46 



NA TURE 



[May lo, 190C 



haus demonstrated his new, but already widely adopted, fall 

 apparatus for the control of chronoscopes and other time- 

 measuring instruments (for full description, see Zeitschr. 

 f Psychologie, xxx., 292). Several other apparatus were 

 exhibited, but unfortunately not in such rich variety as at 

 Giessen. 



The other papers were those of Jerusalem (Vienna), on re- 

 membering and forgetting ; Witasek (Gratz), on the methodics 

 of measuring memory; Pfeiffer (Wiirzburg), on a method 

 of determining qualitative types in school-work ; Lipmann 

 (Berlin), on the effect of suggestive questions; Asher (Bern), 

 on the law of the specific energies of the senses ; Detlessen 

 (Wismar), on colour-values and colour-measurement ; 

 Hughes (Soden), on single affective states; Schultze 

 (Wiirzburg), on accentual effects (Wirkungsakzente) ; 

 Decroly (Brussels), on anthropometrical and psychological 

 tests for children ; v. Aster (Munich), on the third dimension 

 of the spatial presentation (visual) ; and Kobylecki (Cracow), 

 on psychological experiment without introspection. 



On the whole, the congress showed itself strongly in- 

 fluenced by the universal and increasing reaction against 

 the materialistic atomism of the early days of experimental 

 psychology. The admission is ever gaining ground, that 

 consciousness is something more than a mechanically 

 changing conglomeration of sensations and feelings in 

 varying quality, intensity and complication. 



The earnest scientific tone and strict attention to busi- 

 ness which had so favourably distinguished the Giessen 

 congress from the international ones was on the present 

 occasion even more marked. The members allowed them- 

 selves no relaxation until after the close of the proceed- 

 ings, when a general picnic was made to the beautiful 

 Veitshochheim " Pleasure Palace " of the former Prince- 

 Bishops. The next congress will be held at Frankfort (on 

 the Main) on April 22-25, 1908. C. Spearman. 



THE MILAN INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. 

 T^HE Milan exhibition, which was opened in state by 

 the King and Queen of Italy on April 28, is still far 

 from complete. The reason for its unfinished condition is 

 to be found in the increased scope of the exhibition. As 

 originally planned, it was intended to commemorate the 

 opening of the Simplon Tunnel by confining the exhibition 

 to a display of progress in transport by land and water. 

 Gradually other branches of industry were added, and 

 support has been accorded by the leading European coun- 

 tries, France predominating with an area of 250,000 square 

 feet. Austria follows with 180,000 square feet, Germany 

 with 160,000 square feet, Belgium with ioS,ooo square feet. 

 Great Britain with 75,000 square feet, and Hungary with 

 32,000 square feet. The exhibition covers an area of 400 

 acres, of which more than half is covered by buildings of 

 a decorative character. Italian exhibitors occupy about 

 one-half of the space, and the exhibits afford striking 

 evidence of the remarkable industrial progress that has 

 been made in Italy of late years. Altogether the exhibi- 

 tion is exceptionally attractive from a popular and a busi- 

 ness point of view, whilst from a technical point of view 

 its chief interest is due to the fact that it is the first inter- 

 national exhibition in which electricity has been used for 

 driving the machinery shown in operation. 



Of the exhibits of scientific interest, the most interesting 

 are those of the Italian .-Admiralty. The methods employed 

 in the preparation of charts and the manufacture of tor- 

 pedoes are well shown. The retrospective exhibition 

 associated with the transportation section is also of great 

 interest. The early history of navigation and of steam 

 transport is illustrated in an admirable manner. Exhibits 

 of historical interest are contributed by the Board of 

 Education, the Corporation of London, Lloyd's Register, 

 the Institutions of Civil and Mechanical Engineers, and 

 the Iron and Steel Institute. 



In the various international sections valuable prizes are 

 ofiered by the King of Italy. They include 400Z. for the 

 best exhibit of machinery, 400!. for the best type of work- 

 man's dwelling, 400L for the best flying machine, 400!. 

 for the best motor omnibus, 200/. for automatic railway 

 couplings, 20o!. for the best method of testing high-voltage 

 electric currents, 20o(. for motor-boats, and 200/. for the 

 best motor-plough. 



