SCI/iNCH-GOSSir. 



63 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



At the Hti>;ifef<lloi) of several c^rri*Hp*nuif»t'. wc t>(K^n witli 

 ihiM volutiK- a ilrpartiiK'iU in vvhieh our readi-'rn may addresH 

 the Eiltti>r in IcUrr I'orin. VVt* have pleasure in in^itini; any 

 whtt Jetire to raine Jiseuitsions on scientific subjects, to 

 aililresH their tetters tii the Editor, ,it 1 ii>. Strand, Li>nd^)n, 

 W'.C. Our *>nly restriction will he, in case thecitrrespondence 

 exceeds the lH>inids of courtesy ; which we trust is a matter 

 of Krcilt improb;ihility, Thet*e letteri* may be aiuinymous. 

 In that case they must he accompanied by the full n.une :ind 

 address ttf the writer, not ior publicltion, but as an e,^rnesl 

 of (;oik1 faith. The I£ilitor tKies no( hi»ld himself resp^^nsible 

 lor the opinions of the correspondents. — /w/. S,-(w. 



TiiK Lasski.1. Two-Foot Tki.escoi'k. 

 Jo ///<■ Editor of SClENCE-GOSSir. 



Sir, In (Irccnwich I'ark, oulsitle the Ob.st;rvatory, 

 ihcrc is lying the tiihe nf this mihlu insirtnncnt, ont; 

 I believe, that has stamped itself dii the annals of 

 astronomy. With il, is also the pier which used to 

 carry the telescope, I suppose its speculum is pre- 

 served ill the adjoining buildings. William Lassell, 

 who was born in 1799, and died in iSSo, did much 

 important worl; with this instrument. Me it was, 

 who in 1846, within 17 days after the di.scovery of the 

 planet Neptune, detected from Liverpool its one 

 known satellite, having the rare motion of revolving 

 round its primary fnmi ICast to West, contrary lo the 

 usual motions of the solar system. Lassell also con- 

 ducted some observations at .Malta. 



My object in addressing you is to suggest that the 

 telescope should be re-erected in some place within 

 the boundary of ( Ireenwich I'ark, so as to be available 

 at a small charge for public use, oral least forantateur 

 astronomers. 



No great expense of establishment is necessar)' for 

 the installation, which wt)uld doubtless prove a valu- 

 able educator of the people, and in time, popularize 

 the study of astronomv. With regard to maintenance, 

 the salary of an intelligent demonstrator should be 

 recouped by the admission fees from the public, up lo 

 a certain hour, with extra fees for amateur astron- 

 omers during the rest of the night. This would be 

 an inustimalile boon to the latter class, as no such 

 special opportunity now exists. 



.May I commend this suggestion to the .\stronomer 

 Royal through your cohniins, or if such is not within 

 his means, to some public-spirited person or body, 

 whowiiuld with his permission carry out this proposal. 

 .'Vt present the telescope is useless, whereas if thus 

 employed it would continue the work of one of 

 England's broadest-minded men, to whose memory it 

 would be a lasting monumenl. 



1 am Sir, \'<>urs, etc., 



Frank C. Dknnktt. 

 60, I.eiilhatl k'oaJ, London. 



Wanted. — A ScuiNcic Ce.nsor. 



To the Editor of SCIENCEGOSS! r. 



Sir, — Cannot something be done to check the 

 continual and puerile scientific inaccuracy one meets 

 with in so many daily and other newspapers "i This 

 applies especially to those which are sold at a low 

 price, and therefore have acirctdation among a large 

 class, already imperfectly educated. One hears that 

 some of these papers pride themselves upon the fact 

 of their being written and edited by "young men," 

 The results, from a .scientific point of view at lea.st, 

 are certainly such as would lead one to believe that 

 this is the case. The general ignorance is so great 

 among most of these writers, that few of them even 

 know the value of the words "variety" and "species,"' 



as they arc coiulantly interchanging ihein in a manner 

 which is cpiite ci>mic. Again, it is not uncommon lo 

 find special hc.vllines and extravagant writing to 

 announce some "iliscovery" which hivs been known 

 for long piist to those who are familiar with the 

 respective subjects. I observe that you not in- 

 freipiently give examples in your coUiinns of scientific 

 absurdities which have been seriously printed in 

 respectable journals, I possess an interesting 

 collection of such comicalities, but a perusiil makes 

 one feel sad, and suggests the necessity for the 

 Institute of journalists to take this matter in hand. 

 I have only referred to newspapers, but the same 

 inaccuracy is e(|ually glaring in many weekly and 

 monthly magazines. 



llviKR oi' Ina('ciir.v:v. 



K.\i iiANiiK Clubs. 



To the Editor of SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Sir, -I have latterly taken much interest in our land 

 and freshwater shells anil have conseipiently a ntimber 

 of duplicates. These I h.ave otTered through your 

 exchange column and certainly have h.id many replies. 

 It would be far more .satisfactory if one could see a 

 number of duplicates of other collectors, so as to make 

 choice of what cme needs. This plan is successfully 

 carried out by lepidopterists, and botanists, the latter 

 for both tlowering plants and mosses. Why can we 

 not have an Kxchanee Club f.u Shells.' I feel 

 sure if one was started, with circul.iling bixskets as 

 condticted by the entomologists, it wouki get con- 

 siderable support, especially in the winter seiuson. 

 I am. Sir, Vours etc., 



.Mai.acoi.ogist. 



.Science Ai'roiNT.ME.NTs. 

 To the Editor of SCIENCE-GOSSJP. 



Sir, — Has it ever occurred to you and your readers 

 that con.sidering the large number of persons w ho are 

 now educated. in Science, many of whom take their 

 degrees as B.Sc. or D.Sc, how comparatively few- 

 are the available remunerative appointments through 

 which they can afterwards earn money for the necess- 

 ities of life. 



When we enumerate the appuintmenis in the 

 national and other museums, the limited number of 

 professorships In .science in our Universities and other 

 colleges, one or two places each with some of the 

 County Councils and large commercial industries, we 

 exhaust the list for Natural .Science, which total is 

 covered by three figures, pretty low down. 



Most persons who have stutiied .Science with a view 

 to making it a profession have naturally come in con- 

 tact with others like themselves out of work. The 

 result of ab.sence of appointments is thai with the 

 exception of those lucky or clever people, who have 

 secured the plums, life resolves iLself for them, into 

 a long and anxious struggle. 



The point I would venture to rai.se is, the question, 

 whethei yotmg men and women should be encouraged, 

 .save in brilliani instances, to lake up Natural Science 

 as a living in Lngland, Of course il is desirable that 

 Science should be taught, even more widely than at 

 present, but from the point of view of general educa- 

 tion only. 



I should be glad if you could open your columns to 

 a di.scu.ssion on the subject, as it seriously aftects the 

 welfare and aspirations of many of your readers. 

 I am. Sir, etc., 



— . B.Sc. 



