JUNE 7, 1906] 



NA TURE 



139 



the navigator, and nol nncessarily limited to tlie North 

 Allanlic area. A special investigation of the winds, 

 currents, and air and sea temperatures experienced along 

 the Mediterranean steamship routes is being carried out at 

 the Seewartc, and the results are now appearing month by 

 month on the pilot chart. 



The issue _ for last Kebruary contains a very complete 

 work on the handling of ships in tropical hurricanes - 

 Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Arabian and 

 China -Seas. The April number gives an account of a very 

 severe -Vtlantic storm, the maximum violence occurring on 

 the rise of the barometer; a still longer article deals with 

 water-spouts. The May chart gives the true bearing and 

 the compass bearing at about three hundred positions round 

 the coasts of the British Isles. The North Sea-Baltic 

 publication is equally complete, each quarterly issue con- 

 taining one general chart for the region and others for 

 the several months of the quarter, together with an 

 abundance of letterpress dealing with a great variety of 

 subjects, such as the investigation of the fisheries and the 

 physical condition of the waters of the region, the surface 

 currents of the Kattegat and .Sound, ice, and tidal streams. 



With live years' experience in the preparation of the 

 monthly North Atlantic pilot charts, our Meteorological 

 Oflice has now commenced the publication of a similar 

 series of " Monthly Meteorological Charts of the Indian 

 Ocean North of 15° .South Latitude, and Red Sea." 

 The area covered by the map extends from 30° N. to 

 15° S., between the meridians of 30° and 100° E. The 

 first number, issued in London on May 0, is for the month 

 of May. Presumably future issues will be well in advance 

 of the month to which they relate, so as to be in the 

 hands of mariners navigating the Indian Ocean during the 

 month. Generally, the chart presents the same features 

 as the North Atlantic one. For each ocean space of 5° of 

 latitude by 5° of longitude the frequency of winds of light, 

 moderate, or gale force is shown for the si.xteen even 

 points of the compass, the observations upon which the 

 results are based covering a period of fifty years. Appar- 

 ently through inadvertence a pecked line intended to 

 indicate the northern limit of the south-east trade has been 

 omitted. Tracks of some cyclonic storms are given in red. 

 It is left to the sailor to assume whether the date given 

 is at the commencement or end of the tracks, there being 

 no directing arrow heads. The set and velocity of the 

 ocean currents are shown in blue, and in a lighter blue 

 the variation curves for 1907. Use is made of the land 

 spaces for supplying a variety of information by means of 

 letterpress and inset charts. 



\ small chart of the whole area gives, for the month, the 

 average distribution of barometric pressure over the sea, 

 and the mean temperature of the air and of the water. 

 \n enlarged map of the Guardafui and Ras Hafun district 

 shows the currents, sea temperatures, and mistv weather 

 in this dangerous locality, and suitable notes accompany 

 the map. Over Arabia appear remarks on the various air 

 and water elements of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. 

 On the back of the sheet are given complete summaries 

 of the elaborate storm and weather signals of the Bay of 

 Bengal and of the Hi'igli River storm signals, which' are 

 far more precise than those in use in anv other part of 

 the world. A map of the southern Indian Ocean, from 

 the equator to 40° S., and 30° to 120° E., is used for re- 

 producing the late Dr. Meldrum's monthlv tracks of 

 cyclones between 1S4.S and 1885. There are notices to 

 captains relating to the collection of meteorological observ- 

 ations, to the necessity for accurate determination of the 

 errors of barometers in use, and to the compass adjustment 

 marks at Kalpi anchorage. 



Altogether the new publication gives promise of supply- 

 ing a much-needed want in a simple and easily accessible 

 form for a part of the ocean about which there has hitherto 

 been but little information. The monthlv variations 

 in the circulation of the waters of the Arabian Sea and of 

 the Bay of Bengal will alone well repay careful study, 

 while a more accurate knowledge of the different winds 

 of the region covered by the chart cannot fail to be of 

 the greatest practical benefit to shipmasters and their 

 oflicers. 



