June 14, 1906] 



NATURE 



159 



b(; an Algol variable, and a number of the observations 

 iiuctli' near minima, together with an ephenieris for May, 

 lime, and July, arc given in the circular. 



A plan proposed by Prof. Bailey for the construction of 

 I \ariable star Durchmusterung, in which the cooperation 

 I I amateur and other astronomers is sought, is described 

 in No. 116 of the same publications. 



ri>e results of a number of variable-star observations 

 Jiiade by Mr. S. D. Townley at the Lick Observatory 

 (luring the summer of 1902 are published in No. 95 of the 

 I.ick Observatory Bulletins. Most of the stars observed 

 wore taken from the " Catalogue of Stars recognised as 

 X'ariable since the Appearance of Chandler's Third Cata- 

 logue," which appeared in the Astronomical Journal 

 (vol. xxii.) in 1902. 



17.S7T OF REPRESENTATIVES OF FRENCH 

 UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. 

 'PIIK French visitors have come and gone. To describe 

 in detail the events of a crowded programme would 

 he impossible. \\'e can here only give a brief sketch. 

 From the first meeting on Whit Monday, at the informal 

 dinner given at the Empress Rooms of the Royal Palace 

 lloiel, it was obvious that the entente between the French 

 >.ivants and their English hosts was sincere and cordial, 

 and that it was of much older standing than the political 

 agreement. The Vice-Chancellor, Sir Edward Busk, speak- 

 ing in French, struck the right note at the outset, and Sir 

 Walter Palmer, the chairman of the reception committee, 

 and .Mr. P. J. Hartog, the academic registrar of the uni- 

 versity (who acted with Mr. \V. K. Hill as secretary), both 

 former students of the Sorbonne, welcomed, in the French 

 guests, old teachers and fellow-students. 



To the toast of " Our Guests," proposed by Sir Walter 

 Palmer, responses were made by M. Bayet (for the 

 Ministry of Public Instruction), M. Boutroux (for the 

 F'aculty of Letters of Paris), M. Lippmann (for the Faculty 

 of Sciences of Paris), M. Chavannes (for the College de 

 France), M. Thamin and M. Angellier (for the French pro- 

 vincial universities), M. Morel (for the Soci(5t6 des Pro- 

 fesseurs de Langues vivantes), and M. Gautier (for the 

 <uiilde Internationale), several of whom, including MM. 

 I.ippmann and Angellier, spoke in excellent English. 



On the following morning the official proceedings began 

 with a reception by Lord Fitzmaurice and Mr. Lough, 

 Parliamentary Secretary of the Board of Education, in the 

 large room of the Foreign Office, followed by luncheon 

 for 300 guests in the East Gallery of the University. 



The gallery, which is nearly 200 feet long, was decorated 

 with French and English bunting, and with red, blue, and 

 white flowers ; and the French robes of criinson silk 

 (science) and yellow silk (arts), with the ermine-barred 

 fpitoga, the scarlet gowns and many-coloured hoods of the 

 Englishmen, and the light summer dresses of the ladies, 

 formed a gorgeous display. It was a surprise to the 

 Frenchmen, who had been somewhat loth to don academic 

 costume, very rarely worn in France, and only on solemn 

 official occasions, to discover its value in a pageant. One 

 of the most distinguished of them prophesied that the 

 English fashion would before long be followed in France. 



Official distinction was given to the reception by the 

 presence of M. Cambon, the French Ambassador, who 

 responded to the toast of the President of the French 

 Republic; and the connection of the University with London 

 was emphasised by the toast " Welcome to London " pro- 

 posed by Mr. Evan Spicer, chairman of the London County 

 Council, and responded to by M. E. Hovelaque, the French 

 Inspector-General, who has of late years transformed the 

 teaching of English in French schools, and who spoke with 

 an eas.' and distinction that Englishmen might well envy. 

