re aft Wert » 7 ea Fy re eo tie tek, erart : phy jase ae a : en tg ; vast t ty berg eval Ou be ; bere 2 3 Mg ek ny ie TENS iat ; SEATON TH rage Mer ' ; rdsu} oot pte J + : . 1 “4 Ww 7% vive Su erate a eaten f , * ae ea “4 xt aS : . bare ee toa egy BSA * ie ae a ‘ ine : ferrites , Teen bes Poe vr sia pete . La MeL ae Cn i+ a 44 . : ny * rey », " ue ; + ot Sy ae a Saat yoysteet ea ne : i i hey 2 . q * ey se*y t + baa yy Bata, "OY i Ties e see, pieces at i . Cane 7 a a Se ie a a i phi Bs Tae hd Gets oe tf oa A Na i le cheat oad mer tn : is ' . i tale ; A : ae 5 vey, Bis See bran] ie re . 5 y sa * 5! ts Us ae Bose i tes eae niepbieett : ; : H is ai abs aga ad ste Pee : ey: : its ‘ Es Bae at ‘ ~ wy peers s: etree es Rina seedriet UXiser tated vie. ear vst9 Take 4 5 iatews oa. ae Fe Ai? ayes ges Arson Seitehts ‘ ‘ eoyry : yo. reves eer ee aN) x ak Mee : une Nis Se aie ses ee ‘ ote. Lowes ‘ Sune. uRY bu alee 7 ‘2 a “ ateee . Tan ‘ ‘ 7 . , [i= re rhe - sess Fe : hanna tip t,. Et Jj i pte by *% ae ; PA ( ' Phe : “t iy : ; ‘ i ; : ‘ a2 ps : ‘ t ‘ . 4 Bt Lene i : “, tiie sear ‘aeetiel eet PS ast nies hibtoe ae a bas tte mee 4 any antes hal “ ; et cyligede i setts we cee ment ph se yin PE eT es re siete 1 0tbosx 6 Myetf Ades ihe be Bebe yale 2 is ae aa Saanhertse aa seatartepss 1 ‘ “ pe ae vet beds ie The esti : is Ase 7 routes isa Ft ae esrees rs aid HD eee sie Ryiste ak ee ce MA bye! Hes ; ani Mt “ ieee Rite Ma iy | Pats So AL Wie “8 i is ix Bs eat =a vr wigs s + Nature, ] September 26, 1918 - Nature A WEEKLY i ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. VOLUME CI MARCH, 1918, to AUGUST, 1918 _ =“ To the solid ground Of Nature trusts the mind which builds for aye.” —WoRDSWORTH (fo) col Zondon MACMILLAN AND CO, LimiteEp NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY is af cies tue NAME ect of Solar Variation on World ar Investigations at Mount Wilson, he green of Mira, 492; and 174 | He G. Becker, Rate of Solution fater. Part i., 299 es of, Public "Health, 49 Hand Grenades, 63 ible Stars, 174 ystem. and Decimal Coinage, 274 xperiments . in the Cultivation of see Inheritance of Eye- Properties of Erihoid, 199 Pes La Statique des Fluides, Industrie du Froid, 162 Vis 439 -isation of Wounds, 80 ng Expedition to the North North Polar Expedition aphy of Aluminium, 520 d d' Prof. T. G. Bonney, Volcanic Lands. ond series, 126 s Distribution of Engineering Appli- an ‘Expedition to Yunnan, 29 ion over France, 95 gical Results of a Tour in the the ‘Tai-Hu, 259; Sponges, 259 Mesozoic Floras of New bituary article], 328 ented by the Saturated Vapour iatomic Liquids, 179 ;, Critical , 60; Formula giving the Pressure your of a Monatomic Liquid, 39; Vapour of Octatomic Bodies, ressures of Pentatomic Bodies, 4 res of Triatomic Liquids, " Pressures of Tetratomic Bodies, Ceding Translated + Dr. J. D. [ in Macedonia, 381 Reriastations of, Neptune’s Satellite, 72 Pe i at eo me a other Species, 479: Feeding Effects on Cattle, 11 a -), International fatalogme of Scien- es (Sire 'R,),. elected ees Professor of Gresham College 218 #t INDEX. INDEX. Ashley (Sir W.), invited to become Vice- -Principal of Bir- mingham University, 318 Aspinall (Sir J. A. F.), elected President of the Institution » .of Civil Engineers, 189 Asquith (Mr.), The Romanes Lecture on the Victorian Age, 297 “Atkinson (E.), Hypo-eutectoid Steel, 198 Aughtie (H. 2 ‘Applied Mechanics. Second year, 303. Auld (Prof. S. J. M.), Methods of Gas Warfare, 215 a ‘A.), and C. E., Pemberton, Ceratitis capitata, ied, 111 Baddeley (St. Clair), Some Early Artists of Gloucester, 330 Baden-Powell (W.), The Taking of Salmon Kelts, 149 Bailey (Prof. L. H.), The Standard Cyclopedia of . Horti- culture. Vols. v. and vi., 241, 2 Baker (R. T.), Report of the N.S.W. Technological _..-Museums for 1916, 395 Baker (Major S. H.) jbituary) 190 Baker (Tf. Y.), and Major L. N. J. Filon, Spherical Aber- ration, 259 Balfour (H. ), The Ethnological Affinities of the ‘Natives of Easter Island, 176 Ball (S. C.), Migration of Insects. to the Rebecca Shoal Light-station, 434 Ball (W. W. Rouse), Construction for an Approximate Quadrature of the Circle, 234 Balland (M. op Bread-making ’ from Wheat without Pre- vious Grinding, 380; Use of Lime-water. in the Pre- -paration of Munition Bread, 500 de Ballore (de Rantcenh Bibliography of Memoirs on ~ Seismology. 4 Balls (Dr. W. Phy Some Applications ok Research to the Cotton Industry, 294; and the Writer of the Article, Cotton-growing Statistics, 203 Barnaby (S.), Effect of Torpedoes on 1 Merchant Ships: 69 sone (Prof. ), Néva Monocerotis, 212; Wolf Planet DB, Barnett (Prof. S. J.),,acceptance of the, position of Physicist _ in the Carnegie Institution, Washington, 508; Electro- magnetic Induction and Relative Motion. ii., 480; resignation of the Chair. of Physics . at the Ohio State University, 508 Barroweliff (M.), The Natural Goeiulation: of the Latex in the Production of Rubber, 23 Barton (Prof. E. H.), Vibrations : Mechanical, Musical, and Electrical, 436, 456; and Miss H,. M. owning, Demonstration of Coupled Vibrations, 399 Barus (Prof. C.), Equations of the Rectangular Interfero- meter, 480; (C. and M.), Methods of Observing Poten- ,tial Differences induced by the Earth’s’ Magnetic Field in an Insulated Moving Wire, 480 Bather (Dr. F. A.); nominated President of the Conference of Delegates of Corresponding Societies of the British Association, 309; The Contribution of Local Societies to. Adult Education, 375: The True Nature of Museum Work, 250+ Use of ane eure, as Vegetables, 133 Batten. (Dr. F.E.), [death], 4 Baxandall (D.), Construction. ‘on ‘an, Approximate, Quadra: ture of the Circle, 304 iV Lndex Nature September 26, 1918 Bayliss (Prof. W. M.), Alcohol: Its Use and Abuse, 122; Light and Vision, 295 Baynes (R. E.), Construction for an Approximate Quadra- ture of the Circle, 264 Beal (Prof. F. E. i.) The Food Habits of the Native Swallows of America, 211 Beale (Sir W.), Payment of Scientific Men in connection with Industrial Research Associations, 410 Beardmore (1.\ fobituary], 390 ‘Beer (R.), and A. Arber, Multinucleate Cells in Vegetative Tissues, 420 Belaiew (Col. N. T.), Damascene Steel, 308 Bell (Dr. A. Graham), A Telephone Memorial to, 5 Bellamy (Miss), appointed to assist in Seismological Work | at Oxford University, 258 Bemmelen (W. van), and J. Boerema, The Semi-diurnal benar Oscillation of the Free Atmosphere, etc., benadke (Prof. F. G.), Physiological Effects of a Prolonged Reduction in Diet on Twenty-four Men, 355 Bennett (R. R.), Progress in Pharmaceutical Products, 493 Benson (Dr. A. C.), seit agit 25 Essays on Education, Edited by, 1 Benson, Ferguson, and Benwicks Photometer for Measuring the Densities of Photographic Negatives, 231 Berkey (Prof. C.), and C. van. Hise, The American Fuel Famine, 312 Berlowitz (M.), Improvements | in manometers, 212 Bernard (Prof. N.), L’Evolution des Plantes; 443 Bernstein (P. L.), appointed Lecturer in Electrical Engineer- ing at the Hull Technical College, 297 Berry (Prof. R. A.), and D. W. McArthur, Recovery of Potash from Blast-furnace Gases, 147 Berthelot (D.), and R. Trannoy, Evolution of the Saccharine Principles of the Sorghum, etc., 330; The: Sugar Con- tent of Sorghum saccharatum ‘at’ Different Stages of Growth, 280 Bevan (Dr. A. D.). i igs of the American Medical Profession for War, Bews Aca J. W.), The? Plant- “succession in eld, 412 Bibby ( 1), Electric Steel-refining Furnaces, 78 Bied (M.), Function of the Oxide of Iron and Lime em- ployed in the Manufacture of Silica Bricks, 259 Bierry (H.), and P. Portier, Action. of Symbiotes upon the Constituents of Fats, 380; Vitamines and Symbiotes, the Thorn 349 Bigaertaa (G.), The Observatories at Paris known as “de la rue des Postes;” 380; The Observatory of the Luxembourg, 479; The Observatory of Taranne, 459; The Observatory of the Louis-le-Grand College, etc., 239; The Old Astronomical Stations of Nantes and Pau, 59; and others, Observations on Modern Scientific Language, 49, 108 Bilham (E. G.), Variations of Undereiband Water-level near a Tidal River, 179; The Lunar and Solar Diurnal Variations of Water-level in a Well at Kew Observa- tory, 7 - Bingham (C.). The Production of Calcium Carbide, 232 Birks bine Utilisation of Lake Coleridge for Electric Power, de ta "Blache (Prof. P. V.) [obituary], 132 Blackwell (R. W.) [obituary], 132 Blanc (P.), Estimates of Brightness of Nova Aquilz, Blarez (Prof. C.) [obituary], 249 bd Blasdale (Dr. W. C.), Principles of Quantitative- Analysis. Second edition, 341 Blaserna (Prof. P.) [death]. 8: fobituary article], 287 uo (Prof. H. F.), Finite Collineation Groups, ete., Blok (W.), A Method of Photographing Shells in Flight, . Blondel (A.), Instrumental Diplopy and its Application in i Medicine. 520 s as (Prof. J: E. V.). Relations of the Echinoderms, 92 Bond (F. B.), The Gate of Remembrance: The Story of the Psychological Experiment which Resulted in’ the Discovery of the Edgar oo at. Glastonbury, 23 Bonney (Prof. T. G.), and J. S. “Bread-crust” Volcanic Bombs, 184 the Design of Micro- | Brodie (F. J.), Gunfire and Rainfall, Bordier (H.), A Radio-therapic Unit of Quantity, 500 Boret (M. ), Object of the Inter-Allied Scientific Food Com- mission, 131 Borthwick (Miss P. M.), appointed Assistant-Professor of © ' Physics and Chemistry at the Lady Hardinge Medigal College for Women, Delhi, 98 ; Bosanquet (Dr. B.), A Survey of Experience, 101 E Bose (Sir J. C.), Presentation to, 138; The “ Praying Palm- tree” of Faridpur, 70 Boswell (Prof.), British Supplies of Potash- felipe 312 Bougault (J.), The Amide Function, 340 Boularic (A.), Prof. G. Meslin, 50 Boys (Prof. C. V.), The Edtvos Revolving Balance, 3253. The Eétvés “ Tour de Force,” 103; The Rotation: "of the Earth, 53 ' Brade- Birks (Rev. S. G.), A Curious Cloud Effect, 271_ Bragg (Prof. W. H.), elected an Honorary Member boa the Réntgen Society, 348 Brahe, Tychonis, Opera Omnia. Prior, 482 Tomi Quarti, Fase: Bramson (Mme. K.), Manufacture of Paper Pulp a a Leaves, 29 j Braun (Dr. F) [obituary], 270 Bray (A. W. L.), Reactions of the Melina of Amiurus to Light and to Adrenaline, 480 ~ Brenchley (Dr. W. E.), Experiments on Weeds fn Relation to Crops, 211 Bridgman (P. W.), Minute Crevices in Rocks, 3 Brierley (W. Characters in the Fungi, 58 Brindley (H. H.), Certain Parasites, Food, and_ Be, i by Birds of Forficula auricularia, 39 Brinkmann (Prof.), Pelagic Nemertines, 3 Brinkworth (Miss M. M.), 391 Bristol (Miss B. M.), A Malayan Form of Chorococeum humicola (Naeg. ), Rabenh., 99; appointed an chavo in Botany in Birmingham ‘University, Broca Prof. A), Troubles locombteiirs consécutifs aux Plaies : de Guerre, 421 : Brodetsky (J. % A Study of the Jewish Child, tific Apparatus, 104 bes aes Brodie (J. §.) [obituary], 133 : ‘ Brooks (C. E. P.), Continentality and Temperature (second paper), 239 a Brown (G.E.), The British Journal Photographic Almanac. q and Photographer’s Daily Companion, 1918, 23° Brown (J. M.), Pyxidicula invisitata, 198 Browning (Dr. C. H.), the War, 512; and Dr. S. Russ, Variation of the Germicidal’ Action. of Ultra-Violet Light with Wave- length, 112 Brownlie (D), Coal-saving by the Scientific ' Steam-boiler Plants, 413 Brucker (M.), “L’ Education de tiepiite scientifique, 254 Bruére. (P.), and E. Chauvenet, Zirconium Nitride, <00 Bryan (Prof. G. H.), Preparing “Palates ” Prof. Paolo Pizzetti, 507 Bryce (Lord), Address at Inauguration of a London Branch of the American University Union in Europe, 57 Buck (Prof. P. C.), Acoustics for. Musicians, 423 Buckman: (S. S.), Yorkshire Type Ammonites, | (oO Buckmaster (Lord), Neglect of the Culture — por -Frésh- ? water Fishes, 50. Buisson (M.), The Limit of Sensibility of the gE Burdick (C. L.), and T. H. Ellis, Chalcopyrite determined ‘by X-rays,’1 Burke (Lt. N.), Treatment of Paralydig? _ Injury, 489. ye, 490 Burton (R. C-), The Laterite of Leoni, Central Provinces, a eae A A.), Eastern and Western Asymmetry of Solar Prominences, 5 ‘Butler (E.), Transmission Gears. Mechanical, Flectric, lead Hydraulic, for Land and Marine Purposes, 264 Butler (J. A.), and P. E. Owens, Proposed’ Society of — Science Students. 244 Byerlv (Prof. W. E.), Introduction to the Variations, 81 B.), The ihe Value of slorphological A Pelorisee, “Viola “Flower, 10; Prices of | ‘Scien- Advances in Bacteriology lasing! Control of of Mollusca, 464 ; ik Structure of, -3 ‘due to Nerve ie { ‘Calculus’ of : a Lndex Vv nan (Dr. W. T.), Structure. and Relationships. of Bathynella, 92 . entific Esebrutnent Company, Ltd., for” the. Conversion of Temperatures, 192 ‘amsell (C, a pacapioret Canada, 172 (H. C. H:),.A Manual of Physics, Theoretical and actical, for Medical Students. Second edition, 142 ns ee vo 9% Cygni, 414; The Spectroscopic Binary briavce A. Chart bea mA hy Sea of Estimation of aan, Zinc, ‘Nickel, and Cobalt, 59 ; New Separations of etals of the Group. Soluble in Ammonia, 59 .G. H. es Fhe Supposed “Fascination ” nee of. H.C, He HY Progress in the Metallurgy 1555 Work of the Corrosion Research Com- Fe rangi Professor of Philosophy at The invertebrate Fauna of Notting- & : [obituary], 172 apo ted an Honorary Demonstrator in ngham University, 197 wer) [obituary], presented with the Edison Medal of the ute of Electrical Engineers, 329 RS 8 The Drift of Meteor Trails, 284 { Value of Some Essential Oils, 280 perarater Snails as a.Cause of Parasitic nei Ltd., Optical Glass-work, 469 tracoda from’ the Upper Cambrian Lime- Australia, 500 $.), The Lunar Atmospheric Tide at. Green- ; 4 359% The Outline of .a Theory of ; Times of Sudden Commence- as, 298 pecan in Lepidoptera, 1 51 atment of the Wash Waters in the ficial Silk, 259 f Forging and Rolling on the aa Acid Zirconyl Sulphate with hates, 460; and Mile. L. | Nitrate, +259 Aspect of Flying, 9 ‘others, ‘Metallographical Publica- Shiphate with some Alkaline ane Dg r Nicolle, etic isturbance Recorded at Kew ; Hazard’s Terrestrial Magnetism, 143 ; 504; Terrestrial Magnetic Oscillations, ce Storm of December 16-17, 1917, 98 forskeren Pekr Forsskal, 365 tse-flies and Fly-belts’ in Central udibitity of the Sts on the Continent James during 1917, 3 , ese Conttbutine’ re Meteorology, 211 Weeping Forms of Trees, 385. “Types of Nuclear Polynesia, 311 ite on of Phosphoric Acid-as Ammonium ito iian and Other Pacific Echini. 29 of ‘an Extinct Ostrich in Northern HB. Adames, Phenological Observations ung 1917. 239 ofs 15. Michel! obituary), 171 ag Impending Resignation of Lectureshio in at the’ Training Baia preg for Women, Birming- niversity, Sy eas i A YR hryver, The Preparation of Plant |’ Darein c Clarke (Dr. W. Eagle), elected President Ornithologists’ Union, 50 Cleland (Prof. H. F.), Does the Indigenous Fauna Belong to the Tertiary?, 64 Cobb (Dr. N. A.), The Nematode Genus Monochus, 95 Cochrane, Ltd. (Messrs.), Foundation of Scholarships at the Armstrong College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 318 Cockerell (Prof. T. D. A.), Reconstruction Problems and the Duty of Science, 144 Cohen (Prof. J: B.), eeerye and the Civil Service, 484 Cole (Prof. G. A. J.), Dr. G.. K. Gilbert, 370; Italian Geology, 501 Cole (L. H. x Testing Canadian Sandstones, 175 Collinge (Dr. W. E.), Methods for Estimating the Food Contents of the Stomach or Crop of Wild Birds, 249 ; The Damage to Agriculture by Vermin and Birds, 48 The Value of Insectivorous Birds, 407, 464 Collins (E. J.), Sex-segregation in the Bryophyta, 359: Commont (Prof. V.) [obituary], 249 Conway (A. W.), An Expansion of the Point-potential, 78 Coolidge (Dr. W.), elected. an Honorary Member of the Rontgen ‘Society, 348 Cortie (Father), Nova Aquilz, 492; and Witchcraft, Corona, 274. — (H.), Harmful Action of Magnesium Carbonate ‘on ants, Cowdray (Lord), The Home Production of Fuel Oil, 32 Cowley (W. L.) ahd H. Levy, Critical Loading of Struts and Structures, 38 Cox (Dr. A. H.), Dr. A. Strahan, Geological Structure in Relation, to Magnetic Disturbance, 257 Craig (W.), Appetites and Aversions as Constituents of ' ~ Instincts, 19 Cramer (Prof: W.), Directions for a Practical Course in Chemical Physiology. Third edition, 144 Creager (W. P.), ere for Masonry Dams, 301 Creighton (Prof. , Reinforced Concrete v. Salt, Brine, and Sea-water, 520 ‘Crofton (Dr. W. M.), Eecepeitic Immunisation : Theory and Practice, 64 Crommelin (Dr. A. C. D.), Globular Star Clusters, 234; “Photographic Determinations of Stellar Parallax, 88; . The New System’ of Time-keeping at Sea, 307; Time at Sea and the Astronomical Day, 146; Tycho Brahe’s Studies of Comets, 482 ; Crooke (W.), The Home in India from the Point of View of Sociology and Folklore, 452 Crookes (Sir W.), Eighty-sixth Birthday ‘of, 309 Cross and Bevan, Celulose. New Impression, with Sup-’ plement, 202 Crossley (Lt.-Col. A. W.), The Longstaff Medal of: the » Chefnical Society presented to, Crowfoot (W. M.), Bequests by, 468 Cunningham (Dr. Brysson), A Treatise on the Principles - and Practice of Harbour Engineering. Second edition, 282 ; ‘‘ Harbour Engineering,”’ 326 ; Masonry Dams and Irrigation Work, 301; Water-power in Great Britain, 186 of the British Australian Pope Innocent VIII. 164; Spectra of Chromosphere and ‘Cunningham (Dr. R. O.) [obituary], 390 Curtis (H. D.), Absorption Effects in the Spiral Nebula, 19 Cushny (Prot, A. R.), elected Successor to/Sir T. R. Fraser at Edinburgh University, 218 : Cutler (D. Ward), Age-determination in Fishes, s¢< Cvijic (Prof. J.), The Zones of Civilisation in the Balkan Peninsula, 509 Dakin (Dr. H. D.), and Dr. E. K. Dunham, A Handbook on Antiseptics, 311 Dale (Prof. J. B.), Elliptical Haloes, 126; The Eétvis . ae Balance, 325 my Nace . A.), Low-temperature Formation of Alkaline elspars in Limestone, 19, 174; Nature of Rocks in - Pacific Islands, 175 rd (P. A.), The Nature of the Chondriome and its éle in the Cell, 100 Darling (C. R.), The Need for Electric Furnace Research, (Sir F.), Rustic Sounds and Other Studies in Literature and Natural History, 3 pops (Dr. » Dixon - ’ Downing (E. R.), Drughorn (Mr. Denning (W. J.), The August Méteors, vi [ndex [ Nature, Septencber 26, 1938 Davis (A. P.), Irrigation Works Constructed by-the United States Government, 301 Davis (B. M.), Criticism of the Evidence fok the Mutation Theory of De Vries, 20 Davis (Prof. E. W.) [death], 28 ; Davis (W. A.), The Natural Indigo Industry, 116; The Present Position and Future Prospects of the Natural Indigo ar a 388 Davis (Prof. W. M.), Geological Aspects of ‘the Coral-reef Problem, 38; Sublacustrine Glacial Erosion in Montana ; The Isostatic Subsidence ‘of Volcanic Islands, 19 Davison (Dr. C.), The Sound-waves and Other Air-waves of the East London Explosion of January 19, 1917, 19 Dawilias (Prof. Boyd), So-calied Cart-ruts in Malta, 290 Dean (R. S.), The Deposition of Flint, 432 Delage (Y.),. Lymphatic Bleeding as a Means of De- intoxication, 339; Vitamines and afb ts ae 340 Deniker (Dr. J.) [obituary], 189 472; The Discovery of the New Star in Aquila, 325 Dennis (Senator), Gift to Dalhousie University, 17 Denny (C. W.), Reinforcing Metals, 134 sit (Major M.), Possibilities of the Ferro-concrete Ship, A.), Ambulance de ‘1 ’Océan,”? La. Panne. Tome i., fasc..ii., Travaux, 444 Dershem (E.), Resolving: Powers of X-ray Spectrometers and the Tungsten® X-ray Spectrum, 480. . tite (Lord), The Close Season for Coarse Fish, 49 Desch . C. H.), appointed /Professor of Metallurgy in the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, 478; Attempted Improvements in the Puddling Process, 374 Dewar (Sir J.), awarded the Medal of the Society of Chemical Industry, 249 Dickinson (A.), Water-power in India, 412 Diénert (F.), A. Guillerd, Concentration of the Micro- organisms of Water, 59 Diplock (B. J.) [obituary], 488 — Dixon (Prof. A. F.), Crossing of the Nerve-tracts Connect- ing the Brain and Body, 312 {Dr.’ He Hd; bhi eacople ae 199 : Dixon (Prof. S. G.) [obituary], 69 | Dobbie (Sir J. i ), elected a Member of the Athenzeum Club, 27; Work of the Institute of Chemistry, _ 10 Dobbs (C. M.),,A Small Stone Bowl. Found in Sotik, 211 Doelter (Prof.), The Phosphate Deposits of the Ukraine, 212) Cone: (E. ia ta South African Perisporiacew, II., Dommett Ww. E.), A Dictionary of Aircraft, 123 Donnan (Prof. F. G.), Ozone as a Hygienic Agent, 202 Dorman (Rev. S. S.), Native Ideas of Cosmology, 330 Douglas (Capt. C. K. ' from Aeroplanes, 85 Douthitt (H.), The Stecrnenhalicn Diplocaulus,: 231 : The Third and Fourth Generation, 462 Doyle (J.). achat of Larix leptolepis, 198 Dreyer (N. and Prof. C. S. Sherrington, Brevity, Sesnce of Rhythm, and Amount of Reflex Nervous Discharge as indicated by Reflex Contraction, 318 | and. Mrs. J. F.), | Endowment of Science Buildings at King’s School, Canterbury, 439 Drummond (J. C.), Attempt to Isolate the “Water-soluble By sks Doctorate conferred upon, by ‘the eS of London, 77; ‘‘ Water-soluble B,’? 471 Duchesne (M. en Afforestation, 375 320; Duncan (J.). and S. G. Starling, A Text-book of Physics “for the Use of Students of Science and Engineering, 142_ Dunlace (Viscount), and Capt. ence to the Dietaries of Munition Workers. 465 Dunnicliff (Prof. H. B.), Laboratory Glassware Economy, 43 seh cep (Dr. A, E.), and Dr. F, B. Thole, Lubricating ils, 21 Durand (A.,), Smell, te Duret (P.), A Organic Materials, Correlation Condensation between 460 Durham »(Lord), deeds Chancellor of Durtiam Univer- sity, 357 Characteristics of M.), Cloud Formations as observed’ - Farrer (R. 5, On the Eaves of the World. Greenwood, An Inquiry into the. Composition of Dietaries, with special refer- and Firth (Sir A. F.), Scientific Research and Industrial Develop : New Method for the Rapid Destruction of. Fischer (G.). Fiora. of the. Anaimalais, 250 a i Durrant (J. H.), and Col. W. W.. O. Beveriige, Infesta- tion of Army Biscuits by Flour-moths, 248 ' Durz (W. P.), Damage to Tomatoes, ete., by Heterodera radicicola, 412 Du Toit (Dr. A. L.), The Phosphate Bay, ee and Rogers, Geology of kei, 17 pz ten ‘of Saldanha t of the: ‘Trans- - Dyson (si, *. W.), elected a Foreign Member of the Reale Accademia dei Lincei, 371; elected a Foreign Member of the Society of Italian Spectroscopists, 288; = ‘New Star in Aquila, 285 Eales (Miss N. B.), Experiments and Observations « jen ae Cheese Mite, 70 Raeeiae Easterbrook (Dr.), Work of the Crichton Royal Insti tion, Dumfries, 172 Easton (Dr. C.), History of Nova Aquilz, 492 tba Eccles (J. R.),-Lecture Notes on Light; 142 bs ae Eddington (Prof. A. S.), Gravitation and the of Relativity, 15, 34; Relativity, 454; Relativity and Gravitation, 126 Egerton (Sir Ww. ), The Development. of Brish Guiana, 312 Ellis (D.), Bee Disease, 103 i Ellis (M. T.), The Plant Sterols, 491 Eléd (E. es . M.), and F. E.. Hill, Electric Furnace ‘ol, 73 Pee - W.), The Rural Teacher and his Work in Com- Leadership, etc., 61 The Aortic Cross in Exophthalmic Goitre, Leprat, Blood in Exophthalmic Goitre, 380 Courtship Dances of Tympanuchus cupida, (Dr. M. O.), British Dye-making, 513 (Dr. J. K.), appointed temporarily to work onomy and Chronology at Oxford Univer- . A.), Nova Aquilz, 285, 333, 393, 433) 492 [obituary], 488 (Dr. E.) [obituary], 150 :), A Method for the Estimation of the Halo- and Nitrogen in Presence of Mer- translated by F. C. A. H. Lantsberry, Briquetting. Vol. ii., 403 , Impending Resignation of, 178 Killing of the Khazar Kings, 29 W.), Development of the Mineral : British Empire, 49 The Balsam Problem, : 139 ), British Oligocheet Worms, 264 wton), A Text-book of Inorganic Chemis- , Aluminium and its Congeners, including | Metals, H. F. V. Little, 281 ; Recovery ugh Excitement, 184; The Chemistry of ey AEE The Carbonisation and t, etc., 300 and Prof. Nuttall, Fish-freezing, 39 neral Factors in Mental Measure- _ Switchgear Standardisation, 11 Lighting, Heating, and Power Order Bionomics, Embryology, and Anatomy of joptera Parasitica, 58 The Mutation Theory and the Species d E. Le Moignic, Physiological Study of d Vaccines in» Aqueous Solution, 40 Il nostro Soldato. Saggi di Psicologia 3 Development of ‘Actinoloba dianthus a palliata, 419 oyd), The Government and Higher Educa- ; W.), Electricity Meters: their Construc- nagement. Second edition, 262 of. P.), The Visit of Delegates from Italian j 293 — tihelis'e/Pheory of Knowledge and its elations, 141 -), The Mineral Industries of the United . K.) [obituary article], 370 ; J. D. F.), Luminosity in a South African yvorm and its Origin, 320; Reproduction of Fishes eri’ (Prof. V.), The Problem of Man’: TY, 424 ! | te ne. (HL. S.),. War-time Legislation and the Wild Birds’ Protection Acts and Game Laws, 172 September 2, wial L. ndex Vil (Ho AY L.), Educational Reform, 124 ;.The Abolition | Glanely (Lerd), Gift) for a Chemical Laboratory in» the ~ University College of South Wales and Monmouth+ shire, 419 Glaser (R. W.), A New Bacterial Disease of Gipsy-moth Caterpillars, 489 x: ee : Glazebrook (Sir R. T.), awarded the Albert Medal of the Royal Society of Arts, 288; National Laboratories and ‘Industrial Development, 74, 96 Goldschmidt (Dr. R.), Genetic Experiments Evolution, 376 Goodacre {W.), The Young Moon seen as a Circle, 352 Goodey (Dr. T.), A Zoological Method of Obtaining Amcebzx for Class Purposes, 405 Goursat (Prof. E.), A Course in Mathematical Analysis. Part ii., vol. ii., Differential Equations. Translated by Prof. E. R. Hedrick and O. Dunkel, 81 Graham (Prof. R. P. D.), Lattice-like Inclusions in Calcite ‘from North Burgess, Ontario, 99 Graham (Tf. S. H.), Radial. Velocities ‘Prism, 193 Grahame-White (C.), and H. Harper, Sovereignty of the , Air and its Relation to Civil Aerial Transport, i9t ~ de Gramont (A.), The Spectrum Test for Boron, 139 Gray (H. St. George), Co-ordination in the Exchange of Archeological Publications, 272 Grayson (J. H.), A New Dividing Engine for Ruling Diffrac- tion Gratings, 51 Green (E. E.), A Plea for the Introduction into. Great Britain of Exotic Butterflies, 92 Green (J. F. N.), The Igneous Rocks of the Lake Dis- concerning by Objective trict, 79 Greenhill (Sir \G.); Alexander the Great and his Celestial Journey, 292; Electromagnetic Integrals, 238; Long- range Guns, 84; The Bombardment of Paris by Long- range Guns, 65; The Legend of Alexander. and his ~ Flying Machine, 25; The Spinning-top in Harness, 416 Gregory (Prof. R. A.), The Position of University and Higher Technical Education, 473 Gregory (Dr. W. K.), Genetics v. Paleontology, 377 Gresley (H. N.), A Three-cylinder High-pressure, Engine Operated by Two Valve Gears, 453 Griggs (Prof. R. -F.), The Eruption of Katmai, 497 Grisley (G. C.), and others, Nitre Cake, 71 Grove (W. B.), Abnormal. Catkin of Hazel, 126 | Gudger (E. W.), Habits of Felichthys -felis; Sphyraena barracuda, 434 Guerbet (M.), Bornylenecamphor and a New Dicamphor Isodicamphor, 380 ' Guest (J. J.), Curved Beams, 18 ; Guild (J.), Critical Angle Refractometers of the Pulfrich Type, 232; Notes on the Pulfrich Refractometer, 219 Guillaume (J.), Observations of the Sun made at the Lyons Observatory during the Third Quarter of 1917, 19; Observations of the Sun made at Lyons Observatory , during the Fourth Quarter of 1917, 60 Guillet (L.), Influence of Cadmium on the Properties of the Copper-zinc Alloys, 239 Guilliermond (A.), Plasmolysis of the Epidermal Cells of the Leaf of Iris germanica, x9 Giildner (K. H.), The Lateral “Deviation of Projectiles Caused by Spin, 251 Gunther (Dr. R. T.), Report on Agricultural Damage by Vermin and Birds in the Counties of Norfolk and Oxfordshire in 1916, 48 ; Guthe (Prof.), Fibres from Fused Steatite, 413 Guyer (Prof. M. F.), The Utilitarian Value of Zoology, 371 a Haag (J. The “Application of the Law of Gauss to Syphilis, 219 i Haas (A..R. C:), Rapid Respiration after Death, 19 Hackett (Dr. F..E.), The Twist and’ Magnetisation of a Steel Tube in a Spiral Magnetic Field, 420 Haddon (Dr. A. C.), An Anomalous Form of Outrigger- canoe Attachment, so8; A Survey of American Ethno- logy, 22; The Outrigger-canoe of East Africa, 133 Hadfield (Sir R.), Address to the Society of British Gas Industries, 230; The World’s Facilities for Higher Education, 279; C..Chéneveau, and Ch. Géneau, ‘The Magnetic Properties of Manganese and of some Specia! Manganese Steels, 80 Vill ° : Nature I; mnabex September 26, 1918 Hadley (P.), and others, Infections of Fowls, 230 | ay Haerle (H.), A Method of Ascertaining the Distribution and Magnitudes of the Stresses in a Revolving Disc, 491 Hagedoorn (A. C. and A. L.), Rats and Evolution, 376 Hahn (Prof. P. D.) [obituary], 451 Hale, Seares, Van Maanen, and Ellerman, The General Magnetic Field of the Sun, 433 Hall (E. H.), Thermo-electric Diagrams on the P-V- Plane, 480; Validity of the Equation P=dv/dT in Thermo-electricity, 480 Hall (M. C.), and W. D. Foster, The Efficiency of some Anthelmintics, 290 Hall (R.), Retirement from’ the Geological Department of the British Museum, 110 Haller (A.), Agriculture in 1917, 25 Hampson (Sir G. F.), Classification the Hypsotropinz, 59 Hansen (A.), Proposed National. Floral Emblem for the United States, 469 Harden (Dr. A.), Plimmer’s Practical Organic and Bio- chemistry. New edition, 364; and S. S. Zilva, The Antineuritic‘and Antiscorbutic Accessory Substances, 511 Hardy (W. B.), The Nervous Impulse, *163 Hargreaves (Dr.), Chemical Research in Relation to In- dustry, 28 Harker (Dr. A.), Present Position and Outlook of the Study of Metamorphism, 38 Harkins (W. D.), and ie Aronberg, Spectra of Isotopes and the Vibration’ of Electrons in the Atom, 20 Ue POR os aye L.), Gift to Yale University as a Building un Harlow (Fr! he appointed Head of the Mathematics and Physics Department of the Sir John’ Cass Technical Institute, 178 Harmer (Dr.. S. F.), Cetacea Stranded on the: British Coasts during 1917, 372; ‘‘ Habitat Groups’”’ in American Museums, 36¢; Whaling in the Far South, 380 Harrington (W. H.) [obituary], 288 Harris (G. T.), Schistostega osmundacea, Mohr, 350 Harris (Dr. R. A.) [obituary], 28 Harrison (Lt.-Com. H. T.), The Electric Arc, 9 _Harrison (J. W. H.), Hybrid Bistonine, 376 Harrison (W.), Investigations on Textile Fibres, 38 Hasegawa (K.), A Severe Earthquake in Swatow, 373 Hatschek (E.), Production of Medusoid Forms from Gels, 504 Havelick (Prof. T. H.), Periodic _ Finite Height, 419 Haward, Educational Work at the Manchester Art Gallery, 459 Hawkes (Mrs. M.), Hybrid Lepidoptera, 377 Hawksley (C.), Bequest to the Institution of Civil Engineers for Scholarships, etc., 218 Hawley (Lt.-Col. W.), appointed Inspector of Prehistoric Remains on Salisbury Plain, 90 Hazard (D. L.), Terrestrial Magnetism. U.S. Magnetic Tables and Magnetic Charts for 1915, 143 Head (H. C.), A Mobile X-ray Unit, 79 Heath (Dr. R. S.), Impending Retirement of, 197 Heaviside (O.), elected an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, 208 ( Hebb (Dr. R..G.) [death], 208; Lonmnery 311 Heck (J. H.) fobituaryl, 329 Helm (H. J.) a ert go Hemsley (Dr. W. B.), _The Palms of Seychelles and the Mascarenes, 73 Hendrick (Prof.), The Treatment of Growing Crops with an Overhead Electric cae 495 Henrici (Prof. O.) [death], ‘aps (De F:); Radial’ Velocity of 8 Canis Majoris, Irrotational Waves of Scan (Dr. C.), A New Principle in the Flow of Heat, 71 Heriot (T. H. P.), The Sugar Industry after the War, 344 Hewitt (J.), The Scorpion Fauna of South Africa, 200 Hichens (W. C.), Some Problems of Modern Industry, 222 Hickson (Prof. S. J.), The Food of the Rook, Hildburgh (Dr. W. L.), Japanese Charms aaneotcd with Earthquakes, 230 Hill (Capt. A. W.), A Series of Seedlings of Cyclamen, 319 Hill (G. F.), Relationship of Insects to Parasitic Diseases in Stock, 500 Hill (Prof. J.. P.), Early Development of a aurita, 311; Expedition to Brazil in 1913, 198 Hill (Prof. M. J. M.); W. A. T., The Promotion: of Beant 7 Graduate Work and Research, 243 - Hinde (Dr. G. J.), Collection of Fossils of the late, pres sented to the British Museum (Natural History), 270; [obituary article], Hirayama (Prof. S.), Absorption and Radiation of the Solar Atmosphere, 134; The Minor Planets, 53 Hodge (F. W.), Resignation. from the Bureau of American ; Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution, 28 Hodson (Dr. F.) [death], 411 Hodson (Lt. R. C.), Bequest to King’s College, London, 338 ea _ ), Capt. S. Révig, Exploration in Spitsbergen, Hogben (G.), and Dr. J. A. Thomson, The Organisation of Scientific and Industrial Research, 155 Hogg (H. R.), Arachnida Collected by ‘the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910, 372 Holland (Mrs. M. A.), Influence of Burial Customs on the Belief in a err State, 432 Holland (Sir T.), A Programme of Chemical Research in’ India, 50; The Organisation of Chemica: Research in India, 313 Holleman (Prof. A. F.), A Text-book of - Teiug nic Chemistry, issued in English in co-operation with H. C. Cooper, Fifth English edition, 341 fore and Miss), Gift to the University. of Liverpool, Honda (Prof. K), Measurement of the Thermal and Elec- trical Conductivities in Metals and Alloys, 511 Hooker (Sir Joseph Dalton), Life and Letters of, “Based « on Materials Collected and Arranged by paris Hooker, by L. Huxley, 481 Hopkinson (Prof. B.) [death], 5 Hornell (J.), The Indian pitas Hex indie Jo Hornung (Prof. C.) [death], 110 gees (Dr. R. A.), A Statistical Survey of Colour Vision, Bvcaeant (Prof. G. W.), awarded the Gold Medal’ of the Institution of Naval Architects, 69 Howard (A.), and R. S. Hole, Soil Aeration, 250 Howard (H. E.), The Food of the Rook, 326 Howie (M.), The Estimation of Nitrogen in Organic Com- 4 pounds, 252 Hrdlitka (Dr. Chippewa Indians, 152 Hughes (Prof. A.), appointed Registrar of Bidasiiigheas Uni- } versity, 318 Huie (Miss L.,H.), Formation of the Germ-band in. the : Egg of the Holly Tortrix Moth, 319 Humphries (Prof. ma J.), Physics of ‘the Air, 231, Hutchinson (C. Indigo Raa a Ee 470 Hutckinson (C. , A Bacterial Disease of Wheat in the Punjab, a1 Hutchinson (R. W.), Advanced Text-book of Magnetism and. q i Electricity, 2 vols., 142 Hutchison (R. H.), Over-wintering of the Pesca nc a2 Hutton (J. E.). Welfare and Housing, 3 Huxlev (L.), Life and Letters of Sir Tossa “Datton Hooker, Based on Materials Collected and Arranged by Lady Hooker, 481 Innes (R. T. A.), Physical Observations of Venus, 153. Inquirer, An, The ‘‘ Haybox ”’ ih in Cooking, 264 Ishiwara (J. ), Relativity, 454 Jackson (Admi. Sir H.), Circuit, 339 Jacob (F.), The New System of Time at Sea, 375 Jacob (Col. G. A.) fobituary], 149 Jaeger (Prof. F. M.), metry and its Applications in all Natural Sciences, 261 Jaggar, jun. (T. A.), Phenomena presented by Types of — sali i 175; Results of Volcano Study in Hawaii, Jastrow, jun. Prof. M.), The War and the Bagdad” Rail- — way, 422 A.), The Anthropological Examination of | H.), Importance of Bacterial Bites in : Effect of the Vibration of a Stretched Wire Forming Part of a Closed Electric — Lectures on the Principle of Sym- — Lndex ix Or.) Précis' de a nostic Tech nique. Beectediions 382 ny al ny . J. H.), elected i Stent of the Athenzum u 110 ‘Be H. ss Early History of the Solar System, 273, The Motion of the Perihelion of Mercury, 103, 145 (Prof. H. J.), Bibliography of the Geology Eruptive: Phenomena of the More Important Vol- of Southern Italy. Second edition, s5o1 J), eg others, The Zinc Ore Resources of _ Method of Avoiding Collision at Sea, 298 Discovery of Wolf’s Periodic Comet, 393, Comet, 12; The New Star in Aquila, 440 ; of Sirius, 414 ), Gift to the Galton Laboratory, 338 ], 49 1. Lewis), Medical Electricity. Seventh edition, edited by Dr. L. W. Bathurst, 302 esistance in Cabbage, 480 aN Problem of the Disabled, 316 N N.), cae of Falling Dummy Bombs on W. R.), ies of the og Tin Deposits of ose ade 17 " ), assisted by B wr Nermann: The Genera from — Linnzus to Cuvier, 1758-1833, 323 ii Stiles, The Electro-culture of Crops, , A Proof that Any Transfinite Aggre- Boy A Broo 84: A Proof that Any Aggre-! eee, 304 farings, Influence oF Bit on Rock Weathering in Nestern Australia; Formation of Natural _ Subarid. ‘Western Australia, 19 7 Zoological Results of a Tour in the ckish-water Polycads, 259 slp da and Practice of Prufing, 101 eh Crow and its Relation to Man, 152 3 of Wolf’s Periodic Comet, 375; et, I iVitectionists and the American of Néiriderthal Man in Malta, 5 oe Science to Medicine, 494 oh The Chemistry of Fatm Practice, 61 _ Possibility of Exploration in the 310 fone Status of Nitrogen Fixation, +9 Gg: 0), ‘Discovery at Winterbourne eFie Laminated Micaceous Sandstone, age ~Army Medical Services, - the: Order of the Companions jo a his ‘Ideal British Standard of Height, 272 The Science of Power, 181 . R.), and Prof. W. F. Lang, Old Red Sand- beast ii., 478 point, Been eation of Milk from the K2:5 of t. x) Principles and Practice of Milk fobituary]. 430 §.), Originality, 141 . R:), Practical Uses of Radlograpbe: 512; Radio- ry and Radio-therapeutics. Second edition. Part i., ae aphy, 22; Part ii., Radio-therapeutics, 283 : igle-impulse Radiography : its Limitations and -Possi- Korda (D.), The Rotation of the Earth, 53 Kowalke (O. L.), The Use of Iron in Thermo-couples, 432 Kunz (Dr. G. F: :), Platinum, 428 Kiistner (Prof. F.), Corrections musterung, 114 5 ye The Stimulation of Plant-growth by Electric Fields, Leask (J. H.) [death], 3 Lachelier (J.) fobiedsel. 2 Lacroix (A.), Constitution of a Salt from Plants grown in Cameroons, 380; Some Sodium Rocks of the Archi- pelago of Los, French Guiana, 179 Laden Oe a Shell Deposits formed by the Flood be: January, TQIo, 39 Lal (Sir Sundar) [death], 110 Lallemand (Ch.), Proposal for an Entente Body for Geo- detic Work, 90; and J. Renaud, The Substitution of Civil Time for Astronomical Time in Nautical Almanacs, to the Bonn Durch- Lamb (Prof. H.), appointed Halley Lecturer at Oxford University for 1919, 318; Elected a Foreign Member of the Reale Accademia dei Lincei, 371 Lambe (L. M.), Gorgosaurus from Alberta, 250 ; Lang (H.), and J. P. Chapin, Nesting Habits of the African Hornbills, 372. Lao D.), A Map showing the known Distribution in ngland and Wales of the Anopheline Mosquitoes, with Explanatory Text and Notes, 463 ; The Kelestominz, 319 Lang (Prof. W. H.), awarded the Neill Prize of the Royal . Society of Edinburgh, 1 Langley (Prof. J. N.), elected a Foreign Member of the Reale Accademia dei Lincei, 371 Lankester (Sir Ray), Natural Science and the Classical System in Education, 483 Lapicque (L.), and J. Chaussin, Food Value of Whole Wheat, etc., 59 Larmor (Sir J.), The Nature of Heat as directly Deducible from the Postulate of Carnot, 18 . Larsen (E. S. ), and G. V. Brown, Johannite or Uranopilite, 174 Laskovski (Prof.), and others, The New Star in Aquila, 375 De Launav (Dr. L.), Cultivation of the Eucalyptus and Pine for the Production of Paper-pulp, 273; The Economic Importance of Alsace-Lorraine, 229 Laurie (R. D.), appointed Head of the Department of » iad in the University College of Wales, Aberyst- wyth, Le Beau ‘0 7 A,), Chemical Change, 374 Lebour (Miss M.), Food of Small, Forwal and Post-larval Fishes, 455 Lécaillon (A.), Manner in which Psammophila hirsuta Cap- tures and Carries its Prey, 140 Le Chatelier (H.), and B. Bogitch, Action of Oxide of Iron on Silica, 259; Use of the Brinell Ball for Testing Construction Materials, 299 Leclainche (E.), Serotherapy in Gas Gangrene, 479 Lecornu (L.), The Sign of Rotations, 199 Leduc (A.), Density, Compressibility, and Atomic Mass of Argon, 440 Lee (H.), A Chart for Finding the Number of Lenses in, and Size of, a Block, 339 Lees (Prof. C. H.), ® Air Seundard ”- Internal-combustion Engine Cycles and their Efficiencies, 79 Lefranc (Ltt), Armament and Bomb-dropping Arrange- ments of the German Aeroplane, 229; German Bomb- ing Machines, 32 Leftwich (Dr. R. W.), Aids to Rational Therapeutics with U.S.A. Pharmacopeeia Equivalents, 343 Legendre (R.), and A. Thevenin, Comment Economiser le Chauffage Domestique et Culinaire, 102 Léger (E.), a-Oxycinchonine, 339 Leiper (Dr. R. T.), awarded the Bellahouston Gold Medal of Glasgow University, 348 Leonard (A. G. G.), Refrigeration and Related Subjects, 162; and P. Whelan, Spectrographic Determination of Lithium, etc., 173 Leroy (M.), Examination of Po by Photography, 272 Lescher (F. H.) [obituary], 289 Letts (Prof. E. A.) © [obituary article], 7; Bequest to Queen’s University, Belfast, 278 xi Index - [ ¥ Nature, Seplember 26, 1918 ‘ Leverhulme (Lord), The Coinage (Decimal System)’ Bill, 270 Lewis (G. N.), E. D. Eastman, and W, H. Rodebush, Heat Capacity of Electro-positive Metals and the Thermal . Energy of Free Electrons, 480 Lewis (Prof. W. C. McC.), Colloids and Chemical Industry, 66 Libby (Prof. W.), An Introduction to the History of Science, 501 Lichnowsky (Prince), The British Attitude towards. Science and Learning,. 90 Lindeman (E.), and L. L. Bolton, Iron-ore Occurrences in Canada, 495 Lindsay (Miss B.) fobituary} § Lingen (J. S. v. d.), and R. -E, Walker, Preliminary Note on Anatase, vt Lister (F. S.), Prophylactic Inoculation against Pneumo- coccal Infections, 91 Little (H. F. °V.), Aluminium and its Congeners, including the Rare Earth Metals, 281 Lodge (Sir O.), Mercury’s Perihelion Progress, 44; The Astronomical and Gravitational Bearings of the Elec- trical Theory of Matter, 72; The Motion of the Peri- helion of Mercury, 225 Loeb (Prof. J.), awarded the Walker Grand. Honorary Prize of the Boston Society of Natural History, 309 5 Sex of Parthenogenetic Frogs, 480 Long (Dr. H. S.); The Writer of on Note, The Food of the Rook, 304 Loomis (Prof. R. S.), Alexander the Great’s Celestial Journey, 292 Loseby (A. J.), The Great Hereafter and the Road to. Per- fection, 431 Lotsy (Dr. I. P.), Hybridisation Experiments of R. Hou- wink, 149 Louis (Prof. H.), “After the War,’’ 268; Condition of the Chemical Industry, 430; The. Mineral Wealth of Germany, 346, 385 Lucas (Dr. Keith), The Conduction of the Nervous Impulse, 163 Luizet (M.), ‘irene Stars, 511; Ephemerides of Algol Variables, 9 Lull (Prof. R. $), The Alleged “Sacral Brain” of Dino- saurs, 211; Quadrupedal Tracks from Carboniferous _ Strata in the Grand Cafion of the Colorado River, 432 Lundmark: (K.), Orbit of the Comet Pons, 12 Lunt (Dr. J.), a Phoenicis, 414; The Spectroscopic Binary CT ee ue 252 Lutz (Dr. F. E.), Field Book. of Insects, 384 . Lyons (Lt.-Col. H. G.), appointed Acting Director of the Meteorological Office, 248 Lyster (C. R. C.), and Dr. S. Russ, A Biological Basis for Protection against X-rays, 79 Lytton (Lord), and others, The Education Bill, 445 Macalister (D.) [obituary], 149 MacGregor (M. E.), Insect Vectors of Disease, 92 Machado (A. R.), Origin, Theory, and Use of the Nonius, cK Re Macintyre (D.), Factors causing “Grouse Disease-” on Scot- tish Moors, 509 Mackenzie (Dr. t. S.), Elements of Constructive Philosophy, 101 Mackenzie (K. F< F.), oar Dr. F. H. A. Marshall, Points in Sheep, 4 Mackenzie (Dr. W. Ly ‘Scottish Mothers and Children, 205 Mackie (I. J.), appointed Professor of Bacteriology in the South African Medical College, 178 Mackintosh (J.), Effect of the New Agricultural Policy on the ee Industry, 490 Maclaurin (Dr. R. C.), Acceptance of the Directorshin. of Mutton Date oe in the U.S. Students’ Army Training Cor ieactcan (Dr. Lipins, ee Macleod (Prof. J losv in the University of Toronto, 43 Macmillan (D. B.), The Food Supply of thie Smith Sound Eskimo, 272 Macpherson (Mr.), Construction of a Long-range Gun. 132 MacWilliam (Prof. 1. A:), Mechanism and Control of Fibril- lation in the Mammalian. Heart, 419" H.), Lecithin and Allied Substances: The Widuates ic. ‘ The Susie Industry, after the War, ; J. ’R.), appointed Reviewer of ‘Physio- | Maggini (Dr.), Determinations of the Brightness of Nova Aquila, 492; The Lunar Crater Eimmart, 153 Maignon (F.),. Influence of Carbohydrates and . Fats on the — - Nutritive Power of Alimentary Proteids, 479; Influence of the Species of Animal on the Toxic’ Power, ete.,. of the. Food Proteins, 440; tive Power of Food Proteins Employed in a Pure State, 360; The Toxicity of Egg-albumin, 340 Mailhe (A.), Direct Transformation of the Secondary: ‘and Tertiary Amines into Nitriles, 360; and F, de Godon, A New Catalytic Method -for the Formation of Nitriles, 39; and F. de Godon, A New Method of Preparation of Monomethylaniline and Dimethylaniline by Catalysis, 100; and F. de Godon, A New Peepesatiaaeam the Methyltoluidines by Catalysis, 179 + Majorana (Q.), Constancy--of the Velocity of Light Britted y a Moving Source, 440 4 ' Malden (W. J.), Science and the Farmer, 450 Le ' Mallock (A.), Certain Coloured Interference Baads and sae 4 Colours of Tempered Steel, 279; Effect of) "Wind- pressure on the Pitch of Organ-pipes, 3395 age <° Guns, 84. 125 Maquenne (L.), and E. Demoussy, Influence of ‘Acids. on | Germination, 17 aah ga: 9 r Marchant (Prof. E. W..), Some Transient Phenomena in 4 Electrical Supply Systems, 273 Marconi (Senator G.), awarded the Medal of the Pranklin Institute, 240 ¥ Marett (Dr. R. R.), The Transvaluation of peer iad (The Duke of), Grassland and Food Marshall (W. C.), The Education Bill and Eugenics, 278 ‘Martin (Dr. F.), La Prothése du Membre Inférieur, 421 ‘ Martin (Prof. L.), awarded the Pasi _EalesBran. Pre of the French Geological Society, Martin (Dr. W.), elected President Sr “the Gitbere White Fellowship, 189 Martin and eee. The: Shosvaiiedaa ‘Variable RZ Cephei Martinet (J.), The Isatic Acids, 340 — : Marvin (Prof. C. F.), pie Meteacolagtbali 353; Meteorology and Exact Thermometry, 14 Mason (J. A.), Dialects of the Salinian Indian, Linguistic Group, 151 Mathews PP rok. G. B.), Formule for. relubiedtonst 504 5 Matignon (C.), Ferro-silicons not Attacked by Acids, 280; _ Bee ‘Production of Synthetic Ammonia - es ‘Haber, ba nuaebane (M.), A Giiebiniinkell Problem’ ‘in » connection with the Theory of Coral Reefs, 510 © Matthai (G.), appointed Professor of Zoology Sk le ~l : Reactions to Stimuli in Corals; Is the He iheasbeenatiakt n Skeleton an Extraprotoplasmie Secretion of, the Polyps?, al 39 | ‘Matthews (Mrs. D. J.), appointed to a New Reseach Post ; P at the Rothamsted Experimental Station, 208 Mawson (Sir D.), Auroral Observations at the’ Cape Royds Station, Antarctica, 114; Sonm Features of: the Ant- * arctic TIce-cap, 3090 Maxwell (Sir H.), The Value of Insectivorous Birds, 464 Maycock (W. Perren) [obituary], 248 Mayer (Dr.), Nerve Conduction in Diluted and in Concen: ase Pee Toxic Effects due to’ High ‘Tempera- Meade (Prof. A. ), Meteorology and’ the Nationat. Welfare, i MeCance (A, Renee of the Non-Metallic Inclusions a n Ste McClelland Aste ¥ A.), and 1. Enright, ‘Seata’ iechperties a . J. Nolan, Nature of the — of Large Tons, 20g; and P. J. Ions Produced by Bubbling Air through ‘Liquids, 199 McClendon (J. F.), Changes in the Sea and their Relation ‘ to Organisms, 424; Effect of Stretching on the Rate of Conduction in the Neurorrmunctiian Cassiopeia, 20 MeDakin (Cant. 8, G.) fobituary], 28 ey | Honorary Degree = conferred. a M’Intosk Wee Cay ‘. upon, by Oxford University, 37 3) McKerral (A.), The Burmese Sesamum Varieties, base McLennan (Prof. J. C.), Capabilities of Water-powér, st (Prof. The Toxicity and Nutri- a wtiiod Network in. 4 i a eg ied ss Da Vature, mber 2, 1016} Lndex xi r a _C.), awarded the peicnast Baile of | eae Prof. G and Prof. A. .F. Gustaf 1 pov) mes of Surgeons in Ireland, Physics 34 a ty, Yana, Soe , Gasworks Construction -and Dractiae 33 Mossman (R. C.), awarded the Keith Prize of Reyal Prot), The Reproductive Organs of the Cetacea, Society of Edinburgh, 189; The Drift of the Endurance, 72 (Dr. A. M.), Guide to the Collection of Musical -in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, 151 $ E. K,), Planning a Research Laboratory for ae eu ethotwerephs of the Infra-red Solar Spec- z pte F.), and Dr. J. F, St. A. Fernandes, s champignons appartenant au Genre * C.), awarded the Medal of the Frank- ges Metal Type, 453 -), The Grizzly and Big Brown Bears of erica, 230 — Studies for Rate-setting on Machine pe and Prof. W. Nicholson, the uecuhis of Helium, 238 BS : Bees, Incompatibility of ae Birth-Control, 227 I , Radiation and the Electron, 234, ts Isolation and Measurenient and of Some of its Properties, 41 ematical Papers for Admission into ry Academy pe the Royal Military irs 1908-17, 4 of the ‘Sand Filter in Water Puri- i eeuiiNe iocata Wholesomoe Food ?, 354 Wali) nr Progress i in Magneto-optics, n pee pr the rh Mousterian’ Period sw 452; Our Present Knowledge of B Mpbieets in Suffolk, s0; Study of Two Is near Ipswich, 272 . BE), Employment of Women in Muni- C3 och ded L. Hutehincon ; aie mn ston, 221 Destruction of Rooks, 27% “Solar Halves. 199 T. H.), The Theory of the Gene, 376 2 2 o The ‘Geographical Distribution’ a Plants, ’ 487 Mott (Dr, F. W.), awarded the Moxon Medal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 459 Mottram (J. C.), and Dr. S. Russ, Cancer Experiments at. the Middlesex Hospital, 92 ; Dosage in Radium Therapy, 151 Moulton (Lord), Acceptance of Office of President of the Association of British Chemical Manufacturers, 431; Replacing the Statutory Lllumination Standards for oe ees by Standards based upon Calorific Value, 37% Moysey “aie L.) [obituary], 28 Muir (Sir T.), Quadratic Relations between. the Deter- -minants of a 4-by-8 Array, 320 Mullens (W. H.), History of William Bullock’s Museum, 70 Mummery (Dr. J. H.), Nerve End-cells in the Dental Pulp, Ee ae nist geen Sheath of Hertwig in the Teeth of an, mibeabck: ww. er * hist; Modern Whaling and Bear-hunting, 502 Murphy (R. C.), The Whale Fishery of South Georgia, 470 py Fm (Dr. J. A.), The Parasitic Hypothesis of Tumours, Mapai “Lt. -Col. C. S.), Present-day Applications of Bepert mental Psychology, 151 Nabours (R. K.), and A. W. Bellamy, Studies of - Inherit- ance and Evolution in Orthoptera, 377 Nageotte (J.), The Value of the Ultramicroscope in Histo- logical eaten 9 339 Nankivell (Dr. A. T.), Health in Camp, 3 Nelson (E.), The Smaller North American Stemi bas Nelson (E. M.), and Prof. F. J. Cheshire, The Work of C. D. Ahrens, 290 Newbery (Dr. E.), and H. Lupton, Radio-activity and the Coloration of Minerals, 198 Newbolt (Sir H.), Importance of True Education, 334 Newlands (A.), The Water-power Resources of the United Kingdom, 186 Nicholls (Dr. B.), Life-history of the Little Penguin, 112 Nicholson (Prof. J. W.), The Atomic Weight of “ Nebu- lium,” 212 Nicolardot (P.), and J. Boudet, Examination of Mercury Fulmirate, etc., 59 Nicolas (G.), ‘Anthocyanine and the Respiratory Gas Ex- change of Leaves, 460 Niinomi (K.), A Japanese Meteorite, 352 : Nordenskiéld (E.), Palisades and Noxious Gases sates the South American Indians, 469 Norstedt (Prof. O), Australasian Characew, 260 Northumberland (Duke of) fobituary], 229 ‘ Norton (Prof. R.) Sepa 469 Nuttall¥(Prof. G. H. L.), Combating Lousiness among Soldiers and Civilians, 454 O’Connor (Capt. F. W.), Malaria and its Treatment, 381; The. Treatment of Malaria, 315 O'Farrell (H. H.), Relativity and Gravitation, 126 Oldham (R. D.), Some Considerations Arising from the Frequency of Earthquakes, 159; The Structure of the Himalayas and of the Gangetic Plain, 246 Ombrédanne (L.), and R. Ledoux-Leband, Localisation ¢t Extraction des Projectiles, 382 Oo oe (Lt.-Col. W. A. J.), Science and Administration, - Omori (Prof.), The Distance of the Epicentre of an Earth- quake, 373; Vibrations of Tall Chimneys, 436 — Onslow (Hon. H), Nature of Growths in Collodial Silica Solutions, 219 Osborn (Prof. H. F.), awarded the Gadlry Medal of the Geological Society of France, 270 Osborne (Miss A.), An Abnormality of the Frog, Hyla aurea, 300 Osborne (N. S.), and M. S. Van Dusen, The Thermo- ‘dynamic Properties of Ammonia, 191 Osborne (Prof. W. A.), The Theory of Gel Structure, 19 Otlet (P.), Classification, etc., of Books and Papers, 358; 4 Xil f Index Nature, September 26, 1918 ' Future of the Interndtional Catalogue of Scientific Literature, 98 Owen (E. A.), The Absorption of X-rays, 98; The Asym- metrical Distribution of Corpuscular Radiation Produced . by X-rays, 79 Owens (J.), and others, Offer to the University of Wales for the Establishment of a Music Directorship, 278 Owens (Dr. J. S.), Au Automatic Recorder of Atmospheric Pollution, 214; The Medsurement of Atmospheric Pollu- tion, 79 Packard (J. C.), Everyday’ Physics, 223 Page (L.), Is a Moving Star retarded by the Reaction of its own Radiation?, 480 Pagé (1st Lt. V. W.), ‘Aviation Engines : struction, ef rh ar and Repair, 242 Paige (S.), and'’G. Steiger, The Origin of Kaolin in Rock- Design, Con- ‘masses, 392 Berne (Prof.), Magnetic Observations taken at Theodosia, Dacca (De hag H.), The Self and Nature, ,141 Parr (Prof. S. W.), Potassium Supplies of the United States, 332 Parsons (Hon. Sir C. A.), Acceptance of the | Presidency of the Polytechnic School of Engineering, 338; Bakerian Lecture. Experiments on the Production of Diamond, 197; to Deliver the Bakerian Lecture * of the Royal Society, and the May Lecture of the Institute of Metals, 130 Parsons (J. H.), Mind and the Nation, 462 Patchin (G.), and others, awarded Grants from the Car- ag Research Fund of the Iron and Steel Institute, Paulos (R.), Microscopical and Biological: Work at Ruhleben, 151; and S. Hastings, Relationship be- tween the Symbionts in a Lichen, 319 Payne (F.), Effect of Artificial Selection on Bristle Number in Drosophila ampelophila and its Interpretation, 480 Pearce (Prof. R. M.), with the assistance of Dr. Krumbhaar and Prof. H.. Frazier, he Spleen and Anemia, 342 Pearson (R.° Hooper) [obituary], 310 Pease (F. G.), Rotation and Radial Velocity of the Cen- tral Part of the Andromeda Nebula, 480 Peckham (Prof. S. F.) [obituary], 468 Pedler (Sir A.) [death], 208; [obituary article], 227 Pekkola (W.), Seasonal Occurrence and Edibility of Fish at Khartoum, 372 Pelly (Rev. S.°A.), Glossary and Notes on Vertebrate Palzontology, 303 Penard (Dr. A New Type gf Infusorian, Arach- nidiopsis paradoxa, 359 Perkin (Dr. F. M.), elected President of the Association of Chemists engaged in the Oil and Colour and Allied Trades, 468: Oil from Mineral Sources, 494~ Perregaux (C. ), Technical Instruction in Switzerland, 33 Perrett (Dr. W.), The Duration of Resonance in the In- ternal Ear, 204 Perrine (Dr. C. D.), Changes in the Spectrum of y Argis, 114; Dependence of the Spectral Relation of Double Stars upon Distance; Hypothesis to account for the Spectral Conditions of the Stars, 480; Interpretation of Stellar Types, 314 Peters: (G. H.), An Unidentified Planet, 174 Pethybridge (Dr. G. H.), and H. A. Lafferty, Disease of og Seedlings-caused by a species of Colletotrichum, Philip. (A,), The Improvement of the Gregorian Calendar, 3 Philipson (Sir G. H.), Bequest to the University of Durham | College of Medicine, 318 Phillips (E. A. W.), British Trade andthe Metric System, 30 Phillips (Rev. T. E. R.), The Companion to Sirius, 153 Pickard (Dr. R, H.), Cross and Bevan’s Cellulose.. New impression, 202 Pickering (G. F.), Aids in the Cihectantalat Analysis of Oils, Fats, and their Commercial Products, 503 ‘E. Be Pickering (S.), The Encouragement of Invention, 445 Pickering (Prof. W. H.),; Distance of the Orion Nebula, 233; Distance of the Pleiades, 252 Pilcher (R. B.), and F. Butler-Jones, What Industry Owes. : to Chemicai Science, 222 Pizzetti (Prof. Paolo) [obituary article], 507 Plimmer (Prof. H. G.) [obituary article], 328 Plimmer (R. H. A.), Practical Organic and Bio-chemistry. : New edition, Wt Lge bigs H. C.), The Symmetrical Optical Instru- Piiviasl ton A. De La Baume), elected a Foreign Mem- ber of the Society of Italian Spectroscopists, 288 Pocock (R. I.), External Characters of the Lemurs and Tarsius, 59 : “ Politicus, ” The Mineral Wealth of Germany, 385 Pope (Prof. W. J.), The Future of Pure | -and “Applied Chemistry, 7&1, 377 Portier’ (P.), and H. Bierry, Importance 6 the Ketonic Function in Metabolism, 440 Potter (Prof. E. L.), and others, Management, 441 Poulton (Prof. E. B.), Mimetic and Mendelian Relation- ships of the “White Admirals” of North America, 59; The Supposed “Fascination” of Birds by Snakes, 223 Power (D’Arcy), appointed Bradshaw Lecturer of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 249 Pozzi (Prof. S. J.) [obituary], 329 Western Live-stock Prain (Sir D.), Chrozophora Pasian | 470; “elected President of the Linnean Society, 24 Pepiler (Dr. C. S. Du Riche), Italian Mountain Geology, parts, 5o1 Prior (Dr. C. T.), Composition of the Nidleelibebeuie Iron of the Meteorites of Powder Mill Creek, Lodran, and y Holbrook, 359 Proctor (Miss J.), Variation of the Pit-vper: Lachesis atrox, 160 Prosser (R. B.) [obituary], 140 - Pryde (Cant. I. W.) [obituary], 248 Pulligny (M. de), Construction for an Approximate Quad- rature of the Circle, 234 Putti (Prof. V.). Surgical Work on the Stumps of Am- putated Limbs. 289 a (W. P.), Whale-meat in War-time, 24 Raber (O. L. ), The Synergetic Action of Electrolytes, 19 -Railliet (Prof.), Oxyurosis in the Horse, 392 Railt (W.), Preservation of Paper in India, 452 Rakshit (J. N.), The Contraction of Tahara Taitice from Substances ‘Dissolved in Water, ta 6 Ramage (A. G.), Mirage Observed on the Queensferry Road, 479 Raman (C. V.), The “ Wolf-note” in Pizzicato Playing, 264 Ramsay (Sir William), Sir W. A. Tilden, 361 Ramsower (Prof. H. C.), Equipment for the Farm and the Farmstead, 223 Randall (W. B.), Gift for a New Research Post at Visi Rothamsted Experimental Station, 208 Rasmussen (K.), Return of, 248 - Rathbun (M. J.), The Grapsold or of “Adaebinn: 384 Rathbun (Dr. R.) [obituary], 4 Rawdon (H. S.), Selective ech of Muntz Metal, 30 Rawlins (F. I. G.), The Technique of the Vertical Illu- minator, 78 Rawson (Col. H. E.), Illustrations of Photosynthetic Action Induced in Living Cells, 78 Ray (S.), The People and Language of Lifu, Loyalty Islands, 249 Rayleigh (Lord), Propagation of Sound and Light in an Irregular Atmosphere, 2 Structure, 18 Read (Sir C. H.), The Registration of Works of hh ie Occupied Countries, 230 Redwood (Sir B.), The Romance of Petroleum, 516. Reed (E. N.), Late Cabbage from Seed until Harvest, also . Seed-raising, 61 Reed (W. G.), Damage by eaaaee in the United Biptens 234 | 84; The Scattering of Light _ by Spherical Shells and by Complete Spheres of Periodic Lndex xiii gan (C. Tate), Peculiar Markings on a Fish, 133 oO -), Action of Ether on Rabies Virus, 240 Ports on French Ocean and Channel Bk we: The Story of a Grass, 317 - T.), Work on Antiseptics at the Pathological artment, University of Edinburgh, 232 R. H.), Present and Prospective Food Supplies, 9 . d), Bequest to Gonville and Caius College, ridge, 399 vic ; (Prof. T. W.), Cosmic Law in’ Ancient of. T. W.), elected a Foreign Member of the emia Wm) The Orci 3 450 . A.), The Origin of Septarian Nodules, 358 General Anesthesia by Chloralose, 380; PB. Fr. Saint-Girons, Density of the Blood Hemorthage, 180; Effects of Isotonic us Injections in Hzmorrhage, 439; Effects ous Saline Transfusions . after Grave 460; Influence of Intravenous Injections uids on the Dilution of the Blood, 219; nent, Urinary Secretion Troubles after sms, 239 "Plastics “Clay ” Resembling Léss, 175 The Ionisation Produced by X-rays in ield, 113, 273 ), The Promotion of a Closer Union d and Italy, 323 : about Nova Persei (1901), 12 tone as a Solvent for Mounting Media, uid Stranded in Haddingtonshire, 452 ; aturalist, 145; Whales and Seals as ), and H. D. Skinner, Maori Burial- uckland Museum, 470 i Verenth 430 Londoner’s Opportunity in Commerce, . B.), appointed Professor of Bio- he University of Toronto, 439 Sir W.), The Debt of the Army to ce and oe 9 ‘ aed ? Il The Brite Rpiociiion and the Nation, 45 awarded the Fream Memorial Prize, 357 yy R.), The Science and Practice of Phsto- .), Gift to Leeds University of Microscopic ks, 258 ,C. M. da Sitva), awarded the David Living- Centenary Medal of the American Geographical .), Mathematics for Engineers. Part i., 463 .), Survival of the Blackleg Organism of the in the Soil during Winter, 490 .), Mosquitoes in England, 314; Patents and Research, 24; The Treatment of Malaria, Ling), The Primitive Looms of Indonesia, 372 th | (Prof. F: A.) [obituary], 109 thschild (Major E. A. de), Bequest to Harrow School, 17 schild | , elected an Honorary Member of the _ Entomological Society of Spain, 208 4 yIeT2 Roughley (T. C.), The Fishes of Australia and their Tech- nology, 395 Routledge (Mrs. S.), The Bird Cult of Easter Island, 175 Roux (F.), The Gold Minerals of the Ivory Coast, 200 Rowan (W.), Nesting Habits of the Kingfisher, 70 Rowbotham (F. J.), Story Lives of Men of Science, 183 Ruffer (Sir A.), The Use of Natron and Salt by the Ancient Egyptians, 432 Rule (Dr. H. G.), The “Iminohydrins,” or Isoamides, 113 Russell (Dr. A.), Electricity Meters, 262 Russell (Dr. E. J.), Agricultural Reconstruction after the War, 426; Agriculture in the Western States, 441; Recent American Text-books in Agriculture, 61 Rutherford (Sir E.), elected a Foreign Member of the Reale Accademia dei Lincei, 371 ; The Silvanus Thomp- son Memorial Lecture, 137; presented with the First Silvanus Thompson Memorial Medal, 138 . Ryan (H.), J. Algar, and P. O’Connell, Syntheses of Some New Substantive Dyes Derived from Benzidire-Sul- phone, 199; and T. Glover, The Nitro-derivatives of Diphenylamine, 199; and W. O’Riordan, a-, B-, and y-Trinitrotoluenes, 4 Ryland (H. S.),. The Prevention of Filming in Enclosed Optical Instruments, 339 Sabatier. (P.), and G. Gaudion, Decomposition of Glycerol in Presence of Various Catalysts, 380; The Crotonisa-- tion of Acetaldehyde, etc., 199 Sabin (A. H.), The Industrial and Artistic Technology of Paint and Varnish, 62 : Sachs (A. P.), Estimation of Nitrogen in Dyes and Ex- plosives, 30 Sahni (B.), The Branching of the Zygopteridean Leaf, 299 Saillard (E.), Balance of Some Constituent Principles of . the Sugar-beet during the Manufacture of Sugar, 220 Salamon (A. G.) [obituary], 190 Salisbury (Prof. R. D.), awarded the Helen Culver Gold Meda] of the Geographic Society of Chicago, 28; Geology and Modern Geography in General Education, 291 Salmon (E. S.), and H. Wormald, Treatment of “Covered Smut” of Barley, 211 ; Salter (D.) [obituary], 190 Sampson (Prof. R. A.), Studies in Clocks and Timekeeping. 0. 2, 319; The Meteorological Unit of Pressure, 353 * The Strathmore Meteorite, 314 Sandeman (E.), Work Being Carried Out by the Derwent Valley Water Board, 152 Sang (Miss J. A.), awarded the Bathgate Prize of the ~ Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, 249 : Sarasin (J.), Levoglucosane from Cellulose Distillation, 313 Sargant (Miss E.), proposed Memorial to the late, 110 Sargent (F. L.), proposed National Floral Emblem for the United States, 469 Sarton (Prof. G.), Le Nouvel Humanisme, 379 Sartory (A.), The Tubercle Bacillus Associated with an Oospora, 19; and Blaque, Bacteriology of War-wounds, 452: G. Blaque, and M. Schulmann, A Case of Pul- monary Sporotrichosis, 520 Satterley (Dr. J.), and R. T. Elworthy, The Radio-activity of Some Canadian Mineral Springs, Saxby (Miss I. B.), Doctorate conferred upon, by the University of London, 77 Saxl (P.), Effect of Silver on Bacteria in Water, 331 Schafer (Sir E.), Adoption’ of the Additional Name of Sharpey, 371. Scharlieb (Dr. M.), How to Enlighten our Children, 423 Schlesinger (Prof. F.), elected a Foreign Member of the Society of Italian Spectroscopists, 288 3 Schleesing, jun. (Th.), Ammonium Nitrate as Manure, 239 Schmidt (Dr. Joh.), Distribution and Life-histories of Fishes in the Mediterranean and Adjacent Seas, 391 Schott (Prof. G. A.), The Electromagnetic Inertia of the Lorentz Electron, 58 Schroeter (L, F.), Prof. Stérmer’s Aurora Borealis Expe- dition of 1913, 313 : Schunck (C. A.). Tests to Ascertain the Region of the Ultra-violet Spectrum Producing the Greatest Thera- peutic Effect, 292 Xiv Index Conti 26, 1918 Schuster (Prof, A.),. and Dr. Heritage of Science, 161 ee (Dr, J.), Habits of Three SReies of Tsetse-flies, A. E. Shipley; Britain’s Scott "C. H.) [obituary], 4 Seabroke o M.) ideath'l,_ . [obituary], 132 Seares.(F, H.), A. van Maanen, and F. Ellerman, Loca- tion of the Sun’s Magnetic’ Axis, 479 Searle (A. B,), Refractory Materials: Their Manufacture ~ and Uses, 21 Searle (Dr. G. M.) [obituary], 430 Sedgwick (Prof. W. T.), and Prof. H. W. Tyler, A Short History of Science, 161 Seekings (Dr. S.), The Baby, 403 Sen (J. N.), Composition of Feeding Stuffs Available in India, 230 ' Senier (Prof. A.) [death], 371; [obituary article}, 389 ae oe G.), appointed Principal of Birkbeck College, Shame (Dr. H.), Globular Star Clusters, 233; Nebulosity in Star Clusters, 314 Shaw (D. M.), Form and Function of Teeth, 111 Shaw (Sir Napier), appointed Scientific Adviser in Meteor- ology to H.M. Government, 248; The Halley Lecture on “ The First Chapter in the Story of the Winds,” 258; Units and Unity, 326 Sheppard (E. J.), Methods of Staining in Bulk and Counter- staining, 198 - Sheppard (T.), Bronze Age Weapons in the Doncaster Museum, 508: cs gig of the Bronze Age in the Whitby Museum, 9 Sherlock (Dr. R. L.), es and Genesis of the Trefriw Pyrites Deposit, 319 Shrubsole (W. H.), Weeping Forms of Elm, 365 Sibly (Dr. T. F.), appointed Professor of Geology at Arm- strong College, 178 Silberstein (Dr. L.), Eames 6 454 Silvester - ns Fh Fishes New to. the Rico, «4 Simeon (F. - “Critical Angle Refractometers of the Pulfrich Type, 332; The Accuracy Attainable with Critical Angle Refractometers, 219 Simpson (Dr. J. J.), The Bionomics = Tsetse-flies in the | Gold Coast, 311 ; Sims (T. P.), Bequest to the Swansea Technical School, 357 *Singer (Dr. C.), Studies in the History and Method of Science, 82 Skeats. (Prof. E.. W.), The Funafuti Boring and the Origin of Coral Reefs and Atolls, 152 - Slipher (Dr. V. M.), Motion of Our Stellar System, 72; Spectrum and Radial Velocity of N.G.C.. 1068, 114 " Smeal (G.), Construction for an Approximate Quadrature of the. Circle, 304 Smeeth (Dr. W. F), The Geology of Southern India, 119 _ Smillie and Watt. A Curious Case of Ground Ice, 138 oo (Prof. G. Elliot), Race, Character, ane Nationality, | The Teaching of Anatomy, rr Smith. Biagas I.), Archzological Museum Work and the Fauna of Porto ar, Smith (NLS a ae bie Intestinal Protesde in Non- - dysenteric Cases, Smith (R.), Geology oe Flint Emplements. 315 Smith (Sir Swire) fobituarv], 49 Smith (T.), Charts for Assisting in the Siete of Suit- able Glasses for Cemented Doublets, 339; The Detec- tion of Ghosts in Prisms, 79; Use of Approximate Methods in obtaining Constructional Data for Tele- scope. Objectives, 38 Smith-Pearse (Rev. T. N. Hart), A Flora of Epsom and its Neighbourhood, 263 Smyth (W. Woods). Man’s cM, 386 Soddy (Prof. F.), Old Universities and New Needs, The Profits of Research,- 343 Somerville (Prof. W.), Results. of Rerene ** Poverty Bottom,” 71 Sopp (Dr.), The Pleomorphism and Developmental Cycles of the Bacteria. 489 Southwell -(T.), and B. Prashaw, Culture. of the Hilsa Food Fish, 391 Spielmann (Dr. “P. E.), their Properties, 433 461 ; Constituents of Coal-tar and Stanford’s .Map of Denmark, . Schleswig-Holstein,. ete., 412 Stanley (Sir A.),, Government Support of the Dyes Indus- try, 309; with, Industrial Research Associations, 410 Starling (Prof. E. H.), Natural Science. in the Educational System of Great Britain, 150; The Linacre Lectin : the Law of the Heart, 43 Stebbing (E. P.), Position and Prospects, of the Home Timber Supply, 386; The Afforestation Question in , Britain, 460 Stejneger (L.), and T. Barbour, A Check List of North rican Amphibians and Reptiles, 242. __ Stephen (G. A.), The Work of A. H. Patterson, 4 Stephenson (Miss), Endowment of a Studentship — ,. the Armstrong. College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, se | Stephenson (T. A.), Actiniaria Collected in Irish — during 1899-1914, 360 Be ay Geen (Sir W. i) [death], 208 Ng Sterling (J. W.), Bequest to Yale University, Ges 519. Stern (Sir E.), Gift to the University of Lo Stevenson (Miss E. A.), The Young Moon seen. as axe rcle, aters 352 “aun sy 4x Stevenson (E. H.) [obituary], e . Stewart (Capt. M. J.), elected eee of Pathology. and Bacteriology in Leeds University, 338 oe ) Stock (Prof. H. H.), Storing of Bituminous Coal, 41 Stocking (Prof. W. A.), Manual of Milk Pracuciet s, Stopes (Dr. Marie), Bennettites Scottii, Sp. MOV., 219; The Biological Aspect of the - Constitution Me ie 219; to be the British Editor in Palaobotany of Botanical Abstracts, 349 Stormer (Prof. C.), Altitude -of the Aurora of December, * Christiania, 4 i Stracke (G.), The New Wolf Planet, 30a? = ies Stringer (C. E.), Means of Locomotion in te AS, 19 Stromberg (G.), A Determination of the otion an the Stream Motion, 480 ie Strémgren (Prof. E.), Origin of Comets, 51n ates. ‘ Stroud (S. H. ), appointed Lecturer in- Phangag es nd Chemistry in Sydney University, 519 Strutt (Hon. R. J.), Active Nitrogen, 332; Licht by De Air, 37. Stuart-Menteath (P. The Age of ‘Limestone in the ** Détroit de la Reitee ie | Sutton (J. R.). The Possibility of Long-range “Weather Forecasts, 520 Swinton (A. A. Campbell), English Work on X-r Sydenham (Lord), Education, Science, and Leaders 335; Opening Address at the British Seieni ducts Exhibition, 493 - Ge es 5 ite Pro- Ri Takamine (T.), and U. Yoshida, Meaiuiewetss” of” the Electric Field in Narrow Tubes, 374 Tarr (W. A.), Elongated Chert-lumps in the. Burlington . Limestone of Missouri, 175 Tate (H. R.), ‘‘ Githathi,” or Magic Stones, in use among the Akikuyu, 210. ‘Tate (J. T.),’ and ‘P. D. Foote, Resonance ait Tonisation Potentials for Electrons” in Cadmium, Zinc, and ‘Potas- sium Vapours, 480 Taubenhaus (J. J.), A Scab of the Sweet Potato, 4r2 Taylor (H. G.), The Education of Engineers, 383 , Taylor (Dr. T. Griffith), awarded the David Syme Research Prize, 348 Taylor (Dr. W. W.), Solubility of ‘‘ Insoluble Salts ” and of Silver Oxide, 479; The Rotatory Method of Determining Electric Conductivity » 479 ‘Teall (Sir J.), Dynamic Metamorphism in Rock | Terada (T.), Rapid Periodic Variations of Terrestrial Mag- netism, 233; M. Kiuti, and J. Tukamoto, On Diurnal . Variation of Barometric Pressure, 25 Terao (H.), Reversible. Transformability of. Allelomorphs, 377 Afegnier (P.), Eruptive Rocks Interstratified in the, Coal Measures of Littry (Calvados), 460 Tetley (H), Mouth-parts on Pangonia. longirostris, Be ca Thacker (C. R. A.), elected a Fellow” of ieee ae . College. Cambridge, 338 Thevenin (Dr. A.) Sipaaeat ha / Payment of Scientific Men in connection” Photographic Determination | eS oa Py : Séstiecing ge . aa = oe 3] . 5 L; ndex ak m (Prof. D’Arcy W.), Chadwick Lectures on Bs tyr cial 390 5 Medusoid Bells, 444; Migrations of the ing-fish and of the Sun-fish in British Waters, 91; Scarcer Fishes of the Aberdeen Market, 111 on (Sir H.), Food (Requirements of a Normal Work- _ ing-class Family, 509 ae (H.), and others, The New Star in Aquila, 352 son (Bin Ye Ae oe an. Honorary Member of the Society, 348 the; ahs Sir William Ramsay, 361; Sulphuric the War, 107; The Centenaries of; Gerhardt , 165; The Royal Institution ; A Retrospect, ugar Industry after the War, 344 D.), The Kiln-drying of Lumber, 362 Lectures at the British Scientific ya 93; Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S., resent Position of the Dye Question, 228 xplorations — in the Tibetsi Highlands of 50. . Axial Aberration of Lenses, 92 nical Education in India: Its Past and aint used on the Tomb of Perneb, 350 ; The, Life of Sophia Jex-Blake, 461 orizong: At Dawn and at Dusk, 484 C.F), and Prof. A. F. Moms, The Mag- Ores, 515 Borrelly’ s Periodic Comet, 414. B. us The Value of Zoological Science to Srebitusryl 349 . Production of Coloured Photographs by 5) BOBO Poisrimetic Patination of Tungsten, 8 ; nation of Tantalum. in its Alloys with Iron, pita, 3 71 nt- Materials of Decorative faeddens py oma lors: 377 _C.) [obituary], 329 ; _Conferment of the Bactocsite of D.Sc. volution of the Liparoceratide, 197 HY). Text-book of Relecane and ew Hindction of Osmium, saced The 1 of Osmiunt ‘Tetroxide, 479 fosueed of. England, 149 . E. H.), Monoclinic Double Selenates of the Selenic Acid and Iron, 18; Symmetry in eps 241 W.). The ‘War. Office and Dysentery in 1 Area, 4 one Omnia, Tomi sh es iy Fasc. Prior, A afr Vetatiie Alkaloid from shi Broom, 479; ce of a ‘Non-volatile Alkaloid in ie bihainnos "400; and E. Luce, Action of -Methylene n 1: 4-Dimethylaminopentene, 19 y "Pheory of the Audion, 312 XV van Vleuten (Miss A.j, On the Diurnal Variation of Terres+ . T.), On some Ancient Piant Names, trial. Magnetism, 213 : ‘ Vernes (A.), Precipitation of an Organic Colloid by Human a aa A New Instrument for the Determination Serum, 179 wp ater Densities on Board Ship, 11 Verschaffelt (Dr.), Oscillations in a Viscous Liquid, 374 Verzat (M.), Measurement of Temperature in Very Deep Soundings, 500 V..H.'B. and G. W. O.'H:, The Stimulation of. Plant- growth by Electric Fields, 64 Viereck (H. L.), and others, ThesHymenoptera, or Wasp- like Insects, of Connecticut. “we to the Insects. of Connecticut. Part iii.), 403 de Villamil (Lt.-Col. R.), Resistance sf Air, Vincent (Dr. G. E.), Work of the Rockefeller "Foubdution Im 1917, 392 Vincent (H.), and G. Stodel, A Preventive and Curative ‘Serum for. Gas Gangrene, 460 Vincent (Commandant P.), A New Form of Chronometer Dial, 146 Voisenet (E), The Adamkiewicz Reaction, 259 Volta (H.),. Inventors and the Problem of Dealing with . Hostile Submarines, 68 Vosmaer (Dr. A.), Ozone: and Uses, 202 Vournasos (A. C.), A New Metastable Form of Antimony Tri-iodide, 140 Vreeland (F. K.), Its Manufacture, Properties, The Drumming of the Ruffed Grouse, 172 de Vries (Prof. H.), Completion of his Seventieth Year ; Conferment of a Veitch Memorial Medal, 9 L. A.), Ice and Flower Exploration in 167; Lyon’s Medical Jurisprudence for Illustrative Cases. “Sixth edition, 143; Waddell (Lt.-Col. _ High - Asia, India, The War and the Bagdad Railway, 422 Wales (Prince of), Acceptance of the Chancellorship of the South African University of Cape Town, 119 Walker (Sir G. T.), The Application of Statistical Methods to Practical Problems, 215 Walkom (A. B.), The Mesozoic Floras of Queensland, 250 Wallace (Prof. R.), Open Letter to the Prime Minister on the English and Scottish Education Bills, 119 Waller (Dr. A. D.), ‘‘ Emotive Response ” on Various In- dividuals, 21a; Emotive Phenomena. Part ii., 419 Wallis (B. C.), Essentials of Practical Geography, 464+ Sis Peoples of Hungary: Their. Work on the Land, with Walter {E.), Manual for the Essence Industry, 62 Ward (Prof. R. DeCourcy), Meteorology and War Flying, 332; The Climatic Provinces of the United States, 231; _ The Tornadoes of the United States, 395; Weather - Gontrols over the Fighting during the Spring of 1915, 514; Weather Controls over the Fighting in Meso- potamia, ete., 251; Weather Controls over the Fighting in the Italian War Zone, 92 Jaterman (T. T.), The Yana Group of Indians in North- eastern California, 330 Watson (Dr. G. N.), appointed Professor of Mathematics in Birmingham University, 379; The Diffraction of Electric Waves by the Earth, 419 Weaver (L.), The Establishment of;.an Institute of Agri: cultural Botany at. Cambridge, 410 .. Webb (P.), Romano-British Mints. 314 Webb (Rev. T. W.), Celestial Objects far Common Tele- scopes. Sixth edition, revised by Rev. T. E. Espin. 2 vols., 2 Weber (S.), Determinations of the Vapour Pressure of Ice at Low Temperatures, 93° Weed (Dr. L. H.), Origin and Nature of the Cerebro-spin al Fluid in Vertebrate Animals, Weinhagen (A.), The Reduction ot Phenylethylamnine, 12° Weiss (P.), The Characteristic Equation of Fluids, 520; and A. Piccard, A New Magneto-thermal Pheno- menon, 60 sett Wells (R.*C.), and B. S. Butler, Tungstenite,. te Weube Westall (W, P.), Suggested Grants to Local Museums, 375 ; The Young Observer’s Handbook, 263 Whipple (F. J. W.), Seasonal Variation ih the Audibility, of Gunfire, 359 White (Mrs. A. M.), Bequest to the Ludlow Natural His- tory Society, 50 XVi Index - [ Nature, September 26, 1918 White (E.), The Monazite and Thorium Industries, 494 White (Miss E. G.), Origin of the Electric Organs in ' Astroscopus guttatus, 434 Whiting (Dr. A. L.), Soil Biology, 61 Whittaker (Prof. E. T.), The Numerical Solution of In- tegral Equations, 58 Willcocks (G. W.) [obituary], 391 Williams (Lt.-Col. A. C.), Optical Stores Captured from the Enemy, 112 Williams (A. S.), A New Variable Star in Auriga, 394 Williams (C. M.), The Absorption of X-Rays in Copper and : Aluminium, 279 » Williams (1.), "A New Method of Measuring Alternating Currents and Electric Oscillations, 399 Williams (Mrs. J. H.), Gift to Yale University Press, 439 Williams (Dr. R. S.), Wastage. of Milk, 490 Willis (S. J.), A Short Course in Elementary Mathematics and their Application to Wireless Telegraphy, 40r Williston (Prof. S. W.), Origin of the Vertebrz in the Amphibians and Reptiles, 291; Morphology of the Ver- tebree of the Temnosporidyli and Stegocephalia, and the Osteology of some American he aby ap ives 452; The Labidosaurus, 231 Willoughby (Dr. W. G.), and L. Cassidy, Anti-malaria Work in Macedonia among British Troops, 381 Willoughby de Broke (Lord), and others, The Desirability of Establishing a Ministry of Health, 411 Wilson (Prof. E. B.), The Theory of an. Aeroplane En- countering Gusts, 187 - Wilson (E. T.) [obituary], 149 Wilson (G. V.), Crystals Obtained from.Glass Furnaces, 215 Wilson (Prof. H. C.), and others, The Total Solar Eclipse of June 8, 1918, 253 Wilson (President), Proclamation Establishing» Three New National Forests, 349 Wilson (Dr. S.), Impending Resignation of the Lectureship in Medicine to Dental Students at Birmingham Uni- versity, 197 Wilson (Dr. T.), appointed Sub-Dean of the Faculty, Birmingham University, 197 Wilson (Dr. W.). A New Astronomical Model. 173 Winch (Miss H. C. M.). awarded the Pereira Medal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, 208 Winterbottom (D. C:), Deposits of Gypsum in South Aus: tralia, 435 Winton (Dr. A. L.), A Course in Food Analvsis, 164 Wirt (F. A.), A Laboratory Manual in Farm Machinery, 61 : ’ Wissler (C.). The American Indian, 22 Withington (Dr. E.), Pope Innocent VIII. and Witchcraft, Tas? Wolbach (Dr. S. B.), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, +331 Medical Wolf (C, J. E.) [obituary], 451 Wolf (Dr. Max), A Faint Star with Large Proper are 352; A New Asteroid of the Trojan Group, 351; A Nova in Monoceros, 52; A Star with a Nova Spectrum, — 31; Discovery of an Object resembling a Minor 1 Planet, : and of a Satellite, 12 ; Wood Bros. Glass Co., Ltd., Catalogue of Scientific and Laboratory Glassware, 10 Wood (F.),. The Past and Present Position of the ‘Glaus. Industry, 191; and others, The Glass lnc after” the War, 277 Wood (H. E. , Discovery of Minor Planets, 174 viet es . S.), Radial Velocities by Objective Pris Wood “s. L.), Gift of Portions of Ichthyosaurus to the British Museum (Natural History), 8 Wood-Jones (Prof. F.), The Problem of Man’s Ancestry, 322, 424 Woodward (Dr. A. Smith), and others, ira fh of Eoanthropus from Piltdown, 291 Woodworth (Prof. -R. S.); Dynamic Psychology, 503 — Woolcock (W. J. U.), appointed Secretary of the “associ tion of British Chemical Manufacturers, 28 — Woolsey, jun. (T. S.), Tunisia, Algeria, Corsica, 182 Wordie (Lt. J. M.), The Drift of the Educa bye: Wordingham (C. H.), elected President of the inate of Electrical Engineers, 249 Workman (F. B. and W. wilds of Eastern Karakoram, 167 Wrightson (Sir TS, An Inquiry Mechanism of the Internal Ear. by’ Prof. A. Keith, 442 4 ‘into. the Analytical With an Fe cuice sas P'S a ‘Future Supplies of Laborsenees Anparatos “and _M aterials, 84 id on orn (L.), and Y. Ueta, Disonery of Nova Aavile, Yendeil (P. S.) [death], 28 ‘ Yerkes (Major R. M.), Psychology in Relation to ‘hie War, 210 Yermoloff (Sir N.), Intermediate Forms of Navieula cand . B. Blacklock, Periodicity of Cymbella, 359 Yorke (Prof. W.), and Dr. the Larve of the Nematode Worm, et Ag Yung (Prof. E.) [obituary], 109 besten ae Zaharoff (Sir B.), Endowment of a Chair pr ‘Aviation in the University of London, 379; Acceptance of Gift, 418 Zealley (A. E. V.), Newly Recorded Rhodesian — ‘Minerals, 174 : : sane | TITLE: ‘* Absolute,’? Need ‘for a Short Word and Symbol i in Place ef, Prof. C. F. Marvin, 14 Absorption : and Radiation of the Solar Atmosphere, Prof. S. Hirayama, 134; of Water by Vulcanised Fibre and _ + Erinoid, R. G, Allen, 420 . Acetaldehyde, etc., The Crotonisation of, P. Sabatier and G. Gaudion, “199 Acetone as a Solvent for Mounting Media, J. Ritchie, 79 Acid Zirconyl Sulphate, Combinations of, with some Alkaline ‘Sulphates, E. Chauvenet and Mile. H. Guey- lard, 460 Acoustics for Musicians, Prof. P. C. Buck, 423 Actiniaria, Certain, collected in Irish Waters in 1899-1914, Stephenson, 360 Actinoloba dianthus and Adamsia ‘palliata, Development of, Dr. J. F. Gemmill, 419 - Adamkiewicz Reaction, The, E. Voisenet, 259 Administration,. Science and, Lt.-Col. W. A.:J. O’Meara, 266 [NDE See. cane _ Aerial Mail “akoyn a Aberdeen and Stavanger, Proposed, et Aerodynamics, 201 ; Aeronautical : Aeronautics : Aeroplane Encountering Gusts, The Theory. of an, Prof. -E. B. Wilson, 187 Afforestation: M. C. PS ap 375; Question in Britain, The, E. P. Stebbing, African Hornbills, Nats Habits of the, H. Lang and 2 Chapin, 372 Aggregate, A Proof that any, can be Well-ordered, P. E. B. Jourdain, 304 nce ig Botany, Forthcoming Institute of, at Cam- bridge, 410; Damage by Vermin and Birds in the Counties of Norfolk and Oxfordshire in 1916, Books, Te 1235 Inventions, ; Report — -on, Dr. R. T. Gunther, 48; Education in South Africa and Australia, 467; Reconstruction after the War, Dr. E. J. ge 426; Research ‘Institute, Pusa, Work ‘of the, ; Seeds, Interim Report on the. Quality of, 51 French Forests and - Forestry * H.), Two Summers in- ‘the Toe- fe IE Cae ee es Ba es Oe ee eae, Se! hee ke ee Military, 32; Some American vist. ‘on, 187 a. a ee te ers va a Septenber ers cal Lndex » 27; Force, Pilots for the, Scientific Tests for the eae Selection of, Major M. Flack, 2253 Resistance of, Lt.-Col. R. de Villamil, 201; “Standard” Internal- aE: mbustion Engine Cycles and ‘their Efficiencies, Prof. -H. Lees, 79; The Sovereignty of the, and its Relation to Civil Aerial Transport, C. Grahame- White- and H. Harper, 191; -wave Disturbance on ‘the Dutch Coast, An, 470 reraft: A Dictionary of, W. E., Dommett, ul Possibilities of, 488 To-day and of the Future, E. C. Middleton, 123 esults of Two. Expeditions to, 111 _ Action on the Human Organism, 122; Its Abuse, Prof. W. M. Bayliss, 122; Fuel and , Report on, 190; Suggested Use. of Black t for the Production of,. 510 : : and his Celestial Journey, Prof. R. S. tons Sir :: Greenhill, 292; The Legend of, and il " Machine, Sir G. Greenhill, 25 bles, Ephemerides of, M. Luizet, 94 Felspars in) Limestone, Low-temperature Forma- of, Prof. R. A. Daly, 19, 174 1 Reversible Franstormability of, H. Terao, 123; Com- Scientific. Organisations of the, 477 32 sh Deposits of, 291 sace-Lorrain The Economic ‘Importance | of, Prof. L. de unay, 229. in aay and Soh Oscillations, A New Measuring, I. Williams, 399 Aluminium ‘Alloys, Chemistry of, J. G. A. 519; and its Congeners, including the Rare etals, H. F. V. Little, 281; and Rare Earth 281 Sn a of, RR. J; Anderson, 520 L’Océan,” La Panne. ogy, A Survey of, Dr. A. C. Haddon, 22; Dr.. J. W. Fewkes appointed to succeed as Head of the, 28; Fuel Famine, The, ; Indian, The, ord ee oF; Mowe on Aeronautics, Some, 187 unction, The, J. Bougault, 340 n ‘into Nitriles, Direct er ale aa of the Secondary | and Tertiary, A. Mailhe, is, Reactions of the Rea inachioces to Light and renaline, | es -W. L. Bray, 480 _ Synthet Production of, before Haber, M. uaeen 210; : The ‘Thermodynamic Properties of, ; S. Osborne and M. S. Van Dusen, 191 mmonites, Yorkshire Type, edited by S. S. Buckman, 364 Ammonium. Nitrate as Manure, Th. Schlesing, 239 Ameebe for agg Purposes, A enema Method of Ob- taining, Dr. T. Goodey, 4 phiblans and Reptiles, Origin of the Vertebrz in the, Prof. S. W. Williston, 291 nphipods, Inheritance of Eye-colour in, Dr, E. J. Allen and Mr. Sexton, 193 jatgcainis, Flora of the, C. Fischer, x9, \nalysis, Quantitative, Principles of, Dr. . C. Blasdale. iheadoats: Preliminary Note on, J. S. v. d. Lingen and + A: R.E, Walker, 520 : “Anatomical Nomenclature, 130 * Anatomy, ‘The Teaching Pr Prof. Elliot Smith, 111 Tome i., fasc. ii., Art, Registration of Works of, in Occupied Countries, C, XVil ’ American, Atlas of, 231; and. Horticulture, | Anci ' ale hae swic Fh ae i Dexsetiavnt Stores Pe LSrpcayenert of a Committee pean? a ee a tr |. Ree ‘on, 309; in_ 1917, aller, 254; in the Western | Andromeda Nebula, Rotati , ial Veloc’ ; é ; Ne ; t anc eiocity ¢ a “, . ha J. Russel® 4403 nee American Text- Central Part of the, F. 6. Peabeae Y: ee in, Dr. E. J. Russell, 61; The Damage to, by | Anopheline Mosquitoes A.Map showi he Known i ; » Vermin. and Birds, Dr. W. oa ‘Collinge, 48 tribution in Remand and W: tes eth ‘ "with Ex Fe : a Ss Ange : -filter, A New, 331; Force Medical Service, Appoint- tory Text and Notes, W. D. I és 1g, 2» os ms me ment of a Medical Administrative Committee of the,} Antarctic: Auroral Observations in the, Dr. C. Ch 114; Ice-cap, Some Features of the, Sir D. tain son, 399 . Anthelmintics,. Efficiency of Hall W.. D.. Foster, 290 some, M. C. and Anthocyanine and the Respiratory Gas Exchange of aves, G. Nicolas, 460 Anthocyanins and Anthocyanidins, Dr. A. E. Everest. Part iii., 298 Anthrax: and its Prevention, 347; Report of the Depart- “mental. Committee on. the Prevention of, 290,- 347 Antimony Tri-iodide; A New Metastable Form of, . Vournasos, 140 idan eanree and Antiscorbutic Accessory Harden and §..S. Zilva, 511 Antiseptic Value.of some Essential Oils, L. Cavel, 280 Antiseptics: A Handbook on, Drs. H.. D. Dakin and E, K. Dunham, 321; Recent Chemical, 321; ork on, at the Pathological Department, Edinburgh University, Dr. T. Rettie, 2g2. Antityphoid Vaccines in Aqueous Solution,. Physiological Study of the, J. Gautrelet and F. Le Moignic, 40 Basen reanersinetets and Protective Medicine in .the Army, Substances, The, 109 Anges 47% and je Se as Constituents of Instincts, W. raig, 1 Aquila, The ee Star in: Sir F. W. Dyson; Prof. A. Fowler, 285, 306; W. F. Denning, 325; Prof. A, ~ Fowler and others, 333; H. Thomson and others, 352; Prof. Laskovski and others, 375; Prof. Fowler, 393; J. Bosler; Mr. Phillips; Father Cortie, 394; Prof. A. Fowler, 433; R- Jonckheere, 440; Blanc; M. Maggini; Dr. C. Easton; I. Yamamoto and Y. Ueta; Prof.. Fowler ; Father Cortie, 492 Arachnidiopsis paradoxa, A New Type of Infusorian, Dr. E. Penard, 359 Are Searchlights, Lt.-Com.” H. T, Harrison, 9 Archeological : Museum Work and the War, H. I, Smith, 509; Publications, Co-ordination. in the Exchange of, H. -St..G,. Gray, 272 Argon : Density, Compressibility, and Atomic Mass of, A. Leduc, 440; The Industrial Preparation of, G Claude, 139 Aristotelian Society, Proceedings of the. High-candle-power, New Series, vol, XVii., 343 ! Armstrong College : Gifts to, by Miss Stephenson and Messrs. ‘ Cochrane, Ltd., 318; wid T.. F. Sibly appointed Professor of Geology at, 17 Army: Biscuits, Infestation of, by Pe Seat Se ¢¢LRS F Durrant and Col. W. W. O. Beveridge, 248; The Cost of the, and the Amount Paid to Inventors, 8, 8 ir Read, 230 Artificial Limbs and War Injuries, 421 Asteroid, A New, of the Trojan Group, Dr. Max Wolf, 351 Astronomical : and Gravitational Bearings of the Electrical Theory of Matter, Sir O. Lodge, 72; Model, A New, Dr. W. Wilson, 172; Stations of Nantes ‘and Pau, The Old, G. Bigourdan, 59 Rat ASTRONOMICAL Comets : Encke’s Comet, R. Jonckheere ; of a Cometary Character, Prof. Max Wolf; Comet oe K. Lundmark, 12; Tempel’s Comet, Dr. A. C..D. Crommelin, 134; Ephemeris of Wolf’s Periodic Saat, Kamensky, 375; Discovery of Wolf’s Periodic Comet, R. Jonckheere, 393 ; Periodic Comets, Prof. Bar- nard; L. v. Tolnay, 414; Borrelly’s Comet, Fayet, 472% 'Wolf’s Periodic Comet, M. Kamensky, 491; The Origin of Comets, Prof. E. Strémgren, 512 NOTES. An Object with an Orbit eae ; ; Nature,’ XVI : Ll; ndex [ sememer 26, 1918 Tfistruments : Radial Velocities by Objective Prism, Prof. R. W. Wood, 192; ei B Graham, 193 Meteors : The April Meteor Shower, 134; May Meters: aes: The, Perseid Meteoric Shower, 454; The August Meteors, W. F. Denning, 472 ‘Observatories : Report of Committee on the Harvard College ibéervil: tory, 93; Report of the U.S. Naval Observatory, 114; Hyderabad Astrographic Catalogue, 212; Report of the Kodaikanal Observatory, 292; Annuario of the Rio de Janeiro Observatory, 292; Bulletins of the Hector Observatory, N.Z., 333; Report of Stonyhurst College Observatory, 414; Fifth Annual Report of the Solar Physics Observ aRorys Cambridge, 512 Planets : é The New Wolf Planet, G. Stracke, 30: The Planet Mars, 52; The Minor Planets, Prof. Hirayama, 53; Planetary Perturbations and ZEther-Drift, +2; Pertur- bations of Neptune’s Satellite, Prof. Armellini, 72; Physical Observations of Venus, Innes, 153; The Lunar Crater Eimmart, Dr. Maggini, 153; Minor Planets, H. E. Wood; G. H. Peters ; Prof. Barnard, 174; Photo- graphs of the Spectrum of Venus, J. Evershed, :92; Minor Planets, 232; Discovery of a Planet, Reid, 333; The Young Moon seen as a Circle, Miss E. A. Steven- -Son, 352 Stars: Nebulosity about Nova Persei (1901), Ritchey, 12; A Star with a Nova Spectrum, Dr. Max Wolf, 31; The Short-Period Variable RZ ‘Cephei, Martin and Plum- mer, 31; Wolf’s Nova, 52; Motion of our Stellar Sys- tem, Dr. V. M. Slipher, 72; Epkemerides of Algol Variables, M. Luizet, 94; Spectrum and Radial Velo- city of N.G.C, 1068, Dr. V. M. Slipher, 114; Changes » in the Spectrum of y Argfis, Dr. C. D. Perrine, 114; . The Companion to Sirius, Rev. T. E. R. Phillips, 153 ; SU Cassiopeie, W. S. Adams and H. Shapley, 174; New Double Stars, R. G. Aitken, 174; Nova Mono- cerotis,. Prof. Barnard, 212; Distance of the Orion Nebula, Prof. W. H. Pickering, 233; Distance of the4 Pleiades, Prof. W. H. Pickering, 252; The Spectro- scopic Binary 42 Capricorni, Dr. Lunt, 252; Stellar Investigations at Mount Wilson, W. S. Adams, 273; Nebulosity in Star Clusters, Dr. H. Shapley, 3145) Interpretation of Stellar Types, Prof. C. D. Perrine, 314; The New Star in Aquila, Prof. Fowler ; H. Thom- son; Father Cortie, 333; A New Asteroid of the Trojan Group, Dr. M. Wolf, 351; A Faint Star with Large Proper Motion, Dr. M. -Wolf, 352; Parallax of the Barnard Star, 352; The New Star in Aquila, Prof. Laskovski and others, 375; The New Star in Aquila, Prof. Fowler and others, 393; A New Variable Star in Auriga, A. S. Williams, 394; The Period of Sirius, R. Jonckheere, 414; Two Spectroscopic Binaries of - Long Period, J. B. Cannon; Dr, J. Lunt, 414; The New Star in Aquila, Prof. A. Fowler, 433 ; The Spectro- scopic Binary Boss 1082, J. B..Cannon, 434; Radial Velocity. of B Canis Majoris, Dr. F. Henroteau, 454; Faint Stars with Large. Proper Motions, Furuhjelm, 492; The Spectrum of Mira, W. S. Adams and AG Joy, 492 ;. Variable Stars, Luizet, 51m Sua Tuteeced Solar Spectrum, W. F. Meggers, 93; Absorp- tion and Radiation of the Solar Atmosphere, Prof. S. Hirayama, 134; Early History of the Solar System, Dr. H. Jeffreys, 273; Spectra of Chromosphere and ‘Corona, Rev. Father A. L. Cortie, 274; The Generaj_ Magnetic Field of the Sun, Hale, Seares, Van Maanen and Ellerman, 433 ; Periodicity of Solar Radiation, Dr. - €. G. Abbot, 492 Miscellaneous : The Egvptian Government Almanac, 1918, 12; The Cana- dian “Observer’s Handbook.” 94; Corrections to the Bonn DurchmuSterung, Dr. F. Kistner, 114; Journal of the Chaldean Society, 174; The Atomic Weight of “Nebulium,” Prof. J. W.-Nicholson, 212; Currents in the Upper Air, 232; The Strathmore Meteorite, Prof. RA, Sampson, 314; A Japanese Meteorite, K: Niinomi, -Bathgate Prize of the 352; The New System of Time at Sea, F. Jacob, 3753 wa Relativity, J. Ishiwara; Dr. L. Silberstein, 454 Astroscopus guttatus, Origin’ of the Electric Ongaee in, Miss E. G, White, 434 4 Atheneum Club: Sir J. J. Dobbie elected a Member it the, 27; Prof. J. H. Jeans and Sir W.S. McCormick elected Members of the, rro Athenaeum Subject Index to Periodicals, and Technology, including Hygiene a8 Sport, 363, 379 Atmospheric Pollution: Advisury Committers on, | Third ‘Report of the, 214; An Automatic Recorder for the ek Sapnirgge of, Dr. J. S. Owens, 214; Taam e€- ment of, . S. Owens, 79 ANE AY Audion, The Theety of the, G. Vallauri, 31250 7 Auriga, A New Variable Star in, A: «S: sitaauae realis Aurora: and Magnetic Storm of March 7-8, Bs ‘Expedition of 1913, Prof. Stoérmer’s, J.” Schi r 313; of December 16, 1917, in Shc satgaitie 2 Ito- graphic Determination of the Altitude of the, Prof. ae, Stormer, Auroral Observations : at the Cape’ Raves! Sts ) tica, Sir D. Mawson, 114; in the Antarctic, Chree, 114 tS Australasian Characee, Prof. O. Norstedt, 260 ‘0 Australia: A Rain Map of, for 1917, 412; F T. C. Roughley, 395 ; The Flora of, A. war’ South Africa and, Agricultural Eauchtiaa’ td, 4 Australian Fauna, Does the Indigenous, ‘belong 6 ‘the Tertiary ?, Prof. H. F. Cleland, 64 Aviation: America and, 32; Endowment of a ‘chek in London University, ‘Sir B. Zaharoff, nt gin Design, Construction, Operation, and as V. W. Pagé, 242 Baby, The, Dr. ‘S. Seekings, 403 Bacteria in Water, Effect of Silver in. Cit ROR ees e The Pleomorphism and ‘De en Cycles of the, Dr. S : opp, 489 ; Bacteriology during the War, Advances in, ‘Dr. ©. a Browning, 512 SRS Bakerian Lecture: to be delivered by Sir: Co Parsons, The Production of Diamond, Sir C. Pars Balfour’s, Lord, Committee and. the Chemical Trade: Balkan Peninsula, Zones of Civilisation — 2 ‘ Cvijic, 509 gleis Ballistics, 222 : Balsam Problem, The,” 3: wl Stedblel' 139 cee Gee Barberton Gold Mining District, Geology of a Barley, Treatment of “ Covered ‘Smut | of, co ; * Salmon and H. Wormald, 211 rt oe Barnard Star, Parallax of the, 352 ‘Barometric Pressure, On Diurnal’ Variation of, ay (aaa, M. Kiuti, and J. Tukamoto, 253 ‘ Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh awarded to Miss J. A. San. g, 2 Bathynella, Structure and Toe tee of, Dr. ow. -. Calman, 92. Beams, Curved, J. J. Guest, 18 Bears of North America, The Saaniyy and ‘Big Brown, Dr. H. Merriam, 230 Bee ae 47; D.. Elfis,. 103 ; The Writer of by oe Belcher Islands, The“ R. J. Flaherty, 490 Belfast, Queen’s University, Bequest ‘to, by Prof, & * Letts, 278. ‘Bell, A.. Graham, ‘Telephone Memorial, ‘fo Bellahouston Gold Medal of the Univertey: ae Gtaseow The, awarded to Dr. R. T. Leiper, 3 ; Bennettites Scottii, sp. nov., Dr. M, Sade 219° Biology, Applied, .461 “Bird-ally” Postcards, 149 Bird Cult of Easter "Island, The, Mrs: S. Routledge, 7 j Bieds Insectivorous, The Value of, Dr. + 407; The Protection of, Food Crops and, 188; Wild, Methods . of the Stomach or Crop of, Dr. W. Collinge, 249° Birkbeck College, Dr. G. Senter eppebires a of, 459 +: \ 1916, Seiedce | in Use for Estimating the Food Contents. ~ o a E as Pare ene ae —) ee =icemee rs nex Wilson, and M, Clarke ; Agpoint- me § iene: Robert Cecil recommended as f, 218; Sir W. Ashley invited to Become ipal ; Prof. A. Hughes appointed Registrar, €- "Dr. Watson appointed Professor of Mathe- m Conferment of Degrees, 379 onours, The’ King’s, 269 e Decline in the, 227 -of the, after Great Hemorrhage, C. Richet | Fr. Saint-Girons, 180; in Exophthalmic and Leprat, a Seip ppression of, Terrestres et hébiens: Efficacité des, 9 aris by Long-range Guns, The, Sir G. » Corrections to the, Prof. F. Kiistner, st ce '¥ de Graniont, 139 awe ef 414; Fayet, 472 Si “OF, 349 ce of, in London and Sheffield, Resembling, Further Cases of, 209 of, by Indian Tribes, 311 ‘the ‘Royal College of Surgeons of Power appointed, 2 1 Omnia 49 ia. Tomi Quarti, Fasc: Prior, , Cause of Failures in, 453 ; . J. P. Hill, 198 Of: Be ¥ Bonney ; ge: aitisieees 403 Y sant, hila, Effect of Arti- n Question in, E. P. Stebbing, 466 ce, Prof. A. Schuster and Dr. “4910, Arachnida Collected Hogg, 372; Association: The, and dieser. 4s; Conference of ‘Dele- ae ing Societies of the, Dr. F. A. id President of the, 309; Correspond- Conference of, 375; Grants of. the, ce Teaching in ‘Secondary Schools, ~€ ‘of the General Committee of - Proposed Cardiff Meeting Cancelled, 8; ah pa cience and Learning, The, Prince v' 90; Chemical Manufacturers, Associa- bet ea appointed Secretary of to Amalgamate with Levinstein, Eel Fisheries, The Economic Value of ring -Apparatus and Materials, A use for Testing, C. Turnbull na, Problems in the Develop- on, 312; Institute at Florence, R. Rodd, 338; Journal Photo- Photographer’ s Companion, 1918. Brown, 23; Museum (Natural His- s of Ichthyosaurus, S. L. Wood, 8; , Rev. H. Friend, 264; British Or- i, Dr. W. Eagle Clarke elected Presi- ; Science Guild, Forthcoming British ucts — Exhibition, 149, 260; coche of ae, ; Twelfth Annual Report c Instrament and ean 512; The, 428, 468, 495; ee belatl ‘Metallic Fragment from the, | « they Beis Sydebhion’ | Sir W. Tilden ; X1X R. R. Bennett; E. White; Prof. A. Keith; Dr. F, M Perkin, 493. 4943 Trade. and the Metric System, E. A. W. Phillips, 30 ae Bronze Age : Implements in the Whitby Museum, T. Shep- pard, 91; Weapons in the Doncaster Museum, T. Shep- pard, Building: Construction, mmittee on, 131 Bukovina, Deposits of .Manganese Ore in the, 291 Bullock’s, William, Museum, History of, W. H. lens, 70. Burial Customs, The Influence of, on the Belief in a Future State, Mrs. M. A. Holland, 432 Apocisthene of a Board of Trade Mul- Burlington Limestone of Missouri, Elongated Chert-lumps in the, W. A. Tara; 175 Burmese Sesamum Varieties, The, \A. McKerral, 260 mare Exotic, Plea for Introduction into Great Britain . E. Green, 92 oun: Disease Resistance in, L. R. Jones, 480; Late, Sed) Gs Seed. until» Harvest, also Seed Raising, E. N. Cadmium, Inflcieinde of, on the Properties of the Copper- ‘zinc Alloys, L. Guillet, 239 Calcium Carbide, The Production of, C. Bingham, 232 Calculus : of Variations; Introduction to the, Prof. W. E. ‘Byerly, 81; Infinitesimal, Sections i. and» ii., Prof. * F. S. Carey, 401 . Cambridge: Essays on Education, Edited by Dr. A. C. Benson, 1; Standards of Value, 1; University, Report of the. Syndicate on the Previous Examination, 36; ‘Reports recommending Changes at, 218; Memoran- dum on the Study, of Geodesy and Geodynamics, 2973 €. R. A. Thacker elected a Fellow of Sidney Sussex Collegé, 338 Camels, Protection of, from Attacks of Blood-Sucking Flies, Dr. H: E. Cross, 290 Canada: Mineral Production of, for 1917, 251; Proposed Research Institute for, 309 ; Unexplowed, Tos Camsell, 172 Canadian: Mineral Springs, The Radio-activity of some, “Dr. J. Satterley and R. T. Elworthy, 6; Observer's Handbook,”’ ‘* The, 94 Cancer Experiments at the ge meenyy Fieapitels J. ©. Mot- tram and Dr. S. Russ, 9 B Canis Majoris, Radial Velocity of, Dr. F. Henroteau, 454 Cannel Coal, The Distillation of, 450 Canning of Fruit and Vegetables, 13 Canterbury, New Zealand, Philoso ‘Annual Report of the, 29 Capricorni, The Spectroscopic Binary Carbohydrates and Fats, Influence of, Power of Alimentary Proteids, 479 Carbonisation and Distillation of Peat, etc., The, C. Galaine and C. Houlbert, 300 Caribou Hunting in ‘Newfoundland, 470. Cee Education Committee, Gift i by F. W. Chance, ical Institute of, 2, Dr. Lunt, 252 on the. Nutritive II candachaia Prize of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ire- land awarded to Capt. J. C. McWalter, -8 Carnegie : Institution of Washington, 217; Prof. S. J. Bar- nett appointed Physicist at the, 508; Classified List of Publications of the, 351; and. the “Humanities,” 194; | Survey Ship, Return of the, 489; Trust for the Universities of Scotland, The, 245; United Kingdom Trust, Fourth Annual Report of the, 177 Cass, Sir John, Technical Institute, F. J. Harlow ap- pointed Head of ¢the Mathematics and Physics Depart- ment of the, 178 SU Cassiopeiz, Ww S. Adams’ and H. Shapley, 174 © Cast Iron, The Corrodibility of, E. L. Rhead, 80 Cattle-poisoning by Water Dropwort, 354 Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, Rev. T. W. Webb. Sixth edition, revised by Rev. T. E. Espin, 2 vols.. 2 Cellulose » Cross and Bevan, Dr. R. H. Pickard, 202 ; tillation, A Product of, J. Sarasin, 313 Ceramics and Glassmaking, A Proposed National Experi- “mental Station at Naples, 150 Ceratitis capitata, E. A. Back and C. E. Pemberton, Cereal Balance, The, 370 Dis- Itt XX Index [ Nature, Septenber 26, 1918 _ Cerebro-spinal Fluid of Vertebrate Animals, Nature of the, Dr. L. H. Weed, 350 Cetacea : Stranded on the British Coasts in 1917, Dr. S. F. Harmer, 372; The Reproductive Organs of the, Prof. Meek, 272 Chadwick Lectures on Fisheries, Origin and Prof. D’Arcy Thompson, go Chaicopyrite, The Crystal Structure of, determined by X-rays, L. Burdick and J. H. Ellis, 19 Chaldean Society, Journal of the, 174 Chauffage Domestique et Culinaire, Comment Economiser le, R. Legendre and A. Thevenin, 102 Cheese Mite, Experiments.and Observations on the, Miss N. B. Eales, 70 Chemical: Change, O. A. Le. Beau, 374; Industry, A French Society of, 116; Condition of the, Prof.. H. Louis, 430; Society of, The Medal of the, awarded to Sirsa. Dewar, 249; Manufacturers, Association of British,’ Report of the; Lord Moulton President of the, «431; Physiology, Directions for a Practical Course in, Prof. W. Cramer. Third edition, 144; Research in Relation to Industry, Dr. Hargreaves, 28; Science, What Industry Owes to, R. B. Pilcher and F. Butler- Jones, 222; Society, The Longstaff. Medal presented to Lt.-Col. A. W. Crossley, 69; Trades, Lord Bal- four’s Committee and the, 505 Chemistry : for Beginners and School Use, C. T. Kingzett, Third edition, 503 ; Inorganic, A. Text-book of, Prof. Av \F. Holleman. Issued in English in co-operation with H. C. Cooper. Fifth English edition, 341; Inorganic, A Text-book of, Edited by Dy i3s Newton Friend. | Vol. iv., Aluminium. and its Congeners, in- cluding the Rare Earth Metals, H. F. V. Little, 281; Institute of, Officers and Council: of the, 8; Work of the, Sir J. Dobbie, 10; Extraordinary General Meeting |- of the, 171; Practical Organic and Bio-. New edition, Rix ds Az 'Plimmer ; Dr. A. Harden, 364; Pure and Applied, The Future of, Prof. W. J. ’Pope, Bhs. 47m Students of, and Military Service, 329; Textbooks i 341; the Progress of, for 1917, Annual Reports » 83 Chtcngy Academy of Science, Prof. J. M. Coulter elected President of the, 110; University of, Publications of the Members of the, 1902-1916, 363 Children, How to ri ayes our, Dr. M. Scharlieb, 423 Chilomastix mesnili, Dr. J. Chalmers and W. Pek- kola, 111 Chimneys, Tall, Vibrations of, Prof.. Omori, China, Outbreak of Pneumonic Plague in, 131 Chinese Contributions to Meteorology, Co-Ching Chu, 211 Chippewa Indians, Classification of, Dr. A. Hrdlitka, 152 Chloralose, General Anzesthesia by, C. Richet, 380 Chlor humicola (Naeg.), A Malayan Form of, Miss B. M. Bristol, 99. Chondriome, The Nature of the, and its Réle in the Cell, P. A. Dangeard, 100 Chronometer Dial, A New Form of, Vincent, 146 « Chrozophora (Euphorbiacez), Sir D. Prain, 470 436 Um Commandant P. Circle, Approximate Quadrature of the, Construction for an, E. Baynes, 264; G. Smeal; D. Baxandall, 304 Civil : Engineering, General Congress of, at Paris, 209 ; Engineers, Institution of, Bequest to, by C. Hawksley, 218; Service Estimates for Science and Education, 116; Science and the, 446; Time, Substitution of, for Astronomical Time in Nautical Almanacs, Ch. Lallemand and J. Renaud, 80 Classification, etc., of Books and Papers, P. Otlet, 358 "Clay," ik Gritty Plastic, resembling Loss, H. Ries, 175 Climatology: and an Abandoned Flying School, 247; of Paris, C. Flammarion, 316 Climograph, The, M’Cullum Fairgrieve, 138 Clocks and Timekeeping, Studies in, No. 2, Prof. R. A. Sampson, 319 Cloud: Effect, A Curious, Rev. S. G. Brade-Birks, 271; Formations as observed from Aeroplanes, Capt. C. K. M. Douglas, 85 Clouds at the Royal Academy, 244 Clover Seed, Poor Crops of, in Essex, Probable Causes of the, R. Robson, 331 Coal: Bituminous, Percentage of Extraction’ of; 393; Copper : Carpenter, 155; Zinc, Cadmium, Nickel, and Cobalt, | Storage of, Prof. H. H. Stock, 412; Constitution. of, Biological Aspect of the,, Dr. M. Stopes, 219; -gas,: Replacing the Statutory Illumination Standards ges, ; by Standards based upon Calorific Value, Lord Moul- — ton, 371; The Production of Fuel Oil and, 32; -saving by the Scientific Control of Steam-boiler Plants, D Brownlie, 413; -tar, The Constituents of, and un Properties, Dr. P. E. Spielmann, 433 Cobalt Deposits, Production of, 251. ' Cohesion (fourth paper), Prof. H. Chatley, 219 ‘ Coinage : (Decimal System) Bill, introduced in the POP of . lords, 170; Leverhulme, 270; System, A Proposed Oa Com- mission on our, 348 Cold Storage, Refrigeration and, Scientific Problems of, 154 Collision at Sea, Method of Avobiijeg. Prof. J. Joly, 298 . ey ee oes eS SD eee opposed -in the House of: Lords by Lord | Colloid Chemistry and its Industrial Applications, First — Report of the British Association Committee on, 66 Colloids. and Chemical Industry, Prof. W.. Gi; ‘McC. Lewis,’ 66 - Colour : and Chemical Constitution, Part iv., sf Moir, 320; q Ae A Statistical Survey of, Dr. R, A. il 29 teed Comet, Discovery of a, Reid, 333 Comets : Origin of, Prof. E. ooie ae 512; Concretionary Growth, W. A. Johnston; T. ae Quirke, 392 _Condensation and Smell, Correlation between, A. eerand, 140 Connecticut, The Hymenoptera or Wasp-like Insects of, . H. L. Viereck and others, 403 - Continentality and Temperature (second paper), ¢. E. P: Brooks, 239 Contraction of Volume, Calculation of the, J. N. “Ras hit, 11 Co-ordination of Scientific Publication, The, 213 Metallurgy of, Progress in the, Prof. H. eh H. New Method of Estimation of, A. Carnot, 59 Coral : W. M.. Davis, 38; Reefs, bearing on the Theory of,” ’M. Matsuyama, 510 — Corals, Reactions to Stimuli in, G. Matthai, 39 Cork, A ape for the Establishment of a University at, 21 ' iba * CORRESPONDENCE. Aggregate, A Proof. that any, can be Well-ordered, a Cs B. Jourdain, 304 Amoebe for Class Purposes, A Successful Method ot. Obtain- ing, Dr. T. Goode ey, 405 Aquila, The Discovery of the New Star in, W.. F. Beating, 325 Anes of December 16, 1917, in Christiania, Photographic Determination of the Altitude of the, Prof. C. tiary?, Prof. H. F. Cleland, 64 . Bee Disease, D. Ellis, 103 ; The. Writer of the Article, 104 Bonney ;_ “Bread-crust ” Volcanic “Bombs, Prof. S55 184. Reef Problem, Geological Aspects of the, Prof. A Gravitational | Problem Periodic, 414 Stormer, 4 , Australian Fauna, Does the Indigenous, belong to the Ter- — British Association, The, and the Nation, 5 ee Robinson, 45 i British Oligocheet Worms, Rev. H. Friend, 264 Circle, Construction for an Approximate Quadrature of the, R. E. Baynes, 264; G. Smeal; D. Baxandall, 304 Cotton-growing Statistics, Dr. "W. : Lawrence Balls; The Writer of the Article, 203 Elm, Weeping Forms of, W. H. Shrubsole, 365 England and Italy, The Promotion of a Closer ‘Union be- | tween, Prof. E. Rignano, 323 - Eétvés Revolving Balance, The, Prof. B ee 33 ‘Dale; Prof. €. V. Boys, 325 Eodtvés “Tour de Force,” The, Prof: C. V. Boys, 103 © “Fascination” of Birds by Snakes, The Supposed, ‘Prof. ‘E. B. Poulton, 223 ee ih Mineral Wealth of, “ Politicus” Re Paulson and S. Hastings, 319 Lifu, Loyalty Islands, People and Language of, S. Ray, 249 Light : Activity of, in Inorganic and Organic Systems, Prot.t. Moore, 359; and Vision, Prof. W. M. Bayliss, 295; Constancy of the Velocity of, Emitted by a ovine Source, Q. Majorana, 440; Lecture Notes on, J. Eccles, 142 ; Scattering of, by Dust-free Air, Hon. R. A Strutt, 37; ‘by Spherical Shells, etc., Lord Rayleigh, 18 Lighting : Heating, and Power Order, 1918, Chemists and the, 170.; The, L. Gaster, 229 Lime-Water, The Use of, in the Preparation of Munition | Bread, M. Balland, 498 Linnean Society, Election of Officers and Council of the, 249 | Linseed Oil, The Chemistry of, Dr. J. Newton Friend, 341 Liperoceratidz, Evolution of the, A. E. Trueman, 197 Liquid Fuels for Internal-combustion Engines, H. Moore, ey epee Lithium, etc., Spectrographic Determination Oo. Gl oG: Léonard and P. Whelan, 172 Liverpool University, Gift to, by Mrs. and Miss Holt; Other Gifts to, 37 Livingstone, David, Centenary Medal of the American Geographical Society awarded to Col. C. M. da Silva Rondon, 508 Loaded Shafts, Jeffcott, 420 Local: Foods, Our, and How to Use Them, 373 ; Museums, Suggested Grants to, W. P. Westall, 375 Locke’s Theory of Knowledge and its Historical Relations, Prof. J. Gibson, 141 Logarithmic and Other Tables, Short, Dr. W. C. Unwin. Sixth edition, 3° London: ‘Teachers’ Association, Report on Educational Reform, 197: University College, Annual Report of, 17; University, Degrees in Commerce; Gift’ from Sir E. Periods of Lateral Vibration of, H. H. and Mrs. J. F., Drug- in, and Size of, a Block, Chart for Finding: the’ Number of, H. Lee, 339; Axial Aberration. of, fallyer Stern; Conferment of Doctorates ; appointed Professor of Philosophy at King’s College, 77; Grants to; Admission of Women Students to the — ‘ Conferment of. London Hospital Medical College ; Doctorates, 237 ; Bequest to King’s College by Lt. R. GC. Hodson ; Gift to the Galton Laboratory at University College ’ by Miss G. Jones; Grants from the Dixon Fund; Opening of King’s College Hospital Medical School to Women ;® Doctorate conferred upon A. - Trueman, 338; Endowment of a Chair of Aviation in, Sir B, Zaharoff, 379; Aceeptance of Gift of Sir B. Zaharoff_ for a Chair of Aviation ; Conferment of Doctorates, 418; A Proposed Degree in Commerce, 419 Londoner’s Opportunity in Commerce, A, G. H. Wenerss, 8 Gun, The German, 110; N. Flamels 171; reen- 29 Long-range : Guns, The Bombardment of Paris by, 90; Sir G. hill, 65, 84; A. Mallock, 84, 125.;.Mr. Macpher 132 Hey ot Looms, Primitive, of Indonesia, H. Ling Roth, a on Louis-le-Grand College, The Observatory of — euaid G. Bigourdan, 339 Lousiness among Soldiers and Civilians, Combating, Prof. Nuttall, 454 Lubricating Oils, Drs. A. E. Dunstan and F. B. Thole,.214 : Ludlow Natural History Sone Bequest to, by Mrs. A.M. White, 50 ee Lumber, The Kiln-drying of, H. D. Tiemann, 362. Sa Lunar ::and Solar Diurnal. Variations of Water-level. in a Well at Kew. Observatory, Richmond, The, E. Bilham, 78: Atmospheric Tide at Greenwich, © —-1854- 1917, The, Dr, S. Chapman, 3595. Craters. Eimmart, : | The, Dr. Maggini, 153 Lymphatic Bleeding as a Means. of. Deintoxication, ee elage, 339 Lyon’s Medical Jurisprudence for India, wait; Illustrative Cases, Lt.