August i8, 1904J 



NA TURK 



391 



likely to produce acceptable values, which may, however, 

 be multiples or submultiples of the true values. 



The intensity of the Meudon spectrograms about the 

 region \ 393 is not sufficient to confirm, or refute, the 

 observation of Prof. Hartmann that the " K " (calcium) 

 line does not appear to share in the periodic displacements 

 of the other lines in the spectrum. 



The Solar Surf,\ce during 1903. — The annual report of 

 the observations of solar phenomena made at the Lyons 

 Observatory during 1903 appears in the August number 

 of the Bulletin de la Socihe astronomique de France, 

 wherein M. J. Guillaume gives comparative tables show- 

 ing the numbers, areas, and distribution of spots and 

 faculje for the years 1900-1903 inclusive. 



Of the 260 observing days in 1903 there were only 

 thirty-eight on which " no spots " was recorded. Both the 

 numbers and areas of spots show a marked increase on the 

 previous year, the figures being 1902, 33 and 17S5 

 millionths, and 1903, 115 and 8440 millionths. The mean 

 latitude, for both hemispheres, during 1903 was i9°-3, in 

 place of is°-9 and 21° 2 for 1901 and 1902 respectively. 



The groups of faculjp were fewer in number during 1903 

 than in 1902 (324 and 363 respectively), but their total area 

 was a little more than twice as great (204-1 and 97-6 

 thousandths respectively), whilst their mean latitude was 

 27°-8, as compared with 3S°8 in 1902, and 3S°-8 in 1901. 



The preponderance of spots in the northern hemisphere 

 remarked in 1901 and 1902 changed over to the southern 

 hemisphere in 1903, the total areas during last year being 

 S. 5071 millionths, N. 3369 millionths. 



From the tables showing their distribution in latitude 

 and longitude, one sees that the greatest augmentations of 

 both spots and faculae, in each hemisphere, took place in 

 the same zones. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 

 Oxford.— Dr. \Vm. Osier, F.R.S., has, with the King's 

 approval, been appointed regius professor of medicine in 

 succession to Sir John Burdon Sanderson, Bart., F.R.S. 

 Prof. Osier has, since 1889, filled the chair of the principles 

 and practice of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, 

 Baltimore. 



CAMBRIDGE. — In connection with the visit of the British 

 Association, the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, 

 will on August 22 be conferred on the following : — J. O.' 

 Backlund, director of the Pulkova Observatory; Prof. H. 

 Becquerel, Paris; Prof. J. \V. Briihl, Heidelberg; Prof. A. 

 Engler, Berlin; Prof. P. H. von Groth, Munich; 

 P. Kabbadias, Athens ; Prof. A. Kossel, Heidelberg ; Prof. 

 H. F. Osborn, New York; N. G. Pierson, Amsterdam; 

 Prof. V. Volterra, Rome; Sir David Gill, K.C.B., F.R.S. ; 

 A. \V. Howitt, the Australian anthropologist; Sir Norman 

 I-ockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S. ; Major P. A. MacMahon, F.R.S. ■ 

 Sir W. Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S. ; Prof. A. Schuster, F.R.S. • 

 Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, K.C.M.G., F.R.S. 



The first list of successful candidates for the university 

 diploma in tropical medicine and hvgiene has just been 

 issued by the examiners (Sir P. Man'son, Major Ross, and 

 Dr. Nuttall). It includes the following .—A. R. Cleveland 

 A. R. J. Douglas, G. Elliott, P. N. Gerrard, C. M. Heanley,' 

 J. C. B. Statham, C. A. Suvoong, and J. C. Thompson. 



Mr. S. A. McDowall, Trinity, has been appointed assistant 

 to the superintendent of the Museum of Zoology (Dr. S. F. 

 Harmer). 



Dr. Albert S. GrOnbaum, lecturer in experimental 

 medicine at the University of Liverpool, and director of 

 cancer research at Liverpool, has been appointed professor 

 of pathology and bacteriology in the University of Leeds 

 in the place of Prof. Trevelyan, who is retiring. Dr. George 

 Wilson has been appointed to the newly created lectureship 

 in civil engineering in the same university. 



