590 



NA TURE 



[OCTOUER 15, 1S96 



lion of his will, by the social ]iressure which was exerted on 

 him by the great weight of authority to which his life was 

 subjected. . . . Bound fast by the strings of authority, niediiwal 

 men were reduceil to the state of hypnotic automata " All the 

 conditions were thus favourable for the jModuction and wide 

 extension of mental epidemics. Mr. Sidis thinks that these 

 epidemics, religious manias, political plagues, speculative in- 

 sanities, financial crazes, and economical panics, from which 

 society in general, and democracy in particular, continually 

 suffer, point to the extreme suggestibility of gregarious man. 



Another article in the Century is the third paper made up of 

 extracts from the journals of the late Mr. E. J. Glave, and it 

 offers some very interesting glimpses of a part of the journey of 

 this young explorer from the mouth of the Zambesi diagonally 

 north-west across Central Africa to the mouth of the Congo. 



The new series of Science Progress begins with the October 

 number. Mr. G. J. Symons traces the early history of scientific 

 weather forecasting in the new number ; and Mr. Alfred Harker 

 surveys some of the modern aspects of petrology in relation to 

 igneous rocks, only considering in the pre.sent paper the distri- 

 bution of the rocks in time and space. In a paper on recent 

 work upon visceral and allied nerves. Dr. T. Gregor Brodie 

 gives a long account of the present state of knowledge of the 

 subject. Some brief notes on parasites are contributed by Mr. 

 A. E. Shipley. Dr. K. Gcebel deals with " Teratology in 

 Modern Botany," discussing in his paper the origin of mal- 

 formations, and the bearing of these upon the problems of the 

 origin of the organic forms. Prof. Sydney J. Hickson writes 

 on "The Nervous System of Coelentera," and Mr. A. C. 

 Seward on ** Pala.*obotany and Evolution." 



Attention may profitably be called to a few general articles 

 in the reviews. Dr. George M Dawson, Director of the 

 Geological Survey of Canada, writes on "Canada as a Field 

 for Mining Investment," in \\\i National. In the Contemporary, 

 Mr. J. Allanson Picton discusses the Report of the Vaccination 

 Commission, and the same review contains a narrative of travel 

 in Sumatra, by Mr. Claes Ericsson. 



Among the popular articles on scientific topics in the maga- 

 zines received are the following : — Mr. W. H. Hudson, in Long- 

 mail's, writes enthusiastically on the song of the wood-wren, 

 with the laudable object of attracting more attention to that 

 somewhat obscure bird. Cliaiiihers's Journal zorA&m&Tin article 

 on after-damp in coal-mines, based upon Dr. Haldane's Blue- 

 Bouk on the explosion at the Tylorstown Colliery in South 

 Wales. 



UMVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. — Prof. Bradbury has been appointed assessor to 

 the Regius Professor of Phyiiic ; Prof. Allbutt, F.R.S., an 

 elector to the Downing Professorship of Medicine (Pharma- 

 cology) ; Prof Macalister, F.R.S., an elector to the chair of 

 Zoology and Comparative Anatomy ; Sir G. G. Stokes, F. R. S., 

 and Prof. Darwin, F. R.S., electors to the Isaac Newton 

 Studentship in Physical Astronomy; and Mr. 11. M. Mac- 

 Donald, of Clare, with Mr. G. T. Bennett, of Emmanuel and 

 St. John'.s, moderators in the Mathematical Tripos o flSg^. 



^ir. \V. S. .\die, bracketed senior wrangler in 1894, and 

 Mr. E. T. Whittaker, bracketed second wrangler in 1895, 

 have been elected to lellowships at Trinity College ; Mr. H. S. 

 Carslaw, bracketed fourth wrangler in 1894, has been elected 

 to a studentship of ^'120 for advanced study and research. 



The new regulations for advanced study and research appear 

 to have become widely known and appreciated. Over a score 

 of "advanced students" have already been admitted to the 

 several colleges, and have commenced their post-graduate 

 courses in a large variety of departments, scientific and 

 literary. 



A KIKE has destroyed the main building of Mount Holyoke 

 College, including all the dormitories, and involving a loss of 

 100,000 dollars. 



The lamp of science is to shed its beams (through lantern 

 slides) in East London this winter. The Rev. H. N. Hutchinson 

 w ill lecture at the Whitechapcl Free Public Library Museum, on 

 November 10, upon " E.xlinct Monsters," and on December 8, 

 Mr. G. R. Murray will discourse upon "The Meadows of the 



NO 1407, VOL. 54] 



Sea." .\ilmission to the lectures is free by ticket, to be obtained 

 in the Mtiseum and Lending Library. 



