574 



NATURE 



[October 26, 191 1 



were introduced b\ Prof. Francis, and described as 

 follows : — 



Mr. Chattock. — For twenty-one years professor of 

 physics in University College, Bristol, and late Henry 

 Overton Wills professor of physics in this University. A 

 distinguished authority in those realms of physics which 

 he made his own. A teacher who sacrificed himself to his 

 students, and whose wide sympathies and varied knowledge 

 were always at their disposal. 



Prof. Wertheimer. — Officier de l'Acad^mie, B.A. and 

 B.Sc. of the University of London, principal of the 

 Merchant Venturers' Technical College, dean of the 

 faculty of engineering in this University. A man who by 

 his energy and conspicuous talent for organisation has 

 made the Merchant Venturers' Technical College one of 

 the leading institutions in the kingdom, and has played 

 no mean part in the formation of this University. 



Sir William Ramsay. — K.C.B., Commander of the 

 Crown of Italy, officier de la legion d'Honneur, Ritter ol 

 the order Pour le Mcrite, D.Sc. of the Universities of 

 Oxford. Cambridge, Dublin, Columbia, Liverpool, and 

 Sheffield ; LL.U. of the Universities of Glasgow and 

 Birmingham ; M.D. of the Universities of Heidelberg and 

 Jena ; Ph.D. of the Universities of Tiibingen, Cracow, and 

 Christiania ; Nobel prizeman in chemistry (1004) ; F.R.S. ; 

 professor of chemistry in the University of London ; 

 and late professor of chemistry and principal of the Uni- 

 versity College, Bristol. Famous for all time for his dis- 

 coveries of fundamental importance in physics and chem- 

 istry, and for his marvellous realisation of the transmuta- 

 tion of the elements. 



Prof. Michael E. Sadler has been appointed Vice- 

 Chancellor of Leeds University, in succession to the late 

 Sir Nathan Bodington. 



It is announced in Science that the class of 1886 ha 

 presented to Harvard University 20,000/., the income of 

 which is to be used for the benefit of the college. From 

 Mr. W. J. Riley, of Boston, the University has received 

 5000Z. for the establishment of scholarships in memory of 

 his nephew. 



The dissolution of the City Polytechnic in 1007 rendered 

 a new scheme for the management of the Northampton 

 Polytechnic Institute, Clerkenwell, necessary, and this 

 scheme has now been sealed by the Charity Commission. 

 The principal matter of public interest arising out of it is 

 that it gives the governors power to appoint a president 

 of the polytechnic ; in accordance with these powers 

 H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, K.G., has been offered, 

 and has accepted, the new office. 



The first issue has appeared of a new educational 

 periodical, published in Calcutta under the title of The 

 Collegian. It is described as " an all India journal of 

 university and technical education," and will appear fort- 

 nightly, with the object of keeping its readers in touch 

 with the work of the five Indian universities and of 

 higher education generally throughout India. Among a 

 very varied table of contents we find an illustrated descrip- 

 tion of the College of Agriculture at Sabour, Bengal, bv 

 Mr. D. N. Mitra. The detailed information provided 

 about the Indian universities will prove popular anion- the 

 students in them. 



In response to the appeal in raise the urn ol 15,000!. as 

 a building fund for the Galton Laboratory F01 National 

 Eugenics, the following sums, amounting to a total of 

 2260?., have been given, promised, or promised condition- 

 ally on the buildings being commenced within two years: — 

 Mr. YV. 1:'.. Darwin, 500Z. ; Prof. Pearson, F.RiS., an, I 

 Mrs. 1 ; Prof. Arthur Schuster, F.R.S. , 2511/.; 



Mr. E. G. Wheler (first contribution), 250Z. ; the Earl of 

 ry, too/.; Lord Iveagh. 100/.; Major Leonard 



Darwin, 100/.; Major E. II. Hills, F.R.S . I. ; Institute 



of Actuaries, =52/. 105.; Mr. C. Ii. Edgar, 50/.; Mr. W. II. 

 Macaulay, 50/.; Dr. E. H. J. Schuster, 50Z. ; Mr. Alfred 

 •■■' . ; Mr. J. Archer, 25/.; Mr. II. R. Beeton, 21!.; 

 the Master of Trinity, 10/. 10s. ; Lord Avehurv, 10/. ; 

 Vn amount of 41Z. 16s. has been received in 

 smaller sums. 



