October io, 1912] 



NATURE 



183 



every tenth was barked so as to obtain the allowance 

 necessary to be made for bark. The work of the 

 students was supervised by Mr. Lyford-Pike, junior 

 lecturer in the University, who was assisted by a few 

 recent graduates in forestry. 



Dr. L. Silberstein will commence a course of 

 twelve lectures on "The Theory of Relativity" at 

 University College, Gower Street, W.C., to-morrow, 

 October ii, at 5 p.m. The first part of the course will 

 be historical, beginning' with Maxwell's electro- 

 magnetic theory, and the Hertz-Heaviside equations ; 

 the second part will be concerned with the principle 

 itself; and the third with its applications and recent 

 extensions. Much attention has been paid to the sub- 

 ject since Einstein founded the modern theory in 1905, 

 but the arguments for the principle, and the conclu- 

 sions to which they lead, are not well understood. 

 There must be many students of physics who will be 

 glad to have a clear and connected statement of a 

 theory which, carried to its furthest extent, would 

 declare that " the phenomena of physical science do 

 not lead us to any knowledge of a permanent and 

 unique frame of reference relative to which the motions 

 of bodies may be determined." 



Copies of the calendar for the academic year, 

 1912-13, of the University of Leeds are now available. 

 As is natural in the case of a great modern university, 

 the faculties of science and technology take a pro- 

 minent place in the activities connected with the in- 

 stitution. The degree of bachelor of science, whether 

 with or without honours, may be taken in pure or 

 applied science. The student wishing to graduate on 

 the technical side may study mechanical, civil, elec- 

 trical, mining, or gas engineering, fuel and 

 metallurgy, agriculture, colour chemistry and dyeing, 

 or the chemistry of leather manufacture, and, if suc- 

 cessful, secure his degree. In addition, the Univer- 

 sity grants diplomas in certain circumstances in the 

 branches of applied science in which degrees are 

 awarded, and also in textile design and cloth finish- 

 ing, in woollen and worsted spinning, cloth manufac- 

 ture, and textile chemistry. Evening classes in a 

 wide range of subjects are also provided for students 

 whose time is occupied in industrial pursuits during 

 the day. 



An interesting short history of Bedford College for 

 Women is included in the calendar for the sixty-fourth 

 session, that of 1912-13, of the college, which was 

 recognised in 1900 as a school of the University of 

 London in the faculties of arts and science. It will 

 be remembered that a bequest in 1908 of ii,5ooZ. from 

 the late Mr. R. J. Turle enabled the council in the 

 same year to purchase the end of the lease of South 

 Villa, Regent's Park, for the sum of 15,000!., a 

 promise from the Crown having been obtained of a 

 new lease for 99 years. The site is an ideal one. 

 New buildings, for which Mr. Basil Champnevs has 

 been appointed architect, and will include a library, 

 laboratories, lecture rooms, and a residence for 

 students, are now in course of erection, and it is 

 hoped that they will be ready for occupation by next 

 Easter. It is estimated that the cost of the under- 

 taking will amount to about 115,000?., including 

 18,000?. which has been expended in connection with 

 the purchase of the lease of the new site. The total 

 sum given and promised amounts to 130,000?., which 

 leaves 15,000?. to form the nucleus of an endowment 

 fund. 



The calendar of the North of Scotland College of 



Agriculture for the session 1912-13 p6ints out that 



the classes of the college are held in the University 



of -Aberdeen, with the exception of the class in agri- 



NO. 2241, VOL. 90] 



cultural engineering, which meets in Robert Gordon's 

 t Technical College. The courses of instruction- pro- 

 vided are arranged for the benefit of every section of 

 the agricultural community. The lectures, in the 

 I branches of agriculture and agricultural ciiemistry, 

 are arranged in a series of three years with the view 

 I of giving full treatment to these subjects. Students 

 unable to spare the time for a long course in agricul- 

 I tural science, but who can spare five months in winter, 

 I have an onnortunity of obtaining a diploma in agri- 

 I culture conferred by the University. Young men and 

 women who wish to qualify themselves as agricultural 

 teachers or a?' specialists in some branch of agricul- 

 I tural science may obtain the degree of bachelor of 

 science of the University on passing the preliminary 

 examination of the University and two professional 

 examinations. Extended courses of lectures in 

 forestry are arranged for those desirous of training 

 as factors and land stewards ; courses for teachers in 

 school gardening and other subjects required in rural 

 districts are provided, and every effort is being made 

 to supply suitable technical education for the district. 



The London University Gazette for September 25 

 announces a number of courses of advanced lectures 

 in various subjects, among them being a course of 

 three or four lectures on "The Theory of the Solid 

 State," by Prof. W. Nernst, professor of physical chem- 

 istry and director of the Institute of Physical Chem- 

 istry in the University of Berlin. Other courses to 

 be delivered during the session are : — The fundamental 

 chemical processes of plant life. Prof. H. E. Arm- 

 strong, F.R.S. ; the Gnetales, Prof. M. J. Benson ; 

 the permeability of protoplasm, F. F. Blackman, 

 F.R.S. ; the activities of green plants in relation to 

 light, Harold Wager, F.R.S. ; meteorology in relation 

 to the navigation of the air. Dr. W. N. Shaw, F.R.S. ; 

 the action of enzymes, Prof. W. M. Bayliss, F.R.S. ; 

 the physiology of the mammalian heart. Dr. F. S. 

 Locke; protozoa, Prof. E. A. Minchin, F.R.S.; the 

 growth of the vertebrate embryo, R. Assheton ; recent 

 work on experimental embryology. Dr. J. W. Jenkin- 

 son ; mimicry and protective resemblance. Prof. E. B. 

 Poulton, F.R.S. ; the evolution of the mammary 

 apparatus in the mammalia. Prof. E. Bresslau, of 

 Strassburg; growth and form. Prof. D'Arcy Thomp- 

 son, C.B. ; the advanced metallurgy of gold, silver, 

 copper, lead, &c., Prof. W. Gowland, F.R.S. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, September 30. — M. Emile Picard 

 in the chair. — Edmond Perrier : The skull known as 

 that of Descartes in the museum. Reasons are given 

 for the probable authenticity of this skull. — Pierre 

 Termier : The scientific results of the Alpine excursion 

 of the Geologische Vereinigung ; the lepontine strata 

 to the west of Innsbruck. — M. Gouy : A particular kind 

 of electric currents. A non-electrified body is usually 

 regarded as carrying equal charges of the two kinds 

 of electricity. The latter, according to current views, 

 are carried by particles possessing a certain independ- 

 ence, and under certain conditions may move with 

 different velocities. If this is the case, the movement 

 of a non-electrified body may give rise to an electric 

 convection current, producing its ordinary effects. 

 This view is applied to the case of incandescent gases 

 in motion. — M. Arnaud ; .Astronomical refraction in the 

 neighbourhood of the horizon. — Em. Bourquelot and 

 Mile. A. Fichtenholz : The presence of quebrachite in 

 the leaves of Grevillea robusta. The fresh leaves con- 

 tain more than 4 grams of quebrachite per kilogram, 

 or four times the amount extracted from the bark of 