Thic following awards of entrance exhibitions and scholarships 

 in medical schools have been announced ; — King's College : Sam- 

 brooke exhibitions of £60 and .^40, respectively, to Arthur 

 Ednnmds and W. W. Campbell; Warnefurd Scholarships of 

 ;^25 each for two years, to J. A. Drake and C. J. Galbraith. 

 Charing Cross Hospital Medical School; Livingstone Scholar- 

 ship, 100 guineas, Mr. C. Jerome Mercier ; Huxley Scholar.ship, 

 55 guineas, to .Mr. F. B. Pinniger ; Epsom Scholarship, no 

 guineas, Mr. L. C. Badcock ; University Scholarships, 60 guineas 

 each, Mr. H. S. Clogg and Mr. R. j. Willson ; Entrance 

 Scholanships are also awarded to Mr. W. B. Blandy, 6oguineas, 

 and Mr. Charles H. Fennell, 40 guineas. 



The following are among recent annnuncemenls : — Dr. II. 

 Minkowski, professor of mathematics in the University of 

 Konigsberg, has been called to the Zvirich I'tjlytcchnic Institute ; 

 Prof. Erismann has, for political reasons, h.id to resign the chair 

 of Hygiene in the University of Moscow ; Mr. F. B. Loomis to 

 be assistant in biology, and Mr. E. S. Newton assistant in 

 chemistry at Amherst College ; Mr. P. C Nugent to be instructor 

 in civil engineering, and Mr. R. E. Dennis to be instructor in 

 chemistry at Lafayette College ; Miss .-\. M. Claypole to be 

 instructor in zoology, and Miss J. Evatis instructor in botany at 

 Welle.sley College ; Miss M. E. Maltby has been appointed 

 acting professor of physics at the same college during the absence 

 of Miss S. F. Whittinghead. 



A I'ROVisiON.M, Committee has been formed to obtain funds 

 and make the preliminary arrangements to establish a county 

 museum for Hertfordshire. Earl Spencer has generously offered 

 a site in St. Albans adequate to the erection of the proposed 

 museum, on the conditions that a rejiresentative body of the 

 county and of St. Albans were favourable to the scheme, and 

 that sufficient funds to erect and maintain it were raised. The 

 Conniiittee hope to raise a sum of about ^^5000, about ;^30Cio 

 of which should be expended upon a building and fittings, and 

 the remainder be invested as an endowment funil. It is suggested 

 that when completed, in order to secure perpetuity to the 

 museum, it should be vested in the hands of the County 

 Council, and its management given to a Committee chosen from 

 representatives of the County Council, the Hertfordshire Natural 

 History .Society, and the St. Albans .-Vrchilectural and Archieo- 

 logical Society, and other gentlemen interested in the Arts, 

 sciences, and archa:ology of the county. 



The Cheshire Agricultural and Horticultural .School has just 

 been formally opened. The County Council have secured 

 Saltersford Hall, and farm of 100 acres, on a lease of forty-two 

 years, and have spent pf 10,000 in the requisite alterations and 

 additions, stocking the farm and garden, and furnishing the 

 house and school. The hall will provide accommodation for 

 sixty students with the necessary teaching staff. A schoolroom, 

 laboratory, lecture room, and workshops have been built and 

 furnished witli all the es.sentials of a large educational establish- 

 ment. Three glass-houses will be devoted to the growth of 

 grapes, peaches, nectarines, and similar fruit. There are also 

 three other detached greenhouses, and these are to be utilised 

 for the cultivation of tomatoes, melons, Howers ; while an 

 orchard has been planted to provide instruction in fruit culture. 

 A herd of fifteen or sixteen cows will be kejit, comprising 

 Ayrshires, Jerseys, and Herefords, in order to bring under the 

 attention of the students the merits of various breeds. It is 

 intended that the College shall afford means for a thorough 

 practical and technical training for students of agriculture and 

 horticulture. 



Si'E.\KiXG on Saturday, at the opening of the new .session of 

 University College, Liverpool, Sir William Priestley said : " One 

 of the most striking features in the organisation of the several 

 colleges comjirising the Victoria University is the great and 

 laudable generosity and public spirit disi)layed by local bene- 

 factors, who have subscribed largely to endow them with 

 appliances for successful teaching. I believe there is latent 

 public spirit in London, but if it exists it does not take so distinct 

 a form. What is everybody's business becomes nobody's 

 business, and great institutions like Univer.sity and King's 

 College are languishing for want of funds, while the provincial 

 colleges lind generous benefactors concentrating attention upon 

 them, and giving endowments and donations which are the envy 

 of their metropolitan sisters. Government aid is urgently needed 



