Mar. 23, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEV\^S. 



287 



TECHNICAL EDUCATION NOTES. 



Agricultural Education. — An inaugural meeting of the- 

 Agricultural section of the National Association for the Pro- 

 motion of Technical Education was held on the 14th inst at 

 Spencer-house, Lord Spencer in the chair, to consider the 

 best means of promoting agricultural education. Among 

 those present were Lord Balfour, Lord Lyttelton, Sir Henry 

 Halford, Sir Lyon Playfair, M.P., Mr. F. de Laune, Mr. C. T. 

 D. Ackland, M.P., Mr. Jesse Ceilings, M.P., Sir E. Grey, M.P,, 

 Mr. T. Ellis, M.P., Mr. H. S. Maskelyne, M.P,, Mr. R. Munro 

 Ferguson, M.P., and Mr. A. H. D. Acland, M.P. Lord 

 Spencer was appointed chairman, and Mr. Ferguson, M.P., 

 secretary ; and it was resolved that a separate section of the 

 Technical Association should be formed for the consideration 

 of agricultural education, and that various other gentlemen 

 be invited to join the committee. 



Commercial Examin.-\tions of the Society of Arts. — 

 Withaview of rendering thesee.xaminationsmore practical and 

 technical, the Council has decided to e.xamine candidates who 

 have passed the general examination for Commercial Certificates 

 in special subjects relating to different branches of commerce 

 — For the present year it is proposed to hold an examination 

 in two divisions : — I. The Commerce of Food ; 11. The Com- 

 merce of Clothing. Other divisions will be added as experi- 

 ence may show to be desirable, and these divisions will also 

 be further expanded. The syllabus has been framed so as 

 to correspond generally \vith the main divisions of trade, but 

 it has not been found practicable to divide it up so that it 

 may correspond with numerous branches into which every 

 trade is divided. In both divisions candidates for examina- 

 tion will be expected to answer questions as to sources of 

 supply of the various products, the countries producing them, 

 their nature, method of preparation for market, characteristics, 

 methods of testing, substances used in adulteration, values, 

 methods of importation, cost and methods of transport, 

 foreign markets, discounts, trade allowances, shipping insur- 

 ance, customs duties, etc. When possible the candidate may 

 be required to examine and report on samples of the goods. 

 He must be familiar with the technical terms used in this 

 branch of commerce, and will be expected to make out bills 

 of lading, invoices, etc. The first examination will be held 

 in London in June next. Further information respecting the 

 examinations can be obtained on application to the Secretary 

 of the Society of Arts, John-street, Adelphi. 



Technical Education in the Middle Temple. — We 

 learn from the Electrical Review that a meeting of a very 

 interesting character took place in the Parliament Room of the 

 Middle Temple recently. Some weeks ago the Treasurer of 

 the Inn for the present year, .Sir Henry James, submitted to 

 the Benchers a plan for affording to the students instruction 

 by means of lectures upon subjects not strictly of a legal 

 character, such as mechanical science, electricity, chemistry, 

 and medical jurisprudence. The Benchers having given their 

 approval to the proposed plan, it was on Tuesday afternoon 

 announced to the students. Sir Henry James, who was 

 accompanied by Mr. Michael, O.C, Mr. Macrory, and INIr. 

 Morgan Lloyd, Q.C., briefly addressed the assembled stu- 

 dents. He informed them that the object in view was to give 

 them instruction in subjects the knowledge of which would 

 be of great service to them in the practice of their pro- 

 fession. He announced that Mr. T. Aston, O.C, and Mr. 

 Moulton, Q.C., had most kindly volunteered to lecture upon 

 mechanical science, chemistry, and electricity as applied to 

 the industrial arts, while Dr. M. Tidy would deliver twelve 

 lectures upon medical jurisprudence. The lectures will 

 commence in Easter Term, examinations taking place, and 

 prizes being given at the end of the year. The members and 

 students of the other three Inns of Court were also invited to 

 attend ithe lectures. The students, through one of their 

 body, gratefully accepted the offered instruction, and pro- 

 ceeded to elect a small committee in order to co-operate 

 with the Benchers in their laudable efforts on behalf of 

 technical education. 



ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



Military Examination.s. — A preliminary examination for 

 admission to the Royal Military College, .Sandhurst, and the 

 Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, will be held in London, 

 Edinburgh, and Dublin on the 13th and 14th of June, under 

 the regulations for the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 

 dated August, 1887, and for the Royal Military Academy, 

 dated December, 1887. 



A Young Exhibitioner. — A. W. Pickard-Cambridge has 

 been placed first in Classics among the senior candidates at 

 therecent Cambridge University Local Examination, and has 

 in consequence been offered an exhibition at St. John's 

 College, Cambridge. This young gentleman is only fourteen 

 years old, and has won this distinction at an almost unprece- 

 dentedly early age. He is a son of the Rev. O. P. Cambridge, 

 F.R.S., the distinguished naturalist, and has been a pupil in 

 Weymouth College for about four years. 



Scientific Research in France. — The French Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science has made the following 

 grants for purposes of scientific research : 1,000 francs {£^0) 

 to M. Topinard, to aid him in completing his map showing 

 the colour of hair and eyes in the different departments in 

 France ; 100 francs (^4) to Dr. Maurel for his researches on 

 the causes of paludism ; 200 francs {ff>) to Dr. Ldon Petit 

 for the publication of the works of )ean M6ry ; 500 francs 

 (_^'2o) to M. Turquan for the publication of a statistical map 

 of the French population. 



Inspectors of Schools in Scotland. — In consequence' 

 of the approaching resignation of Dr. Wilson, Her Majesty's 

 Chief Inspector of .Schools in Scotland and Inspector of 

 Training Colleges, the Lords of the Scotch Education Depart- 

 ment have nominated Dr. Kerr, Chief Inspector in the Western 

 Division, as his successor. Dr. Ogilvie, Chief Inspector in 

 the Northern Division, will be transferred to the Western 

 Division, and Mr. T. A. Stewart, Her Majesty's Inspector, 

 has been appointed to succeed Dr. Ogilvie as Chief Inspector 

 in the Northern Division. 



People's Lecture Scheme. — The concluding lecture of 

 thecourseof threeon "The Atmosphere in relation to Health," 

 by Mr. V. B. Lewes, was given at the -Stratford Town Hall on 

 the 14th inst., under the presidency of the Mayor of Stratford. 

 As on the two previous occasions, the hall, which holds about 

 1,500 people, was filled to overflowing, a large number of 

 people failing to gain admission. The remarkable success of 

 this short course is likely to lead to the establishment of a 

 permanent centre in that district in connexion with the 

 London Society for the E.xtension of University Teaching. 

 Already between 1 50 and 200 names of students have been 

 received by the committee. 



Barcelona Exhibition. — At the request of the Secretary 

 of State for Foreign Affairs, the Society of Arts has under- 

 taken to promote the interests of the E.xhibition in this 

 country, and to act as the intermediary between British ex- 

 hibitors and the executive of the E.xhibition. The Exhibition 

 is announced to be opened on the 9th April, and the date for 

 the receipt of applications from foreign exhibitors has already 

 passed. A request for an extension of the time has been 

 made to the Spanish Executive. In the meantime, British 

 manufacturers who wish to take part in the Exhibition and 

 have not already sent in applications for space may apply to 

 the Secretarj'of the Society of Arts, John-street, Adelphi, W.C. 



Cambridge. — At King's College the annual election of 

 Fellows was held on the 17th inst. Amongst those chosen 

 were John Henry Middleton, M.A., Slade Professor of Fine 

 Arts ; Arthur Pillans Laurie, B.A., second class Natural 

 Sciences Tripos, Part I., June, 1883, first class Natural 

 Sciences Tripos, Part II., June, 1S84; Herbert William Rich- 

 mond, B.A., scholar of the college, thirdWranglerMathematical 

 Tripos, Parts I. and II., June, 18S5, Mathematical Tripos, Part 

 III., 18S6, placed in Division I., Barnes University Scholar, 

 1883. At Clare College the following were elected to 

 minor scholarships open to the competition of persons not yet 

 in residence : — For Mathematics. — Lattimer, Carlisle Gram- 

 mar School, £^0 ; William Evans, Llandovery College, ^50 ; 

 Power, Charterhouse, ^40. For Natural Science. — Watson, 

 Clifton College, ^50 ; Todd, Carlisle Grammar School, ^50 ; 

 Hughes, King Edward's School, Bromsgrove, £\o. 



