272 



SCIENCE, 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 216. 



The following details are now given in regard 

 to the establishment in Bombay of an Imperial 

 University for India. Mr. Jamsetjee N. Tata 

 offers a property representing a capital of over 

 £200,000 and calculated to yield a yearly in- 

 come of nearly £10,000 for the establishment of 

 an Imperial University or a Research Institute, 

 in order to supply the want of a higher course 

 of post-graduate instruction in scientific re- 

 search for the best students of the existing uni- 

 versities. A provisional committee has drafted, 

 for the approval of the government of India, a 

 bill which provides for a scheme of studies with 

 a threefold division : (1) sci-eutific and techno- 

 logical ; (2) medical and sanitary, and (3) edu- 

 cational and philosophical. The last of these 

 branches has been included in the scheme in 

 order to give the institution the character of a 

 university. The new institution seeks to have 

 the power of granting degrees and diplomas, 

 and as it proposes to otfer a strictly post-grad- 

 uate course of studies it will not in any way in- 

 terfere with the working of any pf the existing 

 universities. The scheme of the provisional 

 committee involves an expenditure larger than 

 is provided for by Mr. Tata's generous offer. A 

 grant in aid, therefore, will be asked for from 

 the government of India. The support of 

 native princes, of local governments and of the 

 public generally will besought. It is estimated 

 that the initial expenditure required will 

 amount to over £100,000 and the annual charge 

 to about £20,000. On this basis, therefore, it 

 is proposed to establish the several departments 

 by degrees and to found subsequently special 

 chairs through public and private munificence. 



The following statements from a circular of 

 the German Colonial School at Witzerhausen 

 should be of special interest to Americans at the 

 present time, as showing what Germany is doing 

 to promote the education of men who intend to 

 engage in industrial enterprises in her colonies. 

 Similar institutions are maintained in Belgium 

 and Holland. The purpose of this school, we 

 quote from an announcement sent by the Division 

 of Publications of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, is to educate young men to become practical 

 superintendents of estates and plantations, 

 planters, agriculturists, stock raisers and mer- 

 chants for the German colonial possessions. The 



course of study, which is completed in two years, 

 comprises the following studies : Plant culture 

 in general, including the study of soils, climate 

 and fertilizers, farm management, bookkeeping, 

 mechanics, engineering (bridge and road build- 

 ing, drainage, irrigation) ; special plant culture, 

 animal husbandry and dairying ; culture, use 

 and value of tropical plants ; establishment of 

 plantations ; gardening ; fruit culture ; vege- 

 table culture ; viticulture ; forestry ; geology, 

 with special reference to tropical mining ; bot- 

 any (physiology, anatomy, systematic and geo- 

 graphical); chemistry, with laboratory practice ; 

 surveying and drafting ; hygiene for tropical 

 countries ; veterinary science ; colonial history 

 and geography ; a study of the people ; the his- 

 tory of education, religion and missionary 

 work ; colonial government, and commercial 

 laws and relations ; languages ; trades (carpen- 

 ters, masons, blacksmiths, harness-makers, 

 bakers, butchers, etc.) ; practical work in field, 

 garden, vineyard, forest, dairy, etc. ; athletics 

 (sports) of all kinds. 



Professor W. A. Heedman, F.R.S., re- 

 marks in the twelfth annual report of the 

 Liverpool Marine Biological Committee, says 

 Nature, that there are two practices in American 

 universities which excite the envy of professors 

 in England. One is the 'sabbatical year' — 

 the one year in every seven given for purposes 

 of travel, study and investigation. The other 

 is the frequent endowment of an expedition — 

 or equipment of an exploring party — by an indi- 

 vidual man or woman who is interested in the 

 subject and can give a special fund for such a 

 purpose. Columbia University, in New York ; 

 the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore ; 

 Yale University, iu New Haven, and Har- 

 vard, at Cambridge, have all been benefited 

 immensely in the past by such exploring expe- 

 ditions. Nearly every year of late has seen 

 one or more of such, due to private generosity, 

 in the field ; and the work they have done has 

 both added to general scientific knowledge, and 

 has also enriched with collections the labora- 

 tories and museums of the college to which the 

 expedition belonged. 



Erratum : Vol. IX., p. 174. Line 12 from bottom 

 of second column, for Aurttralia read Austria. 



