5o8 



NATURE 



[June 24, 1909 



much lu s^iy that (he interpretation of vitnl phenomena 

 is merely a i|uestion of the successful application of chem- 

 istry ajid physics to living protoplasm, but it is certain 

 that in the future chemistry and physics will play a part 

 of cojistantly increasing importance in the solution of 

 biological problems. A. D. 



SPECTROSCOPIC RESEARCHES. 

 "T^WO useful papers on the arc spectra of iron and 

 titanium, respectively, appear in the March number 

 of the Aslrofiliysical journal. At the suggestion of Prof. 

 Fowler, Mr. li. J. Evans, of the Imperial College of 

 Science and Technology, undertook the investigation of 

 the less refrangible portions of these spectra, which are 

 especially important because of the sun-spot visual observa- 

 tions made in the red end of the spectrum. Mr. Evans 

 now gives the wave-lengths for the iron lines between 

 \ 6855 and A 7412, and for the titanium lines from A 5866 

 to A 7304. For the iron spectrum Rowland had previously 

 given wave-lengths to 6855, whilst llasselberg had fully 

 investigated the titanium spectrum more refrangible than 

 5899; Rowland's and Thal^-n's lists of lines beyond 5899 

 are incomplete, and it was to fill the lacunae that the 

 present investigation was prosecuted. The photographs 

 were taken, either with a Littrow prismatic spectrograph 

 of 12 feet focal length or with a Rowland concave-grating 

 spectrograph of 10 feet radius and 14,500 lines, on "pan- 

 chromatic " plates, and in the iron spectrum show about 

 ninety lines less refrangible than A 6855, for sixty-seven of 

 which wave-lengths and intensities arc given. Wave- 

 lengths and intensities are similarly tabulated for 100 

 titanium lines less refrangible than A 5866, and in both 

 cases the nearest lines in Rowland's list of solar wave- 

 lengths are given for comparison. Of the titanium lines, 

 only twenty-four were ascribed to titanium, or titanium 

 mixtures, by Rowland, and some of those now given arp 

 recognised as " fluting " lines found by Hale and Adams 

 in the red end of the sun-spot spectrum. 



Until the publication of a recent research by Prof. 

 Wood, the greatest number of lines recognised in the scries 

 of spectral radiations of any one element was twenty-nine, 

 which Evcrshcd found in the hydrogen spectrum of the 

 solar chromosphere. In the case of sodium, only seven 

 lines belonging to the principal series were known 

 previously to the results now published by Prof. R. W. 

 Wood, in a paper recently published in the Philosophical 

 Magazine he gave provisional wave-lengths for twenty- 

 four lines, and suggested that a large increase of dis- 

 persion might reveal many more lines of this series. 

 Having employed greater dispersion, he now gives, in 

 No. 2, vol. xxix., of the Aslrophysical Journal (p. 97), the 

 wave-lengths of forty-eight lines, thus enabling the Balmer 

 formula to be tested up to h = 50. Even now there are 

 indications that a yet larger dispersion would extend the 

 series still further. The need for a large dispersion in 

 this work is strikingly illustrated by the fact that the 

 last twenty-two lines now given fall in a region of the 

 spectrum not wider than the distance between the D lines ; 

 the wave-length of the twenty-ninth line of the series is 

 242002, whilst that of the fiftieth is 2414.50. One point 

 of special interest disclosed hy Prof. Wood's research is 

 that, with very dense sodium vapour, there is an excep- 

 tionally strong general absorption extending from the head 

 of the Balmer series to the end of the ultra-violet, that is 

 to say, the vaiwur is much more transparent to the light 

 between the absorption lines than it is beyond them. So 

 marked is this that the head of the series actually shows 

 hrighlcr than the rest of the more refrangible spectrum. 



rMlERSITY AXn EDVr.\TIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Miss Mary T. Frasf.r, student at the South-Western 

 Polytechnic Institute, Chelsea, has been elected to the 

 I.indley studentship. University of London. The student- 

 -!iip is awarded to a student qualified to undertake re- 

 siarch in physiology, and is held in the physiological 

 laboratory of the University. The amount of the student- 

 ship is 100/. 



