494 



NATURE 



[Oct. 17, 1872 



years in the Meteorological Office. Indeed, a careful 

 inspection of the lines of wind velocity published in the 

 Committee's Quarterly Reports renders this supposition 

 extremely probable. 



Durin^ high winds it is well known that the wind does 

 not blow with a uniformly high velocity; but that there 

 occur frequent gusts of comparatively brief duration, many 

 of the heaviest being, indeed, all but instantaneous. Thus 

 the anemometer may indicate a velocity at the rate of no 

 more than 60 or 70 miles an hour, but during the time 

 there may have occurred 20 or ■^o sudden gusts quite 

 equal to the Force 12 of Beaufort's scale. Now, it is 

 these repeated heavy gusts which cup-anemometers do 

 not record that sailors have to provide against in the 

 management of their ships. Hence it happens that 

 whileat observatories on land, provided only with cup-, 

 anemometers, no grer'ter velocities than 60 or 70 miles an 

 hour can be noted, in ships at sea, what the seaman has 

 actually to deal with .are velocities of 80 or 100 miles an 

 hour. He accordingly enters these high pressures in his 

 loi;. 



It is evident that the Board of Trade are not in a posi- 

 tion to give the assistance to sailors which they are seek- 

 ing to give, till pressure-anem.ometers have been estab- 

 lished at their observatories. 



The Circular contains this very judicious remark : — 

 " The Board desire to impress upon Receivers and Officers 

 employed in reporting casualties, that the direction and 

 force of the wind at the time of a casualty should be 

 ascertained as accurately as possible, and that therefore 

 these particulars shoiili not be inserted without every 

 precaution being taken to insure that they are in accord- 

 ance with fact." It only remains that the ISoard of Trade 

 furnish each Receiver and Officer with a simple pressure- 

 anemometer, having a scale, o to 12, agreeing as nearly 

 as possible with Beaufort's scale, and so constructed as 

 to show the pressure at the time of observation, and to 

 register maximum pressures, so that the officials may be 

 put in a position to carry out the instructions of the 

 Board. 



SCIENCE AT OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE 



THE following courses of lectures are arranged for the 

 ensuing term at the University of 0.\ford ;— 



Mr.R. B. Clifton, Professor of Experimental Philosophy, 

 on "Optical Instruments and Physical Optics;" be- 

 ginning .Saturday, the 19th of October. The Physical 

 Laboratory of the University will be open daily for in- 

 struction in practical physics from lo to 4 o'clock on and 

 after Thursday, the i /ih of October. 



Mr. T- O. Westwood, Hope Professor of Zoology, pro- 

 poses to form a class for the study of the structure and 

 classification of articulated animals. 



Mr. V/. Odling, Professor of Chemistry, on " The Suc- 

 cession of Chemical Ideas;" beginning Thursday, 

 October 17. There will also be an exjilanatory and cate- 

 chetical lecture on Tuesdays at 1 1 o'clock, to commence 

 on Tuesday, October 22. The laboratory of the Univer- 

 sity will be open daily for instruction in practical 

 chemistry from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on and after Monday, 

 October 14- In addition to this two courses of instruc- 

 tion will be given in the laboratory— a course on the 

 methods of quantitative analysis, and a course of elemen- 

 tary practical instruc.ion in chemical manipulation, in- 

 tended for those commencing the sLudy of chemistry. 



Mr. G. Rolleston, Linacre Professor of Anatomy and 

 Physiology, on " Human Anatomy and Physiology, with 

 special reference to Ethnology ;" beginning Fridiy, the 

 1 8th of October. The work-rooms in the Anatomical 

 Department are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for prac- 

 tical instruction, under the superintendence of Mr. Charles 

 Robertson, the Demonstrator of Anatomy, and Mr. S. J. 

