310 
stargazers. There are few more alluring spectacles than that 
afforded by the prolific fall of meteors on a genial August night, 
and we need not wonder that in the past few years observers of 
these phenomena have greatly increased, and that a more general 
interest than formerly is taken in recording apparitions of shoot- 
ing stars. 
This year the conditions will be favourable, for the moon will 
not offer any serious impediment to observation between about 
July 28 and August 12. It will be possible, therefore, to watch the 
progress of the shower through the fortnight comprising its more 
active stages. The weather is often a great drawback to in- 
vestigations of this character (and this particularly applies to the 
English climate), for cloudy skies destroy the continuity of the 
work and occasion breaks which materially affect the value of 
the results. In watching a display similar to that of the Perseid 
stream, which is presented over a comparatively lengthy period, 
it is most essential to secure observations on many successive 
nights, so that the relative strength of the shower and the 
position of its radiant point may be determined at short and 
regular intervals. This is, however, not often practicable in 
England, though in exceptional cases there is little to take 
exception to in regard to prevalent weather. For instance, in 
August, rgor, thirteen of the fifteen nights from the roth to 
24th inclusive were clear, or partly so, and enabled observations 
to be obtained. 
Everyone who views a meteoric shower would do well to 
record some of its leading features. One of the most important 
requirements is that the apparent paths of the meteors amongst 
the stars be registered. The fainter class of objects may be 
disregarded, but the lines of flight of the brighter meteors should 
be marked upon a celestial globe or star chart, and the right 
ascension and declination of the beginning and end points read 
off and entered into a book suitably ruled for the purpose. Such 
records, if carefully and accurately acquired, possess considerable 
value, as they furnish the materials from which the real paths 
and radiants of the individual meteors may be ascertained. 
Even those observers who have had no previous experience in 
work of this kind should make an effort to record the Perseid 
shower, for it will furnish an entertaining and instructive em- 
ployment, and probably intensify their interest in the subject. 
In spite of the oft-repeated observation of the August display in 
past years, we have by no means completed our knowledge of 
its visible behaviour, and it should be further watched for data 
to enable us to more fully comprehend its various observational 
and theoretical aspects. W. F. DENNING. 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
NTELLIGENCE. 
Ir is announced from Berlin that the Academy of Miinster has 
been raised to the s¢afzs of a University. 
AT University College, London, on July 14, Mr. H. E. H. 
Smedley gave a demonstration of his methods of wax-modelling 
as applied to plant structures, more particularly with a view to 
elucidating complex anatomical relations. 
At Bedford College for Women (University of London), Dr. 
W. H. Willcox has been appointed lecturer in hygiene. The 
Pfeiffer scholarship in science has been awarded to Miss E. A. 
Bridger. Six open Pfeiffer scholarships of the value of 15 guineas 
will be awarded to the best candidates holding a degree, or 
equivalent, inartsorscience wishing to trainas secondary teachers. 
Application should be made to Miss H. Robertson, the head of 
the training department, not later than December 13, 1902. 
AMONG the examiners for the London Matriculation Exam- 
inations of September, 1902, and June, 1903, we notice the follow- 
ing :—Mathematics, Mr. W. D. Eggar and Prof. G. B. 
Mathews, F.R.S.; physics, Dr. A. H. Fison and Mr. D. 
Rintoul, M.A. ; chemistry, Mr. H. B. Baker, F.R.S., and 
Dr. G. S. Turpin ; botany, Mr. H. Richardson and Mr. V. H. 
Blackman; zoology, Dr. G. Herbert Fowler and Mr. O. 
Latter ; geography, Mr. G. G. Chisholm and Prof. W. W. 
Watts; geometrical and mechanical drawing, Mr. Walter 
Hewson and Mr. H. G. Christ. 
