494 



NATURE 



\Oct. 15, 1874 



continue the course, commenced during the school age, at the 

 University or at a Polytechnic Institution such as there is now 

 some hope that the Science School at South Kensington may 

 become. 



Although I have excluded instruction in technical manipu- 

 lation from the subject of this paper, I think it right to add that 

 the students of King's College and of King's College School 

 save much time and drudgery during their pupilage by the prac- 

 tical skill acquired in the workshops attached to the College, and 

 that according to competent observers like Mr. Nussey, of 

 Leeds, the artisans of Elberfeldt, Crefeld, and other continental 

 towns derive great advantage from the schools of design and 

 so-called weaving schools. 



I should not fulfil myduty if I were toconclude this paper without 

 acknowledging, though no alarmist in regard to foreign competition, 

 that other nations, less energetic, less rich in accumulated capital 

 and practical experience, and without the advantage of our great 

 mineral resources, are, thanks in a great measure to their superior 

 technical training, making relatively greater advances than our- 

 selves in many branches of industry, and that the conviction of 

 the necessity for such training has not arisen amongst ourselves 

 a day too soon. Happily it has arisen, and in the most desirable 

 quarters. Manchester, by the judicious enlargement of Owens 

 College, to which its merchants and manufacturers have quite 

 recently contnbuttd a sum approaching 200,000/. ; Yorkshire, 

 by the establishment of the College of Science at Leeds, to 

 which secondary schools of science are to be affiliated ; the 

 Company of Clothworkers, by the foundation of scholarships, 

 and the endowment of a chair of textile technology in the York- 

 shire College ; the University of Durham, and the coal-owners 

 and manufacturers of the North of England, by their joint foun- 

 dation of the School of Science at Newcastle ; Oxford, by its 

 patronage of the College to be established at Bristol ; and the 

 Company of Merchant Adventurers, by the aid which it is giving 

 to the Trade School of the same city — are not only directly pro- 

 moting the higher technical instruction amongst the populations 

 in which their work is done, but will furnish competent teachers 

 to the elementary and secondary schools of their own and other 

 localities. 1 think there is no fear that a work of such national 

 importance once so actively begun will suffer any relapse ; but it 

 ■will be in the power of this Association to promote by discussion 

 and advice its intelligent and economical organisation. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



P.VRIS 



Academy of Sciences, Oct. 5. — M. Bertrand in the chair. 

 — The following papers were read : — Researches on the condi- 

 tions of resistance in cylindrical boilers, by M. H. Resal. — On 

 the exact values of the angles in the crystals of titaniferous iron, 

 by M. N. de Kokscharow. — Report on the machine for freezing 

 by the evaporation of methylic ether, invented by M. Ch. Tellier ; 

 and on the preservation of meat in the air, cooled by this apparatus, 

 by the Commissioners, MM. Milne-Edwards, Peligot, and Bouley. 

 — On the temperature of the sun, by M. J. VioUe. The author 



starts with the fundamental equation of — o< = — o'^, and from 



s 

 determinations of the intensity of solar radiation assigns the 

 value 1550° to what he calls the c§\cth>e temperature of the sun. 

