May 24, 1 906] 



NA TURE 



though since then has not the " Thoroujjhbrud Hiir>e " 

 been written by Prof. Ridgeway/ 



The majority of the other essays are, however, worth 

 issuing in collected form. In reading them we 

 recognise the spirit of the genuine sportsman 

 naturalist — the best combination in a human being for 

 the full enjoyment of the external world — and follow 

 with deep satisfaction his cxcellrnl companionship out 

 into the open in his " Marsh Walk in May," " On 

 the Hill," and " Bird Life on the Rro.ids." An 

 interesting chapter on " Small Birds on Migration 

 carried bv Large Ones " leaves the question as un- 

 decided as before. It may be worth recording, how- 

 ever, that many years ago the present writer listened 

 with intense interest to his vis-ii-vxs, at a Lisbon hotel 

 iahlc il'liote, relating how he had seen in Egypt small 

 birds landing from the shoulders of an immigrant 

 crane. The writer on inquiry learned that the name 

 of his co-resident was " von ileuglin." 



In his essay on the " Fascination of Light," Mr. 

 Harting records some circumstantial evidence for 

 believing that the powder-down patches of certain 

 herons are phosphorescent, and probably provide a 

 " living -light " for alluring fishes to the surface of the 

 water, and within sight of the foraging bird during 

 the darkness. It is suggested also in regard to the 

 common kingfisher that its orange-coloured breast 

 mav serve the same purpose when the bird is hover- 

 ing (during daylight) over water "on the feed." 

 While it would be very difficult to prove the latter 

 suggestion experimentally, it seems that the former 

 might be investigated with much chance of success 

 by a couple of unprejudiced, enthusiastic and properly 

 equipped ornithologists spending a few dark nights 

 in a punt in the quiet haunts of the heron. 



These " Recreations " may be cordially recom- 

 mended to the lover of nature as a companion on his 

 summer holidays. The book is full of delightful 

 illustrations — those especially by Joseph Wolf and 

 George Lodge — and, as a specimen, the beautiful 

 hovering kingfisher, by the latter artist, is reproduced 

 here. ' ' F. 



FORTHCOMING VISIT OF REPRESENT- 

 ATIVES OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION 

 IN FRANCE. 



'T^HE Senate of the L'niversity of London has in- 

 ■*• vited representatives of the University of Paris 

 (Faculty of Letters and Faculty of Sciences) and of 

 the College de France to visit London at Whitsun- 

 tide. These representatives will be accompanied by 

 the highest officials of the French Ministry' of Public 

 Instruction and by a number of representatives of the 

 French provincial Universities. The Soci^t^ des Pro- 

 fesseurs de Langues vivantes and of the Guilde Inter- 

 nationale will be simultaneously entertained by the 

 Modern Language .-Vssociation, and the University 

 has arranged for the representation of all these bodies 

 at the various cereinonies. The French delegations 

 will be headed by M. Liard, the Vice-Rector of the 

 L^ni versify of Paris. 



The King has graciously expressed his desire to 

 receive a number of the French visitors at Windsor 

 on Thursday afternoon, June 7. 



The general programme will include the following 

 items : — Monday, June 4, an informal dinner at the 

 Ro\'al Palace Hotel, Kensington, at which the guests 

 of the University will stay. Tuesday, June 5, a re- 

 ception at the Foreign Office bv Lord Fitzmaurice 

 and by Mr. Lough, Parliamentary Secretary of the 

 Board of Education, at noon ; luncheon at the L'ni- 

 versity; addresses at the L'niversity bv Sir Edward 

 Busk, \ice-Chancellor, M, Liard, Sir Arthur Rijcker, 



NO. 1908, VOL. 74] 



and Prof. Sadler (on behalf of the Modern Language 

 .\ssociation); informal receptions of French and 

 English specialists. Wednesday, June 6, visits to 

 Westminster .\bbey, to Westminster School, and to 

 some of the London Uounty Council educational in- 

 stitutions, followed by a luncheon to be given by 

 Mr. Evan Spicer, chairman of the County Council, 

 at Belair, Dulwich ; in the evening .i dinner at Uni- 

 versity College, and various private dinners, followed 

 by a reception by his Excellency the French .Ambas- 

 sador at the French Embassy. Thursday, June 7, 

 addresses by the Deans of the Faculties of .Arts and 

 Science of the L'niversities of London and Paris, by 

 Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B., and by representatives 

 of the College de France, the French provincial l'ni- 

 versities, and the French Modern Language .Associa- 

 tion ; and in the evening a conversazione at the 

 University. It is understood that a number of the 

 French guests will, on Friday, June 8, visit the 

 Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. 



The guests will include the following represent- 

 atives of science in France : — 



University of Paris: M. Liard, Vice-Recteur de I'Uni- 

 versit? ; Profs. Appell, G. Bertrand, L4on Bertrand, Vid.-jl 

 de la Blache, Borel, Boutroux, Bouty, Bouveault, Dastrc, 

 Dplage, Fernbach, Ik-rouard, Houssay, Joannis, Lapicque, 

 Leduc, Lippmann, Matignon, Matruchot, Painlev^, Pellat, 

 Perrin, Pruvot, and Puiseux. 



College de France : Profs. Hennpguy and Pierre Janet. 



University of Bordeaux : Prof. Lorin. 



University of Caen : Prof. Guinchant. 



University of Lille : Prof. Ponsot. 



University of Nancy : Prof. Cu6not. 



NOTES. 



Gre.vt surprise and regret have been caused in German 

 chemical circles by the announcement that Prof. W. 

 Ostwald has requested the Saxony Minister of Education 

 to allow him to give up the position which he has held 

 in the University of Leipzig for so many years. German 

 scientific journals and papers are unanimous in saying that 

 of living chemists not one has exercised so great an in- 

 fluence on the progress of modern chemistry as Prof. 

 Ostwald in his almost twenty years of academic teaching. 

 But Prof. Ostwald finds the direction of a large university 

 laboratory making so many calls on his time as to prevent 

 his carrying out the amount of original and private work 

 which he would like, with the result that he has decided 

 to retire to his country house at Grossbothen (Saxony), 

 where a small private laboratory has been arranged, and 

 devote himself to literary and experimental work, dealing 

 in the first instance with the technology of painting. 



At the invitation of the .Anglo-German Friendship Com- 

 mittee a number of editors of German newspapers will visit 

 London shortly. According to present arrangements, the 

 visitors will arrive in London on June 20. .Among the many 

 entertainments provided is a visit to the Natural History 

 Museum on Sunday, June 24, under the guidance of Lord 

 Avebury and Prof. Ray Lankester. On Wednesday, 

 June 27, the party will go to Cambridge to be entertained 

 at one of the colleges and taken over the L^niversity. 



The President of the Board of Trade has appointed 

 Major P. A. MacMahon, F.R.S., to be Deputy Warden 

 of the Standards, to succeed the late superintendent of 

 weights and measures, Mr. H. J. Chaney. 



The Friday evening discourse at the Royal Institution 

 on June i will be delivered by Prof. H. Moissan, on 

 " L'Ebullition des Mdtaux," and on June 8 by Sir James 

 Dewar, on " Studies on Charcoal and Liquid .Air." 