N'^. Tgo6. VOL. 74] 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — The University Alembic Club celebrated its 

 hundredth meeting on Saturday, April 28, by holding a 

 dinner in the banqueting room of the Town Hail. The pro- 

 fessor of chemistry, the Lee reader, and the Aldrichian 

 demonstrator were present. All the past-presidents of the 

 club and a number of old members attended. 



The 2S3rd meeting of the Junior Scientific Club was held 

 on Friday, May 4, when papers were read on " Bubbles 

 and Emulsions," by Dr. W. Ramsden, and "Who were 

 the Greeks? " by Mr. J. L. Myres. 



Cambridge. — The council of the Senate has nominated 

 Prof. Woodhead, Mr. A. Sedgwick, and Mr. A. E. Shipley, 

 and the special board for biology and geology has nominated 

 Prof. Langley, Mr. J. J. Lister, and .Mr. F. F. Black- 

 man, to be members of the board of managers of the Quick 

 fund. The election to the Quick professorship of proto- 

 zoology rests with the board of managers, who will also 

 control the expenditure of the income derived from the 

 bequest of the late P'rederick James Quick. 



Mr. F. G. Hopkins, of Emmanuel College, and Mr. 

 W. M. Fletcher, of Trinity College, have been elected 

 examiners to the Gedge prize in physiology. 



It is arranged that the voting on the proposals of the 

 Studies and Examination Syndicate wTth reference to the 

 doing away with compulsory Greek for mathematical and 

 natural science students will take place on the afternoons 

 of Friday, May 25, and Saturday, May 26. 



Prof. Macalister, Prof. Langley, and Dr. Hill have pub- 

 lished a time-table of courses in human anatomy, physi- 

 ology, and histology to be held during the long vacation, 

 beginning on July 4. 



In addition to the ordinary classes in general pathology 

 and pharmacology to be given at the New Medical Schools 

 during the long vacation, the series of shorter courses deal- 

 ing with more advanced work will be repeated this year. 

 These courses are open to medical men and senior students 

 only. 



.\ COL'RSE of seven lectures on " The Morphology of the 

 Bryophyta " was commenced by Prof. J. B. Farmer, 

 F.R.S., at the Chelsea Physic Garden on Tuesday, May 8. 

 Admission is free by ticket, obtainable on application to 

 the .Academic Registrar of the University of London. 



A COURSE of eight lectures on the " Structure and Func- 

 tions of the Central Nervous System," with special refer- 

 ence to the brain stem, will be commenced in the 

 physiology department of University College, London, by 

 Dr. W. Page May, on Wednesday, May 16. The lectures 

 are open to all students of the University of London, also 

 to qualified medical men on presentation of their cards. 



The following benefactions to higher education in the 

 United States are announced in Science : — The University 

 of California has received a gift of 20,oooi. from the widow 

 of the late Judge John H. Boalt. Mr. Andrew Carnegie 

 has offered 8000/. to Denison University for a new library 

 building on condition that a like sum is secured elsewhere 

 for the endowment of the library. Through the generosity 

 of Mr. Robert S. Brookings and Mr. Adolphus Busch, the 

 medical department of Washington University (St. Louis) 

 has received a gift of 10,000/. 



An earnest and well-informed plea for the provision of 

 more adequate funds for the L'niversity of Cambridge is 

 made in the current number of the Quarterly Review. 

 Though it is a mistake to suppose that the flow of benefac- 

 tions to the old universities has ceased entirely, the fact 

 remains that Cambridge has twice appealed, once in 1898 

 and again in 1904, for help to meet her responsibilities. 

 It is alleged that the demands of science have emptied the 

 University chest, and yet there is a popular belief that 

 the university of Newton and Charles Darwin, of Maxwell 

 and Rayleigli, is still shrouded in mediseval shadow. When 

 it is remembered that the expenditure on buildings devoted 

 to science alone since 1862 must have exceeded 300,000/., 

 and that other great expenses have been incurred in the 

 same direction, it is not difficult to understand that it has 

 been done only with external help, and that unless more 



