284 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
Lonpon.—At a meeting held on May 7, Convoca- 
tion received a report from the standing committee, in 
which is reprinted the statement presented to the 
Royal Commission on behalf of Convocation. The 
statement deals exhaustively with the origin of the 
commission as having reference specifically to the 
question of the future relations of the Imperial 
College to the University. Other questions involved 
in the commission’s terms of reference are not men- 
tioned in this.statement; but Dr. Senter, one of the 
witnesses, put in a statement regarding the work of 
the University on its external side. As a record of 
the events leading to the establishment of the 
Imperial College the statement is valuable. Lord 
Rosebery’s letter, dated June 27, 1903, to Lord 
Monkswell, then chairman of the London County 
Council, is reprinted, and a detailed account of the 
proceedings in the Senate in relation to the question 
is given. It is urged that the only changes necessary 
in the constitution of the University for the incorpora- 
tion of the Imperial College are such as were offered 
by the Senate in December, 1908. 
Presentation Day at the University was on May 8, 
the Vice-Chancellor (Sir William Collins) presiding. 
The report of the Principal (Sir Henry Miers) showed 
a decrease in candidates for all examinations as com- 
pared with 1910-11 of 12,681 to 12,263, due mainly 
to a decrease of entries at the matriculation examina- 
tion. The number of degrees or diplomas granted 
was 1342, and the number of internal students is 
4578. The record of endowments and benefactions 
given or offered during the year for university pur- 
poses amounts to a capital sum of 650,000l. Refer- 
ence was made to the resignation of Sir William 
Ramsay. Finally, the Princinal asserted that the 
activities of the University had not been checked by 
the general feeling of uncertainty due to the exist- 
ence of the Royal Commission. The chief subject 
for anxiety was the decline of matriculation entries 
and its financial effect. 
A letter from Lord Haldane to Sir Francis Mowatt, 
dated May 7, has been published, containing an 
account of the actual position of matters in regard to 
the proposed new university buildings. The sum of 
375,000l. asked for the proposed site behind the 
British Museum was not a settled price. It is stated 
that the site was regarded as most suitable, because 
it was ascertained that additional land adjoining 
might be available for subsequent development. 
There is a risk, Lord Haldane suggests, that in con- 
sequence of the action taken by certain persons 
connected with the University the offers originally 
made may not now be available, and in the circum- 
stances it would be idle to take steps to complete the 
formation of the proposed trust. ‘‘If there is to be 
a hostile attitude within the University itself, the task 
of those who wish to help in every way they can 
becomes a very hard one.” 
In addition to a studentship in pathology and 
bacteriology which they endowed some time ago, the 
Misses Riddell, of Belfast, have now placed 25,oo0ol. 
at the disposal of trustees to provide a hall of resi- 
dence at Queen’s University, Belfast, for young 
Protestant girl students at the University. 
Exeter Cotiece, Oxford, has appointed Mr. A. M. 
Hocart, late open scholar of the college, to a senior 
studentship, tenable for two years, in order that he 
may conduct anthropological research in Fiji and the 
adjoining parts of the Pacific region. Mr. Hocart has 
NO. 2220, VOL. 89] 
NATURE 
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[May 16, 1912 
already had experience of field work uader Dr: Rivers 
in the Solomon Islands, and has since had an oppor- 
tunity as a teacher of natives in Fiji of mastering 
the local dialect. 
Pror. Fitisert Rortu, who recently resigned his 
chair of forestry at the University of Michigan to 
accept a similar post at Cornell, has reconsidered his 
decision, and will remain at Ann Arbor. The 
Michigan regents have agreed to provide the facilities 
required for the extension of their forestry depart- 
ment. A thousand-acre “school forest” is to be pur- 
chased, which, together with the present eighty-aere 
forest farm, will give ample opportunity for the field 
work of the students. ; 
Mr. Gotpswortuy L. Dickinson, fellow and tutor 
of King’s College, Cambridge, and Mr. Percy M. 
Roxby, lecturer in the University of Liverpool, have 
been elected to Albert Kahn Travelling Fellowships. 
These fellowships, each of the value of 660l., were 
established to enable the persons appointed to them 
to travel round the world. The founder’s object is 
to enable men of proved intellectual attainments to 
enter into personal contact with men and countries 
they might never have known. The trust is adminis- 
tered at the University of London, and Sir Henry 
Miers, F.R.S., is the honorary secretary to the 
trustees, as well as a trustee himself. 
Tue detailed programme of papers and discussions 
at the Congress of the Universities of the Empire, to 
be held in July next, as already announced, is now 
complete. The congress meets for discussion on six 
half-days, beginning on July 2 and concluding on 
July 5. Among numerous other papers, the follow- 
ing may be mentioned :—Sir Alfred Hopkinson, Vice- 
Chancellor of Manchester University, on the question 
of the division of work and snecialisation among uni- 
versities; Principal Peterson, McGill University, on 
inter-university arrangements for post-graduate and 
research students; Prof. A. Smithells, F.R.S., the 
relation of universities to technical and professional 
education and to education for the Public Services; 
Mr. H. A. Roberts and Miss M. G. Spencer, on the 
action of universities in relation to the after-careers 
of their students; and Sir James Donaldson, Vice- 
Chancellor and Principal of the University of St. 
Andrews, on the representation of teachers and 
graduates on the governing body of a_ university. 
Many varied entertainments have been arranged for 
members of the congress. These include a luncheon 
to delegates by invitation of the Government at the 
Hotel Cecil, dinners given by several city companies, 
and many ‘“‘ At Homes.” 
Tue Viceroy of India attended the recent Convoca- 
tion of the Calcutta University, and in his capacity 
of chancellor of the University delivered an address. 
Dealing with the need for further progress in_ the 
provision of facilities for higher education, Lord 
Hardinge said the Government of India has decided 
to make a solid advance in the direction of teaching 
and residential universities. A recurring grant of 
3 lakhs of rupees a year has been allotted, of which 
the Calcutta University will receive 65,000 rupees a 
vear for the appointment of University professors and 
lecturers in special subjects, and for the encourage- 
ment in other ways of higher studies and research. 
Non-recurring grants amounting to 16 lakhs, of 
which the Calcutta University will receive 4 lakhs, 
have been allotted for the provision of University 
buildings, libraries, and equipment. In addition, a 
special grant of to lakhs has been reserved for hostel 
accommodation in Calcutta, which will be non-colle- 
giate in character. Another sum of to lalzhs has been 
