390 



NA TURE 



[August 15, 1907 



ton Observatory, with the 5-inch finder, at ^h. 7m. 

 (G.M.T.) on November 29, 190b. 



At that time Venus was about 1° 40' from the sun's 

 centre, and in moments of atmospheric steadiness the 

 complete outline of ihe planet's disc was seen distinctly. 

 The space within the circle always appeared a shade darker 

 than that without, but this was probably a subjective 

 effect. A bright spot was several times suspected in the 

 bright part of the ring. If the atmospheric conditions are 

 very favourable, the ring-phase of tliis planet may be seen 

 again in 1914; after that there will be no further oppor- 

 tunity until 1972. 



Observ.ations of Jupiter, 1906-7. — During the opposi- 

 tion of 1906-7, the Rev. T. E. k. Phillips observed Jupiter 

 on 106 occasions, and records the results of his observ- 

 ations in a paper communicated to the Royal .Astronomical 

 Society (Monthly Notices, vol. l.wii., p. 522, June). 



The most remarkable change, as compared with the 

 previous opposition, was observed in the great develop- 

 ment of the N. equatorial belt, which had become 

 broader and darker, and, in August, was marked with 

 numerous while rifts and dark reddish streaks along its 

 S. edge. 



Later in the apparition this belt was seen to be triple, 

 the S. component being the darkest of the three. Changes 

 of colour were also observed in this belt and on the whole 

 of the disc lying between the N.N. temperate belt and 

 the N. pole. Observations of the dark matter in the great 

 S. tropical disturbance tend to confirm, in principle, Major 

 Molesworth's hypothesis concerning the sudden transference 

 cf the dark matter from the following to the preceding 

 end of the red spot, for this transference took place in 

 about two weeks instead of taking nearly three months 

 as it should do under normal conditions of transit. 



AUGUST METEORS, 1907. 

 IITNCOL'R.AGED by the appearance of several bright 

 Perseids on the nights of .August 4 and 6 to expect 

 a somewhat plentiful return of this shower, a careful 

 watch was maintained of the sky on .August 10, 11, and 

 12, but the results scarcely realised expectation. The 

 display was by no means an abundant one, and the in- 

 dividual meteors were not so bright generally as in ordinary 

 years. 



The results of watches were as under : — 



August 10. 

 loh. to i2h., twenty-five meteors per hour, of w^hich 

 half were Perseids; I3h. to I4h., forty-five meteors, of 

 which two-thirds were Perseids; I4h. to ijh., twenty-five 

 meteors seen, but there were many passing clouds from 

 west. Two other observers at Bristol counted thirty-one 

 meteors between iih. and I2h. 



August II. 



9h. to loh., fifteen n-.cteors ; about half of them were 

 Perseids; ijh. to I4h., thirty-six meteors, of which 

 twenty-two w'ere Perseids. Sky rather misty. The shower 

 was regarded as very poor for .August 11. 



Miss Irene Warner, of Horfield Common, Bristol, 

 obtained the following results : — 



gh. 25m. to loh. 5m., eleven meteors, including eight 

 Perseids; loh. 5m. to iih. 5m., thirty-three meteors, in- 

 cluding twenty-seven Perseids; iih. 5m. to iih. 40m., 

 twelve Perseids. 



The horary number w'as about twenty-eight meteors, of 

 w'hich about twenty-four were Perseids. 



Two other observers at Bristol, watching from qh. to 

 iih., counted thirty-five meteors. 



August 12. 



Miss Warner watched as follows : — 



nh. 15m. to oh. 40m., five meteors; loh. lom. to 

 iih. 20m., twenty-one meteors; iih. 20m. to i2h. 20m., 

 twenty-three meteors. Fine meteor seen at loh. 55m. 

 with train. The path was from 5 to o Cygni. At 

 iih. 2oni. one as bright as Venus from about 35° -I- 58° to 

 60° + 47°. 



iih. to i2h., about forty-five meteors, including thirty- 

 three Perseids; i.^h. to I4h., about fifty meteors, including 

 thirty-five Perseids. 



There were many passing clouds, rendering observation 

 difficult, and the horary numbers were derived from the 

 number of objects seen during clear intervals. 



Radiant point on -August 10 = 44° -1-56°. 



Radiant point on .August 12 = 47°-!- 57°. 



.\ brilliant fiash was noticed on .August 11, I3h. 17m., 

 probably given by a large Perscid falling in the southern 

 sky, but this quarter was hidden from the observer by a 

 building. 



I would be glad to hear of any duplicate observations of 

 the following objects seen on August 10 : — 



h. m. . . , , 



(i) 10 22 ... ih ... 359 +66 to 306 + 574 

 • (2) 10 ^o ... I ... 5 +26 ,, 8+z2i 



(3) II 6 ... lA 2.^ + 65 ,, 54 + 73 



No. 2 w-as a fine, bluish-white Cygnid, which flashed 

 out suddenly in a short diving course. No. 3 was from 

 the direction of the A Aquilid radiant, and it moved very 

 slowly, occupying 3J seconds in sailing along its path 

 of 19°. The nucleus W"as yellow, and it threw off a trail 

 of reddish sparks. 



Other showers were seen on .August 10—12 from 

 332° + 50° and 333° + 28°. W. F. Denning. 



TREASURY GRANTS TO UNIVERSITY 

 COLLEGES. 



'X'HE report of the permanent advisory committee 

 appointed on January 31, 1906, to advise the Treasury 

 as to the distribution of the grant in aid of colleges furnish- 

 ing education of a university standard, has now been 

 published.' The report states that a study of the problem 

 how education of a university standard may be most 

 advantageously assisted by State grants shows that there 

 is at the present time considerable complexity surrounding 

 the question, not only by reason of the overlapping due 

 to various educational bodies carrying on similar work 

 in the same areas, but also by reason of public money 

 derived from rate or tax being voted for higher education 

 bv different authorities with insufficient information as to 

 one another's operations. For these reasons the committee 

 has obtained permission to shorten from five years to two 

 the period for which the present re-allocation shall hold 

 good. It is hoped that it will he possible by .April i, 1909, 

 to make recommendations for a permanent arrangement. 



With regard to the question of standard, the committee 

 finds that it is only in comparatively few of the university 

 colleges that the m.ajority even of the day students have 

 passed a matriculation examination or equivalent test. -A 

 well-recognised standard once established would make it 

 easier for the colleges to coordinate their curricula with 

 those of secondary schools. For the present, the report 

 continues, a step inay be taken in this direction by ex- 

 cluding rigorously from the category of university work 

 all classes which are preparing students for matriculation. 



The committee appointed two inspectors to visit the 

 colleges which already receive grants and certain other 

 institutions whicli had applied for rcognition. .Sir Thomas 

 Raleigh, K.C.S.I., and Dr. Alex. Hill undertook this task, 

 and their reports on the various institutions visited are 

 printed as an appendix to the report. 



.After summarising the financial assistance received by 

 the colleges from Imperial funds and recapitulating the 

 rules laid down for its guidance in various Treasury 

 minutes, the committee recommended that a new maximum 

 limit for all grants be set up, and 10,000!. has been 

 decided upon. This maximum relates only to the annual 

 grants for general purposes, and is exclusive of grants for 

 special purposes which may be made from time to time. 



The grants recommended for the intervening period of 

 two years, pending a settlement of the general questions 

 referred to in the report, are shown in the following 

 table :^ 



'University Colleges (Great r.rit.iin)." 



Aid. [267]. Pri( 



NO. T972, VOL. 76] 



