10 
NATURE 
[Jay 7, 1885 
have used French pitch, and English composers our high | 
pitch. The first and last may compromise with the 
second, but are incompatible with each other. To sing 
Handel in modern English pitch is to unduly strain voices 
and spoil the effect originally intended. But we submi‘t 
to it even in Handel festivals. There is a greater difficulty 
in altering pitch in England than on the Continent. We 
have no subsidised Conservatoires or theatres to which 
we can say: “Use this standard of pitch, or go without 
subsidy.” Even regimental bands are not supplied at 
the expense of the State. A new set of instruments is 
very costly, and more than that, it is long before makers 
learn how to manufacture correctly to a new pitch. The 
question is therefore beset with difficulties. But the solu- 
tion is certainly not to be found in the arithmetic of M. 
Soret. 
THE SCIENCE AND ART MUSEUM, 
EDINBURGH 
Vv 7E understand that Col. Murdoch Smith has been 
appointed by the Lords of the Committee of Council 
on Education to the Directorship of this Museum, in suc- 
cession to the late Prof. Archer. As Lieut. Smith he was 
associated with Prof. Newton in the discoveries at Heli- 
carnassus, and, subsequently, with Commander Pacher, 
R.N., undertook the explorations in the Cyrenaica which 
resulted in the acquisition by the nation of the valuable 
collection of sculptures now in the British Museum. 
Latterly, Col. Smith, while employed at Teheran, has 
acquired for the South Kensington Museum the large and 
valuable collection of Persian art and manufactures which 
is so well known there. We believe Col. Smith obtained 
his first Commission in the Royal Engineers direct from 
a Scottish University, and is one of the very few officers in 
that Corps who did not pass through the Royal Military 
Academy at Woolwich or Addiscombe. 
NOTES 
WE take the following from the Z7%es :—The following is the 
list of selected candidates recommended by the Council of the 
Royal Society for the election to the Fellowship :—A. W. Baird, 
Major R.E., P. Herbert Carpenter, D.Sc., Sir Andrew Clark, 
M.D., Mr. A. A. Common, F.R.A.S., E. W. Creak, Staff- 
Commander, R.N., Prof. E. Divers, H. Hicks, M.D., W. M. 
Hicks, M.A., F. R. Japp, Ph.D., A. M. Marshall, M.D., 
Prof, H. N. Martin, D.Se., C. O’Sullivan, Prof. J. Perry, Prof. 
Sydney Ringer, and Sidney H. Vines, D.Sc. 
OF the fifteen candidates who have thus been selected no less 
than five are Cambridge men. Mr. W. M. Hicks was bracketed 
seventh wrangler in the Mathematical Tripos of 1873. Prof. 
H. N. Martin, Prof. Milnes Marshall, and Dr. Vines were the 
seniors in the Natural Science Triposes of 1873, 1874, and 1875 
respectively, while Dr. Herbert Carpenter obtained a First 
Class in the Tripos of 1874, together with Mr.J. N. Langley, who 
was elected to the Royal Society in 1883. The name of the 
late Prof. F. M. Balfour follows that of Dr. Martin in the 
Tripos list of 1873; while the late Prof. A. B. Garrod was 
senior in 1871, and the Tripus list of 1870 contains the names 
of Francis Darwin and E. J. Romanes. The Natural Science 
Triposes from 1870 to 1875, inclusive, have thus furnished no 
less than nine Fellows of the Royal Society, either actual or 
elect. The names of seven more occur in the Mathematical 
Tripos lists from 1871 to 1880 inclusive, viz. : J. Hopkinson 
(1871), J. W. L. Glaisher (1871), H. Lamb (1872), A. B. 
Kempe (1872), W. M. Hicks (1873), Rr. T. Glazebrook (1876), 
and J. J. Thomson (1880). To these may be added the name 
of Dr, W. H. Gaskell, who obtained mathematical honours in 
1869, but has since devoted himself to physiology. “All who 
know Cambridge will recognise how largely these results are 
due to the influence and example of the late Prof. Clerk Maxwell 
and of Prof. Michael Foster respectively. 
WE are informed that Dr. Frankland, F.R.S., has intimated 
his intention to resign the Professorship in Chemistry in the 
Normal School of Science and Royal School of Mines at the 
end of the current session. Ayplications for the post should be 
addressed to_the Secretary, Science and Art Department. 
THE Fifty-fifth Annual Meeting of the British Association will 
commence on Wednesday, September 9, 1885, at Aberdeen. 
