214 



NA TURE 



[January 2, 1908 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



London. — In consequence of the incorporation of 

 I'niversity College in the University, certain professors of 

 the college will in future be entitled professors in the. 

 University of London, and will enjoy the status of 

 appointed teachers. These include Profs. Trouton (physics), 

 Oliver (botany), Hill (zoology). Starling (physiology), 

 Thane (anatomy), Cushny (pharmacology), and Cormack 

 (mechanical engineering). Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B. 

 (general chemistry), and Prof. Norman Collie (organic 

 chemistry) have been appointed teachers of the University 

 for some years. 



The announcement that the governing body of the 

 Imperial College of Science and Technology at South 

 Kensington has decided in principle on the appointment 

 of a principal officer of the college has been received with 

 much interest. The post will be an important one, as the 

 resources of the college are considerable, and great develop- 

 ments are expected during the next few years. It is a 

 curious coincidence that two principal officers should be 

 required at the same time at South Kensington, the one 

 at the University and the other at the Imperial College. 



Among the advanced lectures in science to be de- 

 livered, in connection with the University, during the 

 first term of this year are the following : — A course of 

 eight lectures on " Grasses : their Structure, Biology, Dis- 

 tribution, and Classification," by Dr. Otto Stapf, at 

 University College, on Mondays, beginning on January 27. 

 Eight lectures on " Intracellular Enzymes," by Dr. H. M. 

 Vernon, at the University Physiological Laboratory, on 

 Tuesdays, beginning on January 14. Eight lectures on 

 " The Chemical Constitution of the Proteins," by Dr. 

 R. H. Aders Plimmer, at University College, on Wednes- 

 days, beginning on January 22. Eight lectures on " The 

 Chemistry of the Fats and Carbohydrates and some other 

 Constituents of the Animal Body," by Dr. S. B. Schryver, 

 at University College, on Fridays, beginning on January 24. 

 Four lectures on " Tissue Respiration," by Dr. T. G. 

 Brodie, F.R.S., at King's College, on Mondays, begin- 

 ning on Januarv 20. Two lectures on " The Physiology 

 of the Emotions," by Dr. F. W. Mott, F.R.S., at' King's 

 College, on Mondays, beginning on February 17. Two 

 lectures on " Degeneration and Regeneration of Nerves," 

 by Prof. W. D. Halliburton, F.R.S., at King's College, 

 on Mondays, beginning on March 2. Eight lectures on 

 "The Physiology of Muscular Work," by Dr. M. S. 

 Pcmbrey, at Guy's Hospital Medical School, on Thursdays, 

 beginning on January 16. Eight lectures on "Inheritance 

 in its Physiological and Pathological Aspects," by Dr. W. 

 Bulloch, and Messrs. G. P. Mudge, M. Greenwood, and 

 .'\._ Bacot, at the London Hospital Medical College, on 

 Wednesdays, beginning on January 15. Four lectures on 

 " The Circulatory System of Reptiles," by Mr. F. E. 

 Bcddard, F.R.S., at University College, on Mondays, 

 beginning on January 20. The reader in meteorologv, 

 Dr. W. N. Shaw, F.R.S., will resume his lectures on 

 " Meteorological Organisation and Methods of dealing with 

 Meteorological Observations," at the Royal College of 

 .Science, on Monday, January 13. 



By the death, on December 24, of Ladv Pearce, widow 

 of Sir William G. Pearce, Trinity College, Cambridge, 

 becomes entitled to a sum of more than 400,000?. 



We learn from Science that the National Educational 

 .\ssociation of the United States has appointed a repre- 

 -ientative committee to investigate the entrance require- 

 ments to the technical schools of the country, and to 

 consider the question of establishing uniform entrance 

 requirements. 



The annual meeting of the Geographical Association 

 will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, at 

 University College, Gower Street, W.C. The president, 

 Mr. Douglas W. Freshfield, will give an address. Major 

 C. F. Close will deliver a lecture on map projections, 

 and there will be a lantern exhibition of views of the 

 Rhine Gorge by Mr. B. B. Dickinson. 