Iv will be remembered that in January last the Drapers’ 
Company offered to devote the sum of 30,000/. to the extinction 
of the debt on University College, ‘‘ provided that the Senate of 
NO. 1708, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
[JuLy 24. 1902 
the University of London and the Corporation of University 
College can, before February 28, 1903, agree upon a scheme 
for the incorporation of the college in the University, and such 
scheme be approved by the Company.” The Onzversity 
Gazette of July 19 announces that the Senate has considered 
the proposal in all its bearings, both administrative and financial, 
and has approved the outlines of a scheme which had been 
drafted in conference with the council of the college as a pre- 
liminary step towards its realisation, Further negotiations are 
in progress between the University and the college with respect 
to certain details, and it is hoped ‘that by the date specified a 
complete scheme for the incorporation of the college in the 
University may be agreed upon by both parties. The realisa- 
tion of the scheme will depend upon whether it is possible to 
raise the necessary funds. 
THE Directory of the Board of Education, South Kensington, 
has been superseded by ‘‘Supplementary Regulations for 
Secondary Day Schools and for Evening Schools,” a copy 
of which has just been received. The greater part of the 
volume (pp. 42 to 241) consists of syllabuses of the subjects in 
which the Board of Education holds examinations. There are, 
in addition, syllabuses of certain subjects in which the Board 
does not hold examinations and lists of apparatus suitable for 
use in science classes. Some of the syllabuses contain very 
helpful instructions for experiments and other practical work. 
For instance, the syllabus of practical plane and solid geometry 
gives outlines and hints fora course of construction and measure- 
ment of an original character, much in advance of the traditional 
plane and solid geometry and geometrical drawing. The sylla- 
buses which were formerly given in the Code for Evening Con- 
tinuation Schools are now included in the volume before us, 
among the subjects being general rudimentary science and 
elementary rural science. 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 
THE Journal of Botany for July opens with an account by 
Mr. G. S. West of algze obtained from hot springs. One 
collection from Iceland consisted mainly of filamentous 
Myxophycez and small Diatoms. A new species of the genus 
Aulosira was found in considerable abundance, also JJas/égo- 
cladus laminosus, which is commonly found in all hot springs. 
Twelve genera of green and blue-green algz are represented. 
A second collection from Sira Ramau in the Malay Peninsula 
produced two new species, a Symploca and a Phormidium, 
Figures of the more important species are given on an accom- - 
panying plate.x—Mr. Spencer le Moore describes five new 
species of Rubiacez, and three belonging to the Asclepiadacez, 
occurring in Dr. Rand’s Rhodesian collections which are in- 
corporated in the National Herbarium.—In the list of Glamor- 
ganshire plants observed by the Rev. E. S. Marshall and W. A. 
Shoolbred in June last year, several new records are given.—The 
varieties of Azexacium anglicum form the subject of a note by 
Mr. F. A Williams.—Mr. E. F. Linton contributes an appre- 
ciative biography of the late Mr. J. C. Mansel-Pleydell. 
American Journal of Sctence, July.—On spectra arising from 
the dissociation of water vapour, and the presence of dark lines 
in these spectra, by John Trowbridge. With powerful dis- 
charges in hydrogen, oxygen and rarefied air the same spectrum 
is obtained, and this is regarded as arising from the dissociation 
of rarefied water vapour. From a study of the spectrum of 
powerful spark discharges under water the author concludes that 
dissociation of water vapour takes place in the atmosphere of 
the sun; oxygen must therefore be present. The dissociation 
of water vapour, under the effect of powerful electrical dis- 
charges in the presence of small amounts of atmospheric air, 
results in the production of argon, even in tubes presumably 
filled with dry hydrogen. The great brilliancy of the disso- 
ciation spectrum of water vapour, which obscures the spectra 
of metallic vapours, and the presence of dark lines due to 
photochemical reversals, show the need of caution in accepting 
photographic evidence in regard to the states of development 
of stars.—The occurrence of Greenockite on calcite from 
Joplin, Missouri, by H. B. Cornwall. The Greenockite occurs 
as a bright yellow, dust-like coating on the calcite, which can 
be easily rubbed off with the finger. Beneath this coating is 
a thin layer of sphalerite.—A quantitative study of variation in 
the fossil brachiopod Platystrophia Inyx, by E. R. Cumings 
and A. V, Mauck.—Studies of Eocene Mammalia in the Marsh 