The President-Elect is the Right Hon. Sir Lyon Playfair, K.C.B., 
M.P!, Ph: D., LL.D:., FORVS. L. & E., FCiS:, whonwilletake 
the place of Lord Rayleigh. The Vice-Presidents are His Grace 
the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, K.G., Chancellor of the 
University of Aberdeen, the Right Hon. the Earl of Aberdeen, 
LL.D., Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, the Right Hon. the 
Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, F.R.S., James Matthews, Lord 
Provost of the City of Aberdeen, Prof. Sir William Thomson, 
F.R.S., Alexander Bain, M.A., LL_D., Rector of the University 
of Aberdeen, the Very Rey. Principal Pirie, D.D., Vice-Chan- 
cellor of the University of Aberdeen, Prof. W. H. Flower, 
F.R.S., Pres.Z.S., Director of the Natural History Museum. 
General Treasurer: Prof. A. W. Williamson, F.R.S., University 
College, London, W.C. General Secretaries: Capt. Douglas 
Galton, C.B., F.R.S., A. G. Vernon Harcourt, F.R.S. Secre- 
tary: Prof. T. G. Bonney, F.R.S. Local Secretaries for the 
mecting at Aberdeen: J. W. Crombie, M.A., Angus Fraser, 
M.A., M.D, Prof. G. Pirie) M.A. Local Treasurers for the 
Meeting at Aberdeen: John Findlater, Robert Lumsden. The 
Sectional Officers are as follows :—A. Mathematical and Phys- 
ical Science. President: Prof. G. Chrystal, M.A., F.R.S.E. 
Vice-Presidents : Prof. C. Niven, F.R.S., Prof. A. Schuster, 
F.R.S. Secretaries: R. E. Baynes, M.A., R. T. Glazebrook, 
F.R.S., Prof. W. M. Hicks, M.A. (Recorder), Prof. W. Ingram, 
M.A. 3B. Chemical Science. President: Prof. H. E. Arm- 
strong, F.R.S.  Vice-Presidents: Prof. A. Crum Brown, 
F.R.S., Prof. H. McLeod, F.R.S. Secretaries: Prof. P- 
Phillips Bedson, D.Sc., F.C.S. (Recorder), H. B. Dixon, M.A., 
F.C.S., H. Forster Morley, D.Sc., F.C.S., W. J. Simpson, 
M.D. C. Geology. President: Prof. J. W. Judd, F.R.S., 
Sec.G.S. Vice-Presidents: John Evans, Treas.R.S., Prof. 
W. C. Williamson, F.R.S. Secretaries: C. E. De Rance, 
F.G.S., J. Horne, F.R.S.E., J. J. Ho Teall Mi At neGaos 
W. Topley, F.G.S. (Recorder). D. Biology. President: Prof. 
W. C. McIntosh, F.R.S. Vice-Presidents:. Prof. I. Bayley 
Balfour, F.R.S., Prof. J. S. Burdon Sanderson, F.R.S. 
Secretaries: W. Heape, J. Duncan Matthews, F.R.S.E., 
Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S. (Recorder), H. Marshall 
Ward, M.A. E. Geography. President: Lieut.-General J. T. 
Walker, C.B., R.E. F.R.S., F.R.G.S. Vice Presidents : Prof. 
James Donaldson, F.R.S.E., John Rae, M.D., F.R.S. Secre- 
taries: J. S. Keltie, F.R.G.S., J. S. O'Halloran, F.R.G.S., 
E. G. Ravenstein, F.R.G.S. (Recorder), Rev. G. A. Smith. 
F. Economic Science and Statistics. President: Prof. Henry 
Sidgwick, M.A., Litt.D. Vice-Presidents: Prof. R. Adamson, 
M.A., LL.D., Sir Rawson W. Rawson, K.C.M.G., C.B., 
Pres.S.S. Secretaries: Rev. W. Cunningham, D.Sc., F.S.S., 
Prof. H. S. Foxwell, F.S.S. (Recorder), C. MeCombie, M.A., 
J. F. Moss, F.R.G.S. G. Mechanical Science. President : 
Benjamin Baker, M.Inst.C.E. Vice-Presidents : Prof. W. C, 
Unwin, M.Inst.C.E., Prof. H. C. Fleeming Jenkin, F.R.S., 
M.Inst.C.E. Secretaries: A. T. Atchison, M.A., M.Inst.C.E. 
(Recorder), F. G. Ogilvie, M.A., E. Rigg, M.A., H. T. Wood, 
M.A. EH. Anthropology. President: Francis Galton, F.R.S., 
President of the Anthropological Institute.  Vice- Presidents 
