22 



NA TURE 



INov. 5, 1885 



the same effect, and it would appear from these resiihs that the 

 anhydrous chloride can exist in aqueous sohitions. The changes 

 in the character of the spectrum of an aqueous solution produced 

 by heat may be explained as arising from a dissociation of some 

 of the hydrates existing in the solution, and the production of 

 anhydrous cobaltous chloride. Further, the fact that those solu- 

 tions containing the anhydrous salt more readily transmit the 

 blue rays and absorb the red rays, whilst those containing 

 hydrates in solution more readity transmit the red rays, would 

 indicate that the molecule of the hydrate is smaller than that of 

 the anhydrous salt. The action of water on the anhydrous salt, 

 therelore, is not to form an additive compound, but to split the 

 molecule of the anhydrous salt and form one in which water 

 replaces cobaltous chloride. 



In the discussion which followed the reading of these papers 

 Prof. Ramsay said that the density of a saturated vapour 

 alTorded a clue to the molecular complicity. Now while a liquid 

 such as water or alcohol gave a saturated vapour, which at a 

 sufficiently low temperature and corresponding low pressure had 

 normal density, the saturated vapour of acetic acid, on tlie 

 contrary, had an increasing density with fall of temperature, 

 this density showing that the molecule has passed the stage 

 CjHgOj and is on its way to CgHj.iOu, if the results are to be 

 explained by agglomeration of simple molecules at all. 



Dr. Gladstone remarked that from the evidence of coloured 

 salts in solution such as the sulphocyanidesof cobalt, he believed 

 that a dissolved salt might be in an anhydrous condition and 

 might become more and more hydrated as the mass of water in its 

 presc nee is increased or its temperature lowered. Evidence of other 

 changes might also be obtained from the colour of solutions. 

 He did not think that the refraction of light by a body is often 

 likely to tell anything about its molecular volume ; but in the 

 case of the polymeric olefines, C„H2„, the specific refraction and 

 dispersion will probably decrease considerably as the value of /; 

 becomes greater, on account of the increasing proportion o 

 carbon in the normal condition. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Cambridge. — The following have been appointed examiners 

 for the ensuing year : — Physics and Chemistry : Prof. Schuster, 

 F.R.S., and Mr. R. T. Glazebrook, F.R.S. ; Chemistry: 

 Messrs. A. Scott and W. J. Sell ; Mineralogy : Prof. Liveing ; 

 Geology : Messrs. J. J. II. Teall and J. E. Marr ; Botany : 

 Messrs. \V. Gardiner and H. M. Ward ; Human Anatomy : 

 Profs. A. Macalister, F. R.S., and G. D. Thane ; Comparative 

 Anatomy : Mr. A. Sedgwick ; Physiology : Prof. Michael 

 Foster, Sec. R.S., and Mr. A. S. Lea ; Pharmacy and Pharma- 

 ceutical Chemistry : Prof. Wyndham Dunstan. 



Mr. F. H. Neville, Sidney Sussex College, is appointed as 

 teacher of chemistry with reference to certificates for M.B. 



In the late Higher Local Examinations the arithmetic and 

 Euclid were fairly well done. 



In Algebra and Trigonometry the cases of gross failure were 

 fewer, while the work of the better candidates was not so good 

 as last year. 



Considerable care had been taken to apprehend the facts of 

 Mechanics, but some candidates merely stated a result when 

 asked to " prove " or " establish" it ; and when asked to draw 

 inferences by means of the laws of motion, they drew inferences 

 from quite other considerations, A certain amount of know- 

 ledge of Decriptive Astronomy was shown by some of the 

 candidates : two of the twenty-two obtained more than half 

 marks. 



Only four candidates took the paper in Differential and In- 

 tegral Calculus. Two of them showed a sound knowledge of 

 the early definitions and rules for differentiation ; the other two 

 (who alone attempted the last eight questions) were less success- 

 ful on the whole, and had confused ideas on the elementary 

 parts of the subject. No marks were obtained in Integral 

 Calculus. 



In the Elementary Natural Science paper the work was as a 

 whole extremely poor, notably in Chemistry. 



In Physics the candidates seemed to possess very little power 

 of giving concise and definite answers. The attempts to describe 

 experiments and experimental proofs of physical laws were re- 

 markably weak, and might be described as a mere echo of 

 experimental lectures only partially understood ; they showed 

 none of the results that might fairly be expected from a careful 



consideration of those facts and piinciplei which were clearly 

 within the candidates' reading. 