■The Incorporated Association of Headmasters will hold 

 its annual general meeting on January 9 and 10 at the 



NO. IQ92, VOL. 77] 



Guildhall, E.C. The agenda paper is mainly occupied 

 with administrative questions, and we observe that a 

 committee is suggested for considering the medical inspec- 

 tion of pupils attending secondary schools. The University 

 of London and the northern universities are urged to come 

 to terms for the mutual recognition of their matriculation 

 certificates. Mr. E. J. Simpson will move a resolution in 

 favour of the inclusion of a paper on elementary physics 

 amongst the optional papers of the northern matriculation. 

 At the winter meeting of the College of Preceptors, 

 lectures will be given on a rational comparative method of 

 teaching geography, by Dr. Herbertson, on January 7 

 and 8, and the subject of geometry will be dealt with by 

 Mr. J. Harrison, of the Royal College of Science, on 

 January 15. During the course of the meeting there will 

 be several lectures on psychology, personal hygiene, and 

 the use of the voice. 



I SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 

 Faraday Society, December 17, 1907.— Dr. F. Mollwo 

 Perkin, treasurer, in the chair. — A physico-chemical study 

 of the complex copper glycocoU sulphates : J. T. Barker. 

 The paper deals with the constitution of the blue solution 

 formed when glycocoU is added to copper sulphate solu- 

 tion. It is probable that the concentration of the cupri- 

 ions has been lowered by the formation of complex cupri- 

 glycocoll kations, and experiments are described to 

 investigate this question. — The discovery of the alkali 

 metals by Davy : the bearing of the discovery upon indus- 

 try : Dr. F. Mollwo Perkin. After a short biographical 

 sketch, the author refers to Davy's early experiments on 

 galvanism, which began in iSoo and culminated in 1807 

 in the electrolytic decomposition of the fused alkalies, 

 caustic soda, and caustic potash. Davy's experiments are 

 described in detail, and it is shown that the E.M.F. of his 

 battery must have been about 220 volts, and the current 

 he used something under i ampere. The subsequent ex- 

 periments on the decomposition of the alkaline earths, by 

 which calcium, strontium, barium, and magnesium in the 

 form of amalgams were obtained, are then described. The 

 second part of the paper deals, among other matters, with 

 the industrial manufacture by Wiihler in 1S27 of potassium, 

 by Ste. Claire Deville in 1854 of sodium, with Watt's 

 suggestions (185 1) for electrolysing fused sodium chloride, 

 with Castner's chemical sodium process (1SS6) and his 

 electrolytic process (iSgo), Rathenau and Suter's sodium 

 process, Becker's process, and the process of Darling, who 

 electrolysed fused sodium nitrate, using porous partitions. 



Geological Societv, December 18, 1907.— Sir Archibald 

 Geikie, K.C.B., Sec.R.S., president, in the chair. — Sonu- 

 recent discoveries of Palfeolithic implements ; Sir John 

 Evans. — The author refers to some recent discoveries of 

 PaIa;olithic implements on the southern borders of Bed- 

 fordshire and in the north-western part of Hertfordshire. 

 In addition to the discovery of a Palaeolithic floor at 

 Caddington brickfield, at between 550 and 500 feet above 

 sea-level, implements have since heen found on the sur- 

 face of the ground at 600 and 760 feet respectively; whili- 

 a good ovate implement was found in thin, water-laiil 

 material, at 651 feet O.D. In Hertfordshire, Palaeolithi. 

 implements have been found at Great Gaddesdon, at .1 

 brickfield about I3 miles north-east of Hemel Hempstead, 

 and at Bedmond, 2 to 2J miles south-east of the \a<t 

 locality. The drifts which cap the hills in north-we^r 

 Hertfordshire seem to be of very variable origin ; and ^j 

 great part of the material is derived from clay-deposit ^ 

 of Eocene age, but little remanits. It seems to tin 

 author that it is safest not to invoke river-action for the 

 formation of the high-level deposits, which extend ovei- 

 a wide area and are in the main argillaceous and not 

 gravelly or sandy in character, but to adopt Mr. 

 Worthington Smith's view that in early times lakes nr 

 marshes existed in these implementiferous spots, ihr 

 borders of which were inhabited by Pala'olithic man. Th' 

 evidence that he has brought forward as to the imple- 

 ments having, in some of the Caddington pits, been 

 manufactured on the saot, most fullv corroborates thi-; 



