146 



NATURE 



[Dec. 11, 1879 



must be inhaled with every breath of the dwellers there. But 

 every man in Leadville believes himself potentially rich, and has 

 a mine or a claim for sale. Speculation in claims, and mere 

 gambling in fractional ownerships, is the principal business. 

 Prof. Newberry had seen the law papers in the examination of a 

 mining property where no less than 14 claims overlapped one 

 another. There is really valuable mining property in abundance, 

 not yet developed, in Colorado and Utah ; but the properties that 

 are put on the market for sale in New York are generally worth 

 little or nothing, 'and will tend to discredit investment in all 

 Western mines. 



Prof. J. Lawrence Smith gave an informal account of some 

 recent researches for new elements. A few years ago he found 

 a field of research in the cerium and yttrium minerals, and was 

 well satisfied that he had obtained a new substance, which he 

 named mosandrum, in the cerium group. Since then he has 

 been studying the components of samarskite, and has found, he 

 believes, two new elements, one of which he calls columbium, 

 and the other he proposes to name in honour of his friend and 

 the instructor of his youth, Prof. William B. Rogers. But having 

 much other business requiring his attention, Prof. Smith has done 

 little in that line of research, since then, except to purify some 

 mosandrum. Not wishing to delay the progress of discovery, he 

 turned over a mass of the earthy material to Messrs. Lafontaine and 

 Lecoq Boisbaudran, who have since announced several discoveries. 

 The new elements are not yet separated ; the supposition of then- 

 existence is based upon observations on their absorption spectra. 

 Prof. Smith has great doubts whether this method is trustworthy. 

 He found that a given solution showed a different spectrum the 

 second day from that of the day before. The addition of nitric 

 acid in greater or less strength was found to alter a spectrum to 

 an extent fully as great as would be considered indicative of the 

 presence of a new metal. But in nitric acid itself there is nothing 

 to provide these new spectra. Hence a doubt is thrown over all 

 discoveries that rest exclusively upon absorption lines. There 

 are probably 8 or 10 new earths in the yttria group. Of the 

 newly announced metals, Prof. Smith thought philippium was 

 more likely to prove real than most of the others. In the dis- 

 cussion that followed, Dr. Barker pointed out that the colour of 

 a solution affected its spectrum. lie regarded the discoveries 

 based solely on absorption spectra as not to be trusted until sup- 

 plemented by chemical tests. 



The other papers read at the meeting were as follows : "On 

 the Mean Pressure of the Atmosphere over the United States at 

 Different Seasons of the Year," by Prof. Elias Loomis ; "Ques- 

 tions as to a very Direct and Simple Method of Ascertaining the 

 Ellipticity of the Terrestrial Spheroid," and " The Completion of 

 the Theory of Parallel Straight Lines," by Prof. Stephen Alex- 

 ander. 



The meeting closed with a brief address by its presiding officer, 

 Prof. Rogers. In the course of his remarks he expressed a wish 

 that hereafter some measures should be taken for a more general 

 and widespread invitation to the public to be present at the 

 meetings of the Academy. This suggestion will probably be 

 adopted. W«. C. Wyckoff 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Cambridge.— The following Statutes, which the University 

 of Cambridge Commissioners contemplate making for the 

 University, having been communicated to the Council of the 

 Senate, the Vice-Chancellor hereby gives public notice thereof in 

 the University. 



" The University shall have power to adopt as an affiliated 

 College in any place within the United Kingdom or in any part 

 of the British Dominion any institution founded for the education 

 of adult students, with such conditions as to the provision of 

 lectures, and as to the rules and arrangements for the students, 

 as may be determined from time to time by Grace of the Senate. 

 Students of the institution who shall have continued members of 

 it for such length of time, not less than two years, and shall have 

 attended such lectures, and passed such examinations, as may be 

 required from time to time by Grace of the Senate shall, if 

 admitted as members of the University, be deemed to have kept 

 already three of the terms required for any degree." 



' ' Students in Science, who having already taken a degree in Arts, 

 Law, Medicine, or Surgery, have given proofs of distinction in 

 Science by some original contribution to the advancement of 

 Science, and having done all that is required by the statutes and 



Ordinances 'of the University, may be admitted to the title of 

 Doctor designate in Science, and shall afterwards be created 

 Doctors at the time prescribed by the University." 



