'■] 



SCIENCE. 



49 



and sustaining itself on the tree juice, which in 

 time stunted and diseased the tree. During 

 one season a single female insect was capable of 

 producing 500 or 600 young, and in some parts 

 of America there were five or six broodings. Its 

 presence had been recorded iu three places out 

 of America — Australia, Chile, and one of the 

 Western Islands. He did not think it would 

 thrive in England, but it was very desirable to 

 prevent its introduction. 



The University of London has excluded 

 mental and moral science from the list of subjects 

 that may be offered for the University's de- 

 grees in science. A memorial protesting against 

 this action has been presented, in the course of 

 which it is said : "By its attitude in the past 

 the University of London has not a little en. 

 couraged the more strictly scientific study of 

 psychology, both as a science of observation and 

 in its relation to physiology. Among students 

 of physical science a certain number have a dis- 

 tinct taste for philosophical study, and it is de- 

 sirable to encourage such students with a view 

 to the development both of scientific method- 

 ology and of psychology on its experimental 

 and physiological side. The student who ap- 

 proaches the mental sciences from the literary 

 side deals with them naturally in a different 

 spirit. For the development of the subject in 

 its relation to the general body of science it is 

 necessary that it should be studied by some who 

 are familiar with the principles and methods of 

 physical science. At the present time much 

 scientific labor of this kind is being spent on 

 psychological inquiry in other countries. In 

 most of the principal universities of Continental 

 Europe and America psychological laboratories 

 have been founded at considerable expense, 

 and foreign journals are published for the ex- 

 press purpose of recording experimental work 

 in psychology. In this country efforts are be- 

 ing made to develop a similar line of study. 

 The University of Cambridge has recently ap- 

 pointed a lecturer in experimental psychology, 

 and a laboratory has been opened this session 

 at University College. To all such efforts this 

 sudden volte face of your University is a serious 

 blow. We venture, therefore, respectfully to 

 express our hope that you will readmit mental 

 and moral science into the schedule for the sci- 



ence degrees, with such modifications, should 

 they be deemed necessary, as may serve to ac- 

 centuate the scientific sense in which the sub- 

 ject should he treated for the purpose of a de- 

 gree in science." Amongst those who have 

 signed the memorial are the Master of Balliol, 

 Professor Ilenry Sidgwick, Mr. R. B. Haldane, 

 Q.C., M.P., Professor Burdon Sanderson, Pro- 

 fessor William Ramsay, Professor F. Y. Edge, 

 worth, Mr. Francis Galton, Dr. A. Robertson, 

 Principal of King's College, Professor Sully, 

 Mrs. Sophie Bryant, D.Sc, Mr. C. Lloyd Mor- 

 gan, Professor Foxwell, Mr. Bernard Bosan- 

 quet and Professor Oliver Lodge. 



The ofiicial opening by Sir Owen Tudor 

 Burne of the exhibition of acetylene gas ap- 

 paratus and production at the Imperial Insti- 

 tute took place on Wednesday, June 15th, when 

 a considerable number of generators of various 

 types were to be seen in operation. We learn 

 from the London Times that these are arranged 

 in a building in the southwest quadrangle, and 

 each set of apparatus is connected by its own 

 separate service pipe to its own gaselier in one 

 of the gallieries so as to enable the public to 

 judge of the quality and steadiness of the light 

 pi'oduced by each installation. A number of 

 portable generators and self-contained lamps 

 are also on view, together with several forms of 

 bicycle lamp. All the apparatus, before being 

 admitted to the exhibition, had to fulfil certain 

 conditions of safety deemed necessary by a com- 

 mittee of scientific men appointed by the 

 Society of Arts and including, among others. 

 Sir Frederick Bramwell, Professor James De- 

 war, Mr. Harry Jones, Professor Vivian B. 

 Lewes and Mr. Boverton Redwood. This com- 

 mittee formulated certain rules to be observed 

 in the construction of all generators, and the 

 London County Council gave it permission to 

 use a portion of their premises at 211 Harrow- 

 road for the purpose of carrying out the neces- 

 sary tests. While the committee in this way 

 sought to ensure that none but safe types of 

 machine were shown at the Institute, it did not 

 touch the question of the efficiency of the vari- 

 ous designs. This is to be tested during the 

 exhibition. It is intended to keep a daily 

 record of all apparatus at work, in accordance 

 with the directions laid down by the committee, 



