ee ig 
ies 
i 
492 
furnished by the establishment to students of biology, and urging 
that at least one out of the many fellowships belonging to Oxford 
should be devoted to the purpose of affording a suitable man the 
opportunity of pursuing the practical study of biology at the 
Naples station. We have already printed the Report presented 
to the British Association by M. Dohrn, from which it will be 
seen that the University of Cambridge has hired a table ; we 
believe the University of Oxford has refused to do so, and hence 
this appeal to the separate Colleges, by M. Dohrn. Let us hope 
that at least one of these bodies will come forward and maintain 
the credit of the University. 
Pror. Henrici’s Introductory Address for the session at Uni- 
yersity College, delivered on Thursday last, dealt chiefly with the 
distinction between the results of Mathematical teaching in Ger- 
many and in England ; that while in Germany almost every great 
mathematician (as an example the late Prof. Clebsch was pointed 
out) was the founder of a school, in England, on the contrary, no 
mathematical school had been founded in recent times. This the 
lecturer did not attribute to the paucity in this country of mathema- 
ticians of the very highest eminence,—indeed the names of Sylves- 
ter, Cayley, and Sir Wm. Thomson are alone sufficient to show 
that no country of Europe is ahead of England in this respect, — 
but rather to the want of personal influence exercised by them on 
younger minds, which has become almost impossible by the 
antiquated institutions of our ol d Universities. While the num- 
ber of mathematical students at Cambridge exceeds that at a large 
number of German universities put together, the proportion of 
these students who are pursuing their studies for any higher pur- 
* pose than that of taking a good degree—after which they allow 
them to be all but entirely neglected—is very small ; and hence 
England is lameutably deficient in mathematical inquirers of 
the second and third class. Without wishing to see the 
German system introduced into this country in its entirety, 
Prof. Henrici pointed out some of the defects of our English 
system which he considered to conduce to this end ; especially 
the encouragement given by the mode of examination to 
‘* cramming ;” the small number of professorships ; the fact that 
the remuneration of the professors is to a great extent dependent 
on the student’s fees, and hence the comparatively high scale of 
charges ; the slight encouragement given to the pursuit of pure 
science as a means of livelihood ; and, above all, the want of that 
personal communication and interchange of ideas between 
teacher and pupil which tends so greatly to a promotion of the 
love of science, 
A SPECIAL Meeting of the Council of the Society of Arts was 
held on Wednesday, Oct. 1, to consider the subject of National 
Museums and Galleries, and their bearing on public education: 
A Standing Committee was appointed for the purpose of bringing 
under Parliamentary responsibility the national museums and 
galleries, so as to extend their benefits to local museums, and to 
make them bear on public education. The following are the 
several objects in view for effecting this purpose:—1. All 
museums and galleries supported or subsidised by Parliament to 
be made conducive to the advancement of education and technical 
instruction to the fullest extent, and be made to extend their 
advantages to the promotion of original investigations and works 
in science and art. 2. To extend the benefits of national 
museums and galleries to local museums of science and art which 
may desire to be in connection, and to assist them with loans of 
objects. 3. To induce Parliament to grant sufficient funds to 
enable such objects to be systematically collected, especially in 
view of making such loans. 4. For carrying out these objects 
most efficiently, to cause all national museums and galleries to 
be placed under the authority of a minister of the Crown, being 
a member of the Cabinet, with direct responsibility to Parlia- 
ment ; thereby abolishing all unpaid and irresponsible trustees, 
NATURE 
PE AUT Me ee Ie ee 
except those who are trustees under bequests or deeds, who 
should continue to have the full powers of their trusts, but should 
not be charged with the expenditure of Parliamentary votes. 5. 
To enter into correspondence with all existing local museums 
and the numerous schools of science and art (including schools 
for music) now formed throughott the United Kingdom, and 
to publish suggestions for the establishment of local museums. 
6. Also to cause the Public Libraries and Museums Act (18 and 
19 Vict. c. lxx.) to be enlarged, in order to give local authori- 
ties increased powers of acting. We congratulate the Society of 
Arts on the step it has taken : we believe it is the most important 
piece of work it has ever set its hands to. 
THE Council of the Society for the Promotion of Scientific 
Industry, looking to the enormous waste there is in the consump- 
tion of coal, whilst its cost is every day increasing, have resolved 
that an exhibition shall be held in Manchester of all appliances 
and apparatus, that tend to the economic use and saving of fuel, 
for the purpose of inducing attention to, and eliciting opinions of 
practical men on the matter, and of giving all consumers of coal 
an opportunity of comparing the various appliances, with a view 
to their adeption of that which will best serve their purpose. 
The exhibition will comprise :—1st. Appliances which may be 
adapted to existing furnaces, &c., whereby an actual saving is 
effected in the consumption of fuel. 2nd. Appliances which may 
be adapted to existing furnaces, &c., whereby waste heat is 
utilised. 3rd. New steam generators and furnaces, boilers and 
engines specially adapted for the saving of fuel and appliances, 
whereby waste products are utilised, and the radiation of heat 
prevented, &c., &c., The exhibition will include appliances 
used for manufacturing, agricultural, and domestic purposes, 
Either the apparatus itself, or diagrams, or models may be ex- 
hibited, and no limit is placed upon the class of articles to be © 
exhibited. Exhibitors will be required to deliver their exhibits 
free of charge at the place of exhibition, and to remoye them at 
the close of the exhibition ; they must also erect them if neces- 
sary at their own expense. Every exhibit must be accompanied 
by a full description, which must include a statement of the par- 
ticular work the apparatus is intended to perform. A duplicate 
of this statement must be handed in when application is made to 
exhibit. Exhibitors will be given every opportunity of explain- 
ing the speciality of their apparatus. All articles are exhibited 
at the risk of the exhibitor, though every reasonable care will be 
exercised. Further information may be obtained from the secre- 
tary of the society. 
Sir SAMUEL AND LaDy Baker, with their nephew and some — 
black servants, arrived at Paris on Monday morning, en route 
for London. The whole of them are in excellent health, and 
bear strong traces of exposure to an African sun. Interesting 
information concerning Sir Samuel’s work in Africa, will be 
found in the Daily News of the 7th and 8th inst. 
Str HENRY RAWLINSON delivered the inaugural address on 
the commencement of the winter session of the Midland Institute 
at Birmingham on Monday evening. Referring to Aretic 
explorations, he said he indulged the hope that the year will not 
close before an assurance has been given that the Cha/lenger Ex- 
pedition will be supplemented by the despatch during next spring 
of a well-equipped Admiralty vessel which will be commissioned 
to endeavour to reach the Pole by pushing through Smith’s 
Sound from Baffin’s Bay in the track of the American ship, 
Folaris, whose fate has recently elicited so much sympathy 
throughout England. 
SurGron E, J. MILLIGAN, of the steamship 4/rica; writes 
from Sierra Leone, on the 12th ult., to the Zrish Times, stating 
that on August 17, when returning from Loanda homeward, 
they steamed up the River Congo, and when at Banana one of 
| Oct. 9, 1873 — 
4 