I'xnER the terms of the charier of the University of 



NO. 2069, VOL. 80] 



Bristol, the faculiy of engineering of the University wi 

 be provided ami maintained by the Society of Mcrchai 

 Venturers in ihiir technical college. The principal of thi 

 college. Prof. J. Wertheimer, will be ex officio dean 1 

 the faculty, and will also hold the post of professor < 

 applied chcniislry in the University, while the followin 

 professors in the technical college will hold correspondin 

 posts in the L'liivcrsity, viz. : — Prof. J. Munro, professt 

 of mechanical engineering ; Prof. E. S. Boulton, professt 

 of applied malhiniatics ; Prof. L). Robertson, professor < 

 electrical engineering ; and Prof. W. Morgan, professor < 

 motor-car engineering. Mr. F. R. B. Watson will hoi 

 the post of lecturer on mechanical engineering, and M 

 H. A. M. Borland that of lecturer on applied chemistry. 



This year St. Paul's School reaches her 400th anniver- 

 sary. The event will be celebrated by an addition of large 

 and excellently furnished new laboratories to the present 

 buildings. These are already nearing completion, and will 

 be ofllcially opened on July 7 by Lord Curzon. The distant 

 separation of the existing physical and chemical labora- 

 torii's has afways been a difliculty, and the limits of the 

 former have been tried to their utmost. The new build- 

 ing has a frontage of 100 feet. It is of red brick, and 

 forms a handsome annex to the big school ; its inner walls 

 are lined with white tile. The ground floor will be 

 devoted to ])hysics, the upper floor to chemistry. There 

 are three working rooms on both floors, and each will 

 play the several parts of class-room, lecture-room, and 

 laboratory. Between the large and the two small labora- 

 tories there are preparation and store rooms. Two large 

 rooms, one on each floor, measure 40 feet by 50 feet, the 

 smaller ones 40 feet by 25 feet. They will be equipped, 

 respectively, to meet the requirements of beginners, more 

 advanced students, and those preparing for the universities 

 and hospitals. There will thus be accommodation for 130 

 students, with everything immediately at command. 

 Especial care has been taken to keep the chemical rooms 

 free from noxious fumes ; air circulation is kept up by 

 powerful fans, while all the draught cupboards have 

 immediate conjmunication with the outer air. Experiences 

 gained in many of our new laboratories have been freely 

 drawn upon in constructing and furnishing this building, 

 and neither time nor money have been spared to assure 

 fulfilment of its object. 



'I'liF. Board of Education has published (Cd. 4691) its 

 regulations for secondary schools, which are to come into 

 force from .Vugust i next in England, excluding Wales 

 and Monmouthshire. The regulations do not vary sub- 

 stantially from those of last year, except with regard to 

 some points on which Sir Robert Morant lays special 

 emphasis in his prefatory memorandum. The tendency of 

 the regulations is towards allowing the school authorities 

 greater liberty in planning the curriculum. The Board 

 insists that the course of education shall be of a generous 

 and civilising type, neither unduly specialised nor defective 

 in essential elements. It inust in all rases make adequate 

 provision for instruction, among cerlnin other subjects in 

 physical science, including practical work by the pupils ; 

 and, as regards girls, must likewise include practical 

 instruction in the elements of domestic subjects. Fo- 

 older girls si ience may be dropped, and mathematics re- 

 stricted to arithmetic, in order to make room for a fuller 

 course in th( s. domestic subjects. It is indicative of the 

 growth of br<):i(lrr views among educationists and teaehcrs 

 to find the iimiianent secretary writing about the Board 

 that it not only permits, but encourages, " such differentia- 

 tion of type in r. lation to local needs as is consistent with 

 a broad and solid general education, and such variation of 

 instruction towards the particular needs and capacities of 

 the pupils as .1,.. s not interfere with the function of the 

 school as a romnion organism directed towards the produc- 

 tion of trained 1 iti/ens." 



TiiK annual n port of the council of the City and Guilds 

 of London Institute for the year 1008 is provided with a 

 series of exhaiisiivo appendices containing reports by the 

 dean of the fiiv and Guilds Central Technical College, 

 the principal of the Finsbury Technical College, the 

 honorary secretary of the South London Technical Art 

 School, the committee of the Department of Technology. 



