Fan. 4, 1883 | 
AT the last sitting of the year 1882, the Paris Academy of 
Sciences elected M. Bunsen, of Heidelberg, a Foreign Asso- 
ciate. M,. Bunsen was already a Correspondent in the Section 
of Chemistry, and he will fill the place vacated by the death 
of M. Wohler. It should be remembered that, contrary to 
the rule for members, who must be French citizens, and 
Associates, who must be foreigners, the ‘correspondents of 
the Academy can be elected without any qualification of 
nationality; but none of them, either French subjects or 
foreigners, may live in Paris previous to their nomination. This 
rule is so strict that it is stated that an eminent man of science, 
wishing to become a candidate, removed his home from Paris 
to Versailles; and having been successful, returned to Paris, 
where he now lives. 
THE Puc d’Aumale has been elected President of the 
Académie Francaise. M. Blanchard, the naturalist, will be 
President of the Academy of Sciences for 1883; he was vice- 
president during the past year. The vice-president for 1883, 
and future president for 1884 would be elected on Tuesday from 
the Mathematical Section. Before leaving the chair M. Jamin 
will, according to precedent, read a list of losses experienced by 
the Academy in 1882, and of the nominations made during the 
same period ; he will also give a résumé of the progress of the 
several publications of the Academy. 
On Tuesday January 2, there was a gathering of people inte- 
yested in educational progress, at No. 1, Lyng Place, Gordon 
Square, to inspect the College Hall of Residence for Women 
Students which has lately been established there. Complete as 
this hall is in itself, we understand {hat it is only provisional 
until sufficient approval and support have been obtained to justify 
the opening of a building capable of accommodating a larger 
number of ladies. We may, however, regard it as embodying 
the idea of its founders, and as supplying in miniature a model 
of that comfortable and well-adapted academic residence which. 
it is their object to provide for female undergraduates and art- 
students in London. The advantages to the members of this 
rapidly-increasing class of entering such a hall instead of taking 
separate lodgings or rooms in a boarding-house, or even living 
at home (in many cases) are not far to seek. Students in 
lodgings often suffer from neglect of health and under-feeding, 
while those who work at home are subject to interruptions and 
the strain of conflicting claims ; and although they might avoid 
both these drawbacks in a good boarding house, they would still 
find that their residence was not adapted to the needs of student 
life. Whichever planis adopted, girls generally lack oppor- 
tunities of free intercourse with minds whose training has been 
about equal to their own, such as of late years they have been 
able to obtain at Oxford and Cambridge, and which is specially 
needed in London, the seat of the only English University that 
as yet admits them formally to degrees. Hence the three greatest 
benefits of the new hall will be: first, to bring the women 
students of London into social and intellectual fellowship, and thus 
to improve the quality of their work by encouraging conference on 
the subjects of study, without which it is hardly possible to 
acquire and test accuracy of thought; secondly, to diminish the 
causes of failure of health by care and good housekeéping ; and 
thirdly, to increase the time at the disposal of students; thus, 
on the one hand, affording to the zealous worker opportunities 
of relaxation, which in different surroundings would be absorbed 
in housekeeping worries or other occupations, and, on the other 
hand, enabling the less enthusiastic to add to the quantity of 
their acquirements without increase of conscious effort. The 
Hall has been established chiefly in the interests of the students 
of University College (including the Slade School), but its use- 
fulness is much enhanced by proximity to the London School of 
Medicine for Women, and the British Museum; for on this 
NATURE 
229 
account we may fairly hope that it will contain numbers of 
students in the various departments of Literature, Science, and 
Medicine, and the Fine Arts. Liberality of thought and breadth 
of sympathy can hardly fail to be promoted, where subjects of 
interest are so varied amongst companions united by the com- 
mon principle of serious study. Although the Hall was only 
opened last term, we notice with pleasure that all the rooms are 
already taken ; hence there is reasonable ground for hope that 
the larzer scheme of the Committee will before long be realised. 
That the interests of students of science will be well looked after 
may be gathered from the fact that the presidents of the Royal 
Society and of the British Association, Prof, Huxley, Dr. Glad- 
stone, Mr. Samuelson, M.P., Prof. Carey Foster, and others 
are aiding the scheme. Sir John Lubbock is the treasurer of 
the Building Fund. 
Dr. von Hocusrerrer, for many years president of the 
Vienna Geographical Society has resigned this post and has 
been nominated honorary president for life. In his stead Count 
Hans Wilczek was elected president. 
THE death is announced of Karl Winter, the well-known 
electrician. He died at Vienna on December 7 last. 
Pror, W. GrRyYLLs ADAMS, F.R.S., will deliver a course of 
lectures on voltaic and dynamic electricity aud magnetism, and 
their applications to cable-testing, electric lighting, &c., at 
King’s College, London, during the ensuing session. A course 
of practical work in electrical testing and measurement with 
especial reference to electrical engineering will also be carried on 
under his direction in the Wheatstone Laboratory. The lectures 
will be given once a week on Mondays at 2 p.m., and the labo- 
ratory will be open daily (Saturday excepted) from 1to 4, The 
work will begin on Monday, January 15. 
Tue French Senate has diminished by a million of francs 
(40,000/.), the Budget of Public Instruction for 1883. It is 
regarded as a warning given to the Lower House, not to spend 
with too free a hand the public funds for educational purposes, 
THE continual rains are creating serious apprehensions in 
Paris, and the Seine has again reached the level of disastrous 
inundations. A similar calamity is befalliug other cities in 
France, amongst which the foremost is Lyons. The calamity 
having been foreseen by the Hydrological Service, all mea- 
sures have been taken to diminish as much as possible the 
extent of the disaster. A/édar states that heavy rains have been 
experienced in Algiers, and even at Laghouat, where it has been 
received with a real exultation. The newspapers are full of the 
disastrous floods caused by the rise of nearly all the great rivers 
in the Central European plain. 
WITH reference to a recent note to the effect that snow fell 
on November 11 in Madrid to the depth of 1 foot, Mr. Gill- 
man writes that snow began to descend early that morning, but 
had ceased at midday. He nowhere found it deeper than 6 
inches, but this was uniform in the streets and open country. 
In the night of 11th-12th, the minimum thermometer marked 
—11° cent. ; barometer on Sunday stood at 688 millims. 
THE appearance within the last two years of two comets has 
been regarded as a most menacing portent by Chinese politicians. 
Their resemblance to flaming swords is regarded as emblematical 
of the vengeance of heaven on an unwortby nation. It is stated 
that in consequence of the last comet, an urgent decree has been 
promulgated in the name of the youthful monarch, stating that it 
is a clear indication that the officials are lax in making proper 
reports to the Throne, and have been keeping the Emperor in 
the dark as to pestilences and other calamities among the people. 
His Majesty has reason to believe that improper officials have 
been appointed ; he has, moreover, subjected his Imperial hear 