 Sharkey, 01 Jesus Cu.iLge. A Lp'joial claas will be fcrrucd 



for instruction in Practical Microscopy. Mr. E. Ray 

 Lankester, of Exeter College, will, as Deputy of the 

 Linacre Professor, give a course of lectures on '■ The 

 General Classification of the Animal Kingdoai," be- 

 ginning on the 19th of October. 



Mr. J. Phillips, Professor of Geology, on " The Suc- 

 cessive Conditions of Land and Sea, taken in the order of 

 Geological Time ; " beginning Monday, October 28. 



The following are also announced in connection with 

 Trinity, St. John's, and Sidney Sussex Colleges, Cam- 

 bridge : — 



On " Electricity and Magnetism (for the Natural 

 Sciences Tripos), by Mr. Trotter, Trinity, commencing 

 Wednesday, Oct. 16. On Chemistry, by Mr. Main, St. 

 John's, in St. John's College Laboratory, commencing 

 Thursday, Oct. 17. Attendance on these lectures is re- 

 cognised by the University for the Certificate required by 

 Medical Students previous to admission for the first 

 examination for the degree of M.B. Instruction in Prac- 

 tical Chemistry will also be given. On Paleontology 

 (the Protozoa and Ccclenterata), by Mr. Bonney, St. 

 John's, commencing Thursday, Oct. 17. On Geology, 

 (for the Natural Sciences Tripos. Preliminary matter 

 and Petrology), by Mr. Bonney, .St. John's, commencing 

 Wednesday, Oct i5. A course on Physical Geology will 

 be given in the Lent Term, and on Stratigraphical Geology 

 in the Easter Term. On Botany (for the Natural 

 Sciences Tripos), by Mr. Hicks, Sidney, beginning on 

 Thursday, Oct. 17. The Lectures during this term will 

 be on the Morphology of Phanerogamia. Mr. Hicks will 

 also give examination papers in Botany to candidates f r 

 the next Natural .Sciences Tripos, beginning Oct. 21. (n 

 the Physiology of the Organs of Sense, by Dr. M. Fostt ; . 

 F.R.S. ; and a Course of Practical Physiology. The daj , 

 hours, and dates of commencement of these two com'sc 

 will be announced shortly. 



AMERICAN PREPARATIONS FOR THE 

 FORTHCOMING TRANSIT OF VENUS 



AMID the violent political agitation and the inevitable 

 social commotion of the United States, one would 

 imagine, judging from our own case, that neither the 

 American Government nor the American people had any 

 time or funds to devote to scientific objects of apparently 

 remote utilitarian interest. That this is not the case every 

 regular reader of this periodical must be aware, for seldom 

 does a week pass but we have occasion to notice some 

 scientific expedition fitted out by (Government funds, or 

 the meeting of some well-organised and eflicient scientific 

 association, or the report of work done at one of the 

 numerous scientific schools with which the country 

 abounds, or the results of an expensive scientific inquiry 

 or scientific experiment ; in short, the Americans seem 

 to think it their interest and duty, as it is their inclination, 

 to give substantial encouragement to scientific researcfi 

 and the spread of scientific culture and knowledge. Veiiiy 

 ihey know how to do these things better in America thm 

 in England ; but, indeed, of what foreign country can 

 this not be said ? This cannot be better seen than in the 

 action taken by the U.S. Government in reference to the 

 forthcoming Transit of Venus. 



In March 1871 Congress, instead of appointing one 

 irresponsible official to organise all the preparations 

 necessaiy for the observation of one of the rarest and 

 most important astronomical phenomena, authorised the 

 appointment of a Commission " to expend such appropria- 

 tions as might be made by Congress for the observations 

 of the coming Transit of Venus." This Commission is 

 composed of Rcar-Admiral B. F. Sands, Superintendent 

 U.S. Naval Observatory ; Prof. Joseph Henry, LL.l)., 

 President National Academy of Sciences ; Prof Benjamin 

 Peirce, LL.D., Superintendent U.S. Coast Survey ; and 

 i.\o Prolcj-ors of -MatUeuialics of the Naval ODscrvatoiy, 



