Fune 8, 1871] 
NATURE 
107 

NOTES 
Tr will be welcome news to astronomers throughout the world 
to hear that the Board of Visitors of the Royal Observatory have 
determined to ask the Government to grant the sum of 5,000/. 
to enable photographic cbservations to be made of the approach- 
ing Transit of Venus. It is a matter of wonder that now, when 
the labours of De la Rue and Rutherford have brought this 
most perfect means of astronomical record to a pitch of perfec- 
tion which it is scarcely needful to surpass, it is still ignored in 
official observatories. In the matter of the Transit of Venus, it 
will more than double the chances of success, and Mr. Ruther- 
ford has shown that in other inquiries it enables an only 
moderately skilled person to do in a month what a Bessel would 
require years to compass by the old method. ‘There is no doubt 
that the appeal to Government will be successful. Would that 
we had a Physical Observatory and a Board of Visitors to look 
after other phenomena which we are now neglecting, the obser- 
vation of which is even of more importance in the present state 
of science than that of any number of Transits of Venus ! 
AT the conclusion of a recent lecture at the Royal Institution 
Dr. Carpenter ‘‘ expressed the earnest hope that the liberal 
assistance of Her Majesty's Government, which has already 
enabled British Naturalists to obtain the Jead in this inquiry, would 
be so continued as fo enable them to keep it for the future. In 
particular he called attention to the suggestion lately thrown out 
by M. Alex. Agassiz that an arrangement might be made by our 
own Admiralty with the naval authorities of the United States, 
by which a thorough survey, Physical and Biological, of the North 
Atlantic should be made between the two countries, so that 
British and American explorers, prosecuting in a spirit of generous 
rivalry labours most important to the science of the future, might 
meet and shake hands on the mid-ocean.” We fear that if we do 
not bestir ourselves the credit which has been won by British scien- 
tific enterprise will pass elsewhere. The United States Govern- 
ment is not only preparing the Deep-sea Exploring Expedition, 
of which we gave an account in our last issue, but is also fitting 
out a similar expedition to the North Pacific. The German Go- 
yernment is about to send a like expedition to explore the depths 
of the Atlantic to the west of Portugal, where the Porcupine 
Expedition of last year met with its greatest biological successes ; 
and the Swedish Government has already despatched two ships 
expressly fitted for deep-sea exploration, to Baffin’s Bay; the 
Natural History part of the work being under the charge of Mr, 
Lindape, who acted as assistant-naturalist in the last Porcupine 
Expedition. What are our Scientific men as a body, what is our 
Government doing ? 
time we have heard of no general appeal to the Government for 
the required help. And thus, having shown other nations the 
way to the treasures of knowledge which lie hid in the re- | 
cesses of the ocean, we are falling from the van into the 
rear, and leaving our rivals to gather everything up. 
creditable to the Power which claims to be mistress of the seas? 
Is it fair to the eminent men who have freely given their best 
services to the nation, 
victory ? 
distinguished that they are vieing with each other for a partici- 
pation in it, surely we ought at least to Ao/d our own. 
Is this | 
and obtained for it a glorious scientific | 
If their success is regarded by other countries as so | 

We grieve to say that up to the present | 

A PARAGRAPH has appeared in several pay:ers to the effect that | 
the lime light is to be displayed on the great clock tower at | 
Westminster during the sitting of Parliament. We are glad to 
announce that the light in question will not be the lime light, but 
a much more brilliant one~-the magneto-electric. Such a light 
has now for some time past shone from the Capitol at Washington, 
and was under the consideration of Lord John Manners some 
few years ago. Mr. Ayrton, we learn, has expressed great 
interest in the matter, an estimate has been called for, and as 
there is already steam power available, we may hope that, under 
Dr. Tyndall’s direction, the new light will soon brightly shine. 
THE Educational Lectures delivered at the London Institution 
during the past session by Prof. Huxley, Dr. Odling, and Mr. 
R. A. Proctor, were followed by examinations, and on Wed- 
nesday last the prizes and certificates obtained by the students 
were distributed by Mr. Thomas Baring, M.P., F.R.S., the 
president of the Institution. In Chemistry, the first prize was 
awarded to Frederick Garrett, and the second prize to A. J. 
Richardson. In Biology, Miss Dora Harris gained the first prize, 
while A. Percy Lloyd and Miss F. L. Tolmé obtained second 
prizes. In Astronomy, the first prize was gained by A. J. Wallis, 
and second prizes fell to Miss Annie Piper and Edward Garrett. 
W. T. THISTLETON Dyer, Esq., commenced last Monday a 
course of six lectures on the Natural History of a Flowering 
Plant, at the Royal College of Science for Ireland, St. Stephen’s 
Green. The lectures will be continued on the following Monday 
and Thursday evenings. 
THE Society of Arts has this year conferred its Albert Gold 
Medal upon Mr. Cole,°C.B. It seems agreed on all hands that 
without Mr. Cole we should have had neither the South Ken- 
sington Museum nor any of those Science and Art classes which 
are now either in full work or are springing up throughout the 
country, and are doing an incalculable amount of good. If this 
be so, then certainly Mr. Cole has done more for the spreading 
of Science and Artin this country than any other man of his time ; 
and our scientific and artistic bodies should join with the Society ~ 
of Arts in acknowledging his services. 
TueE Royal Commission on Scientific Instruction and the 
Advancement of Science recommenced their sittings on Tuesday 
last, and will meet again to-morrow. 
Pror. Humpury, of Cambridge, will hold classes for 
instruction in Practical Anatomy on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and 
Saturdays at half-past twelve during the Long Vacation, com- 
mencing July 4. There will also be classes for instruction in 
Practical Histology on Wednesdays and Fridays at half-past 
twelve, commencing July 5. This, together with a course of 
instruction in the Physiological Laboratory, under the direction 
of Dr. Michael Foster, will constitute a course of Practical 
Physiology. Gentlemen who have entered to the Anatomical 
Lectures will be at liberty to attend these classes without addi- 
tional fee. 
THERE will be an election to a Science Fellowship at Corpus 
Christi College at the beginning of Michaelmas Term. Can- 
didates must have passed all the examinations required by the 
University for the degree of B. A., and must not be in possession 
of any benefice or property which would disqualify for retaining 
a Fellowship. This examination will commence on Monday, 
October 9, and will be specially in chemistry. Candidates are 
requested to communicate with the president, either personally 
or by letter, at their convenience, before the end of Act Term, 
THE Sheepshanks Astronomical Exhibition at Trinity College, 
Cambridge, has been awarded to Horace Lamb, Scholar of the 
College. The Exhibition is open to all members of the Univer- 
sity, the only conditions being that the person elected shall 
become a member of Trinity College. 
Avarecent Court of Governors of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, 
Mr. Paget, F.R.S., was appointed consulting surgeon to the 
hospital. At a Court held last Thursday, Mr. Callender was 
elected surgeon. There is now, therefore, a vacancy for the 
office of assistant-surgeon to the hospital. 
WE greatly regret to hear of the alarming illness of Mr. 
Grote, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London. His 
long and useful life has been devoted to the cause of higher edu- 
