December 5, 19 12] 



NATURE 



599 



ness of the husk are related to the percentage of oil. 

 Two interesting papers were contributed by Prof. 

 Hendrick, one showing the composition of water drain- 

 ing from soils practically free from carbonate of lime, 

 and the other emphasising the value as manure of 

 waste carbonate of lime. 



.\ new line of agricultural study was opened up by 

 Dr. W. G. Smith and Mr. Crampton, in a paper on 

 the influence of origin and topography on grass lands. 

 This is one of the earliest applications of the new 

 ecological knowledge to agriculture. 



Mr. Collins contributed a paper on the evolution of 

 hydrocyanic acid from linseed, and several papers of 

 economic interest were read bv other members. 



IRE PALETTE OF THE ILLUMINATOR 

 FROM THE SEJ'ENTH TO THE END OF 

 THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.^ 

 T N the opening lecture given at the Royal Academy 

 ^ of Arts last year, Dr. Laurie dealt with tiie ques- 

 tion of the history of the pigments used at various 

 times by painters, bringing together such information 

 as could be obtained by a literary inquiry. Since then 

 he has made an examination with the microscope of a 

 large number of illuminated manuscripts at the British 

 Museum, the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, and the 

 Edinburgh University Librar)", from the seventh to the 

 end of the fifteenth centur)-. The result of this 

 e.xamination has made it possible to identify the larger 

 number of pigments used, and classify them according 

 to the centuries and according to different countries, 

 Byzantine, Irish, French, English, Italian, and Ger- 

 man manuscripts having been examined. 



The general results are to show that during these 

 centuries the palette was practically confined to ver- 

 milion, whether natural or artificial, red lead, orpi- 

 ment, ultramarine and ultramarine ash, azurite, mala- 

 chite, natural and artificial, verdigris, lakes, and pre- 

 parations of the nature of Tyrian purple, with the 

 addition of a remarkable transparent green used from 

 the eighth to the fourteenth century, which owes its 

 pigmentary value to copper, although it has not been 

 possible to determine exactly the nature of the com- 

 pound. A green closely resembling it in appearance 

 and properties can, however, be prepared by dissolving 

 verdigris in Canada balsam or other semi-liquid pine 

 resins. In no case were any specimens of the 

 Egyptian blue which was used so largely in classical 

 times found on the manuscripts. It therefore seems 

 probable that the method of manufacture of this 

 Conner silicate was lost before the seventh century. 



In addition to these pigments, earth colours were 

 occasionally used, and there are rarelv present some 

 pigments which it is dilTicult to classify. The lake 

 used after the thirteenth century is closelv matched by 

 lac lake, which was introduced for dyeing purposes 

 about that time, and on the manuscripts of the late 

 fifteenth century a fine lake appears, which in one 

 case has been identified with every probabilitv as 

 madder lake. The tests, however, cannot be regarded 

 a- absolutely conclusive. 



No fresh light beyond that contained in the known 

 iccords can be thrown on the mediums used, with the 

 exception that on one later fifteenth-centurv manu- 

 script the medium ha« been nroved to be beeswax. 



All the pigments mentioned on the above list were 

 not used in the same countries at the same time. 

 It is possible to show a gradual improvement, for in- 

 stance, in the preparation of ultramarine from lapis 

 lazuli. The use of a fine verdigris is not found until 



1 Abstract of the openinc lecture delivered at the Royal Academy of Arts 

 on December 2 by Dr. A. P. Laurie. 



the beginning of the fifteenth century, and azurites of 

 different quality appear and disappear at definite dates, 

 while a marked distinction can be drawn between the 

 palette used in Byzantium and Ireland, and that used 

 in the rest of Europe from the tenth century. There 

 are also remarkable examples of the use of gold dust, 

 while the laying of golf leaf on raised gesso does 

 not appear earlier than the eleventh century, and only 

 becomes common in the twelfth century. 



The whole result of tlae investigation is to settle 

 with considerable exactness the actual pigments in 

 use, and it is probable that the results will be of value 

 in assisting in fixing the dates of doubtful manu- 

 scripts. 



It will be noted that tlie pigments are almost 

 entirely mineral in character. They are in all cases 

 coarsely ground, and the decorative effect is largely 

 due to the coarse crystalline particles resulting in a 

 broken surface. 



The detailed results of the investigation were laid 

 before the Society of Antiquaries on November 2S, 

 and are being published by that society. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — On November 28 the preamble of a 

 statute supplementing the ordinary form of procedure 

 in Convocation by providing in certain circumstances 

 for a special poll was moved by Prof. Geldart, sup- 

 ported by the Master of Balliol, and opposed on 

 various grounds by Prof. Oman, Prof. Myres, and the 

 president of Corpus. A division in a thin house showed 

 twenty-five in favour of the preamble and twenty-four 

 against it. 



"sir William Mitchell Ramsay has been appointed 

 Romanes lecturer for 1913. His subject has not yet 

 been announced. 



NO. 2249, VOL. 90] 



The prizes and certificates gained by students of the 

 Sir John Cass Technical Institute during the past 

 session will be distributed by Prof. Selwyn Image, 

 Slade professor of fine art, Oxford University, on 

 Tuesday, December 10, at 8 p.m. 



In replv to a question aslced in the House of Com- 

 mons on Monday, Mr. Wedgwood Benn said: — "The 

 Government is under no promise to find a new site for 

 the London LTniversity, and it is not intended to use 

 part of the Botanic Gardens for this purpose." 



In the House of Commons on Tuesday, the Prinie 

 Minister was asked whether he was aware that in 

 1909 the Chancellor of Oxford University issued a 

 memorandum urging the reform of Convocation and 

 greater facilitiesfor students of limited means, and 

 that neither of these reforms had been attempted ; and 

 whether the Government was now prepared to advise 

 that a Royal Commission be appointed to carry 

 through those reforms. In reply, Mr. .Asquith said : — 

 " I am well aware of the importance of those matters 

 and have given them much attention. I hope shortly 

 to be able to make a definite statement on the sub- 

 ject." 



The Marquess of Northampton, K.G., will distribute 

 the prizes and certificates at the Northampton Poty- 

 technic Institute, Clerkenwell. to-morrow, December 

 6. The laboratories, workshops, &-c., with various ex- 

 hibits in them, will be open for inspection on that 

 occasion, and also on Saturday evening. There will 

 be kinematograph illustrations of twisting and break- 

 ing, bv Mr. C. E. Larard ; demonstrations with liquid 

 air, bv Mr. W. M. Wilcox; and an illustrated lectur- 

 ettc on notable bookbindings, by Mr. T. E. Harrison. 