In Physical Geography and Geology most of the papers were 

 good, but none excellent. 



In Physiology the answers were on the whole satisfactory, 

 while three or four papers showed that the writers had gained 

 a very creditable acquaintance with the subject. 



In Zoology most of the papers were far from creditable, and 

 exhibited but little real or intelligent knowledge. The answers 

 to the practical questions were uniformly bad. 



In Botany the candidates displayed but little knowledge of 

 what is meant by the terms "growth," and " collateral," and no 

 one gave a good description of the method of measuring growth. 

 The plant given for description was fairly well described, but 

 the floral diagram was in many cases imperfect. The germina- 

 tion of a seed was not well described. Several students 

 described Penicillium, Miicor. and Agariciis, as parasites. 



At Gonville and Cains College an examination will be held on 

 December 8 for open scholarships and exhibitions. Natural 

 Science candidates, who must be under nineteen years of age, 

 will be examined in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Animal 

 Physiology ; proficiency will be expected in at least two of these 

 subjects, of which chemistry must be one. Further information 

 will be given by the tutors. 



At the annual election on November 2 at St. John's College, 

 the following were elected to Fellowships : — A. Harker, M.A., 

 Eighth Wrangler 1882, First Class Nat. Sciences Tripos 

 (Physics) 18S3, Woodwardian Demonstrator in Geology; D. W. 

 Samways, M.A. (D.Sc. London), First Class (with distinction in 

 Physics) Nat. Sciences Tripos, iSSi, University Extension 

 Lectures in Physics and Physiology ; W. H. Bennett, M.A. 

 (M.A. London, Mathematics), First Class Theological Tripos 

 1882, Tyrwhitt Hebrew Scholar; W. Bateson, B.A., First 

 Class Nat. Sciences Tripos (Zoology) 1883, Assistant Demon- 

 strator of Animal Morphology; R. W. Hogg, B. A., Sixth 

 Wrangler 18S3, First Class, Part III., Mathematical Tripos, 

 1S84. 



The annual election of Fellows of St. John's College, Cam- 

 bridge, took place on Monday, when the five vacancies were 

 filled up by the election of the following graduates of the 

 College : — • 



(i) A. Harker, M.A., 8th Wrangler, 1882— First-class Natural 

 Sciences Tripos, Part I., June, 1882, Fir.st-class Natural Sciences 

 Tripos, Part II., June, 1883, for Physics, Woodwardian 

 Demonstrator in Geology. 



(2) D. W. Samways, M..\., D. Sc. London — First-class Natural 

 Sciences Tripos, 1881, distinguished in Physics. 



(3) W. H. Bennett, M.A. 



(4) W. Bateson, B.A. — First-class Natural Sciences Tripos, 

 Part I., June, 1SS2, and Fii-st-class Natural Sciences Tripos, 

 Part II., June, 1883, for Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, 

 Assistant Demonstrator in Animal Morphology. 



(5) R. W. Hogg, B.A., 6th Wrangler, June, 1883, and in 

 the first division Mathematical Tripos, Part III.. January, 1884. 



Preliminary Scientific Examination of the Uni- 

 versity OF London. — The following statistics of the Pre- 

 liminary Scientific Examination for the degree in Medicine of 

 the University of London are of importance as conclusively 

 proving that those members of the medical profession who so 

 urgently declare this examination to be too severe are entirely 

 misinformed. At the examination in last July there passed from 

 all parts of the United Kingdom 159 candidates. Nearly an 

 equal number were rejected ; but that this is owing to the fact 

 that the candidates had not sought the usual and proper methods 

 of preparation, and not to the fact that the examination is a 

 specially difficult one, is proved by the following important 

 facts : — 63 candidates entered for this examination, stating that 

 they had prepared for the examin.ation wholly or in part at Uni- 

 versity College, London. Of these 63 c,andid.ates 52 passed, 

 and several took honours. Thus less than one-fifth were rejected 

 of those candidates who attended the carefully-organised teach- 

 ing of University College. This is an exceedingly small propor- 

 tion of failures for any pass examination. From other London 

 colleges a much smaller number of successful candidates is 

 recorded. The largest number after the University College list 

 is that of St. Bartholomew's Medical School. Instead of 52 we 

 fine here, however, 16. Then come Guy's, St. Thomas's, and 

 King's College, each with 11, London Hospital with 5, St. 

 Mary's with 3, and St. George's, Middlesex, and Charing 

 Cross, each with I. These figures lend strong support to the 



