522 



NATURE 



[July 17, 191, 



all, in order to discover the actual member of the 

 series present. Moreover, there are certain features 

 of Prof, von Fedorow's own peculiar version of the 

 theory of crystal structure, such as his idea about 

 pseudo-cubic and pseudo-hexagonal types, and his 

 dealing in consequence with many substances as being 

 deformations of a higher symmetry than they actually 

 show, which to the lecturer appear unnecessary com- 

 plications likely to discourage the use of the new 

 method. But these defects can, and doubtless will, be 

 eliminated as the method becomes practically applied. 

 That crystallochemical analysis will ever entirely re- 

 place qualitative chemical analysis, however, is neither 

 to be expected nor desired, even if alone on the ground 

 of the admirable training and experience in chemical 

 operations and principles which chemical analysis 

 affords. 



In conclusion, it must be obvious that a great 

 advance has really now been made in crystallography. 

 For the geometrical conception of crystals as homo- 

 geneous structures, based on the fourteen space- 

 lattices as the grosser structures and the 230 point- 

 systems as the ultimate atomic structures, has been 

 not only theoretically perfected, but proved by direct 

 experiment to represent the actual fact, by the epoch- 

 making work of Laue, Friedrich, and Knipping. The 

 descriptions and chemical relationships of all the ten 

 thousand measured substances have been brought 

 together in the great book of Prof, von Groth, and 

 the material further sifted, reduced to correct setting, 

 and arranged according to svmmetry and elements 

 by Prof, von Fedorow, in a tabular form immediately 

 available as a reference index for identification pur- 

 poses, thus providing the material for a true crystallo- 

 chemical analysis. The science of crystallography is 

 thus now placed on a secure foundation, supported 

 equally by mathematics, geometry, and experiment, 

 and its natural data are rendered available for chemists 

 and physicists alike. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — Mr. C. W. Dyson Perrins, a former 

 member of Queen's College, has offered to give the 

 sum of 5000/. towards the erection of the proposed 

 new chemical laboratory, if such sum is required 

 after the expenditure of the 15,000?. granted for the 

 purpose by the trustees of the Oxford University 

 Endowment Fund. 



The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on 

 Mr. W. Bottine Hemsley, F.R.S., on July 8 by the 

 University of Aberdeen. 



Dr. W. C. McCullagh Lewis has been apppointed 

 to the chair of physical chemistry in the University 

 of Liverpool, in succession to Prof. F. G. Donnan, 

 F.R.S. 



The following honorary degrees were conferred by 

 Queen's LTniversitv, Belfast, on Julv 9 : — D.Sc. : Prof. 

 Norman Collie, F.R.S. ; Sir Joseph Larmor, M.P., 

 F.R.S. ; Sir Arthur Riicker, F.R.S. LL.D.: Sir 

 Donald MacAlister. 



Among the bequests of the late Lord Avebury is 

 one of 1000/. to the University of London to found 

 a prize in mathematics or astronomy in memory of 

 his father, Sir John William Lubbock, first Vice- 

 Chancellor of the University. 



Dr. J. Ritchie, superintendent of the laboratorv of 

 the Royal College of Physicians. Edinburgh, has been 

 appointed to the new chair of bacteriology instituted 

 NO. 2281, VOL. qil 



in the University of Edinburgh, under the bequest of 

 Mr. Robert Irvine, Royston, Granton. 



Among recent appointments at University College, 

 London, are : — Dr. Marie Stopes, lecturer in paleo- 

 botany for three years ; Miss Winifred Smith, lecturer 

 in taxonomy for three years ; Dr. Paul Haas, demon- 

 strator in organic and applied chemistry and in chem- 

 ical physiology, and Mr. H. Terrey, demonstrator in 

 chemistry to medical students; Mr. N. F. Kelsey, 

 demonstrator in mechanical engineering, and Mr. 

 D. W. Fletcher in graphics. 



The following official announcement referring to 

 the Education Bill has been issued on behalf of the 

 Government : — " The measure which will shortly be 

 introduced by Mr. Pease in the House of Commons, 

 although it is technically described as an Education 

 Bill, is in reality only a one-clause measure designed 

 to enable the Government to afford a limited amount 

 of immediate relief to education authorities. It will, 

 when introduced next week, form a not inappropriate 

 peg upon which to hang a statement of the Govern- 

 ment's policy in the development of a national system 

 of education." 



At the annual graduation ceremony at St. Andrews 

 University on Julv 10 honorary degrees of LL.D. 

 were conferred on Lieut. -Col. Sir C. H. Bedford and 

 Dr. G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S., among others. In 

 addressing the graduates the principal, Sir James 

 Donaldson, said that both France and Germany have 

 come gradually to form an exact notion in regard 

 to university work. Their idea is that after the cul- 

 ture obtained in the secondary schools the students 

 who are to proceed to degrees should spend three 

 years at the university and should devote themselves 

 to the original study of certain subjects in which they 

 find their interest. There must be entire freedom for 

 the student to form his own plans and studies and 

 entire freedom for the professor to search for the 

 truth for its own sake in disregard to consequences. 

 The Germans have kept to that idea since 1815, and 

 the French have now come to the same conclusions. 

 We are in many respects far behind this ideal, and 

 we cannot expect to be a match for those nations in 

 the great conflicts of the world, but it is the duty of 

 young and old to look into the question, particularly 

 at this time, and see if we cannot do something to put 

 ourselves on an equalitv with Germany and France. 



The recommendations made in the second report 

 of the Advisory Committee on the distribution of 

 Exchequer grants to universities and university col- 

 leges, which was issued last February, having been 

 approved by the Board of Education, the Committee 

 proceeded with a further consideration, in conjunction 

 with the universities and colleges, of the federated 

 superannuation scheme adumbrated in the second 

 report. In its third report the committee outlines a 

 federated scheme of superannuation for professors 

 and other members of the staffs of colleges. Two 

 problems were debated ; first, the selection of a limited 

 number of insurance companies to undertake the con- 

 tracts involved by the superannuation system ; and 

 secondly, the drafting of a suitable form of legal 

 agreement between the institution and the members 

 of the staff which when adopted by colleges con- 

 cerned would give practical effect to the principles set 

 out in the second report. The form of agreement 

 indicates, by means of alternative readings, the 

 various forms which will be necessarv to meet different 

 cases. In practice institutions will probably find it 

 convenient to have separate forms of agreement to 

 meet different types of cases. The superannuation 

 scheme itself expresses in legal terminology the prin- 

 ciples outlined in the second report, and in order to 



