230 
Mr. Eggers has recently paid a visit to this country 
with a view of inducing some of the English advocates of 
an International Coinage to take part in the proposed 
conference. It was suggested by Mr. J. B. Smith, M.P., 
that a private mecting should be held to enable Mr. 
Eggers to explain his vi.ws, and this meeting was 
accordingly held on the 25th ult. at the Standards Office, 
7, Old Palace Yard. But few persons, however, attended ; 
amongst them were Dr. Leone Levi and Mr. Hendricks ; 
Mr. J. B. Smith was himself absent from illness. 
The principal propositions of Mr. Eggers, which seem 
to be fully explained in his printed pamphlet, entitled 
“ Die Geldreform,” published at Berlin, were— 
1. That the International Coins should be of a round 
metric weight. whe 
2. As common units of value, a dollar of fine gold 
1} gramme, and a coin of 25 grammes of silver 
“, fine. : 
2 As nearly corresponding with the pound sterling, a 
coin of 5 dollars, or a new sovereign of 7} grammes 
of fine gold. 
And he suggested that such a gold dollar and sayereign 
might be first introduced in Canada, as very nearly 
agreeing in value with the American gold coinage. 
The objections raised against these propositions were, 
first, that if the fine gold in the dollar weighed 1} grammes, 
the addition of } alloy would make the actual weight of 
the dollar 13 grammes, which is not a round metric 
weight. There would be the same result with the new 
sovercign of 7} grammes fine gold, as } alloy would make 
the actual weight 81 grammes, 
A far more serious objection was that the difference 
between the 7} gramme fine go!d in the proposed new 
sovereign, and 7'32238 grammes in the existing sovereign, 
equal to 017762 grammes, would increase the value of 
the sovereign more than 5}¢., which was quite inad- 
missible, 
The question of a silver International Coin was not 
discussed, the general opinion being that the difficulties 
of agreeing upon asingle gold unit were already suffi- 
ciently great, and that until they could be‘overcome, it was 
almost hopeless to expect that any International Coinage 
could be established. The adoption in the German 
Empire of the 20-mark piece as the gold coin unit, and 
containing 5‘o4d. less in value of fine gold than the sove- 
reign, together with the very large amount of the new 
German gold coinage, appears to offer at the present 
time an insuperable obstacle to the common adoption of 
an International Coinage, however desirable it may be. 
NOTES 
Ar the meeting of the Paris Academy of Sciences on the 7th 
instant, three elections to the Section of Anatomy and Zoology 
took place. The places to be filled were those of Mr. Agass‘z, 
elected a Foreign Associate, and MM. Pictet and Pouchet, 
deceased. In the first case M. Steenstrup ‘obtained 38 votes 
and Mr. Darwin 6; in the second Mr. Dana obtained 35 and 
Mr. Darwin 12; in the third Dr. Carpenter obtained 35, Mr. 
Darwin 12, and Mr. Huxley 1 vote. Messrs. Steenstrup, Dana, 
and Carpenter were therefore declared duly elected. 
Tue Professorship of Anatomy at King’s College, London, 
rendered vacant by the death of Mr. Partridge, was refilled on 
Friday last by the appointment of Dr, Curmmow, a former student 
of the College, whose medical career at the University of London 
has been one of the most brilliant on record. After having ob- 
tained the scholarships agg gold medals in Anatomy and Materit 
Medica at the first M.B.y@he was equally successful at the second | 
‘CB., gaining the same honours in Medicine and Obste‘ric 
‘Tedicine, Atthe M.D, examination Prof, Curnow also obtained 
“= gold medal, We cannot but think that the Council of | 
NATURE 
[Fuly 17, 1873 
King’s College have made a judicious selection, and haye grace- 
fully recognised talent in one of their most promising pupils, 
THE Royal College of Science for Ireland,’in connection with 
the Science and Art Department, South Kensington, has con- 
ferred the diploma of associate on the following gentlemen : — 
Faculty of Engineering : G. P. Culyerwell, E. P. Culverwell, R. 
W. Frazer, and E. Barrington. “Faculty of Manufactures ; 
Thomas Abbott. The two Royal Scholarships were awarJed 
to John O. Hicks and James Patterson. The silver medal to F. 
A Caldwell. 
“Tr never rains bat it pours.” Prof. Agassiz, as repre- 
senting the Anderson Natural History School, of Penikese 
Island, has been presented by Mr. C. W. Galloupe, of Swamp- 
scott, with a handsome yacht of 80 tons, estimated to cost 20,000 
dollars. The: vessel will be used for dredging, temperature 
soundings, &c., along the ‘coast in the neighbourhood of the 
island ; its presentation makes perfectly complete the apparatus 
for practically training the students of the finest natural history 
school in the world. 
THE British Government has appointed Mr. Robert Scott 
and Mr, Alexander Buchan to represent this country at the 
forthcoming Meteorological Conzress at Vienna, Other societies © 
and departments which have been invited to nominate delega'es 
will probably refuse to do so, Government having characteris- 
tically refused to pay the necessary expenses, 
THE Report of the College of Physical Science of Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne, at the end of the second year of its existence, is 
altogether satisfactory, The classes have been augmented from 
four to eleven, and the number of students shows a considerable 
increase over the previous session ; the attendance at the eyenin 
classes is also satisfactory. The number of students attending 
instruction in practical chemistry has been so great as to render 
it necessary to make arrangements for materially increasing the 
laboratory accommodation, The Council are very sanguine of 
the success of the college, though they feel the necessity of found- 
ing more professorships and obtaining more accommodation, and 
think that the wealthy manufacturers and merchants of New- 
castle and the North of England ought to render much more 
assistance than they do. We hope the wealthy manufacturers of 
the North will see it to be their duty, as it certainly is their interest 
to contribute to the success of such an institution in their midst, 
It would certainly be a disgrace to Newcastle if its Science College 
should, in the midst of enormous wealth, not attain the greatest 
possible measure of success, There is no reason why this insti- 
tution should not be made as successful as Owens College, Man- 
chester, and we hope that ere long similar institutions will be 
established in all the large towns of England. It would be a 
pity that those who are concerned in the management of 
the Newcastle institution should mar its success by any 
antiquated restrictions as toa knowledge of ancient languages 
by those who have shown themselves deserving of a degree in 
science, 
WE regret to announce the death of the eminent engineer, 
Mr, J. R. McClean, M.P., F.R.S. ; 
Our readers have no doubt heard of the recent miserable thefts 
of living Italian coral from the Crystal Palace Aqnuariam. It is . 
really difficult to find words to characterise the despicable mean- 
nessoftheact. Mr. Lloydsays that these things are never taken 
when working people are present. Meantime the public must 
suffer for the act ofan individual, for it has been thought necessary . 
so to secure the corals under lock and key, thatithey cannot be so 
well seen 93 before, ‘when in open tanks. We can only hope 
that the petty thief will be discovered: happily such acts gre 
rays ip gut Places of publig resort. 
