JuLV 6, 1905I 



NA TURE 



'11 



Pitaval. Mr. L. Guillet, Carnegie scholar of the Iron and 

 Steel Institute, submitted an elaborate monograph on special 

 steels. Of the nickel steels described, the most remarkable 

 are Guillaume's invar, with 36 per cent, of nickel, with 

 an elastic limit of 70 to 75 kg. per square mm., a breaking 

 stress of 45 to 55 kg. per square mm., and an elongation 

 of 35 to 25 per cent. ; and platinite, with 46 per cent, of 

 nickel, with an elastic limit of 60 to 70, a breaking 

 stress of 30 to 40, and an elongation of 45 to 35 per cent. 

 The latter is used instead of platinum in incandescent 

 lamps. The paper summarises in an admirable manner 

 the e.xisting knowledge of nickel, manganese, chromium, 

 tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, silicon, and aluminium 

 steels. Other papers read in this section dealt with the 

 application of electricity in rolling mills, by Mr. L. Creplet ; 

 the double hardening of large steel forgings, by Mr. A. 

 Pierrard ; the metallographical examination of iron and 

 steel, by Mr. H. Le Chatelier ; and an apparatus for 

 charging mercury furnaces so as to obviate the liberation 

 of deleterious gases, by Mr. X. Spirek. 



In the mining section, papers on shaft sinking were read 

 by Messrs. Bodart, Portier, Tomson and Duvivier, and 

 on winding engines by Mr. Henry. The use of super- 

 heated steam was dealt with by Mr. Weiss, and the use 

 of steam accumulators by Messrs. Rateau and Chaleil. 

 Modern pumping engines were described by Mr. Schulte, 

 the De Laval high-lift centrifugal pump by Mr. 

 Sosnowski, and the Sulzer high-lift centrifugal pump by 

 Mr. Zlegler. The water-flush svstem of packing colliery 

 workings was described by Mr. JCingst and by Mr. Lafitte. 

 Fire-damp detection was dealt with by Messrs. Chesneau, 

 Watteyne, Stassart, and Daniel. Electric haulage was 

 discussed by Messrs. Lapostolet, Halleux, and Henry ; and 

 the driving of the great adit-level from Gardanne to the 

 sea was described by Mr. Domage. Altogether the pro- 

 gramme was one of great interest, and the discussions on 

 the papers were well sustained. The president of the 

 congress was Mr. Alfred Habets, and the presidents of 

 the sections were : — for metallurgy, Mr. A. Greiner, 

 member of council of the Iron and Steel Institute ; for 

 mining, Mr. E. Harz^ ; for mechanics, Mr. Hubert ; and 

 for geology, Mr. Max Lohest. Among the honorary presi- 

 dents of the sections who presided in turn were : — for 

 metallurgy, Mr. R. A. Hadfield, president, and Mr. H. 

 Bauerman, honorary member of the Iron and Steel Insti- 

 tute ; and for mining, Mr. H. C. Peake, chairman of the 

 Institution of Mining Engineers. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — The following is the text of the speech 

 delivered by Prof. Love in presenting Prof. G. H. Darwin 

 for the degree of D.Sc. honoris causa at the Encaenia on 

 June 28 :— 



Salutamus Georgium Howard Darwin, magni patris 

 magnum filium, non solum inter astronomos insignissimum, 

 sed, ut decebat tali patre ortum, quasi clavis repertorem 

 qua altissima naturaj arcana reseraret. lUe quidem, 

 Carolum dico, de vita animantium doctor insignissimus, 

 ostenderat quo modo sensim immutata figura simplici- 

 oribus et rudioribus perfectiora animalia succederent : hie 

 noster docuit quo modo ipsa mundi compages lentas muta- 

 tiones subirct. Duces quidem in hac re secutus est 

 Newtonum, Laplacium, Kelvinum, sed suis viribus fretus 

 est magis. Quid enim? Omnia quae de reciproco maris 

 motu litteris tradita sunt ipse denuo pertractavit, siderum 

 cailo decurrentium meatus summa diligentia et scientia 

 amplissima investigavit : idem tenuissimo quoque et sub- 

 tilissimo mathematicae genere instructus, ingenio audaci et 

 vegeto pollens, luculentissime ostendit quo momine et 

 nutu varias maris agitationes tam multiplices gignantur : 

 quod cum faceret id assecutus est ut terrae, lunae, soils, 

 planetarum primordia et vices satis clare adumbraret. In 

 hoc viro agnoscimus hominem, dictu mirum, mundorum 

 nascentium annales conscribentem. 