-Col. L. A. Waddell, Sixth: Sesieinn 1483 Madreporarian Skeleton an Exsrapiongelkiatie’ Secretion of the Polyps?, Is the, Gs eeiheD 39 Madsen Machine-gun, The, 2 Magmatic: Sulfid Ores, oar va F, ‘Tolman ae AL F. » Rogers, 515; Sulphide Deposits, 515 Magnesium Carbonate on Plants, The Pareta: “Action. of, H. Coupin, 360 # Magnetic: Disturbance, Geological Structure © in Rela tion to, Dr. A. H. Cox; Dr. A. Strahan, 257 ; _ Observations . taken at Theodosia, Prof. . Palazzo, 1123. Storm. of March 7-8 recorded at Kew Observatory, js pees Chree, 32; Storm of December 16-17, 1917, The, Dr. C. Chree, 98; Storms, A Theory of, Dr. S. Chapman, 239; The Times of Sudden ‘Commencement of, Dr. S. Chapman, 298 Magnetism and Electricity, Advanced Vextsbeak ‘ol, R. W. Hutchinson. 2 vols., 142 Magneto : -optics, Recent Progress in, Dr. Wali Mohammad, 51; -thermal Phenomenon, A New, ee bites and A. Piccard, 60 ie Magnetos, High-tension, fs Electron,” 513 Mahogany, The Microscopic Characteristics of, ‘Dr. iH. H. Dixon, 200 Malaria: and its Treatment, Capt. F. WwW. O’Connor, oh. Anti-, Work in Macedonia among British Troops, Dr. W. G. Willoughby and L. Cassidy, 381; in Macedonia, P. Armand-Delille and others. Translated by Dr. J. D. Rolleston, 381; The Treatment of, Si R. Bi ah ‘Capt. a. We O’Connor, 315 Malta : ‘404; Remarkable Cart-ruts in, Capt. E. G. “Fenton ; Prof. Boyd Dawkins, 290 Manchester: College of Technology, A New Department of Industrial Management at the, 519; School of Tech- nology, Name of, changed to Manchester College of ‘Technology, 37 Manganese, The ‘Magnetic Special Manganese Steels, Chéneveau, and Ch. Géneau, 8 Man’s Ancestry, The Problem. of, “Prof, oe WooiJones, 322; W. Woods Smyth; The Reviewer, 386; Prof. V. Giufirida-Rugger 5 Prof. F. Wood-Jones, he Re Properties | of, and of aed a R. ‘Hadfield, _ Dr. H. Wildon Carr Discovery of Neanderthal tas in, Prot: “AL Keith, sear es lndex XXVii Burial-chests, Dr. W. H. R. Rivers and H. D. ner, 470 ; Biological Association, Journal of the, December, Biology at Plymouth, 455; in the United States, Recent, 193; Lighting, Developments in, 49* n into the Royal Military Academy and tary College for the Years 1908-17. M. Milne, 401 lementary, A Short Course in, and their © Wireless Telegraphy, S. J. Willis, gor; ; Part i., W. N. Rose, 463; School and 1, Gift to, by the Carnegie Corporation, Second Year, H. Aughtie, 303 , Dr. H. Lewis Jones. Seventh edition, d by Dr. L. W. Bathurst, 302; His- ¢ Method, 82; Science and Nursing, r W. Robertson, 9 3° Applications of Electricity to, Adjacent Seas, Fishes of the, Dr. J. D’Arcy W.. Thompson, ; Forms duction of, E. Hatschek, phi Report of the, 357 4a Prothése du, Dr. F. Martin, 421 -& ’'Usage des Ingénieurs, etc., 23 at, C. S. Fisher, 431 ves of, F. J.. Rowbotham, 183 UL. Ty Troland, 377 . ral Factors in, J. C. M. Gar- Examination of, P. Nicolardot and 1¢ Motion of the Perihelion of, Dr. H. ; Sir O. Lodge, 125; The Critical ress, Sir O. Lodge, 44 eelttical’ College, Prospectus ob. the: cations, Prof. Chikashige and others, sper, Progtess in the, Prof. H. C. H. mena of, Appointment of a Com- U.S. National Research Council, 488 ; Annual Report of the, 70; Journal of the. 484; The May Lecture of the, to be delivered ir C. Parsons, 130; of the Group Soluble in aphasia of the Five, A. Carnot, Ae patent og Useful, Proposed Ger- or Research on, 413 n, Present Position and Outlook of the Study The April, 134; Trails, The Drift of, Cave, 284 — Si Mill Creel, Lodran, and Holbrook, the Nickeliferous Iron of the, Dr. rior, 359°. iidardad giocabaobaditical Engineers in the ris2 2 -Col. H. G. Lyons appointed or of the. 248; Unit of Pressure, The, Marvin; Prof. R. A. Sampson, 353 and Exact Thermometry, 14; elfare, Prof. A. McAdie, 92; R. D ‘cy Ward. 332: in Norway, 'rof: F. Eredia, 41<; Scientific Adviser to ‘in, Sir N. Shaw appointed, 248; av, 252; The August, Wi. F. Denning, 472 odide, Action of, A, Valeur and E. Luce, 19 dines, A New Prenaration of the, by Catalysis, ailhe and F. de Godon. 179 | . System : British Trade ard the, E. A. W. Phillips, ; and Decimal Coinage, H. Allcock, 274 Mexico, . National Medical Institute ‘of, Transformed and _ Re-named, 450 : Michigan, State Board of Agriculture, Report of the Bac- teriologist of the, 290 Micromanometers, Berlowitz, 212 Micro-organisms of Water, Concentration of Diénert and A. Guillerd, 59 Microscopic Examination of Steel, Dr. H. Fay, 125 Milan and Lake Como, Proposal to Construct a Canal between, 490 Military: Aeronautics, 32; Psychology, 201 Milk: Hygiene, Principles and Practice of, Prof. L. A. ‘Klein, 322; in Dublin, A Bacteriological Investigation of, 51; Products, Manual of, Prof. W. A. Stocking, 83; The Pasteurisation of, from the Practical View- point, C. H. Kilbourne, 102; The Wastage of, Dr. R. S. Williams, 490 - Mind and the Nation, J. H. Parsons, 462 Mineral: Industries of the United States, The, C. G. Gilbert, 71; Production of Peru and the Philippine Islands, 95; Resources of the British Empire, Prof. W. Frecheville, 49; Wealth of Germany, The, Prof. -H. Louis, 346; “Politicus,” Prof. H. Louis, 385 Mineralogy and Petrology, Recent Work in, 174 Mining: and Metallurgy, Institution of,, Report of the, 133; Engineers, Institutidn of, Forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the, 508 : Mira, The Spectrum of, W. S. Adams and A. H. Joy, Improvements in the Design of, M. the, FP. 492 Mirage Observed on the Queensferry Road, A. G. Ramage, 479 : f Modern : Industry, 222; Scientific Language, M. Bigourdan - and others, 49 © ‘ Mollusca, Preparing “Palates” of, Prof. G. H. Bryan, 464 Monocerotis; Nova, Prof. Barnard, 212 Monomethylaniline and Dimethylaniline, A» New Method ~ of Preparation of, by Catalysis, A: Mailhe and F. de Godon, 100 Mm Mononehus, The Nematode Genus, Dr. N. A. Cobb, 95° Montessori: Educational Methods, 221; Method, The Ad- vanced, Dr: M. Montessori. I. Translated by F. Sim- monds and L. Hutchinson. Il. Translated by A. Livingston, 221 F Moon, The Young, seen as a ‘son, W. Goodacre, 352 ; Mosquitoes in England, Sir R. Ross, 314 . Motor-car, A, Propelled by Hydrogen, rio Moxon Medal of the Royal College of Physicians of Lon- don, The, awarded to Dr. F. W. Mott, 459° F Muntz Medal, Selective Corrosion of, H. S. Rawdon, 30 Museum Work, The True Nature of, Dr. F. A. Bather; 250 RRS Museums Association, Annual Conference of the, 395 Musical Instruments in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, Guide to the Collection of. Dr. A. M. Meerwarth, 1§1 Musique, Instruments de, Le Télharmonium, J. Rodet, 164 Mutation Theory: of De Vries, A Criticism of the Evi- dence for the, B. M. Davis, 20; The, and the Species Concept, Dr. R. R. Gates, 376 ; Mutton Points in Sheep, K. J. J. _F. H. A. Marshall, 472 Mysore, Rainfall in, in 1916, 251 Mysterious Epidemic in Madrid, 270 National ; Citizenship. and Character, Proposed Conference for the Promotion of, 258; Dye-making Industry, The, 153; Laboratories and Industrial’ Development, Sir R. T. Glazebrook, 74, 96; Service Department, The Calling up of Certain Chemistry Students Deferred, 238; Union of Scientific Workers, Report of the, 192 ; - Union of Teachers, The Annual Conference of the, 115 Natron and Salt, The Use of, by the’ Ancient Egyptians, Sir A. Ruffer, 422. : at Vea Natural: History Obseryations, 263; Science and the Classical System in Education. Edited by Sir Ray Lankester, 482: in Education, 503; The Position of, 134; in the Educational System of Great, Britain, The _ Position of. W..A. T., 265 = A. , ae Naturalist; A Plea for the, Dr. J. Ritchie, 145 Naval Architects. Institution of, Awards of the, 69 Circle, Miss E. A. Steven- Mackenzie and Dr. XXVIil Index [ , Nature, September 26, 1918 Navicula and Cymbella, A Series of Intermediate Forms of, Sir N. Yermoloff, 359 Blin cag Man in Malta, Discovery of, Prof. A. Keith, ef Nebulium,” The Atomic Weight of, Prof. J. W. Nichol- son, 212 Nebulosity about Nova Persei (1901), Ritchey, 12 Nematode: Pests, 94; Worm, Periodicity of the Larvee of the, Prof. W. Yorke and Dr. B. Blacklock, 94 Nemertines, Pelagic, Prof. Brinkmann, 353 Neptune’s Satellite, Perturbations of, Prof. Armellini, 72 Nerve: -conduction in Diluted) and in Concentrated Sea- water; Toxic Effects due ito High Temperature, Dr. A. G. Meyer, 434; -tracts. connecting the Brain and Body, The Crossing of the, Prof. A. F. Dixon, 312 Nervous Impulse: The, W. B. Hardy, 163; The Conduc- tion of the, Dr. K. Lucas, Revised by E. D. Adrian, 163 Neuro-muscular Network in Cassiopeia, Effect of Stretch- ing on the Rate of Conduction in the, J. F.. McClen- don, 20 New South Wales: Economic Raeources of, 395; Techno- logical Museums, Report of the, R. T. Baker, 395 New York State Barge Canal, 471 New Zealand: Journal of Science and Technology, 193; The Earlier Mesozoic Floras of, Dr. E. A. Newell Arber, Nickel Steels, Measurements of the Thermal and Electrical Conductivities of, Prof. K. Honda, 511 Nitre-cake, Discussion on, G. C. Grisley and others, 71 Nitric: Acid. Establishments, Bavarian, to be extended, 413; Oxide, Formation of, by the Electric Arc, E.. Elod, ; 510 Nitriles, Formation of, A New Catalytic Method for the, A. Mailhe and F. de Godon, 39 Nitrogen : Active, Hon. R. J. Strutt, 332; Estimation of, in the Manufacture of Organic Nitro-Compounds, A. P. Sachs, 30; Fixation, The Present Position of, 188; in Organic Compounds, Estimating, M. Howie, 252 Nocardia, Révision das Champignons appartenant au ') Genre, Capt. F. de Mello and Dr. J. :F. St. A. Fer- nandes, 259 Nonius, Origin, Theory, and Use of the, A R. Machado, 332 North: American Amphibians and Reptiles, A Check List of, L. Stejneger and T. “Barbour, 242; American Mammals, The Smaller, E. Nelson, 489 ; Polar Ex- pedition, Capt. R. Amundsen’s Impending, 229 Norway, Meteorology in, 26 Norwegian North Polar Expedition, Capt. R. Amundsen’s, 349 Nottinghamshire, The Invertebrate Fauna of, Prof. J. W. Carr, 402 Nursery and’ Market Gardens . Industries Society, Third Annual Report of the, 455 Nutrition, the Basal Principles of, Leaflet on, 348 Development Observatory: of the Hétel of Taranne, The, G. Bigourdan, 459; of the Luxembourg, The, G. Bigour- dan, 479 ‘Oenanthe crocata Wholesome Food?, Is, C. B. Moffat, 354 Officers University ate ee Training Committee, Appointment of an, : and Colour and Aiked. Trades, Chemists engaged in the, An Association formed of, 468; Intravenous Injections ‘of, E. Le Moignic and J. Gautrelet, 59 Oils: Fats, and their Commercial Products, Aids in the Commercial Analysis of, G. F. Pickering, 503; Lubri- » cating, Drs. A. E, Dunstan and F. B. Thole, 214 Old Red Sandstone Plants. Part ii., Dr. R. Kidston and . Prof. W. F. Lang, 478 Olive-fly, A New Process of Exterminating the, 373 Oospora, The Tubercle Bacillus associated with an, Sartory, 19 Optical: Apparatus, Improvements in, Openings for, 273; Instrument, The Symmetrical, Prof. H. C. Plummer, 299; Instruments, Prevention of Filming in Enclosed, H. S. Ryland, 729: Stores captured from the Enemy, Lt.-Col. A. C. Williams, 112 Ordnance and Gunnery, Text-book of, Tschappat, 222 : Oil A. Lt.-Col. -W... H. | Organ-pipes, Effect of Wind-pressure on the Pitch of, A. Mallock, 339 Organic: Colloid, Precipitation of an, by Human Serum, A, | Vernes, 179; Materials, New Method for the Rapid — Westruction of, P. Duret, 460 ; Originality, T. S. Knowlson, 141 Orion Nebula, Distance of the, Prof. W. H. Pickering, ab Oscillations produced in a/Singing Arc, Amplitude of wind 393 Osiris Prize of the Institute of France, The, to be again Awarded, 189 Osmium: A New Reaction of, L. Tschugaeff, Tetroxide, Acid Function of, L. Tschugaeff, 479 . Ostracoda from the Upper Cambrian Limestone of South Australia, F. Chapman, 498 Ostrich, Eggs of an Extinct, in North China, H. M. Clark, 50 . Outrigger-canoe- Attachment in the Torres. Straits, An Anomalous Form of, Dr. A. C. Haddon, 508 Oxford University: Gift towards the Endowment of the Professorship of Forestry; Honorary Degree of D. om conferred upon Prof. C. M’Intosh, .373 Asquith’s Romanes Lecture; Anniversary of the Burial of Roger Bacon, 297; Prof. "H. Lamb appointed. Halley Lecturer for 1919, 318; Report of the Delegates of the University Museum, 3383 The Halley Lecture on “The First Chapter in the Story of the Winds,” Sir N. Shaw ; Report of the University Observatory; Preamble of a Statute establishing a School of Agriculture and . Forestry, 258; The School of Geography; The Com-- mittee x Anthropology, 57 Oxide of Iron: The Action of, on Silica, H. Le Chatelier and B. Bogitch, 259; and ‘Lime, Function of the, -Em- ployed in the Manufacture of Silica Bricks, M. sre 5205 ; 259 a-Oxycinchonine, E. ‘Léger,. 3 Ozone: as a Hygienic tees ” Prof. F. G. Deenea! 202; Its Manufacture, Properties, and Uses, Dr. A. ‘Vosmaer, 202 Pacific nem Nature of Rocks in the, Prof. R. A. Daly, Sea Varnish, The Industrial and Artistic’ hoe ical of, A. H. “Sabin, 62 Paleobotany of New Zealand, The, 455 Palzontographical Society, Annual Meeting and “Bleetion of Officers of the, 110 Paleontology, Genetics v., Dr. W. K. Gregory, 377. Palms ‘of Seychelles and the Mascarenes, The, Dr. Ww. B. ‘ Hemsley, 73 ; Pangonia longirostris, The Mouth-parts of, H. Tetley, 311 Paper Pulp, The Manufacture of, from Dead sy Mme. K. Bramson, 299 “Papers for the Present,” Two, 440 Paralysis Due to Nerve Injury; Treatment of, Lt. N. Burke, 8 pigts Aouad of Sciences, Creation of a New Division of the, 27; Climatology of, C. Flammarion, 316; The Observatories at, known as “de la rue des sheet ne G. Bigourdan, 3380 Patents and Scientific Research, Sir R. Ross, 24 Penguin, The Little, Life History of, Dr. B. Nicholls, 112 Pensions, Civil List, for Year ended March 31, 1918, 348 Pentatomic Bodies, Saturated Vapour-pressures ‘of, E. Ariés, 340 Pereira Medal of the Pharmaceutical Society, The, awarded to Miss H. C. M. Winch, 2 Periodic Irrotational Waves of Finite Height, Prof. T. H. Havelock, 419 Perneb, the Tomb of, Pigments used on, M. Toch, 350 Perseid’ Meteoric Shower, The, 454. Peru and the Philippine Islands. Mineral Production of, 95 Petroleum: Home Production of, Lord Cortean: 32; The Romance of, Sir B. Redwood, 516 Petrology, Mineralogy and, Recent Work in, 174 Pharmacy: A Compendium of, 321; The Practice of, Dr. J. P. Remington, assisted by Dr. E. F: Cooks. Sixth edition, 321 Phenological Observations in the British Isles during 1917, E. Clark and H. B. Adames, 239 , Phenylethylamine, The Reduction of, A. Weinhagen, 152 Nature, ] September 26, 1918_ Index XXi1X peice, Islands, Peru and the, Mineral Production of, ophy: and Science, Fundamental Problem ; Constructive, Elements of, Dr. J. S. Mackerciel es ate Deposits of Saldanha Bay, Dr. A. L. Du Toit AT . noric Acid, Precipitation of, as Ammonium Phospho- late, J. Clarens, 59 hic: Determinations of Stellar Parallax, Dr. vi Crommelin, 88; Industry of Great Britain, glo, . 243 : Practical and Theoretical, 341; The Science ractice of, Dr. J. R. Roebuck, 341 for Measuring the Densities of Photographic ives, Benson, Ferguson, and Renwick, 231 Action Induced in Living Cells, Illustrations _E. Rawson, 78 — elfare and Public Libraries, 177 A Manual: of, Theoretical. and Practical, for sal Students, H. C. H. Candy. Second edition, yday, J. C. Packard, 223; for the Use of Science and Engineering, A Text-book of, and S. G. Starling, 142; of the Air, Prof. mphries, 231; Text-books, 142 : Air Force, Scientific Tests for the Selection M. Flack, 225, eans of Locomotion in, C. E. Stringer, 19 Perturbations and Aéther-drift, 72 Minor, 174, 232; The Minor, Prof. Hirayama, 53 g, Scientific, 405; Geography of South . Pole Evans, 509; Growth, The Stimu- Electric Fields, V. H. B. and G. W. O. H., ; Materials of Decorative Gardening : *lants, Prof. W. Trelease, 43; Names, On it, iii., Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 186; ; Preparation of, G. Clarke and S. B. 4 Sterols, The, Mrs. M. T. Ellis, 491; in the Thorn Veld, Prof. J. W. Bews, 412 folution des, Prof. N. Bernard, 443 raphical Distribution of, Sir D. Morris, Dr. G. F. Kunz, 428; in the Ober Rosbach 149; Substitutes for, 471 ance of the, Prof. W. H. Pickering, 252 Biolo Expansion of the, A. W. Conway, 78 S. Bureau of Standards Publication side: 38 VIII. and Witchvatt, Rev. A..L. Cortie; Withington, 164 : : and Birth-control, Dr. C. K. Millard, 227 : Electrical Resistance of, at Different Tem- R. G. Allen, 198 ‘Fishes New to the Fauna of, C. F. Silvester, on French Ocean and Channel Coasts, J. “The! Mineral Production of, 212 e Work and Research, The Promotion of, 184; J. M. Hill; W. A. T., 243 © ; Ispar, British Supplies of, Prof. Boswell, 312; overy of, from Blast-furnace Gases, Prof. R. A. and D. W. McArthur, 147 vival of the Blackleg Organism of the, in the ring Winter, J. Rosenbaum, 490 ifferences Induced by the Earth’s Magnetic eld in an Insulated Moving Wire, Methods of Observ- C. and M. Barus, oe Prehistoric, Magnetic State of Some, P* L. Mer- _ Bottom” Farm, Results of Working, Prof. Somerville, 71. The Science of, B. Kidd, 181 Palm Tree” of Faridpur, The, Sir J. C. Bose, 70 ic Pottery, Magnetic State of Some, P. L. Mer- ! z “ig _ canton, 340 ; iology at, 455 Infections, Prophylactic Inoculation against, Pressure, The. Meteorological Unit of, Prof. C. F. Marvin- Prof. R. A. Sampson, 353 : Projectiles : Lateral Deviation of; Caused by Spin, K. H. Giildner, 251; Localisation et Extraction des, L. Ombrédanne and R. Ledoux-Leband, 382 Proteus. vulgaris, Biochemical Researches on, F. G. V. Miranda, 19 Pruning: Practical Aspects of, to1;- The Principles and Practice of, M. G. Kains, ror Psammophila hirsuta Captures and Carries its Prey, The Manner in which, A. Lécaillon, 140 Psychology: Dynamic, 503; Experimental, Present-day Applications of, Lt.-Col. C. S. Myers, 151; in relation to the War, Major R. M. Yerkes, 210 Public Morals, National Council of, Annual Report of the, 209 Puddling Process, Attempted Improvements in the, Dr. Desch, 374 Pulfrich Refractometer, The, J. Guild, 219 Pulmonary Sporotrichosis, A Case of, A. Sartory, G. Blaque, and M. Schulmann, 520 hn rig Testing Canadian Sandstones for Use as, L. H. le, 175 Pyrenean Region, Utilisation of the, 392 Pyxidicula invisitata and. Hedriocystis Brown, 197 Spinifera, TM Quadratic Relations between the Determinants of a 4-by-8 Array, The, Sir T. Muir, 320 Quadrature of the Circle, Approximate, Construction . for an, de Pulligny ; W. W. Rouse Ball, 234 Quadrupedal Tracks from Carboniferous Strata in the Grand Cafion of the Colorado River, R. S. Lull, 432 Queensland, The Mesozoic Floras of, A. B. Walkom, 250 Race, Character, and Nationality, Prof. G. Elliot Smith, 99 > Radial Velocities by Objective Prism, Prof. R. W. Wood, 192; T. S. H. Graham, 193 Radiation and the Electron, Prof. R. A. Millikan, 234, 254 Radio-active : Element, A New, from the Residue of Pitch- blende, 393; Substances, Trading in, Prohibited, 468 Radio-activity : and the Coloration of Minerals, Dr. H. Newbery and H. Lupton, 198; of Some Canadian Mineral Springs, The, Dr. J. Satterley and R. T. Elworthy, 6 ) Radiodiagnostic Technique et Clinique, Précis de, Dr. . Jaugeas. Second edition, 382 , / Radiography : French Works on, 382; and Radio-thera- peutics, Dr. R. Knox. Part i., Radiography. Second edition, 22; Part ii., Radio-therapeutics. Second edi- tion, 283; The Practical Uses of, Dr. R. Knox, 512 Radio-therapic Unit of Quantity, A, H. Bordier, 498 Radio-therapy, 283 Radium Therapy, Dosage in, J. C. Mottram and Dr. S. Russ, 151 ‘ Rainfall Distribution over France, A. Angot, 95 Rain-water, Chemical Experiments with, 511. Ramsay, Sir William, Sir W. A. Tilden, 361; Sir T. E. Thorpe, 361; Memorial Fund, The, 31 Rate-setting on Machine Tools, D. V. Merrick, 433 Rats and Evolution, A. C. and A. L, Hagedoorn, 376 Ray Society, Election of Officers of the, 69 : Reale Accademia dei Lincei, Prof. J. N. Langley, Sir F. W. Dyson, Prof. H. Lamb, and Sir E. Rutherford elected - Foreign Members of the, 371 : Reconstruction in France, 254 Reflex Nervous Discharge, Brevity, Frequence of Rhythm, - and Amount of, as Indicated by Reflex Contraction, N. B. Dreyer and Prof. C. S. Sherrington, 318 Refractometers: Critical-angle, of the Pulfrich Type, J- Guild; F. Simeon, 332; Critical-angle, The Accuracy attainable with, F. Simeon, 219 4 Refractory Materials: Their Manufacture and-Uses, A. B. Searle, 21 Refrigeration : and Cold Storage, Scientific Problems of, 154; and Related Subiects, A. G, G. Leonard, 162 | Reinforced : Concrete v. Salt, Brine, and Sea-water, Prof. H. J. M. Creighton, s20; Metals, C. W. Denny, 134 Relatives, Correlation of, R. A. Fisher, 479 xxx | : Index [ Nature... September 26, 1918 Relativity: J: Ishiwara; Dr. L. Silberstein ; Prof. Edding- ton, 454; and Gravitation, H. H. O'Farrell’; Prof. As Si Eddington, 126; Gravitation and. the Principle of}. Prof. A. S. Eddington, 15; 34 Research : Board, Appointment of a, and Authorisation of Research on Increasing the Recovery of Metal in the Treatment of Ores, 27; in India, A Programme of, Sir T. Holland, 50; in Works»and Laboratories, The Co- ordination of, 330; Laboratory, Planning a, for an ' Industry, DriC. By K. Mees, 471; The Profits’ of, Prof, F. Soddy, 343 Resonance, The Duration of; in the Internal Ear; Dr. W. Perrett, 204 Respiration, Rapid, after Death, A. R, C. 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Wol- | bach, 331 Romano-British Mints, P. Webb, 314 Réntgen Society: Election of Officers of the, 348; Pou. 2 dation of the Silvanus Thompson Memorial Lectureship, 28; Sir J. J. Thomson, Prof. W. H. Bragg, and Dr. Ww. Coolidge elected Honorary Members of the, 348 » Rook: Food of the, Dr. S. H. Long; The Writer of the Note, 304; Prof. S. J. Hickson ; Rooks, "The Destruction of; Duke of Montrose, 271 Rotating Discs, Dr. C, Chree, 504 ss Rotation of the, Earth, The, D. Konda; Boys, 53 . Rotations, The Sign of, L. { poanie: 199 Rothamsted Experimental are Establishment ay a bien Research Post at the, by W. B. Randall; Appointment .to, of Mrs. D. J. Matthews, 208 . Royal: Academy, Clouds at the, 244; Agricultural Society, Development of the Work of the, 133; College of Surgeons of England, Subject of the Jacksonian Prize for 1919; Award of the John Tomes Prize to J. G. Turner; Temporary Discontinuance of the Erasmus Wilson Lectures and Demonstrations, 149; Institution, - Lecture Arrangements of the, 69; ' Retrospect, Sir E. Thorpe, 484; Observatory, Greenwich, Report of the Astronomer Royal, 278; Society, Appointment of a Committee on Food from Natural Products, 130; Resolution respecting Expul- sion of Enemy Foreign Members, 450; Selected Candi- dates for the, 8: of Arts, The Atbert Medal of the, awarded to Sir R..T. Glazebrook, 288 ; of Edinburgh, Award of the Keith and Neill Prizes to RB) (C. Mossman > and Prof. W. H. Lang, respectively, 189 | Rubber: Industry, Science and the, Prof. ge. B. Parnier; 469; Synthetic, Production of, in Germany, 510; The “Natural” Coagulation of. the Latex in the Producti ion of, M. Barrowcliff, 231 Ruhleben Internnient ‘Camp, Microscopical and Biological Work at the, R. Paulson, 151 Rural Teacher, The. and his Nga in Community puner- ship, etc., H. W. Foght, 6 Rustic Sounds and Other Studies in Literature and Natural History, Sir F. Darwin, 3 pe Oe Saccharine Principles of the Sorghum, Evolution ot the, and the Influence of Castration, D. Berthelot and R. Trannoy, 339 Salaries in Elementary Schools, The Departmental Report on, 13 Salinan Tadian Dialects, J. A. Mason, 151 Salisbury Plain, Prehistoric Remains on, Hawley appointed Inspector of, 90 Lt.-Col. Ww. Salmon: A Remarkable Run of. in Scotland, 48; ’ Kelts, ee Taking of, W. Baden-Powell; R. B. Barston : . M. Menzies, 149 chaoui Prof. J. J. Findlay to be Director of Education at, 47 Salt, Constitution roy ata: Cameroons, A. Lacroix, 380 iG Salvage Section of the Admiralty, Work of, thei: skit! Water sua pep snte hte L. from Plants Crunk in the Sand Filter, Action of the, in Minder, 490 Sandstone, Fine, Laminated, Micaceous, A> Rasiment of, discovered at Winterbourne satay Rev. H. G. O. Kendall, 151 Sanitation, Field, C. G. Moor and E. A. Cooper, with j others, 283 Sarothamnus scobarius, Presence of a Non-Volatile Alka- _ loid in; A. Valeur, 400 i Scab of the Sweet Potato, J. J. Taubenhaus, a ead a Schistostega osmundacea, Mohr, G. T. Harris, 350 | Schools : Elementary, The Departmental Report on Salaries in, 13: of Various Types, The King and Queen on their Visits to. 179; Secondary. Regulations’ ‘for, 1918-10, 318; Secondary, Science for, 128 Science: Abstracts, 152; A Short History of, Prof. W. T. Sedgwick and Prof. W. Tyler, 161; and Adminis- tration, Lt.-Col. W. A. J. O'Meara, 266 and Educa- tion, Civil Service Estimates for, 116; H. E. Howard, 326 a Institution, The, A- and the Civil Prof. C. rv. me. Nabi, } - September 26, 1918 Index XXXIil . Prof. J. B. Cohen, 484; History of, Studies in the, Edited by 82; “and Technology in New Prof... A. , 501; in Horticulture, 455; in Wales, The _ 129; Our Heritage of, 161; Students, jety of, J: A. Butler and P. E. Owens, ing, A Text-book in the Principles of, Prof. , 241; Principles and Methods of, 241; of, 501 ; or India, 1916-17, Annual Report of 506; Activities of the Smithsonian Insti- id Industrial Research, The Organisa- ben and Dr. J. A. Thomson, 155; and ; of Great Britain and Ireland, The 34th Annual Issue, 203; Apparatus, rodie, 104; Industries, The Develop- nguage, Modern, Observations on, hers, 108; Men in Connection with h Associations, Payment of, Sir W. Stanley, 410; Nomenclature, Inter- ; Organisations of the Allied Nations, 477; The Co-ordination of, 213; Publications, of, 363; Research and Industrial A. ‘F. Firth, 333, 336 Work in of, gy, 138; Mothers and Children, Vol. d, Dr. W. Leslie Mackenzie, 205 “New Lathe for Making, 251 the, and their Relation to Organisms, Dees x. n Board Shin, A New Instrument for of, A. L. Thomas, rr KV 5 ane y of, de Montessus de Ballore, ‘The Carnegie Trust for the, 245 1 BRAC RELA on, Dr. A. E. H. Tutton, 18 e, De Witt H. Parker, 141 tee tesdouytns © n, 258 e Bryophyta, E. J. Collins, 359 of, and the Mascarenes, Dr. W. B. tthe Effect of Dummy Bombs from Se ey ie the Flood ‘of January, 1918, P. 10d of Photographing, W. Block, 313 and, The, 374 RZ Cephei, ‘A, Martin and Plum- Ss, _Colloidal,. Nature of Growths in, Hon. H. rah eos “t53 1 ot, of the Wash Waters in the _M. de Chardonnet. 2<9 on to, Rev. T. E. R. Phillips, 153; t. Jonckheere,. 414 -and Big Game, 155; Commission of ees. Report of the. No. xvi., 155 Vaccination, Hayes Fisher, 132 Eshim,: The Food Supply of the, D. B. tution, Scientific Activities of the, 176 er, asa Cause of Parasitic Diseases, F. G. it is 181. . imi . P r er il Progresso delle Scienze, Forthcoming i i ; rae , Some, of the Archipelago of Los, French _A. Lacroix, 179 © ion, A. Howard and R. S. Hole, 250; Biology, r. A. L. Whiting. 61;.Phvsics and Management, is. J. G. Mosier and A. F. Gustafson, 441; Solu- : ned by the Oil-pressure Method, The, 450 Eclipse. The Total, of Tune 8, 1918, Prof. H. C. and others, 253: Haloes seen at Grevstones, 275, Double, of the Iron Group, Dr. | co., Wicklow, and in Texas and Ohio, Sir J. Moore, 200; Motion and the Stream Motion, A Determina- tion of the, Based on Radial Velocities and Absolute Magnitudes, G. Stromberg, 480; Physics Observatory, The Fifth Annual Report of the, 512; Prominences, Eastern and Western Asymmetry of, A. A. Buss, 5; Radiation, Periodicity of, Dr. C. G. Abbot, 492; System, Early History of the, Dr. H. Jeffreys, 273, 447. Soldato, Il nostro, Fr. A. Gemelli, 201 Soldiers, Disabled, Scientific Problems of, 316 Solubility of ‘‘ Insoluble Salts’’ and. of Silver Oxide, Dr. W. W. Taylor, 479 Solution of Atmospheric Nitrogen and Oxygen by Water, The Rate of, Dr. W. E. Adeney and H. G. Becker, part i., 299 Sotik, A Small Stone Bowl Found in, C. M. Dobbs; Remarkable Circular, Holes Found in _ District of, : and Light, Propagation of, in an Irregular Atmo- sphere, Lord Rayleigh, 284; Waves and other Air Waves of the East London Explosion of January 19, 1917, Dr. C. Davison, 319 South: Africa and Australia, Agricultural Education in, 467; Africa, The Scorpion Fauna of, J. Hewitt, 290; African Association, Forthcoming Meeting of the, 270; Earthworm, Luminosity in a, and its Origin, Dr. J. D: F. Gilchrist, 320; Journal of Natural History, No. 1, 372; Medical College, T. J. Mackie appointed Professor of Bacteriology in the, 178; Perisporiacee, II., E. M. Doidge, 320; III., 400; University of Cape Town, Inauguration of the; Acceptance of the Chancellorship by the Prince of Wales, 119; Eastern Union of Scientific Societies, Forthcoming Congress of the, 208; Annual Congress of the, 314; Australia, Gypsum in, D. C. Winterbottom, 435 Southern India, The Geology of, Dr. W. F. Smeeth, 119 Spain: Entomological Society of, Foundation of an, 28; Lord Rothschild. elected an Honorary Member of the, 208 Spartina townsendii Plants to be Planted in the Medway Mudbanks, 411 2 =: : Special Series. The Origin of, Dr. H. S. Allen, 39 Spectra : of Chromosphere and Corona, Rev. Father A. L. Cortie, 274; of Isotopes, The, and the Vibration of Electrons in the Atom, W. D. Harkins and L. Aron- berg, 20 Spectroscopic: Binaries, Two, of Long Period, J. B. Cannon, Dr. J. Lunt, 414; Binary ,Boss 1082, The, J. B. Cannon, 434 : Spectrum : and Radial V@ocity of N.G.C. 1068, Dr. V. M. Slipher, 114; of y Argfis, Changes in the, Dr. C. D. Perrine, 114 . a Speech : Recovery of, through Excitement, Capt. J. Newton Friend, 184; G. Archdall Reid, 204 Spherical Aberration, T. Y. Baker and Major L. N. G. Filon, 259. -' Sphyraena barracuda, E. W. Gudger, 434 Spinning-top, The, in Harness, Sir G. Greenhill, 416 ‘Spiral Nebula, Absorption Effects in the, H. D. Curtis, 19 Spitsbergen, Explorations in, A. Hoel and Capt. S. Révig, I Spleen : The, and Anzemia, Prof. R. M. Pearce, with the assistance of Dr. E. B. Krumbhaar and Prof. C. H. Frazier, 342; The Function of the, 342 Spring, Weather of the Past, 271 Les Squid, Giant, stranded in Haddingtonshire, Dr. J. Ritchie, 2 Star A, with a Nova Spectrum, Dr. Max’ Wolf, 31; A Faint, with Large Proper Motion, Dr. Max Wolf, 352; Clusters, Globular, H. Shanley, Dr. A. C. D. .Crom- melin, 233; Nebulosity in, Dr. H. Shapley, 314; Is a * — Moving, Retarded by the Reaction of its own Radiation % L. Page, 480; The New, in Aquila, Sir F. W. Dyson, Prof. A. Fowler, 285, 306: The Discovery of the New, W. F. Denning, 325; Prof. A. Fowler and others, 333; H. Thomson and others, 352; Prof. Laskovski and others, 27<; Prof. Fowler, 393; J. Bosler, Mr. Phillips, Father Cortie, 24; Prof. A. Fowler.: 433; R. Jonckheere, 440; P. Blanc. M. Maggini, Dr. C. Easton, I. Yamamoto and’ Y. ‘Ueta, Prof. Fowler, XXXIV Index Te ® [ Nature, Sehtember 26, tg18 Father Cortie, 492 ; A ‘New Variable, in Auriga, A. S. Williams, 394 Stars : Double, ee ae of the Spectral. Relation of, upon Distance, C ..D. Perrine, 480; Faint, with Large Proper Motions, Furuhjelm, 492 ; New Double, Ki G; Aitken, 174; the inte Conditions of the, Hypothesis to account for, C » Perrine, 480; Variable, M. Luizet, sey . . Statistical Methods applied to Practical Problems, Sir G. T. Walker, 214 : Steel: Damascene, Col. N: T. Belajew, 308; Hardening by Air-blast, 251; Hypoeutectoid, E. Atkinson, 198; Mechanical Properties of, Influence of Forging and Rolling on the, G. Charpy, 400; Microscopic Examina- tion of, Dr. H. Fay, 125; Non-Metallic Inclusions in, Importance of the, A. McCance, 334 Stellar: Investigations at Mount Wilson, W. S. Adams, 273: Parallax, Photographic ._Determinations of, Dr. A. C. D.:Crommelin, 88; System, Motion of our, Dr. V. M. Slipher; 72 ; Prof. C. D. Perrine, 314 Stonyhurst College : A Proposed War Memorial at, 519; Observatory, Report of, for 1917, 414 Strathmore Meteorite, The, Prot. R. A. Sampson, 314 Street Lighting Specifications, Standard Clauses for, 92 Stresses in a Revolving Disc, Method of Ascertaining the Distribution and Magnitudes of the, H.° Haerle, 491 Struts and Structures, Critical Loading of, W. L. Cowley and H. Levy, 38 Stumps, The Kinematisation of, Prof. V. Putti, 289 Be eee Glacial Erosion in Montana, Prof. W.. M. Davis. Sav ahaa Promeeiehd of Saavdouns Vessels from Attack ¥> 433 ‘Submarines, Hostile, Inventors and the Problem of Dealing with, H. Volta, Sugar: Beet, The Balance of some Cansgivent Principles. of the, during the Manufacture of Sugar, E. Saillard, -220; Content of Sorghum saccharatum at Different “Stages of Growth, D. Berthelot and R. Trannov; 280; Industry after the War, T. H. P. Heriot, G.. Marti- - neau, Sir T. E. Thorpe, 344 Sulphuric Acid and the War, Sir T. E. Thorpe, 107 Summer-time in France, Italy, and Holland, 27 Sun: Observations of the, made at Lyons Observatory during the Third Quarter of 1917, J. Guillaume, 10- Observations of the, made at Lyons Observatory during the Fourth Quarter of 1917, J. Guillaume, 60; The, and the, Weather, Prof. ©. G: Abbot, 168; The General Magnetic Field of the, Hale, Seares, Maanen, and Ellerman, 423 , Sun’s Magnetic Axis, Location of the, van Maanen, and F. Ellerman, 479 Surgery, ‘The Development of, 182 Swallows of America, Food Habits of, Beal, 211 Swansea Technical School, Bequest to, by T. ‘P. Sims, 357 Swiney Prize for 1910, The, 329 Switchgear Standardisation, Dr. C. C. Garrard, rr- Switzerland, Technical Instruction in, C. Perregaux, 33 Sydney University, S. H. Stroud appointed Lecturer in Pharmacy and Chemistry in, 519 Symbiotes, Action of, upon the Candidate of Fats, H; Bierry and P. Portier, 380 Syme, David, Research Prize awarded to Dr. T. Griffith Taylor, 348 Symmetry : in Nature, Dr. A. E. H. Tutton, 261: Lectures on the Principle of, and its Applications in all Natural Sciences, Prof. F. M. Jaeger, 261 Types, Interpretation of, F.: ‘H. Seares; A. Pret! Bxks Table Bay, Reproduction of Fishes in, Dr. J. D. F. Gil- christ, 400 Tantalum, The Estimation of, in its Alloys with Iron, M. 4 Travers, 139 Teachers, The Shortage of, for Elementary: Schools, 297 Technical: Associations, Scheme. for a Joint Building for. 209; Education in India, its Past and Future, E. F. ‘Tipple. 138; Instruction in Switzerland, C. Pertegaux, 22; Research, The Development of, 206 Teeth, ‘Form and Function of, D.-M.- Shaw, Telephone, A Thermic, 453 EUV} “Tomatoes, etc.,. Damage to, WwW van Telescope Objectives : Constructional Data for, T. Smith, 38; Methods of Design of, P. F. Everitt and others, 252 Télharmonium, Le, J. Rodet, 164. . Temnospondyli and Stegocephalia, Vertebre of, etc,, S. yf eae 452 Tempel’s Comet, Dr. A D. Crommelin, 134 Temperature : Meseccmen of, in Very Deep soi M. Verzat, 498; Scales, A ,Chart for the Conversion of, 192 Tormtial Magnetic Oscillations, Dr. C. Chree, .233; Magnetism, Rapid Periodic Variations of, T. Terada, 233; The Diurnal Variation of, Miss A. van Yigvten, 213; U.S. Magnetic Tables and Magnetic ae for. 1915, D. L. Hazard, Dr..C. Chree, 143, Tetrahedron, Formule for, Prof. G. B. Mathews, 504 Textile Fibres, Investigations of, W. Harrison, 38 ‘Therepaye Immunisation ; Theory and Practice, ‘Dr. M. Crofton, 64 jeer Phar Therapeutics, Rational, _ Aids to, with U.S.A. lar’ ma- : copoeia Equivalents, Dr. R. W. Leftwich, nigh -couples, New Types of Platinum-iri Ho -electric Diagrams on the P-V-plane, E. HL ] -electricity, Validity of the Equation P E. H. Hall, 480 Thermometry, Exact, Meteorology and, 14 : Third and Fourth Generation, gL CLS a ° 12 Bewiias at Thompson, Silvanus, Memorial : Lecture, Sir E. ford, 137; Medal presented to Sir E. Ratha Thunderstorms, Summer, Conditions ‘Precedent _ Occurrence of, J, Fairgrieve, 179 Tibetsi Highlands "of the Sahara, Explorations, in J. Tilho, -250 n, shes aie. eine Col. Timber Supply, Home, Position and Prospects of the, 2 * Stebbing, 386. Time at Sea: and ihe sacs Day, » Dr eG Crommelin, 146; The New System of, F.. 1 , ‘Time-keeping at Sea, The New System of, ae Ns Y By , Crommelin, 307 SS by. H eterodera radicicola,, - P. Durz, 412 Tornadoes of the United States, The, ‘Prof. A De. Ward, 395 HG; Toronto University : Prof. T. B. Robestson: poi Me: On fessor of Bio-chemistry and Prof, J. J. Approxinsate Methods in Obtaining Morphology of “the = le ee > pointed Professor of Physiology in, 4393 Endowment of ; ~ Chairs at, 318 Torpedoes on "Merchant - Ships, Effect of, S. Barnaby, 69 Toulouse University, The Institute of Applied, ‘Electro technics and Mechanics at, 238 | Transfinite Aggregate can be Well-ordered, A ‘Vigoh ni any, Ey B. Jourdain, 84 Transkei, Geology of Part of the, Du Toit and Rogers, 174 Transmission Gears, Mechanical, Electric, and. ‘Hydraulic,. for Land and Marine Purposes, E. Butler, 264- Trefriw Pyrites Deposit, Geology ‘and Genesis of sul) Dr. R. L. Sherlock, 319 Triatore Liquids, The Saturated Gapeue Pressures of, EL Ariés, 219 | Trinidad : and Tobago, | eye of ‘Agriculture for, Issue of a Pamphlet on “Our. Local Foods and How to. Use Them,” 373; Rubber Cultivation in, 112 Trinitrotoluenes, a-, B-, and % H. Ryan at, w. + OFRior- dan, 459 ; Trollhattan Canal, The New. 292 Troubles “locomoteurs consécutifs- aux “Piates de “Gueree, ; Prof. A. Broca, 421 aah Tsetse-flies : and - Fly-belts in Central Africa, Majo . Christy, rss; Habits of Three Species of, — “ae 392; in the Gold Coast, The Bionomics of, pa Bee ea Be Simpson, 311 Tumours: The Parasitic: Hypothesis of, Dr. 1 AL Murray, 422; Their Nature and Causation, sae: ‘W. D’Este at Emery, 422 in Tungsten : The Colorimetric Retimation of, M.. Traveeas to the’ Treatment of, Alleged Infringement si, a: Pes ai for, 68 Tungstenite, R. C.. Wells and BS, Butler, a7 Turin, Royal Academy of Science of, Bequest oui Senator T. Vallauri for a°Prize, 300 Fava! Turkey, European, New Sources of Mineral Wealth i in,- Aoi I[ndex XXXV tisation of a Steel Tube in a Spiral Mag- Dr. F ckett, 420 , i 3 of Comets, Dr. A. C. D. Crommelin, e Opera Omnia, Tomi Quarti, Fasc. Prior, ida, Courtship Dances of, E. Forbush, 372 Deposits of the, Prof. Doelter, 212 alue of the, in Histological Investigation, of the Germicidal Action of, H. Browning and S. Russ, ie _ the, Producing the Greatest A. Schunck, 292 Industries of the, Developments fr, 332; Congress, A Vocational the, 4sq: Damage by Frost in 43 Grants of the General Educa- ; Marine Biology in. the, 434; for Aeronautical Engineers in 18 Report on the, 151; New he, 349; Naval Observatory, Re- Report of the Librarian of the Con- fs 399; Research Information. é 131; Students’ Army: _ R. C. Maclaurin appointed _ Suggested National Floral ensen, 469; The Climatic Pro- ; are Ward, 231 Pile Mineral “the, 2 iilbert, Bs e Tornadoes of ~DeC Ward, 3955 War-time Research in Deep te War, The, 58; and University Col- ests to, 318; of England, Ireland, enure, and Salary of the Non- ‘Staffs of -the, 338; Conference we Prof. F. Soddy, 461 hnic ducation, Position of, ; College, London, Forthcom- lege of South Wales and Lord Glanely, 419; College Laurie appointed Head n the, 419; of the East : the Electric Field in a, Viola Flower, A Peloriate, Miss M. M. Brinkworth, Viscous Liquid, Oscillations in a, Dr. Verschaffelt, Vitamines and Symbiotes, H. Bierry and P. Y. Delage, 340 * Volatile Alkaloid, A New, from the Broom, A. Valeur, 479 Volcanic: Islands, The Isostatic Subsidence of, Prof, W. M. Davis, 19; Studies in many Lands. Second Series, Dr. Tempest Anderson and Prof. T. G. Bonney, 391 374 Portier ; 12 Volcano Study in Hawaii, Results of, T. A. Jaggar, 54 Voltaic Cell, A New Form of, M. Féry, 172 Wales: The Future of Science in, 129; University of, Offer for a Music Directorship at the, by J. Owens and others, 278 ; Walker Grand Honorary Prize of the Boston Society: of _ Natural History awarded to Prof. J. Loeb, 309 War:” “After the, Prof. H. Louis, 268; Agricultural Reconstruction after the, Dr. E. J. Russell, 426; Sulphuric Acid and the, Sir T. E. .Thorpe, 107; The, and the Bagdad Railway, Prof. M. Jastrow, jun.; Lt.-Col. L. A. Waddell, 422 ; The Universities and the, 58 ; Weather Influences on Operations of, 514; -wounds, Bacteriology of, Sartory and Blaque, 452; -time Re- search in the United States, 148 Water : Drop-wort, Cattle-poisoning by, 354; -level, Under- ground, Variations of, near a Tidal River, E. G. Bilham, 179; -power, Exhibition of Kinematograph Films Demonstrating, Prof. J. McLennan, 51; in Great Britain, Dr. B. Cunningham, 186; Resources of the United Kingdom, Appointment of a Committee upon the, 329; A. Newlands, 186; -soluble B, Attempt to Isolate, Dr. J. C. Drummond, 52; Work on, Dr. . C. Drummond, 471 Wattle-tree, Utilisation of Waste Bark of the, 30 Wayfarings, W. J. Jupp, 463 - Weather: Controls over the Fighting during the Spring of 1918, Prof. R. DeC. Ward, 514; over the Fighting in Mesopotamia, etc., Prof. R. DeC. Ward, 251; over the Fighting in the Italian War Zone, Prof. R. , Ward, 92; Forecasts, Possibility of Figg ie J. R. Sutton, 520; Influences on Operations of War, 514: of the Past Spring, The, 190; of June, The, 391; - The Sun and the, Prof. C. G. Abbot, 168 . Webb’s “Celestial Objects,” 2. 2 Weeds, Effect of, upon the Growth of Accompanying Crops, Dr. W. E. Brenchley, 211 5 Weeping Forms of: Elm, W. H. Shrubsole, 365; Trees, - A. H. Church, 38- Welding, Modern Methods of, 105 — Welfare and Housing, J. E. Hutton, 302 West: Africa. An Exhibition of Products and Photographs of, 49; of England, Proposed University for the, 78. Western: Australia, Sub-arid, Formation of Natural fonatomic Liquid, For- the, E. Ariés, 39; Satu- Pressures of, E. Ariés, 460. te Cells in, R. Beer and y ; y I Q tions of, R. T. A. Innes, 153; s of the, J. Evershed, 192 y, Glossary and Notes on, Rev Technique of the, F. I. G. Rawlins, forming Part of a Closed f. the, Admiral Sir H. Jack- istration of, Prof. E. H. Bar- [. Browning, 399; Mechanical, 1, Prof. E. H. Barton, 436, 456; Prof. Omori, nneys, I 36 : Museum of Natural History, New Series . White : f cations: of the, 8 Quarries in, J. T. Jutson, 19; Sub-arid, Influence of Salt on Rock-weathering in, J. T. Jutson, 19; Live- stock Management, Edited by Prof. E. L. Potter and others, 441 Whale: Fishery of South Georgia, The, R. C. Murphy, ‘a70; -fishing, 502; -meat in War Time, W. P. Py- _ eraft. 24 Whales and Seals as Food, Dr} J. Ritchie, 45 Whaling: in the Far South, Dr. S. F. Harmer, 380; Modern, and Bear-hunting, W. G. Burn Murdoch, s@2 Wheat: A Bacterial Disease of, in the Punjab, C. M. Hutchinson, 91; and Grass on the same Land, Growing, 170; Crop, Prospect of this Year’s, 310; Storage, Problems of, 231; Whole, and of Flour, Food Value of, L. Lapicque and J. Chaussin, 59 y Admirals of North America, Mimetic and Men- delian Relationships of the, Prof. E. B. Poulton, sa; Gilbert, Fellowship inaugurated; Dr. W. Martin elected First President, 189 8% Wild Birds’ Protection Acts and Game Laws, Results of, H. S. Gladstone, 172 — ‘ Wire Gages, Principal, Combined Table of Sizes in the, A eg a “Wolf-note,” The, in Pizzicato Playing, C. V. Raman, 264 _ xxxvi ~ 4 ’ Index. Lone % oa a Wolf Planet, The New, G.° Stracke, 30 Wolf's Nova, 52 Wolf’s Periodic Comet ; Ephemeris of, M. ‘easeaany oe t Agi we Wolmer ‘Pond; near’ ‘Liss, Suggested Drainig of, 348 Women in. Munition Factories, Miss O ¥ Wood, Artificial Seasoning of, 362 Wounds, icatrisation of, The Law. Of ts ‘Amar, 80 Wulsty Castle, The ‘Machinery of $.S., 191 Wurtz, Gerhardt and, The Pentenariee: -of, ae sv " Thorpe, 165, ~ isis Spectrometers and the Tange X-ray Spsntruse. Dershem, 480; Tubes, New, Head, - Work -. Resolving Powers of, E. igs 3 | Unit A Mobile, Be Ge: 793. _. England, A. A. Campbell : Swinton, X-rays: Absorption of, E. A. ONte en in Copper ; Aluminium, C. M. Williams, 279 pect ‘ vee sg by, The Asymmetrical istribution. ii A wen . Basis roms C.R. C. _Lyster ae Dr. Se: Russ, 79 Discovery. of, R. Jonckheere, 393, 4793 M. “Kamens Ye onkhduse, 68 79: Protection against, A Biological ¥ 83 E. in |. cand dia- of, dale, Ds Dr. ‘T. ‘Kaburaki, 259 he V. he Me gl eee "THURSDAY, MARCH. - Te AGIOS, oe CAMBRIDGE. STANDARDS OF VALUE. idge Essays on Education. Edited by Dr. Br . Benson. With an Introduction by the Rt. 4 Viscount Bryce. Pp. xix+ 232. (Cam- ; Ls 2 ee At the University Press, 1917.) Price H. a8 essays, with one notable exception, con- titute am appreciation and a defence of a -elassical education. They set forth all that is best ‘in classical and literary studies, and abound in stimulating © thoughts and provocative theories. Bi ts with one exception, the writers have no great belief in scientific studies; though Cambridge essays, they do not represent Cambridge thought, of which Mr. Bateson assures us the dominant forces come from the scientific school. Even the Dean of St. Paul’s, who has natural leanings be thin—like the air on the mountain-tops—whilst he admits that they are pure and bracing. But with all this fear of science there is in most of the essays the feeling of an unfulfilled hope, which is not allayed. by the somewhat forced and arti- ficial methods with which the writers seek to .They have that _ stimulate interest in literary studies. ‘great possessions, but something is lacking ; outlook of science. It will be admitted that the savant of such mighty: things as modern scientific discoveries ‘hema be expected to awaken a new curiosity 4 with it a new revelation. But un- fortunately the outlook and aims of science are little understood and are confused with other motives. Mr. Paton, for example, declares science ‘to be the embodiment of materialism: The ner century, with all its brilliant achievement — | scientific discovery, was, he tells us, Spiritually. a failure. He is probably mixing up science with what he sees around him in business. Sir John McClure, who writes on vocational training and is so distrustful: of it, does the same. He quotes NO. 2£22. VoL. ror! thinking of | | Laven. WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED FOURNAL OF SCIENCE. ; “To the solid ground Of Nature trusts the mind which builds for aye.”—Worpswortu. with approval from the eaten which Mr. Apuihbeg addressed to the Headmasters’ Association. But Mr. Hichens is not thinking of science; he is ‘business. ’ For high business capacity’ he does not want a man trained in science ; he wants him trained in classics, to be a man of ‘ability and of moral strength of character. This is one type. For research he will employ a man trained in science. The difference arises from the existence of these two types of men; and these types, Mr. Bateson candidly tells us, scarcely know each other—their outlook and methods are div erse, and this diversity affects thought, ways of looking at things, and mental interests. One type is possessive, as Mr, Russell might say, the other creative. Mr. Hichens is, naturally enough, thinking of the ‘conventional qualifications of the governing type; but in the changing order of affairs it is not so certain that | ‘towards science, pronounces scientific studies to _ this type will be able to deal with the new relation- ships which are in rapid process of development. At any rate, men of this kind are in full power in the State, in Government offices, and in many | business affairs, and they have not prevented | strikes, -semething, students of science may claim, is the — the knowledge, not of facts, or. wars, or revolutions; and at the moment their methods and aims and powers are in a fair way towards paralysis. Who can tell whether the men of research will not be called from. their laboratory to save and reconstruct the State ? ‘The rapture of the forward view,’’ which Dean Inge quotes as belonging to science more than to any other study, is much needed to-day. if we are to be saved from disaster. Dr. Inge discusses many important educational problems. He re- minds us that the aims of education should be but of the relative value of them, and he insists on training the reasoning faculties, and not in placing faith in in- tuition. He even traces the instinct of acquisitive- ness, so prevalent amongst the governing and possessive classes, to the absence of trained reason. No one, he says, who had formed’ any reasonable estimate of the relative values of life would devote his time to exploiting his neighbours. It is a-question, however, whether too much reli- B a NATURE [Marcu 7, 1918 ance may not be placed on reasoning—for the value of things, which are the premises, may change. : ‘ Dr. Inge apparently does not believe in change of values, and is thereby led to distrust democracy and pin his faith to aristocraticism. Democracy in education, he tells us, is a leveller, and its tendency is to level down all superiorities in the name of equality and good fellowship. This may be the appearance of it under its present state of bondage, but it is not the true, effective democracy. Democracy in education means the opening of education to everyone, and it is along these lines that reconstruction of education must follow. At present the education and codes of the public schools are aristocratic. Democracy means the opening of education to every boy or girl, the raising of the weakest, the multiplying of educa- tional opportunities to give scope for individual capacities; it means the introduction of scientific and technical studies, and the extension of the method to literature and to art. Democracy means change of values, and this change is at the root of science education. Mr. Bateson, in a fine pas- sage, reveals the vital influence of science. Natural knowledge is destined to give man not only a direct control of the material world, but new inter- pretations of higher problems. Those who have grasped the meaning of science, especially biological science, are feeling after new rules of conduct. He continues :— The general ignorance of science has lasted so long that we have virtually two codes of right and duty, that founded on natural truth and that emanating from tradition, which almost alone finds public expression in this country. :Whether we look at the cruelty which passes for justice in our criminal courts, at the pro- longation of suffering which custom demands as a part of medical ‘ethics, at this very question of education, or indeed at any problem of social life, we see ahead and know that science proclaims wiser and gentler creeds. The. two essays of Dr. Inge and Mr. Bateson should be carefully studied. Dr. Benson writes pleasantly and suggestively on imagination, or, strictly speaking, literary imagination, not the imagination which science provokes; and the Headmaster of Sherborne fol- lows with an essay on the place of literature -in education. Both essays are enjoyable reading. We wish, however, that Dr. Benson would add scientific’ and technical work to his curriculum, with workshops laboratory, agriculture, and his own methods of literary and artistic teaching; then he would have no need for hobbies, and the “way of play ” would be transferred to the more delightful “way of work.” Space will only permit of brief reference to th other important questions discussed in these essays. The neglect of science, the alarming absence of the science outlook in the State services, the cramping effects of examinations, are the agitating questions of the day. Uninspired by the science outlook, the Consultative Committee of the Board of Education gives as a reason for recon- struction that men must continue to work in order °: NO. 2523, VOL. 101] | } | that our great firms may make money, or wages — will go down; and knowing that» the Board _ itself had killed the people’s higher grade — schools, it makes the remarkable statement — that the scholarship method of passing from — the elementary to the secondary schools is too — firmly rooted in the mind of the country to be — dislodged. We believe that these opinions are due — to the neglect of science and to the absence of — men of the scientific type. But how can we get — scientific ideas into the life of the nation? We — agree with Mr. Bateson that to replace Greek — by chemistry, or to force ‘“‘science for all”? into — the public schools, is only playing with the ques- — tion. What is wanted is that science on a large — and comprehensive practical and technical scale should be taught in the schools, so that boys of scientific aptitude and tastes may revel in in- — spiring fields of research and study. The schools — would then turn out a race of men with new ideals inspired by the “onward march.” Such men. would be able to govern, but in a different way. WEBB’S “CELESTIAL OBJECTS,” | Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes. By the Rev. T. W. Webb. Sixth edition, thoroughly — ' revised by the Rev. T. E. Espin. Vol. i, pp. ‘xx+253;, vol. ii., pp. vilit+320. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1917.) Price 7s. 6d. net each. MEN the first part of the fifth. edition of this book appeared in 1893 we were not alone in finding fault. with the way in which, to avoid alteration of Webb’s work, most of the correction, revision, and amplification was relegated to an irritating series of footnotes. Old readers prob- ably had an earlier edition if they desired undiluted Webb; new ones could scarcely be attracted by such a cumbersome device. Yet, after an interval — of nearly a quarter of a century, an interval as great as that between Webb’s own second edition and the Espin-Webb fifth edition, we find the very same fault repeated with all the aggravation due — to the increasing number and importance of these ~ footnotes. We must attribute the blame to the — editor or the publisher, as we may easily acquit Messrs. Denning and Phillips, who provide so many of these important additions and corrections, © of any choice in the form of their presentation. We feel that a great opportunity has been lost. A book of the kind being wanted, the appearance of this ‘‘revision’’ may very well discourage the production of a more. consistent work. a ae The main part of this edition is very similar to — the last, with which we dealt some twenty-four — years ago. Some of our objections have been © met by correction, and others ignored. The second — volume, for which Mr. Espin took responsibility in — the fifth edition, in which for the first time it was. — printed separately, has certainly benefited by the — adoption of some of the suggestions then made — by Mr. Lewis, whose hints are acknowledged in — the preface, inasmuch as more recent measures. of binary stars are now incorporated; in fact, many were specially observed for this edition. a NATURE A v tl It is more ambitious, and aims inclusion of much that cannot by any stretch ination be considered applicable to the m telescopes’’ for which the work was _ planned. The index still fails to reach s ideal, though that of the southern to Mr. Innes, is much more complete. first volume fhere.is much to be found able in its advance upon the earlier if "The out-of-date charts of Mars and the ) replaced by the excellent drawings of adi and “Goodacre, but the valuable addi- tes on the lunar formations, instead of rated with the body of this section, of the best in the book, are put separ- endix. ng size of instruments in the hands © second volume, naturally accounts I n of a section dealing with the . “and ‘Mr. Franks has given a fairly < of his on the moving wire. It bad clock driving by confining -slow-motion rod may compel the at one - his oe wires | as fixed. € some Etasatis misprints (e. g- nubule , ang -Melothe for Melotte), but we select ble of a blemish in the original work footnote or otherwise the extrava- n p. 233; where we find once sions “inconceivable velocity ”’ e greatest marvels of the universe ’ the simple effect of perspective as the 343 passed from one side of the sun « ed from the earth. ‘ W. W. B. Ne BOOKSHELF. uic and other Tables.. By Dr. W. nwin. Sixth edition. 43 pp. N. Spon, Ltd., 1917.) Price 1 calculations in cases where y is ‘unnecessary, and are selected ‘neering problems. That the book service to many engineers is evident ate it has reached its sixth edition. vor tio al parts) of numbers up to 9999, + four pages, being followed by anti- a prrgonometrical tables for the | for intervals of one minute. Several ow, which are adapted for simplifying ‘ering calculations, such as squares, cubes, roots, cube roots, hyperbolic logarithms, f fall to produce a given velocity, and due to falling from a given height. . 2523, VOL. 101 | There are also included tables of areas and circumfer- ences of circles, and a segment table, as well as tables of weights of engineering materials., In ad- dition, the book contains a large number of factors for conversion from the British to the metric system, and vice versa. The usefulness of a set of mathematical tables depends very greatly upon the facility with which the information required can be obtained, and the arrangement of the present set leaves little to be desired in this respect. Health in Camp. By Dr. A. T. Nankivell. Pp. ix+84. (The Chadwick Library.) (Lon- don: Constable and Co., Ltd., 1917.) Price Is. net. Tuis little book is an amplification of a series of Chadwick Trust Lectures delivered by the author three years ago. It gives in simple language which can be understood by the veriest tyro an outline of camp sanitation. and how to ensure health in camp. The author throughout em- phasises the use of the simplest materials and those which are to hand. For example, a grease trap at a washing place may be constructed as follows: A large biscuit tin or oil-drum without a top has a few holes pierced at the bottom. The tin is then filled with heather, gorse, bracken, or _ wood shavings, and the soapy water is poured in at the top. The water passes through into an earth drain, leaving the fat behind. The bracken, heather, etc., are removed twice a day and burnt in the camp ‘incinerator. The empty food tins and incinerator ashes of the camp may be utilised for path-making, and bully-beef or biscuit tins may be built up one upon another so as to make a firm and well-acting incinerator. Final chapters deal with insect pests and the minor ailments of camp life, including the important item of the care of the feet. We feel sure that this book will be useful and interest- ing to all those who live a life in camp, whether they be soldiers, boy scouts, or the less preten- tious dwellers in caravans. Rustic Sounds.and other Studies in Literature and Natural History, By Sir Francis Darwin: Pp. 231. (London: John Murray, 1917.) Price 6s. net. A very real, if somewhat elusive, charm attaches | to most well-finished works the creation of which is felt instinctively to have been a labour of love. ‘Rustic Sounds and other Studies ” possesses this quality in a marked degree, and the essays them- selves suggest the pleasant conversation of a friend who is drawing on the resources of ripened experi- ence, which he desires to share with others. A cer- tain note of personal intimacy seems to run through the whole volume, and even such debat- able matters as the proper aims, means, and ob- jects of education are discussed in such a way that even those who may differ from the author will. scarcely seek to quarrel with him. . It is, however, when touching on_ those branches of plant physiology which he has him- self so successfully cultivated that Sir Francis Darwin appears perhaps at his best. The ease 4 NATURE | MARCH 1) 4908 with which he makes recondite matters plain and the living atmosphere with which he surrounds his subject can scarcely fail to excite a response in everyone who is not utterly dead to intellectual stimulus. The volume is essentially one Photographic Determination of the Altitude of the Aurora of December 16, 1917, in Christiania. It may be of interest to readers of Nature to know’ that I succeeded in obtaining photographs of the a series of simultaneous aurora of December 16 last from to possess, for every be read with interest, whilst its graceful style will surely com- mend it to a wide circle of friends. yy eae ek s page can LETTERS TO°“THR EDITOR. |The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or io cor- respond with the writers of, re- jected manuscripts intended. for this or any other part of NATURE. No notice is taken of anonymous communications. | The Stimulation of Plant-growth by Electric Fields. THE experiments on the electric stimulation of vegetable growth, initiated in this country by Sir Oliver Lodge and others, are gener- ally held to have given a substantial result. But there does not seem to be any definite view among botanists and experi- menters as to the way in which it is brought about. It appears that present practice is to fix a horizontal network of wires ten yards apart at a height of five yards above the ground, and to maintain it at an electric potential of 120,000 volts. This gives a vertical field of about 200 volts per centimetre, which is not far from a.hundred times the order of magnitude of the natural: atmospheric gradient. The procedure suggests that it is the field of force that is expected to produce the stimulation. The comparatively trifling amount of electricity that leaks from the wires into the atmo- sphere could scarcely produce directly any sensible effect. It has, of course, been surmised for a long time that one function of spicules and edges and . hairs on. vegetation may be to promote discharge into the atmospheric electric field. Although electrostatic dis- charge is a surface phenomenon, the growing points may “thus be stimulated by the electric field, there very highly concentrated. A positive gradient ‘might con- ceivably have a different effect from a negative one. The discharge would go on at the enhanced rate due the earth. to the increased field, even if the wire grating were protected entirely from leakage. In that case no motive power would be required to maintain its poten- tial, notwithstanding the current that is produced. No paradox is thereby involved. If the atmosphere were absolutely still, the current would pass from the earth to the wires, and leakage would be an essential part of it. But actually the electric discharge from the spicules of the vegetation is mainly borne away on the breeze, and whatever power is needed to sustain the action is contributed from the energy of the wind. It would appear that effective observations might go on even in the limited space of an ordinary green- house, using a grating attached to a static source of potential. : Cambridg rs NO.’ 2523, VOL. , February 14. IOI | Fic. 1.—Aurora rays, Decémber 16, 1917, 2th. gm. G.M.T., shotigsenlan sicabltedlegaily from Christiania (left) and Aas (right). The rays reached down to a height of 100 kilometres above Stars of the Great Bear constellation afe seen in the photograph. two stations—Christiania and Aas, twenty-eight kilo- metres from each other. The measures give altitudes oe the same Fic. 2.—Corona, December 16, 1917, 21h. rom. G.M.T, in Christiania. Exposure two seconds. to the right. Stars of the constellation Auriga are seen those obtained in Bossekop in 1913—that is, about roo km. for the lower border of rays and curtains-~ This agrees -with other measurements of the aurora order as’ =» /Marcu 7, 1918 | NATURE 5 | of February 15, 1917, with the same BAas. It seems, then, that the cosmic = aurora have the same penetrability as those causing ) the aurora in the aurora zone, and that the southern ' Situation is due to systems of corpuscular currents out- side the earth, currents which are also’ the principal bause of the accompanying magnetic storms (see my emoir in the Archives des sciences physiques et tuyelles,; Geneva, 1911-12). The photographs were taken with plates’ only sensi- ive fo blue and violet rays. As red rays occurred base, Christiania- rays causing the 2 “ Ae a: 3 ‘Fic. -—Corona, Deceinber 16, 1917, 2th. 11m. G.M.T. in Christiania. _ Stars of the constellation Perseus are seen near the centre, and Capella appears near the left border, though its image is deformed owing to the short focus lens used. ring the aurora, no measurements of these interest- phenomena were obtained. I have written to gland for red sensitive plates, and if I succeed in ring them further important results may be ob- ined, $0) ; ; The illustrations represent a pair of photographic fiews of aurora rays, and photographs of the corona, nowing that the rays are curved a little in their upper ts, which extend to about 400 km. above the earth. ie CaRL STORMER. _ University of Christiania, January 28. Ree ; | Eastern and Western Asymmetry of Solar Prominences. REGARDING the suggested physical origin of a’ seem- g predominance of solar. prominences seen on the ast limb as compared with the west limb, referred to in Natoure. of. Januar I, p. 425, allow me. to. direct ¥ 31,.P- 425 5 . ! : : : ‘attention to numerous observations | have made which leave: no. doubt as to a predominance of deflection effects on and near the east limb. being mostly to the Violet; whereas west of the central meridian and on the "West limb they: are mostly towards the red. This “feature is confirmed by the observations of M. Des- _landres, and an illustrated account is given by him in /the Paris Comptes rendus, tome 155, p- 1573 (séance du 30 décembre, 1912). » The deflection effects recently ‘reported in the Astro- hysical Journal by Mr. F. Ellerman, are, in my ' opinion, the spectroscopic disc representation of the » brilliant, and in most cases radially set, sharp ‘‘ spikes ”’ ) which an active area invariably exhibits when passing NO. 2523, VOL. 101] . the limbs. I have seen the short-lived brilliant effects on the disc very often and their quick subsidence into dusky and dark forms, the brilliant initial. outburst and its dusky sequence being distinctly punctuated by a very brief interval of partial or entire invisibility, owing to the luminosity passing the stage of that of the general disc itself. The life of -the “spikes,” when seen on the limb, is of the same brevity, and the identity of the two phenomena has long since been recognised by me from these observations and their interpretation. ALBERT ALFRED Buss, >? “= Egerton Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, February 26. A-GRAHAM BELL TELEPHONE MEMORIAL, HE Duke of Devonshire, Governor-General of Canada, on behalf of the Bell Memorial Committee; presented on October 24, 1917, to the town of Brantford, Ontario, a public park which will be known as the Alexander Graham Bell Gar- dens, the house in which the invention of the tele- phone was made, and a memorial monument. to the inventor himself. For the accompanying photograph of the memorial we are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. G. H. Grosvenor, editor of the National Geographic Magazine of Washington. It is by the sculptor, W. S. Allward, and is alle- gorical, The figure on each side,. one representing | the speaker and the other the listener, is in bronze, © and mounted on a granite pedestal. The panel on the crest of the memorial represents ‘‘ Humanity in communication,” the three shadowy figures being Knowledge, Joy, and Sorrow. They are bound together by lines representing telephone wires, the curved outline of the upper part of the monument representing the curvature of the earth. On the right and left are two circular panels in- scribed as follows: “Opus Telephonica Patri Dedicatum Est ” and “Mundus Telephonica Usu Recreatus Est.’’ Underneath the central panel are the words: “To commemorate the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in Brantford in 1874.” We congratulate the Canadians on_ having acquired such an interesting memorial of the great inventor. Dr. Bell’s invention laid the foundation of a great and flourishing industry, which employs many hundreds of thousands of men and women, and in which many hundreds of millions of pounds are invested. He is one whom every man _ of science and engineer delights to honour. It is interesting to remember that Dr. Bell’s father, Mr. Alexander Melville Bell, the inventor of a well-known “visible speech’’ system, was for many years a lecturer on elocution in Edinburgh, His mother was a daughter of Surgeon Symonds, R.N. He himself was born in 1847, and educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh. When fourteen years old he came to London, and was instructed by his grandfather, Alexander Bell, in elocution and the mechanism of speech. He was a teacher at Weston House Academy, Elgin, for a year, and then entered Edinburgh University, where he studied Latin under Sellar and Greek under Blackie. After being a schoolmaster again at Elgin ae : NATURE [Marcu 7, 1918 ‘ and also at Somerset College, Bath, he became assistant to his'father, who was then lecturer on ‘elocution in University College, London. — In 1868-7o Dr. Bell matriculated at London Uni- versity and attended medical classes at University College. As he was very delicate and as two of his brothers had died from tuberculosis, his father decided to emigrate to Canada in the hope of sav- ing his life, and took a house at Brantford, near Tutela Heights, Ontario. In 1871 Dr. Bell gave instruction to the teachers of deaf-mute children in Boston, and in'1873 he was appointed professor of physiology at Boston University. Dr. Bell began his career as an inventor very early. When sixteen years of age he invented a method of removing husks from wheat, and in conjunction with one of his brothers made a speak- ing automaton. In 1874 he invented a system of harmonic multiple telegraphy, and greatly 1m- proved his “articulating telephone.’’ Amongst his ! him fame and wealth, he is one of the most modest — of men. As he is only seventy-one years of age, — we hope that he will yet be spared for a long time, so that he may see the great expansion of the tele- — phone industry which we anticipate in the imme- — diate future. A. -R, THE. RADIO-ACTIVITY OF SOME CANADIAN MINERAL SPRINGS. 1 J. SATTERLEY, whose work on the radio- activity of the atmosphere, of river and well — waters, and of the ocean is well known, and Mr. R. T. Elworthy, of the Canadian Department of — Mines, in Bulletin No. 16, part i., issued by that — department, report’ on the radio-activity of forty- seven mineral springs and twenty-three deep-well waters of the Dominion, the chemical character and composition of which are later to be dealt with A \ fl i 3 Memorial erected at Brantford, Ontario, to commemorate the invention of the telephone. Ny . later inventions we may mention the photophone, the induction balance, the telephone probe, the spectrophone, and, with C. A. Bell, the grapho- phone. In 1903 he invented tetrahedral kites, and in conjunction with the Aerial Experiment Asso- ciation (1903-8) suggested numerous improve- ments in connection with aeroplanes. The outcome of their joint work was the “Red Wing,’’ which made the first public flight in America at Hants- port, Mass., in March, 1908. This country was in no hurry to honour Dr. Bell. It was not until 1906 that Oxford Uni- versity made him a Doctor of Science, and not until 1913 that the Royal Society gave him a Hughes medal and the Institution of Electrical Engineers made him an honorary member. Surely never were honours better deserved. He is held in universal esteem by electricians the world ,over, and although his inventions have brought NO. 2523, VOL. 101] ' terised usually by the absence of dissolved radium, activity, a hypothesis which, on account of the . high radio-activity of many of the spas, celebrated — ee eee a ates in part ii. The examination was undertaken’ in view of the belief that the therapeutic value of — mineral waters may be ascribed to their radio- from very early times, and the lack of virtue in the same water, transported from the spa, or waters artificially prepared to identical chemical composition, is certainly a plausible one. The content of the water, both in radium emana-_ tion, which, of course, disappears spontaneously ey on keeping, and in radium itself, which acts as a — permanent source of fresh emanation, has been — investigated, the Canadian’ waters being charac- — although frequently possessing relatively consider- — able amounts of the emanation. Fifty of the — springs and wells examined were situated in — eastern Ontario and western Quebec, a map of © ) ARCH 7, 1918} NATURE 7 district showing their location, but at a later well-known hot springs of Banff, at the tern gate of the Canadian Pacific railway across a: were also included and found to be radio-active of those yet examined in Very full and clear descriptions and Ae vs are given, together with plates of twenty- the springs. The unit of measurement s the scientific one, either 10-” curie of jon, or 10-™ gram of radium per litre of spectively. waters contained from little or nothing units of emanation, averaging 60 units venty-three examined, dissolved radium detectable. For comparison may be gures 130 and 196 units obtained by or two of the well waters of Cambridge The springs, excluding those of Banff, on the average for forty, 120 units, ing the highest. For these the dis- tid was usually very small, rarely ex- “10 units; but two springs were the Philuder spring of St. Hyacinthe, 46 units—the highest recorded bad “Magic ”’ spring, eight miles with 25 units. All the seven -xamined were uniformly high in 400, units, the radium content being | the exception of the “Auto-road ”’ uits, which also had the highest _. Estimates of the flow are 1e cases the gases evolved were n for emanation and by chemical with the most radio-active springs Ph icl as those of St. Joachimsthal, near mous pitchblende deposits, at Plombiéres (England), and the hot springs of yne Park and Arkansas, or of the e spas celebrated for their medicinal f the Canadian springs are so radio- ter of the Ring: s Well, Bath, for tent « of 139. The Quebec and Ontario however, of the same order in emana- T Banff springs are regarded as re- Felosely the Bath springs both in mineral with an emanation content about one- one-fifth as great. Banff being probably o its magnificent surroundings, it is sug- that the hot springs should be utilised in inner now adopted at Bath. No results obtained such as might indicate the existence o-active minerals in the neighbourhood of Ir a ‘Canada being apparently exception- F. S. ‘of the method of testing and apparatus em- | PROF. E. A. LETTS. OF. E. A. LETTS, of Queen’s University, Belfast, died on February 19 in his sixty- sixth year as the result of a cycling accident in the Isle of Wight. After a distinguished career at King’s College, London, in Vienna and Berlin, Prof. Letts was appointed chief assistant at Edinburgh University in 1872 at the early age of twenty. Four years later he became the first professor of chemistry at University College, Bristol, and in 1879 he was appointed professor of chemistry at Queen’s College, Belfast, in succession to the late Thomas Andrews, F.R.S., which position he held until failing health compelled him to resign early last year. Prof. Letts was a man of singular personal charm, and inspired immense respect and affec- tion in his students, to whom he was not merely the kindly teacher, but also the sympathetic friend. who interested himself in all their affairs. He took a large part in establishing the Students’ Union in Belfast, and was also prominently identified with the ‘Better Equipment Fund, which aimed at raising 100,000l. locally for the provision of laboratories and other essential needs of the college. What this fund has meant to the college only those. can appreciate who studied or taught under the conditions prevailing before its incep- tion. The scientific work of Prof. Letts covered much ground. He possessed great experimental skill, and an out-of-the-way problem, or one involving an unusual amount of manipulative dexterity, attracted his immediate interest. Early in his career he did much work upon the troublesome group of the phosphines. Later, he devoted some attention to the accurate determination of carbon dioxide in water and air, with the result that he was asked to devise the methods to be employed by the first Scott Antarctic Expedition in exam- ining the atmosphere, and to report upon the — results obtained. Prof. Letts was best known, however, as an authority on questions connected with the pollution of rivers, especially of estuaries and tidal waters. During his thirty-seven years’ tenure of the chair of chemistry at Belfast he had - ample opportunity for the study of the problems associated with the rapid growth of the city and the insanitary conditions that afterwards de- veloped in the upper reaches of Belfast Lough. These investigations, extending over many years, led to the publication of several papers on points of scientific interest, which were inquired into by Prof. Letts and his students. Perhaps the more interesting of these discuss the relation of the marine alga Ulva latissima to the nitrogen content of the water in which it grows. The decay of this seaweed on the foreshores of the Lough was © found to be the cause of the nuisance rather than the direct pollution of the water by sewage. At the request of the Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal, Prof. Letts, in collaboration with Dr. 8 oe NAT ORE {Marcu 7, 1918 | W. E. Adeney, made an extensive survey of the more important estuaries around the British coasts, in order to obtain data on the question of standards for tidal waters in relation to offensive putrefaction and injury to fish. The results of this inquiry, together with much other relevant matter, were published in 1908 as an appendix to the Fifth Report of the Commission, and form a document of first importance, which has become classic in this branch of ‘work. As the recognised authority on estuarine pollution, Prof. Letts took part in many Local Government Board inquiries and legal proceedings connected with his subject. ae NOTES. Tue: following fifteen candidates have been selected by the council of the Royal Society to be recommended for election into the society :-—Charles Bolton, Henry C. H. Carpenter, Thomas A. Chapman, Gerald P. L. Conyngham, C.. Clifford Dobell, Ernest Gold, Henry B. Guppy, Albert G. Hadcock, Archibald V. Hill, James C. Irvine, Thomas Lewis, Srinivasa Ramanu- jan, Arthur W. Rogers, Samuel Smiles, and Frank E. Smith. THE meeting of the British Association, which it was hoped would be held in Cardiff this year, has been cancelled, The Local Committee has reluctantly de- cided that satisfactory arrangements could not be made to ensure success for the meeting, and has sent a resolution to that effect to the council of the associa- tion. The council has accepted this view, so that for two years in succession the annual assembly of workers in all departments of science will not take place. Sir Arthur Evans has consented to occupy the office of president for another year, and there will be a statutory meeting in London on July 5 to receive reports of com- mittees and transact other business, but otherwise the corporate life of the association will continue in a state of suspended animation, though there never has been a more favourable time than now to make the nation realise the debt it owes to science for the suc- .cessful conduct of the war and the need for unceasing scientific activity to prepare for the industrial struggle which the future must bring. For the last three years the Royal Society of Edin- burgh has adopted a new method for electing new fellows. The date of election is the first Monday of March of each year, and all candidates recommended by fellows must have their forms of recommendation sent in before the end of the preceding November. | Since ithis- improved method was adopted the general interest in the election has greatly increased, the num- ber of new fellows each year varying from sixteen to twenty-one. At the meeting held on March 4 ‘the following were elected fellows of the society :—D. Bal- sillie, F. J. Blight, A. Bremner, J. M. Campbell, A. S. Dodd, T. L. Galloway, W. F. Gray, P. S. Hardie, J. R. L. Kingon, G. J. Lidstone, J. D. McCulloch, W. Mackie, W. P. Paterson, G. W. Tyrrell, C. Whyte, and J. T. Wight. Tue King has given orders for the appointment of Surgeon-General Sir Alfred Keogh, G.C.B., to the Order of the Companions of Honour for services in connection with the war. WE regret to see the announcement in the Morning Post that Prof. P. Blaserna, Vice-President of the Senate, and professor of experimental physics in the University of Rome, died on February 26, at eighty- two years of age. ; ¥ NO. 2523, VOL. 101] in Ireland, value tool., the medical profession. Tue triennial Henry Saxon Snell prize of the Royal ~ Capt. J. C. McWattrr, of Dublin, has been awarded e | the Carmichael prize of the Royal College of Surgeons ~ for an essay on the state of ~ Sanitary Institute, consisting of a medal and the sum of fifty guineas, will be awarded this year for an essay = and. 4 on “‘ Suggestions for Improvements in Apparatus Appliances for Dealing with House Refuse.” Tue fourth Guthrie Lecture of the Physical Society of London will be delivered at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 22, at the Imperial College of Science, South Kensington, by Prof. J. C. McLennan, of the Univer- sity of Toronto. Spectra.”’ a Ir is stated in the Times that Capt. Roald Amund- sen intends to leave Norway this summer in his new Arctic vessel Maud, which has been specially built for : his attempt to reach. the North Pole. The vessel is provisioned and fitted out for a seven years’ stay in the ice, but Capt. Amundsen hopes to be back again within four years. a Bee a > rm , We learn that last year the Imperial Museum of Natural History in Vienna began a new series of publications, the Denkschriften, to include larger works needing more extensive illustration than could be attempted in the well-known Annalen. The first - volume is an important monograph by Dr. G. Schlesinger on the remains of Mastodon in the Vienna ‘ Museum, illustrated by thirty-five plates. . . Tue Geological Department of the British Museum (Natural History) -has received as a gift from Mr. — S. L. Wood two portions of Ichthyosaurus showing the skin and other soft parts, from the Lias of Barrow-on-Soar, Leicestershire. paddle seems to have been ornamented with rosettes of dark spots. Among the stomach contents are hook- lets from the arms of. cuttle-fishes which have been eaten. THE following officers and council of the Geological Society have been elected for the ensuing year :— President, G. W. Lamplugh; Vice-Presidents, R. M. Deeley, Dr. A. Harker, Prof. W. J. Sollas, and Sir J. J..H. Teall; Secretaries, Dr. H. H. Thomas and Dr. H. Lapworth; Foreign Secretary, Sir Archibald _Geikie; Treasurer, Dr. J. V. Elsden; Other Members of Cowncil, Dr. C. W. Andrews, Dr. F. A. Bather, Prof. J. Cadman, Dr. A. M. Davies, Prof. E. J. Gar- wood, J. F. N. Green, Dr. F. L. Kitchin, Major H.G. Lyons, Prof. J. E. Marr, R. D. Oldham, R. H. Ras- — tall, Prof. H. H. Swinnerton, S. H. Warren, and Prof. “» W. W. Watts. Tue officers and members of council of the Institute — of Chemistry. for the ensuing year have been elected as: follows :—President, Sir Herbert Jackson; Vice-Presi- dents, H, Ballantyne, W. T. Burgess, C. F. Cross, Sir J. J. Dobbie, Dr. A. Harden, and Sir Robert Robertson; Hon. Treasurer, A. G. Salamon; Members a of Council, E. C. C. Baly, C. O. Bannister, Dr. O. L. Brady, H. C. H. Candy, A. C. Chapman, C. H. Cribb, Dr. J. T. Dunn, E. M. Hawkins, Dr. G. G. Hender- son, P; H. Kirkaldy, H. G. Lacell, Dr. A. Lauder, J. H. Lester, F. J. Lloyd, W. Macnab, Prof. G. T. Morgan, D. Northall-Laurie, G. H. Perry, F. M- Potter, W. Rintoul, H. Silvester, G. Stubbs, Dr. J. F. & L. E. Vilies, E. White, and W. M.G, ‘a Thorpe, T. Tickle, Young. An .extension of the Fourth Northern General : Hospital at Lincoln was opened on March 1 by The subject will be ‘The Origin of The skin of the © ote 5 ty RCH 7, 1918] NATURE 9 Sir William Robertson, who, in the course of oo pointed out the debt which the Army owes ical science and skilful nursing. In past cam- the mortality from sickness and epidemic was great, and was accepted as more or less able; but in the present war, with millions engaged in many different theatres of opera- some of them notoriously unhealthy, there has a Single epidemic of any kind. The achieve- f the Medical Service in this war constitute i spot on a picture which in many respects can regarded only with sorrow and sadness. ty important memorandum is issued by the Agriculture and Fisheries as the sedond report of the Fresh-water Fish Committee. with the economic value of the British eel and deserves the widest publicity during the gs months. There are enormous runs of elvers Britain and Ireland, so much so that many of these fish were formerly exported alive to for cultivation, from one catching depét on ; This depét is now closed, and the Committee that it should be taken over. The eel is the time potentially highly abundant. The ttee is preparing schemes for intensive cultiva- and after the war, and suggests the prob- f a large export trade in the future. All terested in schemes of immediate eel culture ire this report and advice from the Board ure and Fisheries (43 Parliament Street, 5.W.1) or from the Fresh-water Fish Com- address of the secretary of the latter is S. Northcote, 54a Parliament Street, Lon- of the accepted ideas regarding the electric arc ,' rgoing some revision. At the meeting ae eee a aerpeccing Society held on Febru- Li -Com. daydn T. Harrison mentioned several Tespects in which some of the latest high- are searchlights differ from the older types. In the new lamps the intrinsic bril- is as much as 250,000-300,000 c.p. per compared with 80,000-90,000, which nerly considered the limit likely to be attained. ointed out by Mr. A. P. Trotter so long ago the candle-power in any direction from a er can be Siierciined with fair accuracy rt’s law, and that the polar curve of light (neglecting the shadow cast by the nega- ey a circle. This law is so at if photometric measurements, when d, yield a different curve it is proof that the of light is not a plane surface, but convex. high-candle-power searchlight lamp developed the last few years this phenomenon occurs ‘the fact that there is a very deep crater. It fé appears that the gaseous contents of the nto a convex-shaped source of light. | Huco pe Vries, professor of botany in the versity of Amsterdam, has just completed his ieth year. His long connection with the Uni- as been marked by patient and successful in- ons on “sporting ’’ among plants, especially othera Lamarckiana, a plant which had become sed in Holland. His work with Cénothera RE Of November 26, 1908 (vol. Ixxix., p. 101), > Hortus Botanicus at Amsterdam was the of a contribution to our series of ‘‘ Scientific nt . 2523, VOL.: 101] _ 1895, and an article upon it appeared in — had led up to it the “ mutation theory ’’ of evolution originated and developed. Prof. de Vries gave an account of this theory and of his researches in the Masters memorial lectures, which he delivered before the Royal Horticultural Society in 1909 (he was the first Masters memorial lecturer), and his great book, ‘Die Mutationstheorie,’’ has been ably translated into English by Prof. J. B. Farmer and A. D. Darbishire. The fundamental idea of unit characters upon which the whole argument rests has been at the back of almost all recent research into heredity in plants, and the development of Mendel’s work, which had been so long overlooked, was prepared for, and aided not a little by, the researches de Vries made with Ginothera and other plants. This work has had a profound effect upon our outlook towards, and knowledge of, the origin and development of horticultural varieties of plants. In order to mark its appreciation of the great value of this work the council of the Royal Horticultural Society has conferred upon Prof. de Vries one of the Veitch memorial medals—a gold medal awarded only to those whose researches have had, or are likely to have, great influence in the advancement of horticul- | ture. fresh-water fish in these islands which is | AN article in La Nature for February 16, under the title ‘‘ Efficacité des Bombardements Terrestres et Aériens,’’ is worthy of note. The writer remarks that the frequency of air raids has caused no little specula- tion as to the probability of personal danger during such raids. He proceeds.to state the manner in which the laws of probability can be applied to estimate the chance of a shell falling at any particular spot near the target when the mean errors in range and direction are known. Turning to the question of bombardment from the air, figures are quoted from the Aeroplane giving the chances of a person receiving injury, and calculated on the assumption that a certain definite area surrounding the point of impact of a bomb is dangerous, and that bombs are equally likely to fall at any place in London. The results of these calcula- tions were given in the Aeroplane as a table, which La Nature reproduces. The chance of danger is given as one in 150,000 in. open spaces for each bomb dropped, while in a well-built house the chance is of the order of one in 50,000,000. These figures were based on the casualties during raids over London. One obvious weakness of the argument is that the bombs are not equally likely to fall anywhere, so that the danger is proportionately greater to those living near well-defined targets. The writer in La Nature, in applying these figures to Paris, expresses the opinion that the chances of injury are greater in that city than in London. He considers that the protection due to buildings has been over-estimated in the Aeroplane, especially if the buildings are not well constructed. The density of buildings is greater in Paris, and the _ houses are usually higher and more densely peopled. actually boil over, and thus change the plane | Making allowance for these facts, the French writer considers that the dangers in Paris are about twice as great as in London during an aerial bombardment. SOME remarks made in the House of Commons on February 21 by Sir Watson Cheyne, dealing with the question of ‘‘The Medical Aspect of Flying,’’ or, as it would be*more correctly described, “The Physiology of the Airman,’’ have attracted wide attention. While all men of science would doubtless support the in- stitution of a special service to devote attention to the troubles which happen to the airman on account of his ascent to high altitudes, it cannot be too. strongh pointed out that.the problem is essentially one for the physiologist. Naturally, the airman is liable to the numerous other ailments that beset us all, so that the Out of the work and the experiments that ' air medical service requires the inclusion of men with IO NATURE | Marcu e; 1918 a certain knowledge of these. But the most important aspect by far is a thorough acquaintance with all the various forms of distress induced by deficient supply of oxygen. It would seem to the layman, and appar- ently to many medical men also, a rather extraordinary thing that something which appears to concern respira- tion alone should produce vomiting, whereas the excel- lent work of Dr. J. S. Haldane and his collaborators, and of other physiologists also, has shown beyond ques- tion that the multitude of diverse symptoms “caused by high altitude are results, simply and solely, of low oxygen tension, Sir Watson Cheyne is scarcely explicit enough here, and his statement that the lungs are primarily affected may easily be misunderstood. What is needed ' is a-regular and periodic testing of the reactions of the airman to reduced oxygen pressure, and this by the accurate methods of the physiological laboratory. . The nervous factors referred to by Sir Watson Cheyne re- quire investigation at regular intervals by the expert experimental psychologist. The length of the reaction time is so obviously important that it needs no further reference. The effects on the nerve centres of repeated exposure to deficient oxygen need more experimental investigation. It is, however, satisfactory to find that more attention is being given to the preliminary test- ing of men destined for the Air Service. An editorial article entitled “‘Gunfire in’ France, Rainfall in England,’ by’ Dr.-H: R. Mill, in. the February issue of Symons’s Meteorological Magazine, comprises an analysis of the monthly rainfall returns for the south-eastern and north-western districts of the British Isles for the wet period 1909-17, considered in subdivisions. of. two three-year. peace-periods and one three-year . war-period. The’ rainfall for each month and for both regions is given in percentage of the. thirty-five-year average, 1875-1909, the stations utilised being those employed in ‘** British Rainfall,’’ as specially representative’ of the districts. Without ex- hibiting. the data, itis. impossible in the space at our disposal adequately to deal with the salient features of the investigation; suffice it to say that, in Dr.» Mill’s words, '‘‘ they bear very strong evidence to the effect that the abnormalities. of the rainfall of the war-years are merely the natural development of changes which have certainly been at work for nine years, and in one case no less certainly for fifty years.’’ This last refer- ence is to the increasing dryness of September, shown by Dr. Mill to have been a feature of the climatology of the British Isles during the past half-century, and is, indeed, a matter of common observation. Attention is directed to the noteworthy fact that not one of the four war Septembers has had so much as average rainfall.. It is. important, moreover, to observe that while 1915 and 1916 had both an excess rainfall of 21 per cent. in south-east England, 1917 (which cer- tainly witnessed no relaxation in the activity of artil- lery) was a year of nearly normal fall (+4 per cent.). In the same number Mr. F. J. Brodie replies to those who have criticised his treatment in the issue of De- cember, -1917, of the same problem, and incidentally suggests a statistical process by which he considers it might be possible definitely to decide the point at issue. At the annual general meeting of the Institute of Chemistry held-on March 1, Sir James Dobbie, the re- tiring president, said that the past three years have afforded unusual opportunities for. demonstrating the utility of the institute, and the special services which it has rendered in connection with the war have been widely acknowledged. It has done valuable work in introduc- ing suitable candidates for commissions in his Majesty’s Forces where technical knowledge and experience are NO. 2523, VOL. 1o1| securing supplies of such articles seriously menaced of industry—so far as this country is concerned—we “secure the services of workers possessin required, and in providing chemists. for Governmen + | factories, controlled establishments, and laboratories — engaged in war work. Every public department an every branch of the fighting services that requires t aid of the chemist has made use of its services. Th ay institute may fairly claim to have been the chief agent i in mobilising the chemists of the country for war pur- | poses. Since the beginning of the war the institute | has been unremitting in its efforts to ensure to chemists a supply of pure reagents, glass, and porcelain. The — value of the glass research work carried out under — its auspices has been recognised on all sides, and in-— vestigations originally undertaken for purely chemical — purposes have been extended for the benefit of nearly — every branch of the glass industry. The attention of the council has been largely devoted to the revision of — the regulations for admission to the membership of the 4 institute, with the view of promoting complete ofgan-— isation of British professional chemists. Sir James Dobbie hopes the. institute will undertake to maintain — a register for persons engaged in chemistry, but not — necessarily qualified for admission as members. Such an organisation would make it possible, when occa-— sion demanded, for the chemists of the country to — bring their whole weight and influence ‘to bear on questions of national interest. WE have lately received from. “Messrs., Wood. Bros. Glass Co., Ltd., Barnsley, a copy of their new. ptaey at logue of scientific and laboratory | glassware, - ‘coverin a. considerable variety of useful chemical . ap; faratus’t When we recollect that three years ago the difficulty of fc many industries connected with the prosecution of the war, and when we réalise the difficulties which had to be overcome to establish this entirely new branch > may well congratulate the enterprising manufacturers | who have made such.a noteworthy endeavour to pro- vide our chemists with these essential requirements. The production of chemical glassware presented. many unusual problems for solution... In- devising the for- mule for batch mixtures, Messrs: Wood Bros. and other firms have been assisted by the Glass Research Committee of the Institute of Chemistry ; but they have had to provide special plant, machinery, and moulds, to determine the conditions of working, as well as_ to the necessary « technical skill for making many articles of intricate design. With the increasing appreciation of the value of science in’ industry and the extension of science teaching in our schools, the demand ‘for: laboratory glassware is likely to be far greater than it has been — in the past, and we hope that every encouragement will — be given to the British makers who have achieved — such success in spite of the serious obstacles with — which they have been confronted. We hope, too, that it is thoroughly recognised by this time that this country _ i must be able to supply its own needs in this direction, — : 4 : and that the industry must therefore be properly. protected in order that it may become so well estab- i lished here that there will be no inclination or necessity to look to other countries to provide us with anything | of the kind. We shall look forward to seeing Farag issues of Messrs. Wood Bros.’ catalogue, and anticipate — that in the course of the present year the range of production will be substantially, extended. Ir is a matter of common experience in the fatten- — ing of cattle that the gain in live-weight secured per — unit of feed consumed diminishes as the fattening pro- : gresses. Of the various causes that may contribute ~ to this result the one that is perhaps most commonly E) regarded as being mainly responsible is the supposed ~ = RCH 7, 1918] NATURE | M1 lent utilisation of feed bythe fattened as com- the thin animal, the unit of a resorbed ucing, according to this view, less fat in ter case, while the heat production of the body ye Correspondingly greater. In order to test this a direct comparison of the utilisation of feed bye same animal in ordinary condition and ell fattened an investigation has been carried ssrs. H. P. Armsby and J. A. Fries at the Animal Nutrition of the Rennsylvania State of Agricultural Research, vol. xi., No. 10. No * was found in the efficiency of digestion of the animal in lean or fat condition, nor any measurable difference in the percentage ‘gross energy of the feed which was meta- e. The heat increment resulting from the con- of a unit of feed was but little greater, and tly the net energy value of the feed but , in the fattened than in the unfattened The increased maintenance requirement of d as compared with the lean steer was | corresponded with the increase in weight puted body surface. The lower economic ‘the fattened animal in this experiment s due chiefly to his higher maintenance require- y to a small extent, if at all, to a differ- tilisation of the surplus of feed above requirement. board ship is described by Mr. A. L. » Journal of the Washington Academy of ecember 19, 1917 (vol. vii., No. 21). It is 1 of the total immersion hydrometer, and 8° S10 4 of the water to be tested, and gives per on “Switchgear Standardisation ”’ 5. C. Garrard read to the Institution of Engineers on February 21 many subjects scussed which are of special interest at the time. In connection with research, Dr. Gar- pinted out that while the Department of Scien- id Industrial Research expends a few hundred “switching and arcing,’’ a single Berlin recently expended about a hundred times as building a laboratory for the specific purpose oil switches alone. He suggests that the industry and the Government should co- for the pu of providing a national high- esearch and standardising laboratory. We'see m, however, why existing laboratories should utilised in the first place to the fullest possible ‘Several grandiose schemes on a similar scale been discussed by various committees recently. all start with the assumption that generous NO. 2523, VOL. 101] 5 ay results of which are published in the . ent for the determination of sea-water. financial support will be given by the Government. In the discussion several speakers pointed out that standardisation has its limitations. It would be foolish, for instance, to standardise devices which are being improved from day to day. Such a procedure ° would simply mean the placing of an embargo on invention. Mutual co-operation is in every way desir- able, but when interests are antagonistic it cannot be obtained. To force private firms to pool their in- formation for the general good would in many cases simply amount to confiscation of capital ; it is only human that manufacturers should desire to keep their trade secrets. The question also as to how far it is desir- able to make devices ‘‘ fool-proof ’’ was discussed. The general opinion was that the great series of campaigns originated in America with the cry of ‘safety first” has now gone too far. To expend ingenuity in mak- ing devices “fool-proof’ is desirable, but to try to make them absolutely ‘‘ fool-proof’’ is in many cases pure waste of time. ; From the specific gravities of certain substances, that of water at different temperatures, and those of the solutions of these substances in water, Mr. J. -N. Rakshit has calculated the contraction of volume resulting when a fixed quantity of each sub- stance is dissolved in increasing quantities of water. The results are tabulated in the Proceedings of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (vol. iii., part iv.), the substances dealt with being hydro- — chloric, sulphuric, nitric, formic, acetic, and tartaric acids ; stannic and sodium chlorides ; ammonia, sodium, and potassium hydroxides; methyl, ethyl, propyl, iso- butyl. and isoamyl alcohols, glycerol, phenol, dextrose, levulose, maltose, invert- and .cane-sugars, acetone, chloral hydrate, acetonitrile, and nicotine. Study of the figures obtained shows that in some cases the con- traction of volume increases with the increase in dilu- tion, but in several others. as the dilution increases a point of maximal contraction is observed. The maxi- mum contractions are constants, and different for different substances. In the cases of sodium chloride and of acetic and sulphuric .acids the contraction of volume at all dilutions diminishes as the temperature rises. It is not yet known whether this phenomenon is due to differences in the coefficients of expansion of water and of the solute. A NEw book by Sir Ray Lankester is being brought out by Messrs. Methuen and Co., Ltd., entitled ‘Secrets of Earth and Sea,’ in which the following subjects will be dealt with:—The mammoth 4s drawn by those who lived with it; the ‘ rostro-carin- ates ’’—the earliest works of man; Vesuvius in erup- tion; pond-life; gregarines and malaria; a mere worm (the earth-worm); what is meant by a species; the classification of animals; geological strata; about fishes (flying-fish, climbing-fish, blind-fish, cave-fish, deep-sea fish); the races of man; Darwinism and war ; German culture; spider-sense and nonsense; belief and evidence; the Svastika. Other books in Messrs. Methuen’s new list are :—‘‘Glossary and Notes on Vertebrate Palzontology,’’ the Rev. S. A. Pelly; “The Fisheries of the North Sea,’? N. Green; and “ Food and Garden,’’ H. A. Day. ee CaTALOGUE No. 71, just issued by Messrs. Dulau and Co., Ltd., 37 Soho Square, W.1, contains par- ticulars of books and papers from the library of the late Dr. A. M. W. Downing, and other sources. It refers in the main to works on. astronomy and astro- physics, but also gives the titles of books relating to © engineering, geology, and mathematics, . Le NATURE [Marcu 7, 1918 OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. ENcCKE’s COMET AND OrTHERS.