 After lunch came addresses in the Great Hall to an audience 

 of about 1.S00 persons. The Vice-Chancellor gave a brief 

 but interesting sketch of the relation between the Universitv 

 of Paris and the older English universities ; M. Liard, the 

 ^ ice-Rector of the University of Paris, gave an account of 

 Ihe great and fruitful reforins in French secondary and 

 university education, on which, as Sir Edward Busk justlv 

 said, he has for many years exerted " a commanding and 

 benelicent influence "'; Sir Arthur Riicker, principal of 



NO. I9II. VOL. 74] 



I the University, showed how the ideal of Adam Smith of 

 t free and competitive teaching, and the ideal of Dr. John- 

 son of an endowed and privileged university were united 

 in the University of London with its external and internal 

 sides, and he amused his audience greatly by pointing out 

 that while the test of " residence " at the Inns of Court 

 was eating, and at Oxford and Cambridge was sleeping, 

 that test in London had been divorced a mensa et thoro ; 

 Prof. Sadler, as past-president of the Modern Languages 

 .Association, a number of the French guests of which were 

 entertained by the University, gave an interesting and 

 suggestive sketch of French influences on English educa- 

 tion. .After the addresses tea was served in the new, and 

 still unfinished, chemical and physical laboratories of the 

 Royal College of Science, over which the visitors were 

 conducted by Sir .Arthur Riicker, Prof. Tilden, Prof. 

 Callendar, and the staff of the college. In the evening the 

 guests were invited to meet fellow-specialists informally at 

 parties given by Sir Edward Busk (modern languages and 

 literature). Prof, and Mrs. E. -A. Gardner (classics, 

 archeology, and philosophy), Sir William and Lady Ramsay 

 (mathematics and physical sciences), Mr. Mackinder (history 

 and geography), and Dr. Waller, Dr. Farmer, Dr. Halli- 

 burton, and Dr. Starling (biological sciences). 



On Wednesday morning, June 6, and afternoon, the 

 County Council took charge of the visitors; they were 

 driven in thirty-five carriages, headed by two mounted 

 policemen, from the Royal Palace Hotel to Westminster, 

 where they inspected the Abbey and school, then to the 

 excellent Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts and the 

 Oliver Goldsmith School, and so to Belair, the beautiful 

 park of Mr. Evan Spicer, where lunch was served in an 

 open marquee. The guests returned vi& Dulwich College 

 and Picture Gallery, and drove through the Dulwich 

 Common Park, now maintained by the County Council, in 

 which there is a magnificent show of rhododendrons and 

 azaleas. In the evening private dinners were given by the 

 Vice-Chancellor and Lady Busk, the Principal and Lady 

 Rucker, Dr. and Mrs. ' Bradford. Sir William Collins, 

 M.P., Dr. Headlam, principal of King's College, Mrs. 

 J. R. Green, Sir Philip Magnus, M.P., and Lady Magnus, 

 Dr. and Mrs. T. L. Mears, Sir Walter and Lady Palmer, 

 Dr. and Mrs. Pye-Smith, and the principal, professors, 

 and lecturers of University College. 



The evening concluded with a brilliant and crowded re- 

 ception at the French Embassy. ^ 



On Thursday morning, June 7, a series of eight addresses 

 was given in' the Great Hall of the University of a 

 singularly varied and interesting character, in which it 

 may fairlv be said that the English speakers. Prof. 

 Gardner, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, who spoke in Latin, 

 Dr. Waller, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, and Sir 

 William Ramsay, who spoke in French, did not fall short 

 of the high literary level characteristic of French eloquence. 

 M. Croiset and M. Appell, the Deans of the Faculties of 

 .Arts and Sciences of Paris, M. L^ger, professor at the 

 College de France, M. Benoist, Rector of Montpellier, and 

 M. Morel, vice-president of the Soci^t4 des Professeurs de 

 Langues vivantes, gave addresses on which it is impossible 

 to comment adequately. It is understood that they will 

 be published later, when we hope to have occasion to 

 describe them. 



On the afternoon of Thursday, June 7, the French guests 

 journeyed by special train to Windsor, where they were in- 

 troduced by Lord Rosebery, Chancellor of the University, 

 and by the Vice-Chancellor, to the King and Queen, and 

 were afterwards entertained at tea in the Castle ; and in the 

 evening the proceedings, so far as London was concerned, 

 concluded with a brilliant conversazione at the University. 



On June 8 half the guests of the University and of the 

 Modern Language .Association were entertained at Oxford 

 and half at Cambridge. The majority left London en 

 Saturday and Sunday, June q and 10. 



In these festivities there has been much brilliancy, much 

 pomp and circumstance. But behind the show there has 

 been real and solid work accomplished or begun. Lessons 

 are learnt better from men than from books, and the 

 lessons to be derived from French education, to which 

 (with the Army) France has devoted the best part of her 

 energies since 1871, have been sadly neglected by England. 

 Wc have still to learn that solid secondarv education is a 