Cambridge. — The Raymond Horton-Smith prize for 1905 

 has been awarded to IJr. W. L. H. Duckworth, of Jesus 



NO. 1862, VOL. 72] 



College, for a thesis for the degree of M.D. entitled " On 

 the Nature of Certain Anomalous Cases of Cerebral 

 Development." 



Subject to the Enfield Council agreeing to contribute 

 one-third of the total cost of the buildings and necessary 

 alterations, it has been decided by the Middlesex County 

 Council to acquire the Ediswan Institute, Ponders End, 

 the object being to convert it into a technical institute for 

 the eastern portion of Enfield, that suitable technical in- 

 struction may be given to those engaged in the Small 

 Arms Factory, Enfield Lock, the works of the Edison and 

 Swan Co., &c. 



A NEW movement for the encouragement of tropical re- 

 search has been inaugurated in connection with the 

 University of Liverpool. The school of research, of which 

 Lord Mountmorres is to be the first director, will seek 

 in every way to inquire into the natural resources of the 

 tropical possessions of the Empire. Sir Alfred Jones, of 

 the Elder-Dempster line of steamers, has promised to 

 contribute 1000/. a year for four years towards the expenses 

 of the movement. 



According to Science, the following appointments have 

 recently been made in America : — Dr. A. W. Harris, presi- 

 dent of North-western University ; Dr. C. H. Smyth, pro- 

 fessor of geology at Princeton University ; Dr. N. Senn, 

 professor of surgery, and Dr. F. Billings, professor of 

 medicine, at the University of Chicago; Dr. H. K. Wolfe, 

 professor of philosophy and education at the University 

 of Montana: Mr. I. E. Wallin, professor of natural history 

 in Upsala College, New Orange, N.J. 



The department of general pathology and bacteriology 

 of King's College, London, announces a course in clinical 

 and practical bacteriology suited to the requirements of 

 medical practitioners and senior students. The course, 

 which will begin on July 26 and end on August 5, will 

 consist of lectures, demonstrations, and practical work. 

 In connection with the same department there will be 

 from July 27 to August 4 a vacation course in clinical 

 pathology consisting of demonstrations and practical work. 

 Further particulars may be obtained from Prof. Hewlett 

 or the secretary of the college. 



During the coming session courses of general and ex- 

 perimental psychology will be held at King's College, 

 London. During the first and second terms Prof. 

 Caldecott will deliver a series of lectures on general 

 psychology. Prof. W. D. Halliburton, F.R.S., will lecture 

 during the first term on the general structure and histology 

 of the nervous system and of the organs of sense. During 

 the second and third terms lectures on experimental 

 psychology, accompanied by demonstrations and laboratory 

 work, will be given by Dr. C. S. Myers in the new psycho- 

 logical laboratory. A departmental library has been opened 

 at the college containing the principal English and foreign 

 books and journals devoted to psychology. 



The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruc- 

 tion for Ireland has issued its regulations and syllabuses 

 to guide the teaching of science in Irish day secondary 

 schools for the session 1905-6. The complete conditions 

 regarding regulations for grants, qualifications of teachers, 

 syllabuses of subjects, and a list of official forms are 

 now issued in a single volume. The regulations are 

 materially the same as those which were in force during 

 last session. Some few syllabuses have been modified in 

 the light of the experience gained in the last two years. 

 It is announced that the summer courses for teachers will 

 be continued as heretofore, but it is hoped they will, after 

 1908, develop into " post-graduate courses on special 

 subjects for those already qualified." 



The British University Students' Congress met on 

 June 28 at University College. All the universities of the 

 United Kingdom were represented except Oxford and Cam- 

 bridge, these having no organisation which can send 

 delegates to represent their undergraduates generally. The 

 report of the subcommittee appointed last year to consider 

 the question of residential halls at home and abroad was 

 presented. Fourteen British universities and college<=, 



