476 
NATURE 
[Marcu 17, 1904 
The progress of the world during the last half-century 
becomes strikingly evident if one reflects how very different 
the lectures would have been if the course had been delivered 
fifty years ago. Apart from the enormous expansion of the 
coal trade, various great industries have arisen due to the 
working of minerals which were unknown, or little used, 
at the time of the Great Exhibition of 1851. It is only 
necessary to refer to the petroleum of Russia and the United 
States, the potash salts of Germany, the borates of Cali- 
fornia, the nitrate of soda of Chili, and the phosphates of 
various countries. 
The provision of a cheap and convenient illuminant like 
petroleum may seem a small matter to the present gener- 
ation of town-dwellers accustomed to the electric light or 
to Welsbach burners; but those whose memories go back 
to the days of the guttering ‘‘dip’’ and its snuffers can realise 
what petroleum has done for the winter evenings of our 
villages and those of distant lands; and, of course, 
petroleum has many other uses. 
Mr. Brough has not confined his lectures to a mere com- 
pilation of published information. His own extensive 
travels enable him to give descriptions of various workings 
which he himself has visited, and, in addition, he has been 
able to obtain accounts from competent observers on the 
spot, and to illustrate them by reproductions of photographs. 
We learn from the accompanying figure, reproduced from 
Mr. Brough’s paper, that magnesite is quarried 
primitive fashion at Salem, which lies half-way 
Madras and Beypore. The stone is carried away on the 
heads of women to the mills. The Indian magnesite is 
exceedingly pure, and therefore admirably adapted for the 
manufacture of fire-bricks. 
The last lecture contains not only many interesting details 
concerning gem-mining, but also affords useful information 
concerning the sources of thoria, now in demand for the 
manufacture of incandescent mantles. 
The addition of a complete index considerably enhances 
the value of the pamphlet. 
OBSERVATIONS OF THE PLANET JUPITER. 
{fees has now approached so near to the sun as to 
be invisible for all practical purposes, and observers 
must wait until the mornings of next June before tele- 
scopic work can be renewed with prospective success. 
The study of his surface markings during the past nine 
months has evolved some interesting facts which will prove 
useful for comparison with those obtained in preceding 
years. It is from the continued study of Jovian features 
in a} 
between | 
A number of large dusky spots were seen in high northern 
latitudes in 1903. Some of these in about lat. +55° were 
carefully watched, and their periods were found nearly con- 
fermable with the period of the red spot. 
A few irregular markings were observed in the region 
of the north and south poles, but owing to the bad defini- 
tion usually prevailing, a sufficient number of observations 
of them could not be secured. During the last five months 
of 1903 the weather conditions were usually bad, and very 
delicate planetary features were obliterated on the very 
unsteady, indistinct images. Between 1903 May 26 and 
1904 February 2 1 examined Jupiter on 109 nights, the 
definition being noted as ‘‘ bad’’ or ‘‘ very bad” on 58 
nights, while it was recorded as ‘‘ good”? or ‘‘ very good ’” 
on 30 nights only. In all, 1388 transit times of various spots 
were secured, and the rotation periods of seventy different 
objects determined. W. F. DENNING 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
CampripGE.—The degree of Doctor of Science, honoris 
causa, is to be conferred on Dr. Wilhelm Ostwald, professor 
of chemistry in the University of Leipzig. 
Mr. H. Y. Oldham, King’s, has been appointed to the 
readership in geography for a period of five years, under 
the new conditions. 
Mr. F. Horton, B.A., St. 
Allen studentship of 250. 
John’s, has been elected to the 
for research in experimental 
| physics. 
Tue Senate of Aberdeen University has agreed to confer 
the degree of Doctor of Laws upon Sir George Watt, the 
officer in charge of the Industrial Museum at Calcutta, and 
Prof. Wyndham R. Dunstan, F.R.S., director of the 
Imperial Institute. 
Tue Senate of Glasgow University has resolved to confer 
the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on Mr. G. F. Deacon, 
civil engineer, London; Dr. W. Stirling, Brackenbury pro- 
| fessor of physiology and histology at Owens College, Uni- 
versity of Manchester; and Sir William Taylor, Director- 
| General of the Army Medical Service. 
during many successive oppositions that we may hope to | 
learn something more definite as to the nature of the curious 
phenomena operating on his surface. 
Essentially different in its aspect and character from the 
more durable lineaments observed on Mars, the scenery of 
Jupiter consists of variable bands of light and dark material 
circulating round the great planet at dissimilar periods. 
Apparently we see nothing of Jupiter’s real surface form- 
ations ; the belts and zones exhibited in our telescopes re- 
present vapours spun into parallels of latitude by the rapid 
rotatory motion of the globe beneath. 
The study of Jupiter is chiefly directed towards deter- 
mining the rate of motion of the various currents and to 
noting the more active regions and forms and tints of the 
principal features. During the last half of 1903 the red 
spot appeared to be a little plainer than during the few 
previous oppositions, and it exhibited a decided retardation 
of velocity, its rotation period being gh. 55m. 41-6s., as in 
the last few years of the nineteenth century. 
The equatorial spots, of which there were about twenty- 
eight fairly conspicuous examples presented, gave a rate of 
gh. 50m. 27-9S., agreeing very closely with the mean value 
for the previous six years. 
The south temperate spots travel from year to year at 
a very uniform rate of motion, and this was further ex- 
emplified in 1903, the mean period of nine spots being 
AN examination in biological chemistry will be held at 
the laboratories of the Institute of Chemistry in October 
next. The examination will extend over four days, and may 
be theoretical, practical, written and oral. The syllabus will 
include biological chemistry, with special reference to the 
chemistry and bacteriology of foods, water, sewage and 
effluents, and to the practical applications of biological 
chemistry to industries. 
Tue Board of Education has approved the draft 
scheme for the Education Committee for London, submitted 
by the County Council. The education authority for the 
metropolis will thus not include members co-opted on account 
of special knowledge or experience of educational problems. 
The letter from the Board of Education contains the remark 
that ‘‘ In expressing their approval, the Board must not 
be understood to accede without regret to the desire of your 
Council to limit the Committee so closely to members of 
their own body.”’ 
A REUTER message from Calcutta states that the Indian 
Government has issued the text of a resolution of some 
length dealing with Lord Curzon’s scheme for the reform 
o* education. From this it appears that after an exhaustive 
| history of the subject, the Government states that the exist- 
gh. 55m. 18-5s. 
The north temperate spots moved more slowly than any 
others on the disc, the rotation of nine objects in this | 
region averaging gh. 55m. 54-3s. 
NO. 1794, VOL. 69] 
| 
{ 
ing methods require sweeping changes, and goes on to 
announce that competitive examinations for the public 
services will be abolished and a system of selection of candi- 
dates on probation substituted. ‘* Examinations,’’ it is 
added, ‘‘ have harmfully dominated the education system.’’ 
The Government admits that primary education has been 
reglected, while secondary education has increased in a 
striking manner. The college curriculum will be generally 
raised, the Government assisting deserving colleges. 
Teachers will be specially trained, and the Education Depart- 
nent will be given four extra officers to assist the present 
