620 



NA TURE 



[November 4, 1922 



of the Upper Air appointed a sub-commission to 

 consider the problem set out above, and the sub- 

 commission applied to various Ministries of War 

 with the view of obtaining their collaboration in the 

 case of obligatory destruction of explosives. The 

 first favourable reply came from the Dutch Ministry 

 of War, and it was finally arranged that at 17b. 

 G.M.T. on October 28, five tons of ammonium 

 perchlorate should be exploded on the Oldebroek 

 Artillery Drill Ground (longitude 5 59' 40" ; latitude 

 52 29' 56"). 



In this country arrangements were made by the 

 Meteorological Office for the observers at all the 

 observatories and reporting stations to listen for the 

 sound, and to make notes regarding the meteorological 

 conditions at the time. Where possible, observations 

 of wind and temperature in the upper air were also 

 made. In addition, through the medium of the 

 Press, the public were also invited to forward to the 

 Meteorological Office notes of any observations made. 



Up to the time of going to press a total of more 

 than one hundred reports have been received and 

 it has not yet been possible to examine them in detail. 

 The most distant points at which the explosion is 

 alleged to have been heard are North Wales and 

 Northumberland. Two valuable records have been 

 obtained on the hot wire microphones of the Signals 

 Experimental Establishment, at Woolwich, and at 

 Biggin Hill (Kent) respectively. 



As soon as the British observations have been 

 examined and summarised, the results will be for- 

 warded to the Dutch Meteorological Service for 

 collation with continental reports. 



The Whitworth Scholarships. 



SEVERAL important changes are indicated in 

 the new regulations for Whitworth Scholarships 

 which have been issued by the Board of Education. 

 In 1923 six Whitworth Scholarships, each of an 

 annual value of 125/. and tenable for three years, 

 will be offered for competition, as well as two Whit- 

 worth Senior Scholarships of an annual value of 

 250/., tenable for two years. There are also Whit- 

 worth prizes which will be awarded to unsuccessful 

 competitors for the scholarships, not exceeding 25 

 in number and of value 10/. each. The WMtworth 

 Exhibitions (50/. tenable for one year) have been 

 abandoned. The scholarships will be open to 

 candidates whose age does not exceed 21 years, and 

 the number of subjects in which candidates will be 

 examined is limited to four. Candidates for the 

 senior scholarships must be less than 26 years of age 

 and will be examined in seven subjects. 



The Board has also issued a circular directing 

 attention to the changes, some of which were made 

 last year, in order to render the requirements regard- 

 ing candidates' practical experience in handicraft 

 more consistent with the present arrangements for 

 apprenticeship and training in mechanical engineering. 

 The Board's experience shows that candidates may 

 be divided into two groups, a large one consisting 

 of candidates whose education since leaving school 

 has been part-time, and for whom a full-time course 

 of study is likely to be suitable, and a smaller one 

 consisting of those who have already completed a 

 full-time course and can take a further course of 

 work of post-graduate standard. Hence the institu- 

 tion of scholarships and senior scholarships. 



There still remain difficulties which the new 

 regulations will not remove. In the four years 

 between 17 and 21 years of age a hard-working 

 evening student can reach the ordinary university 

 degree standard in the subjects laid down for the 



scholarship examinations, but has only touched 

 lightly certain subjects which form part of any 

 organised full-time course. If a scholarship is 

 awarded to him, and he proceeds to a full-time 

 course, he will find that he cannot be exempted from 

 repeating a great deal with which he is perfectly 

 familiar. This difficulty is a very real one, as is 

 well known to every teacher who has been consulted 

 by a successful Whitworth candidate regarding his 

 choice of a suitable college. There is also the 

 difficulty of finding a suitable opening in the works 

 after having been away for three years between 

 the ages of 21 and 24, a difficulty which has led to 

 many promising young men abandoning practical 

 life in favour of teaching. 



The circulars issued by the Board convey the 

 impression that they do not favour the plan followed 

 by many of the former scholars, who spent their 

 scholarship term in works offering special facilities 

 for widening their practical experience, and at the 

 same time continued their studies in part-time 

 courses. There is a great deal to be said in favour of 

 this plan, and a glance at the names of former scholars 

 who followed it and have risen to eminence in 

 engineering would appear to justify its reconsidera- 

 tion. 



University and Educational Intelligence. 



Bristol. — The Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society 

 has offered the society's library as a gift to the 

 University. The library comprises about 15,000 

 volumes (some rare and of great interest) and has been 

 valued at more than 12,000/. It contains some rare 

 books and receives more than 100 current periodicals 

 in exchange for the society's journal. The council 

 of the University has very gratefully accepted this 

 magnificent offer, which will raise the medical library 

 of the University to one of the most valuable 

 medical libraries in the country. The advantage to 

 the research worker of having access to such a library 

 cannot be over-estimated. 



Cambridge. — Mr. R. E. Priestley, Christ's College, 

 has been elected to a fellowship at Clare College ; Mr. 

 M. C. Johnson, St. John's College, has been elected to 

 the Arnold Gerstenberg studentship ; Mr. N. J. T. M. 

 Needham, Gonville and Caius College, has been 

 elected to the Benn W. Levy research studentship in 

 biochemistry. 



The Syndicate appointed to draft Ordinances to 

 carry out the provisions of the new statute admitting 

 women students to the titles of degrees has been 

 published. It is proposed to recognise Girton and 

 Newnham Colleges as institutions for the higher 

 education of women for the purposes of the statute. 

 The total number of students at the two colleges (or 

 at all institutions for the higher education of women, 

 should any fresh college be recognised) who are 

 receiving instruction in the University or working in 

 the University laboratories or museums is not to 

 exceed five hundred. The Council of the Senate may 

 at any time inquire into the condition and manage- 

 ment of a recognised institution for the higher 

 education of women, and may, if it think fit, 

 recommend the termination of its recognition. 

 Women must reside nine terms, and in other such 

 matters come under the same regulations as the 

 undergraduates before admission to the titles of their 

 degrees. Once the title has been conferred upon 

 them, they become entitled to wear the same 

 academical dress as that worn by a member of the 

 University who has been admitted to the same 

 degree. Women are to be admitted to courses of 

 research and to examinations for diplomas sub- 



NO. 2/66, VOL. I 10] 



