i 7 8 



NA TURE 



[December 21, 1905 



i" see a wolf spring at night upon a jutting crag, 

 where, silhouetted by the full moon behind, it gave 

 vent to its " terrible 'howl." The illustrations in this 

 volume are by that well-known artist Mr. C. Cope- 

 land, whose facile and truthful style stands in no 

 need of any commendation of ours. These illustra- 

 tions render Mr. Long's volume an attractive book 

 lor the drawing-room table at this season of the vear. 



SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND ENDOWMENTS. 



Iated 

 th 



A\ Interesting Transfer Scheme. 



A SOMEWHAT novel proposal has been formulati 

 ■** for the transfer of an endowed school, wi 

 its property and funds, to an " education authority " 

 other than a Local Education Authority under the 

 Education Acts of 1902-3. This proposal relates to 

 the Subordinate School at Rugby. 



It appears that, for some time, there has been a 

 movement in the locality with a view to the establish- 

 ment of a technical school so as to organise system- 

 atically the scattered forces already at work. ' The 

 Warwickshire County Council offered a grant of 

 1000/. towards the erection of such a school, while 

 the governing body of Rugby School offered 500Z. 

 and a site on the grounds of the Subordinate School 

 for the same purpose. These offers, however, failed 

 to secure adequate local agreement — hence the above- 

 mentioned transfer proposal. 



According to the notice in the London Gazette, 

 the governing body of Rugby School will apply to 

 Parliament for an enabling Act " for the establish- 

 ment, constitution and incorporation of an ' educa- 

 tion authority,' " to whom that governing body may 

 transfer the Subordinate School with its property and 

 funds, and to whom they may make annual or 

 other payments or contributions. This "education 

 authority " would contain representatives of the 

 governing body of Rugby School and of other local 

 bodies (e.g. the County Council of Warwickshire, the 

 Urban District Council of Rugby); any doubts or 

 questions which might arise between "the various 

 bodjes represented would be determined by the Board 

 of Education. The " education authority " is to con- 

 duct the school " as a school for higher or secondary 

 education . . . shall afford a good commercial educa- 

 tion for students . . . and shall maintain the teaching 

 of English, Latin, at least one modern foreign 

 language and Greek, unless and until the governing 

 body " (i.e. the governing body of Rugbv School) 

 " shall consent to the discontinuance of" Greek." 

 Other conditions relate to (1) the maintenance, by 

 the governing body of the Rugbv School, for the 

 benefit of the students of the Subordinate School, of 

 the existing system of major foundationerships at 

 Rugby School ; (2) the continuance of the engagements 

 of the existing staff of the Subordinate School; (3) 

 th» borrowing, upon the security of the trust property, 

 by the "education authority" of such sums for 



additions, improvements, &c.^ as may be needed 



these powers to be subject to the conditions imposed 

 bv the Board of Education ; {4) the maintenance at 

 the Subordinate School, by the " education authority," 

 of the existing system' of foundationerships and 

 scholarships tenable at that school. 



A good deal of misgiving has been manifested 

 locally in regard to the foregoing proposal, but it 

 seems to us to be a step in the right direction. We 

 confess that, as to nomenclature, the words " educa- 

 tion authority " do not commend themselves to us 

 as a suitable description of the new bodv to whom 

 it is proposed to make the transfer. But the objects 

 which may be secured under the proposal now fore- 



no. i8S6. vol. 73] 



shadowed are great indeed. To have obtained a 

 gift which, if capitalised, would amount to between 

 5o,ooo2. and 70,000?., and to be enabled to utilise 

 such resources to promote the educational and indus- 

 trial progress of the town and neighbourhood of 

 Rugby, are matters for sincere congratulation. The 

 representative character of the new " education 

 authority " will ensure the quickening of an 

 intelligent interest in, and zeal for, that technical 

 and higher education which the townsfolk of Rugby- 

 are seeking — including the actual provision of a 

 technical school. 



It is rather difficult to appraise rightly the action 

 of those who have been disposed to reject an arrange- 

 ment which, as we hope, is now about to be con- 

 summated. Possibly, upon reflection, they will 

 become conscious, as has been the case with other 

 erstwhile opponents, of the opportunities that are 

 within their grasp. For this transfer provides not 

 only that ladder which educationists are so anxious 

 to erect for all those who can climb it, and who may 

 thus be equipped for their several callings, but it 

 will provide also an excellent object-lesson in regard 

 to educational endowments and their administration 

 for the public welfare. With potential issues like 

 these, it is to be hoped that the inhabitants of Rugbv 

 and the neighbourhood will brace themselves for an 

 effort in educational administration which shall 

 inspire other localities to grapple earnestly with more 

 exacting conditions. 



NOTES. 



Lieut. -Colonel Prain, I. M.S., F.R.S., took up the 

 duties of director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on 

 December 16. Sir W. Thiselton-Dyer will continue to take 

 charge of Government advisory work until March 31 next. 



At an Investiture held by the King on Monday, Prof. 

 G. H. Darwin was invested with the insignia of a Knight 

 Commander of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.), and Sir 

 Felix Semon with those of a Knight Commander of the 

 Royal Victorian Order. His Majesty subsequently decorated 

 the commander, officers, and several other members of the 

 National Antarctic Expedition with the medal in com- 

 memoration of the expedition. 



A series of meetings for the informal discussion of 

 important contributions to meteorological literature, par- 

 ticularly those by colonial or foreign meteorologists, has 

 been arranged at the Meteorological Office by the director. 

 Dr. W. N. Shaw, F.R.S. Two meetings have already 

 been held, and seven others will be held from January to 

 April of next year. The subjects suggested for discussion 

 are of great interest to students and investigators of 

 meteorological problems, and the director invites exchange 

 of views upon them. 



The next meeting of the French Association for the 

 Advancement of Science will be held at Lyons from 

 August 2 to August 7. 1906, under the presidency of Prof. 

 Lippmann. 



\\ 1 regret to see the announcement that Mr. Lewis 

 Wright, author of well known books on " Light " and 

 "The Induction Coil in Practical Work," and of several 

 works on the scientific breeding of poultry, was accidentally 

 killed by a passing train at Saltford railway station, near 

 Bristol, on Saturday, December 16. 



A large and influential committee of leading represent- 

 atives of science in many parts of the world has been 

 formed with the object of placing a monument to the 



