

 self to astrospectroscopic observation, a subject new 

 in Russia, to the study of variable stars, to gravity 

 determinations by means of pendulum observations, 

 and to a host of inquiries with which his name has 

 long been connected. But most of all was his atten- 

 tion concentrated upon the formation and behaviour 

 of comet tails, a subject which had practically lain 

 dormant since Bessel's researches on the comet of 

 Halley. Of this subject he never wearied, and shortly 

 before his death he collected and published his more 

 important papers bearing on this inquiry. This re- 

 vision was perhaps the more necessary since photo- 

 graphs had revealed minuter details than could easily 

 be detected in the ordinary telescope. It must be a 

 matter of gratification to his numerous friends that 

 the distinguished astronomer, in spite of bad health, 

 was able to complete a task which had occupied him 

 for so many years. 



In 1890, when Prof. Otto Struve retired from the 

 direction of the Pulkova Observatory, Dr. Bredichin 

 took charge of that institution, but his health did not 

 permit him to remain long at this post, and in 1894, 

 accompanied by the regrets of the staft, he resigned his 

 position at the observatory, but not before he had 

 given a decided impetus to the progress of celestial 

 photography. We have already intimated how, in the 

 remaining years of his life, he sought to promote the 

 interests of his favourite science. 



Some 150 papers on a variety of subjects were pub- 

 lished by Dr. Bredichin, and by the foundation of 

 prizes for special astronomical inquiries he still further 

 encouraged the science. .As a teacher he enjoyed the 

 reputation of being able to inspire his pupils with a 

 lifelong interest in astronomy, and the present position 

 of the science in Russia owes not a little to the 

 enthusiasm which he imparted to his pupils. .At the 

 age of 73, but with his faculties acute and with his 

 interest in astronomy unimpaired, Russia has to regret 

 the loss of one of her most brilliant sons, while science 

 is deprived of an ardent and enthusiastic supporter. 



generous men who helped him last year, but he has 

 all the sturdiness of a chartered beggar — he asks in 

 a good cause. 



RovAL College oi- .Science. 

 B.ALANCE SHEET. 



BURSARIES 1503-1904. 



Moiu-ys Received and Paid by Prof. Perry, November, 1903, 



and Jane, 1904. 



Received Paid 



Balance in hand from /\/oi'. 16 to April 2^. 



last year ^31 5 o 27 students received 



Septeiiiliei; 1903. , half-bursaries ■■■£i'ii 00 



K. K. Gray, Esq 10 o o 1 March 23. 



B. Hopkinson, Esq. 10 o o 1 I student received 



SirA.Noble.K.C.B. 10 o o the second half ... 500 



October 8, 1903. June 10 to June 14. 



W. F. Stanley, Esq. 10 o o 23 studenis received 



The Drapers' Co.... 100 o O' the second halves 



TheGoldsmiths'Co. 100 00 of their bursaries... 115 00 



(/Royalties.) i Balance in hand ... 24 2 o 



Prof. Perry 5 70 



Paid back 2 10 o 



ROYAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, 1903. 

 OCIENCE scholars selected from the whole of Great 

 >— ' Britain for their ability and promise, main- 

 taining themselves on 17s. qd. a week, were this year 

 saved from much privation by secret gifts of small 

 bursaries — see the subjoined audited account. Prof. 

 Perry says he has no right to a.sk for help from the 



NO. 1811, VOL. 70] 



£279 2 o ^279 2 o 



Twenty-seven students received 5/. each ; only twentv-four 

 of them applied for the second halves of their bursaries. 

 Audited and Signed by John W. JriiD. 

 Dated June 23, 1904. 



NOTES. 

 .\n important deputation organised by the British As- 

 sociation will be received by Mr. Balfour to-morrow 

 (P'riday) afternoon, and will support the plea for the State 

 endowment of higher education and research presented by 

 Sir Norman Lockyer in his presidential address last year. 

 O.xford and Cambridge will be represented by their Vice- 

 Chancellors and others, London University by Lord Rose- 

 bery (Chancellor) and others, and the Birmingham Univer- 

 sity representatives will be headed by Mr. Chamberlain 

 (Chancellor), who it is hoped will speak for all the new 

 universities. According to a statement prepared by the 

 president of the British .Association and revised by a com- 

 mittee consisting of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, 

 the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Sir Oliver Lodge, prin- 

 cipal of Birmingham University, Sir Michael Foster, M.P., 

 and Sir Henry Roscoe, the British .Association has taken 

 action regarding the State endowment of universities, be- 

 cause at the present juncture the highest education and 

 research is a matter not merely of academic, bLit of the 

 gravest national concern. 



Prok. G. tjAprKV, professor of hygiene in the University 

 of Giessen, has accepted Prof. Koch's vacant chair in the 

 University of Berlin. 



The following appointments are announced in connection 

 with the Institut Marey : — Prof. A. Chauveau has been 

 elected president and director ; Prof. H. Kronecker becomes 

 vice-President ; Prof. M. Levy, treasurer ; and Prof. G. 

 Weiss, secretary. 



The sixth centenary of the birth of Francesco Petrarca 

 will be celebrated at Arezzo from July 20 to 25. .Among 

 the festivities will be an historic fete in the amphitheatre 

 of the Prato in fourteenth century costume, commemorating 

 the arrival of Petrarca at Arezzo in 1350. 



The Mackinnon studentships of the Royal Society have 

 been filled for the ensuing year by the election of Mr. 

 Brvan Cookson for research in astronomy, and particularly 

 for a new determination of the constant of aberration and 