 The true mean temperature of the surface of the sun is estimated 

 at 2,000°. — Note on magnetism, by M. J. M. Gangain, a con- 

 tinuation of former researches. — Seventh note on the conductivity 

 of ligneous bodies, and of other substances which are bad con- 

 ductors, by M.Th. du Moncel. — Experimental lesearches on 

 explosive substances, by MM. Roux and Sarran. — On a register 

 giving continuous indications for the determination of the law of 

 variation of pressures produced by the gases of gunpowder, by 

 M. Ricq. — On the synthesis of purpurine, and of some analogous 

 colouring matters, by M. A. Rosenstiehl. — New observations 

 on the chemical composition of the waters of Bagneres-de- 

 Luchon, by M. E. Filhol. — Method of determination of copper by 

 means of titrated liquids, by M. Pr. Lagrange. — Comparative and 

 critical examination of the hypotheses which have been advanced to 

 explain the figure of comets and the acceleration of their motion, 

 by M. H. Cliampi n. The author attempts to show in this 

 memoir :( i ) that a force directed along the radius vector develops 

 in the two opposite parts of an elliptical orbit separated by the 

 major axis, two tangential components of contrary signs, of which 

 the effects are exactly compensating ; (2), that the force gives 

 rise to a third component opposed to gravitation, of which the 



final result is to increase the dimensions of the orbit ; (3), it is 

 shown that at the distance at which comets' tails commence to 

 be seen, the rays of the sun would not produce an appreciable 

 elevation of temperature in a highly rarefied substance.— On the 

 comparative chemical composition of the different parts of the 

 vine when healthy and when attacked by Phylloxera, by ^L 

 Boutin. — Experiments made at Cognac on phylloxerised vines 

 with the coal-tar recommended by M. Petit, by M. P. Mouille- 

 fert. — Experiments made at Montpelier with the same substance, 

 by M. Alph. Rommier. — Observations on the points gained by 

 science concerning the known species of the genus Phylloxera ; a 

 letter from M. Signoret to the perpetual secretary. — Observations 

 concerning the recent communication of M. Balbiani on the 

 different known species of the genus Phylloxera, by M. Lich- 

 tenstein. — Trial of infection of a healthy vine by putting 

 Phylloxera in contact with its roots, by M. Delorme. — 

 On the jnieans proposed to check the propagation of Phyl- 

 loxera, the method of uprootmg in particular, by ^L P, 

 Naudin. — Experiments on a method of treatment of phyl- 

 loxerised vines, by the sap of a Euphorbia, by M. L. 

 Baline. — On the appearance of Phylloxera in the canton of 

 Geneva, and on different curative measures proposed, by M, 

 E. Ador. — The Minister of Foreign Affairs transmitted further 

 details of the recent eruption of Etna. — M. Dumas announced 

 that the news received from the first four Transit of Venus expe- 

 ditions was satisfactory on all points. — On the pretended Saharan 

 Sea, by M. A. Porael. — Observations on the ancient central sea 

 of the Tuniso-Algerian Sahara, by M. Virlet d'Aoust. — On 

 the theory of curves in space of « dimensions, by M. C. 

 Jordan. — Electro-diapason of variable period, by M. E. Mer- 

 cadier. — Electro-spectral tube, or "ful.;ura'.or," for the obser- 

 vation of the spectra of metallic solutions, by M -\I. B. Delachanal 

 and A. Mermet. — Note on supersaturition, by M. Lecoq de 

 Boisbaudran. — On the action of bromine on certain alcohols', by 

 M. E. Hardy. — Note on the proiuction of oxamlc acid by the 

 oxidation of glycocol, by M. R. Engel. — Action of heat on 

 diphenylmethaiie and phenyl-toluene ; on the products of the 

 reduction of benzophenoae, by M. Ph. Barbier. — Curious asso- 

 ciation of garnet, idiocrase and datholite, by M. J. Lawrence 

 Smith. — Balloon meteorological observations, byM. G. Tissandier. 

 — Note on the spectroscopic observations made during the 

 balloon ascent of Sept. 24, for studying variations in the exten- 

 sion of the colours of the spectrum, by M. W. de Fonvielle. — 

 On the feeble influence which diluvian waters have exercised on 

 the formation of the valleys of the Paris basin, by NL E. Robert. 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



British. — Synopsisof an Arrangement of Invertebrate Animals in the Free 

 Museum of Liverpool, with Introduction by Rev. H. R. Higgins(Marples).— 

 Babington's Manual of British Botany. 7th edit. (Van Voorst).— Mineralogy : 

 Frank Rutley, F.G.S. (T. Murby).— The Sanitary Condition of Oxfordshire : 

 G. W. Child (Longmans). — Symond's Rainfall for 1873. — Sixteenth Report 

 of the East Kent Natural Hibtory Society (Canterbury). — Amateur's Photo- 

 graphic Guide Book : Stillman (Smith, CD.).— The Principles of Modern 

 Pantheistic and Atheistic Philosophy: C. A. Row (HardwicVeV— Micro- 

 graphic Dictionary. Parts xiii. and xiv. : Griffith and Henfiey (Van Voorst). 



CONTENTS Pagb 



The Universities Commission Report, 1 475 



Meteorological Reform. By Prof. Balfour Stewart, F.R S. . 471J 

 Van der Waals on the Continuity of the G.\seous and Liquid 



States. By Prof. J. Clsrk-Maxwell, F.R.y 477 



Lbtters to THa Editor :— 



An Anagram.— West 480 



" Maniilactured Articles." — C.J.Monro 481 



Yorkshire College of Science. — R. Reynolds 481 



On the Process of Tone-making in Organ-pipes. — Hermann 



Smith'. . 481 



Can Land-crabs Live under Water?— Prof. J. Marshall, F.R.S. , 482 



Bright Meteors— HenrvH. HiGGiNS : A. Balding 48a 



Rainbows. — George J. Romanes [IVith. Illustrations)', John 



Latchmore. Jun . 483 



The Cry of the Frog. — F. Baden Benger 483 



The Edible Frog. — Saml. H. Miller 483 



Soundings and Currents in the North Pacific Ocean \With. 



lllustratiotis) 484 



Natural History Notes from South Africa 4S6 



Jeffries VVvMAN, M.D.I 487 



Lectures in Natural Sciences at Cambridge 488 



Notes 488 



On the Necessity for placing Physical Meteorology on a 



Rational Basis. By Lieut.-Col. Strange, F R S 490 



In what Way and at what Stagb can Te:hnical Instruction 

 BE best Introduced into our System of National Education. 



By Mr. B. S^muelson, M.P 493 



Societies and Academies 494 



Books Received • , 494 