"The management and regulation of the Botanic Garden, 

 together with the appointment and removal of the Curators, 

 Superintendents, Officers, and servants employed therein, shall 

 henceforth be vested in a Syndicate consisting of the five 

 Governors and Visitors appointed by Dr. Walker, that is to say, 

 the Chancellor, or in his absence the Vice-Chancellor of the 

 University, the Master of Trinity College, the Provost of King's 

 College, the Master of St. John's College, and the Regius 

 Professor of Physic, together with such other persons as may be 

 appointed from time to time by Grace of the Senate." 



The Syndicate appointed on May 31, 1877, to consider 

 how to encourage students to read for honours in more than 

 one tripos, in consequence of urgent representations on the 

 part of head masters of public schools, have made a sixth and 

 final report, leaving the Board of Natural Science Studies to 

 propose the necessary and more than formal changes required in 

 the regulations. With this exception, the Syndicate consider the 

 duties committed to them to have been completely discharged. 



Lord Rayleigh, we are glad to learn, hasj consented to 

 become a candidate for the Chair of Experimental Physics at 

 Cambridge ; the election takes place to-morrow. 



Mr. E. B. Tawney, F.G.S., Assistant to the Woodwardian 

 Professor, who has made most valuable donations to the Wood- 

 wardian Museum, has had the degree of Master of Arts conferred 

 upon him. Every geologist and palaeontologist who knows Mr. 

 Tawney will be glad to see this recognition of his merits. 



The number of matriculated students attending the University 

 of Edinburgh this season is 2,510, the number of students in 

 medicine being 1,138, in law 363, and in divinity 74. There is 

 an increase, as compared with last year, in all the faculties, that 

 in medicine being 96, and the total increase 178. 



The Cc urt of Assistants of the Cordwainers' Company being 

 impressed with the importance of the City Guilds employing part 

 of their funds in the establishment of a central institution for the 

 promotion of technical education, have, in addition to a grant of 

 250/. per annum already made, voted a donation of 500/. 

 towards the building fund, on condition that the total sum 

 agreed to be subscribed for that purpose be in their opinion 

 adequate to the satisfactory fulfilment of the object contem- 

 plated. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Gassetta Clnmica Italians, fasc. viii. and ix. — On cimene of 

 cuminic alcohol, by SS. Paterno and Spica. — Decomposition of 

 chlorhydrates of ethylamine by means of heat, by SS. Fileti and 

 Piccini.— Gasometric analysis and methods, by SS. Amalo and 

 Figuera. — Artificial improvement of leaves of indigenous tobacco 

 by means of the sap of exotic leaves, by S. De Negri. — On 

 phenoltolylates, by Dr. Mazzara. — Onmeta-amido-cinnamicacid, 

 by the same. — Synthesis of phenyl-cumarine, by Dr. Ozliaboro. 

 — On sulph-acids of cumene and on a new cumophenol, by Dr. 

 Spica. — On insecticide powders from the flowers of Chrysanthe- 

 mum cincriiifolium, Trev., by Prof. Dal Sie. — Artificial produc- 

 tion of the oligisteof Vesuvianlava, by S. Coppola. — Researches 

 on the products of oxidation of alcoholic derivatives of natural 

 and synthetic thymol, by SS. Paterno and Canzoneri.^On a 

 new organic acid, lithobilic acid, found in oriental bezoar, with 

 lithofellic acid, by Dr. Roster. — On a new method of preparing 

 phenolglycolic acid and on pyrogallotriglycolic acid, by Dr. 

 Giacosa. — Resistance of seeds (especially clover) to prolonged 

 action of gaseous and liquid agents, by S. Giglioli. — On lapacic 

 acid, by S. Paterno. 



Journal of the Franklin Institute, November.— We note here 

 the following : — A general differential equation in the theory of 

 the deformation of surfaces, by Mr. Craig.— Future water supply 

 of Philadelphia, by Mr. Bukinbine.— A new illustration of per- 

 sistence of vision, by Prof. Tobin. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Royal Society, November 27.—" On the Structure of Serous 

 Glands in Rest and Activity." By J. N. Langley, M. A., Fel- 

 low of Trinity College, Cambridge. Communicated by Prof. 

 Michael Foster, M.D., F.R.S. 