—Encke’s comet was observed by Mr. R. Jonckheere at Greenwich Observa- tory on March 1. It appeared as a large diffused nebulosity of magnitude 8}, without visible nucleus or tail. The position accorded well with the ephemeris lately given in NaturE. ‘The brightness is now increas- ing; but the comet is drawing too near the sun for convenient observation. : A very interesting object, in appearance resembling a minor planet, but with an orbit of a cometary char- acter, has been discovered by Prof. Wolf at Heidel- berg. The following positions have been received :-— G.M.T. 1918 Appt. R.A. Appt. N, Decl. Place ad. hy. ms hizm<. 7S. GE IRE ‘ Jaie3e {9 40% 5 16.30 12 29 0 Heidelberg. Feb:''5 8 3755 *, 6 $6 9°47 | 3419 19 9, 1r 18 28:1 WAT qs/22 35 55 21 Lick Obs. The magnitude was 11 on January 3; 11-5 on Febru- ary 3. The distance from the earth was about twenty- three million miles. The orbit appears to be a highly eccentric ellipse, with perihelion slightly outside the -earth’s orbit. The object will be below the 12th magni- tude in March, so will only be observable by photo- graphy. Prof. Wolf announced a satellite of the 14th magnitude at a distance of 340”, moving through 13° per hour. It is impossible that the object could be massive enough to control a satellite at that distance, with such rapid motion, so it was probably a faint minor planet that happened to pass in the same line of sight. an Mr. Knut Lundmark, of Upsala Observatory, has deduced the following -definitive orbit of the comet of 1802 (Pons) (Arkiv fér Matematik, Astronomi och Fysik, Bd..12; No. 13). It was under observation from August 25 to October 6 last. : T 1802 Sept. 9°8619 Paris M.T. Mora SL SU 310° 14’ 18” }1802'0 z 56° 59’ 30° log g -0°0391162 A list is given of other comets with somewhat simi- lar elements, including comet tg09 I. In no case, how- ever, is identity probable. NEBULOSITy ABOUT NOVA PERSEI (1901).—Photographs taken with the 60-in. reflector at Mt. Wilson have shown very clearly the nebulosity surrounding Nova Persei, which was discovered by Barnard in December, 1916 (Journ. R.A.S. Canada, vol. xii., p. 25). The strongest condensations are south preceding the nova, and give a fan-shaped appearance to the nebulosity on | that side, somewhat resembling that which accom-_ panied the original outburst. A negative taken by Mr. Ritchey on December 16, 1917, shows, in addition, a sharply defined continuous ring of nebulosity about | 16” in diameter, with the nova at its centre. If this ring be the result of the sudden increase in brightness | of the nova (13 magnitudes) reported by Belopolsky in August last year, it may be analogous to the expanding rings observed in 1901-2, but on a much smaller scale. | Tue Ecyprian GOVERNMENT ALMANAC.—Owing to shortage of paper, the Egyptian almanac for 1918 has been issued in the form of a pamphlet, which is to be regarded as a supplement to the 1917 edition. The two. pages assigned to each month give the Julian, Arabic, Coptic, and Jewish dates; fasts, festivals, and remarkable days; the times of rising and setting of the sun and moon at Cairo: and particulars of the phases of the moon and the visibility of the planets. ‘The pub- lication will doubtless be a great convenience to those for whom it is intended. NO. 2523, VOL. 107] SIR ALFRED KEOGH AND THE ARMY — MEDICAL’ SERVICES. THE reception held at the Imperial College of Science and Technology on February 27, to wel- come Sir Alfred Keogh back to the college of which ~ he is rector, was entirely a domestic function. But the occasion made it, as Lord Crewe, who presided, ~ said, ared-letter day in the history of the college. For — three and a half years Sir Alfred Keogh, in response — to Lord Kitchener’s request, has refilled his former post of Director-General, and succeeded in getting this — all-important Department into such working order that — he is able to’ hand it over with safety to another; and — the Imperial College has its rector back again. At this reception speeches were made by Lord Crewe, by — Mr. Acland, and by Prof. Farmer, but by far the most. i important address was that made by the rector himself. One passage of this is of supreme importance, not only as embodying the result of his long and wonder- ; principles : ges De. partment over which he presided with such distinc- — ful experience, but also as indicating the which have guided him in the work of the tion and with such notable advantage to his country it is, moreover, a writing on the wall for the admoni- tion and guidance not only of the Army Medical De- — partment, but also of all other departments: The rector said :— au ‘“T hold, and always have held, that in this country, © and perhaps in this country alone, administration has been absolutely divorced from science, that the adminis- — trator, as a rule, is ignorant of any particular branch of science, that he has had, as a rule, no scientific training, and neither thinks nor acts scientifically. 1 attribute many of our national shortcomings to this. fact. If I have accomplished those things which you say I have in my official service, it has been because I have, from the first, both in matters of science and of administration, 1elied entirely upon scientific men, and have refused to take into my counsels other classes of administrators. to have given the lie to the principles I have held for so many years.’’ . ch end us It is devoutly to be hoped that these abl: le geal will not fall entirely upon stony ground, but that they will sink deeply into the nation’s mind. Sir Alfred Keogh is, like all really great men, an artist, and is — therefore possessed of imagination—one of the rarest of gifts; and, although in these words of his he modestly speaks of relying upon men of science, he has in him that scientific spirit which can guide and control the imagination or creative spirit. It is this union of imagination with the scientific spirit, coupled with his belief in the value of science, which has been the secret of Sir Alfred Keogh’s notable success in the creation and direction of the Army Medical Services; for the R.A.M.C. of to-day is a new creation. The idea of bringing science to bear practically on such — an unpromising thing as the military medicine and — conception, surgery of fifty years ago was a very bold the value of which is now apparent to the lay mind through the publication of the numbers of cases of disease in this campaign as compared with any that have gone before. It is worth while at the present moment to recall a few of the advances made by Sir Alfred Keogh; the real, detailed history of the steps will have to be — During the South African War he was — placed upon the Committee for the Reorganisation of — the Army Medical Service, which was created by Mr. — Brodrick, and he afterwards became Deputy-Director- _ One of his early | feats, of a more or less ethical kind, was the adjust- — ment of the proper relations between the doctor of the — written later. General and later Director-General. regiment and its commanding officer, which altered the fa e: - en 78 . To have done so would have been — 4a ? Wel be + Ry a + NATURE 3 e. No advance was possible until this read- had taken place. He was associated with ie for the formation of the Advisory Board, of military men and of civil and military men, upon a much broader basis than the which the Board~ displaced. At this ere was an Army Medical School at y, where certain things only could be learnt, but “was no place where a man could go in order nD c - > 4H by tlac righten up rusty or deficient knowledge, or to learn new in medicine or surgery since he quali- scheme was then in progress, and money had for the purpose of enlarging Netley, but ‘Alfred Keogh saw at once that such a place ought be in London, and at his instigation the Netley ex- h was stopped and the Netley school boldly to London. At first it was housed temporarily laboratories of the Colleges of Physicians and but he saw that, as the Millbank Military ital was being buiit, the right place for his school be -to it, and so the Royal Army Medical ew built with all the necesSary arrangements t-graduate teaching and training and for re- 7 work, and with facilities for acquiring new ig any branch. Sir Alfred Keogh the first Director-General to encour- hh among the better men of the 1 it was through his influence that such e late Major Fry and Capt. Ranken, V.C., raged and permitted to undertake research je Royal Society, with results sufficient to m in the Proceedings of the Royal Sir Alfred Keogh became Deputy-Director- ere was no special sanitary service in the d the knowledge of sanitation and hygiene, and ese words connote, which was possessed by the most elementary kind. He saw » not rectified there would be a terrible nec eng of life in the next war, and he mself 1 ww up a scheme by which a special ‘of the Army Medical Service, devoted to sani- lence, should be créated. He also insisted that f sanitary science should be taught to nts as a part of their ordinary course, members of the R.A.M.C., and even officers; a School of Army Sanitation and directors of Medical Sanitary iw. It is the application of science to sanita- which has helped in a very great measure to reduce c dence of disease in the present war to the re- ale figures whichhave been published. Bound up the question of walter supply to the troops, 1 of the Medical Service has had special in- the examination and disinfection of water, ring a safe and wholesome supply. Sir I also initiated and superintended a long f = anaer nts en the kind and quantity of food 9 soldiers, and as the result a system of ing was arrived at which has, with but fications, borne the very severe test of the nt war: His attitude towards vaccine therapy the same scientific perception. In the South | War many accidents happened owing to our ete knowledge of the subject, so he appointed ee of experts, presided over by Sir W. Leish- wrote, as the result of the inquiry, the his- 2523, VOL. 101] the doctor and placed ‘responsibility in the | ! | torical paper which has been the foundation of our present effective and safe methods. In all these ways Sir Alfred Keogh prepared the way for the extraordinary results which have followed our treatment of typhoid fever and other diseases by vac- cines in the present war; and during the war he has also exercised the same vigilant control by attacking two other diseases in the same scientific spirit—namely, tetanus and trench fever. Tetanus is a rare disease in peace-time, but during the war such numbers of cases occurred that he decided to form a committee for the study of this disease, which, as a result of its re- searches, would be able to advise as to better methods of treatment, and this has been followed with the best results. He has also formed a committee for the study of the problems of trench fever, which has already achieved important results. In both these cases, besides. practical results, our scientific knowledge of the disease has been advanced: he has therefore; in all these in- stances, helped towards making medicine the possibly scientific pursuit which it is always becoming. In addition, Sir Alfred Keogh had for two and a half years the direction of the work on poison gas and gas. attacks, which work has been of no small advantage to us. But it is rather in the greater work of saving life that his devotion will be remembered, and the . country can never forget what it owes to him in this respect. To have reduced disease to a minimum, so that men are more healthy in the field than at home; to have organised a medical service sufficient for our -enormous Army, scattered all over the world; to have devised and insisted upon methods of sanitation which have borne the strain of most difficult conditions; to have encouraged and insisted upon research, even dur- ing the war, into diseases which have become pro- minent and about which we know little, forms a record which no mere words can appraise. It is not only that he has done these things, but also that he has done them in the face of great opposition, from both the military and the medical side. His power of imagina- tion, however, controlled by the scientific spirit, has enabled him not only to overcome all the difficulties he has had to face, but also to hand over to another a living machine, which he knows will still act with the spirit he has infused into it, and be capable of answer- ing any calls that may be made upon it. It is not possible here to speak of Sir Alfred Keogh’s work at the Imperial College of ‘Science. There is no doubt that the college has caught something of his ‘spirit, for it has given all its energies in every depart- | ment to the service of its country, as Sir Alfred Keogh himself did. His example will live; let us hope that his words, quoted above, may not be forgotten; may -they be, as the Preacher said the words of the wise were, goads and as nails driven deep in.”’ G. P. ae as: SS ae ae ae THE DEPARTMENTAL REPORT ON SALARIES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. ts view of the important changes that are fore- shadowed in the sphere of education in the Bill now . before Parliament, the question of a due supply of efficient teachers, especially for the elementary schools, assumes an aspect of high importance. We therefore welcome the carefully considered report, just issued, of the Departmental Committee for inquiring into the principles which determine the construction of scales of salary for teachers in elementary schools (Cd. 8939, price 6d. net), The Committee, of which Sir Harry Stephen was chairman, was comprised of representatives of the 14 NATURE [Marcu 7, 1918 various interests concerned—administrative and educa- tional—and_it received, either personally or by memorandum, the evidence of fifty-six witnesses repre- sentative of all shades of opinion and conditions of experience, with the result that a report of sixty-three folio pages of high value has been prepared, which will do much to enhance the position of the teacher. ‘‘ For many years past,” the report states, ‘‘it has not been possible to secure recruits in numbers adequate to the needs of the schools.’’ The position will obviously be seriously aggravated should Mr. Fisher’s Bill become law, and the children be required to remain at school until fourteen, and continued education be imposed within the. usual hours of labour until the age of eighteen is reached. Not only will a much larger number of teachers be required, but also teachers of higher qualifications. Already there are in the elementary schools 167,810 teachers of all grades, of whom 43,500 are men and 124,310 are women. this number. 109,250 are trained certificated’ teachers... There is a constant pres- sure to induce a still larger number of teachers to go through a course of two or more years _of college training with the view of securing either a certificate or a degree, which means that the future teacher will be at least twenty-one or twenty-two years of age before remunerative employment begins, and - that on a scale not higher than that of an ordinary artisan. It will be seen from the above figures how large a proportion of the elementary-school teachers are women, ~ ‘and yet it is clear that, at least for the older boy pupils, it is most desirable that their teachers should be men. The question of a more abundant recruitment is of vital moment, and its solution lies not merely in the estab- lishment of a higher scale of salaries and an adequate pension scheme, but also in better prospects for the. more able of the teachers, so that not only should head- teacherships be open to them, the average salary of which in England and Wales is about 1761. for men and 1261. for women, but also inspectorships and ad- ministrative posts with the central and local authori- ties. It cannot be expected that men trained side by side in the same university with prospective lawyers, doc- tors, divines, men of science, and technologists in in- dustry and commerce seeking degrees of equivalent standing will be content with the poor rewards the profession of teaching in the elementary schools offers to able men. If the nation desires that its children shall have a prolonged and satisfactory education in well-equipped schools, and also the best possible train- ing at the hands of capable teachers, there ‘is no course open to it but to pay the price for this essential ser- vice, and the reward of the nation will be great. _ The report, in its interesting analyses and tables, ex- hibits an astonishing variety of scales of payments and of increments prevailing in the various areas, urban ‘and rural, of England and Wales, but only in few cases can they be said to be liberal or attractive. There needs to be more uniformity than at present exists in the salaries of teachers, and where the produce -of a 1d. rate per child is low, then it would appear desir- able that the central authority, in order that the teacher may not suffer, should give the necessary financial assistance. Based upon the minimum initial salary which the President of the Board of Education stated that he had in mind, namely, rool. for men and gol. for women, the report offers, by way of illustration, five separate scales, according to the varying circum- stances of urban and rural areas, for men and. women certificated class teachers, ranging from tool. and gol. respectively to 3001. and 240l., the maximum varying according to the conditions of the area, and for head- NO. 2523, VOL. 101 | | peratures, together with the millibar scale for pressure, — . France for the Bulletin International in 1917. — teacherships a like set of illustrative scales, rising t 4ool. in the case of men and to 300l. in that of wo the maximum again to be determined by local con tions. eae oh The principles insisted on in the report are that ther should be a reasonable initial payment, and a scale of increment leading to a point representing an adequa salary; that this should be receivable as a matter o right, and as part of the contract, by every teac whose service is not characterised by definite default o wilful neglect; and that, in order that the ineremen should be so adjusted as to meet the teachers’ needs, — the value of the teachers’ services should b periodically recognised, so that good service may — be encouraged. With respect to the ‘payment — of women teachers, the report states that in | the opinion of the Committee the scale of salaries vadequate for women is inadequate for men, and that in average circumstances the maximum for women should be three-fourths that for men, and finally sug- gests that the best method of recognising superior merit in teachers is by advancement to positions of greater responsibility and increased emolument, even if it means a departure from the normal scale. The report is accompanied by a valuable metnor- andum, drawn up by its secretaries, giving a retrospect of methods and scales of payment since the Act of 1870, and a clear account, illustrated by elaborate compara-~ tive tables, of the common: features of existing scales in various parts of the country, Raita tt ie METEOROLOGY AND EXACT — THERMOMETRY. nee #1 nN the Monthly Weather Review for November, 1917, Prof. C. F. Marvin, Chief of the U.S. Weather Bureau, asks for a short word and corresponding symbol for the temperature’ on the hydrogen- or ad- justed mercury-scale of Centigrade degrees measured from 273° C, below the normal freezing point of water — in place of the word absolute. As he rightly points out, the use of the word in that sense is loose scien-— tific language, because, to those who know, it means not quite the same thing as the absolute thermo-— dynamic scale or true Kelvin scale. _ aoe Prof. Marvin’s own suggestions for a descriptive name are quasi-absolute, approximate absolute, and pseudo-absolute, not one of which is likely to appeal — to the general reader as the mot juste. The question ~ is one of practical importance, because our own” Meteorological Office uses the approximate absolute scale in many of its publications for expressing tem- notably in its recent issue of data for the whole world | with the title of Réseau: Mondial. It has .discarded the use of the degree sign for temperature and uses a small a immediately after the numeric, thus placing — temperature on the same footing as an, ordinary physical quantity like mass or length, "i The practice of using absolute c.g.s. ‘units for pres-— sure and the approximate absolute scale for tempera-— ture dates from 1909 with the regular publication of” data of the upper air in thes Weekly Weather Report, and afterwards in the Geophysical Journal, the ont change being the adeption of the millibar instead of the megadyne per square centimetre in 1914, a prac-— tice against which Prof. McAdie, of Harvard Univer- | sity, has raised protests on the ground that chemists ~ had already assigned another meaning to the word bar In the same year the U.S. Weather Bureau commenced the issue of a daily map of the northern hemispher in the same units. The millibar was adopted The history of scientific progress justifies some loose- ” \ RCH 7, 1918] NATURE is - use of language. For example, the ‘ boil- of water” as.a thermometric fixed point, like lute’ scale of temperature, is a loose ex- only understood by those who know; and = looseness be permitted the measurement ecific heat of copper’? would have to dis- the elementary course. With the two ‘mentioned, the adoption of ‘‘ absolute ’’ units pheric measurements, which was not ‘‘ made ay,’ has been received-with profound in- in scientific circles. But the whole question d their nomenclature is of great importance s juncture. Our practice of using one set the laboratory and another set in practical y be described as stupid. Although the par- raised is not a crucial one, it is much to Prof. Marvin’s note may be the begin- ‘serious consideration of this important exponents of the physical sciences. Si ON AND THE PRINCIPLE OF ~ RELATIVITY.} ‘e many difficulties to encounter in le room just now. To begin with, we he crushing load of the atmosphere, to 14 Ib. on every square:inch. At each it was necessary to tread gingerly on a nd moving at the rate of twenty miles a s way round the sun. We were poised 1 a globe, apparently hanging by our vards into space. And this acrobatic med in the face of a tremendous wind ing at I ‘do not know how many miles through us. We do not claim much yming these difficulties—because we them. But I venture to remind you of ee m a famous experiment performed in nown as the Michelson-Morley experi- ratus was elaborate, but the principle t is not very difficult. If you are in a | be the quicker—to swim to a point stream and back again, or to a point across stream and back again? Mathe- ahswer is, perhaps, not immediately the net effect of the current-is a delay ut I think that anyone who has swum river will have no hesitation about the answer. - up-a d-down journey takes longer. Now we are —of wether. There is a swift current of ather igh this room; or, if we happen to be at ther at the present moment, six months earth’s orbital motion will be reversed, and must be a swift current. Michelson divided of light into two parts; he sent one half swim- the stream of zther for a certain distance, en by a mirror back to the starting point; he » other half an equal distance (as he thought) _the stream and back. It was a race; and with itus he could test very accurately which part first. To his surprise, it was a dead-heat. two paths could not really have been equal, tream path must have been a little shorter sate for the greater hindrance of the current. ection was foreseen, and the apparatus, which punted on a stone pier floating in mercury, was tHrough a right angle, so that the arm which merly along the stream was now across the lelivered at the Royal Institution on Friday, February 1, by ddington, F.R.S. : 2523; VOL. 101] n ate stream, and vice versa. Again the two portions of the beam arrived at the same moment; so this time the other arm had become the shorter—simply by altering its position. In. fact, these supposedly rigid arms had contracted when placed in the up-and-down. stream position by just the amount necessary to conceal the effect which was looked for. That is the plain meaning of the experiment; but we might well hesitate to accept this straightforward interpretation, and try to evade it in some way, were it not for some theoretical discoveries made later, It has gradually appeared that matter is of an electrical nature, and the forces of cohesion between the par- ticles, which give a solid its rigidity, are electrical forces. Larmor and Lorentz discovered that this pro- perty of contraction in the direction of the ether cur- rent was something actually inherent in the formulae for electrical forces written down by Maxwell many years earlier and universally adopted; it only waited for some mathematician to recognise it. It would be going too far to say that Maxwell’s equations actually prove that contraction must take place; but they are, as it were, designed to fall in line with the contraction phenomenon, and certain details left vague by Max- well have since been found to correspond. We are then faced with the result that a material body experiences a contraction in the direction of its motion through the zther. According both to theory and experiment the contraction is the same for ail kinds of matter—a universal property. One reserva- tion should be made; the experiment has only been tried, with solids of laboratory dimensions, which are held together by cohesion. There is at present no experimental evidence that a body such as the earth the form of which is determined by gravitation will suffer the same contraction ; we shall, however, assume that the contraction takes place in this case also. I am going to ask you to suppose that we in this room are travelling through the ether at the rate of 161,000 miles a second, vertically upwards. Let us be bolder and say that that is our velocity through the zther—because no one will be able to contradict us. No experiment yet tried can detect or disprove that motion; because all such experiments give a null result, as the Michelson-Morley experiment did. With that speed the contraction is just one-half. This pointer, which I hold horizontally, is 8 ft. long. Now [turning it vertically] it is 4 ft. long. But, you may say, it is taller than I am, and I must be approaching 6 ft. No, if I lay down on the floor I should be, but as I am standing now I am under 3 ft. The con- traction affects me just as it did the pointer. It is no use bringing a standard yard-measure to measure me, because that also will contract and represent only half a yard. “But we saw that the pointer did not change length when it turned.’’ How did you tell that? What © you perceived was an image of the pointer on the’ retina of your eye, and you thought the image occu- pied the same space of retina in both positions; but your retina: has also contracted in the vertical direction without your knowing it, so that your estimates’ of length in that direction are double what they should | be. And similarly with every test you could apply. If everything undergoes the same change, it is just as though there were no change at all. We thus get a glimpse of what, from our present point of view, must be called the real world, strangely different from the world of appearance. In the real world, by changing position you extend yourself like a telescope; and the stoutest individual may regain slimness of figure by an appropriate orientation. — It must be something like what we see in a distorting mirror; and you can almost see a living-picture of this real world reflected in a polished door-knob. ~ + 16 : \ NATURE [Marcu 7, 1918 © es If our speed through the zther happenS not to be so great as we have supposed, the contraction is smaller; but it escapes notice in our practical life, not because it is small, but because from its very nature it is undetectable. And because this real world is undetectable. we do not as a rule attempt to describe it. Not merely in everyday life, but in scientific measurements also, we describe the world of appear-. ance. .We do this by imagining natural objects to be placed, not in the absolute space, but in a quite different framework of. our own contriving—a space which corresponds with appearance. In the space of appearance a rod does not seem to change length when its direction is altered; and we use that property to block out our conventional space, counting the length occupied by the standard yard-measure as always a yard however its true length may vary. It is found also that in like manner our time is a special time of our own, different from the time we should adopt if. our motion through the zther were nil. This is a perfectly. right procedure; it introduces no scientific inexactness, .and it is more in accordance with the ordinary meaning attached to space and time; the only thing to remember is that this space and time frame-. work is something peculiar to us, defined by our motion, and it has not the metaphysical property of absoluteness, which we have often unconsciously attri- ‘buted to it. Now let us visit for a moment the star Arcturus, which is moving relatively to us with a velocity of more than 200 miles per second. Consequently its motion through the zther is different from ours, and the contraction of objects on it will be different. It follows that our conventional space would not be suit- able for Arcturus, because it was specially chosen to eliminate our own contraction effects. There is a different space and a different time proper to Arcturus. We must then imagine each star carrying its own appropriate space and time according to-its motion through the ether. The space and time of one star will not fit the experience of individuals on another ‘star. The exact relation between the appropriate space and time of one star ard the space and time of another was first brought out clearly by Minkowski; it is a very remarkable one. We recognise three dimensions of ‘space, which we may take as up-and-down, right-and- left, backwards-and-forwards. If we go over to Ire- land we still have the same space, but Ireland’s up- and-down no longer corresponds with ours. The direc- tions are inclined ; and what is vertical to them is partly vertical and partly horizontal to us. Now let us add a fourth dimension, imaginary” time, at right angles to the other three. There is no room for it in the model, but we must do our best to imagine it in four dimensions. In Ireland the three space-dimensions will have rotated, as I have said; but the time will be just the same. But if we go to Arcturus, or to any body moving with a velocity different from our own, the time-dimension also has rotated. What is time to them is partly time and partly imaginary space to us. It is a change in the space-time world of four dimen- sions just analogous to the change in. the space-world between here and Ireland. That is Minkowski’s great result; space-time is the same universally, but the orientation—the resolution into space and time separ- ately—depends on the motion of the individual experi- encing it, just as the resolution of space into horizontal and vertical depends on his situation. In Minkowski’s own famous words—‘ Henceforth Space and Time in 2 Imaginary in the mathematical sense, 7¢. involving /-1. It is much simpler to consider imaginary time ; and. throughout the lecture I have ven- tured to omit reference to the complications which arise when our results are restated in terms of real time: NO. 2523, VOL. 10T| reconciled to leaving it outside every physical theory. that gravitation was innocent of the conspiracy, showed ‘is that it gets rid of all idea of a conspiracy. You — themselves vanish to shadows, and only a kind of union of the two preserves an independent existence.” From our original point of view it seems very re- markable that in the Michelson-Morley experiment the contraction should have been of just the right’ amount! to annul the expected effect of our motion through) the zther. Many other experiments, which seemed likely to show such an effect, have been tried since’ then, but in all of them the same kind of compensation | takes place. It looks as though all the forces ‘of: Nature had entered on a conspiracy together with the| one design of preventing us from measuring or even | detecting our motion through the ether. It 1s still an open question whether one force, the force of gravita- | tion, has joined the conspiracy. Hitherto gravitation | has stood aloof from all’the other interrelated pheno- mena in majestic isolation. We have become almost | A new model of the atom is put forward which accounts | for a whole host of abstruse and recently discovered | properties ; but it would be considered unfair to suggest | that it ought to account for the simple and universal | property of gravitation. Dare we think that gravita-— tion has so far forgotten its dignity as to join this con-— spiracy? There is certainly not enough evidence for a | jury to convict; but yet I think we shall have to intern ” it on suspicion. Recently Sir Oliver pis ah that a very famous astronomical discordance in the motion of Mercury might be an effect due to the sun’s © motion through the ether, and might afford a means © of estimating its speed. It is difficult in a brief refer-~ ence to deal quite fairly with an intricate question, but — it seems now that we should rather lay stress, not on — this single discordance, which can perhaps be other- © wise explained, but on the exact agreement of Venus and the,earth with theory; for they also should show evidence of the sun’s motion through the ether if gravitation had not joined in the conspiracy to conceal all such effects. It may be that the effects on Venus and the earth are not found because the sun’s motion through the zther happens to be very small; but on — the whole it appears more likely that the effect of the — motion is null, just as in the Michelson-Morley experi- — ment, because there is a complete compensation in the law of gravitation itself. ies | hea The great advantage of Minkowski’s point of view — cannot have a conspiracy of concealment when there is nothing to conceal. We cut Minkowski’s space-time — world in a certain direction, so as to give us separately space and time as they appear to us. We have been — imagining that there exists some direction which would — separate it into a real and absolute space and time. — But why should there be? Why should one direction in this space-time world be more fundamental than any — other? We do not attempt to cut the space-world in a — particular direction so as to give us the real horizontal © and vertical. The words ‘‘horizontal’’ and *‘ vertical” — have no meaning except in reference to a particular spot on the earth. So for a particular observer the — space-time world falls apart into its four components, — up-and-down, _ right-and-left, backwards-and-forwards, — sooner-and-later; but no observer can say that this’ division is the one and only real one. be Our idea of a real space more fundamental than our — own was, however, not entirely metaphysical; we had materialised it by filling it with an zther. supposed to ~ be at rest in it. We now deny the existence of any 7 unique framework of that kind. We have failed to . obtain experimental knowledge of such a framework — since we cannot detect our motion relative to it. What- ever may be the nature of the ether, it is devoid of those material properties which could constitute it a ARCH 7, 1918] NATURE 17 of reference in space. We can perhaps best ‘the zther as a four-dimensional fluid filling gill S space-time continuum, not as -dimensional fluid occupying space and tion we ‘have now reached is known as the yf relativity. In so far as it is a physical seems to be amply confirmed by numerous ts (except in regard to gravitation). In so sa philosophical theory, it is no more than a ‘useful point of view. I now pass on to principle of relativity, in which we must t to be guided by a natural generalisa- results, hoping later to be able to check conclusions by experiment. yse any scientific observation, distinguish- what we perceive and what we merely ays resolves itself into a coincidence in time. A physicist states that he has ob- the current through his coil is 5 milli- $; but what he actually saw was that the image e thrown by his galvanometer coincided witha division on a scale. He measures the tempera- liquid, but the observation is the coincidence ee F ‘the mercury with a division on the er. If then we had to sum up our experimental knowledge, we should of the progress of a particle con- eelence of its path and the time at which each point of the path. The time may be extra co-ordinate corresponding with a ion, and so the whole history may be a line in four dimensions representing four-dimensi gress through space and time. We imensional line the world-line of the par- s, light-waves, etc., in the universe: we ‘a complete history of the universe. It her dull history-book; the Venus of Milo represented by an elaborate schedule of measure- and Mona Lisa by a mathematical specification of paint; still they are there, if only them. I have here a history of the of it. Unfortunately I was not able four dimensions, and even three dimen- nensions on-the surface of a football deal is shown here which, properly speak- history at all, because it is necessarily out- As we have seen, it is only coinci- the intersections of the world-lines—that con- - observational knowledge; and, moreover, it is lace of intersection, but the fact of inter- that we observe. I am afraid the two-dimen- model does not give a proper idea of this, be- in two dimensions any two lines are almost meét sooner or later; but in three dimensions, ill more in four dimensions, two lines can, and , Miss one another altogether, and the ob- se they do meet is a genuine addition to n ueeze the bladder the world-lines are bent in different ways. But I have not altered the ry of the universe, because no intersection is or destroyed, and so no observable event is ee deformed bladder is just as true a history ture as the undeformed bladder. The bladder resents Minkowski’s space-time world, in which world-lines were drawn; so we can squeeze Min- ’s world in any way without altering the course s. We do not usually use the common word NO. 2523, VOL. 1oT] ° describe it as peeing of a large number of ; _ others near it; because in that case there could be no ‘ier | | > that we have drawn ‘tthe world-lines of | pice i al culties, so I have drawn the world. | “squeeze ’’; we call it a mathematical seanafotwationa but it means the same thing. The Jaws of Nature in their most general form must describe correctly the behaviour of the world- lines in either the undistorted or the distotted model, because it is indifferent which we take as the true representation of the course of Nature. That is a very important principle; but, being almost a truism, it does not in itself help us to determine the laws of Nature without making some- additional hypothesis. There is one law—the law of gravitation—which espe- cially attracts our attention at this point, and we shall look into it more closely. - We know that one particle attracts another particle, and so influences the history of its motion... This evidently means that one world-line will deflect any other world-line in its neighbourhood. Apart from this influence, the world-line runs straight, bending neither to the right nor to the left, provided the bladder is in its undistorted state, 1.e. provided we use Minkowski’s original space-time. That is not so much a’ matter of observation as of definition. It defines what we are to regard as the undistorted state, though it is by observation that we learn that it is possible to find a space-time in which the world-lines run straight when undisturbed by gravitational or other forces. I must own that there is a certain logical difficulty in saying that a world-line runs straight when there are no intersections, and we could learn nothing about its course by observation. However, that is not a serious - difficulty, though you may be reminded of the sage remark, ‘‘If there were no matter in the universe, the law of gravitation would fall to the ground.” (To be continued.) UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. Tue Times announces that Senator Dennis has given — 12,0001. to Dalhousie University for a chair of political science in memory of his. son, Capt. Eric Dennis, bye was killed at Vimy Ridge; and that Major E. A. Rothschild, who died at Cairo from wounds on Novela ber 17, aged thirty-one, has left the sum of 5o000l. to Harrow School for a scholarship, the conditions of which are to be approved by his brother Anthony. Tue Department of Agriculture and Technical In- struction for Ireland has issued its programme of summer courses of instruction for teachers to be held this year. The courses will, with the exception of the courses of instruction in rural science (including school gardening) for National School teachers, begin on July 2, and close on July 26. The courses in rural science (including school gardening) will begin on August 6, and close on August 30. Teachers who attend the courses resularly will be allowed a sum of 3]. tos. towards their expenses while living at the centre, and third-class railway fare for one return journey from the railway station nearest their school or centre. Among the subjects in which courses have been ar- ranged are the chemistry of engineering materials, technology for teachers, experimental science, domestic’ science, and rural science. The courses are open only to those who are above twenty years of age, and, except. in certain cases, only to teachers who are engaged (a) by local committees of technical instruction, or (b) in schools receiving grants either directly from the Department or under the provisions of an approved local scheme of technical instruction. Tue annual report of University College, London, shows that whereas in normal times the total number of students, day and evening, amounts to about 2200, ye NATURE oe ae ‘ x. Se be ‘G [Marce 7, 1918 This number in- Military the number last session was. 1240. cluded 121 members of H.M. Naval and Forces, for whom special courses were provided, and | 159 who attended special vacation courses, so that the actual number of ordinary students was 960, of whom 547 were women. ‘The report points out that, while the normal fee revenue amounts to between 29,0001. and 30,0001. a year, the fee revenue last year was only 14,0001. Economies of every kind have been intro- duced, and all expenditure possible has been deferred. It is anticipated that, unless further help from the Treasury is forthcoming, there will be a deficit at the end of the current session of nearly 9goool, on the college establishment account. While the ordinary activities of the college have been maintained, all available energies - have — been directed ‘towards war purposes, of which the report gives some account.. Among the important develop- ‘ments of the year may be noted the admission. of women to the faculty of medical sciences, the reorgan- isation of the department ef Italian, the ‘institution of a department of Scandinavian studies, and a movement for the institution of a department of Dutch Studies. The pro patria list includes about 2500 names of past and -present»members- of the-college who ‘are taking -an active part in one or other of the Services connected with the war. Of these no fewer than 195 have already fallen. The list of honours and distinctions gained i im the war is a long one. SOCIETIES AND AC ADEMIES. LONDON. Royal Society, February 21.—Sir J. J. Thomson, presi- dent, in the chair.—Lord Rayleigh : The scattering of light by spherical shells, and by complete spheres of periodic structure, when the refractivity is small. The problem of a small sphere of uniform optical quality has been treated in several papers. In general, the calculations. can be carried to an arithmetical conclu- sion only when the circumference of the sphere does not exceed a few wave-lengths. But when the relative refractivity is small enough, this restriction can be dis- pensed with, and a general result formulated. In the present paper some former results ‘are quoted, but the investigation is now by an improved method. | It com- mences with the case of an infinitely thin spherical shell from which the result for the complete uniform sphere is derived by integration. Afterwards applica- tion is made to a complete sphere of which the struc- ture is symmetrical, but periodically variable along the radius, a problem ‘of interest in connection with the colours, changing with the angle, often met with in the organic world.—Sir Joseph Larmor ; The nature of heat _as directly deducible from the postulate of Carnot. The germinal idea which developed, in the mind of Sadi Carnot in 1824, into the dynamical theory of heat was that heat can give rise to motive power only in the process of carrying through its effort towards an equilibrium. A proof is now offered that Carnot’s principle regarding heat-engines follows from this basic idea by itself alone, without requiring the introduction of any hypothesis as to the physical nature of heat. It then further follows, from applying the same Carnot formula both to direct and to reversed working, that a scale of measurement of heat can be assigned, i.e. an ideal calorimetric substance can be chosen, so that the heat which disappears shall be the equivalent of the motive power that is gained, and conversely—that is, it follows that heat must itself be a form of energy. But a limiting case of this general result requires separate statement from the physical point of view, viz. the ratio of equivalence between heat and work may be so small that practically the heat is conserved as if it were a substance, and then the work may be anid to NO. 2523, VOL. tor] ’ Tutton : ~of the crystallographic propertids, be done by its fall to a lower potential, strictly aft te the analogy of the fall of water to a lower lev Finally, a second absolute seale of measurement, » of the potential or temperature of heat, may be which reduces the thermodynamic relations to. standard simple form. It is also remarked that original Carnot idea involves immediately the complete’ foundation of chemical physics as applied to isothermal ” processes; for under isothermal conditions it asserts that the interchanges of heat that occur during ph ce or chemical transformations do not enter at all into the interchanges of motive power—that is, of inotherme } available energy. But physical knowledge. was no t wide enough for a dozen years after 1824 to enable any general survey of the energies of Nature to be thought of; and when the principle of the conservation and interchanges of total available energies came into t light through the theoretical explorations of Faraday, . Mayer, and Helmholtz, and especially the prac, tical ‘experimental work of Joule, founded mainly o the relations of energy to heat, the Carnot restrictio to uniform temperature was tacitly involved, though not overtly expressed until later. As a chapter i in scientific method, it seems. desirable to bring into view- even now, the full potentiality that was latent nearly Ps century agointhe single creative idea of Carnot.—J._ Guest: Curved beams: Previous investi ations | upon. the stresses produced in a curved beam y. a bending moment have not resulted in solutions satisfying the necessary elastic relationships. “The author first treats the case of a beam which is narrow in proportion to its depth, obtaining expressions for the rei peraiek| and principal stresses. The results are then throw into forms suitable for calculation. For the case of a wider beam the author then shows that for the tied principal stress to be zero, both the inner and outer surfaces of the beam section must curve in a_ definite. manner, depending upon the value of Poisson’s- ratio for the Mb aiexiad used. The rigorous solution for the case of a very wide beam compelled by. restraints to preserve a cylindrical form as it bends is then given, The paper concludes with a semi-graphical method for estimating the maximum Stress occurring © ‘in other cases, that of a beam of circular section being worke¢ out for different values of the curvature.—Dr. A. E. eh Monoclinic double selenates of the iron group. In this memoir are described the results of a compiete investigation of the crystals of the potassium, rubidium, cesium, and ammonium salts of the iron group double selenates of the series R 2M($.0,);, 64,0. The confirm the conclusions outstanding result is to drawn from the previous study of three other groups of double selenates, and of eight groups (the complete set). of double sulphates. The general law of progressio 1 with the atomic weight and atomic number of the interchangeable | alkali metals which form the group, is obeyed abso- lutely rigidly by the iron group.—Dr. A.. E. H. Tutton: Selenic acid and iron. Reduction of ‘selenic acid by nascent hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide. Preparation — of ferrous selenate and double selenates of iron group. Some new properties of selenic acid have been ob- served. Instead of dissolving iron with evolution of. hydrogen like sulphuric acid, selenic acid is without appreciable action on iron. After a very long time the- latter becomes thinly coated with red selenium due to- reduction of a trace of the acid by nascent. hydrogen produced in the slight action which occurs. After attempts spreading over eight years the author has de : last obtained K,Fe(SeO,),,6H,O: crystals - during» four of the very cold nights of January, 1918, when laboratory temperature fell to nearly 0° C, and rose above 2° C. Above this temperature the salt unstable. ‘The crystals were pale green, well form & *, NATURE 19 *, but lasted at most only five hours after te the mother liquor, becoming opaque ike porcelain. — . a Paris. ' of Scieaces, January 28.—M. Léon Guignard air.—The president read the decree authoris- sation of a new division of six members under lication de la Science a 1|’Industrie.’’— ‘The experimental determination and appli- the vector representing the effects of the iture reaction and leakages in alternators.— ¢: The hammering in a pipe with wall of ckness, in. the case of a progressive closing. Certain Abelian sums of double integrals.— ‘The repetition of rational substitutions with es.—G. Julia; Problems concerning the repe- onal functions.—F, Iversen: The asymp- of meromorphic functions and the tran- : jularities of their inverse functions.—J. i peak tions of the sun made at the Lyons tory during the third quarter of 1917. Ob- ; were made on ninety days, eighty of which, August 19, were consecutive.—A. Valeur and The action of methylene iodide upon 1: 4- inopentene. A closed ring is not formed, as , but the addition of methylene iodide to place, as with methyl iodide.—F. The step-like structure in certain _aniso- | s.—P. Russo: Some peculiarities of the d rocks of the Rehamna district (western —R. Chudeau: The tectonic of western -( My Sac, The presence of the Cambrian possi Silurian at Casablanca (western have done its visible erosive work on the vallley-side spurs ee | NATURE [Marcu 7, 1918 —and presumably -a considerable amount of invisible work on the valley bottom—although it must have been wholly submerged in Lake Missoula for two or three score, if not for four score, miles.—]. F. McClendon : The effect of stretching on the rate of conduction. in the neuro-muscular network in Cassiopeia. | Appar- ently stretching the nerve does not change the rate.— B. M. Davis: A criticism of the evidence for the muta- tion theory of De Vries from the behaviour of species of Cinothera in crosses and in selfed lines. Although most of the genetical work on Qé£notheras has not been. interpreted by the Mendelian system of notation, there is clear evidence of order in the results in inbreeding and. crossing; — the difficulty has been to discover and to isolate simple material in the confusion of mixed and impure forms of these plants.—W. D. Harkins and L. Aronberg : The ‘spectra of isotopes and the vibration of electrons in the atom. The spectra of isotopes have been previously reported as identical within the errors. of measure. The authors find, however, a slight difference. The wave- length of uranio-lead was very slightly longer than that of the ordinary lead.—J}. F. McClendon: The effect of oxygen tension on the metabolism of Cassiopeia. BOOKS. RECEIVED. Cambridge Papers. By W. W. Rouse Ball. Pp. vi+326. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 6s. net. Infinitesimal Calculus. By Prof. F. S. Carey. Sec- tion I. Pp. xiiit+144+v. (London: Longmans and Co.) 6s. net. Mathematical Papers for Admission into the Royal Military Academy and the Royal Military College for the Years 1908-17. Edited by R. M. Milne. (Lon- don : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 7s. _ The Science of Power. By B. Kidd. » Pp. 306. (London: Methuen and Co., Ltd.) 6s. net. ' DIARY OF SOCIETIES. f THURSDAY, Marcy 7 Roya Society, at 4.30.—Numerical Solution of Integral. Equations: ’ Prof. K. T. Whittaker.—(1) Cesaro Convergence of Restricted Fourier Series ; (2) Non~Harmonic Trigenometrical Series: Prof. W. H. Young. —The Electro-magnetic Inertia of the Lorentz Electron: Prof. G. A. Schott.— Researches on Growth and Movement in Plants by Means of the High Magnification Crescograph + Sir J. C. Bose. INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—The Control” of Large Amounts of Power: E. B. Wedmore. INSTITUTION OF MINING AND METALLURGY, at 5-30.—The Application of Charcoal to the Precipitation of Gold from its Solution in Cyanide: H.R. Edmands.—Blast-furnace Smelting of Stibnite, with considerations on the Metallurgy of Antimony: W. R. Schoeller.—A. “ Responsive ” Shaft Signal Device: B. Angwin. Linnean Society, at 5.—(1) The Mimetic and Mendelian Relationships of the “* White Admirals” of North America (with Lantern Slides). (2). A New Mimetic Form of Pseudacraca Aoggei (Dewitz) from ex-German East Africa, with other African Mimics of Danatda chrysippus(Linn.): Prof. E, B. Poulton.—Mimetic Species of the African Nymphaline Genus Pseud- acrea and Lycenid Genus Mimacreea, together with their Acrrine and Danaidine Models and Sonie of their Co-mimics : Lord Rothschild. ; CHEMICAL Society, at 8.—Atomic and Molecular Numbers: H..S. Allen.— The Subbromide and Subchloride of Lead: H. G. Denham,—Studies on the Phenylsuccinic Acid Series. VI., Racemisation Phenomena observed during the Investigation of the Optically Active Phenvl- and Dipheny]- succinic Acids. and their Derivatives: H. Wren.—The Alkaloids of Ipecacuanha. ITT.: F. L. Pyman.—The Constitution of the Disaccharides. II., Lactose and Melibiose:-W. N.. Haworth and G. C. Leitch. FRIDAY, Marcu 8. ROYAL INSTITUTION, at 5.30,—Vibrations : Mechanical, Musical, and Elec- . trical: Prof. E. H. Barton. Rovat AstTRonomicat«Socigty, at 5.—Double Stars ‘measured at the Cape Observatory: J. Votite.— Planetary Motion in Space—Time of any ‘Constant Curvature, according to the generalised Principle of Relativity : L. Silberstein.—The number of Stars of different Magnitudes in the ‘Hyderabad Astrogfaphic Catalogue. II.,° Zone: — 18°: “R. J. Pocock.—Micrometrical Measures of Thirty-one new Double Stars: ; Pe es Leonard.—Errata in Van Biesbroeck's Third Series of Measures of Double Stars :-E. Doolittle.—Solar Prominences, 1817: G. J. Newbegin.—The Early History of the Solar System: H: Jeffreys.—Prolable Papers The Measurement of Time to the Thousandth of a Second: R. A. Samp- son.—The Secular Acceleration of the Sun as determined from Hippar- chus’s Equinox Observations, witha note on Ptolemy’s False Equinox: .. J. K. Fotheringham. PuysicaL Society, at 5.—The Asymmetrical Distribution of Corpuscular Radiation Produced by X-rays: E. A. Owen.—On “Air Standard” Internal-Combustion Engine Cycles and their Efficiencies: Prof. C. H. ees, NO. 2523, VOL. 101] P SATURDAY, Marcu 9, ta Royar Instrrution, at 3.—Prublems in Atomic Structure: Sir Jet Thomson, MONDAY, Marcu vn. ; : Royat GrocraPuHIcAaL Society, at 8.30.—My Second Year's Journey in Kansu : Reginald Farrer. / Society oF, ENGINEERS, at. 5.30.—Concrete Mixtures for Ferro-concrete! Work: 'T. J. Gueritte. a TUESDAY’, Marcu 12. = Rovar Instirurion, at 3.—The Stifling of Children’s Health: Dr Leonard Hill. : INSTITUTION OF CiviL. ENGINEERS, at 5-30.—Kinemato ph Films IHu trating Water-power Works in Canada: Prof. J. C. McLennan. al Royat ANTHROPOLOGICAL, INSTITUTE AND EHISTORIC East ANGLta (Joint Meetings).—The Prehistoric Society of East Anglia, at 3.—Presidential Address: Our Neighbours of the Neolithic Period: Rk. A. Smith.—Royal Anthropological’ Institute, at 5-15.—The Age’ Some Megalithic Structures in the Mediterranean Area: H. J. BE. Peake. — WEDNESDAY, Marcu 13. if ‘ta Rovat Socizty or Arts, at 4.30.—Ypres and other Flemish Cities Before | Pie! and Since the. War (in English): Paul | ambotte. INSTITUTE oF MErats, at 8.—Presidential Address. : Ns British Association Gropuysicat Discussions. (Royal Astronomical, Society), at 5.—Aurorze and the Electrical State of the Upper Atmosphere > Dr. C. Chree, Profi A. Fowler, the Hon. R. J.. Strutt, and Others vom THURSDAY, Marcn 14. ty us, Rovar Society oF ARTS, at 4.30.—English Commerce with India, 1608 1658: William Foster. \ eee piatas res Institute oF METALS, at 4.—The Relationship between Hardness and | Constitution in the Copper-rich Aluminium-Copper Alloys = Felgghen | Greenwood.—Aluminium- Bronze ie Casting: H. Whittaker and- H. Rix.—On Grain Size; Dr. G. H. Gulhver.—Lead-Tin-Antimony Alloys: Owen W. Ellis.—An Investigation on Unsound Castings a4 - Admiralty Bronze: (88:10: 2): Cause and Remedy: Prof. H. C." H,— Carpenter and Miss C. F, Elam. : t 2s ee AL Society (Imperial College of Science and Technology), at 8.- The Detection of Ghosts in Prisms: ‘I. Smith. : ok Coen FRIDAY, Mancit 15. Sree, ee INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, at & 3 t " SATURDAY, Marcu 16. ; Fa Rovat Institution, at 3.—Problems in Atomic Structure: Sir J. J. — omson. CONTENTS. . PAGE | Cambridge Standards of Value . . ww ww Webb’s “ Celestial Objects.” By W.W.B. .... 2 Our Bookshelf Mee Letters to the Editor :— Trt seers. The Stimulation of Plant-growh by Electric Fields. Ay Be A Ts Een a Photographic Determination of the Altitude of the Aurora of December 16, 1917, in Christiania. (lilustrated.)\—Prof. Cart Stormer Eastern and Western Asymmetry of Solar Prominences. ‘ —Albert Alfred Buss. © Ss Mees A Graham Bell Telephone Memorial. (/i/ustrated.) B : ~ rt . The Radio-activity of Some Canadian Mineral Springs.. By FSi) 5 a aes ‘oh aA, Prof EB, A. Leta) 5 5 7 8 Notes 025 8 oS a ee Our Astronomical Column :— 3 Encke’s Comet and Others ;: ae Fe ee ‘Nebulosity about’ Nova Persei (1901) .: . - 6. @ 2 12 The Egyptian Government Almanac Beak a GN é Sir Alfred Keogh and the Army Medical Services. By G. Pe x: ye gas | Ea The Departmental Report on Salaries in Elementary BCROOIS. oa tape a eS) 0 ame. ka Meteorology and Exact Thermometry A eo Gravitation and the Principle of Relativity. By Prof. A. S. Eddington, F.R.S.. . fiji a he Moe ts Se University and Educational Intelligence .. .. 17 Societies and Academies ©.) 20. coh 6S 6 we Books Received.) <5 5 a as tbe: Diary of Societies 5000S ee ee a a Builonat ond Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN. AND CO., Lrtp., ne ST. MARTIN’S. SFREET, LONDON, W.C.2. Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the — Publishers, ben Je Editorial Communications to the Editor. Telegraphic Address: Puusis, LONDON. deen “Telephone Number’: GERRARD 8830, 7 7 NATURE 21 THURSDAY, MARCH > _ REFRACTORY “MATERIALS. tory Materials: their Manufacture and es. By Alfred B. Searle. Pp. xii+444. ndon: Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd., 1917.) ce 15s. net. ‘is a pleasure to have the opportunity of 7 nowledging that the prime importance of tory materials to our industries is at last 1g eecognition. An attempt was made in Times, January 21, and Nature, a y 28, of that year) to direct serious attention : this: subject, but it was temporarily abandoned ecause of the failure of the majority to realise urgency of industrial requirements. To-day on the border-line of danger at the other _Contrasted with the apathy which pre- short time ago, the present attitude ap- "some to border on hysteria. Schemes are seriously entertained which, if not carefully will lead to the Germanising of research bad sense, because certain suggestions which . been made seem based on the idea that the ect merely demands mechanical and routine tions on contractions, porosities, hard- etc., amd some suggestions, if adopted, Id tend to suppress individuality. Mere in- problem plus a university degree are sufficient admission certificate to the adytum _ The neophyte requires initiation ; Fandamérital mysteries, so to speak, before visely break the bond of silence. h author of the present work has been a pro- ‘iter en subjects more or less connected with ough he has made no impor- L abatribaton to the art, his book is compilation, since it is convenient ous fragments scattered in the techni- | collected into one volume. ‘The serious it, however, may be dissatisfied with the uacy of the references to original sources, given in sufficient detail, INS 5 a is is the more necessary because in some ss Originals have been so mutilated in as to. convey erroneous impressions. nple occurs in the reference to the formule the chief alumino-silicie acids, on pp. 4 and 9, the essential point has been missed. In ion with the action of alkalis on clays AG ‘it would have been better to give ndication of the large amount of work ' published on the same subject, instead of until the author of the book is able to is promise. The remarks on the actual sition of clays on pp. 4 and 5 are quite accord. with the general experience that clays “mixtures of various minerals, but there is thing wrong on p. 7 when analyses of nine nmercial clays are represented by complex : prec hic formule. ‘eg statement on p. 41 that, “generally speak- g, the unds of silica are fusible, with the ne exception [the italics are the author’ s] of the _ NO. 2524, VOL. 101 | and | : edition this blemish should be recti- | alumino-silicic acids (true-clays),’’ needs modify- ing, as it seems to imply that minerals like talc, olivine, leucite, topaz, zircon, sillimanite, and non- tronite are fusible or are alumino-silicic acids. On p. 42 we are informed that “the softening effect of mica is seldom noticeable below 1200° C., and that of felspar below 1300° C.,’’ whereas on the previous page it is stated that “mica is a far weaker flux than felspar.” Misprints are unfor- tunately rather numerous, though they do not always involve serious inaccuracies. A mild case occurs On p. 55, where titanite is represented as CaTiO;. The author apparently makes no distinction be- tween yttria and ytterbia, for on p. 122 we find “yttrium oxide or ytterbia,” and the latter name is again used instead of yttria twice on the next page. Another statement to which strong excep- tion may be taken appears on p. 179, respecting articles of iron sulphide (pyrite), which never give a red colour to the [fired] clay, but invariably show up as black or slagged spots.” It would be interesting to know the authority for this. The proportion of grog to clay (1 to 8), as given on p. 284, for making saggers in Great Britain is far from being correct according to the practice of potters generally, if, indeed, for any British potters. The results obtained by Wernicke referred to on pp. 96-97 doubtless justified the conclusions deduced by him and Wildschrey so far as_ the quartzites examined were concerned. But it would not have been out of place to add that some, at any rate, of the quartzites in the United States do not conform with these conclusions; for McDowell has expressly stated that the best American quartzites used for the manufacture of silica bricks show under microscopical examina- tion no cementing ground mass, but consist solely of interlocking quartz crystals. This might be borne in mind in connection with the list of desi- derata in quartzites for silica bricks, as set out on p. 98. The statement (on p. 96) that “it is essen- tial to usé a quartzite composed largely of tridy- mite ’’ needs justification. Where can such quartz- ites be obtained ? One of the best features of the book is the description of processes with which the author is familiar; where he is on strange ground, serious mistakes have been made. For example, the attempt to cast glass pots by the method described on p. 341 could scarcely give a satisfactory result. As previously intimated, the work possesses considerable value, notwithstanding such defects as those mentioned. The chapters deal with an exceptionally wide range of products and the corre- sponding raw materials, including the manufac- ture of firebricks from clay, silica, basic materials, bauxite, carbon, chromite, saggers, muffles, crucibles, glass pots, retorts, as well as fused silica ware, refractory porcelain, refractory mor- tars, and cements. The concluding chapter dis- cusses the selection and application of refractory materials, and an appendix, gives various stand- _ard specifications. The general index facilitates ' quick reference. J. A. A. i & 22 . NATURE \ [Marcu 14, 1918 A SURVEY OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY. The American Indian: An Introduction to the Anthropology of the New World. By Clark Wissler. Pp. xiiit+ 435. (New York: Douglas C. McMurtrie, 1917.) Price 3 dollars. ibe this synthesis of American ethnology Mr. Clark Wissler has given us a book which we have long needed. An immense amount of work has been done in American ethnology, but the results are scattered in ponderous tomes and in in- numerable papers in various journals published in diverse countries, and hitherto no scholar had attempted the systematisation of all these data, which manifestly required much patient labour. In terse, direct language the author has brought together the essential facts, and thereby en- abled students to gain a clear idea of the tech- nique and distribution of industries, the main features of sociological and religious systems, and the demarcation of the larger groupings. Refer- ences are given for most of the statements, numerous plates and figures illustrate the text, and there are a number of most useful maps show- ing various distributions. The scope of the book can be best gauged by giving an epitome of the contents: Food areas (gathering, hunting, agri- culture, etc.), textile and ceramic arts, decorative art, architecture, social groupings and regulation, and ritualistic observances. A consideration of these forms the basis for a classification of social groups according to their cultures. North and South America are divided into fifteen culture areas conformable to principles previously enunciated by the author, central spots being selected and the marginal variations noted. Then follow archeo- logical, linguistic, and somatic classifications, and finally a correlation of classifications and a dis- cussion of culture origins and of New World origins. ; A few remarks may be made concerning Mr. Wissler’s ‘position with regard to the broader problems of American ethnology. In common with the great majority of his American col- leagues, he believes in the unity of the New World culture. “Notwithstanding the great diversity we have found, there are, on every hand, the un- mistakable signs of unity. The higher cultures of Mexico and Peru are, after all, merely the great centres where the fundamental elements in New World culture were full blown.’’ He is also impressed by the “many indications of somatic homogeneity strongly suggesting unity of origin.’’ Surely no morphologist would regard the Lagao. Santa type (to which no reference is made) as belonging to the same race as the Bororo, or many other tribes. Following the line adopted by Boas, he suggests that “the longer-headed Algonkins and Patagonians are merely the result of greater marginal isolation rather than survivors of a previous long-headed population. ”’ ; Research becomes paralysed if all irregularities are to be dismissed as fluctuations from a com- mon mean. Probably no one will disagree with NO. 2524, VOL. 101] the statement that ‘no necessary relation exists. =| between the known types of culture, linguistics, | and somatology.’’ The analysis of each of these | must proceed on independent lines, and it must | always be remembered that cultures and lan- © guages can be adopted or discarded. The diver- — sity of linguistic stocks in America is an unex- — plained puzzle for those who maintain the essential — unity of the American Indians. Certainly as re- — gards somatology there is very good reason to — believe in, several distinct migrations of different — racial elements from north-east Asia. What cul- — tures they severally brought with them is another — matter. Bel In referring to certain cultural traits mentioned — by Rowland B. Dixon as common to America and — the Pacific, Mr. Wissler says: ‘‘ There is no great a priori improbability that some of these traits did reach the New World from the Pacific Islands. — Satisfactory proof of such may yet be attained, — but such discoveries would not account for New World culture as a whole. Then there are abun-- dant data to show that the Polynesians are recent — arrivals in the Pacific; in fact, Maya culture must | have been in its dotage long before they were within striking distance of the American coast.’’ We have not yet heard the last word on the problems of the diffusion of culture which are now exercising the minds of many ethnologists; to these this most excellent book will serve at once — as a stimulus and a challenge. . moe nn ASK, Happox. RADIOGRAPHY. Radiography and Radio-therapeutics. By Dr. R. | Knox. Part i., Radiography. Second edition. — Pp. xxv+382+xx+plates Ixxviii. (London: © A. and C. Black, Ltd., 1917.) Pricé 30s. net. -# OTHING better illustrates the advance in medical radiology and the stimulus given © thereto by the war than the appearance of a second edition of this work. Upon its production ~ in 1915 Dr. Knox’s book became the standard — British book on the subject of X-rays, as regards — their application diagnostically or as a therapeutic — agent. In view of the large amount of new in- — formation available it has been'thought advisable — to issue the second edition in two parts, and — part i., ““Radiography,’’ has now been completed... — Generally speaking, the lines laid down in the © original work have been followed, new matter — supplementing the old in the appropriate sections. _ When an entirely new subject comes up for con- — sideration, such as the detection of gas in the tissues, a new sub-heading is made in the chapter — to which it is germane. This will greatly facilitate for the reader the transition from the original ~ volume to the new issue. if ~ ie The main additions to the work appear to be in — oe ¥ cI De devoted to the electro-technique of the subject, — the localisation of foreign bodies, stereoscopy, and — the chapters (which, we notice, are not numbered) — ARCH 14, 1918] NATURE = ostic work upon the thorax and the alimen- system. In each of these sections there are derable additions to the subject-matter of the dition—present-day methods of dealing with juries receiving a good deal of attention by nor. 4 illustrations, many of which are new, are reproduced, and reflect great credit upon ducers. We regret the omission of the yraphy; it is presumably intended to insert ii., “ Radio-therapeutics,’’ but the size of « warrants the division of the bibliography parts. notice that this book has been adopted by S. Army and Navy Medical Departments. ver may be said as to the official recogni- n this country of the significance of X-ray either on the diagnostic or the therapeutic and of the status of the medical radiologist, ance of this book leaves no doubt in mind that the study and practice of radio- are on a sound basis, an excellent founda- fact, for the structure of a British School Cad OUR BOOKSHELF. Gate of Remembrance: The Story of the hological Experiment which resulted in the overy of the Edgar Chapel at Glastonbury. |B. Bond. Pp. x+176. (Oxford: B. H. well, 1918.) Price 6s. net. little book furnishes an interesting record of s of psychological investigations directed to certain hitherto unsolved questions in nm with the Glastonbury excayations. In -F. B. Bond, in anticipation of his ap- ment to supervise the work, enlisted the aid ff a friend, called “J. A.,’’ both being members of 2 Psychical Research Society, and associated secretary in the inquiry. The object was er the site of the Edgar Chapel, which s to have existed in the time of Queen Eliza- but which has now passed out of memory. the friends made a preliminary study of the chronicles and other literature of the _ They held numerous meetings, “J. A.”’ @ a pencil over a sheet of paper, and Mr. is method a number of scripts were recorded, me containing rudely drawn plans, purporting to communications from one “Johannes Mon- ,»’ “Whyttinge, nuper Abbas,’’ and others, gave information by which, we are told, the sition of the lost Edgar Chanel was determined. It is obvious that Mr. Bond and “J. A.’’ have iled the record in perfect good faith, and they pointed out errors of fact and style in the ommunications. They do not regard the com- unications as “the action of discarnate intelli- ices from the outside upon the physical er rerv- organisation of the sitters.’’ “J, A.’’ is “dis- to concur with Mr. Bond in the view that NO. 2524, VOL. I01| “resting his hand on that of his friend. By. the subconscious part of the mind may in its operation traverse the limitations of individual knowledge, either acting telepathically through contact with some larger field of memory, or as itself part of a larger unit of a more pervasive kind as regards time and space, conditions which would imply that the individual may have powers of self-expression far greater than those which are normally available through the brain-mechanism controlled by the will and logical faculties.’’ This may be so, but others may prefer to attribute the manifestations to unconscious cerebration working on the authors’ historical studies. Apart from its psychological interest, the excellent series of plans and sketches adds to the archeological value of the book. The British Journal Photographic Almanac and Photographer’s Daily Companion, 1918. Edited - by George E. Brown. Fifty-seventh issue. Pp. 660. (London: Henry Greenwood and Co., Ltd.) Price 1s. 6d. net. Tue general character of this annual is so well preserved that it needs an actual comparison with the pre-war issues to discover that it is reduced to about half its normal size. Although the “ Epi- tome of Progress” for last year is somewhat cur- tailed, this is compensated for in great measure by condensing the abstracts and giving references. There has been so much talk with regard to ren- dering this country independent of foreign fac- tories, so far as some of the more costly chemical preparations are concerned, that one naturally seeks for evidence of progress in this direction. It is satisfactory to note that the Ilford Company is now able to supply certain pure dyes prepared under the direction of Prof. W. J. Pope, of Cam- bridge University. It mentions a “considerable number ” useful for the making of colour filters of all kinds, stains for microscopy, etc., and it is claimed that they are superior to the pre-war German products. Among the latest introductions are pinacyanol and pinaverdol, now called sensitol red and sensitol green respectively ; sensitol violet, which is an entirely new panchromatic sensitiser ; and filter yellow A. These, with metol and amidol (made by the firm of Johnson and Sons), and various metol substitutes, the compositions of which are not stated, show that a good deal has already been done. Perhaps the second most not- able item is the rise in the price of photographic plates. Before the war the popular one shilling a dozen for quarter-plates was increased by 25 per cent., and now, by successive steps, the shilling has risen to two shillings and ninepence. Memento Oppermann & l’Usage des Ingénieurs, Architectes, Agents Voyers, Conducteurs de Travaux, Mécaniciens, Industriels, Entre- preneurs. Pp. 268. (Paris et Liége: Ch. Béranger.) Price 6 fr. Tuts is a pocket-book for engineers, surveyors, and architects, and contains the information usually given in similar works published in this 24 NATURE [Marcre 14, 1918 country. Only a few remarks are called for. The section on surveying includes a good description -of the methods and instruments usually employed in the measurement of land, and gives specimen pages of field books... In the part dealing with weights and measures there are tables not’ only of the metric system, the use of which is now general throughout France, but also of various old French denominations, which, if not used at the present time in commerce or science, are at least often met with in legal documents. Par- ticulars of the weights and measures of foreign countries are also given, and so far as regards the English. system these are generally accurate. The compiler is not, however, aware that the metric carat of 200 mg. is the only legal unit of weight in this country, for diamonds and precious stones, as he gives the equivalent of the obsolete English carat on p. 41. The troy weights men- . tioned on p. 44 are not, as there stated, used in this country by chemists ; we have a special apothe- caries’ weight. On the whole, the work bears évidence of careful compilation, and is likely to prove useful to the professional men to whom it particularly appeals: 2 LETTERS TO. THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for _ opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither . can he undertake to return, or to correspond with _ the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. -No -notice is .. taken of anonymous communications. ] _ Patents and. Scientific Research. _4N connection with the excellent article on “ Patents and Scientific. Research”? in Nature:of F ebruary 21, may I direct the attention of your readers to. another article on the same subject published in Science Pro- ress e January, 1914? oxen articles must be read if any attempt is to be made to fit th é 6n to sciéntific research. en Sea Ih my opinion; ‘however, much the ‘best way to encourage. -high intellectual effort of all kinds would be to establish a national pension fund’ for men whose work in .any line has-been of benefit to large numbers of the public without being remunerative to them- selves, or, aS sometimes happens, while being of actual pecuniary disadvantage to themselves. [ have sug- gested this idea over and over again, but regret that I cannot get anyone to pay attention to it. | For Britain, the present Civil List Pensions should be con- verted into such a pension scheme as I suggest. The pensions, which I anticipate would scarcely amount to more than 20,0001. a year altogether for Britain, ought to be allotted by a standing committee with a paid office—somewhat in.the manner of the Nobel prizes. Of course, decision on rival merits of possible candidates may often be difficult, but the same diffi- culties now present themselves to all learned societies in allotting medals and other honours, and also to the Premier in allotting Civil List Pensions. Yet another method is to admit the precedent of Jenner, who received 30,0001. on petitioning Parlia- ment. I tried this method, as a test of the intelli- gence of the country, before the war (see Science Pro- NO. 2524, VOL. 101] continue. ; gress, October, 1915); but the present Premier, when | he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, refused to allow ~ lawyers. — my petition to go forward, although my assured me that it was a perfectly valid one. At present the British nation is paying large sums y of money to supply junior scientific workers with laboratory facilities and small salaries for doing pot- — boiler scientific work in the hope of possibly making some discovery in the future, while it gives nothing whatever to those who have already done work of — established and even universal value. I wonder. why our countrymen find it so difficult to understand such simple ideas. Ronatp Ross, Editor of Science Progress. _ 36 Harley House, London, N.W.1, March 4. Whale-meat in War Time. .AN announcement in the daily Press states that i whalesmeat furnished the principal article of food at a luncheon given in New York by the American Museum of Natural History to demonstrate the possi- — bilities of whale-meat for home consumption, in order — that the beef thus saved might be sent by America to relieve the scarcity prevailing among the Allies in F Europe. SEE Se. | All who were privileged to partake of this luncheon must have gone away satisfied that the substitution of _ this meat for beef and mutton would entail no hard- ship, but, on the contrary, would prove a welcome addition to the bill of fare. This at any rate is the conclusion arrived at by members of the staff of the British Museum of Natural History, who have recently experimented with the flesh of a white-beaked dolphin | : stranded on the Suffolk coast. im Unfortunately, we can do little to assist in this sav- ing, for the whales in our home-waters cannot be ‘‘fished,”? since neither ships nor men are available for the purpose. Similarly, lack of tonnage prevents im- portation from ithe Antarctic waters and elsewhere under cold storage. Poe os It is to be hoped, however, that the use'willbe made of the carcasses of the various species of Cetacea stranded around our coasts. se, no great quantity of meat would thus be obtained, but locally it should form a very welcome addition to the scanty meat rations now of necessity prevailing. = Whale-meat has no fat, but is encased in a thick layer of ‘‘blubber,’’ which, when boiled down with water, yields a large quantity of clear, amber-coloured | . i It has, however, a slight oil, just. now very precious. and rather unpleasant odour, but it should not be difficult to eliminate this. The dark red colour of whale-meat is likely to arouse prejudice against it. But if those whd have opportunity will only make trial of its qualities as a food, thev will find it scarcely distinguishable from beef, and | quite as palatable. Such experiments may well create a demand for this meat after the war. This should lead to a revival of the now extinct Dundee whaling — industry, remodelled after the methods followed by the _ Norwegians, in whose hands modern whaling now — almost entirely rests. The difficulty of finding suitable gunners could easily be overcome by employing men trained in the Navy. Many new industries will arise among us after the war. This may well be among the number. It is ridiculous to suppose that we are unable to master the requirements of modern whaling; but, as matters now stand, British whaling companies have to depend for their principal officers on Norwegians. -— i} There is no-reason why this state of things should W. P. .Pycrarr. Of course, _ cal FLYING _~BE the kind assistance of Prof. H. Fehr, of Geneva, and the help of M. Stuckelberg, 4 ' professor of the history of art in the University eof Bale, we are able to give an additional photo- ie of the “Legend of Alexander, _ the sculptured capital, in the choir of the cathedral ) of Bale, on a Romanesque column of the twelfth path Guided by the previous photograph, "Nature of August 23 last, of the = _ bas-relief on St. Mark’s, Vv enice, ' we are able to identify the sub- 3 ject, in the words of “Love's | Labour’s Lost ’’—“ My scutcheon _ plain declares that I. am Alis- . ander ’’—and make a comparison Eis the details in their close re- ' semblance and attention to the description by the Pseudo-Callis- thenes in his fabulous “Life of MACHINE. a | given in _ Alexander.”’ i . In the Bale sculpture the _ throne of Alexander, placed on ‘an ox-yoke, is seen reproduced more like a car-shaped boat, but the unbridled griffins (erapbor _ @rep) are there. And Alexander holds the two sceptres—joy- _ sticks, in the language of the air- _ man—baited with cakes instead of the rabbits shown at Venice, or the lumps of liver in the narra- tive of Pseudo-Callisthenes, _ where we are told, the griffins _ were kept sharp-set for some time B before a flight, in a manner _ known to the lion-tamer, and so ala the tasty bait of direc- _ tion control whichever way it _ pointed. The St. Mark’s photograph has been reduced as a lantern slide by the kindness of the National _ Physical Laboratory. But when _ the slide was shown enlarged on the screen as the company was ' once assembling for a lecture to ' the Aeronautical Society, the ' members looked up on _ en- q trance, and looked away again without com- ment. Not one seemed to recognise it as the repre- _ sentation of a flying machine, the earliest known. Bt may be, then, that other versions of the legend @ are in existence in various cathedrals, but the _ Meaning has been lost, and they are not recog- _ nised in relation to flight j in the air. So, too, it is possible that the capital at Bale is regarded as representing some kind of progress over the water, or under it, from the boat-like shape of the car; and it was not recognised as intended to take to the air, because Pseudo- “NO. 2524, VOL. 101] taken from . Marcu 14, 1918] NATURE a6. q THE LEGEND. OF ALEXANDER AND HIS Callisthenes describes the machine as capable of being used as a submarine, machine ; and this, too, is the quoted by Roger Bacon in “ Artis et Nature ’’ :-— as well as a flying account of Azthicus, De Secretis Operibus Possunt etiam fieri instrumenta volandi, et homo sedens in medio instrumenti. revolvens aliquod in- genium, per quod alz artificialiter composite aerem verberent, ad modum avis volantis. Possunt etiam fieri instrumenta ambulandi in mari in fluviis ad fundum sine periculo corporali. Nam | et Roman capital of the twelfth century in the choir of Bale Cathedral. Alexander magnus his usus est, ut secreta maris videret, secundum quod Ethicus narrat astronomus. Hee autem facta sunt antiquitus, et nostris tem- poribus. Et certum est, preter instrumentum volandi quod non vidi, nec hominem qui vidisset cognovi, sed sapientem qui hoc artificium excogitavit explicite cog- nosco. The romance of Callisthenes appears to have had a great vogue in the early and middle ages, and an allusion to it would be familiar to all; so an organised search should be undertaken in other cathedrals and churches of similar representations, not yet identified as on this one subject of flight, 26 NATURE [Marcu 14, 1918 in stained glass and tessellated pavement, as well as sculpture and bas-relief. The book used at school has the powerful influ- ence in moulding the mind, and providing asso- ciation of ideas familiar to all. A quotation from a school book is sure of acceptation and compre- hension. Horace, in his ode on Archytas, mentions the flying machine among his mechanical achieve- ments, if we may interpret so his “aerias tentasse domos—Tithonusque remotus in auras.’’ But he mixes up Archytas and Archimedes in “ numeroque carentis arene mensorem,’’ both authors being in use in his schooldays for mathematical and cos- mographical instruction, The curtain goes up on Antony and Cleopatra engaged in an amatory disputation on the Psammites Arenarius of Archimedes, And here we, too, are quoting ourselves from the ode of Horace as familiar to all from school- boy days. Interpretations of this ode are various, but we may imagine Horace has arrived at the last stage on the Appian Way to the terminus at Brindisi, and employs the waiting time to visit the sights of Tarentum, where he comes across the tumulus of Archytas—‘“ that old beast,’’ he would call him in schoolboy terms, as the author of the text-book of arithmetic, geometry, harmonics, spherics. The epitaph then tells him the tomb is a ceno- taph, and the real site of burial is away far to the north on the other sea, in a small memorial. Another school author was Aratus, for instruction in astronomy, and so could be drawn on as familiar to all. Ovid is full of allusions from Aratus, and Cicero contemplated a translation into Latin verse. Aratus is quoted also by St. Paul as familiar to his audience, as Newton reminds us in _ the ** Principia.’’ The mathematical fragments of Archytas, col- lected in “ Mélanges Graux’’ (Paris, 1884), will trace his influence on the young minds of the Latin poets, Virgil, Ovid, Horace. They give the history of the problem of the two mean proportionals, generalisation of the Delian problem of the dupli- cation of the cube, and incidental to angle trisec- tion, among famous problems of antiquity, such as squaring the circle. And in his ‘‘ Harmonics ’”’ Archytas was the first to direct attention to the harmonic progression shown in the divisions on - the musical chord where it must be touched to give the successive overtone notes of frequency 1, 2, 3, etc. But the graphical and mechanical methods _of Archytas drew down the scorn of Plato, pioneer of Rigour, as contaminating the purity of Geo- metry with material contact. And what would Plato have said—originator of the sentiment, “Here’s to Mathematics, and may they never be of use to anybody ’’—if he had fore- seen the latest development of the harmless flying toy of Archytas, described with such prescience by the artist-mechanic in “ Rasselas’’ (1759) ?’ If men were all virtuous, I should with great alacrity teach them to fly. But what would be the security of NO. 2524, VOL. ror] the good, if-the bad could at pleasure invade them from the sky? Against an army sailing through the clouds, neither walls, mountains, nor seas could afford security. A flight of northern savages might hover in the wind, and rush with irresistible violence upon the capital of a neighbour region. G. GREENHILL. — METEOROLOGY IN NORWAY. HE volume before us, published in celebration of the fifty years’ existence of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, commences with brief sketches of the lives of Prof. Henrik Mohn and Director Aksel Steen, to both of whom the insti- tute, to a large extent, owes its development. A very interesting account is given of the history of meteorology in Norway. Owing to the peculiar geographical position of the country, meteorology was early found to be of special importance, and observations were taken from the end of the seven- teenth century; but it was not until the beginning of the nineteenth century that regular observations in the modern sense of the word were commenced. In 1811 Prof. Esmarck began them in Christiania, pee and in 1837 Prof. Hansteen took daily observations _ of pressure, temperature, wind direction and force, cloud amount, and appearance of the sky. A scheme was then put on foot for organising daily observations in the different parts of the country, but these gradually fell off, until in 1850, with the exception of the unbroken records at Christiania, meteorological work in Norway was almost at a standstill. é ae : It was the great storm of 1854, which overtook the French and English fleets on the Crimean coasts, that gave a new impetus to meteorology in Europe, and in 1855 Le Verrier made proposals for an international weather service. Norway was | ‘greatly interested in the new movement, and in 1860 C. Nielsen, Director of Telegraphs in Nor- way, established five stations along the coast— Christiansund, Aalesund, Skudenes, Mandal, and Sandgsund—with the necessary instruments and staff. At these stations observations were made three times daily of pressure, temperature, humid- ity, wind, weather, and cloud. A short time later an inland station was established at Dombaas, and reports were exchanged between these stations and Sweden, and also, after a few years, with Paris. The six stations were soon found to be insuffi- cient for the proper development of meteorological work in Norway, and in 1865 it was resolved to erect a meteorological institute and to appoint a professor of meteorology. The institute was com- menced, and in 1865 Henrik Mohn was appointed professor of meteorology and director of the Meteorological Institute. New instruments were installed at the existing stations, and on Decem- — ber 1, 1866, the Norwegian Meteorological Insti- tute began its operations, with the co-operation of the six stations mentioned, and also of Bergen and Christiania. \ Prof. Mohn’s initiative soon resulted in great developments: the number of climatological sta- 1 Meteorologien i Norge i soaar. (Christiania : Grondahl and Sons.) “Marcu 14, 1918] NATURE 27 ‘was rapidly increased; in 1871 there were ve, in 1898 eighty. The collection of rain- itistics also interested Prof, Mohn greatly, id by 1890 he had established nearly 100 stations, 1895 the number reached about 300, and a few ars later 500 stations reported rainfall to the o developed. As early as 1869 telegrams were eived from Great Britain; Denmark commenced 1, Sweden in 1873; Russia, Finland, Ger- is in 1907; Spitsbergen, Austria-Hungary, Italy joined in 1912, followed in 1913 by ‘Spain, Portugal, and Madeira. from Norwegian stations was increased; by thirty-three stations reported by telegraph, by 1914 the number had increased to sixty- ‘s of storm-warnings and forecasts were ed early in the history of the institute. orts and publications were organised and , and the volume gives diagrammatic tations of the growth of the institute’s x stations, staff, budget, and library. ogy received much attention at the begin- the present century; sounding balloons nt up, and in 1909 pilot-balloon ascents run. In 1912 this part of the work was r by Prof. V. Bjerknes, and it is now | by the observatory at Aas. are given on the past and present mem- the staff of the institute, and detailed ns of the growth and work of each of the tions dealing with climatology, forecast- rainfall respectively. The establishment f the observatories at Aas, Bergen, and are described, and the book is illustrated esting photographs of the institute and es, and by reproductions of charts and NOTES. Due letters that have appeared recently in the Times ad in articles elsewhere on the effect of electric action growth of plants show a readiness to believe that any wonders may be wrought by electricity. scientific workers will agree with Prof. Armstrong Sir James Crichton-Browne in their scepticism as ed value of electrical treatment as a general of increasing crop production. It is asserted the electrical treatment of seeds increases of seems to refer to a commercial process in which, ntly, seeds are subjected to the combined action ric currents and certain solutions; in the method ysis appears to play some part. The process based on the treatment known to physicians as i¢ medication,’? and used, for example, for the ction of swollen joints. Treatment of seeds in this ap s to have no sound physiological basis, and ‘data derived from experiments carried out under al conditions r to be available, so that it is ssible to evaluate-the method. No one who knows difficulty of carrying out satisfactory agricultural ents, and the ease with which a few favourable NO. 2524, VOL. 101] international exchange of telegrams was | and France began in 1892, and the Farée '20 to 80 per cent. may be produced. The state- nwhile the telegraphic reporting of observa-— but illusory results can be obtained, is likely to accept the views of a few farmers as convincing evidence of the value of the process. The method of treatment of the growing plant with a high-tension discharge from overhead wires has been before the public for some years ; it is certainly more promising, but it is generally admitted to be in a purely experimental stage. Sir J. J. Dossier, Government Chemist, and principal of the Government laboratories, has been elected a member of the Athenzeum Club under the rule of. the club which empowers the annual election by the com- mittee of a certain number of persons of distinguished eminence in science, literature, the arts, or for public service, SUMMER-TIME ‘began in France and Italy on March 10; it begins with us on March 24, and will begin in Holland on April 1. The dates on which symmer- time ends are also different in different countries. However much “daylight saving’’ by alteration of clocks may be appreciated by the public, there can be / no doubt that the varying dates adopted for the begin- problems will be likely to receive consideration. ning and ending of the change of standard are most confusing, and will render it very difficult to determine the exact instant at which any records of observations of natural occurrences are made. THE issue of the Comptes rendus of the Paris Academy of Sciences for January 28 contains a decree of the President of the Republic creating a new divi- sion under the title ‘Application de la Science a l’Industrie,’’ which is to consist of six members, who are to enjoy the same privileges as the ‘‘ Académiciens libres,’? without restriction as to residence. There is probably no more conservative scientific organisation in the world than the Académie des Sciences, and there could be no more significant sign of the changed conditions of the times than this action on the part of the French Government and the academy in thus seeking to bring science and industry into closer rela- tionship. i In connection with.our note on the Air Force Medi- cal Service in last week’s issue, we may direct atten- tion to the appointment of a Medical Administrative Committee. According to the Lancet, the Director- General of the Naval Medical Service is chair- man. The other members are the Director- General of the Army Medical Service, Fleet-Surgeon R. C. Munday, Major C. B. Heald, Surgeon-General Rolleston, Dr. Henry Head, Mr. Raymond Johnson, Dr. Leonard Hill, and Sir Walter Fletcher. We ob- serve with satisfaction that the scientific aspects of the At the same time, the physiological representatives are small in number compared with the official and medi- ' cal members, a fact to be regretted in view of the nature of the chief questions with which the Committee will have to deal. These questions require a wide knowledge of a great variety of physiological problems. As the outcome of a conference held on November 7 last, at which there were present representatives of the Committee of the Privy Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and of the Department for the De- velopment of Mineral Resources, besides many of the land- and mine-owners of Cornwall, a fund for research has been raised, and a Research Board has been ap- pointed by the Committee of the Privy Council. The members of the Board are :—Sir Lionel Phillips, Bt. (chairman); Mr. J. G. Gilbert, Cornish Chamber of Mines; Sir Frank Heath, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; Sir T. K. Rose, chairman of the Research Committee of the Board; Mr. Edgar Taylor, na a a a 28 NATURE [Marcu 14, 1918 Institution of Mining and Metallurgy; Mr. R. Arthur Thomas, Cornish Chamber of Mines; and Sir Richard Threlfall, Advisory Council for Scientific and Indus- trial Research; with Mr. A. Richardson as secretary (15 Great George Street, Westminster, S.W.1). The Board, after consultation with its Research Com- mittee, has authorised extended lines of research with the view of increasing the recovery of metal in the treatment of ores. In his lecture on ‘‘Chemical Research in Relation to Industry ” (Adelaide ; G. Hassell and Son) Dr. Har- greaves says little that is new and nothing that is not true. The arguments he uses apply equally to us here and to our colleagues in the Antipodes. Dr. Hargreaves is Director of the Department of Chemistry of South Australia, which Department he describes as a con- necting link between the industries and the pure man ef science, and his lecture deals with two main topics: first, the need for closer co-operation between scientific men and business men; secondly, the need for paying chemists an adequate salary in order to get the right men. We are, in this country, face to face with the same two questions, and there is a grave risk that Great Britain as a whole will not realise their importance. There are indications that the scien- tific world here is now convinced on both these points, but the majority of business men keep aloof from science, and have been of late too busy with their own difficult problems to apply their minds to an investiga- tion of matters outside their usual routine. Dr. Har- greaves’s lecture is temperately written and contains some useful suggestions. It is to be hoped that a real effort will be made to interest the commercial men in this country in these problems of pressing and national importance, but present conditions make it difficult to start a crusade of the necessary dimensions. Mr. W. J. Uctow Woo tcock, the registrar and secretary of ithe Pharmaceutical Society, has been ap- pointed secretary of the Association of British Chemical Manufacturers. 4 Mr. F. W. Hopes, head of the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution since 1905, has resigned, and thas been succeeded by Dr. J. W. Fewkes, who has been on the Bureau’s staff since 1895. WE notice with regret the announcement of the death of Prof. E. W. Davis, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and head of the Department of Mathematics of the University of Nebraska, at the age of sixty years. TueE death is announced, at the age of seventy-three years, at Dorchester, Mass., of Mr. Paul S. Yendell, known particularly by his studies of the light-curves and periods of variable stars of the Algol and short- period ‘types. WE learn from Science that Prof. Rollin D. Salis- bury, head of the Department of Geography and dean of the Ogden Graduate School of Science at the Uni- versity of Chicago, has been awarded the Helen Culver gold medal of the Geographic Society of Chicago. Prof. Salisbury was the first president of the society twenty years ago. THE meeting of the Institution of Electrical Engineers on April 11 will be held at King’s College, Strand, W.C.z2, at 6 p.m., and will be a joint meeting with the electrical section of the Royal Society of Medicine. Papers will be read on the subject of “ Medical Elec- tricity,” and there will be an exhibition of apparatus. Tue Réntgen Society has recently founded an annual lecture in memory of its first president, the late Prof. NO. 2524, VOL. 101] Association, and others he placed in the hands of logical Survey. _ founded, with its centre for the present at St. Saviour’s Silvanus P. Thompson. The first “Silvanus Thomp- 9 son Memorial Lecture ’’ will be delivered by Sir Ernest |§ Rutherford at the next meeting of the society, to be held on Tuesday, April 9, at 8 p.m. The council be pleased to welcome all interested, and application for cards of admission should be made to the hon secretary of the society, Dr. S. Russ, Middlesex Hos- pital, London, W.1. Further particulars will be an- nounced in due course. Sages Tue sudden death, on january 20 last, in his fifty- — fifth year, of Dr. Rollin A. Harris, of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, is announced in Science. Dr. Harris entered the Tidal Division of the U.S. Coast — and Geodetic Survey in 1890, and his ‘‘Manual of — Tides” appeared in six parts between ee Sr 1907. In 1911 a monograph by him on *‘ Arctic Tides” was — published by the Survey. In addition, Dr. Harris was the author of numerous papers on the theory of func- tions with applications to physics, geodesy, and carto- graphy. 1 a 4 WE much regret to learn of the death of Dr. Lewis — Moysey, who was lost by the torpedoing of the hospital | ship Glenart Castle on February 26. Dr. Moysey-had only just joined the ship as one of its medical tificers, and he was not among the survivors. Dr. Moysey, previous to the war, had long been in practice as a medical man at Nottingham. He was a very keen © palzontologist, greatly interested in the rarer fossils. of the coalfield around his home, and to the collection | of such specimens in the field he had for many years devoted the scanty leisure of a busy professional life. He thus acquired an exceptionally fine series both of plant and animal remains, some of which he described | in a number of papers, especially before the British — friends who were specialists in these departments. Only _ a few weeks before his death he handed over as gifts his entire collections, the plant remains to the Univer- sity of Cambridge, and the animal fossils to the Geo- Dr. Moysey possessed great charm of manner, and his loss will be much deplored among those interested in the palaeontology of the older rocks. — WE regretfully record the death on February 6 of Capt. S. Gordon McDakin (retired), formerly of the Black Watch, but long resident in Dover, and there — taking a leading interest in scientific affairs. During many years he presided over meetings of the Dover Sciences ‘Society. His latest paper, on ‘‘Some Re- markable Mountains,’’ was published in 1909 by the East Kent Scientific Society, which he also addressed on ‘*Coast Erosion ’’ and on “‘ Fissure Flows of Lava.’’ The former subject he brought before his home society, coupled with that of ‘‘Sea Temperature,’’ and- later on addressed it on the topic of ‘‘ Shingle and Conglomer- ates in Reference to Local Deposits.’’ That he was a trustworthy botanist is indicated by his papers on — ‘Verification of Records of Flora’’ and “ Verification of Botanical Records,” the latter in partnership with the Rev. J. Taylor. At the initial constituent meet- ing of the South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies in 1896 Capt. McDakin was one of the Dover dele- _ gates. His cheerful presence became welcome at every ny. congress, generally in company with his wife, who encouraged him in his favourite pursuits. Science is — apt sometimes to groan a little under its own weight of production. Capt. McDakin was therefore a useful type of man, content to inspire in his neighbours — appreciation of scientific work, without appealing to the Press for any solid monument to himself. = An Entomological Society of Spain has lately been * College, Saragossa. Dr. Hermenegildo Gorria, of a Marcu 14, 1918] NATURE y studied with them from every point of view, purely scientific and economic. Except from July r, it will hold a monthly meeting for the and discussion of papers, and each meeting followed by the issue of a small Boletin. We ust received the first part of this publication and 2, January, 1918), which contains the f the society, the first list of members, and a of the president. Following this preliminary there is the first instalment of a catalogue of ptera of Spain, by the Rev. José Maria de la We congratulate our Spanish colleagues on ked increase of activity in the pursuit of science in their country during recent years, our best wishes for the success of the impor- copy of the annual report for the year 1917 of Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, New _ has been received. During the year the sidential address on some questions of efficiency s given by Mr. L. Birks, and the following lectures delivered :—Prof. H. B. Kirk, ‘The Fly Nuisance its Control”; Prof. J. Hight, ‘Science and 10 >”; and Prof. W. P. Evans, ‘‘ Some Poison In April, by request of the local Commis- the National Efficiency Board, members of cil of the institute waited on him and discussed relative to national efficiency. Another ques- Committee’ of the New Zealand Institute mend the establishment of a national ‘‘ Board nd Industry.’’ The council criticised some the scheme, and trusts that the proposal terialise, and that an institution of great ional value will result. The sum of riol. allotted > New Zealand Institute to members of the Philo- ical Institute was received. Considerable progress een made in the investigation of the phosphate cs of Canterbury by Messrs. R. Speight and L. J. Certain preliminary work has been done on investigations, viz. ‘‘The Deterioration of Cold Storage ’’ and ‘‘ The Electrical Preven- sting in Orchards.”’ . . certain stage of social evolution,’’? says Sir lames Frazer in his artic'e entitled ‘‘The Killing of the - Kings,”’ in the December (1917) issue of Folk- not a few races appear to have been in the putting their kings to death, either at the end ed term, or on the failure of the king’s health strength, or simply whenever a great public , such as drought or famine, had befallen the » Among tribes which have practised this re- e form ‘of limited monarchy must now be uded the Khazars, or Khozars. For some goo this now almost forgotten tribe, from their home 1¢ spurs of the Caucasus and along the western shore of the Caspian—called after them the Sea of the Khazai layed a great part in history on the Euro- pean-Asian borderland. It is certainly remarkable that people'which had reathed such a high level of civilisa- tion and culture should have practised legalised regi- . But the evidence collected by Sir James Frazer from a very wide survey of medieval literature leaves no doubt on the matter. This survey of an almost known tribe is a contribution to anthropology of rmanent value. ; . In the American Museum Journal for December last r. Roy C. Andrews gives an admirable summary of the results of his expedition to Yunnan on behalf of NO. 2524, VOL. 101] v 9 hich has i the attention of the council | pre made by the “Scientific and Industrial 29. ona, ° is the president for 1918, and the Rev. | the American Museum of Natural History. Herein _Longinos Navas, S.J., the secretary. The | he gives a valuable account of the habits of the goral will deal with insects and the other arthropods | and serow, of which but very little is known. These animals are rare in museum collections, so that he is not unnaturally proud of the fact that he has secured for his museum thirty-two gorals of at least two species, and seven serows of three species, forming a series the like of which is to be found in no othér museum in the world. A large series of a shrew-like animal, of the genus Hylomys, extremely rare in col- lections, constituted the most striking of the additions to the smaller mammals made by the expedition. A number of remarkably fine photographs add immensely to the value of this contribution. THE insect pest known as Icerya purchasi, originally a native of Australia, according to a report reprinted in the Pioneer Mail for November 24 from the Agricul- tural Journal of India, has now acquired a firm footing in Ceylon. It is especially destructive to citrus trees, but it may be found on other trees and plants, includ- ing the pomegranate, grape, rose, castor, mulberry, apple, peach, apricot, fig, walnut, willow, pepper, and potato. The adult female is about one-fifth of an inch in length and rather less in breadth, and is of a brown, reddish, or blackish colour, the body being overlaid by a large, white-fluted, cottony mass, in which the eggs are laid. In view of the great damage done to orange- groves in the United States, the Government sent a man of science to Australia, and the result was that a number of small red and black ladybird beetles (Novius cardinalis) were carried to California, where they speedily multiplied and dealt effectively with the Icerya. The Government of India is now undertaking inquiries to prevent the entry of the pest into that country. Or the great memoir on ‘ Hawaiian and Other Pacific Echini,’’ begun in 1907 by Alexander Agassiz: and H. Lyman Clark, three parts were published by the joint authors, and, with a fourth part by Dr.. Clark, composed vol. xxxiv..of the Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Two further’ parts by Dr. Clark have now completed the work (Memoirs, vol. xlvi., Nos. 1 and 2). Of these, the former deals with the suborder Clypeastrina, or shield-urchins, and the systematic descriptions are preceded by a general discussion. Dr. R. T. Jackson has given reasons for the belief that the clypeastroids were derived from a group of regular urchins of which the Arbaciidz are modern representatives. Dr. Clark, however, points out that, in the perforation of their tubercles and the structure of their pedicellariz, they more closely resemble the Saleniidz. The final part of the memoir consists of 200 pages and eighteen plates devoted to that large assemblage of much-modified urchins known as Spatangina, or heart-urchins. This is believed to in- clude forms derived from at least two, and possibly four, distinct stocks. Dr. Clark does not, however, attempt to represent this in his classification. ‘There is a discussion of the various structures used in classi- fication, such as pedicellari# and fascioles, but as regards the latter Dr. Clark does not make use of the Pa Saha study published by B. Hoffmann in the Palaeontologische Zeitschrift, 1914. The present memoir adds one more to the valuable and admirably produced zoological publications arising out of the cruises of the U.S. Fish Commission steamer Alba- tross, and Dr. Lyman Clark is to be thanked and con- gratulated on completing his important share of the work. A REPORT on the work of the Imperial Institute for South Africa, presented to the Committee for the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia at its last meet- ing, includes an interesting reference to the possible 30 NATURE {Marcu 14, 1918 utilisation of the waste bark of the wattle-tree, which is extensively cultivated in South and East Africa. The waste, from which the tanning constituent has _ been removed, can be utilised both here and in Natal, where tanning extract is at present being produced, for the manufacture of an excellent brown paper or millboard. The waste from tanyards in this country may thus be a source of remuneration, and in South Africa an important industry may be created where brown paper and millboard for packing purposes, especially for fresh fruit transport, are in great demand, and have to be imported .for-the purpose. The wood of the Acacia trees from which the bark has been taken can also be utilised for millboard. According to the re- port, arrangements are already being, made for the use of spent wattle bark in this country by paper manu- facturers. A PAPER entitled ‘British Trade and the Metric System” was read by Mr. E. A. W. Phillips at a recent meeting -of the Concrete’ Institute; Mr. Phillips proposes a system of weights and measures including, in addition’ to the more usual English de- nominations, a decimal scale based: on a ‘‘ British metre ’’ of 39°6 in., the ton of 2240 lb., divided into ten sacks, or 1000 ‘‘ British kilograms,’’ and. a‘ cubic British metre of: pure water divided: into ‘1000. litres. It is mentioned that the proposed metre is the same length as -the ancient Belgic yard, which ;the author ealls the ‘‘ Anglo-Saxon metre,’’ and he’ states that this has existed in Britain since the third century at ‘least. Five of these yards made the rod, pole, or perch used in land measure. Mr. Phillips raises the question of the possibility of making his proposed decimal system the international standard for trade, commerce, and engineering, and of restricting the metric system proper to purposes of pure science. As regards coinage, his proposals include the retention of the pound sterling of ten florins and the division of the florin into 100 imaginary cents of account, not coined, for use in decimal accounting and decimal quoting. ; A RECENT Technologic Paper (No. 103) of the U.S. Bureau of Standards deals with some typical. cases. of selective corrosion of 60:40 brass, or Muntz metal. The specimens described by the author, Mr. H. S. Rawdon, include bolts, sheathing, and condenser tubes. In all the cases examined, the selective corro- sion takes the form of a removal of zinc from the 8 crystals, the a constituent not being attacked until a later stage. The corroded mass retains its external form, but consists only of spongy copper. A sharply defined boundary between the corroded portion and un- altered brass is always present, without any inter- vening zone of lower zinc content. Chemical action advances in the first instance along the boundaries of the crystal grains, and in the 8 crystals also along systems of intersecting planes, which may be twinning planes. Contact with a more strongly electro-negative metal has an accelerating influence, but none of the actual cases observed can be attributed to this cause. Experiments with grooved bars under tensile stress show that local increase of stress favours corrosion. Annealing has little effect. The results on the whole confirm those obtained by previous workers, but the photomicrographs illustrate very clearly the successive stages in the removal of zinc from alloys of this class. THERE has been such avast increase in the manu- facture of organic nitro-compounds for the produc- tion of both dyes and explosives since the outbreak of war that the vexed question of the estimation of nitrogen therein has probably become acute. To the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry of August NO. 2524, VOL. IOI] | 31 last Mr. A. P. Sachs contributes an account of what seems to be a highly successful method of effect-_ . : he method depending on the reduction of the nitro-group with stannous chloride ing this estimation, solution in an open flask and estimation of the excess of reducing agent with iodine was found to be un- — ip satisfactory in the case of nitrated ‘‘solvent naphthas.” The author finds, however, that if the nitro-compound - is heated in a sealed tube with excess of stannous chloride solution (prepared by dissolving the dihydrated salt in twice its weight of 25 per cent. hydrochloric acid) at 120° for two hours, the tube being shaken every fifteen minutes, reduction is complete. The ex- cess of stannous chioride is then determined ws titration with decinormal iodine solution, using starch as indi- cator. It is of importance that exactly the same volume of stannous chloride solution should be used in all experiments and for the blank. determination. Quoted analyses made by this method and by the com- bustion method on the same substances gave very con- cordant results. AmonG forthcoming books of science we notice the following :—‘‘ The Future of Our AS ope H. W. Wolff (P. S. King and Son, Ltd.); ‘‘ Dragons and Rain Gods, etc.,’? Prof. G. Elliot Smith (Manchester University Press); ‘‘ Bibliography of the r and Eruptive Phenomena of the more Important Volcanoes of Southern Italy,” the late Dr. H. J. Johnston-Lavis; ‘‘An Economic Geography of the British pire,” C. B. Thurston; “The New Regional Geographies, vol. iii., Europe and Africa,’’ L. Brooks, and a new edition of ‘‘The Application of Hyperbolic Functions to Electrical Engineering Problems,’”’ A, E. Kennelly (University of London Press, Ltd.); ‘‘ Problems of Re- construction,” papers read at the summer meeting held at the Hampstead Garden Suburb, August 3-17, 1917, with an introduction by the Marquess of Crewe; ‘Forestry Work,” W. H. Whellans (T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd.); ‘‘The Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony, including Map of the World showing Wire- less ‘a ws Stations, 1918" (The Wireless Press, . Ltd.). Rak OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. THe New Wor Pranet.—An orbit of this body (which has been designated DB) has now been com- puted by Mr. G. Stracke, and its accuracy is confirmed by a recent Greenwich photograph :— Perihelion passage 1918 January 3-617, G.M.T. © 347° 46 a} . 8% 10 54 1 19180 5 « Period 4°025 years Perihelion distance 1°182 Aphelion ss 3°879 The perihelion distance is very little greater than that of Eros, but the period and eccentricity are much larger. In some revolutions the planet will suffer con- siderable perturbations by Jupiter, but there will be no near approach in the coming revolution. The fact that the period is very close to four years implies that there will be another near approach to the earth at the next — return, of which possibly. advantage might be taken to make a determination of the solar parallax. The planet, however, is a little too faint for this purpose, being only of the tenth magnitude in the most favourable circumstances. Its diameter can scarcely be more than four miles. The orbit is of much the same type as that of Albert, discovered in 1911, but never seen since that year. The present body has been much better observed than. \RCH 14, 1918] NATURE 31 ert was, so it should: be possible to secure its re- time of perihelion passage will be 1918 March , G.M.T., which is only 0-018 day earlier than Viljev’s predicted value. By the time this appears be too near the sun for observation, and on its gence it will be visible only to southern observers. TuM.—In the note on the comet of 1802 last , for ‘August to October last’’ read ‘‘ August to = , 1802.” TAR WITH A Nova SpectruM.—Dr. Max Wolf has need that a star of magnitude 8-5 showing a strum was photographed at Heidelberg on a. In Circular No. 3 of the Marseilles Ob- ory, the position of the star is given by M. wich as R.A. 7h. 22m. 47-98s., declination 30 40:8"; on February 23 the magnitude of the SHORT-PERIOD VaRIABLE RZ Cepuet.—From ex- photographic observations which have been : at Dunsink, Messrs. Martin and Plummer have . period of 0-308646 day for this rrconiing star (Monthly Notices, vol. Ixxviii., p. 156). is indicated by the observations at J.D. 6, and the range of variation is from mag- to 1016. The period, of about 7-4 hours, is 2 shortest known. The light curve shows a i rise to maximum than fall to minimum, ie descending arm shows well-marked secondary s. The phases of the harmonics show remarkable dance with those of other short-period variables, so with those of some of the long-period vari- h are included in Group II. of the classifica- by Phillips. It would thus appear possible a common pr operates in variables differin nas RZ Z Cephei, and stars with a range o fonts agen and periods of the order of a even sun with its period of eleven years. y ry RAMSAY MEMORIAL FUND. ayor of London has issued a special ae citizens of London for support to Memorial Fund. Towards the 100,000l. ‘Executive Committee aims at raising, the 31,000). has been subscribed. The Lord re s out that London has benefited largely in st through Sir William Ramsay's connection with ‘ity, and that great industrial advantages will be om the successful institution of the proposed laboratory of. engineering chemistry. He fore, that there will be a generous response cutive Committee of the memorial fund are to (a) Ramsay memorial research fellowships istry, tenable at any suitable place possessed of equipment, and (b) a Ramsay Memorial oratory of Engineering Chemistry in connection - University College, London. Subscriptions may marked for either of these purposes, or may be regards their allocation, to the discretion of the fee. The president of the Ramsay memorial uith, whilst the vice-presidents include the er, Mr. H. A. L. Fisher, Sir J. J. Thom- ‘dd Rayleigh, the Earl of Rosebery, Lord Reay, d Gainford of Headlam. Lord Rayleigh is n of the General Committee, Sir Hugh Bell of cutive Committee. The hon. treasurers are Glenconner and Prof. Norman Collie. On the Committee appear the names of many of the > sent observations of Encke’s comet show that. thusiasm, and tireless industry. be remembered that the principal objects of: most eminent representatives of British chemical science and industry. ; It is earnestly to be hoped that all friends and ad- mirers of Sir William Ramsay and all supporters and well-wishers of chemical science will subscribe to the memorial. The work which Sir William Ramsay did as a great teacher and investigator will remain for all time as an imperishable monument to his genius, en- In the centuries to come his name will stand out as one of the greatest discoverers in the long annals of science. British chemical science has indeed reason to be proud of the great name which has long been, and ever will remain, one of its brightest ornaments. The proposed memorial wil' not only serve to honour the work and memory of Sir William Ramsay, but will also be of the greatest value for the cause which he had most at heart, namely, the advancement of chem- ical science. This object scarcely requires emphasising at the present time. The well-being, health, pros- perity, and civilisation of nations are dependent on the never-ceasing advance and application of chemical facts and principles. For this purpose every nation requires a host of scientifically trained chemists. The more we possess of such men, the greater will be our chances not merely of prosperity and well-being, but also of survival in the great race of the immediate future. It is, there- fore, of vital importance to provide young men of pro- mise and ability with every opportunity of continuing and improving their chemical studies. The Ramsay memorial research fellowships will enable such young men to continue their training and experience in chem- ical research at that period of their lives when such opportunities are of the greatest importance for their future competency and success. The Ramsay Memo- rial Laboratory of Engineering Chemistry will provide young chemists with the opportunity of learning how to apply the principles of chemical science in technical practice. Many of our chemists have been unable to apply their knowledge and abilities to the ‘greatest advantage for lack of suitable preparatory training ‘in the theory of practice,’ which is, essentially, a just comprehension of the engineering and economic aspects of a chemical reaction or process. This is a matter of urgent and pressing importance for the future of British chemical industry. The committee of the Ramsay Memorial Fund hopes, in the ways indicated above, to be able, not only to honour the memory of a great man, but also to further the advancement of chemical science and chemical practice. Memoranda describing the memorial scheme have re- cently been addressed respectively to the Governments of the Dominions, Colonies, and Dependencies of the Empire and to those of the principal Allied and neutral countries. Each Government is invited to consider the possibility of providing from State funds at least one capital sum of 6000l., which will be sufficient to found and maintain in perpetuity one Ramsay memorial fellowship of the value of 2501. a year, with an ex- penses grant of 5ol. a year. The fellowship, it is pro- posed, will be tenable at any place in the United King- dom possessed of the necessary equipment by a fully trained chemist from the Dominion, Colony, Depend- ency, or foreign State concerned. For Dominions like Canada and India one fellowship might scarcely be adequate; and it is hoped that some Governments will see their way to found, not one, but a group of fellow- ships. — The scheme is making good progress in countries outside Great Britain, and it is hoped that a substantial sum will be received from such countries. The Ram- say Memorial Committee has already appointed the following representatives outside Great Britain: Prof. Baskerville in America; Prof. Masson in Australia; 32 NATURE [Marcu 14, 1918 — Prof. Inglis in New Zealand; Sefior Augusto Villa. nueva in Chile; Prof. Guye in Switzerland; and Prof. H. Kamerlingh Onnes in Holland. Subscriptions should be sent either to the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, or to the Hon. Treasurer, Ramsay Memorial Fund, University College, Gower Street, London, W.C.1. AURORA AND MAGNETIC STORM OF MARCH 7-8. HE auroral display of Thursday last attracted much attention, partly because it coincided with an air-raid upon London. The northern sky was lighted up with a crimson glow both before and during the raid, which started shortly after 11 p.m. ; and the appearance was thought by an observer at Folkestone to be due to a distant fire. Sir Napier Shaw informs us that the Meteorological Office has received reports of aurora observations from Lerwick, Stornoway, Esk- dalemuir, Donaghadee, Liverpool, Clacton, and South- , —~ end. He has favoured us_ with the follow- ing account, by Dr. C. Chree, of the large magnetic disturbance recorded at the Kew Ob- servatory lbetween 9 p.m. on Thursday and 5 a.m. on the following morning. Mr. A. Lander has sent _ us photographic traces of movements in declination recorded at Canterbury during Thursday and Friday. Thursday’s trace was remarkably even until shortly after 9 p.m., when the magnetic storm began. -It is possible that the disturbance was a repetition, after three 27-day intervals, of the large magnetic storm of December 16-17, 1917. There was a very considerable disturbance on January 12 at the end of the first 27-day interval, and a minor disturbance at the end of the intermediate interval in February. Dr. Chree writes: “‘A magnetic storm of no great duration, but very considerable amplitude, was re- corded at Kew Observatory on the night, March 7-8, 1918. It began with a ‘sudden commencement’ at about gh. 1om. p.m. on March 7. The largest move- ments occurred in the early morning of March 8, be-_ tween midnight and 5.a.m., but smaller oscillations persisted for some time after the latter hour. The ‘sudden commencement’ was especially prominent in horizontal force (H); after a small, sudden fall there was a sharp rise of fully 60y. The corresponding movements in declination (D) consisted of an oscilla- tion of about 4’, the first movement being to the west. The range shown on the D trace was about 51’, the extreme easterly and westerly positions being reached at 2.20 a.m. and 4.16 a.m. respectively on March 8. Between 1.11 a.m. and 2.20 a.m. of the same day there was a movement of 36’ to the east. The range on the H trace was about 2407. A very rapid down- ward movement commenced about 2.3 a.m. on March 8, the fall during the next thirty minutes amounting to fully 185 y. After 5 a.m. on the same day there were only short-period oscillations in H of moderate size; but up to 10 a.m. the element remained depressed by fully 7oy as compared with its value on the previous day before the storm.”’ MILITARY AERONAUTICS. a he recent night raids on Paris by squadrons of Gotha machines brings the question of defence against such raids before us, and adds much interest to an article by Lieut. Jean-Abel Lefranc, who, writing in the Revue Scientifique, gives an excellent review of the development of German bombing machines, of which the latest type is the Gotha. He also surveys the various methods of defence that have been adopted, NO. 2524, VOL. 101 | particularly against night raids. His article is full of | interesting details, of which it is only possible to ¢ , a few, and to recommend those who are interested read ithe original in the Revue Scientifique for Feb ary 16. A detailed description of the Gotha machine is given, the overall weight being quoted as 84,000 lb., and the weight of bombs carried as about half a tton. The speed is given as ninety miles per hour, and t height to which the machine can rise after dischargi its bombs is 20,000 fit. M. Lefranc also states that the Gotha is likely to be replaced by a ‘‘Gotha Riesen- | flugzeug,”? having four motors, and a span of about 130 ft. The ‘large Friedrichshafen Gotha” which was captured in one of the Paris raids can scarcely be one of these later machines, as it only had two motors of 250 h.p. each. The extreme difliculties of accurate bomb- ing by night are commented upon, and the writer thinks that the demoralisation of industry is a more imp t result of night raids than the actual damage done. With regard to defence, camouflage, anti-aircraft guns, and attack by fighting machines are discussed, but M. Lefranc considers that all these methods are very ineffective, and that the best method of defence is to attack and destroy so far as possible the enemy’s aviation centres.- Commenting on extreme measures, such as ttotal abolition of artificial lighting at night, he thinks they are a vain sacrifice to public opinion, and may even be a detriment to the Services. M. Lefranc concludes his well-written article. witha picture of the bombing raph of Pics near future, pointing out that a machine of 1000 h.p., carrying two Tonk of explosives, is within the reach of siadertl design. ne a The National Geographic Magazine for February, published by the. National Geographic , oF Washington, U.S.A., should be read by all who are” interested in the development of aviation and in the part which America is playing in the struggle for aerial supremacy. The whole of this attractive issue is devoted to matters of aeronautical interest, and the photographs which ‘illustrate the articles are especially good. Three of the articles deal directly with American | activity, andareentitled ‘‘ America’s Part in the Allies” Mastery of the Air,” ‘ Building America’s Air Army,” | and ‘The Future of the Airplane.”? The second of these merits special attention, and is beautifully illustrated — by no fewer than forty-three photographs. The first section deals with the actual construction of Americz machines, and the manufacture of their is de- scribed in some detail. Some really magnificent photo- graphs follow, showing machines in flight and views obtained from aeroplanes, and the article concludes with a description of the training of aviators and the tests which they must pass before being pronounced expert pilots. The magazine also contains a number of descriptive articles giving the experiences of aviators in various countries, which make very interesting read- ing, but which it is impossible adequately to sum- marise in a short notice such as the present. ; $) e x 5 ay THE PRODUCTION OF FUEL:OIL AN COAL-GAS. Mies attention has been devoted recently to de- veloping the home production of fuel oil, the needs © of the Navy and difficulties of transport rendering this’ imperative.. Several well-informed articles have ap- peared in the Press, and the subject was dealt with in Nature of February: 28 (p. 506). Opinion is divide among experts as to the probability of finding petrol- eum in any quantity in this country, but Lord Co dray, who has been so closely associated with remarkable developments of the Mexican and oth ARCH 14, 1918 | NATURE 33 ‘hes expressed the view that the prospects are ly promising, and has backed his opinion by alternative offers on behalf of his firm to the ment, either to place the services of the firm’s rt staffs at its disposal for the period of the war, of cost, or to drill at the firm’s own expense pt to certain areas being reserved to them. He ited that this offer committed his firm to a prob- expenditure of 500,000. It is obvious that the 2p should be “ prove or disprove the existence in paying quantities, under such regulations tional interests in any oil discovered are pro- Details as to royalties, conditions uction, etc., can well wait ‘for future settle- The alternative to natural oil is production lla ation sses. For some years about three ic tons af oil-shale have been produced in Scot- ; Find Setimted, but other oil-yielding minerals, such coal, cannel-coal, and blackband ironstone, are ble sources. Large quantities of cannel are avail- much of which is left in the mine or thrown on dump as unsuitable for fuel, on account of its eee ger which is seldom below 10 per cent. of high-quality cannel may yield more than gallons of oil; the average yield may be taken ity gallons per ton; of this some 50-60 per cent. e fuel oil. Such oils more nearly approach the petroleum products in composition than do the ry coal products, and also furnish good yields ffin wax. An announcement appeared t imes (March 8), bearing the impress of tial -origin, that tests on cannel in existing gas- etorts have given satisfactory results, with narily high yields of fuel oil and ammonia. Bea ia that this foreshadows early eran Be eseats in gasworks construction and were described by Mr. Alwyne Meade in a at the Institution of mcd in on ‘appears that in spite of modern improve- introduction of achertific control, and the 1 installation of labour-saving machinery, coal- ‘approximately as much to manufacture as it y years ago. The expense of modern manu- s solely attributed to the abnormal rise in the Aap etapa transport, while during the past three paid to employees have, in common poles t istries, undergone considerable augmen- on. Mr. Meade stated that the advances made in actical application of the theory of heat inter- have resulted in an enormous saving of sensi- } twenty years ago 28 lb. of coke for the carbonisation of 100 tb. of coal, ‘with the modern continuous vertical retort, only Wb. are required for dealing with the same quantity coal. Attention was directed to present-day attempts effect carbonisation on ideal fines by the continuous n of a small quantity of coal to the retort, and “simultaneous extraction of an-equal bulk of coke. le continuous vertical retort has been designed for purpose, but Mr. Meade holds the opinion that as s the results of carbonisation the horizontal t is still able to hold its own in many respects. advantage of the vertical retort is that it affords ties for steaming the coal charge; thus, within limits, water-gas may be produced simultaneously % th the evolution of coal-gas. Recent results indicate that by introducing the principle of ‘‘steaming,”’ it is ble to increase the B.Th.U. produced per ton of Se — a RS A PAA ce da i =] 5 Bee 2 c iss — <5 ° > co. > °o z i] 3 ° & 5 4 to only some 20 B.Th.U. per cubic foot. reserves of this country are trifling compared _ NO. 2524, VOL. tor] with those of América and the Central Empires, from which it will be appreciated that there is no time to be lost in developing to the utmost advantage the natural gift upon which England’s pre-eminence as a nation depends. TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION IN SWITZERLAND, [% the Revue Scientifique for November Ri 1917, there appears an interesting article by M. C. Perregaux on the progress of technical instruction in Switzerland. It is the second of two articles, the first of which dealt with the establishment, equipment, and work of the renowned Federal Polytechnic of Zurich, with its eleven divisions of applied science, and of the State- recognised School of Engineering at Lausanne, both of which are devoted to the training of the highest class of professional technicians. The present article deals with the aims and work of an intermediate class of schools known as ** Technicums,”’ and intended, each according to local industrial requirements, for the training of men aspiring to positions of industrial responsibility as foremen and managers. Six such schools come under review, namely, in German Switzerland: -Winterthur, Berthoud, and Bienne; in French Switzerland : Geneva, Locle, and Fribourg. In addition to these six day institutions, there are also in Switzerland 13 museums of industrial art, 164 schools of commerce, 27 trade schools for boys, 22 trade schools for girls, 342 special (fortbildung) schools for boys, and 720 for girls; in all 1294 institu- tions of a special or trade character devoted to the industrial: well-being of Swiss citizens, an extra- ordinarily effective provision for a country of three and a half millions denied in large measure the posses- sion of natural mineral resources and wholly dependent for the industrial and commercial well-being of its people upon facilities for a sound scientific and tech- nical training based upon an efficient system, univers- ally accessible, of elementary and secondary education. It was in 1883 that the Swiss Confederation decided to aid by means of grants, and also to supervise, the existing meagre means of trade instruction in certain instances, and in 1884 gave a subsidy of 40,000 francs to forty-three institutions, with a total expenditure of 440,000 francs, but so rapid has been the development of these institutions that in 1904 they had increased to 318, with an expenditure of 3,940,000 francs, towards which the subventions from the State amounted to 1,080,000 francs; and there were in 1916 1294 such institutions supervised and aided by the State. The six ‘‘Technikums ” under consideration form a link between the trade schools (Gewerbeschulen), so-called, and the training given in the Federal Polytechnic at Zurich or the Engineering School at Lausanne. The activity of Germany, and especially of the neigh- bouring State of Wiirttemberg, in the provision of technical instruction seriously alarmed the Confedera- tion, since it had the possibility of displacing certain Swiss industries, and it led therefore to the initiation of measures calculated to avert the peril. The chief of these “‘Technikums,” which vary in type and seek to adapt themselves to regional conditions, is at Winter- thur, some thirteen miles from Zurich, founded in 1874. The other five have been established since 1890, three of them since the beginning of the century. The course of instruction in Winterthur covers six semesters, and includes architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, roads and bridges, chemistry, commerce, ‘and railway work. Students on entrance must have had a secondary-school course and be not less than fifteen years of age. The staff comprises forty 34 NATURE [Marcu 14, 1918 professors with fourteen assistant lecturers, and the students in all departments were 556 in 1916. The fees for instruction are 30 francs for each semester, together with certain special fees, and foreigners are charged treble fees. The six schools have a total of 2427 students, and are fully equipped with laboratories for experimental instruction. On leaving these schools the students enter the Union of Swiss Technicians, which association now counts its members by thousands and has for its organ the Swiss Technical Review, which publishes much good original work. Altogether these institutions have proved a great success and have been of material benefit in training a large body of men for the industries, many of whom have after- wards qualified for high industrial or administrative positions at home or abroad. GRAVITATION AND THE PRINCIPLE OF RELATIVITY.* ° If. E have to admit, then, that a world-line can be bent by the proximity of other world-lines. It can also be bent, as you see, by the proximity of my thumb. The suggestion arises, May not the two modes of bending be essentially the same? The bend- ing by my thumb (a mathematical transformation of space and time) is in a sense spurious; the world-line is pursuing a course which is straight relative to the original material. Or we may perhaps best put it this way—the world-line still continues to take the shortest path between two points, only it reckons distance according to the length that would be occupied in:the unstretched state of the bladder. It is suggested that. the deflection of a world-line by gravitation is of the same nature; from each world-line a state of distortion radiates, as if from a. badly puckered seam, and any other world-line takes the shortest course through this distorted region, which would immediately become straight if the strain could be undone. The same rule —of shortest distance as measured in the undistorted state—is to hold in all cases. This is a mode of reasoning which has often been fruitful in scientific generalisations. A magnetic needle turns towards the end of a bar-magnet; it also turns towards a spot near the pole of the earth; hence the suggestion that the earth is a magnet. We assume the essential identity of the two modes of deflecting the needle. It is a daring step to apply the analogy and assume the essen- tial identity of the two ways of deflecting world-lines ; but at any rate we shall make this assumption and see what comes of it. You will see that according to this view the earth moves in a curved orbit, not.because the sun exerts any direct pull, but because the earth is trying to find the shortest way through a space and time which have been tangled up by an influence radiating from the sun. We can continue to describe this indirect influ- ence of the sun on the earth’s motion as a “force”; but, assuming that it makes itself felt as a modification or strain of space and time, we are able to bring the discussion of the laws of this force into line with the discussion of the laws of space and time, i.e. the laws of geometry. Needless to say, we could not determine a physical law like the law of gravitation by geo- metrical reasoning without making some assumption. I am afraid that to talk of a force as being a dis- ‘tortion of space and time must at first appear to you hopeless jargon. But it must be remembered first that we are not concerned with any metaphysical space and ‘time. We mean by space and time simply a scaffold- 1 Discourse delivered at the Royal Institution on Friday, February 1, by Prof. A. S. Eddington, F.R.S. Continued from p. 17. NO. 2524, VOL. 101] ing that we construct as the result of our measures; and if anything queer happens to our measuring appa-— ratus, the scaftolding may easily go crooked. Ta 4 our everyday conception of space, we should say that — this room is at rest; we have been told that it is being | carried round the earth once a day, but in practical life we never pay any attention to that. The space that _ we naturally use is thus different from, and it is not — difficult to show that it is distorted as compared with, — the more fundamental astronomical space in which this — room is travelling at a great velocity. So our scaffold. - ing is crooked. But, it may be asked, in what way can — this distortion of our space-scaffolding be regarded as — a force? The answer is quite simple. We perceive — it as a force, and that is the only way in which we © do perceive it. We do not perceive that this room is being carried round by the earth’s rotation, but we perceive a certain force—the earth’s centrifugal force. It is rather difficult to demonstrate this force, because gravitation predominates overwhelmingly; but if gravity were annihilated we should have to be tied down to the floor to prevent our flying up to the — ceiling, and we should certainly feel ourselves pulled by a very vigorous centrifugal force. That is our only perception of the crookedness of our scaffolding. 4 We often call the centrifugal force an “unreal” force, meaning that it arises simply from a transforma- tion of the framework of reference. Can we feel con- fident that gravitation is in any sense more “real ’’? In effect they are so much alike that even in scientific work we speak of them in one breath. What is called the value of gravity in London, 981-17 cm./sec.?, is — really made up partly of the true attraction of the — earth and partly of the centrifugal force. It is not | considered worth while to make any distinction. | Surely, then, it is not a great stretch of the imagination | to regard gravitation as of the same nature as centri- — fugal force, being merely our perception of the crooked- | ness of the scaffolding that we have chosen. ; If gravity and ‘centrifugal force are manifestations — of the same underlying condition, it must be possible — to reduce them to the same laws; but we must express — the laws in a manner which will render them com- — parable. There is a convenient form of Newton’s law, | which was given by: Laplace and is well known to © mathematicians, which describes how the intensity at ~ any point is related to the intensity at surrounding — points—or, according to our interpretation, how the — distortion of space at any point fits on to the distortion _ at surrounding points. It is evidently an attempt to express the general laws of the strains in space and — time which occur in Nature. If we are correct in our assumption that gravitation involves nothing more than - strain of space-time,” so that its law expresses merely the relation between adjacent strains which holds by some natural necessity, clearly the strains which give — the centrifugal force must obey the same general law. — Here a very interesting point arises. We cannot recon- cile the Newtonian law of gravitation with this condi- — tion. Newton’s law and the law of: centrifugal force Po eo aes hee are contradictory. re To put the matter another way, if we determine the strains by Newton’s law, we get results closely agree- _ ing with observation, provided Minkowski’s space tine is used; but if we avail ourselves of our right to use a transformed space-time, the results no longer agree — with observation. ‘That means that Newton’s law in- volves something which is not fully represented by strains, and so does not agree with our assumption. We must abandon either our assumption, or the famous law which has been accepted for more than § 2 The idea is that matter represents a seam or nucleus of stran, and the strains at other points link themselves on accord‘ng to laws inherent in the — continuum and quite independent of the matter. The matter stats the strain, 3 but does not control it as it goes outwards. ae ARCH 14, 1918 | a % NATURE 35 rs, and find a new law of gravitation which in with our requirements. his amended law has been found by Einstein. It ears to be the only possible law that meets our lirements, and in the limited applications which s under practical observation is sufficiently close to old law that has served so well. In practical appli- ions the two laws are indistinguishable, except for ‘or two crucial phenomena to which reference will ade later. But in gravitational fields far stronger of which we have experience, and for bodies ‘with velocities much greater than those of the the difference would be considerable. a of the distortion of space as the modus ae has led to a practical result— f gravitation. It is not brought in as a | explanation of gravitation; if Einstein’s is true, it is simply of the nature of an experi- w a circle on a sheet of paper and measure io of the circumference to the diameter, the ves, if the experiment is performed accurately well-known number 7, which has been to 707 places of decimals. Now place a e at or near the centre and repeat the ex- the ratio will be not exactly equal to z, but _ The experiment has not been performed, ot likely to be performed, because the to be looked for is so small; but, leory is correct, that must be the result. id the heavy particle does not obey geometry; it is non-Euclidean. The change erties is not metaphysical, but something sufficient care, could be measured. You to Euclidean space if you like, and say that g-rod has contracted or expanded accord- radially or transversely to the gravi- That is all very well if the effect is y intense gravitational fieid it would iculous results like those we noticed in con- th the Michelson-Morley experiment—every- expanding or contracting as it changed position, learnt our lesson that it is better to be con- the space of experience, whether it turns out uclidean or not, and to leave to the mathe- an the transformation of the phenomena into a more ideal rties. ; consequence of the new law of gravitation, eoretically observable, is not likely to be put practical test either now or in the immediate . But there are other consequences which just within the range of refined observation, and so an immediate practical importance to the new which has indeed scored one very striking suc- f we could isolate the sun and a single planet, } under the Newtonian law of gravitation the planet d revolve in an ellipse, repeating the same orbit uitely. Under the new law this is not quite true; it is nearly an ellipse, but it does not exactly ), and in the next revolution the planet describes ellipse in a slightly advanced position. In other the elliptic orbit slowly turns round in the same ‘in which the planet is moving, so that after lapse of many centuries the orbit will point in a ent direction. The rate at which the orbit turns ls on the speed of motion of the planet in its so we naturally turn to the fastest moving lanets, Mercury, Venus, and the earth, to see if the effect can be detected. Mercury moves at thirty miles i second, Venus at twenty-two, the earth at eighteen nd a half. But there is a difficulty about Venus and earth. Their orbits are nearly circular, and you mnot tell in which direction a circle is pointing. NO. 2524, VOL. ror] one aware of any change going on. I think © Mercury combines the favourable conditions of a high speed and a satisfactorily elongated orbit the direction of which at any time can be measured with considerable precision. It is found by observation that the orbit of Mercury is advancing at the rate of 574 seconds of arc a century. This is in great measure due to the attrac- tion of the other planets, which are pulling the orbit out of shape and changing its position, The amount of this influence can be calculated very accurately, and amounts to 532, seconds per century. There is thus a difference of forty-two seconds a century unaccounted for; and this has for long been known as one of the most celebrated discordances between observation and gravitational theory in astronomy. It is thirty times greater than the probable error which we should expect from uncertainties in the observations and _ theory. There are other puzzling discordances, especially in connection with the motion of the moon; but the con- ditions in that case are more complicated, and I scarcely think they offer so direct a challenge to gravi- tational theory. Now Einstein’s theory predicts that there will be a rotation of the orbit of Mercury addi- tional to that produced by the action of the planets; and it predicts the exact amount—namely, that in one revolution of the planet the orbit will advance by a fraction of a revolution equal to three times the square of the ratio of the velocity of the planet to the velocity of light. We can work that out, and we find that the advance should be forty-three seconds a century—just about the amount required. Thus, whilst the New- tonian law leaves a discordance of more than forty seconds, Einstein’s law agrees with observation to within a second or so. ; PEAT Of course this superiority would be discounted if we could find some other application where the old New- tonian law had proved the better. But that has not happened, In all other cases the two laws agree so nearly that it has not been possible to discriminate between them by observation.. The new law corrects the old where the old failed, and refrains from spoiling any agreement that already exists. The next best chance of applying the new theory is in the advance of the orbit of Mars; here Einstein’s new law “ gilds refined gold’’ by slightly improving an agreement | which was already sufficiently good—a ‘‘ wasteful and ridiculous excess,’’ which is at any rate not unfavour- able to the new theory. There is another possibility of testing Einstein’s theory, which it is hoped to carry out at the first oppor- tunity. This relates to the action of gravitation on a ray of light. It is now known that electromagnetic energy possesses the property of inertia or mass, and probably the whole of the mass of ordinary matter is: due to the electromagnetic energy which it contains. Light is a form of electromagnetic energy, and there-. fore must have mass—a conclusion which has been found true experimentally, because light falling on any object exerts a pressure just as a jet of water would. We ordinarily measure mass in pounds, and it is quite proper to speak of ‘‘a pound of light,’’ just as we speak of a pound of tobacco. In case anyone should be thinking of going to an electric light company to buy ' a pound of light, I had better warn you that it is a | rather expensive commodity. They usually prefer to sell it by a mysterious measure of their own, called the Board of Trade unit, and charge at least 3d. a unit. At that rate I calculate that they would let you have , a pound of light for 141,615,o00l. Fortunately, we get most of our light free of charge, and the sun showers down on the earth 160 tons daily. It is just as well we are not asked to pay for it. | But although light has mass, it does not follow that | light has weight. Ordinarily, mass and weight are | associated in a constant proportion, but whether this 36 NATURE [Marcn 14, 1918 is so in the case of light can be settled only by experi- ment—by weighing light. It seems that it should be just possible to do this. If a beam of light passes an object which exerts a gravitational attraction, then, if it really has weight, it must drop a little towards the object. Its path will be bent just as the trajectory of a rifle bullet is curved owing to the weight of the bullet. The velocity of light is so great that there is only one body in the solar system powerful enough to make an appreciable bend in its path, namely, the sun. If we could see a star close up’ to the edge of the sun, a ray of light coming from the star would bend under its own weight, and the star would be seen slightly displaced from its true position. During a total eclipse stars have occasionally been photographed fairly close to the sun, and with care it should be possible to observe this effect. There is a magnificent opportunity next year when a total eclipse of the sun takes place right in the midst of a field of bright stars. This is the best oppor- tunity for some generations, and it is hoped to send out. expeditions to the line of totality to weigh light according to this method. In any tase, great interest must attach to an attempt to settle whether or not light has weight. But there is an additional importence, because it can be made a means of confirming or disproving Einstein’s theory. On Einstein’s theory light must certainly have weight, because mass and weight are viewed by it as two aspects of the same thing; but his theory predicts a deflection twice as great as we should otherwise expect. Apart from surprises, there seem to be three possible results :—(1) A deflection amounting to 1-75” at the limb of the sun, which would confirm Einstein’s theory ; (2) a deflection of 0-83” at the limb of the sun, which would overthrow. Einstein’s theory, but establish that light was subject to gravity; (3) no deflection, which would show that light, though possessing mass, has no weight, and hence that Newton’s law of pro- portionality between mass and gravitation has broken down in another unexpected direction. The purpose of Einstein’s new theory has often been misunderstood, and it has been criticised as an attempt to explain gravitation. The theory does not offer any explanation of gravitation; that lies quite outside its scope, and it does not even hint at a possible mechanism. It is true that we have introduced a definite hypothesis as to the relation between gravitation and a distortion of space; but if that explains anything, it explains not gravitation, but space, i.e. the scaffolding constructed’ from our measures. Perhaps the position reached may be made clearer by another ee Let us pic- ture the particle which describes a world-line as hurdle- racer in a field thickly strewn with hurdles. - The par- ticle in passing from point to point always takes the path of least effort, crossing the fewest possible hurdles ; if the hurdles are uniformly distributed, corresponding with undistorted Minkowskian space, this will, of course, be a straight line. If the field is now distorted by a mathematical transformation such as an earth- quake so that the hurdles become packed in some parts and spread out in others, the path of least effort will no longer be a straight line; but it is not difficult to see that it passes over precisely the same hurdles as before, only in their new positions. The gravitational field due to a particle corresponds with a more fundamental rearrangement of the hurdles, as though someone had taken them up and replanted them according to a law which expresses the law of gravitation. Any other particle passing through this part of the field follows the guiding rule of least effort, and curves its path, if necessary, so as to jump the fewest hurdles. Now, we have usually been under the impression that when we measured distances by physical experiments we were surveying the field, and the results could be plotted on . NO. 2524, VOL. 101| a map; but it is now realised that we cannot do that. | The field itself has nothing to do with our measure- | ments; all we do is to count hurdles. If the only eat of irregularity of the hurdles were earthquakes (mai matical transformations), that would not make much | difference, because we could still plot our counts of hurdles consistently as distances on a map; and the | map would represent the original condition of the field — with the hurdles uniformly spaced. But the more far- — reaching rearrangement of hurdles by the gravitational | field forces us to recognise that we are dealing with | counts .of hurdles and not with distances; because if — we plot our measures on a map they will not close up. | The number of hurdles in the circumference of a circle* will not be 7 times the number in the diameter; — and when we try to draw on a map a circle the circum- | ference of which is less than 7 times its ter; where T is the time of a cofmplete rotation of the balance and k is the logarithmic decrement. This A is the angular deviation from the mean position, so if by A is meant the complete amplitude, the ex-. pression must be multiplied by 2. It will be noticed 54 NATURE | Marcu 21, 1918 that the difference is of. serious importance. ‘The cosine should be squared and the moment of inertia of the balance should be replaced by the time of its swing ! A little thought will show that K must come in equally on both sides of the equation and so be eliminated. 1t is somewhat surprising to find T in the numerator, for this would seem to indicate that if the balance did not turn at all there would be—as measured by its tangent—an infinite deflection—i.e. 9go0°. Of course, the real meaning is that. while the deflecting couple becomes less as T is greater, the sensibility be- comes greater in the proportion of the square of the time, and tthe deflection goes on getting greater with increasing slowness of rotation until the whole thing becomes unmanageable on account of its too great delicacy, or until the decrement, by its consequent increase, more than compensates for. the diminished stability. It is not clear what numerical results, if any, were obtained by Eotvés.. By the formula now given, taking T as 60, K as 300 or thereabouts, and @ as 45°, the amplitude should only come out.about one-seventh of the amount. that the published formula would re- quire. Pa ay ene It may be worth while to point out. that the centri- fugal force of the balance about its vertical axis, if the beam is 20 cm. long and, turns once a minute, is about 720 times as great as the \altération’ of weight at the - equator, so that if ;the beam -were exactly .in neutral equilibrium when stationary and pointing east and west. it would have, in virtue of its rotation, a stability given to it under which the change in weight could not pro- duce a steady deflection exceeding about 1/12°. No in- formation is given as: to, how k was determined, nor is centrifugal stability mentioned; .As. in. any ‘system the logarithmic decremerit becomes less as the stability . is greater, it would be useless to determine k with any but the correct stability. The only method apparent to the present writer would be the addition of a stability bob equal in effect to the calculated centrifugal stability and a determination with the rotation stopped. No mention is made of the most interesting feature in the scheme of the experiment. If the balance is in perfectly neutral equilibrium when not rotating, then the centrifugal stability is the énly stability, and perfect synchronism is obtained whatever be the speed of rota- tion, whereas if there had been any initial stability. or instability it could never be attained at any speed. If the direction of rotation is such as to make the north end heavier than the south end, then with very small damping this end should be in nearly its highest, Not in its lowest, position, as might at first be expected, ‘at each turn. This experiment, which, like those with the gyro- static compass,‘ and unlike Foucault’s pendulum ex- periment, is best done in the tropics, is one of such interest and beauty that it is to be hoped, even in these difficult times, it may be set up and exhibited in some physical laboratory. It is unfortunate that the author has not done justice to Eotvés, but he has prepared somewhat of a tangle which it has been a pleasure to unravel. C. V. Boys. - RESULTS OF VOLCANO STUDY IN ‘ HAWAII, HE Hawaiian Observatory was’ founded in 1912 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and financed in large measure by business men in Hawaii, Its publications have been systematic volcano- logic and seismometric bulletins, and two larger re- ports, as well as numerous special articles. The scien- tific work has been done by Mr. T. A. Jaggar, director of the station, and Mr. H. O. Wood, associate. Pre- NO. 2525, VOL. IOI] liminary announcement of results! at the end of the first five years of work reveals discoveries which may be of interest to science at large, and some of these discoveries are briefly reviewed here. Nature of Hawaiian Gases and Flames. The gas collected from a blowing-cone in the lava pit of Kilauea in 1912 by Day and Shepherd? con- tained dominantly sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, subordinate amounts of the combustible gases, sulphur, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen, and only 4 per cent. of water vapour. The 79 per cent. of SO,, CO,, and H,O could not, to the writer’s thinking, be juvenile, but must in part result from union with.atmospheric oxygen. Day had suggested that. heat-producing reactions between such gases as free S, CO,, and H, rising through the lava, would raise the surface temperatures so that the lava column might be at its hottest above instead of in the depths. Continuous recording and observation of flames, with experimental measurements of temperature and sound- ings of the lava for viscosity difterences, show that this generalisation is well founded, and, in addition, that atmospheric oxygen is brought in contact with the magmatic gas so as to produce abundant flames of different colours. Air is sucked down at the convec- tional whirlpools and cascades. Itis carried downward in the liquid lava lakes by foundering of porous crusts which cannot melt in the superfused lava glass. Air is also carried down in broken wall rock, in avalanches, and by burial of old talus. Lastly, with 33 per cent. volume shrinkage due to such gas reaction within the — lava column as 2H,.+O,=2H,O, even at high tem- peratures (1100° C. more or less), and with convec- tional gas pumping, a Bessemer furnace effect through the liquid lava may. be created by indraught of air from the walls. ee ; ups Of the three- combustible gases H, CO, and S, sulphur is most in evidence as surface flames, carbon monoxide along with impurities may be represented by rare flames, while hydrogen probably flashes mostly to water-vapour in depth. There are whitish flames occasionally seen, and intensely hot bluish to violet _ flames play at all times from the glowing grottoes and chimneys. Some work has been done in an effort to photograph the flames with colour filters and pan- chromatic plates, and there is a promising field here for the study of flame spectra. Nature of a Lava Column. —— > While it was known many years ago that some of the Hawaiian lava pools were shallow, few observers have imagined that the liquid lava rising 600 ft. during a year within a pit much deeper than that would be found by sounding at the end of the period to be only 45 ft. deep, though still fully liquid at the surface. This was the case at Halemaumau, the inner lava pit of Kilauea, in January, 1917 (Fig. 1). Sounding was accomplished by plunging a steel pipe into the lava lake at several different locations, and 1 “ The Outbreak of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, 1914,” by T. A. Jaggar, Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. xxxix., February, 1015, pp. 167-72. ‘‘Activity of Mauna !.0a, December, 1914-January, 1915,” by T. A. Jaggar, Amer Journ. Sci., vol. xl., December, 1915, pp. 621-39. ‘‘ Lava Flow from Mauna Loa, 1916,” by T. A. Jaggar, Amer. Journ. Sct., vol. xliii., April, 1917, pp. 255-88. “Seismic Prelude to the 1914 Eruption of Mauna Loa,” by H. O. Wood, Bull. Seis. Soc. America, vol. v., No. 1, March, 1915, pp. 39-50. ‘‘ Notes on the 1916 Eruption of Mauna Loa,” by H. O. Wood. Journ. of Geol., vol. xxv., Nos. 4 and 5, 1917, pp 322-36 and 467-88. ‘* Volcanologic Investigations at Kilauea,” bv T. A. Jaggar. Amer. Journ Sci., vol. x'iv., September, 1917, pp. 161-220. “‘ Live Aa Lava at Kilauea,” by T. A. Jaggar, Journ. Wash. Acad, Sci., vol. vii., No. 9, May 4. 1917, pp. 241-43. ‘*On the Terms Aphrolith and Dermolith,” by T. A. Jaggar, Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci.. vol. vil., No. 10, May 19, 1917, pp: 277-81.. ‘*Thermal Gradient of Kilauea Lava Lake,” by T. A. Jaggar, Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci., vol. vii., No. 13, July 19, ‘1917, pp. 397-405. ‘“‘On Cyclical Variations in Eruption at pag nigh b fi. O. Wood, Second Report Hawaiian Vol. Obs. (Cambridge, ass., 1917). : 2 “* Water and Volcanic Activity,” by A. L. Day and E. S. Shepherd, Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. xxiv., 1913, pp. 573-606. : ~ fics “Marcu 21, 1918] NATURE 55 . always the pasty bottom was found at fewer than 50 ft. of depth, with due allowance for the angle of immersion. This discovery, however, checked perfectly with the - results of continued observation _ and survey which had repeatedly ' made record of shoals appearing ' in the laya, and of cascades _ from the liquid lake into mar- _ ginal voids and over submerged - ledges, after a period of subsi- _ dence. These hitherto unex- plained facts at once became in- ' telligible when it was realised _ that the lava column in reality _ is a semi-solid body filling the true crater from side to side, _ while the liquid lake is a gas- - heated froth maintained through conduit holes honeycombing the upper part of the harder column. _ The basin of the lake is a __ shallow saucer, and convectional - circulation keeps the liquid lava in motion. The famous islands and benches are of the bench _ magma, or semi-solid substance _ which forms the bottom of the liquid lake. ~ Thermal Gradient of Lava Lake. ; With batteries of Seger cones encased in iron netting and _ Strung on a wire, which in turn was placed within long steel pipes, measurement was made in 1917 of the thermal gradient _ (Fig. 2) of the liquid lava pool. _ Individual temperature measure- - ments were also made of the _ fountaining grottoes at the mar- _ gin of the lava and of flaming chimneys aig blowing- cones above it. he highest temperatures, about 1350° C., were found in this air zone of _ free oxidation of gases; the _ fountaining lava reached a maximum of about 1180° C., the bright lines of the lake surface were at about 1000° C., while just below the surface the tem- perature was 100° lower. From here to the bottom of the lake 40 ft. down there was rising temperature. A _ thick lower stratum of the shallow lake _ showed uniform temperature between 100° and_ 1200°. _ This lower stratum _ prob- ably represents reheating due to oxidation of gas in contact with _ air carried down by foundering crusts. The fall in temperature towards the lake surface from _ the bottom up, which in the _ middle region amounts to 70° C. _ per metre, is due to surface radiation aided by gas expan- sion. The localised surface heat- ing is due to surface oxygen and completion of reactions between rising unstable gas mixtures. Dermolith and Aphrolith. The writer has proposed these terms for fluidal lava and block lava respectively, called pahoehoe and aa by NO. 2525, VOL. 101 | the Hawaiians, because, as the result of the investiga- tions here recorded, he betieves dermolithic versus aphrolithic process to represent respectively the lique- oP - - Piece - Fic, 1.—Map and diagrammatic section of Halemaumau, January 12, 1917. s . -¥. ‘ e “2 — ¢ —— \ -* VY - : 3 .. \ HALEMAUMAU JAN. 2 J917 4 HORIZONTAL ANO VERTICAL SCALE SS a veer “¥ we a ay iS CONTOUR INTERVAL 10 FEET LAKE OFPRESSION O7 FEET Couour COAG_MASS Kr Cnn S.JSLAND SINKHOLE SS LAKE JAN. 12,1917 \) eh \ NN LAKE JUNE 23 1916_ ‘ a Lava lake in black, crusted conduit ponds shaded, overflow benches diagonal lines, raised crags contoured. Coarse dotted outline, lava lake of February 18, 1912. Fine dotted outline, June 23, 1916. Rectangle (5), site of lava spring of June 5, 1916. Rectangle(6), west corner of pool June 6, 19:6. Note that N.W. corner has heen conduit source on all these dates. Slight slope lake surface from conduits W. to overflow bench E, Bench magma elevated on conduit side W.S.W., subsided on sinkhole side E.N.E, Section without vertical exaggeration, lower profile shows simple rising pool of June 23, 1916. Shoal shown in lake bottom was revealed by subsidence February, 1917. Depths trom soundings and subsidence records, Note progressive shoalings:from W. to E, Disgraumaic sinkhole E. shows ridge of accretion on lake bottom margin which produces cascade ledge when subsidence takes place. Surveys with transit by ‘I’. A. Jaggar. Bench marks (B.M.) U.S. Geological Survey, trig stations Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Meridian approximately 155° 17° 8” W., lat. 17° 24’ 33” N. ‘This is a typical survey of the kind made frequently at Halemaumau.—From Amer. Journ. Sct., September, 1917. faction of lake magma and the gas expansion solidifi- cation of bench magma. The dermolithic basalts of Kilauea crater, characterised by wrinkled skins, have sufficiently adjusted and diminished their gas-bubble content to solidify from without inward. _The aphro- - 56 NATURE [Marcu 21, 1918 lithic. or aa lava, a ‘‘foam-stone,”’ which is expelled in a Mauna Loa flow, cools from within outward by expanding gas suddenly released from solution, and the lava disintegrates into rough units. Lava drawn and spines instead of lava flows. The liquid or dermo- lithic lavas now become products of surface fusion induced by escape of gases from solution in a very stiff intratelluric magma as solvent. A volcano like Kilauea, which yamong volcanoes exhibits maximum temperatures, METERS probably owes the liquidity of its na eR, LAST. —=*-TAIR ZONE or FREE surface lava to the nature of its anne. an OXIDATION or GASES gas reactions. 2 ‘ lod ) FOUNTAIN ee om see Cyclical and Sympathetic Lava mm 28 Diora Fe VA FACE Movements. 1 Lewaf ie RR ONE or SURFACE HEATING A complete eruption of Mauna 3 Paha NT Loa, the summit crater of which . Cc™y is. twenty-two miles from the re ee Kilauea sink and about 10,000 ft. ay Pa Be N ZONE or COOLING higher, consists of a preliminary 5 + Tae summit outburst, followed, after 6 = x months or a few years, by a flank ; — discharge with lava flow. Re- 8 \; cently the intervals between 9 \ identical phases of complete erup- at 2S \ ZONE or BOTTOM tions have averaged something ‘ \ ‘ HEATING above nine years. Kilauea - has a \ ¥ shown no_ hydrostatic response : < y LAKE BOTTOM to Mauna ee pate hence it t was suppose ey were un-- 700 «= 800 900 1000 —S 1100 1200 =1300 =: (400: DEGREES C. connected. It will be. clear, Fic. 2.—Thermal gradient of Kilauea lava Jake, temperatures measured with Seger cones, 1917, by however, that if a may lava T. A. Jaggar. A=actual uncorrected readings in large steel pipe. up from deep within the Kilauea lake tended, on sudden cooling, to effloresce in aphrolithic fashion. An island which rapidly rose from the lake bottom proved to be typical aa or aphrolithic lava. The most satis- Triangles, circles, crosses, and dots each different series of measurements. a ste B=corrected gradient of lower lake. C=gradient to crusted lake surface when solidified.—From Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci., July 19, 1917. column depends for liquefaction on surface release of gas from a stiff silicate magma _ solution, hydrostatics plays only a super- ficial réle, while varying viscosity, differential expan- sion, and tidal stress control relative heights of lava in adjacent and‘ connected conduits of different sizes. During the complete eruptive period of Mauna Loa, Rim 1914 1915 1916 ‘ Ee. F “APR | MA\ N Pp ene Sea's Ms ze ira AMS ref My Ns Mey Are hae ie mH Aros Bee arte ies ft v8 rf f Ses Hine Ri ES beh ie esi ea tt wife B et ANS, FY ff of 1 N oY uae CRATER r ISMi SEISMIC SEISMI SEps |= SEAS | MAURAULOA Spacer MAN Ows Fas 100 a a aa, ro a 3600 200 3800 300 3400 400 500 J °o So ih Im lA Fic. 3.—Diagram showing fluctuation of level of lava in Halemaumau, in relation to seismic and volcanic activities of Mauna Loa, 1914-16. Measure- ments from 120 weekly surveys by T. A. Jaggar shown.—Reprinted from Amer. Journ. Sci., April, 1917. factory feature of the discovery that the Hawaiian lava column is probably stiff within the mountain jis the correlation now possible with such volcanoes as Pelée, Bogoslof, or Tarumai, which exhibited hard domes NO. 2525, VOL. 101 | 1914-16 (Fig. 3), five seismic spasms in that volcano, two of them accompanied by eruption, were responded to in the active lava pit of Kilauea by a series of pro- nounced risings of increasing. duration, followed by ig ice. —_—s Marcu 21,' 1918] NATURE 57 sudden subsidences of increasing amount, as shown on ‘the accompanying chart. The last and greatest subsi- ‘dence of June 5, 1916, happened at Kilauea just at ‘the close of the lava flow which culminated the erup- tive period on Mauna Loa, and the lava column there- ‘after rose steadily for seven months on the Kilauea si de of the system, the Mauna Loa side being sealed. There is good reason to suppose that similar sym- ‘pathetic relations have existed in previous eruptions. ‘There were no seismometric and volcanometric data those occasions, and quantitative records are essen- al to establish such correspondences. Another line of investigation, based on analysis of ich lava-tide charts as Figs. 3 and 4, plotted for four and a half years, and on a study of the imperfect from 1865 to 1911, indicates that there are larger semi-annual and smaller semi-monthly varia- ‘tions in the height of the lava column, after making e allowance for local interferences and longer term cycles, which vary strikingly with a time curve con- ‘structed to express the relative amounts of the forced nutational strains in the globe attributable respectively } sun and moon. Mr. H. O. Wood computed this e, and the writer executed the lava measurements ee Teco > cy © =e v Igi2 AP _ equinox ; supposed lunar fluctuat:on superposed upon this curve. D _ with alidade or transit for the years 1912, 1913 (Fig. 4), "1914; 1915, and 1916 (Fig. 3). It is possible that the longer term cycles vary with a strain curve of free -nutation (Chandler) due to variation of latitude. Seismic Indication of Volcanic Activity. ' As stated above, there were earthquake swarms _ accompanying and preceding the outbreaks of Mauna , and there have been similar groupings of local shocks accompanying the ups and downs of the Kilauea _ lava column. In addition, there are volcanic vibra- _ tions and extraordinary tiltings of the ground, the latter both periodic and prolonged, which promise in- _ tensely interesting data concerning the movements of ' the hard lava underground. Remembering the per- _manent surface deformation determined geodetically after the San Francisco earthquake, and after the ' eruptions at Usu and Sakurajima, in Japan, the writer believes, from experimental evidence, that a volcano _ Station is most advantageously placed for critical seis- _ mometric investigation of the progress of such dis- ' placements. The co-ordination of deep magmatic ' movements with the earthquake problem is the pro- - foundest enigma of geology. T: A. Jaccar. NO. 2525, VOL. 101 | lll ha =e Fic. 4.—Chart showing measured rise and fall of Kilauea lava at five-day intervals during general subsidence 1911-13. Maxima near solstice, minima near epths below rim of Halemaumau in feet (left), elevations above sea-level (right). UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, OxrorD.—The School of Geography has published its programme of lectures and other work for next term. Mr. H. O. Beckit, the acting director, will lecture on the historical geography of Europe and on problems of. social and political geography; he will conduct classes on elementary surveying and on Indian geography ; also, in concert with the Rev. E. C. Spicer and Miss MacMunn respectively, a field class and a special class for the study of the Oxford district. Miss MacMunn will lecture on Indo-China, and’ Mr. J. Cossar on ‘‘ Eastern Trade Routes.’’ Informal in- struction in geography will also be given. The Committee for Anthropology announces lectures by Prof. A. Thomson (human anatomy), Miss Czap- licka pemnology)> Mr. H. O. Beckit (distribution of man), Mr. - Balfour (comparative technology— zsthetic arts), Prof. Sollas (stages of human culture and the latest episodes in the earth’s history), Mr. Griffith (questions relating to ancient Egypt), Dr. Marett (primitive morals, religion: rudimentary forms, legal institutions of savages), Mr. T. R. Glover (pro- AYUUNUULIAUGSEPOCTINOVDEC ° JAN/FEB MAR|APRMAY |JUN| JUL gress in religion), Dr. Farnell (Greek religion), Sir P. Vinogradoff (historical jurisprudence), Prof. Mac- donell (Indian religion, customs, and archzology), Mr. V. A. Smith (Indian archeology and art), and Mr. S Langdon (questions relating to ancient Babylonia). The instruction given in many of the foregoing sub- jects will be of an informal character. ~ Lorp Bryce and Prof. R. H. Chittenden, of Yale University, were the chief guests at a dinner of Amer- ican University men now in England, including the graduates of the United States Military and Naval Academies, held under the auspices of the American Universities Alumni Association, at the’ Criterion Restaurant on March 14. The dinner marked the in- auguration of a London branch of the American: Uni- versity Union in Europe. Lord Bryce, in the course of an address, said he cherishes the hope that after the war there will be more and more British students in American universities to learn those subjects which are best taught there, and more and more American students in British universities. The war has given convincing proof of the unity of spirit between England and America: and-in the future the two nations will - inations, under the Board’s scheme for officers for the Army. ’ school boys who are members of the Officers Training 58 NATURE [March 21, 1918 stand together to stop aggression and to guarantee to the world the peaceful development for which it is waiting... Tue Board of Education announces, in Circular 1034, that the following examinations have been recognised for the calendar years 1918 and 1919 as approved exam- the better organisation of examinations in secondary schools :— As First Examinations: (1) The School Certificate Ex- amination of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Exam- ination Board; (2) the Senior Local Examination of the Oxford Delegacy for Local Examinations;- (3) the Senior Local Examination of the Cambridge Local Examinations and Lectures Syndicate; (4) the School Certificate Examination of the University of Bristol; (5) the First School Certificate Examination of the Uni- versity of Durham; (6) the General School Examina- tion of the University of London; (7) the School Cer- tificate Examination of the Northern Universities Joint Matriculation, Board. As Second ‘Examinations: (8) The Higher Certificate Examination of the Oxford and Cambridge: Schools Examination Board; (9) the Higher School Certificate Examination of the Oxford Delegacy for Local Examinations; (10) the Higher School Cer- tificate Examination of the Cambridge Local Examina- tions and Lectures Certificate; (11) the Higher School Certificate Examination of the University of Bristol (a) ; (12) the Higher Certificate Examination of the Univer- sity of Durham; (13) the Higher School Certificate Ex- amination of the University of London (a); (14) the Higher Certificate Examination of the Northern Uni- versities Joint Matriculation Board. The examinations marked (a) will be held for the first time in 1919. The Board will pay to each school on the grant list an additional grant not exceeding 21. on each pupil entered for any of the above-named examinations held during the years 1918 and 1919. Tue Times Educational Supplement (February 21) publishes an article entitled ‘‘ The Universities and the War,”’ which discusses the position of well-educated boys on attaining the age for military service, and suggests that the universities should be more fully used for the education and military training of young It is pointed out that public- Corps remain at school until attaining the age of eighteen and a half, when they are sent to officer cadet units for further training for commissions, whereas well-educated boys from all other secondary. schools must enlist at about the age of eighteen, unless they | go to a university and join an O.T.C. there. Those who enlist receive no special training for commissions for six months. The writer of the article therefore suggests that boys suitable for commissions should be encouraged ‘by the War Office to join the universities | and to receive military training in the O.T.C. Mr. Macpherson, in dealing.with the question of the supply of officers in his statement in the House of Commons on February 20, admitted that invaluable work was done at the beginning of the war by the Officers Train- ing Corps, but the War Office now expected a man to have served abroad before obtaining a commission, save in a few exceptional cases, and to have attained the rank of corporal, thereby having shown signs of | leadership. [or the Regular Army the period of train- ing at Sandhurst and Woolwich had been extended. “It was not always the case that a boy who was able to pass with flying colours examinations in languages and mathematics made the best officer.’’. The chances were that a boy who was captain of his school Rugby fifteen, who found it difficult to pass such an examina- tion, had all the. qualities of leadership, and should be given scope for the display of these qualities in the NO. 2525, VOL. 10T| | | | | | | Regular Army. ‘The authorities at Woolwich con- sidered the nominated candidates [those not entering by competitive examination] far and away the best, most capable, and hard-working, and they often pro- duced the best officers.’’ It appears extraordinary that, at this stage of the war, Mr. Macpherson should offer — official encouragement to boys training for commissions not to apply themselves to their studies. Phe SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES, LONDON. Royal Society, March 7.—Sir J. J. Thomson, presi- dent, in the chair.—Prof. E. T. Whittaker; The numerical. solution of integral equations. The present communication is concerned with integral equations of Abel’s type [9K ~9a0= flo, and of Poisson’s type, (z)+ | “os)K (a ~ sas Fae where K(x) and f(x) are given functions, and pix) is the unknown function which is to be determined. The © object of the work is to obtain solutions of these equa- tions in forms which can be made the basis of numer- | ical calculation.—Prof. W. H. Young: (1) The Cesaro convergence of restricted Fourier series. monic trigonometrical series.—Prof. G. A. Schott: The electromagnetic inertia of the Lorentz electron. For a perfectly conducting oblate spheroid with speed kC, eccentricity k, and axis in the direction of motion, G. W. Walker (Roy. Soc. Proc., Ag3, p. 448) finds Longitudinal electromagnetic mass=3e2a~!C~%(1-4)(1-22)-3?, Transverse electromagnetic mass=Ze"a~1C~(14.442?)(1 -) 47. Walker appears to regard this spheroid as a model of the Lorentz electron. If this be so, there is an obvious ‘contradiction with the theory of relativity which de- mands investigation. The author has recalculated Walker’s results on the basis of the general mass formule given in ‘‘ Electromagnetic Radiation,’’ Ap- pendix D. The agreement between Walker’s results and those of the paper, so far as it goes, indicates that his spheroid is not to be regarded as a model of the ‘Lorentz electron.—Sir J. C. Bose: Researches on growth and movement in plants by means of the high magnification crescograph. RS Linnean Society, February 21.—Sir David Prain, presi- dent, in the chair.—J. B. Gatenby: Notes on the bio- nomics, embryology, and anatomy of certain Hymeno- _ptera Patasitica, with special reference to Microgaster | | connexus, Nees. The author remarked that Micro- gaster connexus, a parasite of Porthesia similis, was hyperparasitised by Mesochorus pallidus. The anatomy of Microgaster had been investigated; the larva has the posterior end of the body enlarged into the form of a spherical vesicle; the latter was thought by previous workers to be the ninth abdominal segment, but from anatomical and other evidence it is now considered to be the evaginated proctodeum. The embryonic membranes in Microgaster were also described, and notes were given on the various Hymenoptera parasitic on Aphidz, and the embryonic membrane of an Aphidius was described. It was stated that internal ento- mophagous hymenopterous larve do not feed during practically the first third of their growth, but live by means of highly developed embryonic membranes; in- their middle: and later life they do not defecate; later larval and pupal stages were found to be generally normal.—W. B. Brierley: Experimental studies in the specific value of morphological characters in the fungi. In all systematic treatn.ent of the fungi there is implied. (2) Non-har- — Marcu 21, 19 18] te NATURE 59 constancy of morphological characters, and particularly of the size and shape of the mature reproductive bodies or spores. An experimental study of the specificity of these criteria is in process, the work being carried out prima upon the fungus Botrytis cinerea. This pecies is contained in the ‘‘Polyactis” group of the genus, and the species in this group are separated partly reason of their different hosts, but more critically minute differences in the branching and septation of conidiophore and by the size and shape of the March * eg David Prain, president, in the chair. —Prof. E. B. Poulton: The mimetic and Mendelian elationships of the ‘‘White Admirals” of North merica. The ‘“‘White Admiral’ butterflies of the aline cence Limenitis or Basilarchia (the North subgenus) form an interesting group with peculiar larvae and pupz. Their conspicuous patterns are displayed in a floating flight, and the under surface of the wings is not procryptically coloured like that of - Vanessa laracteristics which are found in the ally protected’ models for mimicry, and the Miil- 1 mimics of other still more distasteful species; and so it is with Limenitis. The English L. sibylla is ssembled by the female of the “Purple Emperor” atura iris), which flies in the same woods, while the ical American representatives of Limenitis—the ee phe —are beautifully mimicked by females of the representatives of Apatura—the us Chlorippe. The African representatives of nitis—the genus Pseudacrzea—are almost all of wonderful mimics of the Acrzas, and in one tance of a Danaine Zoological Society, March 5.—Dr. A. Smith Wood- d, vice-president, in the chair.—R. I. Pocock: The al characters of the lemurs and Tarsius. The tions. recorded were based, except in the case of ‘upon specimens that had lived in the society’s _ The author stated his opinion that Tarsius uld be removed from the lemuroid primates and fied with the monkeys. He proposed to divide the es into two primary groups, the Strepsirhini for ie lemurs and the Haplorhini for Tarsius and the , the Haplorhini being further divided into the arsioidea for Tarsius and the nkeys, apes, and man.—Sir G. F. Hampson: Classi- tion of the Hypsotropinz. The author described ee as a rather obscure group of the alidze, of very uniform appearance and differing iefly in* structure. fathematical Society, March 14.—Prof. E. W. Hob- , Vice-president, in the chair.—G. H. Hardy: The sentation of a number as the sum of any number s.—G.N. Watson: A problem in the theory of s.—Prof. W. H. Young : Non-harmonic Fourier ate ciccoe te Paris. Academy of Sciences, February 11.—M. Léon Guignard the chair—M. Hamy: A particular case of diffrac- of circular stars and its application to the sun.— Carnot : New methods of estimation of copper, zinc, ‘ium, nickel, and cobalt. The method is based precipitation with sodium carbonate, solution of the ipitate in ammonia, and reprecipitation of the _ metallic hydroxide or carbonate by boiling.—M. Cuénot _ Was elected a correspondant ‘for the section of anatomy _and zoology in succession to the late M. Maupas.— _ T. Lalesco; The classes of nuclei capable of symmetry. E. Léger: The mechanism of the formation of cer- tain isomers of cinchonine and their hydrohalides.— _ P. Nicolardot and J. Boudet: The examination of mer- _ cury fulminate and. the analysis of mixtures for de- ators. “The methods suggested are based on treat- NO. 2525, VOL. 101 | iby Pithecoidea for © ment with yellow ammonium sulphide to form mercury sulphide, and precipitation of antimony sulphide from the solution by ammonium sulphite.—J. Clarens: The precipitation of phosphoric acid as ammonium phospho- molybdate. Practical estimation of phosphoric acid by a simple nitrometer measurement. A method is de- scribed for obtaining a phosphomolybdate precipitate. in which the ratio of ammonia to phosphorus is fixed, so that the phosphorus is ultimately determined by a gaso- metric measurement.—L. Dubreuil-Chambardel: An anatomical variation of the second metacarpal.—E. Roubaud; Disappearance of the infective power in Anopheles maculipennis in the course of hibernation.— M. Folley: The cross of the aorta in exophthalmic goitre. ° February 18.—M. Léon Guignard in the chair.—G. Bigourdan ; Various French astronomical observatories of the seventeenth century.—M. Vayssiére was elected a correspondant for the section of anatomy and zoology ‘in succession to the. late M. Renaut.—P. E. Gau: The integration of partial differential equations of the second order.—M. T. Beritch : The extension of Rolle’s theorem to the case of several variables.—B. de Font- violant: A new theory relating to the effects of the wind on bridges supported on arches.—M. Maggini: A new stellar photometer. A description of a modified wedge photometer.—A. Véronnet : The contraction of a gaseous mass and the evolution of the sun.—A. Travers; The estimation of vanadium in presence of molybdenum by titanous chloride.—L. Gentil, M. Lugeon, and L. Joleaud: Geology of the Sebou basin (Morocco).—L. Dunoyer: The diurnal variation of the wind in altitude and the influence of the distribution of the cloud masses.—M. Reboul: The diurnal variations of the wind in altitude.—L. Daniel: Extension of the limits of culture of the vine by means of certain hybrids.—L. Lapicque and. J. Chaussin : The food value of whole wheat and of flour of 85 per cent. extraction compared with white flour. Medium wheat leaves 12 per cent. of indigestible resi- due; its nutritive value is equal to 90 per cent. of its weight of white flour.—P. Brodin and Fr. Saint-Girons : Contribution to the study of digestive leucocytosis.—H. Colin: Transformations of inulin in the tuber of the Jerusalem artichoke during the period of repose.—F. Diénert and A. Guillerd: The concentration of the micro-organisms of water. After trying and discard- ing various types of filters, and removal by formation of precipitates, a workable concentrating agent was found in alumina cream. Prepared and used in the manner laid down, from 80 per cent. to 100 per cent. of added B. coli were recovered.—A. Bouquet and L. Négre: Culture of the parasite of epizootic lymph- angitis and the experimental reproduction of the disease in the horse.—M. Folley: The aortic cross in exoph- thalmic goitre. Dilation of the aorta is a constant symptom of Basedow’s disease, and may be used as a means of diagnosis in doubtful cases.—E. Le Moignic and J. Gautrelet ; Intravenous injections of oil. Contribution to the physiological study of the T.A.B. lipo-vaccine. From 1 c.c. to 15 c.c. of oil can be safely injected into the circulation of a dog, and vac- cines with-an oil basis are proved to be less toxic than aqueous vaccines. February 25.—M. Paul Painlevé in the chair.—G. Bigourdan; The old astronomical stations of Nantes and Pau. Historical notices of the work of Anastase, Fontenay, and Lévéque at Nantes, and of Richaud, Tawzin, Pallu, Grctedonee. and Jean de Bonnécamp at Pau.—A. Blondel: The graphical determination of total inductances, direct and transversal, of alternators by means of the partial characteristics calculated or ob- served.—A, Carnot: Some new separations of the five | metals of the group soluble in ammonia. Examples of R. B. Pilcher. N. P. L. Lumb. ‘Lewis and Co., Ltd.) 4s. 6d. net. 60 NATURE ~ {Marcu 21, 1918 the application .of the method outlined in an earlier communication to the analysis of brass, German silver, and other alloys.—E,. Ariés: The critical constants of mercury. The formula given in a previous paper, and worked out for the cases of argon, xenon, and crypton, is now applied to mercury, the vapour of which is also monatomic. The formula leads to 10779 C. for the critical temperature, and 420 atmospheres for the critical pressure of mercury.—W. Kilian ; Contributions to the knowledge of the Delphino-Proveng¢al and Rhoda- nian lower Cretaceous.—M. Flahault was elected a non- resident member in the place of the late M. Gosselet.— B. Jekhowsky: The generalisation of a theorem of Cauchy relating to developments in series.—R. de Montessus de Ballore : Skew quartics of the first species. —J. Guillaume: Observations of the sun made at the Observatory of Lyons during the fourth quarter of 19r7. Details of-observations made on fifty-seven days.—E Vessiot :. Propagation. by waves and the theory of general relativity.—P. Weiss and A. Piccard: A new magneto- thermal phenomenon, In the course of a magnetic study of nickel in the neighbourhood of the Curie point, the establishment of the field (15,000 g.) caused a marked rise of temperature (0-7°). The sup- pression of the field produced a cooling of the same order. The reversibility and order of / magnitude dis- tinguish this effect from heating due to hysteresis. Above the Curie point (629-6° Absolute) the rise of temperature is proportional to the square of the mag- netisation, a result which can be deduced from the theory of the molecular field.—Ph. Flajolet : Perturba- tions of the magnetic declination at Lyons (Saint-Genis- Laval) during the fourth quarter of 1917.—-J. Dufrénoy ; Tumours on the maritime pine.—C, Cépéde: New method of staining the tubercle bacillus.—H. Vincent : The prophylaxy of Maltese fever by the active immun- isation of the germ-carrying animals. BOOKS RECEIVED. Précis de Radiodiagnostic Technique et Chirurgie. By Dr. Jaugeas.. Second edition. Pp. xxviii+ 563. (Paris: Masson et Cie.) 20 francs. Localisation et Extraction des Projectiles. By L. Ombrédanne and R. Ledoux-Lebard. Second edition. Pp. iv+305. (Paris: Masson et Cie.) 4 francs. Theory of Functions of .a Complex Variable. By Prof. A. R. Forsyth. Third edition. Pp. xxiv+855. (Cambridge : At the University Press.) 30s. net. The War and the Bagdad Railway. By Prof. M. Jastrow, jun. Pp. 160. (Philadelphia: and London : J. B. Lippincott Co.) 6s. net. Department of Commerce. U.S. Coast and Geo- detic Survey. Terrestrial Magnetism. U.S. Magnetic Tables and Magnetic Charts for 1915. By D. L. Hazard. Pp. 256 + illustrations in pocket. (Washing- ton : Government Printing Office.) The Advanced Montessori Method. By M. Montes- sori. ii., The Montessori Elementary Material. Translated by A. Livingston. Pp. xviii+455. (Lon- don: W: Heinemann.) 12s. 6d: net. What: Industry’ Owes to Chemical Science. By Pp. xiv+150. (London: Constable and Co., Ltd.) 3s. net. The ‘Systematic Treatment of ‘Gonorrhcea. By Pp. viii+116. (London: H. K. Anti-Malaria Work in Macedonia among British Troops. By Dr. W. G. Willoughby and L. Cassidy. Pp. x+68. (London: H. K, Lewis and Co., Ltd.) “3s. 6d. net Tumours: Their Nature and Causdtion. W. d’Este Emery. Pp. xx+146. Lewis and Co., Ltd.) 5s. net. NO. 2525. VOL. 1or]. By Dr. (London : Ss ee Aids to Rational Therapeutics, with U.S.A. Pharma, — copeeia Equivalents. By Dr. R. W. Leftwich. Pp, x+233. (London: Baillitre and Co.) 3s. 6d. net. ~ Aviation Engines: Design, Construction, Operation, and Repair. By First Lieut. V. W. Pagé, Pp. 589. (London: Crosby Lockwood and Son.) 15s. net. DIARY OF ‘SOCIETIES, THURSDAY, Marcu 2% INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—The Mechanical Design and Specification of the Turbo-alternator Rotor: Dr. S. F. Barclay. INSTITUTION OF MINING AND METALLURGY, at 5.30. .—Annual General eeting. INSTITUTION OF NAVAL ArcHITE CTS, at tz a.m.—Problems of the Future in the Design and Construction of Fag pg -n: Ships: W. S. Abell.— Research in Marine Engineering : E. Seaton.—The Effect of the Longitudinal Motion of a Ship on its Statical Transverse Stability : G. S: Baker and Miss E. M. Keary.—At 3 p.m.—The I i Carbon Equilibrium Diagram and its Practical Usefulness : Prof. H. C. H. Carpenter.—Stress Distribution in Bolts and Nuts: C, E. Stromeyer. LrnneEAn Society, at 5.—The Shoulder-girdle of a Dicynodont Reptile from South Africa: E. S. Goodrich.—Fossil Charas from Oligocene Beds: . Groves.—Malayan Form of Chlorococcum humicola (Nacq-), Rabenh. : iss B. Muriel Bristol. FRIDAY, Marcu 22. Rove INSTITUTION, at 5.30. —Radiation from System of Electrons : Sir omson. INstrruTion or NavAL ARCHITECTS, at 11 asm.—A Prelimiriary Survey of. the Possibilities of Reinforced Concrete as a Matetial for Ship Construc- tion: Major Denny.—Reinforced Concrete Vessels: W. Pollock.— Design and Construction of a Self- “propelled Reinforced Concrete Sea- going Cargo Steamer building in Great Britain: T. G. O. Thurston.—An Investigation of the Shearing Force and Bending Moment acting on the Structure of a Ship including Dynamic Effects: A. M. Robb.—. At 3pm —Air Supply to Boiler Rooms: R. W. Allen. oa PuysicaL Society, at 5.—The Fourth Guthrie Lecture: The ¢ Origin Cs ae Spectra : Prof. J. C. McLennan. hl SATURDAY, Marcu 23. ‘RovaL INSTITUTION, at 3.—Problems ‘in Atomic Structure -Sir oh J: Thomson. MONDAY, MARCH 25. Society oF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY, at 8.—Some Cosbonsalll Shallniete 3 in Relation to Present-day Needs : E. C, de Segundo. ; } CONTENTS. , PAGE The Atom of Electricity. By E. R. 41 A Study of the Jewish Child. By.Dr. Er Brodetsky . pines) Our Bookshelf en ee foe See et ek ee oe eee 6 gee” hate, we) ie 43 Letters to the Editor :— International Catalogue of Scientific Litessbutes= Prof. Henry E. Armstrong, F.R.S. . 44 oo Perihelion iyi Oliver Lodge, PRB. Si eee 44 The British Association “and the Nation. —J. p Robitisen : 0) ke ae wee ES Whales and Seals as Food.—Dr. James Ritchie. oe aS The Education (No. 2) Bill ...... eee ee 45 Bee Disease. ap errr HY The Damage to Agriculture by demas and. Birds. ate By Dr. Walter E. Collinge ........ da of AO oe) TE ak A at aan tor coo ee ae e/ 48 Our ‘Astronomical Column :— gh The Planet Mars... 2... ofa d'y ioty he eee DPBS Wilf’s Nowa 20 Ses a a, Bal ee EA ee Oe The Minor Planets. . ... 53 The Rotation of the Earth. “By ‘Prof. Coy. “Boys, eR Be ers Sone ee 53 Results of Volcano Study in Hawaii. _ Ullustrated. ) By. TA. Jegeer oe oy ae iy 54 University and Educational Intelligence ence ST Societies and Academies ..... ge opened Pa Books Received”. hos 48 Sieh tat wise ig Diary of Societies . . Editorial and Publishing Offices : MACMILLAN AND CO., Lrtp., ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. - Advertisements and. business letters to be addressed to the Publishers. Editorial Communications to the Editor. ‘Telegraphic Address: Puusis, Lonpon. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. NATURE 61 INT AMERICAN TEXT-BOOKS IN ; AGRICULTURE. Rural Teacher. and his Work in Com- | Leadership, in: School: Administration, 1 Mastery. of, the School Subjects. By old W. Foght. Pp. xii+3509. (New York : : Maemillan Co.;, London: Macmillan and » Ltd:, 1917:), Price.7s.. 6d. net. mistry. of Farm Practice. By. T. E. filey Technical Series.). Pp.. xiit+253. <: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.; man and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) : Laboratory. Manual: By Dr. Bp) ix+14g. (New. York: 4. Sons, Ine. ; London; Chapman td., 1917:). Price 6s. net. : tory Manual; in Farm. Machinery. s Wirt: Pp. xxiit162, (New York: ey and Sons, Inc. ; London: Chapman i; 1917.) Price:6s. neti. ige from Seed until Harvest; also g. By E. N. Reed. Pp. xiii+1g1. in. Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; Lon- y and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) Price ears a great movément. has been ; force in the United. States. to- wement of country life. It is felt tion should develop on its own Id not necessarily be those fol- vilisation. The worker in the at more into contact with things : his environment differs funda- n life must be modified accord- vement~ found’ expression on the » in Mr. Roosevelt’s famous country , and‘on its educational side in. Dr. inspiring writings. If anything is ust be through the teacher; Mr. , in; the first book. on the list, f to the task of showing what noel’ and: the teacher ought to play, training the children and. the young also in assuming leadership and direc- ‘new movement. | ‘oght points out that the present condi- ‘al education in the United States are ‘satisfactory. There are still too many ; country teachers are engaged for a en months only, ata salary of 75 dollars who at the end of that time “pass: community, leaving not the slightest Tegret behind.’’ But the author—like American generally—is constructive in al attitude, and not a mere destructive He proceeds to show what has. been done, 1 to indicate how ‘existing institutions . 2526, VoL. IoT] f the townsman, and his.train-. might be further developed. In his preface. he puts the school aims as ‘“‘(1) good scientific farm-+ ing, rendering ample returns for labour and capital employed, and (2) a rural social life satisfactory. to those living it.’’ For our own part we should prefer to invert the order and adopt the view of Dr. Henry Wallace; quoted a few pages further on : “Give to any people a vision:of some- thing better than they have known, and it is: at once a better occupation.’’ In practice, however, the author is quite sound, as is evident from his handling of the subject: He proceeds: first to discuss the agencies for the betterment of country life: the Church, the Y.M:C.A.; the Grange of Patrons of Husbandry,! and the more. recent organisations, Boy Scouts, Camp-fire Girls; Blue Birds, ete. / The next chapters give an account of certain schools started to improve rural’ life in general, and in: particular to train the ‘teacher. In. thie second part of the book the author goes. on. to consider problems of organisation and administra- tion, for’ it is a fundamental part’ of his thesis that the teacher must be strong enough to estab- lish himself’ as a leader of the community, and therefore must have a firm hold on the organisa- tion and management of the school, and show expert ability in dealing with the altered school curriculum. The book is well provided with refer- ences to other literature, and° illustrated with numerous charts and photographs. Altogether it gives an excellent account of what has. already been aecomplished. (2) The connection between: agriculture and chemistry is: obvious to the man of experience; but not’ always to the young student, and one of the great difficulties at agricultural schools and colleges is to persuade the student that he cannot. make much progress with the science of agri+ culture until he has a working acquaintance with the fundamental laws of chemistry. In‘the matter of text-books the American teacher is better off than we are, and! this book by Prof, Keitt is a useful addition to the available literature. The laws of chemistry can quite well be taught through the medium of substances familiar on the farm; and experience shows that, when approached in this. way, the subject is of great interest and value to the student. ae , It is unfortunate that efforts in the past to simplify chemistry and to bring it within the com- prehension of untrained agricultural audiences have resulted in much looseness of expression. Thus when a farmer applies potassium salts: to the soil as fertiliser, He is told that he is applying “ pot- ash,’’ and’ a student is told that he is applying “potassium.”’ This is justified’ on the score that the farmer and the student are supposed to under- stand the terms. Then, when the study of pure chemistry begins, the inevitable confusion: arises. Anyone who has had ‘to conduct agricultural chem- 1 A’ sort of Secret society or freemasonry, founded by Kelley in 1867, which reached :its high-water mark. in 1875; it is described im Buck's _ “ Granger. Movement,” one of the classical “ Harvard Historical Studies,” » and in» Kelley’s own words in his : interesting ‘‘ History of the Patrons of Husbandry.’ E 62 NATURE - [Marc 28, 1918 ie istry examinations knows how completely an otherwise intelligent student can confound. free and combined nitrogen, free and combined potass- ium, etc. We should like to have seen this dis- tinction more strongly emphasised even at the risk of repetition. Thus on p. 39 the passages occur : ‘‘Phosphorus has an important part to play in the _ formation of the seeds of plants and in hastening their maturity. . . . Phosphorus appears luminous in the dark. . . . Potassium is rather abundant in Nature.’ For the rest, however, the book will be found helpful. The numerous illustrations are largely taken from bulletins of the various experimental stations, and as the numbers are given they serve not only to emphasise the various points, but also as a guide to the voluminous and growing: litera- ture of the subject. (3) Dr. Whiting’s little book is a useful sum- mary of laboratory methods for students wishing to become acquainted with the commoner soil micro- organisms. Methods are given for isolating and studying the common bacteria, alge and protozoa, from soils, and references are given to original papers where the literature is more fully dis- cussed. We note that Martin and Lewin’s method for collecting active protozoa from soil is found to give good results with careful manipulation in the |. author’s laboratory, just as it does in this country ; for purposes of enumeration, however, the blood- corpuscle counting apparatus is used by Dr. Whiting instead of the dilution method in favour here. Exercises are also given on soil alge, which have not yet received the attention they appear to deserve. For a long time the student has been able to obtain help in soil bacteriology, but he has found more difficulty in getting assistance with other organisms, and this little book can be re- commended to him. (4) In the past, farm machinery has been used to cheapen agricultural production rather than to | intensify it, and so it has found greater develop- ment in new countries where labour is scarce than in older countries where higher yields per acre are aimed at. But in the nature of the case much of the machinery that has been purchased has not been properly used. It is not only the untrained amateurs who know so little about machinery ; the trained agricultural student also is not uncom- monly helpless before a trivial breakdown. farms it is essential that someone should know sufficient about machinery to be able to look after. it properly, to see that it is used to the fullest advantage, and to attend to the minor troubles, which, if left alone, might develop and cause serious. difficulty’. at a critical time. This being so, it is gratifying to find that attention is being given by teachers and writers to farm machinery, and that some of the past neglect is heing remedied. _ Mr. Wirt’s book will probably prove more use- ful to his own classes than to other teachers. It consists largely of questions that the intelligent student might be asked, and would, indeed, be NO. 2526, VOL. 101] ~ On | likely to ask himself, but it does not provide the material for answers. It supplies, however, a — bibliography which will serve as a guide to other books where more information is given. If later editions are called for we should su ggest the inclusion of more working diagrams illistra- — tive of the main principles of the machine, the right and wrong adjustments, and especially the ways in which the machine may go wrong. (5) Mr. Reed’s little book on late cabbage is intended for practical men, and it is written in the terse American colloquial style that always appeals to practical men everywhere. The details of cultivation, manuring, insect pests, etc., are sufficiently clear to afford the necessary guidance. The author states with engaging frankness that — he grows not only cabbage, but also seed, and he ~ quite rightly emphasises the need for obtaining ~ good seed; he does not unduly push his wares, however, and his book loses nothing in conse- 4 quence. It is interesting in connection with our present conditions to note that in the author’s — experience cabbage does well on newly sited i up grassland, forming good hearts and needing © no nitrogenous fertiliser. On older arable land | more fertiliser. is required, but not an expessive / ia amount. ie The author keeps rigidly to his title and does - 4 not touch on other members of the tha: | tribe, not even the nearly related early cabbage. — 4 He shows also that the native-raised seed is fully as good as the imported seed; on his own land he — declares that in the past seven years he has not | had less than 20 tons of cabbage per acre, whilst on at least one occasion he has had 30 tons. It is a good idea, which might be further extended, to persuade practical. men to write little books on crops which they thoroughly understand. o | OS jes agian | a | ? | | 4 4 | 44 eer i attra T e 4 M ee ESSENCES AND VARNISHES. (1) Manual for the Essence Industry. By Erich Walter. Pp. iiit+427. (New York: John” Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; London: Chapman and — : Hall, Ltd., 1916.) Price: 18s. 6d. net. 4 (2) The Industrial and Artistic Technology of Paint and Varnish. By Alvah H. Sabin. Pp. x+473. (New York: John Wiley and | Sons, Inc. ; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) Price 16s. 6d. net. . WN Bdge phrase ‘essence industry ” in the titel of this volume covers. more than an English reader might at first sight associate with it. In point of fact, the book is a treatise upon | the manufacture of most of the things, or ine gredients of things, which are intentionally — flavoured, coloured, or perfumed, as a means of preparing them for human use. These include non- -alcoholic beverages, such as lemonade and : other “mineral” waters; alcoholic preparations © like liqueurs, cordials, and bitters; flavourings and 4 PPI used in baking, cooking, and confections NATURE 63 ng; and essences used for the manufacture ‘fumes, dentifrices, and other toilet articles. < and foodstuffs are derived from s, in which they usually exist ready-formed. The transfer may 3 aoe mechanical one, ; as when fruit juices re added directly to beverages. On the other the essential principle of the flavouring sub- may first have to be separated from the s when the volatile aromatic oils (e.g. are distilled off in a current of steam. stilled oils may then be employed directly ne pent’, but, as a rule, they are more st dissolved in alcohol. Such Most fruit e bowever, are too delicate for isolation in iy, and are obtained by distilling the fruit th alcohol, yielding another kind of - “Every fruit essence is only a diluted of the volatile flavour of the fruits to The same remark holds good for the irs which go to make perfumery. book under notice treats of the various which this transference of flavours and from source to product is best effected. It with a dissertation on the sense of taste; ould be improved in parts if specific ex- imples were en to illustrate the author’s mean- _ The following chapters deal clearly and sely with the principles and practice of the . Fundamentally it is a “chemical” in- hence a section of the book is rightly de- the laboratory. The theoretical chemistry f the products is not dealt with; but analytical thods- and the general chemical control of the ring Regretons make up a_ useful , es very large number of formule are supplied, the systematic arrangement of these is a com- able feature. The British reader will need in mind that the values of the alcoholic igths and of the gallon used are those current e United States; with this proviso, he will the work a very ‘useful one for the industry on. ; Readers who are acquainted with the first of Mr. Sabin’s work will remember that ne author is an enthusiast on all matters pertain- g to paints and varnishes. His book, conse- tly, has the quality of readableness usually und in the work of one who knows his subject Be writes as if he loves it, even though that sub- t may not at first sight appear a particularly tractive one. Naturally, this quality is shown ‘especially in the historical portions of the , but it is by no means absent from the more nical chapters. _For example, Mr. Sabin is discussing the var- ish on Egyptian mummy-cases, and arguing for e antiquity of recipes substantially like some in ise at the present day. “Here is the varnish, just | - NO. 2526, VoL. ror] as it was applied twenty-five hundred years ago. It is just as real as the mummy itself, and is just as absolute a proof that varnish was made in those days as the mummy is proof that people lived in those days. Here, I say, is the actual and real varnish. It was made with resin and oil. It was smeared on, possibly with a spatula, but more likely with the fingers, certainly not put on with a brush. Such a varnish as Theophilus describes would look as that looks, and in all probability would last as that has endured.” It is some twelve years since the first edition was published. The most important change in varnish-making during that period has been the introduction of tung oil, a product which has a remarkable power of rapid drying. The author believes, however, that the tung-oil varnishes are by no means so durable as the former oleo-resin products which they have so largely displaced. He notes that the general appearance of furniture and railway and other carriages has grown worse rather than better (in America) during the last ten years. The author has some interesting remarks to make about violin varnish. He does not believe that spirit varnishes were ever used by the great violin-makers. Old violins appear always to have been coated with an oil-resin varnish. One valu- able old instrument which he examined had a var- nish which he concluded must have been made with at least 35 gallons of oil to 100 Ib. of resin. If he were called upon to make a special varnish for violins, it would be, he says, a simple amber varnish with 35 or 4o gallons of raw linseed oil (to 100 Ib. of amber). Mr. Sabin writes from the American point of view, and disclaims any special knowledge of English practice; but his general outline of the principles involved in paint and varnish technology, and many of the applications of those principles which -he describes, will hold good on both sides of the Atlantic. Cc. S. OUR BOOKSHELF. Hand Grenades: A Handbook on Rifle and Hand Grenades. Compiled and illustrated by Major Graham M. Ainslie. -Pp. v+59. (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) Price:6s. net. THE introduction states that hand grenades were in use until about the end of the seventeenth century, when they fell into disuse. It has been stated that they were used by the defenders of Mafeking. In the Russo-Japanese War they were employed, and became important weapons in the present war, where “it was proved that under many conditions infantry armed only with rifle and bayonet found it impossible to press home an attack or hold a position against troops armed with grenades.’’ This little book’ is the result of experience in the present war. Following the “brief summary of the various grenades, with instructions for preparing and 64 NATURE [Marcu 28,’ 1918 firing,’? compiled in “drill book ’’ style, but illus- trated with most excellent diagrams, which are almost self-explanatory, is a section on grenade tactics, A description of French and German grenades follows, and'then.a section on explosives used in grenades. -Here the author might well have been more explicit; in an attempt to be concise: much ‘of the information has been too con- densed to be clear, We read, for example : “‘ Picric acid. A yellow crystalline prepared ‘from coal tar. A by-product of gas manufacture.’ Again: ‘““Lyddite ‘or : picric acid. Consists of melted and solidified picric acid. Vaseline is used to melt it.’ The alternative for benzol is -given as ‘benzine. Under cordite no reference is made to M.D., but only tothe old Mark I., and ‘the nitroglycerine content of this is wrongly stated. The -acetone used for incorporation is ‘described as merely ‘““acetone to harden.’ The practical part of the book will no doubt be of assistance to students of grenade work; ‘it ‘is essentially a soldier’s book, but its value would have been greater had the author not attempted to-impart information in too few words. Therapeutic Immunisation: Theory and Practice. By Dr. W. M. Crofton. Pp. 224. (London: J. and A. Churchill, 1918.) ‘Price 7s. 6d. net. In the earlier chapters of this book the author surveys the processes underlying immunity, and describes the preparation and properties of toxins and antitoxins and the agglutination and precipitin reactions. The principles of therapeutic immun- isation by means of vaccines ,are then considered, and finally the practical applications of therapeutic immunisation to diseases of the dlimentary canal, the respiratory system, and other regions of the body are déscribed. The author’s system does not appear to differ essentially from the customary routine, with the exception that in some instances | he advocates the continuance of treatment until very large.doses of vaccine are 30,000 million cocci in the case of some staphylo- coccic infections. The use of various iodine pre- parations is also recommended as an adjunct to vaccine treatment in some infections. For the treatment of tuberculosis, tuberculins made ‘by extraction with benzoyl chloride, which is a sol- vent for the waxy constituent of the tubercle bacillus, are considered to be Macs to the ordinary tuberculins. In addition to vaccine ‘treatment, ‘the use of vaecines for prevention is also considered where they are applicable, as in the cases of typhoid fever, cholera, plague, etc. The book gives a useful summary of the prac- tice of vaccine treatment. The practical details of the isolation of the micro-organisms concerned and the preparation of the vaccines therefrom are, however, scarcely touched upon. ‘Full directions are given for the dosage of vaccines and ‘for ‘the proper spacing of the doses, and these will ‘be feund very useful by the practitioner who is adopt- ing vaccine treatment. R. ££. 44. NO. 2526, VOL. ror] | and that the currents in question are very small, bei reached, e.g. . ‘jons to'the dielectric. on which they will form a gradu- - of Cleland’s “ Geology,” | J. W.1Gidley, W.:D. Matthew,:and 8. W. sein: | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible iP opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neith can he undertake to return, or to correspond wi the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended this or any other part of Nature. No no taken of anonymous communications.]| The Stimulation of Plant-growth by Electric Fields. In his letter on the above subject in Nature < of March 7 “J. L.” states that ‘the procedure suggests that'it is the field of force that is expected to produce the stimulation. The comparatively trifling oboyet on electricity that leaks from the wires into the atmo- sphere .could scarcely produce directly any sensible effect.”” It is perfectly clear, however, that Lemstrém the professor of physics at Helsingfors who started about ‘thirty years ago the modern phase of electro- culture ‘with overhead wires—held the view that the current leaking from the wires and passing through the plant was ‘responsible for the effects on plant growth | which he describes. For the purpose of in— creasing ‘the discharge he used fine wires, 0-6 mm. in) diameter, placed only 40 cm. above the plan 3 and provided with “barbs” 2 cm. long. In similar experiments in this country the fine wine have. been retained, though the ‘‘barbs”’ are , usu: dite pensed ‘with. It is true that our knowledge OE the falepcas of electricity on plant growth ‘is ipraee 2 nil, of the order of 1 milliamp. per acre in some recent experiments with wires about 7 ft. high. It is, how- ever, not unplausible to assume, althoues 08 course, there are other possibilities, that the passage through the plant of such minute currents may alter ib e rate 0 some .of its metabclic processes, and ~ ‘so affect -_ growth. In the experiment suggested ta He Fee whete ihe overhead wire is supposed to be protected from leakage, as, for example, by encasing it.in a solid dielectric, ‘it is not clear that a discharge from the pointed aerial portions of the plant would continue unaltered. Although a strong wind may prevent a large part of this discharge from passing to the dielectric enclosing the wire, such a wind will scarcely be able to prevent other atmospheric ions from being attracted to its outer surface. Air currents, in fact, will bring such ally increasing charge tending to weaken the electric field. between the wire andthe crop. If the overhead wire'be bare, but of large gauge so that leakage from it is small, and its potential be increased to such a value that a discharge occurs from the plants, then, with a strong wind, the current passing through’ ‘the crop may be-very much greater than that: pee: from the wires. No | -G. ue. 3 i Does the ‘Indigenous Australian Fauna Belong, ‘to ‘the ‘Tertiary? ‘TuE-statement that the indigenous: maiariedia’ fame of Australia belongs to the Mesozoic has been so fre- quently made'that. it has come-to be generally accepted. — It .was, therefore, :not surprising to find ‘the reviewer in Nature of August 2, 1917 _ (vol. xcix., p. 441), pointing out as a mistake the opinion expressed in that Pahesesie that" the fauna is” -a Tertiary one. in of ‘In order ‘to ascertain the opinion of vertebrate. pale- . ontologists on ‘this point, letters were sent ‘wits ’ NATURE 65 ee that the indigenous: Australian mammalian should tbe considered a. Tertiary one. (lesozoic marsupials. were probably exceedingly alised or primitive in type throughout their whole ire, Whereas the numerous widely diversified present-day Australian marsupials show a fe of structural specialisation which can onsidered modern in character. The fauna of Tértiary, so far as-we know it from the very $sil records, contains relatively few marsu- there seems to be as. marked differences se and their living relatives as between that time and their living relatives. ?, therefore, I should consider the Aus- uite modern.’ (J. W. Gidley.) Matthew states that ‘‘the amount of ong Eocene mammals is not greater than among modern marsupials,’’? and thinks ly say that the amount of adaptive special- s modern marsupials. compares fairly well ocene placentals.’’ Moreover, the brain . teeth afford other evidence. The Eocene mammals are fairly comparable with of Australian marsupials, and the teeth have ne stage of molar specialisation as Eocene ore us marsupials of Australia are = Eo “stage, such as is seen in the nts. The skeletal adaptations of the are comparable with the more primi- Oligocene specialisations.~ snt of Australia seems to. have been before the placentals reached that: con- possibly, some predaceous marsupial early arrivals. The evidence points to as the time during which occurred which: separated Australia from. the the world. H. F. CLevanp. ‘4 3 eolgge of Geology, . s., February 15. IMBARDMENT OF PARIS BY _ LONG-RANGE GUNS. of sport, the German gunner the eye’’ of our artillery science timid preconceived notions of | traditions. The Jubilee long- ‘ry experiments. of thirty years ago Jered the ne plus ultra of our authori- we were stopped at that, as they were ‘no military value. To-day we have make up of those years of delay. , watched our experiments with , resumed them where we had. left d the idea forward until it has cul- ay in his latest achievement in artil- 2 to fire 75 miles and bombard Paris measurement of the fragments of a e is inférred of 240 mm., practically s the 9°2 in. of our Jubilee gun, which, shell weighing 380 Ib. at elevation 40°, zzle velocity nearly 2400 ft. per sec., . fange of 22,000 yards—say, 12 miles. much greater than generally anticipated, se eement with the previous calcula- ‘Lieut. Wolley Dod, R.A., who had allowed for the tenuity of the air while the shot x for the most part 2 or 3 miles high. NO. 2526, VoL. 101] The German shell is likely to be made much heavier and very. nearly a. solid shot, better by: its weight: to overcome air resistance, the chief factor to be considered in the problem of: the: tra- jectory.. If it: was not for this air: resistance a range of 75 miles: with 45° elevation could be reached, on the old parabolic theory of Galileo, with so moderate:a velocity as V = / (gR) = 3200 ft. per sec., with g=32°2, R=75~x 5280; in a time of flight of about 24 mins., an average speed over the ground’ of 30 miles per min. A: velocity of 3200 ft. per sec. was obtained ‘by Sir Andrew Noble in his experiments at Newcastle - about twenty years ago with a 6-in: too-calibre gun, with: a charge of 273 Ib. of cordite and a shot: of unspecified weight, so. it may. have been the usual roo Ib. or perhaps. an aluminium shot of half: the weight. Double velocity is usually assumed. to carry twice as. far; at) this rate the velocity of our gun would, require to be raised from 2400 ft. to about 6000. ft. _per sec. to. increase the range from 12 to. 75 miles; such a high velocity must be ruled out| as unattainable. with, the material at. our dis- posal. But in this. range of 75 miles the German. shot would.reach a. height of more than 18 miles and would be: travelling for the most. part in. air so thin. as to be practically a vacuum, and. little resistance would be. experienced. So. it is possible a.much lower velocity. has been found ample, with the gun. elevated more than 45°, for the shot to clear quickly the dense ground strata of the atmosphere: Even with the 3200 ft. per sec. velocity obtained by Sir Andrew Noble a. surprising increase in range can be expected over the 12-mile Jubilee range when this extra allowance of tenuity is taken into account, and a range of 60 miles be almost attainable. A committee should be formed at once, com- posed of the artillery experts. available, theo- retical and practical, to make a start to recover cur lost ground. If these long-range guns. are now mounted afloat our Fleet is outclassed and cannot return their fire: A start could be made with no delay on one of our present 9-in., guns, strengthening the breech with wire coil and lengthening it with a chase of tubes screwed together, as in the Noble experimental 6-in. gun, to a length of something like 80 ft.. With a charge of roo lb. of the newest powder to a shot weighing 4oo0 Ib., Sir Andrew Noble’s velocity should be reached and exceeded and a comparison be drawn between calculation and practice. Meanwhile experiments on the model scale should not be despised, as they will give rapid and’ economical results, from which it is possible to predict a full-scale performance on the laws of mechanical’ similitude. With the extra metal for strengthening the breech the gun would be heavy enough to prevent the reeoil becoming unmanageable; and if the long chase should be too flexible, droop, and whip, it can be rigged like the bowsprit of a ship. We can rely on our chemical, metallurgical, and 66 NATURE [Marcu 28, 1918 engineering science to provide the material and shape it. But lead and direction are required of theory by preliminary calculation to show how to make use of our resources to the best advantage. As Bacon said: “Experiment not directed by Theory is blind. And Theory unsupported by Ex- periment is uncertain and misleading.’’ G. GREENHILL. COLLOIDS AND CHEMICAL INDUSTRY.} {Oe chemistry, in its widest sense, deals with chemical processes which occur in. the immediate neighbourhood of surfaces—that is, - chemical effects which are brought about as a result of capillary and electrocapillary forces. Such effects are necessarily limited to a small range, the thickness of the capillary layer being of the order 10-° to 10-7 cm. It is obvious that these effects can become of importance only if the surface area itself is very large. Under ordinary conditions, in which two fluid masses in bulk are separated by a definite surface—as in distribution phenomena—the capillary effects are too small to be observed. To magnify the effect it is usually necessary to realise a state of affairs in which one phase is distributed in a state of fine sub- division or ‘“dispersed’’ through the other phase or medium. In these circumstances the total inter- - facial area is enormously great. We find such conditions in the case of fine suspensions (diameter of particle 10-4 cm, approx.), emulsions (diameter of particle 1o-® cm.), and colloid solutions (diameter of particle 1o-® cm. approx.). Colloidal solutions are systems in which the solute in- dividuals or sols, though apparently soluble, have not broken down to the molecular limit, but consist instead of aggregates, composed roughly of several hundred molecules or atoms. Such soluble aggregates or sols will not diffuse through membranes (as Graham showed in his original work on the colloidal state), and thus differ markedly from the behaviour of dissolved crystal-. loids, e.g. salts. The most fundamental problem in connection with such disperse systems is the problem of their stability. It is evident that uniformity in size of the particles plays an important part in this con- nection, as do also the electric charge and the Brownian movement which each particle possesses. The methods whereby the equilibrium is disturbed are equally remarkable and characteristic. A very minute amount of electrolyte added to a stable col- loidal solution may bring about complete precipi- tation or flocculation of the sol, the sol separating out in a gelatinous form known as a gel. In some cases, and possibly in all—though this is a dis- puted point—such precipitation may be reversed. A closely allied phenomenon is that known as “peptisation,’”’ in which a substance, normally insoluble in a ‘solvent, may be made to dissolve by the addition of a peptiser. This is illustrated 1 First Report of the British Association Committee on Colloid Chemistry and its Industrial Applications. (1917. NO. 2526, VOL. ror] certain colloids may be precipitated and others by the stabilising or protective effect produced by a small quantity of gelatine (itself a colloid) u solutions of colloidal metals, and also by the well- known phenomenon met with in the case of ~ hydroxides of zinc and aluminium which “dis- solve’’ in excess alkali. Experiment has shown | that the alkali may be dialysed away and the pep-— tised colloidal hydroxide reprecipitated. “Such phenomena, depend essentially upon selective ad-— sorption or surface condensation of certain parts _ of the peptiser (usually the hydroxyl ion) upon the - suspension or colloid. Gibbs showed, many years — ago, that, as a thermodynamic necessity, any sub-— stance (solute) which lowers the surface tension of the solvent is positively adsorbed at the surface —that is, the concentration of the solute is greater in the surface layer than it is in the bulk of the solution. This phenomenon lies at the basis of many technical operations, such as dyeing and tanning, though, of course, other effects: of an irreversible character enter later. Another important surface phenomenon is thatt known as electrical endosmose. divided into two parts by means of a porous par- tition or membrane, and an electromotive force be applied across the partition, the liquid will be found to pass through the membrane, the direction — of motion depending upon the electrical state of © the partition in relation to the liquid and its con- | By a suitable choice of membrane and > solution certain constituents may be separated stituents. from others, e.g. crystalloids from colloids, or left in solution. Surface effects, the realisation of éolloid equi- librium, electrical neutralisation, preferential ad- sorption, peptisation, colloid precipitation, imbi- bition or swelling of gels, electrical endosmose, and other phenomena of a similar nature might at first sight appear to have little significance for industrial operations and processes, although their importance has already been recognised to a certain extent in other directions, e.g. in agri- cultural processes (quality of soils, retention of salts, emulsions for crop spraying, etc.), in geo- | If a liquid be 7 y logical formations, and in biological problems (cell contents, nature and’ permeability of cell-walls, dis- ‘ tribution of electrolytes, blood serum, coagulation - of proteins, enzyme action, etc.), That colloidal phenomena enter into numerous technical - pro-— cesses may be demonstrated by a brief enumera-_ tion of some industrial operations which depend ~ fundamentally upon what we may call the pein ciples of colloid chemistry. We have already instanced dyeing and tanning. — We find further that colloid chemistry plays a fundamental part in certain stages of soap. manu-— facture; in washing and scouring processes, in connection with textile fabrics, hides, skins, and in fur dressing; in mercerisation and finishing 5 in the manufacture of photographic materials ;_ in the treatment of cellulose and wood pulp in paper — manufacture; in paper sizing and colouring (car- bon and other copying papers) ; in the treatment : “Marcu 28, 1918] NATURE 67 gums, gelatine, albumin, starch, tragacanth, adhesive materials generally; in the clarifica- } of wines ; in filtration processes, treatment of €, river sludge, and the function of charcoal ers; in the de-emulsification of water in turbines; in the preparation of medicinal ions; in the manufacture of margarine and foodstuffs; in brewing and fermentation in- es; in catalytic reactions, such as the hydro- “€ ition process; in chemical analysis, electro- nalysis, and electro-deposition processes; in the ation of rubber latex and in vulcanisation; e ‘manufacture of celluloid and celluloid pro- ; in the flotation process of ore separation ; thanufacture and setting of cements, plaster, mortar ; in the preservation of building ials; in the manufacture of ruby glass, e glass, and enamel; and in the application ct: rical endosmose to peat drying and the ‘ation of pure colloids for medicinal purposes. above rather heterogeneous list—by no 3; exhaustive—will give some idea of the y and extent and consequent importance of chemistry for the chemical manufacturer. urgent matter that the great significance branch of chemistry should be recognised interested in the progress of chemical in- e - first report of the British Association mmittee on Colloid Chemistry and its Indus- al aeons now before us, several of the tal processes, with the geht in the sak ‘of making such information as widely e as possible, and, in the second, of sing the need for much greater attention paid to this wide, but hitherto neglected, of chemistry. Each subject has been by an expert, so that the selection and ation of material may be regarded as ritative. It is evident that at the present there .is a very considerable “lag ’’ between ific’ knowledge . in this field and industrial processes are largely empirical, their me- sm obscure, and the probability of improve- consequently small. This is obviously an nely unsatisfactory state of affairs. The medy lies, of course, in the vigorous prosecution research over the entire range of colloid chem- and i ‘in the research laboratories of manufacturers in the chemical departments of our universi- ties. ny this connection it is perhaps worth = to point out that there is not a single chair independent department of colloid chemistry in of our universities or university colleges. The ne has surely come for development in this direction, in order that a subject of such present mportance and possessing great possibilities may ome a real source of strength to our chemical dustries. W. C. McC. Lewis. NO. 2526, vor. Io] DR. G. J. HINDE, F.R.S. Y the death of Dr. George Jennings Hinde on March 18 another pioneér in the modern methods of studying fossils has passed away. Dr. Hinde devoted the greater part of his long life to the investigation of the remains of the lower in- vertebrate animals, which need careful and often laborious preparation for the microscope before they can be examined. _ He thus contributed much to geology by adding to our knowledge of rock- forming organisms, and at the same time pro- moted the advance of zoology by his discovery and description of many kinds of calcareous and siliceous skeletons, which were either entirely new or revealed new facts in distribution. Dr. Hinde was born at Norwich in 1839, and emigrated in early life to the Argentine Republic, where he was engaged in sheep-farming. He was always interested in natural history, and as soon as the opportunity occurred at the beginning of the ’seventies he decided to retire from business and follow more congenial pursuits. He left Ar- gentina for Canada, and proceeded to the Uni- versity of Toronto, where the late Prof. H. A. Nicholson was then starting his professorial career, Stimulated by Nicholson’s lectures and personality, Hinde began to follow his teacher in studying the Silurian and Ordovician fossils ‘of Canada. He also became interested in the re- markable glacial deposits, which are so conspicu- ous a feature of the region in which he dwelt. Nicholson had specially devoted attention to the “microscopic structure of the corals and obscure organisms which abounded in the limestones, and it was to the microscope that Hinde naturally turned as the chief instrument for his researches. He travelled extensively and collected industri- ously in Canada and the United States, where he remained for seven years. Among minute fossils his most important discoveries were conodonts and jaws of annelids in the Ordovician rocks. Returning to England, Hinde found similar jaws of annelids in the Silurian rocks of this country, and described them in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society in 1880. In 1879 he recovered and prepared a remarkable collection of sponge-spicules from a hollow in a chalk-flint at Horstead, near Norwich, and soon recognised that most of them were new. He accordingly went to study his little collection at the University of Munich, under the direction of Prof. K. A. von Zittel, who had-just completed there an important revision of the fossil sponges. Hinde published his results in 1880 in the form of a thesis, for which he received the degree of Ph.D. Returning finally to England, he next prepared a descriptive illustrated catalogue of the fossil snonges in the British Museum, which was published by the trustees in 1883; and this was followed by the first volume of a monograph of the British fossil sponges, issued by the Paleontographical Society between 1887 and 1893. Several smaller papers were also the outcome of his researches, the most important being an account of the cherty sponge- 68 NATURE beds of the Greensand formation contributed to the Philosophical Transactions in 1885. Hinde ‘continued ‘to pay much attention -to cherts in later ‘years, and showed that many of them were ‘rich in the skeletons of radiolaria, which he described*in detail, His skill°in making preparations was indeed matched only by the patience with which‘he studied them; and it would be difficult ‘to find more conscientious plodding work than that he accomplished when‘he examined and described ‘the coré from ‘the boring ‘in the coral-atoll of Funafuti for the report of the Royal Society’s committee in 1904. ‘From i882 onwards Hinde resided :near Lon- don, and until 1900 ‘he took a very active share in the administration of the’ Geological Society, serv- ing three terms on the council and being a’ vice- president from 1892 ‘to 1895. -From_ 1897 until rgrs he was also an-active'member of council of the Palzontographical Society, and held ‘the office of treasurer ‘from 1904 ‘to 1914. ‘Whatever he . undertook he carried out with intense thorough- ness, and whenever ‘he ‘formed a judgment ‘as ‘to the right course to pursue, neither argument ‘nor persuasion could alter his determination. “He sometimes therefore found himself at variance with | his colleagues, but his honesty of purpose was always so evident’that he never lost their highest respect and esteem. His scientific worth led the Geological Society to award him ‘the Wollaston fund in 1882, the Lyell medal in 1897, “and he was elected a fellow of ‘the Royal Society in 1806. NOTES. It was stated in the Times of March 21 that Dr. Addison, Minister of .Reconstruction, had.informed a deputation of Welsh members that a Government Bill for the establishment of a Ministry of Health would probably be introduced in the House of Commons immediately ‘after ‘the ‘Easter ‘recess. Agreement has been: reached on the: main principles of the measure as the result of conferences with'the various departments and parties affected. A WELL-ILLUSTRATED article by M. H. Volta on the relation of inventors to ‘the problem of dealing “with hostile submarines appears in La Nature for. February 23. \It seems ‘that :the #rench authorities have been overwhelmed with suggestions.which.as a) general rule show a lamentable want of consideration :of the .con- ditions.under which the search :for submarines and the attacks on them, when found, ‘have. to be carried out. Half a dozen ingenious arrangements for netting’ them and either communicating the fact to the shore or ‘to an attendant destroyer, from which the submarine is then bombed, ‘or-providing automatically for the ex- plosion of'a:bomb when ‘the net is touched, -are de- scribed. Almost any of them would act in still water not used by surface boats, but none of them.are.of the least use in water constantly in tidal motion, often tempest-tossed, and with craft of all kinds on its sur- face. In ‘the ‘same way many of ‘the suggestions for dealing with ‘the ‘problem “by ‘the ‘help of aero- planes ‘display «an extraordinary amount of : ingenuity, but at the same time a candid ignorance of the condi- tions of. flight..and.ofsstability of an aeroplane. NO. 2526, VOL. 101 | wild birds, to urge strongly the advisability of s | the truly :insectivorous species. | the need .for the Board. of. Agriculture. to the st | that this Board should establish a Bureau of | | the authorities would have been in~ stocetsaed an appeal :from.a dadleina. of the Bice | Appeal affirming a judgment of Mr. Justice 2 Aston te /The action was brought ‘by the British ‘Thon SC 1 j Houston Company to restrain ‘‘Duram,” Ltd., ' infringing a patent granted to ‘the appellants for process for the treatment of tungsten. The responder disputed the validity of the patent. The appellar claimed that their invention consisted in the. a: COV: that a mere built-up body of . particles ca in which had hitherto been known only as’a, be sufficiently consolidated together by pr ae he ing below the melting point, and could then, ) hot, ‘be ‘treated «as though’ it ~were a solid piece of metal, that continuous lengths of wire ‘of salient’ : size (could -be produced therefrom, and that these par-_ na ticles of tungsten could be made so coherent that if hot they could be hammered, rolled, or drawn. Mr. Justice Astbury held upon the construction — of a > specification that the patent was void for lack of sub-, * jectematter in that it-covered the working: of tungsten while hot, and ‘that the working of a “hot met a merely ithe utilisation of the tools: and ‘routine ‘of | ‘the a metal-worker, and was not the subject of invention. ‘ His judgment has been upheld, both in. the Court of Appeal and in the House of Lords. eae Ir is sincerely to be hoped ‘that the very: tend y “ap 4 peal.of the Duke of Rutland, in the Times aks 4 21, will not fall upon deaf or apathetic | His | Grace directs attention to the very serious | 3 of our truly insectivorous wild birds, and apy to the authorities at Whitehall, when sending erg their © commands respecting the destruction of ‘grain-eating _ In May of - Dr. W. -E.. Collinge pointed out .in ‘these columns preservation of such birds, and had ferns ot i . fo) . ote ree mea ataatle pea Se logy (cf. ‘NaturE, October 15, 1915)’ been “acted ‘upon, ren- dered. exceptional: service ‘in connection with the. De- partment of, Health of the’ State of Pennsylvania, -of which he'was placed. at: the head as commissioner when it was established in 1905. ‘Tue following are among the lecture arrangements at the Royal Institution after Easter :—Prof. John _ Joly, two’ lectures on scientific signalling and safety at sea; Prof. Arthur Keith, five lectures on’ British anthro- _ pologists; Lt.-Col..C.-S. Myers, two: lectures on~pre- _ sent-day applications of experimental psychology; ‘Sir | James Frazer, two lectures on (1) the folk-lore of bells, 7O NATURE : (Marcu 28, 1918 (2) the prosecution and punishment of animals; Lt.- Col. Sir Francis Younghusband, three lectures on the abode of snow :' its appearance, inhabitants, and. his- tory; Prof. E. H. Barton, two lectures on musical in- struments scientifically considered; Prof. H. F. Newall, two lectures on modern jnvestigation of the sun’s sur- face; Prof. C. J. Patten, three lectures on problems in bird-migration. The Friday meetings will com- mence on April .12, when Prof. E. C. C. Baly will deliver a discourse on absorption and phosphorescence. -Succeeding discourses will probably be given by Major G. I. Taylor, Sir A. Daniel Hall, Sir George Green- hill, Prof. F. Gowland-Hopkins, Dr.. A. Barton Rendle, and Sir Boverton Redwood. THE annual report of the council of the Institute of Metals, presented at the recent annual genera! meet- ing, shows that the stimulating influence of war con- ditions upon the activities of the institute has continued to make itself felt during the year. The more general employment of scientific metallurgists in works en- gaged directly and indirectly in the production of munitions of war has aroused the interest of technical and scientific. experts and of manufacturers in the work of the institute, and this has led to a large in-. crease in the applications for membership. The- re- search work organised by the Corrosion Research Committee is still being conducted with the assistance of funds contributed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, by various associations and manufacturing firms, : and by the ‘institute. The Government grant-in-aid was increased. during the year from 650l. to 1oool. per annum. A further Government grant-in-aid of 4501. has been received, together with a grant of a similar amount from the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers’ Associa- tion. The aggregate sum of gool. has been: placed at the disposal of the institute in order to carry out an investigation into the cause of the corrosion of con- denser tubes on land by fresh water. For the purpose of conducting this investigation, a Fresh-water Corro- sion Research Committee was appointed as a sub-. committee of the Corrosion Research Committee. ANOTHER Indian ‘miracle’? has been explained by scientific investigation. The Pioneer Mail of January 11 reports a lecture by Sir J: C. Bose on ‘‘ The Praying Palm Tree’? of Faridpur. | While the temple bells call the people to evening prayer, this tree has.recently been seen to bow down ‘in prostration,. and to erect its head:on ‘the following morning. Large numbers of pilgrims have been attracted to the place, and offerings to the tree are said to have been the means of effecting marvellous cures. Sir J. C. Bose first procured photo- graphs which proved the phenomenon to be real. The next step was to devise a special apparatus to record continuous!y the movement of the tree by day and night. The records showed that it fell with the rise of temperature and rose with the fall. .The records obtained in the:.case of other trees brought out the fact that all the trees are moving, each movement being due to changes in their environment. Tue history of William Bullock’s famous museum, by Mr. W. H. Muliens, which appears in the Museums Journal for March, will be read with interest by all who are concerned with the rise and development of museums in this‘country. This account, which is not yet completed, is devoted to an analysis of the various editions of the catalogue, or ‘‘Companion,’’ which served as the guide to the collections, and to the de- scription of the final dispersal of the museum and its contents by auction, which took place in 1819. This issue. of the Journal. also publishes an appeal to museums from the Ministry of Food urging them to spare no effort to instruct the public as to ways and NO. 2526, vot. ror] ‘de-mer industry, written by Mr. James Hornell. Only ‘ ‘ deteriorate until, in turn, the trade languishes and dies \e means.‘of. food production and food conservation. We F | are glad indeed to, find that the purposes of museums _ are at last recognised by the Government as serving something more than “places of innecent amuse- — ment,’’ activities which, in time of war, might well be ~ suspended. But the work now suggested was put in hand in most.museums long since. Nevertheless, this recognition is a hopeful sign. Our museums will be found only too willing to respond to every plea made to them to enlarge the sphere of their activities. == A very careful study of the nesting habits of the ning ene (Alcedo ispida), by Mr. W. Rowan, appears — in British Birds for March. Though brief, this essay — adds several points of real value to our knowledge of the life-history of this bird, and, besides, sets at rest one or two matters which have long been in dispute. — It is shown, for example, that two. broods may ~ be reared during a single season, and that the — male, takes part in brooding the young. As — to. whether they are fed at first by regurgi- tation or not Mr. Rowan was not. able to satisfy — himself, but it seems clear that the food given during the early stages of development consists af small crus- tacea and not fish, for fish were not brought to the nest until the young were several days old. By great good fortune observations were also made on the nestlings, first, while making the peculiar purring noise which has been frequently described, but probably never be- fore witnessed, and secondly, during the act of de- — feecation. The voiding of the fluid excrement by the nestlings of this.species assumes importance, having regard to the fact that the nest is placed at the end df a long tunnel. Being fluid, it could not be carried away by the parents, so that only by its forcible ejec- tion from the mouth of the tunnel can the nest be kept clean. e re rap Ae kik ee Tue Madras Fisheries Bulletin (No. 4, vol. -xi., 1917) S consists of an interesting account of the Indian béche- — one species of Holothurian (Holothuria scabra) is — utilised commercially, the other abundant species being either too small or too gelatinous to cure. The Indian — curing industry is of considerable antiquity, and it — seems to have been introduced by immigrant Chinese. — These men are said to be most careful and conscien- — tious workers, and are generally very successful until they become ousted by local fishermen, who are ex- ploited by Mohammedan merchants. As the result of a ‘boycott and the promotion of a rival curing-house, the Chinese exporter become expropriated; the local — curers adopt his methods, but gradually allow them to sare out, and is revived by some othet Chinaman. Mr. ~ Hornell gives an account of the successful work done by the Madras Government in erecting and running an experimental curing station in Palk Bay. Certain E improvements in methods were introduced, and these are described. Statistics of the general Eastern trade — in béche-de-mer during recent years are appended. Tue cheese mite is the cause of much ige to cheeses, especially the unpressed, ungreased cheeses of the Stilton and Wensleydale types. The attacks of this pest give rise to a serious depreciation, both in appearance and value, and in extreme cases nearly one-half of the cheese may be eaten away. An interesting account “— of experiments and observations on this problem is con- tributed by Miss N. B. Eales, of the Zoology Depart- ment, University College, Reading, to the January — issue of the Journal of the Board of Agriculture. It — was demonstrated that live mites persist in the cheese room throughout the period from December to April © when the room is not in use, despite the greatest care Marcu 28, 1918] NATURE | ;. Pie s application of the ordinary cleansing methods. - experiments showed that the mites could be y flies and moths. The common practice of $ mite-attacked cheeses in hot water or steam- them was found to be useless as a remedy. Fumi- m with sulphuretted hydrogen or sulphur dioxide also futile. ‘Treatment with carbon bisulphide d very successful, but treatment with formalin was tive. In an experiment with carbon dioxide. the revived after a period of suspended animation for ninety-six hours. Methods of prevention of ttacks are indicated, and the article, which is ited, also includes brief notes on the systematic n, species, and life-history of the mites. T interest has been taken throughout the wide of his acquaintance in the experiment which W. Somerville has been conducting during the ven years on his aptly named farm of ‘ Poverty * with the object of demonstrating in actual ‘m practice the soundness of the view he °) ne and ably advocated, that the improve- f English land offers in many parts of the an investment of a highly remunerative char- ‘or his purpose a poor, thin soil on the chalk to be best suited as an object-lesson, in view of ict that the Cretaceous system is the most ex- sca oe gical formation in England, and ts obtained in it would be capable of wide . In February, 1910, Prof. Somerville entered sion of ‘* Pover Bottom,’’ a farm of $s, situated on the South Downs near New- and at the time untenanted, unstocked, and ntly all but barren. The outstanding measures rovement adopted were the liberal application of , clearing off gorse, sowing of clovers, in- Id white clover, and fhe admixture of cattle ) on the pastures. The use of basic slag a vp Reon improvement of the pas- igh the development of the leguminous a through the transference to it in the manure collected in the meadows. Seven years’ now been experienced, and the results ised in a most interesting article by Prof. the current issue (February, 1918) of the the Board of Agriculture. This article gives Is of the system of improvement followed inot be summarised here. It is estimated head of stock has been increased by 50 per whilst, when the higher quality of the stock is into account, the productivity of the farm in f meat has been increased threefold in six ‘The net financial result in any year was very | question of weather, but on the whole period, deducting losses, rent, etc., a credit balance of ‘than 22001. remains. The average yearly re- ation of the farmer, it is estimated, would repre- ‘sum of 3381., together with a free house, as a ‘or the investment of some 4oool. of capital. RECENT bulletin (No. 102, part i) of the Smith- _Insticution provides, under the title ‘* The Industries of the United States,’ a useful account of coal and products from coal, which aay be read with advantage on both sides of the atic. The writer, Mr. Chester G. Gilbert, is cura- of mineral technology in the U.S. National eum, and his object ears to be to urge the ance of co-ordination and scientific control of ical industries. This lesson will have to be ed in this country no less than in the United s, but adie in this direction will depend very h on support given by public opinion. As, er, few of the public know much about such NO. 2526, VOL. I0T] : i the -tillage land has shared in the im- questions, anything which helps towards a popular understanding of them is useful. This bulletin ‘gives within sixteen pages of print an outline of the origin of coal, a comparison of the amount of coal] deposits in the several countries of the world, and an indication of the methods used in the production of coke, gas, and the other volatile products obtainable by the applica- tion of heat. The illustrations added include a curious diagram of the products derived from coal and some of their uses, which will serve to show to the un- initiated the complex character of coal chemistry. WHEN heat flows through the surface of a solid to or from a gas in contact with the surface, it is well known that the layer of stagnant gas close to the solid interposes a considerable resistance to the flow. When the object of the arrangement has been to get the maxi- mum flow, it has-been the custom to make the gas flow rapidly over the surface of the solid. The ad- vantage of this was pointed out by Osborne Reynolds in 1874, and it has been verified experimentally by Stanton in 1897, Nicolson in 1905, and more recently by Jordan (Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng., 1909). Another method of obtaining the same result is described by Dr. C. Hering in a paper on “‘A New Principle in the Flow of Heat,’’ in the January number of the Journal | of the Franklin Institute. It. is found that the resist- ance of the film of gas in contact with the solid may be greatly reduced by increasing the temperature of the surface of the solid. The flow through the bottom of a kettle may, according to Dr. Hering,-be in- creased twenty-sevenfold by raising the temperature of the metal surface in contact with the gas flame to 725° C. This can be done by interposing a thermal resistance between the surface in contact with the flame and that in contact with the water. It is pro- posed to secure the same result in steam boilers by attaching metallic lugs to the flame side of the flue, of such length that their ends will be at about 725° C. The results of a trial of the method on a practical scale will be awaited with considerable interest. AN interesting discussion on nitre-cake held by: the Nottingham Section of the Society of Chemical In- dustry is reported in the Journal of the society for December 15 last. According to Mr. G. C. Grisley, the most successful method of utilising nitre-cake is © to substitute it for sulphuric acid in the manufacture of hydrochloric acid and salt-cake from salt. It has also been employed to obtain ferric sulphate for sewage precipitation by furnacing burnt pyrites with nitre-cake, grinding, and leaching the product with water. Further, it could be used as a diluent for sulphuric acid in the manufacture of superphosphate. Dr. Terlinck stated that he had used nitre-cake as a substitute for sulphuric acid in the recovery of fats from wool wash-waters, and he proposed to use it in the purification of ammonium salts. The necessity for workmen who handled nitre-cake being provided with wooden clogs and india-rubber gloves was emphasised by Mr. W. G. Timmans, who stated that in the Nottingham district nitre-cake was used for lace bleaching, grease extraction from wool, pickling metals, and mineral-water manufacture. Dr. E. Naef pointed out that the suggestions hitherto advanced were based on the acidity of the nitre-cake, and that the sodium sulphate remaining had still to be utilised. One way of doing this was to reduce it to sodium sulphide by grinding with anthracite, charcoal, or boiler coal and heating at 500°-600° C., the yield obtained being 95-98 per cent. Sulphur dioxide is evolved if nitre-cake (rather than sodium sulphate) is used, but this could be avoided by neutralising the . free acid with soda ash during the grinding. For the production of sulphur dyes alone §0,000 tons of sodium 72 NATURE 7 [Marcu 28, 1918 sulphide are required per annum. Dr. Naef has found that by treating nitre-cake: at 300°-350° C. »with super- heated steam 90) per cent.:of the free acid is driven off, but. the, product-is too dilute to concentrate. Vo. ii., No. 4, of the Memoirs of the College of Science, ‘Kyoto Imperial University, contains a series of metallographical publications by Prof. Chikashige and his pupils. These deal with the working out of the equilibrium diagrams of the following series of binary alloys: (1) Tellurium and aluminium, and : (2) selenium with antimony, cadmium, zinc, and aluminium ‘respectively. The methods adopted are those in general: use and: donot call for any special mention. ‘The authors ‘content themselves with the determination “of the main features of the diagrams, ' without :saying anywhere whether any of the alloys are: likely to prove of practical value. Tue. reviewer of Dr. Knox’s.book.on ‘* Radiography and .Radio-therapeutics,’’. in. Nature of March 14, re- marked: ‘‘We regret the omission of the. biblio- graphy.’’ The, publishers direct our attention to the fact that.a selection of the literature.of the subject appears on,p. iv. at the end.of.the volume. ‘We are sorry that our. reviewer did not notice this: bibliography in spite of having looked‘ for it, and. that he incorrectly said. it had. been. omitted. QUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. -PLANETARY PERTURBATIONS ‘AND ‘AZ THER-DRIFT.—In ‘a. paper entitled ‘‘Continued Discussion of ‘the Astro- nomical and! Gravitational Bearings of the Electrical Theory of Matter ’’ (Philosophical Magazine, February, 1918), ‘Sir Oliver Lodge continues a discussion com- menced'by the suggestion that the: shift in ‘Mercury’s perihelion might’ be explained bya drift of the solar system through the zther. ‘Prof. Eddington : showed that adrift that:would account ‘for this would bring inadmissibly large errors’ isto the other elements of the inner planets. Sir Oliver Lodge admits an error in his. former work in the following words: “If the addi- tional inertia due to motion is acted on by, gravity the varying factor m will enter:twice into the equation of motion and the, perturbation will be increased instead of being annihilated.” Making .this change, he examines once more whether it is possible to find a drift that will satisfy the observed perturbations within their limits of error. After many trials, he.concludes that they cannot all be satisfied in this. way. _He tends to the conclusion that. gravity has, joined the conspiracy to defeat our éfforts to detect motion through the.zether, and that we are led to accept the conclusion that the gravitation-constant itself is a function of the speed. of the attracting masses. In support of this he quotes some electrical results which lead him to believe that electrical attraction does actually vary with:speed. ‘‘If such a fact be established [for gravity] it.may begin to. throw some light on the family relationship of that force.’ PERTURBATIONS OF. NEPTUNE’S SATELLITE,—In) a ‘com- munication “to the .Observatory, for ‘March, »Prof. Armellini states the chief. results ofan investigation referring to the well-known perturbations of the satel- lite of Neptune. ‘The’ pole of the-satellite’s orbit de- scribes a circle about a point in R:A. 288° and: declina- tion 40°,.and two hypotheses have been suggested to account 'for ‘this motion. ‘Tisserand attributed ‘it ‘to the .attraction of the ;protuberant matter ‘about the planet’s equator, whilst H.‘Struve suggested that it might be due to some unknown - perturbing mass. Prof.. Armellini. has : investigated the latter hypothesis on the supposition that the unknown body is:a satel- NO. 2526, VOL. 101] 1917; quoted’ in Journ. R.A.S. Canada, vol. xii., p. 72 | the nebula was probably not one of the: class of ca 2 Committees, ‘to which .the Food Ministry will issue - ~avaigstfieatien lite, which may not have ‘been observed on account — of its small mass. He has ‘shown that a satelne rt having a:mass sufficient tovexplain ‘the: observed’ a turbations would probably not be much fainter ~ — | the :14th magnitude, and would be unlikely ‘to’ have | escaped detection. Struve’s hypothesis ‘is accor : considered much less probable than that: of Fpeinn MorTIon OF ‘Our STELLAR SySTEM. — Dr,’ V. M. SI 4 pher, director ofthe Lowell Observatory, has made.a — preliminary investigation of the motion of our stellar system, onthe supposition that the spiral nebule are stellar isystems, similar to our own, situated at very ¥ great distances (Proc. American Philos. Soc., ‘No. “i y i? The. radial velocities. of twenty-five iral. nebula: have been determined, and the motion:of our system with — respect. to them has. been derived in: the same way as that of the sun with respect to the-stars of ourcown system. ‘The somewhat. scanty ‘material available in- dicates that we are moving (in the direction of — R.A. 22:hours, and declination —22°, with gaeecty: of about 700 km, “per second. Dr. that..these. observations strengthen the. pings that our stellar system and the Milky Way are to be regarded as a.great spiral nebula which we.see from within, — and that.if the solar system has evolved froma nebula, mid dealt with in this investigation. | ar FOOD ‘RATIONS ‘FOR MANUAL WORKERS” AND SCIENTIFIC LABORATORIES. — , 1? has.been announced.in the Press that the ’ of Food intends) to grant. extra. rations to manual — workers from some date after April 7. The extra ration will. not.be ordinary butcher’s meat, but bacon; and the. eligibility. of applicants will be ctocemeae : sub-committees. of the. local, Food Control. of those persons entitled to extra food. The motive — : of this proposal is evidently sound from. the scientific — point of view. Considerable. difficulties are, however, — likely to. arise.in practice owing to the: fore eee knowledge respecting the energy needs © of different kinds of industrial work. -Relatively few experiments _ have been. made and published, those of Amar upon — metal filers being the: best known. ‘It:is:to be hoped — that the scientific advisers of the Food Ministry will organise physiological .investigations to elucidate dis- puted points. Complete calorimetric measurements are, — of course, . impracticable, but. sufficiently precise: results — can be reached through .a study of the respiratory — metabolism by Zuntz’s method, the. apparatus needed F % ae oh ph te ei for which is. portable. ‘The Medical Research .Committee has - “recently brought to the notice of Lord -Rhondda the Me other scientific. laboratories in the regulations relating — Many instances: have been brought to — $ difficulties. confronting. the directors of pathological and — : | : to food. supply the potce of the. committee in which . phages work — though the total feiricietlt required is Se ne 'The* SUPPLIES OF-/ FOODSTUFFS ‘TO ‘Parwovecteat 'LaBona- i “TORIES. ae (1) Lord Rhondda’s attention has “been direbtdd to | the difficulties experienced by ‘scientific laboratories in — obtaining ‘the small quantities of’ \Goodstallts “recpadxed by them for the purposes of their scientific work. = Marcu 28, 1918] NATURE 3 wi 2) These laboratories throughout the country are sed on work of the greatest importance both for in medical’ practice and for the maintenance of ealth ofthe Navy and Army. ‘he Food Controller is authorising laboratories ised"by the Home Office under Act 39 and 40 cap. 77, to obtain supplies of any rationed on ‘production to the supplier of a certificate on behalf of a laboratory to the effect that they ssary for ‘the .purposes described above. In special order forms will be issued to such es for this.purpose. Committees should also laboratories in obtaining necessary supplies ed foodstuffs in. case they experience diffi- re ing: i ‘ 4 atutory order will shortly be issued by the of Food exempting from the provisions of ntroller’s orders the use of grain and other 5 OF SEYCHELLES AND THE _ “MASCARENES. cation, just forty years ago, of Dr. ur’s-elaboration of the palms in J. G Mauritius and Seychelles,” there has botanical activity in the islands of _ Cordemoy’s ‘‘ Flore de |’Ile de'la -in 1895, and many novelties have ed, especially in Mahé, and published; on has been made to the number of -of palms inhabiting this insular SS, a number of interesting facts partly through Prof. Stanley Gar- motes, partly through various ‘and especially through Mr. P. R. communications. Mr. Dupont, it -has-been for many years curator .at Mahé, and has thoroughly -and’more or less the rest of the famous for its,peculiar palms. The ‘shows’ the composition and distribution s-of:the islands.of the western Indian those of Madagascar:— —_.. saree 2; e\8\2 ms of Seychelles and 3 is 4 Genera and Species 3B | 3 a. laid * we ie a2 s ee | | , ; woe) 8 |X.) rie hw | x x 4 *y E i : ; x Np Mey x ag x Soe * x J | x é ; | KP ANS x ef 8 / x x pe : ’ * x ibe’ |x oe } 4 ne + x : ; x is | : Sea | iO tee Stak ; : ible-exceptions in Madagascar, the genera 1 in this table are restricted in their natural dis- NO. 2526, vor. 101] \ ‘types belonging to various families. tribution to the islands and groups of islands named, and the Seychelles species and two out of.three of the Rodriguez species are endemic, while the five Bourbon species are common to that island and Mauritius. Lodoicea and Latania are dicecious, and belong to the tribe Borassez, which is restricted to the African region. in a broad sense, and comprises. only. two other genera; namely, Borassus, the palmyra, and Hyphzne, to which the characteristic branching palms of. Africa belong. The rest. of the genera in the table are all referred to the large, and, generally dispersed, tribe Arecez. Palms constitute the most striking feature in the vegetation of Seychelles, especially of . the principal island, Mahé, where five out of the six species were formerly more or less abundant, ‘and still persist injplenty. \Lodoicea, the coco de mer, or double coconut, does not occur in a wild state in Mahé. Travellers have differed in opinion as to in which of the islands it is really indigenous, but trustworthy evidence points ‘to Praslin, Curieuse, and Round Islands. A statement to this effect, by J. Harrison, appears in the ‘Botanical Magazine for 1827, in the text to plates 2734-38. There isthe further statement that this palm was “growing in’ thousands close to eath other, and the .sexes ‘intermingled.’”’ Mr. Dupont communicates independent’ testimony to’ the existence of local evidence confirming this record. In favourable ‘situations the double coconut attains a height of 100 'ft., or occasion- ally even’ more. ‘Little ‘is on BT5:94E rf ‘ i a s” They have been respon- — am glad to say there has been no loss—would have — fallen on the funds ofthe society; the laboratory, in spite of its name ‘‘ National,’’ has really been a private E concern of the Royal Society, supported most cordially — throughout by six of the leading technical societies, and dependent for part of its income on a grant-in-aid ~ from the Treasury, but in the main from thé receipts — from fees. - are ‘From April : of this year there is to be a change. The scientific control of the laboratory is still to be exer- cised by the president and council of the Royal eh the property of the laboratory is to be vested in the Imperial Trust for the Encouragement of Scientific and _ Industrial Research—it is now vested in the Royal Society. The income of the laboratory, including re- ceipts from fees, is to be vested in, and is to be under © the control of, the Committee of the Privy Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The laboratory will be managed by an Executive Committee appointed as heretofore, and containing representatives of the great technical societies. to secure financial stability and to retain at the same time the great benefits which have come from the close connection with the Royal Society. In the future, as in the past, the laboratory will én- — deavour to discharge two functions; it will be a labora-— tory of industrial research, and a national testing in- — stitution or proving house.. To-day we deal with the — laboratory of industrial research. pay fess Industrial research—what is it? In recent years much has been written on this subject; the idea of a laboratory devoted to industrial research is by nomeans _ novel, and the steps by which ordinarily a scientific discovery develops into a manufacturing process are generally recognised. First and foremost we have the © research student impelled by his thirst for knowledge; his desire to penetrate ever deeper into the mysteries of Nature; he does not work with the deliberate inten- tion of making something of service to humanity. Faraday’s discoveries of electromagnetic laws, made in — this building, were at first as useless as the new-born _ babe, but had within them that power and potency which have transformed the industry of the world. Réntgen, when he discovered X-rays, or J. J. manner he has often demonstrated here, thought little of their application to surgery and the countless bene- fits they have brought to suffering humanity. There must be institutions where research work is | carried on for its own sake, where—to apply Sir J. J. Thomson’s recent remark—men may make discoveries which may revolutionise and not merely reform the world, where they may train students in those funda- mental laws and principles which must be at the root of every successful endeavour to apply science to in- dustry. But there is a wide gap between such homes of science and the works of the manufacturer, and it | is to fill this. that laboratories of industrial research are © needed. * In this manner it is hoped ~ M- son, when he tracked down ions and corpuscles in the — rare i fi see i) 4 Marcu 28, 1918} NATURE 75 _ Or, again, looking at our problem from the opposite side, a manufacturer has some question to solve—the utilisation of a waste product which, if it were not waste, would make all the difference between com- mercial failure and success, the discovery of a material th some special properties—e.g. a light alloy of sat strength at a high temperature—needed before a Ww machine can be completed. Such a man must ye access to a laboratory fitted and equipped for the rpose with a trained staff having stored experience the result of previous work or researches on cog- mate questions. Let me try to indicate some of the methods in which the National Physical Laboratory as endeavoured to fulfil these duties. Three of the researches referred to in my earlier related to the production of optical glass, the 4s of the Alloys Research Committee of the Insti- tution of Mechanical Engineers, and the measurement F oe a sped on various structures and surfaces. these subjects much has been done. It was time before the so gla “ee be persuaded igh ak ing to study the production of optical oi tend they were adding seriously to the and dangers of war. Many years ago a strong ttee, formed under the chairmanship of the Sat vid Gill, took the matter up and laid before s Government a ‘scheme for a complete study of the roblem. Nothing was done until war taught us the eed for attending to key industries, but since then real ances have been made, not only at the laboratory, sewhere also, and some of the more serious ss of the problem have been overcome; it is ed that in the near future it may be possible to duce changes of procedure which will greatly fy the process of manufacture and lead to an sd output. Closely bound up with this is the the properties of refractory materials used in s and elsewhere. it is sometimes urged: ‘‘Why do you need a ial laboratory for such work? Can it not be done lly well in one of the university or. technical sge laboratories? Is it not enough to multiply and se these, to bring the teachers into direct con- act with the manufacturers of their districts, and to meourage the students at an early stage to interest emselves in the scientific problems they will have to solve later in their daily work?’ To this my answer would be that it is not enough. The primary work _of the professor is to teach and to advance knowledge, while that of the student is to learn how to research and > apply his knowledge. The professor will no doubt keep in close contact with the industry, and take his illustrations from the manufactures of his district, but fore his students can usefully engage in industrial “sparen Canal must have a thorough grasp of the prin- ciples underlying all research and of the methods of _ employing them. Industrial problems are usually too plex for students, and, moreover, the answers are wanted too rapidly to make them subjects of a ' student’s exercise; he will learn by failures; by the _ inexperienced the right road is found at last only after many tempting tracks leading nowhere have been poi tried. The manufacturer who comes with a problem which cannot wait will be more sure to find ‘solution if he applies to men whose daily work it to attempt such problems, and who have the experi- : of the past to guide them.. Moreover, the plant _ and equipment required are special; the industrial re- ' search laboratory must be fitted on the industrial ule. A rolling-mill is not an adjunct required in every technical school where the principles of metal- lurgy are taught, and yet without a rolling-mill the nals of the light alloys at the National Physical _ Laboratory could not have been brought to the pitch NO. 2526, VoL. 101 | luSstra | it has been. The plant and equipment of an industrial research laboratory are provided for the purpose of applying science to industry. The requirements of _ students and the educational value of the apparatus need not be studied. There must, of course, be many specialised laboratories of industrial research; much more than the National Physical Laboratory is re- quired. 1 will return to that point later. At present 1 merely wish to urge that university and technical college laboratories cannot fill all our needs. And now let me come back to another illustration of the industrial research done at the laboratory closely connected with our original work on wind pressure. The Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was first appointed in 1908 by Mr. Asquith, then Prime Minister. It owes its inception to Lord Haldane, and much of the experimental work which it has initiated, and which has had so marked an effect on the efficiency of British aircraft, has been carried out at the labora- tory. At present there are five air channels in prac-- tically continuous use, and more are being erected. Some years ago I gave some account here of the work by which Bairstow and Busk, starting from Bryan’s theory, had solved the problem of stability. It is impossible to tell at present of the progress made since that time, but when the day comes on which the tale can be told it will form a striking example of the work of a laboratory of industrial research, and the results obtained for purposes of war will bear fruit in the rapid progress of civilian aircraft. And now, turning to the future, let us consider what is to be the position of the institution as a central laboratory of industrial research. In a lecture delivered in Birmingham rather more than a year ago, shortly after Lord Crewe had an- nounced the formation of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, I referred to such labora- tories, and I said :— ‘There must be more than one; in many cases an industry can be best served by a laboratory near its principal centre. Large firms, again, may each prefer to have their own trade secrets—this must be so to ‘some extent—and trade jealousies may interfere with full co-operation, but a private laboratory on a really sufficient scale is expensive; too often it becomes little more than what I have called a works laboratory for testing the products of the factory, and, for the smaller firms at least, the only way to secure the full advan- tage of scientific advance -is by co-operation—co- operation in the laboratory, co-operation, with special- isation in production, in the works themselves. . . . “The body controlling industrial science research must have access to a laboratory in which may be studied the many problems which do not require for their elucidation appliances of the more specialised ‘ works’ character, or opportunities only to be found in particular localities; where a staff is available, able and experienced, ready to attack under the advice of men skilled in industry the technical difficulties met with in applying new discoveries on a manufac- turing scale or to develop ideas which promise future success. ; “*Such ‘a réle the National Physical Laboratory should be prepared to play; such is the future which I trust-may be in store for it.’ This -work has already been begun. The various trades associations have been, or are being, formed for the promotion of research on matters of interest to the members of the trade. Each such association will probably require its own laboratory, situated, for preference, at the centre of the trade concerned. This will deal with the special problems of the trade, problems which need intimate association with works conditions for their solution 4 76 NATURE [Marcu 28, 1918 and for which the close: supervision of men in works is important. But there are numerous industrial problems which can best be dealt with in a:central laboratory ; let me give some instances of what I mean. Such, for example, are:— * (1) Investigations into. methods of standardisation or of measurement generally. (2) Investigations into the physical and mechanical properties of materials used in many trades. (3) Investigations useful to a trade which has no fixed centre, but' is widespread over the country. Or again, (4) a central laboratory will be of service as a means whereby information as to large questions of general interest, investigated either at “the central laboratory itself or at the local ‘special laboratories, may be circulated and time saved by placing at the disposal of any special laboratory requiring: them the results obtained’ elsewhere. Let me‘take these heads more in detail. I will post- pone the consideration’ of No. 1—standardisation problems—to my next lecture. It is sufficient to re- mark here that the work already done in ‘this direction has been very great, and to point out that unification vt standards used in various trades is highly desirable, and can be» secured only by the existence of a central standardising institution working in: close co-operation with local institutions. Turning then to (2)—investigations into the-proper- ties of materials used- in many trades—the work done on light alloys: affords a good example of this, work for which the British Aluminium Co. has _ recently shown its appreciation by sending a generous donation of 5ool. to the funds of the laboratory. Or, again, the following are a few of the problems which it has been recently stated need solution to satisfy the needs of one important industry :— (1) An investigation into the physical properties of alloy steels. (2) An investigation into the conditions affecting the flow of liquid fuel through an orifice: with reference to: (a) proportions of orifice; (b) temperature of fuel and air; (c) viscosity of fuel. (3) An investigation of the stress distribution in irre- gularly shaped members—crankshafts and the like. (4) An investigation into the wear of bearings. (5) Investigations into the material suitable for valves, cylinders, and other parts of internal-combustion engines. (6) The efficiency of radiators for such engines. (7) An investigation into the cause of the lubricating properties of oils with the view of framing a specifica- tion for such.oils. It is obvious that the results of all these investiga- tions, while of special importance to the automobile industry, are of great interest to others. Any of them could go on in a properly equipped laboratory, while it is clear that to carry out many a very complete physical and, in some cases, chemical equipment is needed. And that’ leads to another very important point. A special laboratory, if it is to be really of use, must be complete. Many of the investigations just indicated involve thermal and electrical measurements of high accuracy. Elaborate apparatus is involved and a skilled staff to use it. These conditions can be satisfied only if’ the laboratory possesses a large and varied staff, capable of advising on each special point as it arises, and the necessary outfit of delicate and expensive appa- ratus. In many instances the difficulty lies in the de- velopment of the method of measurement and the calibration and standardisation of the apparatus em- ployed rather than in the actual experiments. Or to take another instance. NO. 2526, VoL. 1o1| \ There have been | some conferences lately with regard to research: in refractories, and it was clear that there is much ae to be done and ample opportunity for the developmen of research. in special laboratories in close contact the industry, whether at Sheffield; Middlesbrough, or - South Wales, for: steel-making: and other metallurgi¢al processes, or in the Potteries for the china and earthen. — It was clear,. too, that there was much — work which could best: be:done at a central institution — ware trades. such as the National Physical Laboratory. Such work, for example, would embrace, ameng other things, an — investigation into many of the physical and on pre | perties of refractories. As instances of (3)—investigations useful’ to a trade which has no fixed centre—I may give: the following :— (1) A research has been in’ progress for some time at the laboratory into the heating of buried cables carry- ing electric currents. In connection with the Wiring Rules Committee of the Institution of Electrical ene gineers much has been done to determine iil ae ture to which: the cables used in house’ wiri raised in various circumstances, and to fix the- safer : currents to be used’ in each case. Our kn of the temperature reached in cables when buried in the ground is very scanty and somewhat conflicting; much — depends on the nature of the covering used to pr them, and possibly something on the nature of the s Cables laid in ducts, again, differ from those october merely by the ordinary forms of lead or other coverin and yet the life of the insulation depends in” on measure on the temperature reached when the | is flowing, and thus regulates the carrying capa of the cable. Thanks to the co-operation of s au ties in many’ parts of the country; much valuable information has been collected, and, though the re- search at the laboratory proceeds but ‘slowly, results of great importance are being obtained. Such a research needs large appliances, and currents up woah alae thousand amperes will be employed. It pera cat resources of a fully equipped’ physical lab ; order to measure accurately the temperature di nase due to varying conditions; when complete it Mil be of value to all supply companies. This is true of many other electrical tests and experiments; the results are of wide application; it is desirable that they. should be widely published. (2) The building trade offers canettier’ ex. kind: Brick and stone, wood’ and iron, have beén used for long, and their properties when employed ais : building construction are generally well’ known. is less true of other more modern materials—ferro- concrete, for example. There are rules—based no doubt on the best experience available—for estimating the strength of beams, columns, ahd floors, but there is much scope for inquiry. Sabet at the in-- stance of Sir John Cowan, of the firm of Messrs. Red- path, Brown, and Co., who is bearing the expense, — apparatus is being built to test columns up to 15 ft. or 20 ft. in length, and floors of considerable size. War conditions again are interfering, but the work is pro- gressing slowly and must be done. There are Lae materials besides ferro-concrete urgently callin examination. Nor is the strength of the materials’ oe only factor to be considered. Materials transmit heat. in very varying amounts, and the comfort of a house, to say nothing of the cost of living in it, will’ depend on whether it is possible easily to keep it warm in winter and cool in summer. (3) Recently we were asked to compare. the heat losses _ from two enclosures exactly alike in all respects, except that the one was roofed with corrugated iron, the other — It was found that with some preparation of asbestos. the latter cooled 20 per cent. faster than the former; the loss of heat depends, in part on the conductivity) ainple-afidly . +. REC i Es BS Sera ts ae : Be Tete AGN EY i eg BARES nt LR SE TN Te a = By iki ten ee swdaaee PK EE a ee te ee eee eae oe ee RN Te ee ee Marcu 28, 1918] NATURE 77- of the material, in part on the emissivity of its surface, the superior emissivity of the asbestos sheet. more 1 made up for its inferior conductivity. In this ection it is clear there is much to be done, “and uch work a central laboratory, with proper equip- , is the most suitable place. © Arrangements are in ss by which it is hoped many of these questions thoroughly investigated. suggested for a National Industrial Research importance of the collection and dissemination on matters connecting industry and is clear. Ata central laboratory much of the ati will be to hand; the accumulated experi- the staff, their. knowledge of the work done in ional - laboratories, their appreciation of the n industry of inquiries in the region of. pure are all valuable. assets, and a proper organisa- west circulate their information where it is ‘is:ample. room for a central laboratory with- nching in. the least on the spheres of the local _ If the Department of Scientific : Research is to carry out effectively the aed, tag -such a laboratory is essential, h ope is that the. National Physical Laboratory lop into such an institution in close connec- ir eee cows the Coc gamaie with local laboratories kit: e word in one The workman is worthy s hire. In the past the scale of pay has certainly ) extravagant, and there is no call for extrava- . future, but the remuneration offered must t and the conditions of work fair. : oe lately as. to the inadequate remunera- ic workers, whether teachers or the ex- ‘the time has come to change this for men 1en alike. sponte: there isa great demand workers, | and while, as in other walks of cial life must. offer greater prizes than nt “service, it is essential, if the necessary y be done and the workers are to be retained, ents of technical posts under Govern- the conditions attached, should be as good as co Reuaeng administrative staff of the Civil -must apply. not merely to the heads of IS institutions, but also to the rank and file depends. ‘Yabour here, but in pressing it I feel confident . shave the support of all who appreciate the import- of science to the nation. if (To be continued.) IVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL . INTELLIGENCE. 7. During the present ‘term two research lowships, in medicine and science respectively, have + founded. ‘The Faulds fellowship in medicine is e€ annual'value of 2ool., and is tenable for three “It will be awarded to a recent graduate who ; shown capacity for original investigation. He will required ‘to_ devote himself to research in some of ‘medical | science approved by the Senatus, d will not engage in private practice. He may be ‘or required to spend a year of his tenure y from Glasgow. The Ferguson fellowship in e ed chemistry is of about the same value. It will + “awarded to a bachelor of science who has taken istry as a subject ‘for his honours degree. He NO. 2526, vor. 101] TiC} le need be said as to the fourth section of the’ ly is needed—by means of a bulletin or in some ~ This point I need | may carry on his fellowship work either in the Univer- sity itself or in the affiliated Royal Technical College. Legeps.—The thirteenth annual report, which has just been issued, for the year 1916-17, contains a record of great activity in most of the departments of the Uni- versity. Three aspects of the work have exceptional significance. The first of these is in the sphere of applied science, particularly in connection with the‘ tex- tile, dyeing, leather, and fuel industries. As a result of conferences organised and held in the University, a:committee has been formed by members of the woollen and worsted industries in the West Riding for the pur- pose of developing research. In the colour chemistry department important research work has been carried out on behalf of British Dyes, Ltd.; a laboratory has also been placed at the disposal of Messrs. L. B.' Holli- day and Co., for:research work, in charge of their head chemist; conferences have been held with the Leather Trades’ Federation for:developing instruction and re- search in'that industry, whilst in the fuel department investigations «are ‘being made into the comparative efficiency of different grades of gas under the direction of a Joint Committee of the University and the Insti- tution of Gas Engineers. As regards the second aspect of the.work, members of the staff of the agricultural department have undertaken official responsibilities in connection with the food supply of Yorkshiré. As to the third, the new departments of Russian and Italian language and literature, which owe their inception to the generosity of Sir James Roberts, Lord and Lady Cowdray, and Mr. Walter Morrison, have been’ organ- ised. The number of students shows a slight decrease since the previous session, and although some of the advanced classes and technical departments have been depleted of men students owing to the war, the number of first-year students is maintained.. The casualty lists include 462 names, of which 176 have been killed, died on active service, or reported missing. Military distinc- tions have been conferred upon ninety-nine members of the University. Lonpon.—The Senate has resolved to institute de- grees in commerce for both internal and external students, and in this connection to accept with.thanks an offér from Sir. Edward Stern of 20001. to found a scholarship for the promotion of the study of that sub- ject. The following doctorates have been conferred.:— D.Sc..in Biochemistry: Mr. J. C. Prummond, an in- ternal student, of the.East.London College, for a thesis entitled ‘‘A Comparative Study of Tumour and. Normal Tissue Growth.”’ D.Sc. in Experimental Psychology: Miss I. B. Saxby,.an internal student of University _ College, for a thesis entitled ‘Some Conditions. affect- _ing the Growth and Permanence of Desires.” Dr. H. Wildon Carr has been appointed by the Senate professor of philosophy at King’s College. SOME years ago, Lord Haldane, the pro- tagonist of the university movement, pictured the United Kingdom as partitioned into provinces, in -each of which the various grades of primary and secondary schools, technical schools,. and col- leges are to be held together and co-ordinated by a university. His scheme has been derided by some as an ‘educational heptarchy,’’ but, provided the several kingdoms are united states, admitting the overlordship of the Minister of Education, their limited autonomy will be the. surest guarantee of efficiency in administra- tion. The jealousies of-technical institutes and muni- cipal colleges, one of another, and all ofthe university college, if there be one, would subside in patriotism to the university—i.e. to the province. The North, the Midlands, and the West of England are already portioned out; the needs of the South have yet to be NATURE [Marcu 28, 1918 provided for. Owing to the absence of large centres of population, the problem of.how this is to be done is exceptional. . Lord Haldane imagined a university of the South, at Southampton, the natural focus, and one farther west... A movement is now on foot for securing the establishment of the latter, to serve the needs of Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorsetshire and Somer- setshire.. In many ways this corner of England has its own peculiar interests. Plymouth, mining centres, fisheries, and large areas devoted to agriculture and orchards. The Royal Albert Memorial College at Exeter is doing excellent work of a university standard, the technical institutes of Ply- mouth and Devonport are fitted for research in ship- building, the Marine Biological Association’s labora- tory for problems connected with fisheries, the old- established School of Mines at Camborne for investiga- tion of the metalliferous rocks and industries, the Seale- Hayne College in agriculture ; but possibly the strongest of all reasons for multiplying universities is the urgent need for teachers qualified by intellect and training to make a success of the new Education Act to which we. are looking forward, with its enormous extension of secondary and technological education. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. - Lonpon. Royal Society, March 14.—Sir J. J. Thomson, presi- dent, in the chair.—A. W. Conway : An expansion of the point-potential. The general solution of the equation C*y*~=wy, which is infinite at the origin, is of the form f(Cttr)/r. This is infinite to the first degree. Referred to a different origin, a known expansion gives the series SY,U,, where Y, is a spherical har- monic and U, is a certain function of ¢ and of the distance to the new origin. This is a generalisation of the Legendre expansion of the inverse distance. In the paper the potential scale or vector of a moving point-charge is expanded in a similar series of spherical harmonics, the only restriction on the motions. of the point-charge and of the origin being that the speed of the former must be less than that of light.—E. G.. Bilham ; The lunar and solar diurnal variations of water- level in a well at Kew Observatory, Richmond. The mean solar and lunar diurnal inequalities have been computed from two-hourly measurements of the Kew Observatory water-level records over a period of two years. Results are given for each month, for the year, and for groups of months, representing high, inter- mediate, and low levels. Both the lunar and solar diurnal ranges are found to be largely dependent on the level of the water, high levels being associated ‘with large diurnal range. In a paper recently com- municated to the society it was shown that a similar relation exists between the mean level and the sensitive- ness to the effects of barometric pressure. There are well-marked ‘lunar and solar semi-diurnal oscillations throughout the year, the amplitude varying with the level-in a manner similar to the diurnal range. In both cases the phase also varies with the level, the effect being most pronounced in the lunar results. ‘The times of occurrence of the maxima become later as the water- level falls. In comparison with the total oscillations in the neighbouring River Thames, the well shows larger solar diurnal movements than were to be anticipated from the magnitude of the lunar oscillations. If, how- ever, allowance is made for the effects of the solar diurnal variation of barometric pressure, the residual effects attributed to the solar tides are of the expécted order of magnitude. Faraday Society, February 14.—Prof. C. A. Edwards in the chair.—H. Etchells; Applications of electric fur- | brilliant interference colours »when viewed under the NO. 2526, VOL. 101] It comprises the great port of | nace methods to industrial processes. © The remarkable growth of electric furnace industries during the war — was due not only to the greater output demanded, but — also to the fact that the electric furnace enabled us to use © raw materials formerly considered inferior for the quality _ of product desired. A plea was made for the greater development of the resistance furnace, which, from In the author’s — opinion, the electric furnace is not fulfilling its pig Fea elting the electrical point of view, was ideal. function in the foundry when used for simply m steel scrap, to turn out an unrefined product on an acid lining. Typical wave-form diagrams of the chief types — 5 of furnace were shown, and considerable emphasis was laid on the steadiness of load produced by the buffering effect of bottom electrode furnaces. The unsatisfactory performance of refractory lining materials at present in use was commented upon, and the author stated it as his belief that satisfactory linings would not be available until electrically fused refractories were put on the market.—J. Bibby: Electric steel refining fur- naces. A system is described by which a four-phase fur- | nace with a bottom electrode, such: as is called for as — furnaces get larger, can be run on the Spa ioe g phase supply system.—A. P. M. Fleming and F. E. Hill: Electric furnace control. An important feature a of electric furnaces is that by suitable control the tem- perature can be accurately and quickly regulated. The — paper sets forth the general principles on which such (se control is based. e3\ Royal Microscopical Society, February 20.—Mr. J. E. Barnard, president, in the chair.—Col. H. E. Rawson: Illustrations of photo-synthetic action induced in living cells. which changes of colour and structure were pr by a’ system of selective screening from an English - sun at selected intervals of daylight. Low’sun of the early morning fostered the yellow colouring matter, and the highest sun of midday the violets, blues, and — purples, while middle sun stimulated the reds. The colour of the foliage also changed, as well as the lobing — of the leaves. The scent of the flowers varied with the colour. Changes of structure also appeared, which hecame identified with low, middle, and high sun, and could be repeated at will. Flowers grew with six, seven, and eight petals, instead of the normal five, and their shapes were altered. Spurs were formed to ex- tend a petal instead of a sepal, and the number was increased to four. Colour changes depended upon the form, size, and number of the epidermal papillz, the turgidity of the living cells, and the concentration of their contents. In the leaf-division of T. tuberosum a precipitation of the cell contents was first observed, by which the cord conveying the nutrition to the margin became blocked.—F. I. G. Rawlins: The technique of the vertical illuminator. It was found unnecessary to use objectives in special short mounts with the vertical illuminator up to and including one-sixth powers, pro- vided the objectives were corrected for work on un- covered objects. on a common 3-in. by 1-in. slip. on the two edges of an accurately cut ring, and held there until the preparation had become embed: ‘in the plasticine. For preserving metal specimens a thin coating of a concentrated solution of guncotton in amyl acetate was recommended—as a preventive against rust. This was dropped on to the surface, and the section tilted until the drop found its own level, and set quite evenly toa thin layer, sufficiently transparent for use — with a one-sixth objective. The varnish must not be applied with a brush, or ridges resulted which gave. The author exhibited Tropaeolum majus, in Levelling of the specimen was best done by pressing the specimen face downwards upon a - | piece of plate. glass with a small quantity of plasticine _ The latter was rested we te, ES ae ee ects) Maer eae ys +t ae Marcu 28, 1918] NATURE 79 scope.—J. Ritchie: Acetone as a _ solvent for nting media. The author claimed for his medium it cleared specimens from various grades of alcohol | without the use of essential oils. It did not pa es ai or any uneven shrinkage of the s 0 cimers where these had been properly . It did not affect stains such as borax or lithium ine, Van Giesen’s, hematoxylin, Jenner, Leish- , or Giemsa stains. m Society, March 5.—Capt. G. W. C. Kaye, Sim the chair: —C. R. C. _Lyster r. S. Russ: A biological basis for protection X-rays. In this contribution the study of the at different point of view from that usually d. In previous investigations the materials nerally been tested to ascertain what fraction ncident rays are transmitted, while in this case pt was made to measure the total quantity of | received by the operator during, say, a day’s under normal conditions. For this purpose the ‘carries a photographic plate upon his person, the end of the period under consideration the developed. The density of the resulting image ared with that of another plate termed the al basis plate,’? which has been exposed under conditions of radiation. A preliminary inves- enables- harmful effects of the standard f radiation to be determined, and thus gives a to the indication of the biological basis plate. orms a useful source of radiation for prac- oses after the initial tests have been made, overcomes difficulties in the employment of an @ aS a constant source. The effect of hard late was fully investigated, and it was con- t for the same ionising effect the hard and | produced about the same photographic effect ; however, varies with different makes of ‘in consequence all comparisons must in be made with the same variety.—H. C. Head : obile X-ray unit. A detailed description illustrated umerous photographs was given of a motor X-ray unit it recently ‘design esigned and constructed for use in Meso- otamia, etc. The Austin chassis was chosen on its low load line, and the body was divided portions, one to serve as dark-room, while the ned the X-ray equipment. In operation a ecte | at one side of the car, with the result 1s unneces: to remove the coil or switch- for use. Electric current is supplied from a o run off the motor engine and from a small ry of accumulators, and is sufficient to render the production of short-exposure radiographs. ical Society, March 6.—Mr. G. W. Lamplugh, dent, in the chair.—J. F. N. Green: The igneous ; of the Lake District. The author first directed _to some of the manuscript 6-in. maps of the Strict prepared -nearly fifty years ago by the ical Survey, and pointed out that, although un- edly most accurate, they differed greatly in the ic area from his“own. He suggested that the Was that there was a fundamental difference in classification of tuffs and lavas. A large propor- of the Lake District rocks were brecciated, and been supposed to be altered tuffs. With the un- ciated rocks into which they passed they had been ed as ashes. Recently, manuscripts had been und in the possession of the Geological Survey prov- § that Aveline, whose maps were extraordinarily te and detailed, had anticipated by thirty years née author’s separation from the volcanic rocks of the basal beds of the Coniston Limestone Series. When re-mapped on this basis, the Borrowdale Series ap- NO. 2526, VOL. IoT] o ‘ ction of X-ray operators was approached from a. radiation (12-in. spark to 2 in.) on the photo-. peared as a simple and regular sequence, strongly folded, and cropping out in long bands. Physical Society, March 8.—Prof. C. H. Lees, presi- dent, in the chair.—E. A. Owen: The asymmetrical distribution of corpuscular radiation produced by X-rays. (1) The ratio of emergent to incident cor- puscular radiation in the case of the two salts, potass- ium bromide and silver nitrate, has been investigated, when the exciting X-radiations were the characteristic radiations of copper, bromine, silver, and tin. (2) The ratio has the same value whether the salt is in the wet or in the dry state. (3) The value. of the ratio was found to be approximately the same for each two of the salts, and is equal to 1-17. This is approximately the same figure as that found by other observers in the case of the metals, gold and silver.—Prof. C. H. Lees: ‘‘Air standard’’ internal-combustion engine cycles and their efficiencies. It is well known that the efficiency of an air standard internal-combustion engine working through a cycle bounded by two adia- batics, and either two isothermals, two constant volume lines, or two constant pressure lines, is given by 1—(1/r)y-!, where r is the compression ratio and y, is the ratio of the two specific heats of air. In the present: paper it is shown that the efficiency is given by the same expression if the cycle is composed of two adiabatics and two curves fuA, pua, where a has any positive or negative value, and A and a are constants. Since a may be chosen so that any explo- sion curve may be followed as closely as desired by short lengths of @ curves, a cycle can be drawn with the above efficiency and any prescribed explosion curve. The ratio of the efficiency of a cycle with prescribed ex- plosion and exhaust curves to that of the cycle so drawn is shown to be the ratio of the two areas on the indicator diagram. The thermal efficiency of a cycle with pre- scribed explosion and exhaust curves is therefore readily found. Optical Society, March 14.—Mr. S. D. Chalmers, vice- president, in the chair—T. Smith: The detection of ghosts in prisms. Ghosts in prisms are caused by re- fiections other than those which form the principal image. They are apt to be more serious than those in lenses, inasmuch as a single additional reflection may cause a ghost in a prism, while at least two are necessary in a lens. Moreover, in lenses the ghost- producing reflections cccur at unsilvered surfaces at small angles of incidence, but in prisms the surface may be silvered or the ghost may be produced by total internal reflection. _ Every possible way in which a ghost can arise in a prism may be determined by a suitable development of the prism, or of a section of the prism, on a plane. If a diagram is drawn showing all possible positions of a prism derived from a given initial position, the entire path of any ray within the prism is represented by a straight line, and the devia- tion of the ray is of the constant type if the ray has crossed an even number of lines representing reflectin surfaces, and of the variable type if the number is odd. Royal Meteorological Society, March 20.—Sir Napier Shaw, president, in the chair—Dr. J. S. Owens: The measurement of atmospheric pollution. The need for exact measurements of suspended impurities in the air was explained. The era when a harmless gas like carbon dioxide was taken as a measure of impurity was rapidly giving way to a recognition that the really important thing to measure was suspended dust and dirt. It was shown that the latter connoted great waste of human life, and also of fuel, light, and other important modern needs. As showing the kind of air city dwellers were sometimes obliged to breathe, Dr. Owens gave figures for deposits from the air for one year, April to March, at the ei places :—Oldham, 1915-16, 950 tons per square mile; Manchester, 1915-16, t 80 NATURE | Marcu 28, 1918 3 635 tons; London, 1915-16, 453.tons; Sheffield, 1914-15, 395 tons; Malvern Wells, 1915-16, 56 tons. He stated that there was:evidence of a general reduction of atmo- spheric impurity during the winter of 1916-17 as com- pared with the preceding one, probably due to reduced consumption of:raw coal. Mention was made of cer- tain problems awaiting solution, such as the relation of impurity: to. wind and distance from source, also to incidence of!disease. Does smoke in the.air reduce or increase the number:'of bacteria?) What is:the vertical distribution of suspended matter and the selective power of rain or: snow. im bringing down impurity? MANCHESTER, Literary and Philosophical Society, March 5.—Mr. W. Thomson, president, in the chair.—E. L. Rhead : The corrodibility of cast-iron. The paper dealt with the effects of the impurities. in producing during the solidi- fication of the metal various solutions, in which the impurities were concentrated. This was especially the case with the phosphide. The concentration depended on the lower melting point of the solution thus formed. Reference was made to the production of graphite. Specific instances in which the failure of cast-iron vessels was due to the increase in volume resulting. from the corrosion, and the influence of the structure due to the segregation and _ coarse graphite, were dealt with .and specimens shown. Attention’ was also directed to the high silicon iron now used for chemical plant, and segrega- tion was shown to take place to a marked extent. Paris. Academy of Sciences, March 4.—M. Paul Painlevé in the chair.—The president announced the death of Prof. Blaserna, correspondant of the Academy for the section of.physics.—-A. de Gramont.; The ultimate rays of great sensibility of columbium (niobium) .and. zireonium.-——C. Guichard: A particular class of curves several times isotropic.—W. Kilian: The fauna (of the Hauterivian stratum. in the south-east of France. —Mr. Amundsen was elected correspondant of the- Academy for the section of geography and navigation in succession to the late Dr. Albrecht. —J. EF. Ritt: The repetition: of rational func- tions.—M. Valiron:;, Demonstration of the existence, for integral functions, of paths.of infinite determination. —M. Doyére ; geometrically similar: vessels.—J.. Rey: Entropy dia- gram of petrol.—Sir R. Hadfield, C, Chénevean, and Ch. Géneau : The magnetic properties of manganese and of some special manganese steels. ~ Manganese, when freed from occluded gases, is paramagnetic. Data are given for manganese-carbon steels, and steels con- taining, in addition to these. two elements, nickel, ey poi chromium, and _ silicon.—A. Valeur and E. Luce: The reduction of the CH,I group joined to nitrogen.—G. Fouque;. Dicyc! lohexylamine, its solid hy drate and alcoholate.—P. Russo : Geology of the plain of El Hadra, western Morocco.—J. Repelin: New species of. the’ genus Entelodon. March 11.—M: Paul Painlevé in the chair.—Ch. Lallemand and J. Renaud: The substitution of civil time | for astronomical time in nautical almanacs. At sea sailors use civil time, but: for their observations make use of tables where astronomical time is employed, and: it. is desirable that’ this possible source of confusion , should be removed. Both the French and’ British Admiralties considered the proposal favourably, and ‘the: now in: pre-.|: volume of the ‘‘Ephémérides nautiques ”’ paration (1920) will have civil time substituted for astro- nomical time.—W. Kiliem: New remarks on the fauna of the Hauterivian, Barremian, Aptian, and Albian strata. in the south-east. of France.—M. Tilho was: elected a correspondant for the section of geography and navigation in succession to the late General Gallieni:.— NO. 2526, VOL. IoT| -Reboul ; inulin and *‘inulides’”’ in the root of the: bie ca3 -XVil- Dr: EJ. Russell, Pewee xis? 61 oy ‘Essences and Varnishes. “Bye. Sr... we ee 62 Or Bookshretfen oo a a gOS Remarks. on the resistance to motion of va Tr. Lalesco: A point of the theory of "heel capable of ert symmetry.