July iy, 1913] 



NATURE 



523 



secure interchangeability it seems essential, the third 

 report points out, that this part of the legal docu- 

 ment should be adopted without amendment by every 

 institution cooperating in the system. A pamphlet 

 has been prepared setting out the main features of 

 the options available and the precise terms offered by 

 the selected insurance companies ; it also embodies 

 the detailed arrangements with the companies, and 

 copies will be furnished on request by the companies 

 concerned. 



From time to time attention has been directed in 

 these columns to the recent successful endeavours to 

 develop the University of Hong Kong. The pro- 

 spectus for the session 1913-14, and a pamphlet pro- 

 viding details concerning the faculty of engineering, 

 have reached us, and an examination of the arrange- 

 ments made shows that there is likely to be much 

 useful work done in the next few years in the spread 

 of higher scientific education in China. A resolution 

 adopted by the Court of the University says : " It is 

 resolved that the objects of the University are (infer 

 alia) to afford a higher education, more especially 

 in subjects of practical utility, such as applied science, 

 medicine, &c. Similarly, in a dispatch from the Vice- 

 roy of Canton, we read " the teaching of applied 

 science, including civil, mechanical, and electrical 

 engineering and surveying, meets the present and 

 most urgent need of our country." The University 

 possesses spacious laboratories for experimental work 

 and is assured already of excellent equipment. In 

 the first year of the University fifty-three students 

 applied for admission in the faculties of engineering, 

 medicine, and arts, and of that number thirty-eight 

 elected to take instruction in engineering. When the 

 University commenced instruction in engineering 

 science it was stated definitely that no student would 

 receive a degree unless he attained the same standard 

 as that required by the London University. To that 

 policy the faculty of engineering is committed, and 

 the regulations have been framed with that object 

 in view. 



The eighth report has been published (Cd. 6871) of 

 the Rural Education Conference, which was consti- 

 tuted by minutes of the Presidents of the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries and of the Board of Educa- 

 tion in 1910. The conference has had under con- 

 sideration the following reference received from the 

 Board of Agriculture and Fisheries last November : — 

 "To inquire into the methods which local education 

 authorities adopt with the object of promoting 

 efficiency in the performance of manual processes, 

 e.g. ploughing, hedging, ditching, sheep-shearing, 

 milking, and basket-making, and to advise as to any 

 further action that may appear to be desirable for the 

 purpose of developing skill in workmen employed in 

 agriculture." After the examination of eleven expert 

 witnesses representing farmers and educationists, the 

 conference drew up a number of recommendations 

 which may be summarised very briefly. To develop 

 skill in agricultural employees it is recommended that 

 instruc.ion in certain manual processes of agriculture 

 should be provided for the elder boys and girls attend- 

 ing elementary schools in rural districts ; local educa- 

 tion authorities should regulate the holidays in 

 country schools so as to leave the boys free to work 

 on the land at a time when their work is most useful ; 

 classes in manual processes for men employed upon 

 the land should be conducted so as to be more in the 

 nature of assistance to, rather than the formal in- 

 struction of, those who attend; instruction in manual 

 processes should be provided more generally through- 

 out the country, present instruction should be made 

 more thorough, and practical instruction be en- 

 couraged in every possible way. 



NO. 228l, VOL. 91] 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, July 7. — M. F. Guyon in the 

 chair. — Paul Appell : Developments in series proceed- 

 ing according to the inverse of given polynomials. — 

 J. Boussinesq : The equations of dynamic equilibrium 

 of the superficial layer separating a liquid from 

 another fluid. — A. Lacroix : The rhyolitic and dacitic 

 rocks of Madagascar, and in particular those of the 

 Sakalave region. Complete analyses of twenty-one 

 rocks are given, and the distribution of the rocks in 

 the area discussed.- A. Miintz and E. Laine : Studies 

 on the irrigation of soils. The minimum irrigation 

 gives the best cultural results; it depends on the 

 slope of the land, the nature of the vegetation, and 

 the dimensions of the distributing channels. — G. 

 Charpy was elected a correspondant for the section of 

 chemistry in the place of the late Louis Henry. — Ch. 

 Platrier : Meromorph solutions of certain linear in- 

 tegral equations of the third species. — M. Barre ; 

 Helicoids of the second species. — Th. Got ; The sym- 

 metries of the reproductive groups of indefinite ternary 

 quadratic forms. — A. Romieux ; Contribution to the 

 study of the terrestrial deformation. — C. G. Bedreag : 

 Electrification by the X-rays. The charge depends on 

 the pressure, the nature of the metal of the electrode, 

 difference of contact potential between the electrode 

 and the surrounding walls, and ionisation of the gas. 

 In the present communication a special study is made 

 of the function of the metal. — Andre' Cheron : A new- 

 arrangement for the examination of stereoscopic 

 photographs. — Henri Labrouste ; The visibility of traces 

 of foreign substances deposited on a surface of pure 

 water. The method described permits of the thin 

 layers being detected by optical means without the 

 use of any special apparatus.- Mile. Cecile Spielrein : 

 The equilibrium of lithium sulphate with the alkaline 

 sulphates in presence of their mixed solution at ioo° C. 

 --Ruby Wallach : The thermal analysis of clays. The 

 double galvanometer of Le Chatelier-Saladin with a 

 thermocouple was applied to the examination of 

 various kaolins and clays, the heat absorption due to 

 the volatilisation of water being shown by well- 

 marked depressions on the curve. A slight heat 

 evolution between 900° C. and iooo C. was also 

 observed in some cases, an effect probably due to a 

 transformation of alumina. — Andr6 Job and Paul 

 (iotssedet : The cerium acetylacetonates. Ceric acetyl- 

 acetonate has been prepared and analysed. — M. 

 Dumesnil ; Diketones obtained by the action of the 

 xylylene dibromides on the sodium derivative of iso- 

 propylohenvlketone and their decomposition by means 

 of sodium" amide.— Roger Douris : The addition of 

 hydrogen to some secondary a-ethvlenic alcohols in 

 presence of nickel.— Marcel Baudouin and Louis 

 Reutter ; The analysis of the contents of some Gallo- 

 Roman vases and of a flask of perfume, found in a 

 vault at la Vendee. These vases, date probably from 

 the third century. Styrax, turpentine, resin, asphalt, 

 or fudean bitumen, and incense were found. These 

 prove indirectly the existence of commercial relations 

 between France and Asia Minor, Somaliland and 

 Judea. — I. Durand : A layer of aragonite crystals in 

 the marls attributed to the LTpper Trias in eastern 

 Corbieres. — C. Oaudefroy : The dehydration fitrures of 

 different types obtained in the same crystals. — A. 

 (iuilliermond : The role of the chondriome in the 

 elaboration of the reserve products in fungi. — A. Marie 

 and Leon MacAulifte : The anthropometric study of 

 200 Madagascans.— E. Gley and Alf. Quinquaud : The 

 influence of the suprarenal secretion on the vasomotive 

 actions dependent on the splanchnic nerve. — A. 

 Barbieri : The difference in chemical composition be- 

 tween the great sympathetic system and the axial 



