June 6, 1872] 



NATURE 



109 



Isaac relating to scientific subjects which his lordship has in- 

 lierited. Lord Portsmouth's gift is prompted by the feeling that 

 these papers will be more fitly deposited in the library of the 

 University of which Sir Isaac was so distinguished an ornament 

 than in his own muniirrent-room. 



The visitation of the Royal Observatory took place on Satur- 

 day last. We have not yet received the Astronomer Royal's re- 

 port ; but there is a rumour that it will bt- proposed to the Govern- 

 ment by the Board of Visitors that photographic and spectro- 

 scopic observations of the sun be added to the routine work of the 

 Observatory. 



It has been decided that the first Meeting of the French 

 Associationfor the Advancement of Science shall be held at Bor- 

 deaux in the autumn of the present year. 



The Prince of Wales will open the Bethnal Green Museum on 

 Monday, the 24th inst. The Princess of Wales will accompany 

 him. We should be glad to hear of free Scientific Lectures in 

 connection with this Museum. 



We are glad to learn that the Royal Geographical Society are 

 taking steps to press upon Government the importance of an ex- 

 pedition to the North Pole by way of Smith's Sound. 



Lv another column will be found a correspondence between 

 the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Profs. Roscoe and Balfour 

 Stewart with reference to the remarks made by the former at the 

 presentation to degrees at the University of London, to which 

 we drew attention a fortnight ago. It is with great satisfaction 

 that we note Mr. Lowe's own version of his speech, on which 

 we may say a word, although the accuracy of Mr. Lowe's 

 defence has been called in question by Prof. Sylvester. If he 

 and the Government which he represents remain firm to their 

 avowed declaration in favour of the endowment of the higher 

 professorships, the cause of scientific education will have reason 

 to be grateful, the Professor'.being distinguished from the teacher 

 by the presence of /«?Vf/4'''''""'> as well as of inculcation. The /"</// 

 Afall Gazitle called attention in a forcible manner last week to the 

 fallacies of the line of argument which Mr. Lowe was represented 

 to have employed. To encourage a plethora of scholarships at 

 the expense of the endowment of professorships would be a more 

 perfect illustration of the maxim "How not to do it," than we 

 have witnessed this long time. 



The proposed alterations in the examinations held during the 

 first two years of a student's course in the University of Cara- 

 biidge were submitted on May 30 to the Senate with varying 

 success. The vote was taken on the principle, and not on the 

 details, of the various propositions. The most important of 

 those accepted were — to receive a knowledge of French and 

 German as a substitute for Greek in the first or "Previous" 

 Examination ; and to add Meat as a subject in the " General " 

 or Second Examination for the Ordinary Degree. The effect of 

 these changes, when finally ratified, will be that a degree in 

 Honours, in either Malhemalics, Law, Natural or Moral Science 

 may be obtained by a student who does not know Greek ; but 

 that an ordinary " Poll " or Pass Degree cannot be obtained 

 without a krrowledge of Greek. Also, a candidate for a degree 

 in Honours will not be required to study (necessarily) any branch 

 (jf Physical Science ; but a candidate fur a " Poll " Degree must 

 have an elementary knowledge of Heat. As, however, several 

 persons, in the debate which preceded the voting upon these 

 questions, expressed themselves favourable to making some 

 branch of Natural or Physical Science a part of the Previous 

 Examination, it is, we conceive, not improbable that the Syn- 

 dicate will embody some proposition of this kind in their amended 

 scheme. 



The following arrangements are now made for the forty- 



second meeting of the British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, to be held at Brightoir, and to commence Wednesday, 

 August 14, under the direction of the following officers : — Presi- 

 dent — Dr. William B. Carpenter, F. R.S. Vice-Presidents— 

 The Earl of Chichester, the Duke of Norfolk, the Duke of Rich- 

 mond, K.G., the Duke of Devonshire, K.G., F.R.S., Sir John 

 Lubbock, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., Dr. Sharpey, LL.D., Sec. R.S., 

 Mr. Joseph Prestwich, F. R. S. General Secretaries — Dr. Thomas 

 Thonrson, F. R. S. , Capt. Douglas Galton, C.B. , F. R. S. Assist- 

 ant General Secretary— Mr. George Griffith. Local Secretaries 

 for the Meeting at Brighton — Mr. Charles Carpenter, Rev. Dr. 

 Griffith, Mr. Henry Willett, the Pavilion, Brighton. Local 

 Treasurer for the Meeting at Brighton — .Mr. W'illiam PI. 

 Ilallett, F.L.S. General Treasurer— Mr. William Spottis- 

 woodc, F. R.S. The General Committee will meet on Wedrres- 

 day, August 14, at I I'.iM., for the election of Sectional Officers, 

 and the despatch of business usually brought before that body. 

 On this occasion there will be presented the Report of the Council, 

 embodying their proceedings during the past year. The General 

 Committee will meet again on Monday, August 19, at 3 p.m., for 

 the purpose of appointing Officers for 1S73, and of deciding on 

 the place of meeting in 1S74, The concluding meeting of this 

 Comnrittee will be held on Wednesday, August 21, at I P.M., 

 when the Report of the Committee of Recommendations will be 

 received. The first general meeting will be held on Wednesday, 

 August 14, at 8 P.M., when the President will deliver an address; 

 the concluding meeting on Wednesday, August 21, at 230 p.m., 

 when the Association will be adjourned to its next place of meet- 

 ing. The different Sections will assemble in the rooms appointed 

 for them, for the reading and discussion of Reports and other 

 communications, on Thursday, August 15, P'riday, August 16, 

 .Saturday, August 17, Monday, August 19, and Tuesday, August 

 20, at II A.M. precisely. Authors are reminded that, under .an 

 arrangement dated from 1S71, the acceptance of Memoirs, and 

 the days on which they ore to be read, are now, as far as possible, 

 determined l)y Organising Committees for the several Sections 

 before the beginning of the meeting. 



Professor Rutherford, of King's College, London, has 

 been appointed Fullerian Pro.'essor of Physiology to the Royal 

 Institution, in the place of Dr. M. Foster. 



The Brilish Medical yoiirnal gives currency to a report that 

 a baronetcy is about to be conferred on Di'. William Stokes, 

 Regius Professor of Physic in Trinity College, Dublin, and Phy- 

 sician to the Queen in Ireland. 



We have to record the death of one of our veteran botanists, 

 Dr. Robert W'ight, F.R.S., who died May 26, at his residence, 

 Grazeley Lodge, near Reading, at the oge of 76. Dr. Wight 

 was a native of East Lothian, and very early in life entered the 

 medical service of the" East India Company, andwhile in 

 this employment devoted his energies to the investigation of 

 the then almost unknown flora of the British possessions in 

 India. In 1834 he pubhshed, in conjunction with the late 

 Prof. Anrott, the first volume of the " Prodromus Florce 

 Indix Oiientalis," a work which was never continued. Further 

 contributions to Indian botany were contained in his " Illustra- 

 tions of Indian Botany," " Icones Plantarum Indicc Orientalis," 

 and " Spicilegium Neilgherrense," and in innumerable contribu- 

 tions to magazines and to the proceedings of societies. His 

 name will also always be associated with his exertions towards the 

 introduction of the cultivation of cotton into India. Dr. Wight 

 was one of a band of botanists, to which Sir W. Hooker, 

 Lindley, and Arnott belonged, who have now almost entirely 

 passed away. ,^ 



Mr. John B. Lawes, of Rothamsted, Herts, has announced 

 his intention of placing in trust his laboratory and experimental 