NO. 1 9 TO, VOL. 74] 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxi'ORD. — The electors to the I.inacre professorship of 

 comparative anatomy will proceed to an election next 

 month. Candidates are desired to send in their names so 

 as to reach the registrar's olllce not later than Saturday, 

 July 7. The Linacre professor is by virtue of his office a 

 fellow of Merton College. He is entitled to receive from 

 the college a stipend of 700/. a year in addition to the 

 emoluments of a fellowship, which amount at present to 

 200/. a year. 



Cambridge. — Mr. E. S. Roberts, Master of Gonville ;md 

 Caius College, has been elected V'ice-Chancellor for the 

 ensuing academical year. 



Mr. L. Noon, Trinity College, has been elected to a 

 John Lucas Walker studentship in pathology. 



The assessment to be paid by the colleges to the I'ni- 

 versity in the present year has been fixed at 30,038/., or 

 13/. per cent, on the college incomes. 



The Chancellor, His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, has 

 made a gift of 500Z. to the special fund now being raised 

 on behalf of the University library. 



Mr. C. L. Boulenger, King's, has been nominated to 

 the University table at the Naples Zoological Station ; and 

 Mr. K. Lucas, Trinity, to the table at the Plymouth 

 Marine Biological Laboratory. 



The special board for mathematics has made some minor 

 alterations in the proposals for the re-modelling of the 

 .Mathematical Tripos, parts i. and ii., but it is proposed to 

 submit unchanged to the .Senate the principles of the 

 original report. 



Ten candidates have been successful in the special ex- 

 amination in agricultural science and the first examination 

 for the University's diploma in agriculture. 



Mr. W. A. Cunnington, Christ's, for a dissertation on 

 " Tanganyika," and -Mr. C. .Shearer, Trinity, for a dis- 

 sertation on "The Development of Larval N'ephridia, " 

 have been approved as advanced students for the certificate 

 of research. 



Prof. Bradbury, Prof. Osier, Dr. S. West, and Prof. 

 Rose Bradford have been appointed examiners in medicine ; 

 Dr. Rivers Pollock and Prof. Spencer, examiners in mid- 

 wifery ; and Dr. Kellock, Prof. Barling, Mr. Stanley Boyd, 

 and Mr. Dunn, examiners in surgery for the ensuing 

 academical year. 



A sum of 6000/. from the benefaction fund, raised by the 

 University Association, has, with the approval of the Chan- 

 cellor, been contributed to the cost of the botany and 

 medical school buildings. 



The name of "Frederick James Quick, of Trinity Hall," 

 founder of the Quick professorship of biology, lias been 

 added to the list of benefactors in the Commemoration 

 Service. 



A RoY.iL Co.MMissiON has been appointed for the purpose 

 of holding an inquiry into Trinity College, Dublin, and 

 the University of Dublin. The terms of reference of the 

 commission are as follows : — " To inquire into and report 

 upon the present state of Trinity College, Dublin, and of 

 the University of Dublin, including the revenues of the 

 College and of any of its ofiicers and their application, ihi- 

 method of government of the University and of the College, 

 the system of instruction in the College and the teachers 

 by whom it is conducted, the system of University examin- 

 ations, and the provision made for post-graduate study and 

 the encouragement of research : and also to inquire and 

 report upon the place which Trinity College, Dublin, and 

 the University of Dublin now hold as organs of the higher 

 education in Ireland, and the steps proper to be taken to 

 increase their usefulness to the country." .Among the com- 

 missioners are Sir Edward Fry (chairman). Sir .A. \V. 

 Rucker, F.R.S., and Prof. D. J. CofTey. 



.AccoRDrNG to the Reichsanseiger, the number of students 

 who took the " Doktor-Ingenieur " degree of the technical 

 Hochschulen at Berlin, Hanover, and .Aachen during the 

 last winter semester was seven in Berlin, five in Hanover, 

 and four in Aachen, while the number who took this 

 degree during the two semesters from March, 1005, to 



