Oct. 29, 1874] 



NATURE 



529 



Mr. J. E. Taylor, who has done so much to create an in- 

 terest in science in Ipswich, is to give a course of twenty lectures 

 (free) in tliat town during the coming winter, on " Plants : their 

 Structures and Uses." 



An important discovery has been made at Hi^hwood, near 

 the vill.ige of Ashill, in Norfolk, consisting of a vast collection 

 of Roman remains in an oak-lined well, 40 ft. deep. The Nor- 

 folk and Norwich Archxological Society visited the spot on the 

 l6th inst., when the well, under the superintendence of Mr. 

 Barton, was emptied of ils contents by a number of workmen. 

 The well contains a great variety of articles, the most abundant 

 being urns, of which about 100 have been obtained ; more than 

 fifty of these are perfect, and many of most beautiful form and 

 ornamentation. There is considerable doubt as to the purpose 

 which these wells were intended to serve ; there are other two at 

 Ashill, and others have been found elsewhere. 



The A^e-w Quarterly Magazine for October contains, with other 

 articles of general interest, a paper by Mr. Richard Jefferics 

 on "Small Farms." The writer notes the enormous develop- 

 ment of science in moiern farming, saying : "New plans, new 

 inventions and discoveries follow each other in constant succes- 

 sion. The capabilities of agriculture seem inexhaustible. The 

 number of clever and intellectual men who turn their attention 

 to it multiply daily. It has its colleges, its professors, its 

 students, and it would require a great volume to describe the 

 machinery alone that has been contrived of late years, and is 

 now in the maiket. The chemistry of agriculture would fill 

 many more such volumes. Geology, botany, entomology, 

 almost all the sciences, are pressing forward to its aid." Depre- 

 cating, in the present state of agricultural science, the advantages 

 of small farms, Mr. Jefferies goes on to say: "The utility of 

 biinging up a race of students instructed in chemistry, geology, 

 entomology, mechanics, &c., in agricultural colleges, with the 

 assistance of professors, if they are afterwards to be placed on 

 small farms, is a matter of much doubt ; they would have no 

 room for the exercise of their attainments. . . . Whether it be 

 considered from the tenant's own side, or from the labourer's, or 

 from the landlord's, the balance of argument appears to be in- 

 disputably in favour of large farms. To the nation, to the ever- 

 increasing population, the large farm offers a greater present 

 produce, and possibilities of still further development. The 

 political economist, who judges the prosperity of an occupation 

 by the amount of capital attracted towards it, must also decide 

 in its favour, for capital will never flow into small farms." 



We conmiend to the notice of the Goldsmiths' Company the 

 letter from "A Jeweller's Assistant" in yesterday's Ih/ws, 

 1 ,et us hope that this, as well as the other wealthy City Com- 

 jianies, are now waking up to a sense of their responsibili.ies, 

 and that they will lose no lime in utilising the immense wealth at 

 their disposal, and which has hitherto been utterly wasted, in 

 the promotion of technical — which ultimately means scientific — 

 education. Let them not provoke a " City Companies' Com- 

 mission." 



On the 1 2th inst. was opened the London School of Medicine 

 for Women. The Council had determined that no inaugural 

 atldress should be given, and thus a day which the future may 

 possibly prove to have been one of no little importance passed 

 by unmarked nioie than by the fact that the first lecture had been 

 given in a Medical School devoted exclusively to the teaching 

 of the female sex. The school is now in full working order, 

 and women can receive an education fitting them to practise 

 medicine. The services obtained by this school need not s'.op 

 short at preparing women for the medical profession. There 

 are many branches of science allied to the study of Medicine, 

 Chemistry, Botany, Comparative Anatomy, &c., in all of which 



a course of lectures is given as part 'of the' medical education. 

 These subjects are separately adapted by men as a means of 

 gaining a livelihood. A knowledge of any one of these subjects 

 is attainable equally by women as by men, and there is no reason 

 why women should not achieve a scientific reputation and earn a 

 fair competency by engaging In these studies and by imparting 

 their knowledge to others. 



It is announced by the last Indian mail that a smart 

 shock of earthquake was experienced in Central Ceylon early 

 on the morning of the 19th of September, at five o'clock. 

 The vibration was considerable, and was accompanied by 

 a dull rumbling sound. The motion was from east to west, 

 apparently ; the rumbling was decidedly in the east. The 

 shock appears to have been felt in the centre of the island only. 

 Earthquakes in Ceylon are such rare events that this one has 

 had a good deal of attention bestowed upon it. 



We would draw the attention of our readers to the excellent 

 introductory lecture delivered by Prof. Leoni Levi at King's 

 College, on "The Educational and Economic Value of Museums 

 and Exhibitions," which is published in the Society of Arts 

 yoiintal for the l6th inst. He gives many valuable suggestions 

 as to the uses for purposes of popular teaching which might be 

 made of our museums. He thinks that London is still deficient 

 in museums, and states that thei-e are at least some two hundred 

 cities and boroughs which have taken no step to secure museums 

 and public libraries for themselves. 



The Augsburg Alls;emeine Zcituiig of the 22nd inst. gives the 

 following facts and statistics from the various University 

 Calendars just published : — The University of Berlin shows the 

 largest a tendance, having had, in the summer term of 1S74, 

 2,980 students and 1S7 professors. Whil; this University had 

 for a time the second place and Leipzig the first, the order ii 

 now reversed, and Leipzig follows with 140 professors and 2,Soo 

 students. Then comes Halle, with 1,055 students and 95 pro- 

 fessors ; Breslau, with 1,036 students and 107 professors ; 

 Munich, with 1,031 students and 114 professors ; Tubingen, 921 

 students and S4 professors ; Wiirzburg, got students and 5S 

 professors ; Heidelberg, 884 students and 104 professors ; Bonn, 

 85S students and 98 professors ; Strassburg, 667 students, and 

 81 professors; Konigsberg, 603 students and 76 professors; 

 Greifswald, 540 students and 58 professors ; Jena, 493 students 

 and 69 professors; Miinster, 451 students and 27 professors; 

 Eriangen, 442 students and 51 professors; Marburg, 440studen'.s 

 and 62 professors ; Giesgen, 342 students and 58 professors ; 

 Freiburg, 297 students and 52 professors; Kiel, 210 students 

 and 62 piofessors ; Rostock, 132 students and 38 professors. In 

 these numbers the non-matriculated students are also included. 

 The German-speaking Universities outside the German Empire 

 show the following attendance : — Basle, 163 students and 62 pro- 

 fessors ; Berne, 332 students and 63 profe-sars ; Ziirich, 331 stu- 

 dents and 75 professors ; Dorpat, 70S students and 67 professors ; 

 Graz, 932 students and 68 professors ; Innsbruck, 615 students 

 and 52 professors; Prague, students (?) and 122 professors; 

 Vienna, 3,615 students and 227 professors. Vienna, therefore, 

 is at the present time the lai-gest German University. 



M. HuRQUERLOT, a gentleman who was largely interested in 

 railway speculations, died a few months ago and left a legacy of 

 24,000/. to the city of Paris for the purpose of est.ablishing a 

 railway school. But the sum, although very large, having been 

 considered insufficient for the purpose, the Municipal Council 

 has been reluctandy obliged to reject the money, which will 

 revert to the lawful heirs. 



More than iS,ooo young men have gone successfully tlrrough 

 their examinations, and have been admitted as volunteers for one 

 year in the French army. About half of that number have been 



