May 15, 1884] 



NA TURE 



63 



tion of rocks on his return to Lake Nyassa, which will 

 give us a more detailed knowledge of that interesting 

 volcanic and also coal-bearing region. 



Naples, April 26 H. J. Johnston-Lavis 



NOTES 



Two eminent chemists died on Monday, both born in the 

 same year — 1S17 — M. Karl Adolph Wurtz and Dr. R. Angus 

 Smith, F.R.S. M. Wurtz, who was a pall-bearer at the funeral 

 of Dumas, is stated to have died from the bursting of a blood- 

 vessel ; he was a candidate for the vacant post of Perpetual 

 Secretary to the Academy of Sciences. Dr. Angus Smith had 

 been in failing health for some time. A detailed account of the 

 careers of both chemists we must postpone till next week. 



The Council of the Royal Geographical Society have selected 

 the following travellers for honours : — Mr. A. R. Colquhoun, for 

 his travels in China, and Dr. Julius von Haast, for his systematic 

 exploration of the southern island of New Zealand, the Royal 

 Medals; Mr. W. W. M'Nair, the Murchison Grant ; Mr. Emil 

 Boss, the Bach Grant ; Mr. W. O. M 'Ewan, the Cuthbert Peek 

 Grant ; and Dr. Haast, Dr. Max Buchner, and M. Ferdinand de 

 Lesseps as honorary corresponding members. 



Germany has been prompt in acknowledging the services of 

 its Cholera Commission ; by acclamation a bill was passed by 

 Parliament on Tuesday awarding a sum of 135,000 marks to 

 Dr. Koch and his companions. 



The Council of the British Association have resolved not to 

 entertain any more applications for membership prior to the 

 Montreal meeting, when members and associates will be elected 

 as at any other meeting. The number of tickets applied for 

 is 722. 



During the discussion in the Dominion House of Commons 

 upon the vote of 25,000 dollars to defray the expenses of the 

 meeting in Montreal in August next of the British Association, 

 some further arrangements for the reception of members were 

 made known. The excursion to the Rocky Mountains will, it 

 is announced, take place on September 4, the members being 

 taken by the New Canadian Pacific Lake route, where specially- 

 constructed steamers make direct connection with the railway on 

 each side. The excursion will probably occupy two weeks, and 

 arrangements have been made that members of the party may 

 not be put to greater expense than one dollar and a half per diem 

 during the trip. Of the 25,000 dollars granted by the Dominion 

 Parliament, 5000 will be used to defray the expenses of the 

 meeting itself, and a fund is being raised to guarantee the Asso- 

 ciation against loss in connection with the publication of their 

 proceedings. In addition to the Rocky Mountains excursion, 

 ■excursions will be arranged to Ottawa, Quebec, and probably to 

 Belceil Mountain, a locality of great geological interest. Active 

 preparations are being made at Montreal, Toronto, and other 

 places which will be visited, to give the members a due recep- 

 tion. It has also been arranged by the Associated Atlantic 

 Cable Company that social cable messages to and from the dele- 

 gates and their friends shall be sent free of charge. This is 

 regarded as a considerable contribution towards the success of 

 the meeting in Montreal. 



THE French Association for the Advancement of Science 

 meets at Blois this year from September 4 to 11. 



Prof. Huxley was examined on Tuesday before the Select 

 Committee of the House of Commons on the Education, Science, 

 and Art Departments. He stated that in his opinion greater 

 attention should be paid in our public schools to physical science. 

 The Endowed Schools Commission was appointed to a great 

 extent on account of the general state of apathy which existed 

 in connection with the endowed schools. There is a distinct 

 provision that a certain proportion of marks should be given to 



science and modern languages. The system, however, is not 

 well carried out in the public schools ; not more than two hours 

 a week are given to science. There is no doubt, Prof. Huxley 

 stated, that the Oxford and Cambridge School Examination 

 Board Regulations tend to handicap science extremely. The 

 examiners found their examinations on what is taught in the 

 schools, and the schools found their instruction on the require- 

 ments of the examiners. He regarded the present system of edu- 

 cation as wrong from top to bottom. The subjects on which 

 most stress is laid are really luxuries, while those which are 

 regarded as luxuries are really the most essential. The present 

 system of education in the country shuts out young men from 

 many employments for which they should be eligible, and tends 

 to the employment of foreigners. Prof. Huxley thought that an 

 influential Minister, with a seat in the Cabinet, might do a great 

 deal to improve education. It would be his business to judge 

 in what direction the educational system was tending, and to 

 enforce on the educational bodies a modification of their system 

 in the desired direction. He would give the Minister power 

 to insist upon more time being given to science and modern 

 languages. 



The Royal Society conversazione on the 7th inst. was well 

 attended, and the exhibits, mainly connected with physica' 

 science, interesting. Mr. J. Wimshurst exhibited the con- 

 tinuous electrophorus. This instrument consists of two glass 

 disks, revolving in opposite directions upon the same axis. To 

 the outer faces of the disks radial metallic sectors are attached, 

 which in their turn are touched by brushes of fine wire. It is self- 

 exciting under almost any condition of atmosphere, parts freely with 

 its electricity, and the current will not change its direction while 

 the instrument is at work. In Room II. was shown a map of the 

 earthquake in Essex (April 22, 1884), with photographs of damaged 

 buildings. In Room III. Messrs. Elliott Brothers showed some 

 electrical and magnetic apparatus, including a simplex repeater 

 board, Wheatstone's transmitter, Wheatstone's perforator (new 

 form), portable electric lamps, worked by Skrivanow batteries, 

 the Kew Committee magnetometer, and a selection of electrical 

 and other instruments. In the principal library was a compound 

 magnet, with bifilar suspension, showing the change in total 

 moment produced by dividing a magnet into short lengths, exhi- 

 bited by Mr. R. H. M. Bosanquet. The magnet consists of 

 eighteen pieces of hard steel which, fitted end to end, form a 

 cylindrical bar. These ican be placed in the suspension tray 

 either as a bar, or dispersed as separate pieces. When placed 

 together as a bar the moment is between seven and eight times 

 as great as when the pieces are separated. The equilibrium 

 position of the suspended tray is east and west. When a magnet 

 is placed in the tray a deflection takes place towards north and 

 south. The tangent of this deflection measures the moment, 

 according to the ordinary principles of bifilar suspension. Mr. 

 Hilger exhibited various spectroscopes and a 6i-inch achromatic 

 object glass in a mount of new construction. A new photometer 

 and Dworak's sound radiometer, were sent by Mr. Preece ; and 

 Hughes' magnetic balance, and Prof. Minchin's absolute sine 

 electrometer, by Mr. Groves. An interesting apparatus for the 

 generation and distribution of ozonised air, to be placed in the 

 Hotel-Kursaal de la Maloja, Upper Engadine, was exhibited by 

 Dr. A. Tucker Wise. To render the air as pure as possible in 

 this building, ozone is added to the internal atmosphere in con- 

 nection with the general plan of ventilation. By means of valves 

 this ozonised air can be turned into any room at the rate of 

 from 60 to 100 cubic metres per hour for each occupant. The 

 Rev. S. J. Perry exhibited a selection from the series of drawings 

 of the solar surface made at the Stonyhurst Observatory from 

 1880 to 1884. 



At the next meeting of the Society of Telegraph Engineers 

 and Electricians, to be held on Thursday, May 22. at the Institu- 