The syllabus for 1904-5 of the Redruth School of Mines 

 shows that a successful local effort is being made to provide 

 practical scientific training in mining to those engaged in 

 this important Cornish industry. The main object of the 

 School of Mines is to provide theoretical and practical in- 

 NO. 18 16, VOL. 70] 



struction in mining and the allied subjects essential to the 

 training of competent mining engineers. The training in 

 practical mining is given at the Basset Mines and at other 

 mines in the locality, under the general supervision of an 

 instructor. The practical underground work includes the 

 timbering of shafts and levels. Students are taught, in 

 addition, the methods of prospecting for minerals in all 

 positions, and are trained to detect favourable indications 

 on the surface. They are shown by examples in the neigh- 

 bourhood how to costean for lodes, and how to detect the 

 effect of cross-courses and slides on the lodes. The differ- 

 ences between fissure veins, gash veins, and contact lodes 

 are pointed out by examples ; the manner in which the 

 lodes are affected by passing through the different strata, 

 and the effect the bearing of the lode has on its productive- 

 ness in certain districts. Studies are made of the maps of 

 the neighbourhood, and opportunities afforded for examin- 

 ation of other mines now working, and for investigating, 

 as far as possible, those that have been abandoned. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, Ju!y,25.—M. Mascart in the chair.— 

 On a functional equation : Emile Picard. — Chemical and 

 geological study of some springs in the north of 

 Madagascar : Georges Lemoine and Paul Lemoine. — On 

 some facts relating to the observation of variations in the 

 lustre of phosphorescent sulphides under the action of 

 H-rays or analogous phenomena : E. Bichat. — The academv 

 was invited to send delegates to the second International 

 Botanical Congress at \'ienna, to be held from June 12 to 18, 

 '905. — On a relation between the minima and maxima of 

 sun-spots : .Alfred Angot. — On the singularities of the- 

 equation 



y' = A„-|-.-\,y-|-.-\,y''-|-.\3y' : 



Pierre Boutroux. — On the absorption of gases by wood 

 ( harcoal at low temperatures : Sir James Dewar. The 

 liquid air calorimeter is used to determine the heat liberated 

 by the absorption of certain gases in charcoal, the volume 

 absorbed being measured. With all gases except helium, 

 the volume absorbed is greatly increased by low tempera- 

 ture. Absorption of gases with charcoal at low temperatures 

 forms a good method of producing a vacuum. — On the 

 nature of n and u, radiations, and on the radio-activity 

 of the bodies which emit these radiations : J. Becquerel. 

 — On the refraction of n- and n^-rays : J. Becquerel. — 

 On the contemplation in a dark room of surfaces feeblv 

 illuminated by certain special lights. The case of objects 

 of linear form : F. P. Le Roux. — The phenomena of 

 magnetic viscosity in soft industrial steels, and their 

 influence on the methods of measurement : Raymond 

 Jouaust. — Magnetic exploration of the Gulf of Padirac : 

 E. Mathias. — On the' earthquake of July 13, 1904, in the 

 central Pyrenees : E. Marchand. — On the discharge of 

 electricity in the air at the summit of the Eiffel Tower 

 during the storm of July 24 : A. B. Chauveau. — On ti ^• 

 form taken by thallous iodide on being deposited from 

 solution : D. Gernez, — On radio-active lead, radio-tellurium, 

 and polonium : A. Debierne. — .Action of zinc on the- 

 tungstates of sodium : L. A. Hallopeau. — On the acid" 

 pyrophosphate of silver : J. Cavalier. — On the composition 

 of the homologues of Schweinfurt green : Georges Viard. — 

 The heat of formation of the trisulphides of antimony : MM. 

 Cuinchant and Chretien. — On polishing and connected' 

 scientific phenomena : F. Osmond and G. Cartaud. — On 

 vinyldimethylacetic acid : E. E. Blaise and A. Courtot. 

 — ;3-Oxyalkyl and ;8-oxyphenyl ethylene ketones. The 

 action of hydroxylamine and phenylhydrazine : -Ch. 

 Moureu and M. Brachin. — The action of oxalacetic ether 

 on aromatic aldehydes in the presence of /3-naphthylamine : 

 L. J. Simon and A. Conduche. — The action of acid 

 chlorides on tertiary bases with an aromatic nucleus : V. 

 Augrer. — On the general arrangement of the nervous system 

 in Rissoa elata, var. ohlonga (Desmaret) : G. Quintaret. 

 — On the intracellular contents of the parenchyma of certain 

 fruits : Wladimir Tichomirow. — On the anatomy of £^ 

 tubers of Euphorbia Intisy : Marcel Diibard and Ren6 

 Vie;uier. — Contribution to the study of blight in tobacco- 

 leaves : MM. Bouyg-ues and Perreau. — Researches on the- 