NO. 2 K)T. VOL. 87] 



I Hi. Calcutta correspondenl ol The Times states that the 

 Government of India is understood to be prepared to sanc- 

 tion the scheme of a Mahommedan University provided 

 that the funds actually collected are adequate and that 

 certain changes are made in the draft charter. With 

 regard to finance, the condition laid down is that an annual 

 income of 33,000/. must be secured. So far, an income of 

 21,400/. 1 1 .■ < -~ been obtained. In this sum are included the 

 receipts of Aligarh College, which represent a capitalised 

 value of 446,000/. The campaign led by his Highness the 

 Aga Khan has resulted in promises to the amount of 

 246,0002., which will undoubtedly be realised, though the 

 sum in hand is as ye! onlj 99,000/. To the estimated 

 income ot 21,400/. must be added an annual grant of 

 6600Z. which has been promised by the Government of 

 India, leaving an additional income of 500,,/ to bi 

 by the Mahommedan community. 



The council ol the Zoological Society arranged last year 

 with the Education Committee of the London County 

 Council for a series of demonstration lectures to school 

 teachers. The society arranged the courses, provided the 

 lecture-room and lantern, and allowed the teachers free 

 admission to the Zoological Gardens, while the education 

 authority made a grant towards the expenses. The course, 

 which was repeated three times last session to three 

 separate sets of 150 school teachers, consisted of three 

 lectures, illustrated by lantern-slides, and a demonstration 

 in the gardens. This year the number of demonstrations 

 in the gardens is to be larger, and the Education Com- 

 mittee has increased its grant. The first lecture for the 

 present session took place on October 21, and was attended 

 by nearly 150 teachers, while four parties of twenty-five 

 teachers wer-j taken for a demonstration tour in the 

 gardens by the lecturer, Mr. J. L. Bonhote. To suit the 

 convenience of teachers, all the lectures and demonstrations 

 are given on Saturday mornings. The syllabus has been 

 made very simple, and it is devised to cover only such 

 subjects as are likely to interest school children and to be 

 understood by them. 



The current issue of The Oxford mni Cambridgi Review 

 contains an article signed " Tu ne cede malis " on " The 

 Education of Study." The conditions of life and work 

 at Oxford and Cambridge are criticised very frankly. At 

 Oxford, the writer says, it is urged " that collegiate life, 

 with all its various activities, is the main thing ; that such 

 a life moulds character, and that academic study is a 

 secondary affair." The complexion of the universities is 

 reflected, says the writer, in the life of the nation. " An 

 extraordinary obsession has attacked the minds of most 

 classes of Englishmen. It is to the effect that book- 

 learning of any kind — apart from the three r's and the 

 like — is of very little value." The author knows men 

 " who maintain even violently that anything like academic 

 study is ruinous to all practical efficiency." In another 

 place we an told : "The chief mischief is that thi great 

 world has ceased to regard professional eminence as a 

 substantial asset, unless it be accompanied and certified by 

 a display only possible to a man of considerable pecuniary 

 means." The writer's conclusion is "that an educational 

 commission of the most extensive scope is absolutely neces- 

 sary " ; though "our educational system stands in need of 

 nothing more than sensibli reform, not of root and branch 

 upheaval." 



The arrangements for the < one,. ol thi I niversities 

 of the Empire, [912, an making progress. ["he Home 

 Universities Committee, consisting of the Vice-Chancellors 

 or other representatives ol the universities of the United 

 Kingdom, is engaged in preparing the programme of sub- 

 jects to be discussed at the congress, and has had before it 

 communications on the matter received from some of the 

 overseas univet tii ["he preliminary Conference of 



Canadian Universities, held on June 6 in view ol the con- 

 . proved a very successful gathering. Seventeen of 

 the nineteen Canadian universities accepted invitations to 

 appoint representatives. Dr. R. D. Roberts, secretary of 

 the congn pri lenl at the conference on behalf of 



the London Con I ommittee ; and we learn from the 



interesting and tivi report which he submitted to the 



committee thai the subjects which the Canadian universities 

 regarded as amongst the most important for discussion at 