—M. Brillouin: Biaxial media.—F. Cloup; Tempering and. work hardening in carbon steels.—) Travers : ‘The colorimetric estimation of tungsten. method is based on the reduction of tungsti¢c acid. by 4 titanous chloride to a blue oxide, which, under, certain conditions,. remains in colloidal suspension. The re- — action canriot be applied if vanadium, plicsohaia e et molybdenum is present.—J. H. Sinclair ; e age of the sandstones of’ French Guinea.—L. Gentil: “rence ay of the strait conneeting the Mediterranean and! the Atlantic through: Morocco. in: the Miocene epech.—A, Guébhard: Remarks: on: the ‘‘écorce résistante.”"—G. A method of predicting barometri¢~ variations: —J; Amar: The law of Cicatrisation of wounds. The | number of factors is so: large, and ‘the pence see! Se complex, that it is doubtful whether. an te’ at ay mathematical expression’ can’ be success aL _Be Geslin a and J; Wolff: New observations on the- be eg OF BOOKS. RECEIVED: Be The Theory of Electricity. By G: H: Livens. Pp. “% vi+717. (Cambridge: At the University Pred os. net. Electricity Meters : Their Construction and eo ment. By C. H. W. Gerhardi: Second editi xx+504. (London: Benn Bros., Ltd.) 15s, met: | % Stanford’s War-Maps. No. 27 Europe and os Nes ern Asia. (London: E. Stanford, Ltd.) Some Problems of’ Modern | Industry. Hichens. Pp. 61. (London: Nisbet: cae vad) 6d. net. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society. N. ‘sf Vol: (London: Williams and’ ab 12s. “6d. net. > CONTENTS. PAGE Recent American. Text-books in Agricaleare,)) cig ales Letters to the Editor: _ The Stimulation ‘of\ Breer by Blectrie Fields. i V: H. Bo and G. W. O. H.. ‘ie Does ‘the Indigenous Australian Batine Belong to. ‘the ree Tertiary ?—Prof, H. F. Cleland: . 64. The Bombardment of Paris by, Long-range. Guns. Cs By Sir G, Greenhill, F.R S.. Py ean Le Colloids and Chemical Industry. ‘By Prof. wc. McC. ss Lewis oie cat ath ap Ra rl ohd he ee 66 Dr. G. J: Hinde, F.R:S. Pee ke Oe Notes Ae M Ca Me SG oa alte 68 sf Our Astronomical Colimn : — ‘Planetary. Perturbations and Aither-deife?* Coe) ses - Perturbations of Neptune’s: Satellite* ane es 72 Motion of Qur-Stellar Sj stem _ 72 Food Rations for Manual Workers and ‘Scientine Laboratories. 72 The Palms of Seychelles andthe Mascarenes. ‘By Dr. W: Botting Hemsley, F.R.S-: 7 National Laboratories: and’ Industrial Development: I. By Sir'R. T.. Glazebrook, C.B., F.RiS. 2... 74 University and Educational Intelligence actin dite < TE Societies-and:Academies .-..... melerssie k rianes 3 NS Books. Keceived. . a. 0 Ov iclib ane MO (INDEX) hh +N Editorial and Publishing Ofscess » MACMILLAN: AND. CQ.,° Ltp.,, "7 .. a ’ ST. MARTIN'S: STREET, LONDON, W. G; 27 a Advertisements and business: teats to be. ep ams ps to. the | : » Publishers. Editorial Communications «to the Editor. | Telegraphic Address: Puusis, Lonpon. ST as ame Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. NATURE SI PSREDAY, APRIL 4, ror8. —— EPS “6 COURSE OF ANALYSIS,” AND Bene part ii. of vol ii. By E. Translated by Prof. E. R. ck and Otto Dunkel. Pp. viii+ 300. on: Ginn and Co., ae Price 11s. 6d. Cstinslbsion Groups, with an Introduc- the Theory of Groups of Operators and ition Groups. By Prof. H..F. Blichfeidt. +194. (Chicago, Ill. : University | of Press; London : ‘Cambridge Univer- a 1917-) — 1.50 dollars net, or 6s. ) uction- J the: odes of Variations. Prof, W. E. Byerly.. Pp. 48. (Mathe- _ Tracts for Physicists.) (Cambridge, : Harvard University Press; London: University Press, 1917.) Price 3s. 6d. JE American translation of Prof. Gour- ‘sat’s “Course of Analysis ”’ will be welcome hose who may be unable to read the original y: The present instalment covers ground in ‘the author is an acknowledged adept, and ss his remarkable power of illuminating _and giving charm to discussions ish unavoidable, are apt to be dull. chapter on existence theorems is not Gi ‘of rigour, but actually entertain- well; § 30, on the Cauchy-Lipschitz > ‘most instructive, and illustrates the a diagram when properly used—not as for a sham “intuitive proof,’’ but as fe corresponding to a set of analytical deductions. Geometrical imagery of this quently used throughout, and with the _results—especially, it seems to us, in the ’ dealing with partial differential equations of > first order. ‘e are some features of. special interest in tier part, which deals with ordinary equa- As an isolated gem we may note the inte- ration of Euler’s equation (pp. 23-28), especially ie method which leads to Stieltjes’s form of solu- ons gives a capital summary of the main sults obtained by Fuchs, Picard, and others; trations. are altorded by the hypergeometric and Lamé’s equation. In the chapter on ear ordinary equations of the first order art: a number of valuable results, especially hose based on Briot and Bouquet’s researches as BP eiiations of the form (dy/dx)"=R(y), where {y) is a polynomial in y. Here we have a list ll the cases of this type which can be satisfied Ny a one-valued function of x, and also—which is . jlateaeaas clear proof that there are no No. 2527, VOL. 101] - Differ Next comes a section on singular solutions, and an Englishman cannot help feeling surprised to find no reference to Cayley here (or, indeed, anywhere else in the volume). Readers should notice the last paragraph of §71; the point ‘is that, if we equate the p-discriminant to zero, the normal meaning of the result is a cusp-locus (or tac-locus, or both) which does not yield a singular solution; the reason that mathematical students so often obtain a singular solution from the p-dis- criminant is that so many equations of the type f(x,y, p)=0 are made up by eliminating a con- stant c from the equation of a set of algebraic curves $(x,y,c)=0, which have an envelope. The discussion of Charpit’s method seems to ‘us to be as good as any that can be put into a text-book. What makes it so unusually clear is that the author proves in a separate article (§ 81) that the condition for the compatibility of f(x,y, % P, 4)=0, $(x, y, 2, P, q)=9, dz=pdx+qdy, is [f,¢]=0, where the symbol on the left is that introduced by Jacobi. Later on we have dis- cussions of Cauchy’s method (pp. 249-64) and of Jacobi’s method (pp. 265-78). It should be added that there is a very brief account (pp. 86— 98) of Lie’s theory of transformation-groups. From time to time the author pauses to make a general remark on this or that aspect of his subject, and these obiter dicta deserve the most careful attention. For instance: “Although this reduction is not, in-many cases, of any. practical utility, it nevertheless possesses great theoretical interest, for it enables us to determine just how difficult the problem is’’ (p. 214). Most text- books on differential equations are very mislead- ing, because they give the student the impression that the subject is very much better understood than it really is. The most simple-looking partial differential equations may baffle the most eminent mathematicians, and it would scarcely be too much to say that there is no extensive theory of differ- ential equations except for linear ordinary equations the coefficients of which are of certain. specified types. This assertion is not so paradoxical as it looks; all the fundamental functions of analysis (not of arithmetic) can be defined by very simple ordinary differential equations; for instance, exp(x) is that solution of dy/dx=y which has the value 1 when x=o. All the properties of exp(x) can be deduced from this, and the whole of ana- The third “part of the chapter on linear | lytical trigonometry is then only a corollary. (2) Prof. Blichfeldt collaborated with Messrs. G. A. Miller and L. E. Dickson in a work on Foose groups _ reviewed in these columns on November 23, 1916 (vol. xcviii., p. 225). The present work, dealing with collineation groups, so far departs ‘from abstract group-theory as to choose a special imagery, or, if you will, a drapery, for the sets of abstractions considered. Every group may be imaged as a substitution group; not every group can be represented by a collineation group. So Prof. Blichfeldt has re- stricted his field of inquiry, and deliberately tried not to use abstract group-theory any more than he can help. For the purpose he has in F | 82 NATURE [APRIL 4, 1918 hand this has undoubted advantages. One of these is that collineation groups form a very ex- tensive family, which admits of geometrical or | quasi-geometrical interpretation. (This book has no figures, but the reader should make illustra- tive figures and models for himself, and think out the arguments in as geometrical. a form as possible.) So far as we can judge, the treatment is sound, though it involves some rather artificial arrangements; e.g. chap. ii. contains a good deal of abstract group-theory, and so far as we can see, the term “group’’ in its technical sense has not been anywhere defined, and on p. 31 it seems to be confounded with “set ’’ and “‘class,’’ which, if meant, is very unfortunate. The discussion goes as far as linear groups of four variables; there is a chapter on group-char- acteristics (mainly, of course, after Frobenius and _ Burnside); there are numerous references, and a moderate number of examples. We hope the book will have a wide circulation; every advance in the theory of groups is bound to result in an advance in many other branches of mathematics. (3) Prof. Byerly’s tract will be useful to those -who are interested in the classical problems: of the brachistochrone, etc., and also, it may be hoped, to physical students engaged in their first struggles with the Hamiltonian equations, least | , action, least constraint, and so on. So far as we know, a really good elementary treatise on the calculus of variations has yet to be written; mean- -while, such an outline as this is better than many big and pretentious productions. G. B. M. MEDICAL HISTORY AND SCIENTIFIC METHOD. Studies in the History and Method of Science. Edited by Dr. Charles Singer. Pp. xiv+ 304. (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1917.) Price 21s. net. URING the last ten years there has been a notable revival of the study of the historical development of medicine by the scientific methods which have been applied to other branches. cf history. In this country there has been no more active worker than Dr. Charles Singer, who for some time has been employed in unearthing for convenient reference the medical historical trea- sures of the Bodleian Library. The present volume is the outcome of some of the studies of Dr. Singer and his co-workers, and must be re- garded as a notable contribution to certain branches of medical history and. evolution. The book is splendidly got up, and in addition to forty- one plates, many of which are excellently repro- duced in colour, there are large numbers of figures in the text. It is almost remarkable that such a work should make its appearance in the fourth year of the war, and especially at the moderate price of 21s, The text contains -seven articles and studies, most of them of immediate historical interest. Dr. Singer himself contributes two of these, the first NO. 2527, VOL. IOT] a very learned account of the scientific views and visions of Saint Hildegard, the German religious — mystic 6f the twelfth century. From the extensive a literature which has collected round this compli- ce Singer has managed to — cated personality, Dr. creaté a study of great interest, and has dealt in is particular with her views on anatomy and physio- . logy. In his second essay, ‘The ‘ Anothomia ’ of Hieronymo Manfredi,” he has dealt with the hitherto unknown account of the body written in manuscript by Manfredi at the end of the fifteenth century. As he points out, this is the most com- plete post-medieval account of anatomy until we come to the first of the anatomists, Berengario da © Carpi, who published ‘his work in 1521. Dr. Singer publishes the whole of the Italian manu- script, and leads up to it with a masterly account of the Early Renaissance anatomy, profusely illustrated. as 4 In his “Blessing of Cramp Rings” Dr. Ray- | mond Crawford writes exhaustively of a treatment of epilepsy which was in vogue for hundreds of years. Although it is often regarded as spring- ing up in the time of Edward the Confessor, it cannot be denied that the idea of applying some kind of constriction to inhibit the convulsions of. epilepsy can be traced back to classical times. __ One of the most interesting studies is Dr. E. T. Withington’s on “Dr. John Weyer and the Witch — Mania.” Herein are traced the origin and de- velopment of the most extraordinary superstition which has ever disgraced the human mind, and — led to the sacrifice and mutilation of vast — numbers of unfortunate human beings even so late as the seventeenth century. It is particularly ; remarkable that the witch mania. should have reached its height at a time when the Renaissance © was in full tide and learning was opening men’s minds. Dr. Withington considers that at least two causes co-operated for the development of this madness, viz. cent VII. in 1484. It was then that the Church — called upon the civil powers to exterminate : the development of heresies — and the increasing prominence given to the sup- _ posed operations of the Evil Spirit, a doctrine supported by the pronouncements of Pope Inno- — witches, and Europe rang with the cries of the — innocents perishing daily on the rack and at the ~ stake. the vision of Dr. John Weyer, of Arnheim, trying — Amidst all the ghastly shambles-we have — to stem the tide of this mania, but with ill-success. Although his great work was published in 1563, — the practice of torturing witches progressed or Fal increased, and only finally began to die down in — the seventeenth century, being finally extinguished — in England so late as the beginning of aad eighteenth century. Mr. Reuben Levy contributes an article on “The” ‘Tractatus de causis et Indiciis morborum’ attri- — buted to Maimonides.” by the Jewish philosopher, and was considered — 3 to be his chief claim as a medical writer. By a complete examination of the only manuscript — This work was said to be known, Mr. Levy proves that it was by another — writer altogether, and thus clears away an error. In his essay on “Scientific Discovery and tnghe * | Aer. 4, 1918 — NATURE 83. Proof,”’ Dr. F. C. S. Schiller argues at great gth that one of the main obstacles to scientific ess has been the analysis of scientific proce- dure which Logic has provided, and he pleads hat it should abandon its pretensions to rigour -conclusiveness. A philosophical treatment is adopted by Dr. J. W. Jenkinson on “ Vital- - Dr. Jenkinson was a distinguished embry- st, who, although forty-three years of age, his commission and fell only ten days after val at the Gallipoli Peninsula. MILK PRODUCTS. of Milk Products. By Prof. W. A. Stock- Pp. xxvii+578. (New York: The Mac- m ribs: ; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1917.) Price 10s. 6d. net. S book is one of the “Rural Manuals ’’—a series edited by Prof. L. H. Bailey. It is a complete treatise on all matters connected e dairy industry. The general scheme of - is to bring together in one volume the cent and trustworthy information upon ‘and milk products. In pursuance of this rof. Stocking has quoted the writings of ts in the various branches, so that the at and the practical man are in a good posi- © learn what is known on those aspects of which are to them of the greatest interest. reliminary chapters deal with the process secretion, and the evidence in support of s theories is given. The much-debated 1 as to the effect of food upon the quality < is discussed in chap. iii., as are other which may also have an effect—particu- the fat-content of milk. Owing to the the standard method of estimating fat ted States is by means of the Babcock chapter on milk testing is scarcely so the British reader. . e years the American dairy trade has at advance in the provision of a supply n milk for public consumption. In New there are three grades of milk and cream, e regulations governing the sale are quoted, also the score cards used in connection with nspection. One chapter is. devoted to ied milk, which is used almost exclusively ne feeding of infants, the cost of produc- reventing milk of this class being avail- or any large number of the general com- ty, much as it is desirable that the high lard of purity should be attained for larger ‘quantities of milk. It is clear, however, that the educational value of the. efforts.now being made to get a clean milk supply must favourably influ- nce the trade as a whole. _ The making of butter and cheese occupies about ‘the space in the book, and full particulars given of all the necessary appliances and chinery together with details of operations. here is no doubt that, with the increased anand for cheese, more milk will be used for _ NO. 2527, VOL. 101] ew ‘the production of the latter important article of food in the future. The standard makes of English cheese, such as Cheddar and Stilton, are dealt with, the former variety in considerable detail, as it has become the chief cheese made in America. Working directions are given for making a large number of other cheeses, such as Gouda, Edam, Camembert, Neufchatel, cream, etc. There is a chapter dealing with the part played by bacteria in dairying, but this section would have to be supplemented by a knowledge . of dairy bacteriology if the best use were to be made of it. i. tees OUR BOOKSHELF. The Improvement of the Gregorian Calendar. By Alexander Philip. Pp. 30. (London: G. Rout- ledge and Sons, Ltd., 1918.) Price 1s. 6d. net.— Our present calendar has many inconveniences: ~ the author’s ‘recommendations are limited to -the correction of the most serious. Notably, August should give a day to February, reversing the re- prehensible change attributed to Augustus. If the day were removed from August in one year and added to February in the following year, no alteration would be involved in the Easter tables. Also the leap-day should come at the end of a year; its present position causes many complica- tions. This might be managed, the author sug- gests, by beginning the year on March 1. He points out the desirability of making each quarter exactly thirteen weeks. He would have one day in common years and two in leap years that would stand outside the weekly reckoning, which would thus recur exactly every year. This would be a great help in the arrangement of meetings and similar events, their relative positions being in- variable, while at present they are subject to shifts of a week. These changes would cause some temporary inconvenience, especially to almanac- makers, but would in the long run be a great sim- plification. A. C. D. CROMMELIN. Annual Reports on the Progress of Chemistry for 1917. Issued by the Chemical Society. Vol. xiv. Pp. ix+264. (London; Gurney and Jackson, 1918.) Price 4s. 6d. net. Tur Chemical Society commenced the practice of issuing a collection of reports on the different branches of chemistry fourteen years ago, with the probable object of supplying to the individual chemist a review of that division of chemistry in which he was particularly interested. At the same time, the book is to furnish the reader with a concise survey of branches. in which he has only a general interest. These two objects seem to have been attained with a fair degree of success both in the previous volumes and in the present one. It must be admitted, however, that the chemist who endeavoured to read the book through from cover to cover would run considerable risk of suffering from a severe attack of. mental indigestion. This characteristic is, of course, an inevitable result of the compression of a year’s material into a com- 84 NATURE [Apri 4, 1918 paratively brief report, and does not depreciate the efforts of the various contributors. As outstanding features in the various reports, the following may be mentioned. Considerable space is devoted to the Bragg method of investi- gating crystals by means of X-rays, both by Dr. Dawson (general and physical chemistry) and by Mr. T. V. Barker (crystallography and minera- logy). An interesting discussion on phosphor- escence is included in Prof. E. C. C. Baly’s report (inorganic chemistry), Prof. J. ©. Irvine con- tributes a very readable account of the year’s researches on the aliphatic organic compounds, whilst homocyclic compounds are, dealt with by Dr. F. L. Pyman, and heterocyclic compounds by Dr. A. W. Stewart. More than half of Prof. F. G. Hopkins’s report (physiological chemistry) is devoted to the important subjects of “ The Alka- line Reserve of the Body’’ and “Some Aspects of Nutrition.’’ Dr. E. J. Russell writes on the year’s agricultural chémistry in his customary | lucid manner and emphasises the value of the present ¢0-operation between farm and laboratory. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with - the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] A Proof that any Transfinite Aggregate can be Well-ordered. Tue following sketch of a proof which seems to me to be not wholly unimportant is given here for certain reasons of priority. I hope that this short account is not unintelligible. Hartogs’s (Math. Ann., Ixxvi., 1915, 438-43) con- siderations may be generalised without difficulty to an investigation of the consequences of the existence of a least ordinal number which is greater than the ordinal types of all possible well-ordered series that can be . constructed out of a given aggregate M. This con- sideration throws no light on wheiher or not any one of these series actually exhausts M, unless we assume that of two different cardinal numbers one is greater than the other. Instead of using Hartogs’s method, I consider all those parts of M which can be well- ordered, well-order them in all possible ways, so that they form what may be called for shortness ‘‘ chains _of M”’ (so that the same part in different orders gives different ‘“‘chains’’), and imagine as put on one side all chains which are ‘‘segments,’’ in Cantor’s sense, of other chains of M. At this point we must introduce a definition : Given a chain (K) of M, let us say that a class K’ of chains of M is a “‘class of direct continuations of K”’ if each member of K’ has K as a segment, and also, if L is any member of K’ of type'A, those members of K’ which are of type less than A are segments. of L. Such a class K’ evidently defines one chain and not a class of independent chains, such as Hartogs considers. Now, in the above process of imagining, we do in fact havé a remainder of chains which are not seg- ments of others; for, if not, all chains of M would be NO. 2527, VOL. I10T| segments of other chains of M, and then we could show indirectly that for any such chain K, any ordinal number y, however great, and any class K’ of direct continuations of K, there is a segment of K’ of type y- In fact, if there were not such a segment, there would be at least one definite example of each of y, K, and K’, such that no segment of K’ is of type y; and thence we can easily show that not every chain of M is a segment of others. But we can prove (Phil. Mag. (6), vii., 1904, 61-75) that there is no series which has segments of any ordinal number y, however great. Thus there is at least one chain of M which is not a segment of some other. It is easy to prove that this chain exhausts M, and that there is a least type of those of chains that exhaust M. Thence, from the fact that the cardinal number of M is an Aleph; we can deduce Hartogs’s theorem, determine the form of the limit that Hartogs was really trying to find, and prove Zermelo’s (Math. Ann., lix., 1904, 514-16; Ixv., 1908, 107-28, 261-81) “principle of selection.”’ — Puitip E. B. Jourpain. The Bourne, Basingbourne Road, Fleet, Hants, March 12. an Future Supplies of Laboratory Apparatus and Materials. I HAvE been looking at my list of apparatus and materials which the chemical dealer tells me must © wait until the war is over before they can be obtained from Germany. one; I had to add to it this week. Few in our genera- tion will ever knowingly purchase goods made in Ger- many if they can be obtained from other countries. We feel that.German goods must appear to be smeared with the blood of our relatives and countrymen. I take it that my position is much the same as obtains — with the heads of other laboratories in the country. | Surely, therefore, it is time our British manufacturers realised that it is not much use tinkering with labora-. tory glass and porcelain ware, if the thousand-and-one other forms of laboratory apparatus have to be pur- chased in Germany after the war. f It séems reasonable — to suppose that the orders. for laboratory glass and — porcelain ware are bound ultimately to accompany the orders for the other requisites. pea ON AA ee Long-range Guns. — By a slip of the pen, double velocity was said, im my article. in last week’s Nature (p. 65), to give double range, instead of fourfold. iy ZA I regret to say the list is a formidable — At that rate, an increase of the velocity of our gun 4 in 1887 would be required from 2400 to 6000 ft. per sec. to make the range grow from 12 miles to 75. The rule is, of course, not exact except when air resistance is not taken into account. range would have been nearly trebled if it was not for the resistance of the air. eG tr G. GREENHILL. 1 Staple Inn, W.C.1, March 30. LONG-RANGE GUNS, } \ The 12-mile _ ¢ : eae appearance of a gun with a range of, i something like seventy or eighty miles has _ naturally aroused considerable interest, and the question is often asked as to how such long ~ The answer is that if the shot is to travel far it must get outside the atmo- ranges are attained. ee NATURE 85. yhere, or rather to a height where the density of the air is very small, and that it must be started with such a velocity that in spite of the air resist- ‘ance in the first part of its course, its remaining d, after having reached the upper air, shall be ent for its further progress. the surface of the earth and with ordinary esistance of the air is large compared with the ght of the shot, even for a 12-in. projectile, izh, of course, this ratio decreases in the pro- of the area to the volume. the absence of air resistance, elementary es show that if a projectile (or particle) is “upwards with an inclination of 45° the would be as follows :— Range 11°6 miles ae is te 47 an . 106 rm 188 296 ” where the air resistance is very small, with ng velocity of between 2000 and 3000 ft. temperature of the air at all heights tant, the air itself would extend to an ht, the pressure and density being ) well-known laws. If, on the other temperature decreases adiabatically 9 to 40,000 ft. or thereabouts), there mit of about seventeen miles above oxygen or nitrogen could exist. Above a projectile would experience no ‘but even a few miles lower the would be small compared with its graphic methods there is no difficulty in ucing the retardation which the shot undergoes the earlier part of its flight, though these Hele.) 6" | ave not computed the requisite initial velocity or a g-in. shot (such as is-said to have been used the German gun), but it must be of the order of 100 ft, per sec, , : Data for air resistance up to this speed will be und in a paper read by me before the Royal iety on May 28, 1908. — ‘© attain this speed a long bore would probably € more suitable than an extra-strong explosive ; least, this is what I found to be the case in my own experiments. 1 the statement given above as to ranges in lacuo it has been assumed that the trajectory as parabolic. In reality, of course, it is part of | very long ellipse, the projectile, in fact, behaving ; a satellite with an eccentric orbit of which the ements can be readily calculated. a: ; “A, Mattock. EE aT _ NO, 2527, VOL. 101] tile velocities (2000 to 3000 ft. per sec.) | height (as is found ‘to be the case, at. ethods cannot be shown in full in this short | CLOUD FORMATIONS AS OBSERVED FROM AEROPLANES. HE recent development of aviation has pro- vided a means of observing clouds which is much superior to any hitherto known. A modern aeroplane can reach the clouds in a very short time, and in many cases get above them. Observa- tions of temperature can easily be obtained, and probably humidity observations would present no great difficulties. The “bumps’’ experienced also give some information as to the nature of the disturbance causing the formation of the clouds. It is well known that the two most important processes which cause clouds to form are (1) the mixture of layers of air of high humidity and different potential temperature,! (2) adiabatic ex- pansion due to upward movement. The first process is the cause of most horizontal cloud-sheets, and the latter of the most typical cumulus clouds and also of rain-clouds. Many clouds of cumulus and strato-cumulus character are due to both processes combined. It has not hitherto been clearly understood pre- cisely how cloud-sheets a few thousand feet above the surface are formed. Observations from aero- planes show that under these cloud-sheets there is always some vertical disturbance and a lapse- rate of temperature (i.e. a rate of decrease of temperature with height) which is little below the adiabatic rate for dry air, while above the clouds the air is undisturbed, and there is a marked rise of temperature for a few hundred or a thousand feet above the clouds. The disturbance within and below the clouds is not violent in the case of a horizontal cloud-sheet, and is of the same nature as the eddy motion discussed by Major Taylor? with ‘reference to the fogs off the Newfoundland Banks. The disturbance is transmitted upwards from the earth’s surface, and consists of a fairly regular distribution of eddies, which do not last long, the disturbed air soon mixing with the sur- rounding air. The effect of heating or cooling the air at the surface has been discussed by Major Taylor, but the,type of cloud-sheet we are now considering is caused rather by the movement of la body of air over a wide stretch of sea where _ there is not much change of temperature. In the course of time the air up to the height of a few thousand feet is thoroughly mixed, with the result that the lapse-rate of temperature becomes adia- batic and the relative humidity increases with height; in many cases a cloud-sheet forms at the top of the disturbed layer of a thickness usually less than 1500 ft., often less than 500 ft. As the normal lapse-rate for the atmosphere generally is less than the adiabatic, there is an increase of temperature on passing from the disturbed to the undisturbed layer, which renders slow the further upward penetration of the eddy motion. 86 NATURE [AprIL 4, 1918 Any meteorological condition which causes a body of air to cover a wide stretch of sea without any irregular disturbance favours the development of cloud-sheets of this type. Fig. 1° shows an example of a cloud-sheet which occurred at Brook- lands on September 26, 1917, with a well-marked south-westerly current. The clouds extended from 3000 ft. to gooo ft., and there was a temperature recovery of 6° F. in 200 ft. above them; there was ‘some irregular disttirbance near the ground, but not sufficient to disturb the cloud-sheet, where the eddies were evenly distributed. This type of cloud-sheet is most. common in quiet winter weather, and the eddies are then not so well marked as in Fig. 1, but are, nevertheless, easily seen, and cause the clouds to be called “ strato- cumulus.’’ In anticyclones the air is very warm above the clouds, and in winter the temperature | | | northern France. Their effect. in preventing noc- turnal radiation is of great importance. ; The clouds of the cumulus class are caused by turbulence on a much larger scale than that which occurs in the horizontal cloud-sheets. They are formed with strong winds or when the air is being heated at the surface, and are. commonest over land and on summer. days., The. winds. crossing the irregular’ surface of the land, or local differ- ences of. temperature, give-rise to small variations of pressure, which cause irregular vertical currents. and corresponding variations : in. the’ horizontal wind velocity. The vertical currents do not usually last long, and soon mix with the surrounding air, but “the. turbulence. extends upwards, and thoroughly mixes the -air up to: the height of a few thousand feet. The turbulence in these con- ditions is more violent and less regular than that CG. Ke Mody Fic. 1.—Strato-cumulus at 4000 ft... Rise of temperature 6° F: in 200 ft. above clouds. High clouds of approaching “‘ rain-line” above. Taken, from 6000 ft., Brooklands, 4.30 p.m., September'26, 1917. Rete recovery may amount to‘'15° F. in 1000 ft., as on Deécember 22, 1917, and January 5, .1918, in northern France. Cloud-sheets at these two dates were almost certainly formed originally over the sea; the first was at about. 5000 ft., moving from N.N.E.; the ‘second at about 4000. ft.;~ moving from W.S.W. For fully 2000 ft. below the cloud- sheets there ‘was much turbulence and an adia- batic lapse-rate, while within 1500 ft. of the ground there was no turbulence noticeable to aero- planes, and the lapse-rate was zero. Such ad- vances of turbulent cloud-sheets from the sea over the top of comparatively tranquil ‘air near the ground are common in winter in Britain and 3 [We are indebted to the Scottish Meteorological Society for permission to reproduce the three photographs illustrating Capt. Douglas's paper. They are selected from a beautiful series of thirteen, all taken by Capt. Douglas, which accompany a paper by him on ‘‘The Lapse-line and its Relation to Cloud Formation” in the last issue of the Society’s Journa Third Series, vol. xvii., No. 34).—Ed. Nature.] ; NO. 2527, VOL. I101| which causes horizontal cloud-sheets. The clouds are ‘due partly to mechanical mixing of layers of different temperature, partly to the adiabatic ex- pansion of ascending air. The form may. be cumulus, fracto-cumulus, or strato-cumulu'’s, and the amount depends mainly on the humidity of the layers mixed up. . When the turbulence is due mainly to the wind passing over obstacles on the ground, the temperature of the top of the turbu- lent region is reduced, and a temperature inversion is often formed above the clouds. The irregular disturbances cause the upper surface of the clouds to be uneven, as in Fig. 2, where the variations of the level of the tops of the clouds amounted to tooo ft. The highest portions of these clouds reached. 8000 ft., and the temperature recovery above these portions amounted to 6° F. There was already a thin, broken, horizontal cloud-sheet AprIL 4, 1918] NATURE 87 ) at 7000 ft., with a slight rise of temperature above | lower air is very damp, showers may fall from a it, before it was disturbed by the cumuli rising | much lower level. Fig. 3 shows tops of cumuli a from below. at about 9500 ft. joined to a shower on the right, On days when the disturbance is due mainly to | and also patches of stratus. heating at the surface, and no cloud-sheet. or We have hitherto only been considering clouds 4 damp layer exists at the height of a few thousand | which are due to disturbances originating at the surface. The majority of the upper clouds are entirely independent of superficial dis- turbances. The same is true of many types of rain-cloud, which are due to upward movement on a large scale; even thunderstorms sometimes develop with their bases. at the height of fully 8000 ft., and are independent of disturbances ori- ginating at the surface. In many cases rainfall develops over a wide area from high cloud-sheets, which gradually extend downwards as the upward movement be- comes more pronounced. The rain area may advance over a wide tract of coun- try, preceded by a high cloud-sheet. The rain-clouds consist of thin mist extending to a great height, and in winter, and at : i fa has C.&. M.D, any season above 10,000 ft., they may | \Fic. 2.—Strato-cumulus a ‘Tops 7000 ft. to Bovo ft. Rise of temperature 6° F.in consist only of thin.snow. In France the = 100 ft. above highest parts. ‘laken, from about 8000 ft., Brooklands, 11 a.m., ) : ; ‘ August 16, 1917. past ‘ ' snow-storm of January 9, 1918, developed 2 : ae eae from a cloud-sheet of this type, which ori- “feet, the clouds usually retain the form of cumuli, | ginally came over high ‘up, and. ‘later at lower ~ which are, as a rule, contained within a. definite | heights, the. snow being finally continuous from ‘dayer the level of ‘which rises during the day. | the ground to a great height. ‘Rain-clouds of this - When the clouds have risén to 2000 ft. or more type may ‘be uniform over wide ‘areas, and. there above the ‘surface, the per rate near- the ground | may also be turbulent cloud-sheets near the. sur- is adiabatic, but . 5 _ this is’ not’ usually the case at the’ cloud level, with — the result ‘that. the _ clouds at ‘the .top of the ’ ascending’ currents are usu- ally | colder, ‘than’ the . surrounding air, being’ forced q up by small irre- _ gularities of pres- sure. Once the _ lapse-rate near ' the ground is ' adiabatic, large bodies of air may be forced up in this way, form- an g banks of _ cumulus clouds. ' If these enter a ' layer the lapse- mate of ‘which iby Fic. 3.—Cumuli, with stratus patches and thin stratus above. Tops of cumuli, 9500 ft. ; stratus patches, 8000 ft. ; thin stratus above the adia- above, 10,000 ft. Clouds joined to shower on right.” Taken, from about 8500 ft., Brooklands, 2 p.m., August 20, .1917. | batic for saturated je » ait, these large cumuli\ may become warmer face, sometimes joined to the rain-clouds. Some- ‘than the surrounding air and continue to | times also the lower clouds gather into large ascend, and perhaps finally cause showers or | cloud-heaps, which cause heavy showers in » thunderstorms. The tops of thunderstorms are | the middle of the other rain-clouds. The © seldom below 15,000 ft., and the top of heavy |‘high rain-clouds may themselves be broken Showers usually above 10,000 ft., though if the | into showers by local vertical movements, so NO. 2527, VOL. 101] Cok. MDs 88 NATURE [Aprit 4, 1918 that rainfall production is usually a complicated process. The writer has not had enough high flying to be able to make many observations of the upper clouds, but they certainly present an interesting field of investigation well within the possibilities of aeroplanes. C. K. M. Douctas. PHOTOGRAPHIC DETERMINATIONS OF STELLAR PARALLAX.} a determination of stellar parallaxes by photography has shown a striking improve- ment in recent years, and the results obtained with the Yerkes refractor are of the highest order of excellence. Two of the precautions observed in this and. similar series of measures are the taking of all the plates at small hour-angles, so as to minimise the effect of unequal atmospheric dis- persion in the stars, and the reduction of the magnitude of the parallax star to equality with the comparison stars. This latter precaution is necessary, since any inequality in the driving will have a different effect on the images of objects that differ much in brightness. The usual way of effecting this is by rotating a screen in the form of a sector of a circle in front of the brighter image. By altering the angle of the sector, any desired diminution of light may be obtained. This. method was used for most of the paral- laxes in the volume under notice, which, however, mentions an alternative plan, due to Prof. Kapteyn, that has been successfully tried at Yerkes. It- consists in taking an out-of-focus photograph of the required region, which on development exhibits the stars as discs of equal size but unequal density. This negative is then used as a screen for the parallax plate. Since the density of each disc is proportional to the photo- graphic brightness of the star that formed it, it is clear that the use of the screen will give nearly equal magnitudes for the stars on the parallax plate. The parallax work at Yerkes Observatory was begun in 1903 by Dr. Schlesinger, who was ap- pointed director of Allegheny Observatory in 1905; it was continued by Messrs. Slocum, Mitchell, Lee, Joy, and van Biesbroeck (of the Uccle Ob- servatory, Belgium). Up to the end of IQI5 131 parallaxes had been determined. The present volume contains the details of the last eighty-five, and a summary of the earlier results, which have already been published. The parallax stars are mainly bright ones, but nearly one-third of them are faint stars with large proper motions. The parallax of Algol is given as 0'02” ; that-of 61 Cygni, 0-27"; of 70 Ophiuchi, 0-21"; of e Lyre (the double-double), o'00” (all four components being measured); O.A. (N.) 17,415-6, o'22!, There are six of the eighty-five parallaxes between or” and 0-2”, three above 0:2”, and seventy-six less than o'1”. Four of the stars in the trapezium 1 “Stellar Parallaxes derived from Photo h i i a axe graphs made with the 4o-in. Refractor.” Publications of the Yerkes Observatory, vol. iv., part i. a NO. 2527, VOL. 101] of the Orion nebula were measured, as there is _ little doubt that they are actually involved in the — The results are negative for all four —oo21", —0023"), pre- sumably indicating that the trapezium and nebula _ The | possibility is recognised that the latter may them- _ selves be involved in the nebulosity, and a further — nebula. (—oo014"”, —0-026", are more remote than the comparison stars. investigation is suggested, using larger plates that would include stars more distant from the trapezium. ue The probable errors of these parallaxes are all in the neighbourhood of o’o1”. The error that is. reasonably possible is, of course, two or three times as great. A good illustration of this fact is afforded by the parallaxes found for the pair of stars-O.A. (S.) 14,318-20, R.A. 15h. 5m., S. decl. 16°. They are 5/ apart, magnitudes 96 and 92, spectral types G,; and G,, P:M.s 37693” in 1957° and 3675” in 195°6°, radial velocities. +307 km. and +295 km. These striking facts leave no reasonable doubt that the two stars are physically connected, and have sénsibly equal parallaxes. The present volume gives for the ‘parallaxes +0:025"”+0-008” and +0061” +0012” — respectively. As Prof. H. N. Russell had previ- — ously obtained the values +0014” +0-023",, +0:045” +0022”, some astronomers have adopted the view that one star is really some three times. — as distant as the other. But the close agreement of their abnormally large proper motions renders. such a conclusion wildly improbable. In fact, the weighted mean parallax is o'040” from the Yerkes. plates, and o'030” from those of Prof. Russell, a quite satisfactory accordance. — An appendix to the volume gives a detailed description of the measuring machine in use for _ It was made by William _ these photographs. Gaertner and Co., Chicago. The screw is 18 mm. in diameter, with 249 threads 1 mm. apart. The ‘nut is 50 mm. long, and the graduated head 18 cm. in diameter, having 1000 graduations. The errors of the screw are extremely small. A. C. D. CROMMELIN. THE SIKKIM HIMALAYA. section of the Himalaya is more fully O N known than Sikkim; Kashmir even has not been more assiduously investigated. The informa- tion regarding Sikkim is important for two reasons. This country, which extends, between long. 88° and 89° E., from the Bengal plain to the — tableland of Tibet, is the only fully explored por- tion of the eastern Himalaya. Our knowledge of the more extensive territories of Nepal to the west, — and of Bhutan to the east, is relatively scanty. The pioneer explorer of this interesting land was — Sir Joseph Hooker seventy years ago. Since 1848-49 many others have studied its fauna and flora, its geology and topography, its scenery and’ people. Explorers, surveyors, collectors, members — mos. of political missions, and expert mountaineers | have found in Hooker’s “Himalayan Journals,’’ published in 1852, a pleasant companion and a 4 NATURE 89 by orthy guide. Hooker’s maps have helped in ing boundary disputes and in conducting military operations. BS ‘Artists or climbers who have followed Hooker’s pe th have rarely described their tours; there was ttle to tell that Hooker had not already told. tific travellers have deviated as much as pos- from Hooker’s track; their writings record s already noted by Hooker ; they less often allude to places he visited. Among wanderers in Sikkim who have felt the of the region and the charm of Hooker’s is Lt.-Col. W. J. Buchanan, C.I.E., who a” Past and Present’’ (Calcutta torical ety, vol. xiv.), taken us “In the ‘ootsteps of Hooker through Sikkim and Nepal.’’ Th autsinsic value of this interesting article is nha d by the testimony it bears to the accuracy -* ’s observations and the soundness of Hooker’s conclusions. It forms a fitting and aceful centenary memorial of the great traveller naturalist. esides ‘minor. excursions, Hooker made two at Sikkim journeys. During the first—October, , to January, 1849—he explored the upper ment area of the Rangiet, in western Sikkim, ‘penetrated s some way into eastern Nepal. The d journey—May to December, 1849—took 2) the valleys of north-eastern Sikkim, drained the Lachen and the Lachung, which unite to ‘the Tista. Wide as Hooker’s interests were, ae Gar primarily a botanist, and singularly few of feral features of the land escaped his eye, ally during the second. journey, one episode 3 falihons his capture and imprisonment, along with the Political Officer, Dr. Campbell, by the ajah of Sikkim. Much, however, was still left to do. Hooker’s riend and fellow-student, T. Thomson, who joined » at Darjeeling, and explored the Khasia Hills i with him in 1850, ultimately succeeded Falconer as superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, and continued the botanical investigation of Sikkim. T. Anderson, superintendent from 1858 to 1870, did the same. Hooker, in his “Journals,’’ describes the efforts made to prevent his reaching the Tibetan border. ) the energy and tact of Sir G. King, super- intendent of the Calcutta Garden from 1871 to 898, we owe more than the systematic investiga- tion of valleys and passes not visited by Hooker. Though political difficulties prevented King from pplementing Hooker’s Nepalese results, he was able to explore the district of Chumbi, which, though politically Tibetan, is ‘geographically Himalayan, as thoroughly as he did Sikkim. Among: those whose share in the botanical survey of Sikkim during this period deserves especial ion were W. T...Blanford, C. B. Clarke, i A. Cummins, D. D. Cunningham, Sir J. Ware pac J. S. Gamble, G. A. Gammie, H. C. _Levinge, J. L. Listes, R. Pantling, and Sir G. Watt. ~ One district, Lotialth, in northern Sikkim, behind the Kinchinjanga massif, still remained NO. 2527, VOL. 101] unexplored. Objection was not taken in 1849 to Hooker’s attempt to enter this district, but his party was unable to cut a path through the dense rhododendron forest of the upper Zemu, which blocked the way. Political difficulties frustrated King’s wish to explore Lonakh, the “great black south’’ of the Tibetan graziers, who drive their yaks to its poor alpine summer pastures. An expedition organised by him for the purpose in 1892, under Mr. G. A. Gammie, had at the: last moment to be diverted to another district. This region, difficult of access from the south, was at last traversed by Mr. Freshfield, whose account of his journey, “Around Kanchenjunga,”’ published in 1903, now almost takes the place of Hooker’s “Journals.’’ The first Lonakh plants to reach the Calcutta herbarium were sent from the Naku-la by Sir F.. Younghusband in 1903. It has been the good fortune of the present superin- tendent of the Calcutta Garden, Lt.-Col. A... T. Gage, to organise an expedition, led by Messrs. W. W. Smith and G. H. Cave, which in 1909, by investigating this district, has done much towards completing the botanical survey of Sikkim begun by Hooker. NOTES. Tuat “prevention is better than cure”’ needs no argument, and yet it may be observed from time to time in the daily papers that the general idea of a Ministry of Public Health seems to be that the various organisations for treatment of disease are very'specific- ally involved, and that, provided the interests of these organisations are secured, all might go well. It is only Lord Rhondda who appears to place prevention well to the front. Insurance against sickness is neces- sary where prevention fails, but surely every bed occu- pied by a sick man or woman is a possible censure | upon the prevention side. There are, therefore, two distinct branches of. work. Prevention involves the organisation of science, not merely laboratory science, but also the practical applications of the lessons learned in the laboratory, these applications being carried out by scientifically trained men. Treatment involves the re- construction of our hospital system. If we are to have a Health Ministry anda really national Health Service it is the prevention side that demands, and must re- ceive, the chief attention of our statesmen. For the cure of disease we may justly be proud of our doctors of all ranks. But what is their work? Nine-tenths of it is trying to remedy and cure easily preventable disease. King Edward asked: “If preventable, why not prevented? ’’ and his question has not yet been answered. If the Health Ministry is to be a success its chief aim must be prevention. We who believe in the urgent necessity for a Ministry of Health want to answer King Edward’s question, and so to deal with the health of the nation that the next generation will know nothing of preventable disease, or, if it occurs, will regard it as a disgrace, and that ‘the sufferer from any disease the cause of which is known and prevent- able will be as ashamed to admit it as is now the case with those affections which are known to be the result of excesses and loose living. For several years before the war various branches of science had gradually been acquiring the elements of an international organisation, and in several in- stances Germany had secured that the central bureaux should be associated with her own national institutions 90 NATURE [Aprin 4, 1918 dealing with the branches of science concerned. These arrangements have lapsed since the outbreak of war, either informally, or, as in. the case of. the Inter- national Geodetic Association, by the non-renewal of the diplomatic convention which had constituted and maintained the association. The convention was origin- | ally concluded in 1895, and renewed in 1907'forja further period of ten years, so that it ceased to exist last year. In the course of 1916, however, steps were taken by a group of neutral States—Switzerland, Holland, Den- mark, Sweden, Norway, Spain, and the United’ States of America—to constitute amongst themselves, and under terms resembling those of the old convention, a_ small association which might maintain the work of the wider body, if.only in a restricted form; this neutral group is to dissolve two years after the con- clusion of peace. Among other services, it has assured the continuance of; the international. scheme for deter- mining the variation of latitude. The question.of the future of international geodetic work has recently ‘been raised, perhaps a little prematurely, by M. Ch.’ Lalle- mand, ‘Directeur du Service du Nivellement de la France. In a letter addressed to the delegates from all the countries of the Entente to the lapsed associa- -tion, and also published in‘ the Revue’ générale des Sciences. (February 28, Supp., p. 17), .M. Lallemand advocates the foundation of a new body, to be confined, at least initially, to the Entente countries. With this in view he has sent out a draft of a proposed: convention, which, amongst its. provisions, departs from former. practice in giving voting power to the different coun- tries, not equally, but in some kind of proportion to their relative importance. A special conference will be called to. discuss. the hone as ; soon . as : occasion offers. : From time. to time: tie safety belie numerous pre- historic remains on Salisbury Plain has’ been’ a- matter of anxious concern to antiquaries in consequence of the use of the Plain by the military authorities. There has _ been every évidence of ‘goodwill’ on the’ part of the mili- tary authorities,’ but their best’ “intentions and en- deavours have not been sufficient to prevent a con- siderable amount of mischief being done. A valuable step in advance has recently been taken at the instance of the Society'of ‘Antiquaries by ‘thé ‘appointment of Lt.-Col. William Hawley, of Salisbury,’ the able ex- plorer ‘of Old Sarum,’ as an. inspector~ to watch over the safety of ‘these ‘remains. and’ report. to''the War Office any injury ‘ with which: ‘they may be threatened. It is to be hoped that’ his authority’ may be extended in the ‘direction’ of empowering him to take ‘effectual — steps 'to prevent any such injury. ‘The safety of Stone- henge itself is ‘not 'so well assured as could’ be wished. Since it’ was acquired by a public-spirited citizen of Salisbury it has-been placed’ in, the charge of a custo- dian employed by’ him,’ and watched’ over by a police constable, and’ for: their accommodation’ two cottages | had been provided in the’ immediate neighbourhood of the monument. For some military reason which has not beén disclosed, the authorities ‘have’ taken over | these cottages and ordered them to be demolished. As there are no other cottages in the neighbourhood, the necessary consequence seems to be that the custodian and constable cannot exercise constant supervision as hitherto. The Society of Antiquaries has adopted the following ‘resolution, drawn up by its president, Sir Arthur Evans:—‘‘The Society of Antiquaries has heard with concern that the War Office proposes to demolish the two cottages by Stonehenge, which serve as the domiciles of the custodian and the police con- stable charged with the safe-keeping of the monument. As these are the only available cottages in the neigh- bourhood the society feels that such action may be fraught with perilous consequences, and therefore begs NO. 2527, VOL. 10T| | 82° in. | leave to direct the attention of the Secretary of States for War to, the urgent necessity of taking adequataay steps to protect this gamuiaee monument from injury or defacement.”’ Ps Pan T 7 ipeamete: om THe Times of March 28 publishes a long Redan message from Stockholm containing parts ‘of the memorandum on the crisis which led to war drawn up in August, 1916, by the former German Ambassador « in London, Prince Lichnowsky. The memorandum decisively fastens upon Germany the responsibility for | the war, and is a document of high historical import- ance, especially if the whole of it represents the British attitude so truthfully as is done by Prince Lichnowsky in the following reference to what is thought of science and learning :—‘‘In no place . . . is an.envoy’s social circle of greater consequence than in England. A hospitable .house. with friendly guests is worth more than the ‘profoundest scientific knowledge, and a learned man of insignificant appearance. and: too ‘small means would, in spite of all his learning, acquire no influence. The Briton hates:a bore anda: rene He loves a good fellow.’ Mr. Gis He, whose death occurred ‘last’ week at Bromley, Kent, was for. several years deputy-prine cipal chemist: of the Government’ Laboratory, which = position he held on his retirement from’ the: public: service: <4 in. 1904. For a considerable period previously Mr. Helm — had beer a superintending analyst in charge of chem- ~— ical matters connected with the assessment of revenue, and his technical knowledge of the brewing, distilling, and tobacco-making industries, as also of the legal” enactments by which the operations 6f these industries are ‘controlled, enabled him to render ‘valuable ‘assist- ancein matters: of fiscal :chemistry to Sir: Edward Thorpe when the latter succeeded the late: Dr. Jas. Bell as.head of the’ laboratory. . Cautious. and. shrewd, Mr. Helm had a in kg sense of. what. was, 2, Senay i ea ee ateatin er eas turing. and’ general public on: the pitt ‘He: ‘was iat somewhat reserved,-.but withal kindly, ‘disposition, and the news _of - his: decease, albeit at the ripe age of seventy-nine, will be heard with regret. e hipres scstame i] and official acquaintances. THE special correspondent of the Times at the! War | Correspondents’ Headquarters,in France: says that‘in- formation as:to.the long-range guns whichare shelling _ Paris was obtained last: December. from prisoners. The guns were ‘said to be of a5 in., and fined down to about They were,’ according to one” ‘informant, 79 ft. long, and in the trials had ‘carried 75, kilometres, and were expected to carry’ 100) ‘kilometres, or ‘62 miles. More remarkable than the gun was. the shell, which - was 59 in..in length and prolonged into-a ‘bottle, neck at the front, with two copper driving bands and rifling extending in advance of these, the weight of the shell. being about 350 _ Ib. The two copper. driving: bands are I in. wide, and in front of these is a steel on iron band of 3 in. or more,. over which the rifling extends, which would give the shell great stability in the air. | According to the latest information derived from : prisoners, the Times correspondent says, the gun ’s length would probably be about 104 calibres—that is, 104 times the diameter, of the bore—which is getting on for twice the length of any gun of the same calibre we make. The muzzle velocity-is estimated to be from 4500 to | 5000 ft. per second, and it is conjectured that the gun | is elevated to an angle perhaps as high as 55°, so that | the main part of the path of the shell would be in a | _ region where little air resistance would -be experienced. NATURE gl ‘regret to see the announcement of the death of . Seabroke, director of the Temple Observa- HE annual oration of the Medical Society of London > delivered by Dr. T. S. Hyslop on May 13, upon periect of ‘Degeneration in Art, Science, and learn from the Times that at the annual meet- the Association of Chambers of Commerce to d in London on Tuesday and Wednesday next a providing a cecimal” aitetn of gous, will be tted for roval. The terms of the Bill have agreed on by the Executive Council of the asso- the Bankers’ Institute, and the Decimal Asso- . Arrangements are being made for its imme- introduction in the House of Lords. the Museum Journal (vol. viii., No. 2, June, 1917) arty ~ remarkable account of human sacrifice hot the Amazon. Disease is believed to be by a Bokaidpot, or evil genius, in the village. person is. identified ‘by the medicine man, and he in if many ‘deaths or much ‘sickness occur. The is strangled by means of a cord pulled ey hig nec and next morning, after the chief has ; body i is ‘cremated. The accused knows he Tt Setters: in the Naturalist for papaiary: es a collection of implements of the Bronze age > Whitby Museum. There are in all twelve ecimens, of which two are evidently of ‘Irish origin, poe are imperfect. One rare type of implement, = d dagger, i is unfortunately imperfect, the blade and a crude attempt having been made ‘the ‘broken part for use as a chisel. Two are obviously forgeries, and seem to be payee attempts to imitate genuine weapons. Hempts of ‘* Flin’. -Jack,’? who was sols the Whitby district, and spent some time n his calc sents alg ‘his best to satisfy the ies ie between the Fly and Strickland Rivers, wa, Which is published in the March issue of Man. . live about Lake Murray, a large, swampy | lies in the angle formed by the junction of > ae a Strickland I ivers, discovered by Messrs. if Season and Burrows in 1913. The language of os le seems to be closely connected with that of More uke ‘or Tugeri tribe, and the tribes connecting races of these two areas must be sought in the little-known interior of the island rather than ‘the coast. In one village stuffed heads, like found on the Strickland, and described by s, were noticed. But the latter was mistaken lieving that the skull was removed through a long ut on the neck; as a matter of fact, the flesh is cod by clay or fibre; the skull is not removed. E volume of Scientific Reports of the Agricultural arch Institute, Pusa, for 1916-17 continues the of valuable services rendered to Indian agricul- by this institution. The report of the director is apanied by the reports of the heads of the various cientific divisions, and the matters dealt with are so iried as to preclude any effective summary within the gmpass of a brief note. A few subjects chosen at om Panclude starch production, soil aeration, wheat- ling, indigo, paddy. diseases, disease-carrying in- ' NO. 2527, VOL. 101] ————— sects, and green manuring. Detailed reports on some of these subjects have been published during the year and noted in these columns. A BACTERIAL disease of wheat in the Punjab is de- scribed by Mr. C. M. Hutchinson in the Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India (vol. i., No. 7). In the affected wheat the inflorescence and parts of the stem are covered with a bright primrose-yellow slime, and the growth of the plant may be interfered with and the stem distorted. The appearances are well depicted © in a coloured plate. The yellow slime is crowded with bacilli, which can be readily cultivated on a variety of culture media, yielding yellow growths on many. Inoculation of wheat plants with cultures successfully reproduced the disease provided that the plants were kept in an abnormally moist atmosphere. The bac- terium is named Pseudomonas tritici. PROPHYLACTIC inoculation against pneumococcal infec- tions is the subject of a research by Mr. F. S. Lister (Publications of the South African Institute for Medical Research, No. x.). He shows that from 63 to 77 per cent. of ail cases of pneumonia among the Trans- vaal native miners are caused by one or other of three races or groups of the pneumococcus designated A, B, and C. By prophylactic inoculation, pneumonia has been completely abolished on the Crown Mines. The method is to administer three subcutaneous inocula- tions of one cubic centimetre each of.a vaccine con- taining representatives of the three groups, A, B, and C, of pneumococci in equal proportion, and containing seven thousand million cocci per c.c. Details are given for the preparation of the vaccine, and statistical data of the results obtained by its use are tabulated. TuE cessation of the trade in tinned articles of food during the war has forced India to rely on its own resources. An exhibition of such local productions held at Calcutta early in January last shows how much progress has already been made. The sun-drying of vegetables has been undertaken; dried and made into bricks, the weekly supply fora thousand men on active service can be carried in twelve kerosene tins, an easy load for two mules. Biscuits are being largely made of the flour of Pusa wheat; macaroni, vermicelli, and ground rice are made. Hams and bacon come from the Balaclava farm at Ghoom, the produce being sold at little more than half the price of the importe article. Cured and tinned fish and a large selection of condiments are another branch which has proved very successful. The exhibition will do much to en- courage this new trade in food for Europeans in India. THE migrations of the king-fish, or opah (Lampris luna), and of the sun-fish Orthagoriscus mola) in British waters are briefly summarised in the Scottish | Naturalist for February by Prof. D’Arcy Thompson. His analysis of recorded captures of the first-named, all of which were secured with a hook, seem to show that the northern movements of this fish lie in a sort of belt along the edge of the deep water from the eastern side of the North Sea round the Shetlands to the outer side of the Hebrides. This migration un- mistakably attains its maximum during the summer months, though there are many records of specimens taken during winter. But these are all inshore records, suggesting that such individuals must be re- garded as rn a which have lost their way. The migrations of the sun-fish show a double maximum, one in early summer for our southern and western coasts, and one in autumn for the east and north. It has been suggested that the ‘sun-fish is, so to speak, a eeeae migrant, carried along by ocean currents with no ‘proper motion” of-its own. Prof. D’Arcy Thitepacd | is by no means inclined to accept this view. Though he agrees that the great Atlantic ‘Gulf / 92 NATURE [ApRIL. 4, 1918 Stream ’’ current plays an. important part in these movements, he is led to the conclusion that food is the influence immediately at work, these fish preying largely on eel larva or “‘leptocephalids,’’ which, dur- ing the summer months, are making their shoreward migration from the Atlantic. ‘tThere would seem,” he remarks, ‘“‘to be a close and even precise corre- spondence between this periodic annual migration of the Leptocephali and the appearance of the sun-fish in our home waters.”’ Mr. E. E. Green, in the Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine for March, makes a plea in favour of the introduction into Great Britain of two species of exotic butterflies. Mischief enough already has been wrought in many parts of the world by experiments of this kind, and itis devoutly to be hoped that further ven- tures in this direction will not be made without the fullest consideration of the possible consequences. Tue structure and relationships of Bathynella, the European “‘ well-shrimp,”’ are discussed by Dr. W. T. Calman in a recent paper in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science (vol. \xii., part 4, 1917). From the study of a few fresh specimens from »Switzerland. Dr. Calman definitely confirms his long-held opinion . that this tiny, blind crustacean is a degenerate mem- ber of the Syncarida, where it finds its place together with Anaspides and the remarkable allied genera that inhabit. certain Tasmanian» and Australian lakes, and Palzocaris and other fossils preserved in rocks of the Palzozoic era. THE advance of our knowledge about the part played by blood-sucking’ insects in the spread of disease is of such importance and so continuous that the paper by M. E. MacGregor (Bull. Entom. Res., vol. viii., part 2, 1917), giving a summary of the recorded ‘‘ In- sect Vectors of Disease,’’ will be of value for reference by students. Ticks and other Acarina are appropriately included in the tables, as well as true insects. Mr. MacGregor warns the reader that his lists ‘“‘can in no way claim to be complete,’’ but the omission of the sheep-flies (Lucilia sericata, etc.) from ‘‘the chief in- sects and ‘Acarina that are directly the cause of disease in man and his domestic animals ’’ is somewhat sur- prising. In a recently issued pamphlet, ‘‘ Zur Auffassung der Verwandtschafts-Verhaltnisse der Tiere, I,’ Prof. J. E. V. Boas, of Copenhagen, speculates on the rela- tions of the Echinoderms. He suggests that they were derived, through the Crinoids, from a sessile polyp, and he adduces in support of his view many interesting resemblances of structure. Sedgwick showed how all animals with a body-cavity distinct from the gut might have originated from the Ccelentera, and the article “Echinoderma ’’ in the ‘‘ Encyclopedia Britannica” (1902, 1911) applies this in more detail to the Echino- derms. But the direct and easy transition imagined by Prof. Boas fails to explain the peculiar torsion of Echinoderm structure, or the traces of bilaterality the existence of which he is bold enough to deny. Had he remedied his admitted want of knowledge of some English writings on this subject he might have dealt with these difficulties more convincingly. Prof Boas then proceeds to construct an ancestral worm (an ‘“‘ Ur- Chzetopod,’’ to be precise), from which he would derive the Nemertines and flat-worms, the Enteropneusta, the Chzetognatha, and the Brachiopoda; and he connects this ancestor with the Echinoderms by way of the Holothurian Synapta. He brings out, it is true, a number of interesting analogies, but most zoologists would ascribe these to similarity in the mode of life, A brief final chapter deals with the germinal layers and the development of the coelom. ‘The author insists NO. 2527, VOL. 1or| tions of photographs. throughout that his hypotheses are possibilities rather — than proved theories. If they present difficulties even — as possibilities, we may none the less be. grateful to — Prof. Boas for presenting ancient problems in a new — Het and in a manner that is both interesting and easy — to follow. ee: | In the February issue of the Scientific Monthly, — published in New York, two interesting articles on meteorology in connection with the war appear. Prof. — R. DeC. Ward writes about ‘‘ Weather Controls over — the Fighting in the Italian War Zone,” and gives de- tails about’ the rain- and snow-fall and the temperature during the past three years. The fighting has been — chiefly in mountainous regions, and the passes have often been blocked by heavy snow. Prof. Alexander McAdie deals with ‘‘ Meteorology and the National Welfare.” A’ considerable part of his article is con- cerned. with the prevailing winds, such as the trades. and monsoons, and Prof. McAdie points out how the character of a season in the United States depends on the direction of the prevailing wind in that particular season. He shows how aviation will depend upon a knowledge of these winds, and expresses the hope that — much information about the currents and temperature — of the upper air useful for meteorology will be obtained — iby aviators after the war. In the same number of the magazine there is also an article on ‘‘ Snow and its — Value to the Farmer’? by Dr. Andrew H. Palmer, — which is interesting and contains many good reproduc-_ _ SomE experiments. carried out at the Cancer Re-— search Department of the Middlesex Hospital are described by Mr. J. C. Mottram and Dr. S. Russ in a | paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medi- — cine, vol. x.. The paper gives a detailed record of ex- perimental observations. of a case of carcinoma under radium treatment. An ionisation method was em- ployed to determine the intensity of the radiation emitted by the several applicators used, and, in addi- — tion, measurements of the absorption of the B and y — radiations by the skin and subcutaneous tissues were made. This was done in order to be able to compare the effect produced upon the skin when it is irradiated — in such a manner that equal amounts of 6 and y rays — are absorbed by it. Details of the observations on the — skin and subcutaneous nodules subjected to screened and unscreened 8 and y radiations are given. As a result of the tests it is established that, first, if the skin is irradiated in such a manner that the neigh- bouring portions absorb equal amounts of f- and y-ray energy, similar reactions are produced, but they are, — in general, more pronounced in the case of the y rays. — Secondly, if the skir is exposed to a large amount of 8 or y radiation for a short time the reaction is more pronounced than if the same dose is given using a smaller amount of radium for a correspondingly pro-_ longed period. The effect on the malignant sub-— cutaneous nodules was not, however, appreciably different in the two cases. jog Tue British Journal of Photography has reprinted in its issues for March 1, 8, and 15 a paper on “ Axial Aberration of Lenses,’’ by Messrs. Tillyer and Shultz, of the Bureau of Standards at Washington, which has appeared in the Journal of the bureau. After a clear. account of the way in which zonal aberration and the sine condition affect the image, the authors describe a modification of the Hartmann method which they have introduced for the determination of the axial aberra- tion of lenses and instruments. In the case of a lens — monochromatic light of wave-length 4250, 4750, 5500, or 6s00 Angstrém units is allowed to fall on a metal - screen seven metres away, perforated with holes a millimetre in diameter and three millimetres apart. i { a 7 A RIL 4, 1918] NATURE © 93 ns is placed immediately behind the screen, and pencils of light which pass through the ‘holes eived on a photographic plate placed at suitable ‘between the lens and its focus, and beyond the - From the subsequent measurements of the ; of the spots of light on the plate curves show- variation of the effective focal length, the | aberration’ and the coma for each of the four light used are drawn. Seventeen sets of for typical lenses are reproduced in the paper. oe aaag of Electrical Engineers has issued in form the standard clauses for street lighting s which are the outcome of the delibera- the Joint Committee consisting of delegates Institution of Electrical Engineers, the Institu- a _Engineers, the Institution of County and Engineers, and the Illuminating Engineer- and appointed in 1910. The specification the form of tender, particulars of lighting the general nature of the contract. It is classify streets in five classes, having a minimum illumination of 0-01, 0-025, 0-04, 0-1 foot-candle, the minimum being measured pis photometer in a_ horizontal plane from the ground. A minority report ex- dissent of the council of the Institution ers to the proposed basis of measure- ¢ preferred that contracts for street light- 1 be | on the average candle-power of “source. ascertained at two or three prescribed : points at issue were dealt with in the dis- on this subject by Mr. A. P. Trotter ting Engineering Society in 1913, agreement was not attained. As the under consideration for six years it publish the clauses as they now stand, ‘a minority report. It is hoped that useful when methods of street reviewed after the war. Copies can be se between temperature and the pressure vapour is of great theoretical and prac- and a very extensive literature already the theoretical ‘side, special attention having to the relationship in the case of water and a ur, and ice and vapour. So far as the pressure of ice is concerned, experimental deter- ‘been carried out with considerable ‘im recent years by Scheel and Heuse and but there has been a great need for a series of determinations of the vapour pressure of ice at nperatures, in order partly to correct the values z 1 and Heuse, and partly to ' - the Nernst formula holds good down to : "pressures. Such a series of determinations 1 carried out with the greatest care by Sophus Pei in the laboratory of Prof. Kammer- hes at Leyden (Communications from the tory of the University of Leyden, 50). The method employed was the ordinary od in combination with the absolute mano- and the hot-wire manometer of Knudsen. The ents. extend. over a range of temperature from 22° to —190° C., and the values have been ed with the Nernst formula, Ev eee The actos has been found to be particularly d. By the introduction of a quantum-formula due ‘ollitzer, Nernst has made his equation more tional , but so far as agreement with experiment is NO. 2527, VOL. ror} ae "75 log T—o'00210 T + 6°5343. IR concerned, there appears to be little to distinguish the two expressions. Incidentally, it may be said, the experiments of Weber show that water vapour at a temperature of —80° has a molecular weight of about 20, whereby partial association is indicated. Tue customary methods for the preparation of plant nucleic acids are rather cumbersome and necessitate a ptic digestion of the nucleoproteins extracted. Messrs. G. Clarke and S. B. Schryver have succeeded in avoid- ing the peptic digestion, and their method of procedure is described in the Biochemical Journal for December. In the preparation of nucleic acid from yeast, the latter, after pressing, is treated with a large excess of 95 per cent. alcohol for twenty-four hours, and then boiled for two hours in the same solvent, whereby the pro- tein-complex is rendered insoluble in sodium chloride solution. The yeast is then filtered, pressed, dried at 37°, ground to a fine powder, and ‘extracted’ for four to five days with 1o per cent. sodium chloride solution at 60°-80°. When the clear extract is treated with hydrochloric acid a characteristic precipitate of nucleic acid separates and settles to a hard cake at the bottom of the vessel. After standing, this is washed with 50 per cent. alcohol until free from chlorine, left stand- ing overnight in 95 per cent. alcohol, and finally washed with absolute alcohol and ether. The yield varied from 1-4 to 1-6 per cent. of the dry, alcohol-extracted yeast. The crude nucleic acid was best purified by dissolution in warm Io per cent. sodium acetate solu- tion, and reprecipitation with hydrochloric acid. Nucleic acid can be prepared from wheat embryos in a similar manner, but in this case it is found advan- tageous to remove the starch by hydrolysis with taka- diastase before gigierteca with sodium chloride solu- tion. OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. INFRA-RED SOLAR SpECTRUM.—By the use of plates stained with dicyanin, Mr. W. F. Meggers, of the Washington Bureau of Standards, has obtained an excellent series of photographs of the solar spectrum in the region from 6800 A to g600 A (Astrophysical Journal, vol. xlvii., p. 1). These photographs thus provide material for accurate determinations of wave- lengths in continuation of the classic tables of Row- land, which did not extend further than the approxi- mate limit of the visible ctrum at 7300 A. Photo- graphs in the same part of the spectrum of more than forty of the chemical elements have also been taken, and nearly 400 of the solar lines have been identified with lines in the spectra of eighteen elements. Two hundred lines are accounted for by iron, sixty-three by nickel, twenty-seven by titanium, twenty-two by cobalt, and smaller numbers by chromium, silicon, manganese, calcium, and other elements. One thousand six hundred lines remain for the present unidentified. In addition to the well-known bands due to terrestrial oxygen, there are others which appear to be due to water vapour. The separation of the solar and telluric lines has been undertaken at the Allegheny Observatory by the solar rotation method. Publication of the wave- lengths is postponed, but reproductions of the solar photographs, with wave-length scales, are included in the paper. Harvarp CoLiecGe OpservatTory.—A recent report of the committee appointed to visit and report upon the Harvard College Observatory refers chiefly to the valuable services rendered by the director in promoting | co-operation among astronomers. It is row about forty years since Prof. Pickering began to advocate the advantages of united efforts in carrying out some of the larger investigations in astronomy, and at the present time a considerable amount of the work of the Nee NATURE [APRIL 4, 1918 Harvard Observatory is carried on in co-operation with other institutions. Prof. Pickering has also assisted largely in the organisation of amateur astronomers in America, especially for the observation of variable stars, in which thirty observers are now associated. For this work the observatory has furnished suitable charts, and deterniinations of the magnitudes of nearly 5000 reference stars. Harvard Circulars Nos. 203 and 204 have also been received. The first includes particulars of asteroids which will attain magnitude 10, or brighter, during 1918, and the second contains a valuable summary of the observed magnitudes of Nova Persei No. 2 from 1902 to the end of last year, together with a list of comparison stars suitable for future determinations. _ Tue Canapian “ OBSERVER’S HANnpBooK.’’—A useful service to its members is rendered by the Royal Astro- nomical Society of Canada in the annual publication of ‘“‘The Observer’s Handbook.’’ It includes a collec- tion of astronomical data, referring especially to the sun, moon, and planets, arranged very conveniently in the form of a calendar. There is also a special list of occultations, calculated for Ottawa. Tables which vary but little from year to year have been omitted from the present issue. EPHEMERIDES OF ALGOL VARIABLES.—In the Journal des Observateurs, vol. ii., No. 4, M. Luizet has given a valuable series of tables, from which observers can readily prepare a list of the dates of occurrence during the present year of minima of 123 variables of the Algol type. The epoch of the first minimum occurring in each month is given in the first ‘table, and the length of period, and multiples thereof, in the second. The variables are designated by the notation of André, as well as by that of Argelander. i THE TRAINING OF THE FRENCH ENGINEER. N the Bulletin de la Société d’Encouragement pour V’Industrie Nationale for September-October last appears a valuable report of the proceedings of the Society of Civil Engineers of France concerning the training of engineers of the first rank, alike for the special services of the State and for leading positions in industry. Not only is the specialised training re- quired considered in the article, but -also the previous preparatory education. The matter arose on the pre- sentation of an important communication from M. Léon Guillet, a member of the society, which was considered at a special session of the society held on November 3, 1916, at which the Minister of Commerce and Industry presided. The communication embraced a comparative study of the subject of technical train- ing as it is pursued in France and abroad, a thought- ful criticism of the existing means and methods of ‘such instruction and the preparation required for it, and an expression of personal views as to the lines upon which in future both preparatory and technical studies should proceed. A special commission was appointed, which sat during five sessions, extending to the end of April, 1917, and took important evidence from professional and other persons engaged in en- gineering. An official invitation was received by the society in January, 1917, from the Minister of Commerce and Industry, to formulate proposals for the essential. modifications required, in its opinion, to be introduced to ensure the more efficient education and training of professional engineers. These’ proposals take the form of recommenda- tions relative to reforms in the aims and methods of secondary education, as a preparation for higher NO. 2527, VOL. 101] | susceptible of contributing to the national defence, or — concentrated in the cutaneous vessels, while during the. technical schools, in which it is suggested that the — classical studies should be lessened, the teaching of modern languages encouraged, and courses in manual — exercises introduced. lt is also suggested that the — plan of instruction should be arranged so as to meet the needs on one hand of those proceeding to eri normal schools, and on the other of those entering the _ technical high schools. a Great importance is attached to the necessity for the — nik fullest opportunity of laboratory practice in the tech- nical high schools, and for the encouragement not only of a spirit of individual research and inquiry in the students, but also of a more intimate relation between them and the teaching body with less merely ex cathedra teaching. It is laid down as essential that the directing and teaching personnel of the engineering schools shall be recruited from persons actively asso- — ciated with industrial conditions, and that the students themselves shall have had the opportunity of work in. the factories and of travel-study in the workshops of France and in foreign countries. The vital importance of the economic aspect of industry is insisted upon, and with the view of increasing French influence abroad, every encouragement should be given to foreigners to follow in whole or-in part the instruction in tech- nical high schools, and, finally, it is recommended that so far as possible the native pupils shall be admitted without fee, and assisted, where necessary, by loans — without interest. It is suggested that regular military. _ training shall be maintained in these schools, that — the time spent in them shall count as two years in the Service, and that the one year of effective service shall consist of six months with the colours and six — months in the service of the State or in industries in camp instruction for officers. . a Proposals are made for further specialised and ad- — vanced instruction of a post-graduate character, and. after the manner of the newly founded High School of Electricity, it is suggested that institutions dealing respectively with machinery and iron and steel con-— struction, metallurgy, chemistry, textiles, public works’ — and railways, and naval construction should be estab- lished, and short technical. courses of a very ad- — vanced character dealing with the most recent — progress in technical ‘science offered to professional — engineers engaged in works. The proposals are fur- — : ther elaborated in a long communication from the vice-president of the society to the Minister of Com- merce and Industry which is well worthy of the atten- — tion of the engineering profession in this country. : NEMATODE PESTS. PROF. WARRINGTON YORKE and Dr. B. Blacklock (in Annals of Trop. Med. and — Parasitology, vol. xi. No. 2, 1917) have re- corded. a series of interesting observations on the periodicity of the larvae of the nematode worm, _ Filaria bancrofti (nocturna), in an Australian who con-_ tracted the infection in Queensland. It is well known — that during the night the larva of this species are ba day they are present there in small numbers only. © The authors estimated the number of larvz in the — cutaneous blood. every two hours for a period of twenty-four hours on December 21-22, 1916, and again — on January 5-6, 1917. The maximum concentration observed was at midnight, when there were 12,850 larvae per cubic centimetre. Although the number of — larve fell to a low level during the daytime they were _ never absent, the minimum number noted . being — 50 per c.c. of cutaneous blood. A discussion of the ob- — \PRIL 4, 1918] NATURE 95 ons has- led. the authors to the conclusion that tnal periodicity of. the larve is primarily de- at upon periodic variations in the arterial supply ye to the cutaneous vessels. The periods of sleep activity of the patient were reversed, and there da gradual change in regard to the period of taneous immigration of the larve. After four the maximum concentration of the larve in the sous vessels had been changed from midnight to m., and after eleven days to midday. Graphs the number of larvez per c.c. of blood passed urine reveal the existence of a regular periodicity ponding with that of the larve in the cutaneous with -the difference that the time of maximum tration of larvz-in the renal and vesical vessels everal hours later. Messrs. Malins Smith and WS give, in the same number of the Annals, records of the occurrence of intestinal protozoa ysenteric cases. Their results show that the 200 returned soldiers examined in Liverpool a histolytica was present in twelve of the , with no previous history of dysentery. . A. Cobb, of the United States Department lture, has published (in Nematology, vol. 1-86) an account of the nematode genus s. The genus is of world-wide distribu- 1 some of the species are cosmopolitan. ; are regularly present in arable land of a ‘loamy nature, and sometimes occur in great s; the author estimates that there were at least ions per acre in the top six inches of a maize in New Jersey. Most mononchs are us; they have been found to feed on pro- rotifers, and on other nematodes. One cosmo- “species was found by the author in Florida s on the larve of Heterodera radicicola, a serious and it is suggested that further investiga- reveal the possibility of utilising mononchs the enormous losses in crops due to plant- nematodes. A description of the characters ty of the genus is given, and it is stated ales of many, probably of most, species hermaphrodite, the gonad producing also , which are so minute that they have y hitherto escaped notice. Males, if found » nearly always rare, and of most of the are not known. A key is provided to ibgenera and to the fifty-seven species—including y-eight described as new in this memoir—and the has seventy-five excellent figures. RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION OVER Re say, BRANCE.' HIS is the first portion of a contemplated large in- vestigation into the rainfall distribution over nce, and deals with the régime over the North- Provinces. Other memoirs will contain a dis- n of the data for the south-west, north-east, and h-east of the coyntry for the fifty years 1851-1900. » work under notice, which is an extract from memoirs of the French Central Meteorological full particulars are given of the data used in piling the maps of average rainfall based on a years’ normal, by a comparison of short-period with standard stations, affording records for the lete series. In some cases the standard stations to be at a considerable distance from the short- riod record to. be corrected to the fifty vears’ normal. _ The variability of rainfall based on records for sixteen stations in France and adjacent countries during the ‘Etudes sur le Climat de la France. Régime des Pluies. | Premiére Considérations géné-ales : Région du nord-ouest.” Par M. Alfred Pp. 128+13 plates. a 2527, VOL. 101] | silver, which is valued separately. second half of last century is discussed, from which it is shown that the departures of individual years from the normal are in accordance with the theory of prob- abilities. A list of the stations arranged in river basins is given by departments, along with the altitude and the period of observation. Monthly isohyetals are drawn at intervals of 10 mm. up to 100 mm., but at 120 mm. and 150 mm. thereafter, while on the annual nifaps the intervals extend to 100 mm. A summary of the leading features governing the rainfall distribution is given for each month and for the year. In almost all the regions considered October is the wettest month, the rainfall exceeding 100 mm. in the country, of Caux, the department of the Manche, the western part of Brittany, and the heights of GAtine, the maximum being 151 mm. at Saussemesnil; while the driest areas in this month are the middle valley of the Seine, the basin of the Eure, and on the Beauce,, where the rainfall is between 50 mm. and 60 mm., but not under the former value. The driest month is. February, not only as regards the actual quantity, but also taking into consideration the shortness of the month. For the whole year the driest regions are the basins of the Seine, the Loire, and the Oise, where the pre- cipitation varies between 500 mm. and 600 mm. The stations where more than one metre of rain falls are extremely few, and are mostly located in mountainous areas, the maximum being 1181 mm. in the Monts d’Arrée. _ No detailed description appears of the methods of mapping the material utilised. Rivers are shown, but towns, railways, and departments are not indicated, nor are the orographical features shown. The maps clearly indicate the very patchy distribution of rainfall, and have evidently been drawn with much care. The originals were on a scale of 1: 1,500,000, or twenty-two miles to an inch, and then reduced for publication on a scale of thirty-nine miles to an inch. MINERAL PRODUCTION OF PERU AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. "TRE official report upon the mineral production of the Philippine Islands. for the year t1915 has recently been issued by the Division of Mines, Bureau of Science, of the Government of the Philippine Islands. The importance of the gold production far outweighs that of. any other mineral; its value is returned as 2,633,528 pesos, say about 274,000l., being an increase of 12-1 per cent. above that of 1914. The gold bullion, of course, also carries a certain amount of The only other metallic product is iron, of which ninety-six tons ap- pear to have been produced, this being only about one- half of the production of the previous year. This iron is all produced in small native furnaces, and is worked up into ploughshares or similar articles; the main reason in the falling off is the competition of inferior articles, made from scrap-iron. There is no production of native coal; none having been worked since 1912. The other minerals, of which returns are included, are salt, sand and gravel, clay products, stone, lime, and mineral waters. The. total value of all these is estimated at rather less than the value of the gold output. The mineral statistics of Peru for the year 1915 show a considerable increase in most of the products according to the report (No. 83) recently published in Lima. The total value is given as 5,930,000l., being an increase of 42 per cent. above that of 1914. This increase is due in part to the important rise in the value of mineral products, but it must be noted that this rise did not extend to the value of silver, and as. 96 NATURE [AprIL 4, 1918 ; ' 4 silver ranks high amongst the mineral productions of Peru, the increase is less marked than it would other- wise. have been. The leading products are copper, 34,727 metric tons; petroleum, 363,162 metric tons; silver, 294,425 kilos.; vanadium ore, 3145 metric tons; gold, 1690 kilos; coal, 290,743 metric tons. ‘These are the only minerals the annual value of which exceeds 200,0001.; all the others are far less important. The production of copper, already very important, appears to be likely to increase still further. It is also note- worthy that of the total export of copper no less than 93-85 per cent. was in the form of bars, so that practically the whole of the copper ores produced in Peru are now smelted in that country. This effect is largely due to the heavy rise in freights; before the war these were about 30s. to 21. per ton, whereas in 1915 they rose to 51. to 6l. per ton without taking the increased cost of insurance into account, so that for any ore or matte containing under 4o per cent. of copper the rise in freights would outweigh a rise of tol. in the price of the metal. This effect would be even more marked in the case of ores of a sie metal like lead, so that nowadays Peru exports few ores except those of such metals as vanadium, tung- sten, molybdenum, etc., which, on account of their considerable intrinsic value, are proportionately less affected by a rise in freights. It is worth noting that the production of coal has only increased from 283,860 tons in 1914 to 290,743 tons in 1915, whilst the imports have fallen from 139,312 tons to 55,662 tons, in spite of the increased development of the metallurgical in- dustry, as just pointed out, the reason being that the use of petroleum to replace coal as a. fuel is on the increase, the output of oil having risen 43-7 per cent. above that in 1914. NATIONAL LABORATORIES AND ' INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.1 Il. A NationaL Province Housr AND STANDARDISING LABORATORY. Pore tae general principles seem to me essential to success, namely :— (1) Standardisation and testing must, if they are to be of value, depend upon research, and be closely con- nected with it. (2) While there must be the closest union between the testing authority and the trade ‘concerned with the production of the goods to be certified, the authority should not be dependent on the trade for financial sup- port, and while the wishes of the trade as to the standards to be attained must be fully considered, the executive of the testing institution should be an inde- pendent authority. Testing must go hand in hand with research. ~ For, | in the. first place, research is necessary in order to set up the standards required. Take, for example, our standards of length. The yard or the metre is the distance between two marks on certain standard bars very carefully preserved. They are both arbitrary standards, it is true, and it is clearly of the greatest importance that they should be invariable. Do we know that this condition is secured, and, if so, how do we know it? Materials certainly alter their dimen- sions with changing temperatures, and possibly also with time; for standard work we must know the tem- perature at which we make our comparisons, and this need leads at once to the investigation of the methods of measuring temperature and of the amounts by which 1 Abridged: from two Jectures delivered at the Royal Institution on February 26 and March gs by Sir R.:T. Glazebrook, C.B., F:R:S. Continued from p. 77- : ; NO. 2527, VOL. 101] ‘simplification so that they could be used in the work- — | method of obtaining them. various materials change in size with changes of tem- — perature. A wide field of investigation opens directly; temperatures are measured by thermometers. are the various kinds of thermometer connected? — JO a mercury thermometer and a gas thermometer give _ the same results? Is the glass of which an ordinary — mercury thermometer is made of importance? Or, aga A ee To what extent is the length of a yard measure of bra or steel dependent on the temperature? Can we find a material less sensitive to temperature changes than — the platinum-iridium alloy of which the standardmetre — ismade? Andsoon. The investigations necessary before — we can standardise our vard measure have called for much research. But, again, what security have we that even if we keep the standard with the greatest — care and make our comparisons under. the most favour- — able conditions of temperature, its length is invariable? — Is the metre the same length now as when it was first — deposited at the Bureau des Poids et Mesures at . Sévres?. To answer this question a research of great difficulty was carried out at Sévres by Michelson when — he compared the length of the metre with the wave- — length of light under certain specified conditions. There — are cogent reasons for supposing that to be an invari- — able quantity. sides ea At the laboratory during the past two years we have © tested vast numbers of gauges and the i vement in | manufacture has been very marked; this has been — reached only by careful investigation into each cause of error by attention to small details, and by research — into methods of measurement with a view to their — +h es in . shop, and to improvement in accuracy so, that the © results obtained were not vitiated by errors in the — A visit to the gauge-testing-room of the National Physical Laboratory will show anyone how closely research and standardisation go together, how hopeless it-would be to try to run a standardising laboratory — apart from research. Or, again, to take an example — from another department of science. Ohms and volts and. amperes are nowadays familiar words; you measure the one with a Wheatstone bridge, or more probably with an ohmeter, you read off the others in a voltmeter or an ammeter. But the definitions of these quantities are highly technical and scientific. ; Do you realise what research has been required be- fore our present practical system of making electrical — measurements was evolved, and how much you owe to | that research? Compare the rate of advance of the — electric motor and the steam engine. «| The work of the Engineering Standards Committee — has been of untold advantage to the country. At every — step of that work the committee has kept in close touch with scientific principles, and researches of the © most varied character have been carried out, and are being carried out now, with the view of determining — what standards to set up and what tests to prescribe. Nor is it enough to say that much of this has been done and need not {be carried further; the principles — on which ammneters and voltmeters are made have been thoroughly investigated, the optical laws with which telescopes and lenses must comply are well | known; lay down your tests and specifications, and. train observers, analysts, and testers to enforce them and you have done all. . hit ‘ Stagnation and death, not life and progress, lie that . way. It is not our object merely to apply with rigid fairness the laws laid down, and to be pleased rather than otherwise, like the mythical examiner, when we ‘‘plough”’ them every one. The standards set must be © reasonable, but they must tend to raise the quality of — the product tested. Recurring defects must be watched — and investigated, and the tests modified to prevent — + NATURE 97 you must gain the confidence of the manufac- and that you really know something, probably than he does, of the strength and weakness ‘of oods Nearly all Englishmen are anxious to n the reputation of their country, and welcome -which show up bad work and make for its ent. Our statistics show the improvement ror by ‘tests properly carried out. much, then, for my first contention, that research standardisation must go hand in hand; the truth ‘second, that the testing authority should be inde- p of the manufacturer, is, I think, obvious. It s necessary to give confidence. certificate has but little value, even if it states 1 and i but the truth, unless it comes m an absolutely impartial source. If I bear wit- self, - witness is nothing. To the old of a well-established firm the assurance of sufficient; a stranger looks for some inde- evidence before he accepts as true all the claims y the man who desires to sell his latest produc- something far superior to all else on the market. tiality is the first attribute of justice, and the that the judge may be swayed by something s strict merits of the case is fatal. Again, sary for the good of the manufacturer. False dangerous to the recipient. The man who 1 the verdict of a too friendly critic may easily to maintain the high quality of his products and 1imself outstri by one who has been spurred icious criticism. testing laboratory controlled by an association of facturers for the advancement of their trade is of sss value, both to them and to the country, than which the ultimate decisions rest with an inde- juthority. Of course, the standards to be ‘must-be determined in closest co-operation trade. No specification is ever adopted by ring Standards Committee until it has been scussed at meetings at which the trade is fully mted; in no case is the decision as to whether comes up to the standard left to such a meet- this has had an important bearing on its id the method of procedure, let us turn to re. Is the work of value? If so, what steps ‘been taken to make-it of more value still, to its range, and to widen its influence? Are eps desirable, and, if so, what should they be? value is, I think, recognised; the recent growth many branches of our work, besides that of testing s for engineers, is evidence of this; the proposals establish standardising laboratories in various cen- f industry point in the same direction. Engineers coming to recognise more and more the importance ‘changeability, the udvantage of working to the gain in producing power—combined, I fear, h de dullness in much of the work—secured the standardisation of parts. Here, I think, a word of caution is necessary. Local ndardising institutions are desirable in certain cases ; cal s ‘are most undesirable. I am not sure how many wire gauges used in the sale and purchase _of wire and thin metal sheets there are In a recent “NO. 2527, VOL. tor] st and lead Fim to realise you are out to help, list I saw enumerated some six or eight, each with its own tolerances, or in many cases with no tolerances at all; each has been introduced to fill a need, but with no thought for other needs. There is a risk, I fear, that the establishment of local testing laboratories, unless care is taken to connect them with some central institution. responsible for maintaining their standards and co-ordinating their methods, may tend to perpetuate like anomalies. There is already, as many of us know, a standard inch and an “Enfield” inch; we do not want Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham inches. Transit is easy, and the delay involved in sending goods to a central institution need not be great; the uniformity of results secured in this manner is. worth much. Where this cannot be done there should be some organisation devised to keep the standards em- loyed, in all parts of the country alike within agreed imits, and to maintain this connection with the results of research. The increase in the number of clinical thermometers -has already been mentioned. Tests on optical instru- ments of all kinds are growing, and steps have been taken to add to the staff and improve the facilities for handling these. The quantity of glassware used in chemical labora- tories throughout the country is enormous. In pre- war days this was almost all of German manufacture, and much came into the country with Reichsanstalt certificates. English manufacturers have taken up the question, and are now prepared to offer large supplies, . and a scheme has been arranged for its standardisation and the issue of certificates. This is the outcome of discussions of a committee on which were representa- tives of the Department, the manufacturers, the users; and the laboratory. The limits of error for the various classes of articles have been provisionally fixed, and a schedule of fees settled which the makers think reason- able, and it is hoped will in time enable the work to be carried on without loss.. For the present a house has been secured at Teddington, and is being equipped, in which the testing can for the time go on —a certain amount of this class of work has always been carried out at the laboratory. Additional build- ings are to be erected, and the scheme put on a per- manent footing. The quantity of the various articles is very large, and it is not necessary that all should be tested to the same limits of accuracy, nor would it be possible to send them all to the laboratory. This difficulty will be met by having two classes of goods treated differ- ently. For work of the highest accuracy it is, necessary that the articles should be sent to Teddington and be tested individually. Those that pass the tests will con- stitute Class A, and receive the laboratory mark. The vast majority will be dealt with at- local centres organised by the laboratory. and manned, at least so far as the more responsible positions go, by members of the laboratory staff. These centres will, in some cases, be at the large works; in others it is hoped to interest the local universities or technical colleges. At the head of each will be the N.P.L. inspector, who will be free to visit the works, inspect the methods of manufac- ture, and select for test from each batch such articles as he thinks fit. So long as the methods remain satisfactory and the goods come up to standard, the firm will be licensed to mark the articles in some distinctive way. fee will be charged for each article tested at the laboratory. In the case of the arti- cles inspected or tested in bulk, it is proposed to cover expenses by a royalty reckoned on the numbers pro- duced, which would be charged for permission to use the trade-mark. Such a scheme, it is clear, requires the cordial co- operation of the makers and the inspecting authority- 98 NATURE This we have already been promised, and while the conditions of test and the limits permissible are settled after consultation with the manufacturers, the enforce- ment of those conditions and the power to refuse the licence rest with an independent -body. Such a plan, it seems to me, is far preferable to the alternative under which an association of the manufacturers would run its own testing laboratory. A similar scheme is clearly applicable to other indus- tries. For engineering work the standards of the Engineering Standards Committee are mostly adopted. The laboratory holds the standard screw gauges of the committee as well as the rail templates and other simi- lar standards. Some organisation whereby standards employed locally for testing purposes are controlled by the laboratory and kept in close correspondence with those at Teddington ought not to be difficult to devise, and would secure much of what is needed, though with screw gauges at present identity of the method of test- ing rather than of the standard of comparison is what | is difficult to secure. Or, again, with electrical instruments, supply meters, ammeters, voltmeters, and the like can be, and are, sent to the laboratory, and where high accuracy is required this must be done. Very large sums depend now on the measurement of the energy supplied from central stations to big works, tramway systems, col- lieries, and other large installations, and very high accuracy is needed. This, too, is true in the case of ‘acceptance tests of large machinery. The necessary accuracy can be obtained only in a properly equipped laboratory, and, indeed, in the case of meters, an individual test is always necessary, but where the type . has been tested and approved the individual tests could be carried out. by inspectors at the works, or at some convenient local institution. And there are many pieces of apparatus and small plant which could be dealt with in a similar manner to the chemical glassware. The Engineering Standards Committee has specified the performance tests for motors and dynamos requisite before the term ‘‘ British standard’ can be applied to them. It is clearly impossible to expect that every small motor should have been put through these tests. It would be quite simple to arrange that some limited number of the type were tested out at the National Physical Laboratory, that steps were taken, by inspec- tion and occasional tests, to secure that in subsequent production the same standard was attained; and, so long as this was done, to license the manufacturer to put the E.S.C. mark on his machine, and call it a ** British standard machine.”’ The process can be extended to other electrical pro- ducts; it has already been suggested for lamps, and four years ago I had good hopes that some action of the kind would be taken—1914 stopped it for the time. I would urge that now is the time to develop a-scheme of the kind so that we may be ready when’once more peace reigns on earth among men of good will. The scheme is a large one, one that-as director I cannot hope to see fully developed: It is enough per- haps for me to have indicated how the laboratory may grow, both as a National Research Laboratory and as a National Proving House and Standardising Labora- tory. UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INFELLIGENCE. Miss Puytuis M.. BortHwick, lecturer in physics at the Ladies’ College, Cheltenham, has been appointed assistant-professor of physics and chemistry at the Lady Hardinge Medical College for Women, Delhi. On the first Saturday of each month from May to October, at 3.30 p.m., free public demonstrations on NO. 2527, VOL. I0T| practical bee-keeping will be given in the Horniman Gardens or the Museum, Forest Hill, $.E., by Mr.%, W. H. Prior, of the Kent and British Bee-keepers’ — Associations. : es the Revue générale des M. Paut Orter’s article in es Sciences for February last on ‘‘The Future of the In-— ternational Catalogue of Scientific Literature ’’ contains — a short account of the foundation of the catalogue and — some proposals for its future development. The vast experience which M. Otlet has acquired at the Inter- — national Institute of Bibliography at Brussels entitles — MI his opinion on such a subject to respect. It is, how- ever; difficult to reconcile-his statement that “before — the war the German Government had decided to with- draw from the International Catalogue ’’ with the fact that at the meeting of the International Council of the — catalogue held in London on June 11 and 12, 1914, about six weeks before the war broke out, the repre- séntative of the German Government, Dr. Uhlworm, — proposed the resolution:—‘That the International Catalogue of Scientific. Literature shall be continued — during the years 1916-20,’’ which was adopted by the — M. Otlet would like to see the International — Catalogue extended to include technology, industrial — council. | APRIL 4, 1918 — sciences, medicine, agriculture, social sciences, philo- — logy, literature, the fine arts, history, geography, philo- 4) sophy,.and religion. In view, of such extension he of the National Library Otlet recommends that the index-cards received at the’ Central Bureau should be printed and issued at once. — As each volume appeared, the cards corresponding © with that volume would be destroyed by the subscribers, — who need keep only such cards as had not yet been: published in a volume. fs i ee SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LONDON. Royal Society, March 21.—Sir J. J. Thomson, presi- dent, in the chair.—Dr. C, Chree: The magnetic storm ~ thinks the work of the regional bureaux in the various — co-operating countries should no longer be controll at by scientific societies, but undertaken by the authorities _ in each country. M. © ‘Otlet suggests that in view of the continual imcrease — in the number of scientific journals, authors should — agree not to publish original papers in any periodical — that was not included in a list drawn up by mutual — agreement. In order that subscribers to the catalogue — may be in possession of the latest information, M. — b + : é 1 , 7 J a : 5 4 4 iy ; + ae + j of December 16-17, 1917, as recorded at Kew and Esk- — dalemuir Observatories. not outstanding magnitude. 8h. and gh. on December 16, and had not wholly subsided before the afternoon of the following day. Attention is directed in the paper to the curves for the twenty-four hours commencing at 8h. on December The magnetic storm of De- | cember 16-17, 1917, was of very considerable though ~ It commenced between — B th ce 16. The most active period of disturbance was be- » tween 15h. (3 p.m.) on December 16 and 4h. on De-— cember 17. A prominent feature in the curves was a succession of oscillations of periods averaging about t { twenty minutes. There were also, especially at Esk-|\ dalemuir, some very large short-period oscillations. The — paper compares the oscillations recorded at the two ~ observatories, and gives estimates of the rate of change of the magnetic elements during the most rapid move- — ments. -The amplitude and rapidity of the changes proved to be much greater at the more northern station. — —E. A. Owen’: The absorption of X-rays. (1) The ~ absorption coefficients of a number of substances for a — radiation of wave-length 0-586 x 10-§ cm. (the a-line of palladium) have been determined, and the values — 7 Aprit 4, 1918]. NATURE 99 ained confirm those of Bragg and Pierce in.the case ements used in common. (2) The atomic scent absorption coefficient is proportional approxi- ly to the fourth power of the atomic number of the ther. (3) The following relation exists between the : fluorescent absorption coefficient, atomic number absorber, and the wave-length of the radiation sd, fa=CN*A*, where C is a constant over cer- ges, but changes abruptly at critical points. elation is independent of the scattering co- t; it refers only to the loss of energy of X-radia- by the production of corpuscular radiations and luorescent X-radiations that accompany them. Calculations based on the above general relation that the molecular total absorption coefficients ent substances observed by Auren with radia- wave-length 0-35x10-* cm. may be deduced proximately from the atomic total absorption Society, March 21.—Sir David Prain, presi- e chair.—Miss B. Muriel Bristol : A Malayan Chlorococcum humicola (Naeg.), Rabenh. were made in October, 1915, from about sixty of soil, the observations now reported being d from Kajang, near,Kuala Lumpor, Malay *r about two years in a closed specimen- soil was placed in a mineral-salt solution and ) remain under the room-temperature. In , growth of the soil-alga began, and its life- Ow set out, tracing it from the vegetative are solitary or congregated into globular r, multiplication by zoogonidia was ob- their fusion forming zygotes, also by , but true vegetative division does not take le same alga was found in soil-cultures from localities, in some cases of considerable age. le from Rothamsted Experimental Station 856 yielded the alga, but a sample taken id not, so that presumably a period of seventy s the extreme limit of revival. -president, in the chair.—Miss Maude L. W. first report on the inheritance of visible and characters in silkworms. Society, March 19.—Mr. W. Barlow, with four independent variables. A propos soeke’s suggestion of the use of multi-dimensional netry for such operations, with special reference to case of the chemical constitution of tourmaline, the author remarks that he had already put forward similar suggestion, without, however, making use of ary dimensions. A system of points is replaced system of vectors, ‘and in this way, since each a vector has two co-ordinates, a relation between elem variables may be expressed graphic- Different series of vectors of the first order give to vectors of the second order, and they in their to vectors of the third order. Certain special es were discussed.—Prof. R. P. D. Graham ; Lattice- inclusions in calcite from North Burgess, Ontario. he calcite, which is almost invariably twinned about e(o1i2), contains numerous fine needles, arranged rallel to the edges of the rhombohedron e, a hydrous magnesium silicate, which chem- | analysis showed to correspond with the rmula 5MgO.6SiO,.4H,O, which is usually ig) to the mineral spadaite. Since the ‘NO. 2527, VOL. 107] | Society, March 19.—Dr. A. Smith Wood- | _ in the chair.—Prof. E. S. Federov ; Graphical * are only slightly acted on by cold dilute acid, | they remain behind in the form of a lattice on dissolu- tion of the calcite. Other included minerals are pyroxene, quartz, titanite, and pyrites. The source of the solutions which supplied the magnesium silicate was discussed.—Dr. J]. W. Evans: Linear rock-dia- grams. The different types of linear or variation diagrams, in which the chemical constituents of different rocks are represented by vertical distances, were reviewed, and the use of modifications to indicate the probable mineral compositions was proposed. Each rock is represented by two diagrams. In the first or alumina diagram, distances representing the molecular proportions of (1) the potash, (2) the potash and soda,. and (3) the potash, soda, and lime in each rock are measured vertically upwards from the base line, and corresponding points for different rocks are connected by continuous lines. At the same time distances repre- senting (4) the alumina, (5) the iron oxide, and (6) the magnesia are measured on the same lines in the same manner, and are connected by continuous lines. Not only will this diagram indicate the proportions of the constituents, but also the position of the points on line (4) relative to those on lines (2) and (3) will indicate the probability of the occurrence of minerals dependent on the amount of alumina. If (4) is higher than (3), andalusite, cordierite, or mica may be expected, as well as hypersthene, all the lime being converted into anorthite. If (4) is less than (3), diopside, augite, or the corresponding amphiboles will probably be present, and, if it is less than (2), minerals of the egirine type may be found. In the second, or silica, diagrams the lowest series of points shows the amount of silica re- quired by the bases of a rock for the formation of leucite, nepheline, anorthite, wollastonite, and olivine, the second series the additional silica necessary to form orthoclase and albite, and the third series the amount required to convert the olivine into hypersthene, while the fourth line represents the amount of silica actually present. The position of the last relative to the others will throw valuable light on the silicates that may be expected, though allowance must be made for the influ- ence of the bases on one another. For instance, the presence of the constituents of wollastonite will call for a higher silicification of part of the olivine to form a monoclinic pyroxene or amphibole at the expense of the felspars. . MANCHESTER. Literary and Philosophical Society, March 19.—Mr. W. Thomson, president, in the chair.—Prof. G. Elliot Smith : Race, character, and nationality. The influences of race and heredity, geographical circumstances, and language, though potent in Various directions to affect the character and achievements of individuals and to play a part in the development of the true spirit of nationality in a community, are not the chief factors. The personal experience. of each individual, his social environment, and especially the traditions of his com- munity, shape his outlook on life, determine his char- acter, and give specific directions to his inherited apti- tudes. The most powerful forces that mould nationality and weld together a heterogeneous collec- tion of people of varied origin, abilities, and traditions consist of historical circumstances which provide the community with common aims and aspirations, com- mon traditions and social fashions, common trends of thought and modes of behaviour. Such circumstances: play a more vital part than mere race or hereditary aptitudes in the development of the spirit of nationality- Paris. Academy of Sciences, March 18.—M. Paul Painlevé in the chair.—The president announced the death of Lord Brassey, correspondant of the Academy for the section of geography and navigation.—P. Termier ; Contribu- 100 NATURE. “(wen 4, 1918 tion to the knowledge of the tectonics of the Asturias : anomalies at the contact of the Coal Measures and the Arnao Devonian.—P,. A. Dangeard; The nature of the chondriome and: its.réle, in, the cell. Current views on the nature and function of the chondriome. are ques- tioned, and new facts based on a, method of staining with cresyl- blue are given. This stain can be applied in such a manner that there is no interference with the life of the cell, It is shown that, contrary to the generally accepted view, the chondriome of the cell is altogether independent of the plastidome.—E. Ariés:; A formula giving the saturated vapour pressure of a diatomic liquid. An extension of the method described in previous communications for monatomic liquids. Chlorine and carbon monoxide are worked out as examples.—M. G. Koenigs was elected a member of the section of mechanics in succession to the late M. H. Léauté.—M. T. Beritch: The convergence and diverg- ence of series with real positive terms.—A, Buhl: The intervention of the geometry of. masses in certain. theorems concerning algebraic surfaces.—L. Schlussel ; The measurement of rapid and irregularly variable dynamical, actions.—B..de Fontviolant ; New theory re- lating to the effects of the wind on_ bridges.—D. Eydoux : ‘The movements of water in equilibrium pipes. —A. B. P. teme: A new method of quantitative analysis. Suggestion for a new arrangement of spec- trograph for quantitative work.—A. Mailhe and-F. de Godon ; A new method of preparation of monomethyl- aniline: and dimethylaniline. by catalysis. A mixture of the vapours of methyl alcohol and aniline is passed over alumina at a temperature between 400° and 430° C., when a mixture of monomethylaniline and dimethylaniline is obtained, containing only traces of aniline. By a repetition of the process with addition of methyl alcohol, dimethylaniline is obtained. The new method has the following advantages over the process in current use: the aniline may contain water and the methyl alcohol need not be specially purified from acetone; also, the use of autoclaves and high pressures is unnecessary: —E. Léger: The action of hydriodic acid upon cinchonine and on its isomers, einchonigine, cinchoniline, and. apocinchonine.—L. Gentil, M. Lugeon, and L.-Joleaud: The existence of a Triassic sheet in the Sebou basin, Morocco. BOOKS RECEIVED. Medical Electricity... By Dr. L. Jones. Seventh edition, revised and edited by .Dr. .L. .W: Bathurst. Pp. xv+588. (London: H. K.. Lewis and Co., Ltd.) 15s. net. The Nature of Solution.. By H.C. Jones. With a Biographical ‘Sketch by. Prof. J. E. Reid, and Tributes by Profs. Arrhenius, Ostwald,-and Woodward. ‘Pp. XXiii + 380. (London : Constable and Co.; Ltd.) Price 12s. 6d. net. The Megalithic Cultore. of Indonesia. By W. J. Perry. Pp. xiii+ 198, sity Press; London: Price 12s. 6d. net. Aeronautics in Theory and Experiment. Cowley and H: .Levy. Pp. -xi+284. Arnold.) Price -i6s.. net. ° Essays in Scientific: Synthesis. mano. Pp. 254. Price 7s. 6d. net.. Lecithin. and: Allied Substances : The Lipins. Dr. H. Maclean. Pp. vii+206. (London: mans, Green, and Co.).°Price 7s. 6d. net. Thirty-first. Annual Report. of the Bureau.of: Amer- ican Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1909-10. Pp. 1037. (Washington: Government Printing Office.) NO. 2527, VOL. I01| (Manchester: At the Univer- Longmans, Green, and Co.) By W. L. (London: E. ‘By Eugenio Rig- (London : G,Allen and Unwin, Ltd.) By Long- DIARY OF SOCIETIES. a MONDAY, Apri 8. Roya, GrocrapHicaL Society, at 8.30.—The Future of the Albanian State : Capt. J. S. Barnes, R.F.C. (leave permitting ARISTOTELIAN SOCIETY, at 8.—Value and Lxistence : Dr. F. C.. Ss. Schiller TUESDAY, Apri 9. EL pie ee at 3.—Scientific Signalling and Safety at Sea: Prof, et oly. INSTITUTION OF CivIL. ENGINEERS, at 5.30.—The Derwent Valley” Weicr works : E. Sandeman. ZooLoGicaL Society, at 5.30.—Head of the Charasinid Fish, Wydroc goliath: Dr. G. A. Boulenger.—The Variation of the Pit-Viper, L sia atrox: Miss J. B. Procter. RONTGEN SOCIETY, at 8.—The Silvanus Thompson Memorial Lecture aa Sir Ernest Rutherford WEDNESDAY, Apri to. ap ae Deetye at 3.—Scientific Signalling and Safety at Sea: Prof. ei ba “AssOcIATION GEOPHYSICAL COMMITTEE (Royal neat ft pocety at 5.—Earthquake Waves: Prof. H. H. Turner Sanit a Walker.—Earthquake Frequency: R.D. Oldham. THURSDAY, APRIL 11, pr teed INSTITUTION, at 3. —Experimental Pepholeae Lt.- Col. c. Ss. yers. INSTITUTION OF ELEcTRICAL ENGINEERS (Cancer Hospital, Fulham Road), — at 6.—Joint Meeting with the Electrical Section of the Royal Society ba Medicine.—Papers on Medical Electricity. INSTITUTION OF MINING AND METALLURGY, at 5.30 —Presidential Address + Hugh F. Marriott. * OpricaL Society (Imperial College of Science and Toney: South f rench. Kensington), at 8.—The Balsam Problem: J. W. FRIDAY, Apri 12. ao Re tbtd thea, at 5.30. —Absorption and Phosphorescence : Prof. E RoyaL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, at 5. ; a ny SATURDAY, Apri 13. A Rovav INsTITUTION, at 3.— Musical Instruments Scientifically Considered : : } rof. E. H. Barton. aS CONTENTS. PAGE Goursat's **Course of Antenie: ** ana Other Mathe-. : matical Works. By G.B. M. fag nthe, meee Medical History and Scientific Method ..... 82. Milk Products? o.oo ee ee kee See ee Our Bookshelf 3 Ges Paerene Kripa Ses Mace IEE Letters to the Editor:— ; A Prvof that_any Transfinite Aggregate can be Welt .: \ ordered,—Philip E. B. Jourdain 84. Future Supplies of Laboratory Apparatus and Mate ms rials. —X, Y.iZ. 184 Long-range Guns. “Sir G. Greenhill, F. R. i; cee 2 1 Long-range Guns. By A. Mallock, F.R.S. . .. 84 Cloud Formations as Observed from Aeroplanes. Kae (Zilustrated.) By Capt. C. K. M. Douglas | 85. Photographic Determinations of Stellar Parallax. ieee. By Dr. A. C.D. Crommélin «.); 4). ees a The Sikkim!Himatlayas (0.3 Paes ie Sorat c RSS Notes ... o ive. tig Sale wegghe geen amen aa Our Astronomical. Column :— ; ‘Infra-red Solar Spectrum: «Pie eo See Harvard College Observatory. oa Sed OS The Canadian *‘ Observer’s Handhook PO ee ieee Ephemerides of Algol Variablés <5: 2-4 ee veh OF The Training of the French Engineer. ...... 94 Nematode Pests . . MS CenAee Soh hs Men eg: Rainfall Distribution over France 95 Mineral Production of Peru and the Philippine Isiands . National Laboratories and Industrial Development. II. By Sir R. T. Glazebrook, C.B., F.R.S. .... 9 University and Educational intelligence pe tacky ae Be ae Societies and Academies. ...... PORN Spa! les ange Books Received... Be Cea iar, ae ee Diary of ‘Societies... 5.) yee A 100 Editorial and Publishing Offices : MACMILLAN AND CO., Lrp., ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. Advertisements and business letters to be addréssed to é Publishers. “f Editorial Communications to the Editor. Telegraphic Address: Puusis, LONDON. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. ~ wre, af fk NATURE 101 THURSDAY, APRIL Ii, 1918. _ A SURVEY OF EXPERIENCE. ts of Constructive Philosophy. By Dr. J.S. Sg Pp. 487. (London: G. Allen and , Ltd.; New York: The Macmillan Co., y ‘Price 12s. 6d. net. Sis a very pleasant and very instructive oe -It is like a series of conversations thinker of great versatility and great learn- tending over the whole range of logical and hysical speculation. Dr. Mackenzie is without dogmatism, and ‘earnest without - And he is suggestive on all points es. tise falls into three parts. The first is devoted to logical discussions; the F iaietaphysic-explaining the principal s by which we conceive of nature and third to what might be called ultimate to such problems as the unity and ‘of the universe, the survival of the + and the relation of time and kk a beginning from belief, which the treats ‘as a mode of selection, and pointing the: selection cannot be arbitrary, he ‘ouch an account of judgment and of the thought to a first analysis of the control- ctor, the experience of objective orders. takes to be the general theory of impli- ‘and all implication—that is, the essence nference and judgment and belief—depends rnition of objective orders. To these | chapter, referring to Driesch’s re’’ as the most elaborate treat- e subject, and pointing out that any which has some ‘possibility of continuous yn may be taken as a principle of order. s orders of all kinds, from the numerical moral order or order of values, and, as son has suggested, it is doubtful whether ption of disorder can mean anything but De diece of some particular order which we e to expect. In Gelesting to theories of know- é author well explains that the antithesis n and cosmism is much more significant f realism and idealism, which need not be an opposition at all. the treatment of causation is of Bee hind. agreement with Mr. Russell, r holds that it amounts pretty much A unity of different things as connected by is that have some regularity. Cause tends into a principle, and effect into a detail. er on this ground the distinction between a effect can be maintained may seem n important chapter in this second book is dealing with valuation. Attempting to arrive ‘conception of intrinsic value, the author con- udes that it must be identified with truth, beauty, NO. 2528, VoL. tor] ‘and goodness, and that all else can have value only as instrumental to these. From this it is interesting to pass to the con- ception of ultimate reality in book iii., where the problem of reconciling time with the unity of the cosmos (the term universe is applied to units within the cosmos) is attempted on the lines” of cycles or histories presenting themselves as dreams which have constancy within an eternal whole, as a play of Shakespeare exists in its own time within the imagination of the poet or reader. The point of the metaphor is that it admits time into the cosmos, but the time so admitted is not a time of the cosmos. And the eternal characters of the cosmos—truth, beauty, goodness—would thus appear in time, without being mere transient events. There is an_ interesting reference to Oriental sources for such views, and actually a diagram of the upward and downward path. Our fear about all such doctrines is that the paths and cycles may be imagined as divorced from each other and from the characters of the universe. They then become illusions, and the cosmos a “thing-in-itself.’? After all, it is in a woman’s heart or a nation’s spirit that we find what brings us nearest to cosmic reality. It is part of Dr. Mackenzie’s temperateness that he promises us from philosophy only hope, not conviction. There is truth in this position, so far as particular expectations are concerned. But yet it recalls to us a technical point about the “ Laws ‘of Thought.’? For him they are not based on the nature of reality: you cannot judge at the begin- ning whether reality will prove ‘self-contradictory, but only at the end of your inquiry. This is more difficult than it seems. Unless you start from the coherence of reality, you can never get to it. You cannot separate thought from assertion about reality. If things may be both this way and that, and thought can be only one way, thought is obvi- ously false, and you can make no step towards knowledge. “Make a hypothesis, and test it by facts.’’ But if things being one way does not exclude their being the other way, there are no facts. Attention should be directed to Dr. Mackenzie’s observations on Mr. Russell and the new realists. His view of Prof. Nunn’s theory of external ob- jects seems reasonable. The double pitch of a tone, as heard by a stationary and a receding ear, certainly belongs to it. But neither pitch exists in the absence of the corresponding: ear. ) BERNARD BOSANOQUET. PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF PRUNING. The Principles’ and Practice of Pruning. By _M. G, Kains, Pp. xxv+420. (New York: Orange Judd Company, 1917.) Price 2 dollars - net. ; Te author of this work makes the following statement in his introduction: ‘Pruning. demands a knowledge of plant physiology. Un- less the pruner has a working knowledge of how G 102 NATURE [APRIL I1, 1918 plants grow, he will be unable to prune intelli- gently and to secure the desired results.” It is a matter for regret, therefore, that the chapter on plant physiology, with which the book opens, should be inferior'to the later chapters, which deal in a clear and useful manner with the practical aspects of pruning. Readers with little or no knowledge of plant physiology would, however, be apt to find the treatment of the subject in this chapter somewhat involved and confusing. In the succeeding part of the book the photo- graphs of the branches of fruit trees are extremely good, and are accompanied by very clear and simple explanations of the methods of branching. These should prove useful to fruit-growers and to teachers of both horticulture and Nature-study. The pruning of nursery stock, of young and of mature trees, of bush fruits, and of ornamental shrubs is fully dealt with. .A chapter on the “re- juvenation of neglected trees’’ may be mentioned, as it is a subject which should be of interest to some owners of small private orchards who are anxious to obtain the best possible yields. from their trees. The author considers that in the case of apple, pear, and sweet cherry trees specimens fifty to seventy-five years old may be profitably “rejuvenated,” but that in the case of plums and sour cherries it will be better to destroy the trees and to re-plant. “Practical tree surgery ” is another aspect of the subject which the author has fortunately in- cluded in the book, for frequently trees which are specially valuable on account of their position or association could be saved for long periods from decay by a little skilled care and attention. hints which.might be useful to the authorities responsible for the care of street trees are given, and a model contract which should put “commer- ’ cial tree-surgery on a basis that will tend to eliminate fakers ” is outlined (p. 401). The book contains numerous references to the experimental work on pruning which has. been carried out in this country and in America, and summaries of such experimental trials and of their results are given. These accounts are both fuller and clearer than is usual in abstracts of this kind. As work of this nature has in the majority of cases been published only in the bulletins of the American experiment stations or in horticultural periodicals, it is frequently difficult to trace, and its inclusion in the book is a feature of great value. In conclusion, it may be added that the book has a good index and more than three hundred excellent illustrations. ; OUR BOOKSHELF. Comment Economiser le Chauffage Domestique et Culinaire. Par R. Legendre et A. Thevenin. Pp. 123. (Paris: Masson et Cie, 1918.) Price 1.25 francs. THE question of economy in the use of fuel for general domestic heating and cooking is of no NO. 2528, voL. 1or| _oven. Some . small importance in relation to the general economy of fuel rendered imperative in France by the conditions arising from the war. This small book, issued at a low price under the auspices” of the Ministére de 1’Armement et des Fabrica- tions de Guerre, is primarily intended to indicate practical methods of attaining economy in the domestic use of fuel, without pretence at scientific — treatment of the subject, although there is an excellent section on the principles of combustion — and the heat values of fuel. - Be In the earlier sections the various ordinary fuels are described and also the supplementary fuels, such as: peat, lignite, sawdust, tan,’ etc., briquettes, and simple methods of briquetting small coal. The advantage of using substitutes to the utmost extent to relieve the demand on the. better fuels essential for industrial purposes is emphasised. anon; The second section deals with domestic heating — appliances, and, besides describing various forms. of fireplaces, stoves, etc., deals with the principles — of heating by radiation, conduction, and convec- tion. There is a useful section on smoky chimneys. — The final section is concerned with cooking, stress being laid on the advantages of the Norwegian — Each section concludes with a summary of possible economies and brief directions as to their realisation. An abbreviated issue of a similar character would well be worth considera- tion in this country. ea aT a ale noe The Pasteurisation of Milk from the Practical Viewpoint. By C. H. Kilbourne. Pp. iv+ 248. “(New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.; Lon- don: Chapman and -Hall, Ltd., 1916.) Price 6s, net. : . a THE pasteurisation of milk consists in heating the milk to a temperature between 140° and 160° F438 the milk being maintained at 140° for not less than twenty minutes or at 160° for not less than one minute. By this treatment disease germs. which may have gained access to the milk are destroyed, as well as a large proportion of the bacteria commonly present in milk, whereby its — keeping qualities are lengthened. In the United States pasteurisation has been very largely em-— ployed, and this little book gives a capital survey — of the installation, operation, and control of pas-_ teurising plants. The author speaks from first-_ hand knowledge, having been chief of the Divi-_ sion of Pasteurising Plants, New York City De- partment of Health, The various types of pasteur- | isers are sufficiently described, and this section is illustrated with a number of diagrams of various plants. The-cleaning and cooling of milk, the cleaning of containers, and home pasteurisation — are also dealt with, the efficiency of various appa- ratus is discussed, and the changes induced in milk by pasteurisation are described, ee ‘The book can be recommended. as a thoroughly trustworthy guide on the subject of pasteurisa- tion, useful alike to the student of hygiene and to the practical dairyman. . Re Ee \ r Ae { x : PRIL II, 1918]. NATURE 103 * LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Editor does not hold himself responsible for nions expressed by his correspondents. Neither | he undertake to return, or to correspond with writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for ; or any other part of Nature. No notice is en of anonymous communications. ] ‘The E6tvés ‘‘ Tour de Force.’’ I add to my article in Nature of March 21, on ving balance of Baron Edtvés, that the method itself to determine the mass of the earth, or, more , the Newtonian constant of gravitation, with simplicity as it does to find the rotation of . For this purpose it is merely necessary e a large mass above the balance, say at the end, and below the balance at the south end. if the direction of rotation is such that the d is moving in the same direction as the '_ravitational couple will act in the same as the 4Vv difference of centrifugal force, if it turns in the opposite direction, the gravi- couple will be opposed to the centrifugal If the large masses of radius c are spherical made of material of density d, and the ficti- listances of their centres vertically above and e small masses at the ends of the balance. re also equal to c, the arm lengths being r, time of rotation necessary to make the one l to the other is given by the equation— . Tate cos? d. gee vnioally r=c, and taking for d the lead, the time T comes out as thirty-one which, I fear, is much greater than that d be realised as a free period. If, however, ‘Were one minute, the gravitational couple or subtract 1/31 part of the centrifugal : sce es a the direction of rotation, or the e deflections in the two cases would have 15:16, a difference which might be By fictitious distance I mean the equiva- nce vertically above or below the centre of | mass m at which the centre of the large ay be imagined acting on the small a cosine distribution of force. Actually it to be larger and further away. This could y be determined in any particular case by | treatment than otherwise. been considering in some detail the best way icting an Edétvos tour de force, if I may be so to call it, with a view to the utmost possible , and as I have all the material, I am hoping one up in a cellar in the country admirably to the purpose in such time as I can glean other occupations. Cc Boys. ° _ The Motion of the Perihelion of Mercury. Nature for March 21 Sir Oliver Lodge suggests the unexplained part of the motion of the peri- n of Mercury may be attributed to the action of a g medium. Such a medium would not neces- ' produce any effect on the mean distance of a net, for such an effect depends entirely on the rela- velocity, and it is probable that the medium would re with the planets. The principal effect of the m would be to reduce the eccentricity, and de/dt _ contain e as a factor. There would be no n of the perihelion if e were small enough. Any of this could arise only if the eccentricity were iderable, and thus would contain it.as a factor. ce da/dt and de/dt would be of the same order. y the observed anomalous variations of o and e in century are 43” and —o-88", so that they are of NO. 2528, VOL. 101] different orders, and therefore cannot be due to a resist- _ing medium. Of, again, consider the density needed to produce the effect. The average resultant velocity of Mercury relative to the medium is of the order of the eccen- tricity multiplied by the planet’s mean orbital velocity, or about eight kilometres per second. If p be the density of the medium, a the radius of Mercury, U this relative velocity, and M the mass of the planet, the retarding force would be nearly pa*U*, and de/edt would be of the order pa*U?/MU. Substituting for all these quantities, except p, their known values, we see that p must be of the order 3 x 1o-" gm./cm.*, while the maximum density consistent with the observed luminosity of the Zodiacal light is only about 2x10-** gm./cm.*. To account for the motion of the perihelion would, of course, require a still greater density. Many recent writers on this subject have treated the discordance in the motion of the perihelion of Mercury as if it were the only unexplained perturbation in the solar system. Yet there is an unexplained advance of the node of Venus of the same order of magnitude, the motions in a century being 43” and 10” respec- tively. The latter estimate is admittedly subject to greater uncertainty, but it is 3-5 times its mean error, and the probability that so large a discrepancy is acci- dental is only about 0-0004. Now, whatever may be the effect of departure from simple Newtonian dynamics, it cannot alter the plane of an orbit, which can be done only by the attraction of other matter, or to a negligible extent by a moving resisting medium. It is found that a distribution of gravitating matter that would represent the motion of the node of Venus would necessarily account also for the whole of the dis- crepancy in the perihelion of Mercury, so that depar- tures from Newtonian dynamics to explain the latter make the former impossible to account for. It is, of course, possible that the excess motion of the node of Venus may be due to errors of observation, but the probability against this is about 2500 to 1, and it must be admitted that any theory with such an a priori probability against it is open to very grave suspicion. HAROLD JEFFREYS. In connection with the article on bee disease which appeared in Nature of March 21, perhaps my ex- perience with diseased bees may be of interest. I have subjected to microscopic examination the contents of the intestines and chyle stomachs of several dozen bees, all guaranteed by a professional lecturer in bee- keeping to be suffering at the time from the ‘Isle of Wight disease.’’ In all cases the examination under the 1/12 immersion was conducted within five minutes after the bees had been killed. In no case did I find a trace of Nosema apis. In some there was a pre- dominance of wild yeasts in the affected parts; in others again bacterial multiplication was very far ad- vanced. It may, of course, be advanced that these particular bees were not suffering from the ‘Isle of Wight disease,’’ but in view of the conclusion adopted by several competent biologists that Nosema apis has no causal connection with the ‘Isle of Wight disease,” and also of the importance of the subject, further investigation is urgently needed. The impression left on the present writer was that Nosema apis, when found, was an accessory, and not a.causal agent; and the fact that in practically all the observations of ‘this disease that have been made in Scotland Nosema apis has been conspicuous by its absence supports this impression. It would appear that different causative agents produce the same symptoms; from the practical point of view, as the agents may be protozoa, or yeasts, « 104 : | ‘NATURE [APRIL II, 1918 or bacteria, we need more diagnostic data, for the method of combating the disease must necessarily | depend on the nature of the micro-organism to be combated. Davip EL.is. Royal’ Technical ‘College, Glasgow, March 30. THE object of the article on bee disease. which | appeared in Nature of March 21 was to emphasise the fact that, though bees suffer from many diseases, the macroscopic symptoms? are practically ‘the same, and to claim that the only acceptable definition of | “Isle. of Wight disease’’ is the ‘‘disease caused by | Nosema apis.” As Mr. Ellis’s experience would ap- | pear to support this contention, it is to be regretted that he should have received the impression that | Nosema, when found, has no causal connection with | the diseasé, The correct deduction would appear to | be that, in spite of the guarantee of the professional , lecturer ‘on. bee-keeping, the bees he examined were | not.suffering from ‘‘Isle of Wight disease.’’ It would | at. any, rate be interesting to know on what scientific data this guarantee was given. The conclusions in | the last sentence of Mr. Ellis’s communication are identical with those drawn in my article. THE WRITER -OF THE ARTICLE, Prices of Scientific Apparatus. THE. method of advertising at present adopted by some of our scientific instrument makers is, I venture to think, open to serious objection. The prices men- | tioned are, it would appear, not’ the current prices at | all.. An addendum (printed in small type or in some . other. inconspicuous way). informs the public that, | owing. to. the war, the prices quoted in the advertise- ment are subject to an addition of 10 or 20 per cent., and in some cases to as much as 33 per cent.. Would it not be advisable to abandon entirely the publication | of pre-war prices, and to quote instead the sums for which the. various forms of apparatus. are to be ob- | tained wat the time: the advertisement meets the public | | evidently been considered by the Egyptian eye? .: -.. FREDK. J. Broptr. - Loxley. Road, ‘Wandsw orth. Common, S.W., April 2. COTTON-GROWING STATISTICS. oa forecasting of the cotton crop, upon which depends one of the greatest industries of the world and in which Great: Britain is especi- ally interested, has settled into a mixture of reports based ona glance round a cotton field, a chat with | a proprietor, and a combination of a ‘few climatic netes which a Government department. wisely issues for a farmer’s guidance. It is all unsubstan- | tial, but these reports are spread over the world | and are used as a basis for business and specula- tion according to the credit any particular reporter may have at the moment. It is not surprising that serious attempts are made to eliminate this casual method and estab- lish a scientific basis in its. stead. A short time ago a particular investigation conducted in Egypt necessitated the obtaining of a certain amount of data of the growth of the cotton plant. The collec- tion of the data was carried out on scientific lines and evidently served its purpose. It was found, however, that the data and method used for this particular purpose. gave indication that their use could be extended to the solution of a far more im- portant problem, viz. forecasting with some de- gree of accuracy the flowering, ripening, and stages in the picking of the cotton crop. In other NO. 2528. VoL. ror! | of the bolls. .The whole of the data thus collected | effect. In spite of this, however, no direct refer- been made to express an opinion. : ‘| of forecasting that they have deliberately refrained | ——— words, an estimate of the yield of the crop could be made several weeks before the cotton was for picking. The line of argument for this coneh sion is fairly simple. The rate of the growth of th plant in height (stem growth) was considered to be, in some proportion, indicative of the rate o! flowering; so that a curve of growth, compared with some standard growth curve, would indicate the rate of flowering three weeks before flowe wering commenced. The flowering curve, in its turn (wi certain corrections), offered a ready means of ests mating the number of bolls of cotton, or the amount of ripe cotton, that could be anticipated two months later. Forecasting on these lines be- came a scientific matter, and it held out a distinct promise of a wide field of usefulness. The Ministry of Agriculture of Egypt evidently determined to test this new method of forecasting the cotton crop, and during the year 1915 arranged a number of stations in Egypt where the growth of various classes of the cotton plant could be ob- | served systematically and complete data obtained of their rates of growth, flowering, and ripening has now been published in the Agricultural Journal of Egypt (vol. vii., 1917). An elaborate series of curves has been graphed from the data. Itis appa rent that one of the chief objects of the whole investigation was the testing of the new method of forecasting, for a statement is made to that ence is afterwards made in the report as to the effectiveness of the method, nor has an attempt The curves and data accompanying heen have authorities to be so adverse to this new method from editorial comment. Whilst this particular feature occupies. nine- tenths of the report, it is evident from the other sections, in the form of editorial | remarks and data, that previous to 1915 cotton- yrowing in Egypt was not conducted on “Cor= rect lines, and that too strict an adherence to Mendelian principles was not yielding the results anticipated. In the editorial statements on this feature the phraseology used is unfortunately. liable to misconstruction. It must, however, be conceded that further remarks on this feature. make it clear that whilst Mendelian principles will be the basis of future work (this, of course, is inevitable), consideration will be given to practical factors according to districts and local conditions. The whole subject is one of such practical utility that someone should be . associated with the botanist to act as a guide in pointing out the direction in which utility is desirable. One or two details of the report—for instance, the measure+ ment of the fibres, etc., and the import of them, the experimental spinning, and the interpretation of the results—clearly indicate the necessity for complementing the staff of the Egyptian’ Ministry of Agriculture dealing’ with cotton-growing by the addition of a man thoroughly acquainted with all” the practical aspects of the cotton industry. ' Aprit 11, 1918] NATURE 105 | MODERN METHODS OF WELDING. HE union of two pieces of metal by fire fusion and hammering is an old-established art in connection with iron, and is rendered easy by the act that the change from liquid to solid is not Spt in the case of this metal, which exists in "a pasty condition over a considerable range of temperature. Since the invention of the oxy- thydrogen blowpipe by Hare in mered with a pneum: me hammer, or pressed to- gether by rollers. Fig. from a paper published by Capt. Caldwell, R. E. in the Transactions of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders +n Scotland for February last, shows a pipe welded in this manner and used in a hydro-electric in- stallation in California. Water-gas is used in this connection as a substitute for a fire, and the tem- perature attained need not be so high as that piv steady progress has been nade with the welding of iron Bad other metals by methods in- Volving flame heating, the earliest ecesses in this direction being achieved with platinum and lead. During the last ten years flame welding has made rapid strides, mainly owing to the use of acetyl- ‘ene as the combustible gas, and as now firmly established as an everyday process in all large engineering workshops. The high temperature procurable by the use of electricity has led to the development of electric welding, which is now employed for a large variety of operations, and may be expected to extend still more as electric power grows cheaper. In addition to the foregoing, a further method of welding is pro- vided by.the use of “thermit’’ mixture, which has proved suc- cessful for many classes of work. During the present time of stress all the methods named are being used to the utmost, and are playing an invaluable part in the production of munitions of war. The gases used for flame weld- ng may be either hydrogen, coal- @as, water-gas, or acetylene, Which are burnt in blowpipes of itable construction in air or oxygen, according to the tem- perature needed. Hydrogen is more expensive than the other "gases named, and is used only in ases in which the work might Ibe damaged by impurities such as sulphur and phosphorus, one Jor both of these being liable to be present in the alternative pases. Coal-gas has long been ised for the autogenous soldering of lead, but has not been applied to any great extent to the welding @f iron, owing to its varying composition and the Presence of “impurities. Water-gas, which has ithe advantage of being the cheapest of all gases Suitable for welding, is now extensively employed Mor pipe welding, particularly in America and wGermany, the parts to be joined being brought Wo a welding heat by blowpipes, and then ham- : NO. 2528, VoL. 101] ° Fic. 1.—Large pipe welded by water-gas method. From Transactions of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland. required for fusion welding, in which joining effected without hammering. The oxy-acetylene flame is most generally used for fusion welding, owing to its high temper rature, which, at the hottest part, approaches 3000° C., a further advantage being that a zone of unburnt hydrogen exists round the working-tip of the flame, which prevents oxidation of the work. In fastening two surfaces by fusion welding, the 106 NATURE [APRIL II, 1918 edges are chamféred and brought together. so as” ‘to form a V-groove. The lowest part of the groove is brought to fusion by the blowpipe, and metal run in from a rod held in the flame, the process being continued until the groove is filled, when, if both the work and added metal have been thoroughly fused, a good. joint will result. The oxy-acetylene flame is extensively used in this manner for welding iron, and is now growing in favour for joining non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium, copper, brass, and bronze. The frame- work of a Zeppelin is a notable example of fusion welding in aluminium, for which metal it is neces- sary to use a suitable flux. work of Capt. D. Richardson, R.F.C., the weld- ing of non-ferrous metals in this country has made great progress within recent years, the oxy- acetylene flame, and a flux suited to the metal under treatment, being generally used. The pro- cess is of special value in the case of aluminium, which cannot readily be joined by soldering. Electric welding has long been employed for joining iron and steel rods, ‘the ends to be pieced being brought together, and a strong current passed through the point of contact. This part, owing to its higher resistance, becomes hotter than the rest of the 'rod, and is allowed to reach the fusion point. Longitudinal pressure is then applied, so that complete union of the two parts may be ensured; and after releasing the pressure. the weld is hammered during cooling. An. alter- nating current is used, the requisite high current ‘at low voltage being secured by the use of a transformer. This method is impracticable for sections above a certain diameter, owing to the excessive current that would be needed. A later development is what is known as “ spot”? welding, which is a substitute for riveting. In fastening together two overlapping plates by this process, the two electrodes are pressed, one above and one below, on the spot to be welded, and the current passed until a sufficiently high tempera- ture is produced. The pressure is maintained during cooling, after which the work is brought forward and treated similarly at another spot. It is quite possible that spot welding may supersede riveting in shipbuilding, as the process can be applied to thick plates. An extension of the spot- welding process is to unite the plates along their whole length, by passing through rollers which form the electrodes, the rate of travel being such as to allow each part to attain a welding heat. So far, continuous seam welding of this kind has been applied only to comparatively thin sheets. The foregoing electric methods are all based on the heating effect due to resistance. The high temperature produced by the electric arc is addi- tionally utilised for welding, and has a varied and rapidly extending application. The carbon are, which yields a temperature of 3700° C., is used for welding seams, the procedure being the same as when the oxy-acetylene flame is used as the source of heat. Direct current is used, the work being connected to the positive pole and the NO. 2528, VoL. 101 | Largely owing to the. carbon to the negative. It is customary to work at a pressure of about go volts and a current of from 50 to 500 amperes, according to the size of the work. An adjustable resistance is used to regulate the current, and the carbon rod is held in an insulating holder, forming a handle by which the workman moves the arc along the joint. It is not attempted to bring the work to a higher temperature than is necessary for complete fusion, — but this condition is brought about more rapidly by the carbon arc than by any other source of heat, and the method is much used in the pro- duction of seamless steel drums, etc. ‘ W -A more recent development of arc welding con- sists in the substitution of an iron rod as negative electrode in place of the carbon, which is fused — by the heat, and the fused metal carried across — the arc on to the work opposite. The iron elec-_ trode, which is usually coated with a flux to pre- vent oxidation, is rapidly used up, and must ‘be | continuously moved forward by the welder to maintain the correct length of the are. The de-_ Fic. 2.—Repairing a tram-rail by are welding, using an iron electrode. posited metal is hammered during cooling, and very satisfactory joints are thus secured. The best voltage to employ is as yet an unsettled question; in American practice 45 volts are com- monly used, whilst in this country pressures rang- | ing from 75 to 110 volts are general. Iron-elec- trode welding is particularly useful for repairing cracks in boiler-plates or shafts, the procedure in > the latter case being to cut away the metal adjoin- ing the crack on either side, forming two conical pieces meeting in a point. The part cut away is then filled in by the arc, commencing: at the nar- rowest point and working outwards. Fig. 2 shows the method applied to the filling in of the | worn parts of a tram-rail, a repair of this kind often saving the cost of a new rail. In all arc welding the eyes of the welder must be protected — from the rays of the arc,’ and suitable glass | screens are therefore provided. One advantage — claimed for arc welding in the case of boiler | repairs is that, owing to the heat produced being | intensely local, a joint may be made without caus- — Aprit II, 1918] NATURE 107 ag strains in the vicinity, as may be produced by ame welding. ermit welding finds its chief application in on large sections, such as rails and thick afts. In welding together the ends of two con- cutive rails, for example, the rails are made to uch, and a refractory mould is placed round the vo ends. The thermit mixture, consisting of ywdered aluminium and oxide of iron, is fired in cible by the ignition of a small quantity of re of barium peroxide and aluminium, the on resulting in the production of aluminium and metallic iron at a temperature of about . The molten mass is run from the crucible the mould, the quantity being such that the part of the rails is surrounded by molten and the upper part by the fused alumina. short time longitudinal pressure is applied rails, which are now at a welding heat, and te union is secured. After removing the ‘the thermit iron is left adhering to the. part of the joint and the slag broken away upper part. This is now the common of welding rails, and forms a_ typical ‘the use of thermit. ; ng the various methods of welding, said ‘that each has its special advan- is preferable for one kind of work. ic has to be made in a case in which uld be executed by several methods, uded by experience as to which is on and also, by. cost and. conveni- ces much depends upon the 7 and _figures showing the ill not be realised in practice ¢arried out by. a. thoroughly ‘= Priie a) Ge Re D: IURIC ACID) AND THE WAR. 2RN warfare has been described as an affair of mechanics and chemistry. Of this is a very partial and incomplete defini- asmuch as it neglects what, after all, is paramount factor—the human element. But, ‘that the human factor is equally potent on h sides, it is certainly true that the belli- } which is most alert and most resourceful in use of the methods and practical achievements science will inevitably triumph in the end. The : conduct of the war shows that our enemies e not been slow to appreciate this fact, and if have been a little more tardy in learning the ie lesson we are rapidly making ‘good what- er leeway we may have lost. Nothing distinguishes this war more markedly from previous campaigns than the manner in which the scientific knowledge and intelligence of > nation have been enlisted, both in its prosecu- on and in the repair of its ravages. We have notable instance of this circumstance in the scently published’ Report of the Departmental ommittee appointed to consider the post-war sition of the sulphuric acid and fertiliser trades. Om * fa ao. 2528, vou. tor] ~ alphuric: acid is indispensable in war; a nation | deprived of it, or of certain of the products which can be obtained only by its means, would be help- less in face of its enemies. It required, however, nearly nine months of actual warfare for those in authority in this country to realise the danger of a possible shortage in the supply of the sulphuric acid absolutely essential to the production of ex- plosives, and a small but eminently competent committee of well-known manufacturers was at length appointed to advise the Government in the matter. The result was that the makers of sul- phuric acid and its principal users were organised in view of the national emergency. The request - that the demands of the explosive factories should receive priority was willingly acceded to, and it is satisfactory to learn that their requirements weré fully met. The enormous amount of sulphuric acid of high strength needed in the manufacture of explosives has, however, led to an extraordinary development in the industry, and to many far-reaching changes which those who are charged with the considera- tion of questions of what is termed “reconstruc- tion’’ view with no little apprehension and con- cern. Concentrating plants on a large scale have been everywhere erected; large oleum plants have been constructed in connection with Government factories, and private manufacturers have been encouraged to extend their chamber plants and to work them continuously and intensively, The result is that the productive power of the country has now reached an amount greatly in excess of the pre-war consumption, and the problem which the Committee has had to consider is how this expansion can be dealt with in view of possible post-war requirements. If the outcome of the war is to lead to the continued existence of militarism, the Government explosive factories with their contact and oleum plants will have to be maintained, for it is incon- ceivable that we shall revert to the fatuous policy of letting things take care of themselves, and of not foreseeing and making provision in advance, which prevailed at the outbreak of hostilities. As regards private manufactories of concentrated acid and oleum, it is to be expected that the resuscitation of the synthetic dye industry in this country will continue to absorb an increas- ing amount of these products. We may hope that it will prove to be one more instance of a super- fluity in supply creating a new demand. But, however optimistic one may be in this respect, it can scarcely be doubted that for some time to come the supply will greatly exceed the demand, and that much plant will lie idle and may possibly be “‘scrapped.”’ There is at least one new source of sulphuric acid in this country, created by the war, which it is greatly to be hoped will be maintained and extended, and that is. the production of acid from Australian zinc concentrates. The manufacture of zinc was instituted in this country before it was started in Belgium and Germany, but it has not been developed here to anything like its proper extent. Although London is the chief zinc market 108 NATURE [ APRIL 4, 1918 in Europe, the main production of the metal has been in the hands of Germans, who have also acquired a controlling interest in the Belgian con- cerns. This fact has, no doubt, something to do with the tenacity with which, under the pressure of Silesian magnates and capitalists, our enemy seeks to retain his hold on Belgium. It is well known that Germany, with the view of maintain- ing her practical monopoly in the production and distribution of zinc, gained control of the rich de- posits of zinc ores in Australia, and* that the great bulk of the Australian concentrates found their way to Belgium and Silesia, mainly by way of Antwerp and Hamburg, Germany’s own de- posits being meanwhile conserved. ‘This is now, happily, a thing of the past, but whether the former condition is to be resumed time alone will show. Meanwhile, the consolidation and develop- ment of the zinc industry in this country are not proceeding at the rate. which could be wished. The debate in the House of Commons on the Non- Ferrous Metals measure showed plainly enough that there are doctrinaires who are blind to our true economic interests. There is one outlet for sulphuric acid which is capable of far greater development, and that is in the manufacture of fertilisers, and especially of superphosphates. There can be no doubt that the food shortage in the country, due to our enemy’s activities, has had a profound effect on our agri- cultural policy, and will lead to a permanent .in- crease in home production. This will, of course, necessitate a greatly increased demand for fer- tilisers, such as sulphate of ammonia, as well as of phosphatic manures. Much ammonia is at present absorbed in the production of nitrate of ammonia, which is needed in the manufacture of munitions. But this ammonia will be liberated after the war, and will. be largely converted into sulphate for agricultural» use. In the past about 60 per cent. of the sulphuric acid we produced was absorbed in the manufacture of fertilisers, in which there was a considerable, although of late declining, export trade, in addition to the home demands. The changed catrying conditions caused by the war may, if we seize our opportunity, lead to a recovery and possible extension of this ex- port trade, induced, on one hand, by the com- parative abundance ‘of cheap sulphuric acid, and, on the other, by thé greatly increased demand for fertilisers. These and many other points are concisely dealt with in the admirable Report of the Committee now before us. It is an eminently businesslike production, commendably short and to the point. It has. the merit, too, of being unanimous, and its: recommendations are practicable and such as will appeal to practical men. They involve recom- mendations for (1) providing an outlet for, and generally dealing with, the surplus sulphuric acid which may be expected over pre-war production; (2) for the relief of acid and fertiliser makers from the competitive effect of surplus acid; (3) for im- proving the status of the technical chemist, for a more systematic study of manufacturing costs, and for the establishment of a strong national NO. 2528, VOL. ror | -on the part of the younger generation of scientific their new home. association ot sulphuric-acid makers. All these are matters which directly affect the interests of the industries dealt with in the Report, and should, and no doubt will, receive the serious consideration ‘ of those immediately concerned, Legislation will _ presumably be required to give effect to certain of the proposals, but there are others upon which immediate action might be taken under existing — powers, and although the end of the war is not yet in sight, it is very desirable that no undue — delay should occur with respect to them. — 4 By THor?E. INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC NOMEN- CLATURE. IS the Comptes rendus of the Paris Academy of Sciences for February 11 there is a mani- festo in the form of. a memorandum entitled “Observations on Modern Scientific Language ”’ by a number of French men of science, MM. Bigourdan, Blondel, Bouvier, Branly, Douvillé, Guignard, Haller, Haug, Henneguy, Lacroix, Lallemand, Laveran, Lecomte, Lecornu, Lemoine, Maquenne, Emile Picard, Roux, Schloessing, jun., and Tisserand. The writers of this note enter a © protest against a tendency they have observed workers. both to neglect literary form in their publications and to introduce new and strange words which are often unnecessary or badly con- — structed. It is suggested that youthful authors. may haps think that the use of outlandish pee a Jends an air of learning to their communications, whereas the impression sometimes produced upon the reader is that he has come upon a bad trans- lation of a work originally published in some foreign language. It is pointed out that, owing to the international character of science, woud and expressions which © are quite appropriate in one language haye been transferred bodily into another language without proper steps having been taken to adapt them to For example, our words “con- TSP ~ trol’? and “to control’’ have been translated “contréle’’ and “contréler.’’ But ‘‘ contréler’’ means ‘‘to register,’’ and, therefore, ought not to be used in the sense of “to regulate’’ or ‘‘to exercise an influence over.’’ The English ex- pression ‘‘self-induction ’’’ sometimes appears in- French papers on electricity in the shortened form of “le self.’”’ Even an Englishman would find it ‘difficult to discover the meaning. of such an ex- pression, so that a Frenchman may. be pardoned if he finds it barbarous. The writers of the note express the hope that | the more closely the bonds between the Allied nations are drawn, the more care may be taken in translating scientific terms and expressions. It is suggested that international congresses and all forms of international co-operation afford a — means of “controlling’’ the international lan- - guage of science. ‘¢ Attention is directed to the adjectives, “thermo- stable’? and “thermolabile,’’ in. the first place APRIL 11, 1918] NATURE 109 cause these words are partly Greek and: partly itin, and in the second on account of the significa- ion given to them. A “thermostat’’ is an in- trument for maintaining a constant temperature, that “thermostable ’’ should apply to a condi- ion in which the temperature remains constant, ich as that found when a piece of ice is floating a ice-cold water. Yet the adjective “thermo- table “” is used to mean “not affected by change _temperature.’’ The writers prefer the term cyclic’’ to “aliphatic.’’ Indeed, ‘* aliphatic ’”’ is an unwieldy adjective, suggesting the inquiry s to whether elephants are really fat. e are further told that in the writings of ts we may read that “un microbe cultive Oommes de terre,’’ and that “un animal re- uit en captivité,’’ meaning in the first case the microbe “can be cultivated,’’ and in the ad that the animal “reproduces itself,’’ or, » “produces its offspring,’’ in captivity. Tearn also that the Latin genitive coli may found used as a substantive to represent erium coli or B. coli in such expressions ‘as culture renferme du coli.’’ ear that the writings of English men. of are not free from the careless use of ns which the writers themselves would ve employed had their attention been ) them. It is also to be noted that the terms we have taken from the re, perhaps, too literally translated. n10uld ‘“‘Farbstoff’’ always be rendered f°’ instead of using the shorter word Apparently there is no word for “dye ”’ so that they are obliged in Germany le cumbrous expression “ colour-stuff.”” € is, we fear, little likelihood that scientific will ever agree upon questions of nomen- About thirty years ago the British Asso- ed a “Committee on Chemical’ ature.”’ So long as this committee con- considerations to the origin and history ‘arious chemical terms, it carried.on its perfect harmony, but as soon as it d the problem of laying down rules to guide writers in the forms of nomenclature they use, it was found that agreement was no sr possible, so that further meetings of the ttee were abandoned. 10ugh complete agreement in these matters to be expected, we feel that there is some son for the criticisms expressed by the authors f the memorandum. TUIT)] eet “eae NOTES. . E regret to notice the death of Emile Yung, pro- sor of zoology in the University of Geneva. A typical patriotic Swiss, Prof. Yung studied zoology under ‘famous Carl Vogt, and after a period of assistant- e his successor at Geneva some thirty years “ago. For many years the treatise on ‘ Practical Com- parative Anatomy,’’ by Vogt and Yung, was a familiar ook in zoological laboratories. It contained minute ptions of a long series of types, and was un- _ fommonly well done. Prof. Yung was greatly in- __ terested in the influence of environmental conditions NO. 2528, VOL. 10r] e . ie i on the organism, and made numerous experiments bearing on this problem. Thus he was one of the early investigators of the determination of sex in tad- poles, and supported the conclusion that the propor- tions of the sexes could be greatly altered by changing the diet. The value of this result was lessened, how- ever, by the fact that the sex of the larve that died in the course of the experiments was not recorded. In another investigation he showed that the growth of tadpoles was modifiable by alterations of diet; thus tadpoles fed on beef grew three times as fast as those fed on plants. The effect of diverse temperatures and illuminations was also tested; thus tadpoles reared under violet light were emphatically longer than those reared under white light, and very much longer than those reared under: green light. Prof. Yung took a keen interest in the description of the fauna of Switzer- ‘and, and made many a study of the plankton of the Lake of Geneva and its seasonal variations. Many of his experimental investigations had a_ pleasant quality of freshness. Thus we may recall how he took a score of marked bees from a hive near the lake, put them in a box, and liberated them in the country six kilometres away. Seventeen returned, some in an hour. Next day the seventeen were taken on a boat to a distance of three kilometres on the lake. When liberated, they flew about aimlessly, and none re- turned. Throughout a vigorous life Emile Yung did much, for science, and his genial personality will be long remembered, ; THE Revue Scientifique announces that Dr. Armand Thevenin, of the Sorbonne, died on March 7, aged forty-eight. He had been experimenting for some time with poisonous gases for the use of the French Army, and in the course of this work contracted an illness which unfortunately proved fatal. Geologists and palzontologists will lament Dr. Thevenin’s premature loss, for he was one of the most accomplished mem- bers of the French school, full of activity in important research. For many. years he collaborated with the Geological Survey. of France on the south-western margin of the central plateau, and did much valuable work in stratigraphy. He was, however, more espe- cially interested in fossils, and both at the Paris Museum of Natural History~and (after 1913) at the Sorbonne he was engaged in many researches of which he published important results. His memoirs on the Permian reptiles and amphibians of France and on various fossils from Madagascar, contributed to the Annales de Paléontologie, will be specially remem- bered. Dr. Thevenin was president of the Geological Society of France in 1914, and received from the Academy of Sciences “‘le grand prix des sciences physiques ”’ in 1909. Tue death is announced of Dr. Friedrich August ‘Rothpletz, professor of geology and palzontology in the University of Munich. Born at Neustadt-a.-d.- Haardt, Bavarian Palatinate, on April 25, 1853, he graduated at Leipzig in 1882, and was engaged for some time on the Geological Survey of Saxony. In 1884 he became privat-dozent at Munich, in 1895 he was made extraordinary professor, and in 1904 he suc- ceeded Prof. K. A. von Zittel as professor. Prof. Rothpletz had a very wide interest in geology, and wrote much on subjects so far apart as the structure of calcareous alge and the folding of the rocks in mountain ranges. He was, however, always particu- larly fascinated by the geological problems presented by the Alps, and to these he devoted two important volumes, ‘‘Geotektonische Probleme’’ in 1894, and ‘““Geologische Alpenforschungen”’ in rg00-8. He also studied the marine geological formations of the Canary Islands, and co-operated with Dr. Simonelli in a IIO NATURE [April 11, 1918 memoir on this subject, published by the Geological Survey of Spain in 1898. Prof. Rothpletz was well known to the geologists of this country, and was elected foreign correspondent of the Geological. Society of Lon- don in 1894, and foreign member in 1905. AFTER thirty-eight years’ service, Mr. Richard Hall _ has retired from the staff of the geological department of the British Museum. Entering the museum as an ordinary mason, he soon acquired remarkable skill in preparing fossil skeletons, and so did much to_facili- tate the progress of vertebrate paleontology. His ex- trication of the bones of Pariasaurus and Cynognathus from an almost intractable matrix began a new era in the study of South African fossil reptiles, which had previously been only imperfectly prepared; and Dicy- nodon halli is named to commemorate his success in ‘this work. He also prepared the fine skeleton of Hyperodapedon from Elgin, described by Prof. Huxley in 1887, besides many other fossils now exhibited in the public galleries of the museum. THE seventy-first annual meeting of the- Palzonto- graphical Society was held at Burlington House on April 5; Dr. Henry Woodward, president, in the chair. Besides instalments of the monographs of Pliocene Mollusca, Cambrian Trilobites, Palaeozoic Asterozoa, and Wealden and Purbeck Fishes, the first part of a new monograph of British Bellerophontacea, by Dr. F. -R. C. Reed, was announced for publication. Mr. C. H.Cunnington, Mr. E. Gibson,.Mr. A. W. Oke, . and Dr. A. Strahan were elected new members of coun- cil; Dr. Strahan was elected new vice-president; and Dr. Henry Woodward, Mr. Robert S. Herries, and Dr. A. Smith Woodward ‘were re-elected president, treasurer, and secretary respectively. In a brief ad- dress the president paid a tribute to the memory of Dr. G. J. Hinde, who for many years took an active part in the work of the society. ae a THE council.of Girton College recently decided. to endeavour to raise’a sum of money with which to found a fellowship for the encouragement of research in natural. science, and especially in botany, as a memorial of Miss Ethel Sargant, whose original con- tributions to botany gained for her a prominent and honourable position in the scientific world. Miss Sar- gant was not only an original investigator of great ability, but she also consistently advocated the import- ance of providing opportunities of research for others. She was the first woman to preside over a section of the British Association and. to serve on the council of the Linnean Society. Subscriptions may be sent to Miss E. Lawder (hon. treasurer of the Executive Com- mittee of the Ethel Sargant Memorial Fund, Girton College), 25 Halifax Road, Cambridge. Tue death is announced of Prof. Christian Horn- ung, at the age of seventy-three. For fifty years Prof. Hornung held the chair of mathematics and astro- nomy in Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio. Pror. J. H./Jeans and Sir William S. McCormick have been elected members of the Athenzum Club under the provisions of the rule of the club which empowers the annual election by the committee of a certain number of persons “of distinguished eminence in science, literature, the arts, or for public service.”’ Tue Times of April.9 announces the sudden death, in his sixty-first year, of Pandit Sir Sundar Lal, Vice- Chancellor of the -University of Allahabad, and repre- sentative of the University on the Provincial Legisla- ture. The successful organisation of the Benares Hindu University was largely due to his efforts, and he was its first Vice-Chancellor. NO. 2528, VOL. 101] ‘Moore, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, has 3 ‘St. Louis, to succeed Dr. E. A. Engler, whose death - from home sources. extent, and within what time, it should be possible At the ordinary scientific meeting subject ‘‘The Old and the New Mineralogy.” Tue Bulletin des Usines de Guerre for March 18 (quoted in. Le Génie Civil) gives particulars of a motor- car propelled by hydrogen which is probably the first of its kind. Experiments made with the va aa (1) that a car motor can be made to work perfectly — well with a mixture of pure hydrogen and air; (2) that — it is not necessary to modify the construction of the — motor; and (3) that the motor can be worked with a | simple type of carburettor. aa et Ir is announced in Science that Prof. J. M. Coulter, — professor of botany in the University of Chicago, has been elected president of the Chicago Academy of — Science. Prof. Coulter is this year president of the — American Association for the Advancement-of Science — and of the American Association of: University Pro- — fessors. Our contemporary also states that Dr, G. T. been elected president of the’ Academy of Science of - we announced recently. THE Minister of Munitions, in agreement with the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Petroleum — Executive, has appointed a Committee to inquire into ~ certain matters relating to the production of fuel oil The terms of reference are:— ‘“To consider the report which has been rendered by the Petroleum Research Department on the production - of fuel oil from home sources, and to advise to what under present conditions to carry out the proposals — made in this report; and to consider the steps which — have been taken by the Ministry of Munitions in this — connection.’’ The members of the Committee are :— Marquess of Crewe (chairman), Col. A. Stirling, Maj. G. Collins, Engineer Vice-Admiral G..G. Goodwin — (Engineer-in-Chief of the Navy), Sir Richard Red- mayne (representing the Controller of Coal Mines), — Sir Lionel Phillips (representing the Ministry of Muni-. tions); secretary, Mr. G. C. Smailwood (Ministry of Munitions). a Wirn the view of endeavouring to ‘meet the coal : shortage which has arisen, due to the tonnage ques- — tion, the Danes have commenced the exploitation of — the lignite deposits of - Iceland and the Faroe — Islands, while recent announcements indicate — that an attempt will be made to work the ~ coal-beds of the island of Bornholm. These latter deposits have been worked before, but had to be aban- doned owing to difficulties of exploitation and the low calorific value of the fuel. The geological conditions, etc., have been given in a description of the island — by Grénwall and Milthers published by Danish ~ Geological Department. Nevertheless, it is stated (La Nature, March 30) that geologists and a capitalist — have resolved to take in hand the further exploitation — of these deposits. The newspapers announce that it is — hoped to obtain a yield of 500,000 tons per annum — before long. ' Pines FUP In an article in the Morning Post of April 4 entitled — “The Long-range Gun; Some Future Possibilities,” it is stated that military opinion in Germany and Aus- tria seems to be that the bombardment of Paris is an’ experiment to obtain data for a similar attack on Lon- _ don. It is pointed out that once the problem of pro- ~ jecting shells to a range of seventy or eighty miles has been. solved, speedy developments are certain to follow, — Apri II, 1918] NATURE EEL: h the possible result that shells, more destructive those now being fired into Paris, could be thrown Ostend to London, a distance of some 130 miles, pointed out that if the experiments on long-range stics, which were initiated in this country in 1887, 1 not been curtailed owing to the stupidity of our tials and politicians, we should probably have been to produce such a long-range gun, and it is that we should set to work at once to produce weapon than the German gun. results of two expeditions equipped by Mr. 1. Vanamaker—one to work in the south, the other in e north, of Alaska—are described in the Museum vol. viii., No. 2, June, 1917). Among the ons received are old works of art handed down many generations in the Chilkat tribe. The rn expedition worked among the Eskimo on the of the Arctic Ocean, who have been seldom and retain many of their characteristic insti- This expedition will throw much light on he chain of pure Eskimo culture which reaches from xrador on the Atlantic side of the continent across es of the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea to the Pacific. -C. Watts has contributed to the Geograph- eview (vol. w., No, 6, December, 1917) a paper ¢ Peoples of Hungary: their Work on the cand.” The paper gives a good instance of geagraph- cal control upon the life of man. The Magyar is soted in the heart of Hungary, the central Alféld. ks show a definite tendency towards the ent of an economic life which essentially ym that of the other races, due in part to the s and plains of which their land is composed, in sharp contrast with the life of the Ruma- Transylvania, where the best farm work is e by Germans or Magyars. This Slovak has occurred in the face of direct opposi- eM iso of greater value than that of either erb in the south-west. . CHatMERS and Wainé Pekkola have pub- Annals of Trop. Med. and Parasitology 3, pp. 213-64, two plates) a memoir tix mesnili, a flagellate protozoon com- the intestine of man. A _ detailed is given of the history of our know- is organism, and of the morphology, fission, ution, and systematic position. The authors t an infection can persist for years, but that organism increases in numbers it becomes ic and causes diarrhoea. After a considera- he known species of Chilomastix with the view whether any animal is a carrier, the authors le that man is the important carrier of C. and that the infection spreads from man to means of the cysts, is notorious that much more study has been ed to the form than to the function of teeth. A mt paper entitled ‘Form and Function of Teeth: A Theory of Maximum Shear” (Journ. of Anat., Octo- 7), by Mr. D: Macintosh Shaw, of the Royal 3 st ospital, is particularly welcome, because it th the functional significance of dental cusps. Shaw has applied to the mechanism of mastica- | the “immense body of knowledge built up by neers and mathematicians,’ and finds that the h are so.shaped, set; and moved as to produce a imum shearing stress on the material placed between tr opposed blades. That the front, or incisor, teeth act as shearing blades has been long acknowledged, the application of this doctrine to the molar, or "NO. 2528, voL. ror] if? 1) ar official class. The work of the, cheek, teeth is new, Mr. Shaw regards the outer, or buccal, cusps as shearing blades; the function of the inner, or lingual, cusps is quite different: they serve to retain .the food in. position so that it may be sub- jected to the shearing force applied through the outer cusps. He also points out how necessary canine teeth are to serve as guiding structures; canine teeth, by their sliding contact, ensure the alignment of the opposing shearing edges of the molar and premolar teeth. The crowns’ of the teeth are shaped so as to protect the gums from the impact of food during mastication. DurinG the past winter several distinguished medi- cal men have been invited to Edinburgh to discuss the best means of improving the teaching of medical sub- jects. It was a fortunate choice that led to the invita- tion of Prof. Elliot Smith, of Manchester, to discuss “ The one of Anatomy.’’ His lecture may be read in full (Edinburgh Medical Journal, March); here we need only summarise his chief conclusions. In his opinion ‘anatomy should be regarded as an integral and intimately co-ordinated part of the whole medical course, and it should be the business of the teacher to give expression to this broad view in his teaching.” The anatomy taught must refer to the living, not to the dead, body. - Dissection is essential for the proper training of the medical student. ‘‘The primary value of dissection to the student is to énable him to find his way about the body. Much of the knowledge he acquired is of a subconscious nature, but ‘is none the less: real on that account. By a limited experience I have learned to find my way from Princes Street to the University, but I cannot name a single street or landmark, nor give more than the vaguest description of the route, yet I have the essential knowledge which meets my needs. The vital knowledge of anatomy is of a similar nature.”’ Prof. Elliot Smith regards the delivery of a systematic course of lectures on anatomy as indefensible, and the teaching of osteology as a separate subject as a “wicked and sterilising farce.’ The ideal. course of instruction which he maps out aims at making anatomy the real basis of medical education. THe Mediterranean fruit-fly (Ceratitis . capitata, Wied.), which has been introduced from Australia into Hawaii, where it has caused ‘‘a serious and permanent check upon horticultural pursuits,’’ is described at length by E. A. Back and C. E. Pemberton in a recent Bulletin (No. 536) of the-U.S.- Department of Agricul- ture. The relation of the fly to various tropical fruits is discussed in detail. BritisH students of forest entomology may welcome the recent publication of two papers—one, by J. W. Munro, on Hylastes, a rather neglected genus of bark- beetles (Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edinb., vol. xx., part 3, 1917), and the other on the Chermes of spruce and larch, by H. M. Steven (Proc. R. Soc. Edinb., vol. XXxvii., part 3, 1917). The latter will be especially useful as a guide to much recent Continental literature on a group with many bionomic problems. Pror. D’Arcy Tuompson, in the Scottish Naturalist for March, continues his analysis of the scarcer fishes of the Aberdeen market. In this article he passes in review the occurrences of the sturgeon, sea-bream, deal-fish, and red-mullet. The sturgeon, he shows, is most abundant off our coasts in the spring and early summer, when it is proceeding towards, or preparing to ascend, the rivers to. spawn. The English records, he remarks, show a tendency to cluster round about the river mouths. ‘The Severn is a well-known haunt of this fish, and it would in all probability breed there if protected. All our records for that river are for April Wil\2 NATURE [APRIL 11, 1918 -_ and May.’’ Having regard to the importance of the sturgeon as a ‘‘ food-fish,’’ it would seem well worth while to afford the protection suggested by Prof. D’Arcy Thompson in this brief but valuable survey. A veERy welcome insight into the life-history of the little penguin (Eudyptula minor) is afforded us by Dr. Brooke Nicholls in the Emu—the official organ of the Royal Australasian. Ornithologists’ Union—for Janu- ary. Dr. Nicholls’s shrewd observations have added much to our knowledge of the habits of -these noc- turnal birds). He has also told us much _ in regard to their food, moulting, the coloration of the soft parts, and the differences between the sexes, which are closely alike. His observations were made. on Philip Island and neighbouring stacks. He comes to the conclusion, in spite of statements to the con- trary, that there is but one species of little penguin on Philip Island, and expresses regret that these birds are ‘‘not found upon the list of our protected birds.’”? The need for this step, he points out, is urgent, since they are now threatened by increasing settlement, and, besides, are largely used as bait by fishermen for their lobster-pots. THE special Committee appointed by the Board of Agriculture, Trinidad, to inquire into the present posi- tion and prospects of rubber cultivation in the island has recently published its report in the Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture, vol. xvi., part 3. The report is a very interesting and valuable document, tracing the history of the industry from the year 1876, when two plants of Hevea brasiliensis, the Para rubber, were sent from Kew to Trinidad. The report is based on returns sent in from estates, but as several replies have not yet been received the total acreage under rubber cannot be given. From the returns received there are found to be 130,593 trees of Hevea, 81,975 of Castilloa, and 45,000 of Funtumia. should be much higher, as owing to the highly favour- able views entertained as to this plant it was very largely planted in the colony. Experience has shown, however, that this Central American rubber tree is far inferior in every way to Para rubber as a_plantation tree, and much of the work done in Trinidad must -be regarded as a failure. On many estates Castilloa has now been removed, and a good deal of rubber land is derelict. The Committee points out that there is a good deal of land in Trinidad suitable for Hevea cultivation, and the report indicates clearly the proper lines on which planting should be undertaken and the returns which may be anticipated. The report ends with a summary of recommendations, in which the Committee states that, while cacao, sugar, and coconuts hold first place, Hevea should certainly rank in the front line of the secondary industries, such as limes, rice, and coffee. It is also pointed out that coffee may be interplanted with Hevea. Two impor- tant recommendations relate to the need for co-opera- tion among rubber growers, and the formation of a Rubber Planters’ Assaciation, either on lines similar to those of, or in amalgamation with, the present Cocoa Planters’ Association. Tue Advisory Council of Science and ' Industry of the Commonwealth of Australia has recently issued a bulletin upon ‘‘ The Factors Influencing Gold Deposi- tion in the Bendigo Goldfield.”’ This goldfield is famous for the very exceptional character of its reefs of auriferous quartz, which are either bedded reefs, subdivided into saddle reefs, trough reefs, and leg reefs, or fault reefs or spurs. A large number of data concerning these reefs has been collected, but the in- ferences that can be drawn from these have not, so far, proved very helpful to the prospector. It is NO. 2528, VOL. 101 | The return for Castilloa’ pointed out that the various dykes are geologically younger than the quartz reefs, and can have played to the intrusion of the. granodiorite in Lower Devonian times. sion have been injected under pressure and have pro- duced the reefs, in the case of saddle reefs mainly by the filling of fissures, in the case of the other types of deposit, mainly by replacement. The gold in’ the reefs is principally concentrated on the walls, and its distribution is never uniform along the reefs. Whilst ‘the replacement origin of the reefs provides a possible explanation for the gold shoots,’’ it has to be admitted that ‘“‘some additional factors, at present unknown or only guessed at, must influence the localisation of the shoots’’; in other words, science has not yet pro- gressed far beyond the old Cornishman’s ‘‘ Where she be, there she be’’! A NOVEL method of investigating the variation of the — germicidal action, of ultra-violet light with wave-length has recently been described in the Proceedings of the © Royal Society, series B, vol. xc., by Drs. C. H. Brown- ing and S. Russ. graphing the ultra-violet spectrum on plates covered with a film of gelatine or agar-agar inoculated with micro-organisms instead of on an ordinary photographic After suitable exposure these plates are incu- — plate. . no part in their origin, which is probably to be referred bated, and the action of the radiation is thereby ren- . dered visible; those parts ‘affected by the radiation — remain transparent, while the remaining parts become opaque owing to the copious growth of the organisms which were not destroyed by the action of \Tays. The region of activity of the radiation is between the wave-lengths 2960 and 2100 A.U., with a maximum in the region 2800 to 2540 A.U.; the rays are, however, easily absorbed by o-1 mm. of skin, so that this type of radiation can only be effectual in on the surface of a wound. The range of suscepti- bility varies slightly for different organisms, but not between several kinds. ‘ enemy, which were exhibited and An account of the optical stores sp ee from the | escribed to the Optical Society in November by Lt.-Col. A. C. Wil-— liams, is given in the November issue of the Trans- actions of the society. The collection is fairly repre- sentative, and includes range-finders, directors for field: and heavy artillery, dual sights, clinometers, sighting arcs, stereoscopic telescopes, periscopes, and sighting telescopes for machine-guns. out how they all showed evidence of careful design and high-class workmanship, how lacquer had been dis- — carded in favour of a tough, well-stoved enamel, and how in many cases the instruments had been painted after completion in order to cover all screws and render the instruments waterproof. Single complex prisms have been substituted for double reflecting prisms in order to diminish the loss of light and to facilitate adjustment. The balsaming of. prisms together was well done, and the balsam very hard. From the dis- — The method consists in photo- — ling with organisms sufficiently so to provide a means of differentiating — Mineral solutions connected with this intru- Col. Williams pointed _ cussion which followed the exhibition it appeared that while there was no new principle involved in the instruments captured, the working out of the details showed evidence of great care, and would repay study on the part of British instrument-makers. The instru- ments may be examined by permission of Prof. F. J. Cheshire, Imperial College of Science, South Kensing- ton. 2 A Lone paper by Prof. Palazzo, chief of the Italian Meteorological Service, discussing magnetic observa-. tions taken at Theodosia, in the Crimea, between August 17 and 28, 1914, appears in the Memorie della Societa degli Spettroscopisti Italiani (vol. vi., 1917). NATURE hed, @ object of the observations was to obtain data for gust 21, the date of a solar eclipse, which was total _ at Theodosia, and for comparison data from some adjacent days. The records were derived with the aid of a magnetograph of the Mascart type, which is fully ribed and illustrated by photographs. The curves re read at five-minute intervals for some hours dur- ¢ the time of the eclipse, and the tabulated results leclination, horizontal force, and vertical force are ared with the corresponding mean results from acent days. The data are exhibited graphically es, with corresponding data from De Biit lands), Rude Skov (Denmark), Seddin (Ger- and Ekaterinburg (Russia). In the case of and vertical force, it is shown that some ts, which might not unnaturally be with the eclipse if the Central European fe had been available, must be assigned to ‘other cause, but Prof. Palazzo is disposed to e some of the declination phenomena with the _ There are a good many references to earlier the subject. A. Ricut has published a second memoir (R. a delle Scienze dell’ Instituto di Bologna, * 25, 1917) dealing with the ionisation pro- X-rays in a magnetic field. In the first part paper Prof. Righi discusses the question raised in lumns (Nature, vol. c.,p.32, p. 224, 1917) of the of explaining the experimental results as to e of current by taking into account the _and therefore longer, paths of the ions under actions of the two fields. He points out that energy of an electron (or of an ion) depends _ the electric field and on the projection of the the direction of the said field, and is not ‘the existence of the magnetic field. Prof. view of magneto-ionisation is that an tion can ionise a gaseous atom by colli- this is in a magnetic+field, even if the ‘of the electron doés not reach that um which is necessary when the field does not On this theory it is possible to explain not only crease in current due to the magnetic field, but that when the field is made sufficiently an inversion of the observed effect, the ng instead of increasing. There are -at work, producing opposite effects: mag- ation and the magnetic deviation or change is of the particles. The former increases gnetic field, but reaches a limiting value; nereases indefinitely, and finally gets the l. The paper contains an analytical dis- the motion of an electron in a uniform d on which is superposed a perpendicular ic field, a problem previously considered by Thomson (‘ Conduction of Electricity through and treated elegantly by a purely geometrical ‘by W. ‘B. Morton (Phys. Soc. Proc., vol. xxi., , 1909). The last part of the paper gives an in- ‘account of new experiments carried out with ratus specially designed to test the existence of onisation. Curves are given showing the between the current and the applied potential e for various magnetic fields. ‘These indicate ase in the current when a magnetic field is the increase being most marked when the al difference exceeds a certain value depending . strength of the magnetic field. . so-called “‘iminohydrins,” or isoamides, = ‘prepared by Eschweiler in 1897, who gave them general formula R.C(OH): NH. They were after- s (1901) investigated by Hantzsch, and given the secular formula NH: CR.O.NH,:CR.OH.. Dr. H. G. Rule has studied these compounds afresh, and gives an account of his results in the January issue of the Journal of the Chemical Society. He shows that they are amidine salts of the general type R.C(NH,): NH,R.CO,H, and that ‘“ glycollimino- hydrin,”’ the first of Eschweiler’s preparations, is really glycollamidine glycollate, OH.CH,.C(NH,) : NH,OH.CH,.CO,H. The constitution of this and similar compounds is proved by its synthesis by the interaction of sodium glycollate and glycollamidine’ hydrochloride, _ this method of preparation giving a far better yield than Eschweiler’s method of treating the imino-ether hydro- chlorides with moist silver oxide. Besides the glycol compound methoxyacetamidine methoxyacetate, acet- amidine acetate and phenylacetamidine phenylacetate were prepared, whilst mandelamidine mandelate was obtained by Dr. J. E. Mackenzie. Molecular weight determinations, by the cryoscopic method, of these compounds support the new theory of their constitu- tion, on the assumption that they are almost completely ionised in solution. To explain the formation of these amidine salts by the action of water on the imino- ethers, Dr. Rule suggests that the latter first undergo autohydrolysis, forming ammonium salts of the corre- sponding acids, and that these then interact with the imino-ethers. IN a paper on the possibilities of the ferro-concrete ship read ‘by Major Maurice Denny at the Institution of Naval Architects on March 22, the author raises the interesting point of the permissible stress on the steel reinforcement under tension, without the risk of rupture occurring in the adjacent concrete. A usual figure taken in land structures is 16,000 Ib. per sq. in. for the working tensile stress in the steel; with a modular ratio of 12-5 this would produce a tensile stress of about 1300 lb. per sq. in. in the neighbour- ing concrete—i.e. a stress sufficient to produce rupture of some sort. The matter is of serious importance in ship construction, owing to the necessity for maintain- ing watertightness. In the discussion on this paper— reported in Engineering for April 5—Mr. J. Foster King provided a long and valuable contribution, in the course of which reference was made to the same matter. Taking the elastic modulus of reinforced con- crete to be the same as that of. plain concrete —8 per cent. of that of ‘steel—the permissible stress on the steel must not exceed 5400 lb. per sq. in. if the concrete is to remain unbroken. As reinforced concrete lost homogeneity under tensile stresses which exceed the breaking stress of the concrete by 45 per cent., the designed working stress on the concrete should be less than its own tensile strength, so as to leave such a margin between ordinary and extra- ordinary stresses as experience had forced upon ship- builders. Experience of reinforced concrete had been derived from ratios of steel to concrete of about 1 per cent., and it seemed unreasonable to expect effective bond of steel and concrete when the ratio exceeds 8 per cent. Mr. King suggests experiments upon material exposed concurrently to tension and water* pressure, in order to ascertain the point where steel and concrete cease to lend their properties to one another. ErratuM.—A correspondent points out that it was Pope Innocent VIII. who, in 1484, gave the sanction of the Church to the popular beliefs concerning witches referred to in NATURE of April 4 (p. 82), and not Pope Innocent VII., as there stated. The reference in Dt. Withington’s article was correct, but was wrongly given by the reviewer. II4 NATURE * APRIL IT, TOL OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. SPECTRUM AND RapiaL VeELOcity or N.G.C. 1068.— Further photographic observations of the spectrum of the spiral nebula N.G.C. 1068 (M77) have been made at Flagstaff by Dr. V. M. Slipher (Lowell Observatory Bulletin, No, 80). Among the photographs obtained was one taken with a two-prism spectrograph, which received a total exposure of thirty-five hours during five nights. Besides confirming the composite char- acter of the spectrum and the high velocity previously _ recorded, this photograph shows that the bright hydrogen lines extend farther into the fainter parts of the nebula than do the two green nebular lines, and that both bright and dark lines are strongly inclined. — The inclination is about 5°, and indicates a rotation about an axis through the shorter diameter of the nebula, the velocity of rotation being approximately 300 km. per sec. at 1’ from the nucleus. This is the highest rotational speed which has yet been recorded, and there is evidence that the inner part is turning into the arms of the spiral, like a winding spring, as in the case of other spirals in which rotation has been observed. A peculiar feature of the emission lines is that instead of appearing as simple images of the slit, they appear as small discs; pressure increasing to- wards the nucleus is a possible explanation. The re- cent photographs consistently indicate the enormous receding velocity of 1120 km. per sec. for this nebula. CHANGES IN THE SPECTRUM OF y ARGOUs.—A pre- liminary account of some photographs of the spectrum of y Argis, which were taken at Cordoba with a 5-in. objective prism attached to the astrographic equatorial, has been given by Dr. C. D. Perrine (Astrophysical Journal, vol. xlvii., p. 52). The star is well known as being the brightest example of the Wolf-Rayet type, and the new observations appear to show compara- tively rapid fluctuations in the structure of Hg, which is doubly reversed. While the bright band was most intense on the red side of the weak absorption. line on plates taken in August, 1917, it was brightest on the violet border during November. Variations in the widths of the bright bands in the region A 450 are also indicated. From a comparison with earlier records by other observers, it is concluded that considerable changes have occurred during the last twenty years. Dr. Perrine has further noted a broad, faint brighten- ing in the region of the chief nebular line, and a sus- pected brightening in the region of the second nebular line; it may be suggested, however, that these arg not the nebular lines at all, but the adjacent lines of helium, as previously photographed at Johannesburg by W. M. Worssell. The latter photographs, it may be recalled, gave no certain evidence of secular changes ‘in the spectrum. Unitep States Navat OssERvATORY.—The report of the U.S. Naval Observatory for the year ending June 30, 1917, has been received. The routine ‘observations were continued without intermission, including meri- dian work, observations of comets and occultations with the equatorials, observations of asteroids of special interest, and photographic investigations of the “variation of latitude. The nautical instrument. repair shop was especially active, and has continued to prove economical both in time and expense; more than 3000 instruments were put in order during the year. The observatory has continued to encourage sugges- tions and developments of methods and instruments for navigation, particularly for submarines and air- craft. CORRECTIONS. TO THE BONN DURCHMUSTERUNG.—_ Prof. F. Kiistner, director of the Bonn Observatory, publishes in Astronomische Nachrichten, 4929, a use- nomers’ who use that work would do well to incor- — porate in their cepies; some of the corrections refer to the star-positions, others to their magnitudes, others to the catalogue references, whilst a list is given of the stars in each volume that have been recognised as. variables since the publication of the B.D. Consider- ing the immense number of stars in the catalogue, and the small size of the instrument with which it was made, the list of errata is extremely short, and reflects the greatest credit on Argelander and his assistants. AURORAL OBSERVATIONS IN THE ANTARCTIC. . THE paper referred to below’? was prepared, the author tells us, in 1911, but printing was delayed as Sir E, Shackleton, the leader of the 1908 Antarctic Expedition, hoped to publish the scientific work as a complete series. mately to be abandoned. The paper is a very yvalu- able contribution to our knowledge of. aurora, and its appearance, if late, is very welcome. “The auroral log occupies pp. 155-200, and includes particulars of the times when aurora was observed, and various descrip- tive information as to the nature and trend of the ” Fic. 1.—Daily time-distribution at Cape Royds. Graph- ical: illustration of the relative frequency of auroral phenomena at different hours of the day. Radius vectors on scale such that 3/160th in. equals one hour’s display. ¥ aurora when it consisted of curtains, ares, or streamers having a definite direction. A preface explains the scheme of observations, and the terms employed are dealt with in the introductory remarks. Sir Douglas considers the curtain the fundamental type of aurora. When streamers alone are visible, they represent in general, he thinks, ‘‘the visible parts of an invisible curtain.”’ - A discussion of the phenomena is given in a sum-_ mary, pp. 201-12. This is illustrated-by a plate and by Figs. 1 and 2, here reproduced. Fig. 1 shows the That idea unfortunately had _ ulti- ‘ BEEING NP OI EE i ete diurnal variation in the frequency, and Fig. 2 the rela- ~ tive frequency with which aurora was observed in the | Only the observa- — tions of June, July, and August, 1908, were employed. + different geographical directions. The station being at 77° 32’ S. lat., the sun was con- tinuously below the horizon during so the disturbing effects of daylight or twilight were at a minimum. Observers in the northern hemisphere have usually, if not always, found the maximum fre- quency before midnight. At Cape Royds, as Fig. 1 shows, it appears near 3. a.m. This is in general — agreement with the conclusions reached by Mr. L. C. — 1 “ Auroral Observations at the Caps Royds Station, Antarctica. British Antarctic Expedition, rg08."’ By Sir Douglas Mawson. (From Trans. Roy, — ful list of corrections to the B.D., which all astro- } Soc. of S. Australia, vol. xl., 1916, pp. 151-212.) NO, 2528, VOL. 101] these months, © Blah ee irr oS ise! _ Aprit 11, 1918] NATURE I15- acchi, the physicist of the first Scott Antarctic pedition, 1902-4. ‘The result is of obvious import- im any theoretical explanation of aurora. The 3, which is not reproduced here, deals with the al variation of the frequency of aurora as seen in ferent geographical directions. A maximum of fre- y near 3 a.m. was observed in most directions, . through E. to S.E., but not in all directions, _ 2 shows in the clearest way that aurora at Cape Was much more in evidence to the east than the west. The magnetic needle at Cape Royds ated about 30° east of south, i.e. the S. magnetic the earth lay north of N.W. Sir Douglas eems to think that the greater frequency in the east ay be due to that being the direction of the open , land areas prevailing to the west. It may mean, , only that Cape Royds lies within the zone of im auroral frequency. of the author’s conclusions are very sugges- Making due allowance,” he says (p. 206), “ for obscuring effect ot daylight . . . auroral pheno- . at Cape Royds favour the portions of the sh are (a) directed towards, (b) directed away , the sun, having regard for the position of the Fic. 2.—Distribution in azimuth of auroral phenomena * At ; Graphical illustration of the rela- tive ncy of aurora seen at Cape Royds in elation to geographical direction. Radius vectors _ on scale such that x/8oth in. equals one hour’s display. the time of observation.’? Again, p. 207: displays at Cape Royds are distinguished by proportion of curtains traversing the heavens near, or nearly linear, direction. A remarkable ‘sequence was observed in their trends. Always the average) they appeared directed approximately ards the sun. Thus, should a curtain persist for ngth of time, it was noted always to exhibit a jw rotational movement counter-clockwise.’? On 209 we read: “After due consideration the following pretation has been adopted: that at Cape Royds, 1 the case of steady, straight bands and curtains, they ake up a position . . . approximately directed towards }sun.’? In June and July aurora was visible every ay when clouds permitted, but the majority of the plays in these months “‘were much calmer and ore] localised than during the preceding or succeed- months.”? ¢ iu n the daily logs there are frequent indications of observer’s impression that the aurora was at no ery great height, and that its form was influenced by _ Mt. Erebus when it lay in that direction. Thus, of an aurora on. May 23 it is said:—‘‘As it extended past the cone of Mt. Erebus, there appeared a local bend, curving outwards from the mountain .. . the lower NO. 2528, VOL. tor] border appeared to show below the summit of the mountain.’’ Of a curtain on May 31 it is said :—It appeared to be very low over Mt. Erebus, and to touch the ... crater. At one stage it ringed the crater.’ On June 21, we are told, “a strong luminous nebula appeared on the N. flanks of Mt. Erebus. . . . The luminous nebula stood out brightly between us and the slopes of Mt. Erebus.”’ In view of the apparent conflict between these ob- servations and the measurements of auroral heights made of late years by Prof. Stérmer and others in the Arctic, it is obviously desirable that the programme of the next Antarctic expedition should include the measurement of auroral heights after Prof. Stérmer’s method. A 25-lkkm. base, such as Prof. Stérmer used in his latest observations, is, however, naturally fitted only for measuring great heights, so it would be well to have, in addition to a long base, a much shorter one of 2 or 3 km., the two bases having desirably one station in common. Sir Douglas tells us that the re- cords of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1912-13 supply much fuller information as to aurora than those of the 1908 expedition, so we may look forward to an even more valuable contribution from his pen on a future occasion. C. CHREE. THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS. 6 Beicees conference of the National Union of Teachers, which was opened at Cambridge on Monday, April 1, gave a welcome opportunity for a declaration » of policy on the part of this large and influential body on the question of the Education Bill now before Par- liament. It is satisfactory to observe that the confer- ence resisted all amendments to the Bill on the ground that it was desirable to present to the House of Com- mons a clear call in favour of the general principles embodied in the Bill, and to trust to the future for any desirable amendments in its provisions. It secures at least the abolition of half-time, mainly prevailin in the textile areas of Lancashire and Yorkshire, an of the labour certificate, which took the intelligent child from the schools at a premature age. It gives the further advantage of continued education, both general and special, within the working hours of young people from fourteen to eighteen years of age, by which means two and a half millions of adolescents will continue within the healthy influence of the school in preparation for life and in the righ use of leisure, and so promote a higher standard of citizenship, and thus make fruitful the early training begun in the day schools. In the course of her presidential address Miss Con- way dwelt upon the extraordinary demand which would be made on the teaching profession, not only in meeting the requirements of the new Bill, but also in supplying the grievous loss entailed by the present and future exigencies of the war. Already some 20,000 teachers out of about 37,000 have been called up for service with the Army in the field, tooo of whom have given their lives. _ Women, as in so many other spheres of labour, have been called upon to fill the places of men so withdrawn, but under onerous»‘con- ditions of much larger classes in schools, often dis- organised, and they have nobly and successfully re- sponded. The adequate training of the teacher is admitted to be a matter of the most serious concern, but it cannot be expected that the profession will con- tinue to attract gifted men and women to its service, especially that of women, upon whom the duty to a much larger extent in the future will inevitably fall, unless its status be raised, its prospects improved, its emoluments increased, and suitable retiring pensions 116 NATURE [APRIL 11, 1918 provided. ‘The advent of women in the political sphere will of necessity open up other professional careers for women, the training for which will not be more onerous than that of the teacher, and in which the prospects will be more attractive and the remuneration in proportion to the skill employed without reference to sex. Equal pay for equal service found eloquent expression at the conference, but on a division was defeated by 16,717 votes; whereupon a referendum will be taken. Despite Mr. Fisher’s declaration of mini- mum salaries, which gave a- proportion of nine-tenths to women as compared with men, the tendency to a much larger differentiation, especially in London, ‘is on the increase, the maximum of the women head- teachers in many cases in that area being actually 2o!. below the minimum of* the men head-teachers. The poor remuneration of teachers is strikingly shown by a return of the Board of Education of November last, where it appeared that out of 36,827 certificated men teachers, 2639 received less than tool. per annum, and out of 77,139 certificated women teachers, 32,314 received less than the foregoing sum. Until this matter receives drastic reform ‘it is impossible to ensure a contentéd and happy body of teachers. The provision of nursery schools, where children can have the advantage of trained nurses and medical advice, and which should be linked up with the neigh- bouring elementary schools, was warmly commended as tending to ensure a much better supply of healthy children. A strong plea was put forward for the em- ployment of capable cultured women in the active work of the contemplated continuation classes, so as to give to the girls a wise training in matters relating to their responsibilities as citizens and in the duties of domes- tic life, and no less was it urged that men of broad sympathy and of wide academic and professional train- ing should be placed in charge of the boys. Teachers are anxiously awaiting the enactment of the Fisher Bill, which gives effect to many of their most ardent aspirations cherished during many years. The confer- ence adopted a scheme for the direct-représentation of teachers on all education committees. THE INDIGO INDUSTRY. IX the Agricultural Journal for India (vol. xiii., part i., January, 1918) Mr. W. A. Davis, indigo research chemist to the Government of India, gives a review of the present position and future prospects of, the natural indigo industry. In 1896, the year before the large- scale introduction of synthetic indigo, the combined exports of natural indigo from India and Java had a value of more than 3% millions sterling, whilst very large additional quantities were also produced and con- sumed in India, China, and Japan. The value of the total world’s market for indigo under pre-war condi- tions considerably exceeded five millfons sterling, a value almost equal to that of all other artificial organic dyes put together. The rapid displacement of the natural by the syn- thetic product is evidenced by the facts that whilst the exports of synthetic indigo from the German Customs district rose from 658 tons in 1895 to 16,354 tons in 1907, the expcrts of natural indigo from India fell in the same period from 9367 tons to 1755 tons, with a further decline to 547 tons in 1913-14. Nearly the whole of the last-named export consisted of the higher- grade Bihar indigo, the export of the lower-grade Madras indigo having practically ceased. Again, whereas in 1897 the price of natural indigo of better quality (60-70 per cent.) was 7s.-8s. per Ib., the price in 1914 before the war had fallen to 3s. per Ib. The number of employees engaged in indigo manufacture in India fell from 360,000 in 1880 to 30,795 in 1911. The first effect of the war was to cause an enormous NO. 2528, VOL. 101] increase in the price of natural indigo, and steps were immediately taken to increase the cultivation, with the result that in 1916-17 the total area under indigo in preceding five years, although still less than one-half — the area of 1895. The statistics of the exports of syn- thetic indigo in the years before the war reveal the fact — India was three and a half times the average o that China and Japan together took three-fifths of the whole production. the prosperity of the Indian industry and its ability to compete with the synthetic product in the future will depend largely upon its being able to supply these Eastern markets. Mr. Davis is hopeful that 2: Indian industry will be able at least to put upa good fight, and he proposes in a future article to outline the measures of improvement.which must be effected if success is to. be achieved. A FRENCH SOCIETY OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. ee . a issue of the Revue Scientifique for March 2-9 contains an interesting account of the aims and organisation of La Société de Chimie Industrielle, which has been established in France with the object of promoting and consolidating the development of the chemical industries of the country. The formation of a society similar in character to our own Society of Chemical Industry had been under consideration before the war; the circumstances of French chemical indus- tries during the period of the war have now given the necessary stimulus for the realisation of the project, with the full co-operation and support of the leading chemists, chemical engineers, and manufacturers of the country. The outstanding objects of the new society are to aid the development of all branches of chemical industry, to co-ordinate the labours of all workers in pure and applied chemistry for their mutual advantage, and to assist the progress of industrial chemistry not only by means of science, but also from the economic and commercial points of view. These objects, which are planned so as not to interfere with or overlap the work or publications of existing societies, are to be developed by the publication of a Review, the first — number of which has already been issued, by the hold- ing of conferences, exhibitions, and competitions, and by the establishment of a bureau of industrial chem- - istry and of a central library. The president of the society is M. Paul Kestner; Profs. A. Haller and H. Le Chatelier are hon. presidents; MM. F. Binder, Duche-. min, Matignon, and Staub vice-presidents; M. Jean_ Gerard general secretary; and Comte G. de Germiny treasurer. ; The formation of this new society shows that in France, as in this country, the national importance of the services of chemical science needs far fuller recog- nition than in the past, especially in the direction of effecting that co-operation between science and industry which is fundamental for the economic development of” La Société de Chimie Indus- scientific discoveries. trielle should do much to secure this co-operation, and we cordially wish its promoters every success in the wide and well-chosen field of their proposed activities. CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES FOR SCIENCE AND EDUCATION. 6 Banc Parliamentary Paper dealing with Class IV. of the Estimates for Civil Services for the year ending March 31, 1919, has now been issued. The subjoined summary gives the main items of the esti- mated expenditure for the year, with the details relat-— It is very clear from these data that . ri ea + pte = ™ > » “ eer FN I LP RMN TSS RS TANT USES ing to scientifi¢ investigation and higher education. _ Reference may be made to a few particular points in these Estimates. A special grant of 30,0001. is included “Apri IT, 1918 | NATURE 117 1 of certain universities, colleges, medical schools, British Museum. meet loss of income arising from circumstances fe _ It may be remembered that the Estimates for | British Museum * ae ri ci 90,022 16 included..a similar grant of 145,oool. for the | Natural History Museum ree roe &)' eu 44,045 purpose. The grant for the National Physical pai cede a tory has been transferred from the head of the Gross total i.e 1 234,067 1 Society, under which it formerly appeared, to Deduct— the Department of Scientific and Industrial | Appropriations in aid ... od ox ie 7,925 _ It amounts to 89,750l., being an increase of 75l. upon the grant for 1917-18. The State re- Net total 126,142 wever, for testing fees and other services ren- the laboratory the sum of 11,250l., and 3oool. Net decrease’... 5453 — from co-operating bodies. The new “apa sie a ant of 7oool., of which IMPERIAL War Museum. or salaries and wages, and 30001. | Sal E s, materials, etc. The grants made by the ora in aid). ee PN ia 10060 Pea. nc and ‘Industrial Research ak me 9 +, im comparison with 30,000l, in le ‘salaries, wages, and allowances of the Nee decrease 7 ae are estimated at 890ol.; and we notice that 4 Pathos gool. as fées Se kxaiowt consul- ‘Scrmxnirrc INVESTIGATION,* ETC. “ grants: for technical schools, etc., are Royal Society Citeet: Mis ose ae g an increase of 103,000l. on those of | Royal Geographical oe Bee seine | ics ae up chiefly of soool. to technical schools, | Marine. Biological Association of the United r_ technical schools, 40,0001. to other Kingdom oa oe | classes, and 50,0001. in supplementary Royal Society of Edinburgh | ieee ae nts to university institutions in | Scottish Meteorological Society ... ... 100 Mf technological work are increased | Royal Irish Academy... ... ... 1,600 ‘to 65,0001. Most of the other | Royal Irish Academy of Music... ... 300 the same as last year; the total of the | Royal Zoological Society of Ireland Py 500 s under Education, Science, and Art is Royal Hibernian Academy. ... ; ; 300 which is a decrease of 690, 8031. on the | British School of Athens® ... ... ..- ie lee Pcsccrsy: at Rome ata 500 oyal Scottish Geographical ‘Society 200 United Kingdom and England. National Library of Wales ... .... 3,200 Boar OF Epucation. National Museum of Wales a5 mee ais 73500 : L Solar Physics Observatory ... oe ae 3,000° o 416,104 School of Oriental Studies : aE 4,000 ieee ‘ . North Sea -Fisheries Investigation * a — 1 examination oe : 218,560 Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland ... 500 of public elementary 3 i . 15,924,138 Edinburgh Obsereatory ses as a3 1,691 rz ning of teachers... - 422,200 . penditure on secondary Total .. © wee aes 54,241 geril teachers and bursars, ‘= 1,568,570 Net decrease .... ee 20, iain ditute on: other aided shh s, schools, and classes, and on ScrentiFic AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH. | in choice _of. employment 724,035 ‘ 4 lege of Science and Techno- Salaries, wages, and allowances ft age 8,900 sea Rmysic Garden hacen | Travelling and incidental. expenses ... Bee 1,200 Ne ‘s a 32,150 Grants for investigation and research ° 56,500 . Bs ed a : 7,512 Fuel Research Station. 7,000 and Albert. Museum a 62,153 / i a and industrial research (grant in pape, National Physical Laboratory Peet: 89,750 Sirecy of ae Britain. 15,006 ; Seen Ea Museum . ... 2,382 er ana Gites total Pe tO, ; oneremerer Deduct— : Gross total .- 19,209,580 || Appropriations in aid «0.00 0. ates ae 15,000 She in nid? 2,876 Net decrease ... 914,975 : ite ———_— 3 The British Wasson, (Moomabery) (except the reading-room, etc.) and — Net total ae ee 19,206,705 pee Sat the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, are closed during ‘ Ge oan ns gee mi 4 The expenditure out of these grants in aid, with the exception of that Net increase 2. 190,925 for the Meteorological Office, will not be accounted for to the Comptroller , receipts from sale of catalogues and other publications tationery Office, cotimated at 400/., will be paid to the Vote © ‘and Printing. ‘otal original Net Estimates, sare z° 415,159.78 aE oe “+s sanepetage Estimate... 3,856,000 : 419,015,780 “NO. 2528, vot. ror] and Auditor-General, nor will any unexpended balances of the sums issued be surrendered by the pavees at the close of the financial year. In the case of the Meteorological Office the expenditure, though not liable to surrender of balance, will be sybject to andit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. hese grants are suspended owing to the war. 6 These grants will be distributed by a Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of an Advisory Council, to promote the develop- ment of scientific and industrial research in the United Kingdom, and will be subject to — conditions as the committee may think necessary. 118 NATURE race tt; 1918 UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. - National schools a Pai ies te 1,963,830 Manual and practical instruction’ ss 13,767 Teachers’ residences ie oes 6,550 Pa ten, etc., of teachers (grants in aid : “0 ies = 4 ‘pe 60,593 Gross total 69: | 29203,80. Deduci— ae Appropriations in aid ... 700 Net total 2,203,104 Net increase ‘1,086 INTERMEDIATE EDUCATION. 4 Towards salaries of teachers, including cost of administration ‘ lp 40 40,000 Intermediate Education 50,000 Totals: 24 90,000 NO. 2528, VOL. 101] SCIENCE AND Art. Institutions of science and art 48,612 | Schools of science and art, etc. 114,050 Geological Survey Coy wen | ane 1,801 Examinations in courses of instruction re conducted in technical schools... £ey y, Gross total... 165,163 Deduct— . yg Pe fae _ Appropriations in aid ... us ee. vans 1,770 Net total 163,393 UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. Bie Grants— SB Queen’s University of Belfast iv lee 18,000 University College, Dublin : 32,000 Universities and Colleges, Great Britain. 4 University of London .., ie 8,000 Victoria University. of Manchester s 2,000 University of Birmingham ... 2,000 University of Wales 4,000 University of Liverpool 2,000 | Leeds University ~ 2,000 | Sheffield University 2,000 | Bristol University 2,000 Durham University 2,000 Scottish Universities 84,000 Colleges, Great Britain 3 150,000 _ University Colleges, Wales ... er ie 12,000 Welsh eke a and 1d uate Additional grant ‘ bee seh _ 20,500 Total for Universities and Colleges... 292,500 Intermediate Education, Wales. H Examination and aa Ape in aid.. 1,200 Schools i Pe ; 56: 28,000 | Total for Intermediate Education, Wales 29,200 Grand total a4 321,700 Increase 500 Scotland. i Pusiic EpucaTION. L Administration 30,082 Inspection ‘ 435357 Elementary schools . 2,614,914 Continuation classes and secondary ‘schools 214,500 Royal Scottish Museum, earerge: j 9,876 Training of teachers ... 127,245 Examination of accounts 1,571 Total - 3,041,545 Net decrease ... 2,076 Ireland. Pusiic Epucation. & Administration ; 34,553 Inspection : 51,713 _ Training colleges 67,967 Model schools 4,831 University College, Cork University College, Galway ... National University of Ireland and Univer- sity College, Dublin Additional Brant to University Colleges Galway eee Total 722 he “i SUMMARY. aes Uniied Kingdom and Englanac ii ze Board of Education gas 19,206,705 British Museum - 7 oe ey Psy National Gallery we na Se National Portrait Gallery a5 i are 33779 Wallace Collection ee Be ind 4,012 London Museum és 2,300 — Imperial War Museum - 19,000 Scientific Investigation, etc. .. 54241 Department. of Scientific and Industrial ‘ Research - 148,350 Universities and Colleges, Great ‘Britain, and Intermediate Education, Wales... 321,700 i Universities, etc., Special Grants ... ... 30,000 Scotland. | Pht Public Education Seales pe wes 3,041,545. National Galleries be pod napeueee snd ee Sea Ireland. aia | Public Education as aco */ 2203, 708 Intermediate Education (Ireland) oe Ris g0,000 Endowed Schools Commissioners ... — ... 855 National Gallery "payne Bs Sap 1,830 Science and Art eS gee xt ss 163,393 Universities and Colleges 1350 Total ++ 25,529,228 Net decrease ... 690,803 ie UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. Ir is stated in Science that the Carnegie Corpora- tion has presented McGill University with 200,000l. in recognition of the University’s ‘devoted service and sacrifice towards Canada’s part in the war.’ ee Tue sum of 4ooo0l. has been given by Mr. F. Ww. Sie Chance to the Carlisle Education Committee for the establishment of a. laboratory and lecture-room — for chemistry and physics. An income of 60ol. a year is assured for five years. memorial to the late Capt. A. F. Chance. c area I at Qlseee SN in aot Seales tanedy. Stade TNE heater OO rare sr BE We, Fela The gift is intended as a © j er ee Sry E Ps ys were re Paes eS vie ee or Fee ey ee #. at pin BI Se ree a a had oe Rak Es a z Sede bt 9iz ; Apri II, 1918] se NATURE 119 R. Georce Matrual, of Emmanuel College, Cam- dge, who for three years held the MacKinnon dentship (on the biological side) of the Royal siety, has been appointed by the Secretary of State - India to the Indian Educational Service as pro- yr of zoology, Lahore, Punjab, India. Tue Markham Skerritt memorial prize of the Uni- es of Bristol is awarded to the medical member of _ the University of Bristol who has in the previous three years published the best original work in any branch m | science. The consideration of this year’s ward will be given by the medical board of the Uni- | on May 3. eee ICE is given of the impending award of the Lind- ley studentship in physiology of the University of Lon- The studentship is of the value of 1ool., and yarded every third year. Statements of the qualifi- ns of corrayed candidates and particulars of their _modes of research must reach the academic of the University by April 30. Applications from the Dixon fund must be received not the first post on May 15. JONG the lectures arranged at University College, ‘Street, W.C.1, for the third term of the cur- ion, and announced in the London University are the following :—A course on ‘‘Some Bio- cal Problems of To-day” includes lectures begin- at 5 p-m.: on May 13, by Dr. H. M. Vernon, on istrial efficiency and fatigue; on May 27, by Prof. - Oliver, on substitution of raw materials; on by Dr. R. C. McLean, on the anaerobic treat- wounds; and on June to, by Prof. H. R. n fresh air and efficiency: On May 2, at > p.m., Prof. W. M. Flinders Petrie gives the first ‘lecture of a course on the “Objects of Daily Life.” ires are open to the public without fee. w South African University of Cape Town ugurated on April 2. The Prince of Wales scepted the Chancellorship, and sent an appro- message wishing success to the new venture. been recorded in these columns already, three arsed by the Union of South Africa in Beg end establishing three universities on. — University of the Cape of Good gether with certain institutions, was by one of Acts incorporated in a federal University; a ig gh oh vides that the Victoria College, Stellen- , in the Cape of Good Hope, shall be incor- as a University; and a third Act similarly orates South African College, Cape Town, as a versity. As a result of these Acts, the University the Cape of Good Hope becomes the University of h Africa, with its administrative seat at Pretoria, it has six constituent colleges. The Victoria Col- lege, Stellenbosch, becomes the University of Stellen- bosch, with its seat in the division of Stellenbosch, in the province of the Cape of Good Hope. The South African College becomes the University of Cape Town, ind its seat is to be upon the Groote Schuur estate in the Cape Division of the Cape of Good Hope. The inauguration of this University stimulating speeches were delivered by Lord Buxton, in his double capacity Governor-General of the. Union and visitor of the lew University, Mr. Malan, Minister of Education, and the Principal, Prof. J. C. Beattie. ~ Pror. R. Wattace, of the Department of Agricul- ture in the University of Edinburgh, has addressed a ‘long open letter to the Prime Minister “urging post- oo until after the war, as well as the effective casting, of the English and Scottish Education -Bills NO. 2528, VOL. i073 Times correspondent at Cape Town states that at the , —legislation dangerous to: the stability of the Empire and subversive of the soundest canons of education.” It would have been a more gracious act had Prof. Wallace addressed himself to the respective heads of the De- partments for Education of England and Scotland, and especially to Mr. Fisher, who has shown. his com- plete familiarity with questions of education, and has been at such pains to make clear the principles upon which all sound education should be based and the means whereby they are to be realised. It would be well for Prof. Wallace to turn his attention to the preface written by Mr. Fisher by way of .introduction to his educational reform speeches, wherein he says that ‘‘many people have a very limited faith in the’ value of education. They are prepared to believe that it is good for well-to-do people—for ‘the aristocracy of the human race, upon whom the task of intellectual leadership is devolved. . . . They rerhember their own schooldays, and... reflect that schooling did not help them, so far as they can remember, to earn a single shilling, and so they think and talk against education, and, if they are very silly, write books against it.’’ Prof. Wallace, with all his profession of intimate knowledge of the 85 per cent. of the popula- tion and its real needs, cannot ignore the unanimous resolve of the great body of the elementary-school teachers to give the fullest support to the Education Bill, since they are in the main drawn from the same class as their pupils, and must have actual experi- ence of their needs. They are convinced that the true policy is ‘‘to put the whole child to school,’’ and its solution is not to be found ‘in relays of children [who} should follow each other during the working hours of the day to maintain a continuous supply of labour,”’ nor, if the child ‘tis to be a competent attendant on either cattle or sheep,’’ he ‘‘must grow up with them and begin to know and understand them before he is ten,’’ as Prof. Wallace demands. > SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LONDON. : : Geological Society, March 20.—Mr. G. W. Lamplugh, president, in the chair—Dr. W. F. Smeeth: The geology of Southern India, with particular reference to — the Archean rocks of the Mysore State. The geo- logical formations of Southern India consist largely of a highly folded and foliated complex of Archzan gneisses and schists, followed by patches of pre-Cambrian slates, limestones, and quartzites; with these are associated basic lava-flows and ferruginous jaspers. The remain- ing formations consist of remnants of the Gondwana Beds (Coal Measures of Permo-Carboniferous age), a few patches of Cretaceous rocks, some Tertiary and Pleistocene deposits, and recent sands and alluvium, all situated along the coastal margins of the Peninsula. The scanty post-Archzean record of Southern India was contrasted with the formations of Northern India which record oft-repeated movements culminating in the rise of the Himalaya in Tertiary times and accom- panied by igneous activity on a gigantic scale. The history of the various views which have been held con- cerning the Archzean complex were reviewed. In 1913 Holland produced a classification of the pre-Cambrian rocks of India which exhibits a remarkable parallelism with that given by Lawson (1913) for the pre-Cambrian of Canada. The work of the Mysore Geological Sur- vey eliminated the fundamental gneissic complex, and showed that within the area of the Mysore State the oldest rocks were the Dhdrwdr system, which had been intruded into by at least four successive granite- gneisses. The Mysore Archzean succession is either incomplete, or does not fit in with the classifications . of Holland and Lawson. Holland’s classification dealt a 120 NATURE [APRIL II, 1918 with a wider area than Southern India, and the essen- tial problem appeared to be whether his Bundelkhand gneiss (Laurentian) and the Bengal gneisses (Keewatin) were older than, and unconformable to, the Dharwar system, or whether they were post-Dharwar eruptives corresponding with portions of the Mysore gneissic com- plex. On lithological grounds the Dharwar system is divided into an Upper and a Lower Division. The former is composed largely of basic flows and sills with their schistose ‘representatives. The Lower Division is composed of dark hornbléndic epidiorites and schists, which are distinguishable from the greenstones of the Upper Division by their dark colour and practical absence of chlorite. Brief reference was made to the autoclastic conglomerates usually associated with in- trusions of the Champion Gneiss, to the intrusive char- acter of some of the quartzites or quartz-schists, and to the evidence that the limestones are due to meta- somatic replacement of other rocks by carbonates of lime and magnesia. The Dharwar schists of Mysore contain a widely extended series of banded quartz iron- ore rocks, very similar to those of the Lake Superior district. BOOKS RECEIVED. Our Vegetable Plot. A Year’s Record. By S. Graveson. (London: Headley Bros., Ltd.) Price ‘7d. net. Radiography and Radio-Therapeutics. By Dr. R. Knox. Part ii., Radio-Therapeutics. Pp. x+385-606. (London: A. and C. Black, Ltd.) Price 15s. net. Married Love. By Dr. 'M. C. Stopes and others. Pp. xvii+116. (London: A. C. ghee 5s. net. Frontiers. - By C. B. Fawcett. . 107. (Oxtord: At the Clarendon Press.) 3s. net. Cellulose. By Cross and Bevan. with a Supplenfent. Pp. xviii+348. mans and.Co.) 14s. net. An X-Ray Atlas of the Skull. New impression, (London: Long- By A. A. R. Green. Pp..x+27. (London: Longmans and Co.) tos. 6d. net. Analytic Geometry and Calculus. By Prof. F..S. Woods and Prof. F. H. Bailey. Pp. xi+516. don: Ginn and Co.) tos. 6d. net. Equipment for the Farm and the. Farmstead. By Prof. H. C. Ramsower. Pp. xii+523. (London: Ginn and Co.) tos. 6d. net. : Everyday Physics. By J. C. Packard. Pp. vit+136. (London: Ginn and Co.) - 4s.. 6d. net. Theory of Maxima and Minima. By Prof. H. Han- cock. Pp. xiv+193. (London: Ginn and Co.) tos. 6d. net. (Lon- DIARY OF SOCIETIES. THURSDAY, Aprit 1%. * Rovat INSTITUTION, at. 3.—Experimental Peycholeey: Lt.-Col. C. S. yers.’ INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS (Cancer Hospital, Fulham Road), at 6.—Joint Meeting with the Electrical Section of the Royal Society of Medicine.—Papers on Medical Electricity. INSTITUTION OF MINING AND METALLURGY, at 5.30.—Presidential Address : Hugh F. Marriott. OpticaL Society (Imperial College of Science ate rin ape ca South Kensington), at 8.—The Balsam Problem: J. W. FRIDAY, Aprit 12. Roya. INSTITUTION, at 5.30.—Absorption and Phosphorescence: Prot. E. C. C. Baly. Royat ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, at 5.—The Secular Acceleration of the Sun as Determined from Hipparchus’ Equinox Observations; with a Note on Ptolemy’s False Equinox: J. K. Fotheringham.—Differential Transit Observations : W. E. Cooke.—The Chromospheric and Coronal Spectrum (A 6300-A 7600) in the Total Solar Eclipse, 1911, April 28 : Rev. A. L. Cortie. SATURDAY, Apri 13. Roya INSTITUTION, at 3.—Musical Instruments.Scientifically Considered : Prof. E. H. Barton . No, 2528, VOL. tars MONDAY, Apri 15. RovaL GEOGRAPHICAL ‘SOCIETY, at 5-—Resection in Survey—The First! fe Problem : McCaw. Royat Society or Arts, at 4.30.~-Military Explosives of To-day t Young. ‘ TUESDAY, Apriu 16. Tele i RoYaL STATISTICAL SOCIETY, at 5.15. >) ILLUMINATING ENGINEERING SOCIETY, at 5.—Light and Vision : erie Physiology of the Retina: Prof. W. M. Bayliss. INSTITUTION OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGISTS, at 8.—Relation between © Viscosity and the Chemical Constitution of haben Oils: A. Dunstan and F, B. Thole WEDNESDAY, Aprrit 17. Rovat METEOROLOGICAL SociETY, at 5. 1 The Variations of. Undaryyand Water-level near a Tidal River: E. G. Bilham.—Suggestions as to the Conditions Precedent to the Occurrence of Summer "ThundersiGeniee with Special Reference to that of June 14,1914: J. Fairgrieve. - } GEOLOGICA L SOCIETY, at 5.30. Rovat Society oF ARTS, at 4.30.—Agricultural Machinery; F. s Courtney, THURSDAY, Arrit ne INSTITUTION OF MINING AND METALLURGY, at LinnEAN Society, at 5.—Narrative of the ‘peice Sindee Bxpedidan Brazil in r913, with Lantern-slides: Prof. J. P. Rovat InstTiITuTION, at 3.—Present-day Appicatibns of Experimental Psychology: Lt.-Col. C. & Myers. : INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.— Overseas Distribution ° Engineering Appliances: L. Andrews CHEMICAL Society, at 8.—Hugo Miller Lecture’ Mineralogy : Sir Henry Miers. Royat SociETy oF ARTS, at 4.30.—Water Power in India: A. Dickinson, FRIDAY, ApRiL eg INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, ai Rovat INsTITUTION, at 5.30.—The Use of Soap Films: in Engineering: Major, G. I. Taylor. SATURDAY, Aprit 20. 4 a The Old and the New, Roya InsTITUTION, at 3.—Musical Instruments Scientifically Considered an Prof. E..H. Barton. CONTENTS. _ RAGE’ A Survey of Experience. By Dr. Bernard Bosanquet. IOL Practical Aspects of Pruning .....:..... 10f Our Bookshelf’. :)) 02.0.0 80 30/8) 102 Letters to the Editor :— tne The Edtvés ‘‘ Tour de Force.’ *__ Prof, C. Vi. Boys, F.R.S. Hos: The Motion of the Pestucliw of Mercury. _ Harold ee Jeffreys . 103 Bee Disease,—David ‘Ellis ; The Writer, ‘of the Article... » 103° _ . Prices of Scientific Apparatus. "Fredk, 3 Brodie - 104 Cotton-growing Statistics . 104 Modern Methods of Welding. ‘(Zitustrated.) Cc. R. D. 105 Sulphuric Acid and the War. By Sir T. E. ‘ PHoEpe, cet on C:B..F.R:S. Famers Wari: L/S International Scientific Nomenclature ... . ee. hOB Notes. 2 ep oe oe) sig ee Our Astronomical Column :- — Spectrum and Radial Velocity of N.G.C. 1068 . . . 114 Changes in the Spectrum of y Argtis. . . .. +. + TI4 United States Naval Observatory . . .. +. «+ +. Iq Corrections to the Bonn Durchmusterung | = Bee soe aN: Auroral Observations in the Antarctic. ie Diagrams.) By Dr. C, Chree, F.R.S... - II4 The Annual Ganferabee of the shige gs: Union “of Teachers... rye erir ne The Indigo Industry 2, PE a Srerhed 8 A French Society of Chemical Industry . 116; Civil Service Estimates for Science and Education 116 University and Educational pie te Sars Societies and Academies. .........4.4...119 Books Received 2.95 i 2 0 a 2 T20 Diary of Societies) fo. 620 2 bie ns tees ERO Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Lrp., aT MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. Advertisements and business letters to be nddvemel to the Publishers. Editorial Communications to the Editor. Telegraphic Address :, Puusis,, Lonpon. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. - NATURE rk anata APRIL 18, 1918. a MINISTRY OF HEALTH. DENTS of public health have long been | community of the methods of preventing ing disease is seriously incommensurate our” knowledge of these methods. Tuber- sis we believe to be an almost, if not entirely, table disease, yet it is still the largest single of | death; rickets, probably an exclusively disorder, produces defects and ties persisting through life in a large pro- of the poorer classes; infant mortality is y exactly double what it would be if we place every infant in a healthy environment; George Newman has told us that a million Ineriita . Ci cies, which render attempts to educate them useless, yet here also. the physique and e demand for their help owing to their ted accommodation. The relative inefficiency of the public health and services in this country has been to a ible extent concealed by the fact that since middle of last century there has been a great e in disease and a considerable fall in the This improvement followed the work Chadwick, Southwood Smith, Farr, Simon, and ‘pioneers of modern sanitation, and synchro- ‘with the steady advance in the methods of sal of sewage, removal of refuse, and pro- sion of | pure drinking water. It is no disparage- nt to these ‘great names to say that modern ‘ific opinion tends to attribute to natural a larger share in the disappearance or. dimi- pn of diseases than a previous generation or the unirstructed public of to-day would be ed to allow. The remarkable decline in hoid we owe almost certainly to sanitary effort, biological influences, not yet fully understood, hably led to the disappearance of typhus, while process of natural immunisation seems to have ad at least as much to do with the decline of NO. 2529, VOL. I0T] . ate DNA) tuberculosis as improvements in environment and food-supply. The object of these remarks is to point out that, while we should not belittle the achievements of the past, there is distinct danger of attributing too much to our efforts and of survey- ing our labours with unmerited complacency. Cer- tainly at the present day there is much in our public health administration which calls for censure rather than for praise. In these circumstances the proposal to form a Ministry of Health is highly satisfactory, and if Dr. Addison, Lord Rhondda, and others concerned with or interested in the Bill take full advantage of their opportunities they can produce a measure of great social value. The important thing is to see that we are not satisfied with mere names or with a simple rearrangement of existing authori- ties, but that the scope of public health admini- stration is widened, and that we get to grips with the bedrock causes of disease and with the means of their prevention and cure. So far as is gene- rally known at present, the main object of the Bill is to unite or co-ordinate existing authorities, and we have heard of prolonged negotiations as to whether the Insurance Commissioners, the Local Government Board, or an entirely new body is to form the Ministry. Increased co-operation between the central administrative authorities will be all to the good, for there is no doubt that their present relative isolation leads to much delay, confusion, and unnecessary expense; but we must not suppose that departmental reorganisation, desirable though it is, will have much effect by itself in improving public health. The history of public health legis- lation in this country shows that two important principles should be observed if the mistakes of the past are to be avoided. 4 The first principle is to maintain and extend scientific research in all branches of medicine and public health. This at once raises the question of what is to be the position of the Research Com- mittee in regard to the new Ministry. It is not yet known whether the Committee is to form part of the Ministry, but it is generally understood that the Bill immediately to be introduced is of com- paratively limited scope and provides for the grad- ual absorption of various departments as may be found expedient. We would earnestly plead that the Research Committee should be left either entirely outside the Ministry, or, if united to it, should be practically independent and _ uncon- trolled by any administrativé branch of the Minis- try. Scientific research, to be of any value, must be unfettered. Moreover, the Research Committee must have the right to investigate the results of measures taken by any branch of the Ministry and H 1:22 NATURE [Aprit 18, 1918 to indicate where these measures have failed to achieve their object. At the present time there is more than a tendency in many of the reports issued by Government departments responsible for public health administration to give an unduly favourable picture of the results of their work. Another function of the research department of the Ministry should be to examine criti- cally all proposed public health legislation. Too often have purely popular views of the causation and prevention of disease formed the basis of public health Acts, and often these views have had little scientific foundation, with the result that much time has been wasted and money uselessly spent. It is too much to hope that the Minister of Public Health will always be a member of the medical profession, but at least we may -hope that the political Minister will be assisted by a professional director at the head of the admini- stration, with an expert committee of the highest standing, and that future public health Bills will be presented to Parliament only after they have been thoroughly examined and criticised by this committee. Thus only shall we avoid repeating the failures which have been so conspicuous in recent public health legislation. The second principle is concerned with the rela- tion of the Ministry to local public health authori- ties. Here we may be anticipating, for no hint has yet been given that the local authorities are to be touched by the Bill. Yet the limitation of reform to the central authorities (if it is to be so) must be quite temporary, for without reorganisation of the local bodies which are administering public health measures the value of the Bill will be very small. It is, indeed, arguable that the start should have been made with the local authorities, leaving the re- organisation of the central departments for later consideration. A complete and really effective scheme, however, demands the co-ordination of the local sanitary authority, the insurance com- mittee, the board of guardians, the pensions com- mittee, and other authorities which are engaged in some form or other with public health and medical services. At present the overlapping and indepen- dent working of these bodies is productive of more confusion and delay and constitutes a greater evil than the lack of co-ordination among the central authorities. Probably the best plan would be to replace or unite all these bodies in one local au- thority, which in county boroughs would be the borough council, and in counties the cotinty coun- cil, exercising some of its powers through the urban and rural district councils. The creation of entirely new local public health authorities has also been advocated. NO. 2529, VOL. 101 | Closely associated ‘with this question is the proper division of power between the central and local authorities. Here, as in so many other social activities, two schale of opinion exist: one — which advocates increased central control, mainly _ ; for the reason that it considers local control un- satisfactory and desires to dames the authorities: to a process of “gingering up”; while the other is in favour of a large measure of decentralisation — which would give local authorities increased powers at the expense of the central departments. The holding of the balance fairly between these views demands nice judgment, but in our opinion’a great deal is to be said for decentralisation. In the first place, the larger local authorities, as, for instance, the councils of the great towns, now display a sense of responsibility for their duties and a keenness in providing healthy conditions — within their area which fully justify confidence being placed in them. Indeed, the complaint is often heard that the obligation local authorities may be under to submit their proposals to a central body for approval is a serious cause of delay and inefficiency. Secondly, the local incidence of dis- ease and the causes of disease vary so widely from place to place that a large element of elasticity in — the preventive measures is necessary if appropriate remedial steps are to be taken. Centralisation of authority tends towards an undesirable uniformity over the whole country. If, on the other hand, local authorities can act on their own initiative they — are in a position to establish just those systems of prevention and forms of irene which the te circumstances demand. The proposal to form a Ministry of Health was first made many years ago, but it has required thei stimulus of a great war to bring it into being. The ~ difficulties before the Ministry—at any time great | —are now all the greater in the circumstances in~ which it begins its task. The supreme fact is that | ! ; | : af « 5 e 4 he the introduction of this Bill definitely marks the assumption of responsibility by Government for the health of the people, and as such it will be wel- comed by all who have the nation’s well-being at heart. ALCOHOL, ITS USE AND ABUSE. Alcohol: Its Action on the Human Organism.\_ ry Pp. xii+ 133 + Appendix and Index x. (London = - ae H.M.S.O., 1918.) Price 2s. 6d. net. - HE form of this little volume is a welcome innovation in Government reports, attract- ing, instead of repelling, the reader, Its object is to present the conclusions arrived at by a com- — mittee of the Liquor Control Board after a cold — and dispassionate examination of the effects of alcohol. No statements are made without exact — APRIL 18, 1918] NATURE 123 ‘evidence, which is clearly explained. On of the moderation of the general tone of k, it will probably fail to please- extremists ‘camps, neither of whom will be able to much comfort from its pages. Although iors have been unable to find evidence of ious action of moderate doses, well diluted at “such intervals as to ensure the elimination brevious dose, on the other hand they show ction is bad when taken otherwise than ned, and that it is devoid of beneficial n any form whatever, except in certain ab- states to be referred to below. This point ‘favour is somewhat depreciated, however, : is pointed out that even moderate doses some impairment of the higher nervous _ In one’or two places the impression iven that an attempt is being made to make the best case for it, and, on the whole, the er finds himself pamiewhat surprised that actually made out on its behalf. ames of the committee should be given to show how competent it was to treat lem in its various aspects without preju- are: Lord D’Abernon, Sir Geo. New- Cushny, Dr. H. H. Dale, Capt. M. nwood, Dr. W. McDougall, Dr. F. W. Mott, Sherrington, and Dr. W. C. Sullivan. first chapter is devoted mainly to the expla- same terms used and to physiological pointed out that there is no mutual! between the properties of a fOod and of drug; a substance, such as alcohol, . The nature of alcohol as a food is the second chapter. It is oxidised etely and can afford energy for mus- , as well as heat. But it cannot be fat and carbohydrate are stored. It has -aecessory action on metabolism. On its drug action it can only be used as a restricted manner. In fact, recent ~Mellanby (as yet unpublished) has that the amount oxidised is the same baie is done or not. It i is therefore not “It is ith narcotic and not really . The feeling of well-being is due to the ng of the higher faculties and the general ‘control. Its effect on the performance of all of satiscilar acts is to delay the rate at which produced, it is a lowering of functional ac- _ The nervous mechanisms themselves are tive to quite small quantities. the fifth and sixth chapters it is shown that ate doses have no appreciable effect on on, respiration, or the heart. Larger doses yse or depress them all. The stimulant action inting is said to be due to an irritant effect on mouth, precisely similar to that of ammonia NO. 2529, VOL. IoT] (1) Airfare of To-day and of the Future. on the nose. Although pure alcohol has no effect on digestion in moderate doses, certain wines appear to be deleterious. An interesting question is that of the feeling of warmth produced by it. This is really due to dilatation of skin blood- vessels, the sense-organs sensitive to temperature being situated in the skin. The actual result is a more rapid loss of heat. But here we come across circumstances in which, from the point of view of comfort, alcohol has something in its favour. If a man, after exposure to cold, is taken to warm surroundings, it can do no harm to give him the feeling of warmth, since any heat he loses is supplied from the outside. The valuable chapter on chronic alcoholism and the cautious discussion of statistical data do not admit of a brief abstract. , On p. 127 we are told that where an emergency calls for the highest powers of perception and judgment, together with prompt action, alcohol is unequivocally detrimental, but that there are cases where a sedative action may be of advan- tage. Such cases, amongst others, may be when excessive fatigue results in absence of appetite or inability to sleep. These states, of course, are abnormal and ought not to occur. On the whole it seems to the reviewer that if a man knowing nothing about the question were to pick up this volume he would scarcely be tempted to commence the consumption of alcohol. A care- ful study of this excellent survey of the facts is to be recommended to everyone who takes an in- terest in the welfare of his fellow-men, and it is to be hoped that its price will not tend to restrict the wide diffusion that the book ought to have. W. M. Bavtiss. TWO AERONAUTICAL BOOKS. By (London : E. C. Middleton. Pp. xv+192. Price 3s. 6d. Constable and Co., Ltd., 1917.) net. (2) A Dictionary of Aircraft. By W. Erskine Dommett. Pp. 52. (London: Electrical Press, Ltd., 1918.) Price 2s. net. (1) HERE are two classes of aeronautical literature: books written by those who thoroughly understand their subject, and intended for the serious attention of those engaged in the industry, and books written to supply the popular demand for sensational literature on a new sub- ject. The latter class generally show a lack of knowledge of the technical side of the subject, as is the case in the first of the works now under review. ‘Airfare of To-day and of the Future”’ is a jumble of ideas set down without attempt at law and order, and the technical matter is very often in serious error. For instance, the range of action. of aircraft is stated to be about 150 miles, although the book bears the date i917. The author has very hazy notions of stability, for he states on p. 19 that “in a cloud an aeroplane loses stability, which frequently ends in a nose- dive’’! The nose-dive is, of course, due to the 124 NATURE [Apri 18, 1918 pilot’s loss of his sense of direction, and not in any way to changed stability of the machine. Further, on p. 22 we find: “The main condition that supplies stability to aircraft is ‘lift,’’’ a statement that surely needs no criticism! The author appears to possess a sense of humour, for on p. 13, after cautioning the reader against the erroneous expression ‘knots per hour,’’ he states that ‘‘a knot is equal to 6080 ft.’’ The photo- graphs illustrating the work are passable, but the diagram on p. 83 is not. It purports to illustrate the trajectory of a bomb dropped from an aero- plane, but the tangent to the trajectory at the moment the bomb leaves the machine is vertical instead of horizontal! Such errors as those in the volume under review need stern criticism, as they are liable entirely to mislead the unsuspect- ing reader who takes up the subject for the first time. Incidentally, there is scarcely a page of the book free from grammatical error, (2) Mr. Dommett’s “Dictionary of Aircraft ’’ 1s a very different type of work, and although some of the definitions are somewhat weak, the gene- rality are good and convey a concise idea of the meaning of the terms defined. The book is likely to be most useful to the non-technical reader, as it is scarcely full enough to be regarded as a work for technical reference. There are one or two errors which need correction; the density of air is given as 0°807 lb. per cub. ft. instead of one- tenth of that amount. Under the. heading “dynamic similarity ’’ we are referred to “ simi- larity,’’ but no discussion of the term appears under this latter head. The definitign of dynamic stability might well be expanded, as this is a term little understood by many readcrs of aeronautical works. Despite these few minor faults, the work should be of considerable utility, especially to the casual reader who wants a brief definition of tech- nical terms. The price seems a trifle high for a paper-covered handbook of fifty-two pages, even in war-time ! LIQUID FUELS. auld Fuels for Internal-combustion Engines: - A Practical Treatise ‘for Engineers and Chemists. By H. Moore. Pp. xv+200. (Lom don: Crosby Lockwood and Son, 1918.) Price 12s. 6d. net. 5 rapid development of the internal-com- bustion engine has considerably changed our methods of power production, and liquid fuels for such engines being the most recent development, it is not surprising that their scientific study is still incomplete in respect to this method of ap- plication. The author considers it likely that the employment of liquid fuels for steam raising will entirely give place to their use in internal-com- bustion engines. Referring to the use of engines of the Diesel type for propelling ships, the author says that this is at present prevented through in- sufficient experience in building engines of very large size and of building them of low weight in proportion to the power they develop, but these difficulties, he says, are by no means insurmount- NO. 2529, VOL. 101] able. _Inexperience will be a vanishing: factor, but. the weight is by no means a factor to be easily overcome, being dependent. on the high initial working pressures these engines require. _ Few engineers would care to predict the displacement of the steam turbine by Diesel engines for the high power demanded in modern battleships of even moderate size. Indeed, on the American coast there have been already cases where Diesel engines have been displaced by steam. The liquid-fuel engine has, however, established itself firmly for a number of purposes, and the extension of the use of such engines has led to a serious shortage of suitable fuels. As the author points out, by suitable methods supplies can be enormously augmented, but the future develop- ment of these engines may be seriously retarded unless steps are taken to provide additional amounts, He instances the heavier grades of petrol, so that a larger proportion of the crude oil is available, the use of heavier fractions in vaporis- ing engines, and the use of coal-tar products in ~ Diesel engines The book is divided into three parts, the last f section, which comprises nearly one-half, dealing entirely with methods of examination of. liquid fuels, embodying the author’s experience in the — laboratory of one of the largest firms of Diesel- engine manufacturers. This section will prove of considerable value to chemists engaged in fuel work. The first part deals briefly with the raw materials which furnish the different classes of fuel—petroleum, coal tar, shale and lignite oils, | etc. Part ii. deals with the fuels classified under the three types of engines in which they are ap- plicable; those fitted with carburettors (petrol motors), those fitted with simple vaporisers (paraffin motors), and those of the Diesel and earns ¥ — inn ee en he «tlt semi-Diesel type, which are fitted with fuel pumps — and atomising devices. ment is open to objection, for many fuels are Such a method of treat- — i ORE applicable to engines of more than one type— — kerosene, for example, to each type. Necessarily this method leads to considerable overlapping. Throughout the book generally there is evidence — of the author’s practical familiarity with the various fuels and the important characteristics to be considered in their examination. The volume will prove a serviceable guide to engineers and chemists interested in this rapidly developing phase of the fuel problem. OUR BOOKSHELF. Educational Reform. Speeches delivered by the Rt. Hon. H. A. L. Fisher. Pp. xvi+ 10%.) (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1918.) angel Is. net. Tue President of the Board of Education, one has by common consent done. so much to stir and enlighten the public interest in the cause of educa- tion by his numerous addresses in all parts of the country, has wisely resolved to issue in this cheap — and accessible form a selection of his once | speeches, two of which he delivered in the House RIL. 18, 1918 | NATURE 125 yommons, the first on the occasion of pre- ge the Education Estimates in April, and the second on the introduction of the ducation Bill in the following August. He ccompanied the publication by a_ highly ting preface of sixteen pages, in which ed all the more important features of Sed draft of the Education Bill of 1918, the chief points of his many speeches in of his reforms, characterised by a felicity and diction which will go far to hearten porters of the measure and even to conciliate id win opponents. Mr. Fisher’s addresses are with a broad humanity and a spirit of real s. He is a man consumed with the idea fare of the child is the nation’s most cern, and his arguments and pleadings 1 the right of human beings to be con- ends in themselves, and to be entitled, our imperfect social arrangements may know and enjoy all the best that life in the sphere of knowledge, emotion, ” In this faith he goes forward on his ion, confident that he will win the sup- who desire the highest well-being of Pork Examination of Steel. By Dr. Henry y. Pp. iv+18+Fig. 1+photographs 55. e York : John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; Lon- Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) Price work was originally issued by the ates Ordnance Department for the use ‘of ordnance material, and has now shed as a guide to others engaged in on of steel. A very brief account of m diagram of the iron-carbon alloys the reader will find it necessary ¢v ‘this by reference to fuller treatises, understand the series of photomicro- stly of excellent quality, which compose art of the book. The entire account ic constituents of both annealed and 2d steels is compressed into five pages, and n the statements are terse and accurate can convey a definite meaning only to readers are to some extent prepared by previous of the subject. It would have been well to on the fact that only carbon steels are dealt _ otherwise such statements as that “com- ally martensitic steels are unimportant on int of their extreme brittleness, and they are | only rarely,’’ are liable to mislead. Alloy are met with by most inspectors in the ie of their work, and a word of warning is sary that structures which are unusual in ‘carbon steels may be quite normal in some mmercial products. . few details of methods of polishing and etch- are included, but we miss a reference to the * copper reagents, which render such good ice in indicating the segregation of phos- us. A detailed description of three defective | which failed in practice illustrates the use- NO, 2529, vob. 101] fulness of metallographic methods in the control of material, although a considerable amount of experience is required before it is possible to inter- pret aright the indications of the microscope. For the purpose of acquiring such experience, the reader is recommended to examine a number of steel specimens, the heat treatment of which is definitely known, before attempting the study of - abnormalities. C.: Hs: D: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for. this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] Long-range Guns. SEVERAL correspondents have rightly pointed out that the ranges given in my short article on this sub- ject in Nature of April 4 are twice as great as would be given by the stated initial velocities. The heading of the velocity column should have been “ Horizontal : Component of Initial Velocity,” not “ Initial Velocity.” The horizontal component, where there is no resist- ance, is constant for the whole range. At the end of the article I referred to the elliptic orbit of the projectile. The elements of the ellipse are easily found. Since, at the vertex of the trajectory, the weight of the projectile is just balanced by centrifugal force, and since the radius of curvature of an ellipse at the end of the major axis is b?/a, b?/a=v/g’, where v is the velocity ins apogee.and g’ the earth’s attraction at that distance; also, since b?=a?(1—e?), it follows that e=1—v*/R'g', where R’ is the apogee distance of the projectile from the centre of the earth, and bap? fine 1+é A short table of v and b is appended. If R’=R+H, R being the earth’s radius and H the greatest er of the trajectory above the earth’s sur- face, and if, also, @ is the angular distance between — the major axis of the ellipse and point where the orbit’ cuts the surface of the earth, the range is 2Rsin@, @ being determined by the equation mS wy 4 =H) cos6=1(R Pa, If the projectile has a horizontal velocity v at the surface of the earth, the table gives the approximate value of the minor semi-axis of the elliptic orbit. v b ft. per sec. miles 1,000 TS Wee 2,000 279 3,000 462 4,000 620 5,000 dol 780 ; 25,900 ae atiue } Circular orbit A. Mattock. 6 Cresswell Gardens, S.W. The Motion of the Perihelion of Mercury. I am obliged to Mr. Harold Jeffreys for his friendly criticism (Nature, April 11, p. 103), but my suggestion was not one of a resisting medium pure and simple, but of a resistance greater at perihelion than aphelion, and therefore synchronous with the planet’s orbital 126 NATURE [Aprit 18, 1918 | period. Mr. Jeffreys will surely admit that a periodic disturbance of this kind, acting parallel to the minor axis of the orbit, would certainly affect the longitude of perihelion, without affecting the eccentricity; though whether the amount of resistance to be expected, say from matter in the Zodiacal light, is sufficient to make the effect appreciable may well be doubted. Moreover, I had not thought of the resisting medium as revolving in a planetary manner. I am inclined to attribute much more importance to my other sugges- tion based on the electrical theory of matter (Phil. Mag. for August, 1917). Nevertheless, a periodic resist- ance hypothesis is peculiarly applicable to Mercury, (a) because of its nearness, (b) because of the eccen- tricity of its orbit. OLIVER LODGE. Relativity and Gravitation. A MATHEMATICAL friend with whom I have been dis- cussing Prof, Eddington’s paper on -“ Relativity and Gravitation,’’ recently published in Nature, has made what appears to me to’ be an interesting suggestion. Prof. Eddington states that if a current of ather were moving: vertically. (say) with a velocity of 161,000. m./sec.,.a rod 8 ft. long, when placed transversely to the stream (i.e. horizontally), would, when turned ver- tically, be only 4 ft. He also says that this contrac- tion would be unobservable because the retina of the | eye would have’ similarly contracted, in a_ vertical direction. Suppose, however, that the rod in its two positions were observed, not directly, but by means of : a mirror inclined at.an angle of 45°, by a spectator lying on his back on the floor of the room? His retina, being ‘horizontal, would, ‘ex. hypothesi; have under- gone no contraction at’ all. Both images of-the rod, in -its horizontal, and vertical: positions, would fall on this horizontal retina. If the experiment could be per- formed the contraction of the rod ought to be evident, and. afford direct proof of the Lorentz-Fitzgerald hypo- thesis. Is ‘there any flaw in this reasoning? ~ H. H. O’FarreE.. Ir is interesting to examine Mr. O’Farrell’s plan for defeating the conspiracy to conceal the change of length of the rod; but the resourcefulness of the con- spirators is equal to the occasion. A compensation will take place in connection with, the reflection. of the light from the moving mirror. Light rebounds from a, fixed mirror as:though it were a billiard ball re- bounding from .a perfectly elastic cushion. Tf the cushion were moving with a great velocity the angle ~ of rebound would naturally be modified. That is only an analogy, but it will perhaps show that we cannot apply the rules of elementary optics to the formation of images by a mirror moving through the ether. A mathematical discussion, on the basis of Huygens’s. principle, of the image will be introduced which compensates for the change of size of the rod. It may be remarked that in order to deflect the ray from the horizontal to the vertical direction the mirror, although apparently inclined at 45° to the horizontal, would actually (in terms of the ‘‘real’’ space) be inclined at 26-6° (tan-* 4); this illustrates how the laws of reflection become ‘modified in the conditions postulated. A. S. EppincTon. Elliptical Haloes. THE accepted explanation of the haloes of 22° radius which are seen surrounding the sun and moon implies that they are exactly circular in form. About two years ago, however, I noticed a halo which appeared to be elliptical with the major axis vertical. I was unfortunately unable to take any measurements on NO. 2529, VOL. 1o1| shows that a change of size that occasion, but on March 18 last a lunar halo, which was visible for a considerable time during the even- ing, also appeared to possess a decided, though slight, ellipticity. That this deviation from the cireu- lar form was not an illusion I was enabled to verify by noting the positions of Capella and y Geminorum relative to the ring. Ae tee At 7.30 p.m. Capella appeared to be exactly upon the inner edge of the halo, while y Geminorum was within the ring at a distance from it, which, as nearly as I could judge, was a quarter of the moon’s diameter. From these data I find that the radii of the halo measured from the centroid of the illuminated disc of the moon through these two stars were 22-:8° and 21-4° respectively. Assuming that the halo was elliptical with the major axis vertical, I deduce values of 23-3° and 21-4° for the semi-major and semi-minor axes. I am aware that a more or less complete halo the major axis of — which is horizontal is occasionally seen surroundi the 22° halo, but records of haloes elongated vertically — are rare. In 1908 Prof. Schlesinger noticed one the axes of which were about 7° and 4°. Sir Napier Shaw informs me that very little is done in this country on the shapes of haloes, so that this letter may serve to direct attention to the desirability of obtaining accurate measurements. J. B. Dare. © Craigness, New Malden, Surrey, April 10. ; Abnormal Gatkin of Hazel. = a In February last one of my students, Miss M. Ben- son, brought me a flowering branch of the hazel (Corylus Avellana) in which one of the male catkins had a group of female flowers at the base. The other catkins were entirely male, but this one had eight female flowers, all of which appeared to be normal in | structure; they were arranged like the male flowers onthe same axis, but the bracts had the pointed shape of those of the ordinary .female flower, and no other peculiarity was perceived. It would seem that this is the adoption of the arrangement which is the normal one in Castanea, but such cases appear to have been rarely observed in this species of Corylus, although — known to occur in C. tubulosa. The bush was one growing on the bleak heathy moorland of Sutton Coldfield. . W. B. Grove. Birmingham. Sees yar oy SS VOLCANIC STUDIES.} . ca Rake death of Tempest Anderson in 1913, when returning from a voyage to the volcanoes oi the East, removed a very familiar figure from scientific.circles. For years he had made a special study of recent volcanoes, and as he was a very highly appreciated lecturer and delighted to ex- pound his subject to popular audiences, there were very few who take an interest in geology and geography who had not had the pleasure of lis- tening to him. He was a skilful and enthusiastic photographer, and his lectures were illustrated with beautiful lantern slides; hence it is probably correct to say that no one did more to inform the public on the subject of volcanoes during the twenty years before his death. At the Royal Geographical Society, the Geological Society, the British Association, and many local societies he — was always sure of a warm welcome; and his 1 ‘© Volcanic Studies in Many Lands.” Being Reproductions of Photo- — gtaphs taken by the Author. By Dr. Tempest Anderson. The Text. by Prof. T. G. Bonney. Second Series. Pp. xv+88. (London: John Murray, 1917.) Price 15s. net. ye, Aprit 18, 1918] NATURE 127 » lectures, racy with humour and crowded with ) adventure, were always counted among the prin- ' cipal features of the session’s programme. We owe to Tempest Anderson also several im- "portant contributions to the literature of volcanic geology, including a report to the Royal Society on the West Indian eruptions of 1902 and papers on the eruptions of Savaii and of Guatemala. But he | was ever more ready with the camera than with the pen, and it is well known to his friends that he “had an enormous number of negatives of active and extinct volcanoes, and his mind was richly Stored with facts concerning them. He was a Journal. . The photographs and. descriptions take us over a very large field. ~ Vesuvius, Etna, the Liparis, St. Vincent, - Martinique, Mexico, Guatemala, Savaii, Hawaii, Java, Krakatau, and Luzon receive illustration in turn. Prof. Bonney’s notes contain many _particu- lars extracted from Tempest Anderson’s field notes, and the book is full of interest, not only to the professed man of science, but also to all who admire beautiful or striking scenery and desire to understand its origin. Most of the photographs are very well repro- | duced, though they are not all of equal merit, but Java. Bottom cf the crater of Bromo. true enthusiast. When news arrived of an im- portant eruption in Java or Savaii it was not long before Tempest Anderson had completed his arrangements to visit the spot and get some good photographs. No difficulties, dangers, ill-health, Or expense daunted him; and though neither | young nor very robust, he always succeeded. This memorial volume has been edited by Prof. Bonney, one of his oldest friends, whom he always recognised as his guide and master in his investi- gations. It appears as the second part of a volume with the same title issued in 1903, and contains eighty-one photographs with descriptive text. A short biographical notice by Mr. G. Yeld is reprinted, with some additions, from the Alpine NO. 2529, VOL. IOT| From ‘‘ Volcanic Studies in Many Lands.” } this can be:understood by anyone who knows the difficulty of getting good negatives on tropical expeditions and surrounded by the fumes of active volcanoes. The, most interesting subjects are Krakatau as it was in 1913, Tarawera in 1913, Savaii, and (best of all in our opinion) the terrible volcanoes of Java. Some of the views taken in earlier years have been already published, and where so much was available we question whether it was advisable to reproduce them. The text is very clear and admirably suited to the pictures, but we would take exception to the explanation of the “bread-crust’’ bombs on p. 42. The | cracked crust is due, not to the contraction of the crust or the interior, but to the expansion of the 128 ’ NATURE . [APRIL 18, 1918 interior after the crust had hardened. | Hence the resemblance to a loaf of bread, and the name. We ‘should have welcomed also a list of Tempest Anderson’s scientific papers as an appen- dix to the book; but the numerous references in the foot-notes to the text help to fill the gap. In paper, printing, and general get-up the volume does credit to the publisher, and as a tribute to the memory of a devoted man of science and a warm-hearted friend wé hope that it will meet with a wide circle of readers. we IS SCIENCE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS.} LEB ik csc! discussion of the educational policy ' to be followed in view of the present unrest lays stress on the failure of our educa- tional methods and the paramount importance of scientific training. There are certain persons who, quite justly, point out that scientific method can be pursued in all departments of knowledge, and they conclude, not so justly, that on this account it matters little what subjects form the foundation of a liberal education; indeed, they go so far as to insist that the classical humanities are a better basis of such education than the technics of pure science can be, because in the study of mankind the experience gained from the history of the rise and fall of nations has a prac- tical value which is essential to a stable social system. There is no doubt that the educated mature mind may be enabled, by observation and study which follow the period of school-life, to apply the method known universally as scientific method to the problems which arise in every profession and business; but reflection will show that the very term “scientific method ’’ denotes that such method has been drawn from special study of what are known as scientific subjects. It is not denied that it is desirable that every man and woman should acquire this method, but what is not generally appreciated is that it is a quicker, an easier, and a surer course to acquire the method through a sufficient study, carefully laid out, of such scien- tific facts as have laid the foundation and proved the value of scientific method. It is by such a course, begun early and carried out during the whole of the ‘school-life, that the pupil can be led in his accompanying studies to apply the method which is not always appreciated. by his teachers of those subjects. If this is admitted to be the case it will remain to consider what sciences are essential to bring about the desired result in the pupil’s mind. In deciding this momentous question there are many possibilities that should be taken into account, and the method itself insists on a survey being taken of what the schools have so far found it possible to do’and what subjects have been found to appeal most strongly to the immature mind. 1 British Association for the Advancement of Science. Report on Science’ Teaching in Secondary Schools. Pp. 85. (London: Offices of the Associa- tion, Burlington House, W.1, 1917.) Price 1s, net. NO. 2529, VOL. IOI] Here the British Association Committee has done a very useful work. The report under con- sideration ‘starts by showing that the discussion - is not a new one arising from the conditions into which we have been led by the war. f schools for boys, and recommended that the two — principal branches of chemistry and physics, with | further courses in physiology and natural science, — should be taught in all schools for boys. The — British Association in 1866 appointed a committee — “to consider the best means of promoting scientific education in schools,’’ and a report was made on “the experience gained at Rugby and Harrow, and described the position of science-teaching at Oxford and Cambridge and in French and German schools.’’ The subject claimed attention again at the meetings in 1888, 1889, and 1890, and the need that was felt that teachers should have assistance in formulating and preparing courses of lessons led to the lines of courses in chemistry. , Since that time a great deal has happened: science-teaching has been introduced into many schools both for boys and girls, not, however, as a ey: part of organised arrangements for general educa-- tion, but as a sort of appendix to, or in some cases a substitute for, other means of education. And in the absence of co-ordination for a well-thought- out scheme of education the teachirig of science has been specialised in such a way that its influ- — ence as a part of general education has been lost. A survey of the position of science as a part of. education by those who are well acquainted with the subject is therefore an important contribution to the problem that has now to be faced again as it was in 1866. eat ot A very noteworthy part of the report is section iv., which deals with method in science-teaching. It draws distinctions between the different aspects of the teacher’s appeal to the pupil under the designations of the “wonder motive ’’ or curiosity, the “utility motive’’ or instinct of power, and the “systematising motive’’ or the instinct of reason. It lays stress'upon the importance of the appeal to natural curiosity and the sense of power; it concludes with the following weighty | passage :— . Lastly, we must recognise that the “ systematising motive” is one that has long been worked in our schools beyond its natural strength. Not infrequently ‘teachers of some experience express the doubt whether — boys and girls are capable of studying science before - Still more often univer- — the age of fifteen or sixteen. In 1860 a Royal Commission reported on the nine public — presentation of out- | F | if sity professors of science express the wish that their — students might come to them with minds unperverted by the teaching of the schools. Whatever truth these pessimistic suggestions contain is probably accounted ~ for by the failure of teachers to mould their instruction in conformity with the natural development of chil- dren’s minds. The young man (or woman) who teaches science in schools from the point of view of the university often achieves with the best intentions a disastrous amount of harm. The mischief will not be prevented until it is universally recognised that the a Aprit 18, 1918] NATURE 129 of a science should be not the terminus of instruction, but the terminus ad quem, In the oO use . = LTO} proper adjustment of the pupil’s work, these three appeals for the purpose of is the urgent problem of the teaching to which this committee has addressed ‘To this end curricula for schools of dif- oe nt eae, the supply of science teachers in ided schools, the academic qualifications of + “enc nation are all discussed in a very readable HE FUTURE OF SCIENCE IN WALES. THE recently issued Report-of the Royal Com- mission on University Education in Wales there seems no doubt, mark the beginning not a Royal Commission we cannot enter We are concerned with the future and, , with the provision to be made preeat of scientific and technological "the very first it was recognised that eo é y in its applications to arts and eee should occupy a prominent place 5 eee of the colleges,’ and provision as made by all three colleges in Wales for the of science. The further develop- mi tea and research in pure science is Poe the nai University and colleges, which, it is , will be provided with ampler b fons ‘for this purpose. We learn, however, that, _ “as the requirements in pure science became satis- fied, the special needs of the neighbouring locali- ties began to claim the attention of the colleges ”’ ad the demand has arisen for the further develop. ment of teaching and training in applied science. It is earnestly to be hoped that, as a result of the recommendations made by the Commission, the _ University and colleges of Wales will be able to _ develop their work in these branches to a level | _ unsurpassed by any other British university. __ As regards the prominence of the demand for -iner provision for technological and voca- "tional studies, wise words of warning are spoken | he the Commissioners which all interested in true University education and in the highest develop- _ ment of our industries would do well to ponder 7 and lay to heart :— Proceed to as schools of preparation for professional life, it would be fatal if they allowed preoccupation _ with this task to weaken their hold upon the principle _ ing safe and, where possible, adding to the stock of universal knowledge which the past has entrusted to - their care. . Some people have been inclined to ~ complain that the universities turn out graduates who with all their attainments are not always immediately _ serviceable in commerce and industry: a right view of what a university training seeks to do for its NO. 2529, VOL. Io1] asters, and the methods of inspection and post-graduate ~ Although it is right that the universities should be - that they are intellectual trustees for posterity, keep-. students would suggest to such people that even their own utilitarian aims would not be really served by i ing a more definitely technical element into the university student’s course. As year by year com- merce and industry become more complex and far- reaching in their ramifications, the value of a sound grasp of principles grows more indispensable to those concerned in their higher operations, and any less on this side would be but ill made up by a slightly earlier familiarity with the specialised technique of a par- ticular trade or calling, which after all is easily and rapidly acquired by a mind properly grounded in principles. We commend these words to the careful atten- tion of the people of Wales. In Mid and North Wales, which are largely agricultural in character, we find that in the col- leges of Aberystwyth and Bangor agriculture has for long been included among the subjects of the college curricula. But with regard to the fuller development of their agricultural departments which both colleges desire to promote, important pronouncements are made by the Commissioners. The present three years’ degree course, it is main- tained, which is primarily based on science, is inadequate for teachers and experts, because the student does not obtain that thorough grounding in pure science which would qualify him to under- take fruitful research work after he has obtained his degree. Such a student would do better to obtain his degree in one of the pure science de- partments and then pass over to the agricultural department for some general training in agricul- ture, coupled with investigation in his special subject. He requires, in fact, at least a five years’ course, and his agricultural training should in the main be post-graduate. Since for this purpose elaborate provision of staff and equipment is needed, such advanced training should be con- centrated at a single college. For the working farmer a new type of degree course is required, based more upon economics and history than upon pure science, and this course should be provided at all constituent colleges undertaking agricultural teaching and advisory work. A department of animal pathology should be established as part of the College of Medicine at Cardiff. With regard to forestry, future developments will depend on the policy of the Government in respect to afforestation. It is, however, laid down that forestry should in the main be treated as a subject, and, for reasons of economy, should be associated with the post- graduate department of agriculture at whichever college this department may be located. In South Wales, as is natural, the demand is mainly for further development in technological training in engineering, mining, and metallurgy; and a scheme has been drawn up for the con- stitution of a faculty and board of technology. According to this scheme, which is accepted in its broad outlines by the Commission, the Muni- cipal Technical College of Swansea would become recognised as a fourth constituent college of the University; and, subject to the fulfilment of cer- tain conditions designed to secure a satisfactory 130 NATURE [Apri 18, 1918 standard, post-secondary institutions and depart- ments doing advanced work might be recognised — as providing part of the courses for a distinct | technological degree which the University would | establish. PRES es By the institution of this new faculty and board, 6n which the local industries would be represented, it has been sought to meet “the strong feeling of distrust entertained towards the University and centralised control by certain industrial and com- mercial interests in South Wales.’’ In relation to the University this new faculty and board “‘should h I i bring their | Oe ety fo bring. thee _have never favoured or accepted the B.N.A. special knowledge and experience to bear on what will-.often -be local problems, but they cannot claim to be given'a greater degree of independence than that enjoyed by a constituent college. It is conceivable, for example, that individuals -or associations may desire to place large sums of money at the disposal of the board, and that: by these means, or in other ways, the faculty and board of technology might be able to give a bias— to the general development of: the colleges or to _the character of courses for degrees which would be contrary to the general principles upon which our recommendations are framed and_incon- sistent with any real control on the part of the University or the colleges.’’ The Commissioners utter this warning :— But there is a serious danger lest short views should be taken of the true function of the university, and of the nature of the contributions to the common good which it is most fitted to make. Great advances in the application of science to industry have often been made possible by the discoveries of students who had no such object in view, but were impelled simply by the desire to extend the bounds of knowledge and solve some problem in the realm of pure science. With regard to the development of medical studies it is recommended that the proposed National School of Medicine should be organised as an independent constituent college of the Uni- versity governed by a council and senate of its own. Towards the erection of the necessary buildings the sum of 90,o00l. has been promised by a private donor, and the gift of a further sum of 30,0001. has recently been announced for the endowment of a chair of preventive medicine. On the financial side it is recognised that, in order to carry out all the legitimate developments of the work of the University and its colleges, an additional annual income of about -100,000l. will be necessary, to be raised by increased local subscriptions and private gifts and by a propor- tionate increase of the Government grant; and it is held that increased remuneration and provision for superannuation for the teaching staffs of the creased revenue. The principles and recommendations put for- | ward by the Commissioners afford an excellent opportunity for renewed effort, and if the people | of Wales will rise to the height of their oppor- tunity, higher education in science and technology is assured of a bright future in the Principality. NO. 2529, VOL. I0T| the Institute of Metals on May 2. ANATOMICAL NOMENCLATURE, T a recent meeting of the Anatomical Socmaam of Great Britain and Ireland steps were taken — to clear up the chaos which has overtaken the — nomenclature employed by human and. vertebrate — anatomists in this country. In 1889 the Anatomical — Society of Germany appointed a commission to pre- pare a revised nomenclature—one which was finally — adopted by the society when it met at Basle in 4 1895, and hence known as the “Basle Nomina Anatomica,”’ nomenclature. The majority of British anatomists nomenclature, not because of its origin, — but be- cause of its intrinsic. defects.’ The French “a Italian anatomists. also refused to adopt Unfortunately, the Basle terminology has ae adopted in our leading English text-books on human anatomy, while the majority of teachers have continued to use the terminology which is native to Britain. duce a state of chaos bewildering to the Lino as well: as to the teacher. The resolution passed unanimously by ihe Anatomical Society at its meeting in King’s Col- — lege on March 1 is a definite pronouncement against the adoption of the Basle nomenclature by British anatomists. The terms of the resolu- tion were as follows :— This society sees no reason for departing from the use of the old nomenclature as the recognised medium of description for employment in anatomical text-books and departments or by medical men in general. On. the other hand, it thinks there are very good reasons to be urged against the adoption of any ata nomen- clature for this purpose. NOTES. Tue Bakerian lecture of the Royal Society will be delivered on Thursday, April 25, by Sir Charles Par- sons, on ‘Experiments on the Production of Diamond.’’ Sir Charles Parsons will also describe hhis experiments on the formation of the diamond at the © eighth annual May lecture.which he is to give before special character of the occasion, the council of the Institute of Metals has decided to make this an open meeting. Persons desiring to be present should apply —enclosing a stamped and addressed envelope—for cards of invitation to Mr. G. Shaw aig 36 Victoria Street, S:W.1. THE council of the Royal Society has aneciies a _.committee to investigate and report on the possibility — of obtaining and replacing food materials and other ~ necessaries by the utilisation of natural products not — hitherto generally employed for such purposes. Sug- gestions as to such products and the means of organis- _ing their collection should be addressed to the secre- colleges constitute a foremost claim on such in- | tary of the Natural Products Committee, Royal Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W.1. Tue secretary of the Decimal Association informs us that at the annual meeting of the Associated Chambers adopted urging the Government to pass into law the Decimal Coinage Bill prepared by the Executive _ Council of the Associated Chambers of Commerce in ‘usually spoken of as the B.N.A. ‘The result has been to intro- In view of the © ‘of Commerce held on April 9 and 10 a motion was - Aprit. 18, 1918] NATURE 131 ajunction with the Institute of Bankers and the imal Association. It is understood that Lord outhwark will introduce the Bill into Parliament at the earliest possible moment. Se LG ee . Tue possibility . of ‘an aerial mail has often been mented upon in these columns, and it is very in- ting to note that a company has actually been d in Norway for the purpose of establishing a Service between Aberdeen and Stavanger. This was made just before war broke out by Capt. ve Grau in about five hours’ flying, and it is uted that the mail. services will reduce this to ur and a half hours with modern machines. An extension of the system to Christiania and Copenhagen is contemplated, and it is hoped that letters leaving m in the morning would be delivered in both ties in the afternoon. The company. has y a share capital of 150,000l., and. a representa- now in England: negotiating with the Govern- -a solution of the problem. The value of such service would be very great at a time when - oversea service is so seriously hampered by the r “submarine campaign, and the’ satisfactory : nent of the contemplated Norwegian service undoubtedly soon lead to a general use of the lane for rapid international communication. en Clitia arn from Science that by joint action the States Secretaries of War and the Navy, with al of the Council of National Defence, have rised and approved the organisation, through the : ‘National Research Council, of a Research In- formation Committee in Washington with branch ; in Paris and London, which are intended in close co-operation with the officers of the and Naval Intelligence, and the function of shall be the securing, classifying, and dis- ing of scientific, technical, and industrial re- talaunstion, especially relating to war problems, interchange of such information between the Europe and the United States. . duration ot the war and one year afterwards ding to L*Economista d’Italia for April 2) there been established “at the Italian Ministry of Com- and Labour an office entitled ‘‘ Office of the se for Chemical Industries,’’ which will fulfil following functions :—It will (1) act as the execu- body for all the deliberations of the Committee for Chemical Industries; (2) compile statistics bearing 1¢ Italian production of chemical and pharma- cal supplies, especially in regard to raw materials; ) collect information relative to the progress of in- istrial chemistry abroad; (4) publish information of rest to the Italian chemical industry; (5) investi- € any new measures or modifications of measures osed in Italy or abroad of interest to industrial chemistry ; (6) take any necessary preliminary steps to | ose arate to adopt the best measures to secure (aid effective collaboration between science and chemical industry; (7) take any other steps neces- Sary to the interests of the chemical and pharma- tical industry of the country. __ AN account of the outbreak of pneumonic plague in China is given by a correspondent in the Times of April 12. The epidemic, which commenced last De- cember, has a firm hold on a part of the Mongolian ose and in the high-lying part of North Shansi, _ but so far has not spread to the populous centres in North China. It was not until pressure had been brought to bear upon the Chinese authorities that precautionary measures were taken; these consist in _ quarantining those who come from infected districts, _and the immediate isolation of the sick and their treat- _ NO. 2529, VOL. 1o1| ment by masked attendants. |The course of the epidemic is‘ traced, and it is surmised that marmots have been the source of infection. The mortality has been considerable, but exact figures are lacking; in the Suiynan district 1500 deaths were reported up to the beginning of February. THE first meeting of the Inter-Allied Scientific Food Commission was, we learn from the British Medical Journal, held in Paris on March 25 and the following days. At the first sitting the Commission was received by°M. Boret, the French Minister of Agriculture and Food. In his opening address M. Boret pointed out that the object of the conference is to study the best means of utilising the very small food resources at the disposal of the Allies so as to effect an equitable distribution of the available food supplies among the Allies, having proper regard to the facts of physiology and political economy. The Commission agreed to establish a per- manent central secretariat in Paris, M. Alquier being appointed secretary. In addition to the central secre- tariat it was agreed that a secretary to the Commis- sion should be appointed in each of the Allied coun- tries. The Commission considered important ques- tions relating to the minimum food requirements of man, and to the production and distribution of food supplies. The Commission will reassemble at inter- vals, in Paris or in some other of the Allied capitals. It will probably meet next at Rome towards the end of this month. The formation of the Commission was decided upon at an inter-Allied conference held in Paris last November, when it was resolved that the Com- mission should consist of two delegates each from Great Britain, France, Italy, and America. The dele- gates appointed from the various countries were :— Great Britain: Prof. E. H. Starling and Prof. T. B. Wood; France: Prof. Ch. Richet and Prof. E. Gley; Italy: Prof. Bottazzi and Prof. Pagliani; America: Prof. R. H. Chittenden and Prof. Graham Lusk. The Commission is empowered. to make any propositions to the Allied Governments which it thinks fit. Tue President of the Local Government Board re- cently appginted a Committee, under the chairmanship of Sir John Tudor Walters, ‘‘to consider questions on building construction in connection with the provision of dwellings for the working class in England and Wales, and to report upon methods to secure economy and despatch in the provision of such dwellings.’? The Committee has approached the Department of Scien- tific and Industrial Research with-the request that the Department would make arrangements to undertake any research work which might be found desirable to assist in the prosecution of these inquiries. .The Advi- sory Council for Scientific and Industrial Research accordingly appointed a Committee consisting of Mr. Raymond Unwin (chairman), Mr. R. J.. Allison (on the nomination of the First Commissioner of H.M. Office of Works), Mr. P. A. Crosthwaite (on the nomination of the Local Government. Board), Mr. W. H. Humphreys, and Mr. Seebohm. Rowntree, with — Mr. E. Leonard, of the Local Government Board, as secretary. In order that the services of suitable tech- ‘nical advisers should be at the disposal of this Com- mittee, Mr. Tabor, an engineer of the London County Council, has been appointed by the Department tech- nical officer to the Committee, while, with the concur- rence of the Board of Education, the services of Mr. Hugh Davies, H.M.I., have also been. made available. The terms of reference to the Committee. are. as fol- lows :—“ To make arrangements. for. carrying - out re- searches on building construction instituted by the Department at the instance of the Local Government Board Committee or otherwise, to be responsible under the council for the direction of such researches, and i32 NATURE [Apri 18, 1918 to deal with such other matters as may be referred to them from time :to time by the council,’’ Mr. MacpHerson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for War, in a written reply to Mr. Lynch, who asked in the House of Commons whether it is possible to con- struct a gun capable of throwing a projectile eighty miles or more, and, if so, whether steps have been taken in consequence, has stated that it is possible to construct such a: gun, and that the necessary steps have been taken. REPLYING to a question as to the ages of the small- pox patients now being treated in the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, and the vaccinal condi- tion of each patient,-Mr. Hayes Fisher, President of the Local Government Board, has given the House of Commons the following information :—The condition as to vaccination of the thirty-four cases in question at the time of exposure to infection was as follows :— Under five years of age, four cases, all unvaccinated. Between five and fifteen years, ten cases, all unvac- cinated. Between fifteen and twenty-five years, four cases, all unvaccinated. Between twenty-five and thirty-five years, six cases, all vaccinated, none revac- cinated. Above thirty-five years of age, ten cases, all vaccinated, of which two are stated to have been re- vaccinated several (more than twenty) years previously., Of the total thirty-four cases, fifteen were vaccinated or revaccinated after exposure to infection. Engineering for April 12 comments upon the memo- randum issued recently from which it appears that the net cost of the Army in 1916-17 was 587,796,5671., of which enormous total the sum of 2851. was appro- priated to inventors. The disproportion recalls Fal- staff’s famous reckoning, where one poor halfpenny- worth of bread figured as an item amongst an intoler- able deal of sack. The remark has often been heard that this is an engineers’ war, but the above account would convey the impression that the authorities are as reluctant as ever to encourage the application of original thought to the improvement of our material of war. Fortunately, engineers and _ scientific men have actively exerted their patriotic efforts without consideration of personal profit, and hence, whilst the account may state truly the amount paid for ideas, it affords no criterion for estimating the actual value of the services rendered by inventors, which have in many cases been given gratuitously. By the death. at the age of seventy-three of Prof. Paul Vidal de la Blache France has lest her foremost geographer.. For many years Prof. de la Blache held the chair of geography at the Sorbonne, where his lectures had attracted students from many countries. He was one of the first to introduce causal treatment into geography, and, emphasising always its human side, to raise it to the rank of a scientific study. He was the author of numerous geographical works, and for several years had been one of the editors of the Annales de Géographie. Of his many works the best known is probably his ‘‘Atlas général Vidal de la Blache,’’ which appeared in 1890 and succeeding years. This atlas, which contains about 137 maps, including © fifty-two historical maps and many insets, is the standard French atlas. Many of the maps are marked by great ingenuity of conception, and several are unique to this atlas. Prof. de la Blache also showed much interest in historical geography, and among his earlier works was one on Marco Polo. His last work, published in 1917, entitled ‘France de 1’Est,” dis- cussed the geographical basis of the history of Alsace- Lorraine. Prof. de la Blache was a member of the French Institute. NO. 2529, VOL. IOT| Mr. GEORGE MITCHELL’ SEABROKE, who died sud- denly on April 1—his seventieth birthday—was — educated at Rugby School in the house of — Mr. M. (now Canon) Wilson, under the — headmastership of Dr. Temple. much to Canon Wilson’s inspiring teaching, both of — science and mathematics, as well as a personal friend- ship which lasted his whole life. he was articled to Mr. M. H. Bloxam, solicitor and clerk to the magistrates of the Rugby Petty Sessional Division, to whose practice and clerkship he succeeded in 1871. Mr. Seabroke’s scientific and mechanical tastes showed themselves in early youth. There was, and probably is still, a model steam engine which he constructed in the ’fifties, preserved in the cabinet of physical apparatus in Rugby School. At the same time he was interested in astronomy, and requiring an instrument more powerful than a 33-in. refractor, he invented and constructed a machine for grinding and polishing glass specula. This enabled him to con- struct a g-in. reflecting telescope, still preserved as a supplementary instrument in the Temple Observatory, and chiefly used for spectroscopic ab Of the Tem- ple Observatory of Rugby School, founded by the energy of Canon Wilson in 1871, Mr. Seabroke was the first curator, a position which he held until his death. In, 1870 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Astro- nomical Society, and contributed to the publications of | the society papers on spectroscopic observations on the — suotion of the fixed stars in the line of sight and on the micrometric measure of double stars. He took an active part in the formation of the British Astro- nomical Association. He was elected on the first council, was president 1910-12, director of the double- star section 1902-15, and of the Saturn section 1898-I9gIt. broke’s public work for the town of Ru the last forty-five years, but it may be mentioned that he was an active commander of the volunteer corps and was given the rank of Hon. Lt.-Col. of the 2nd Warwickshire Volunteer Battalion. He also took a leading part in the coordina ae which led to the establishment of the National Union of Fire Brigades, of which he was one of the founders. Elected to the old Rugby Board of Health in 1875, he soon took in hand the task of supplying Rugby with a plentiful supply of pure water, to the maintenance of which he paid constant attention. A few weeks before his death he was made deputy-lieutenant of the county of Warwick. , Tue death is announced of Mr. Robert Win- throp Blackwell, one of the best-known pioneers of electric traction, whose name has been equally familiar in this country and in the United States during the last thirty-five years. Mr. Blackwell was born in 1858, and educated at Princeton University, where he was a contemporary of President Wilson. He afterwards practised at the American Bar, and was attracted into electrical work in 1883, when he founded the Bentley Knight Electric Railway Co., which in- stalled an electrically operated tramway system im Cleveland, Ohio; this line, opened in 18 was the at first commercial line operated electrically. r. Black- well took up his residence in this country in 1890, and founded the firm of Robert W. Blackwell and Co. in 1894. This firm secured the contract for the Bristol electric tramways in 1895, and the great success of this undertaking paved the way for many others. His name will be remembered on account of the excellent quality of the work carried out under his direction, and for the kindly assistance and advice which he was always ready to offer. He was a member of many clubs, and was in charge of most of the arrangements for looking after the American Military Mission dur- ing its visit to this country. es No doubt he owed _ wt ee This is not the place to describe Mr. Sea- { Oe a On leaving school / \ : aes ’ t Apri 18, 1918|- NATURE bec ap o We pogret to note that Engineering for April 12 cords the death of Mr. John Shanks Brodie, who 1900 had been the borough engineer and sur- of Blackpool. Mr. Brodie was born in 1850, acted as engineering assistant from 1877 to 1884 he Corporation of Liverpool. During the follow- ixteen years he occupied the positions of borough, ar, ‘and. waterworks engineer at Whitehaven. g many other improvements cartied. out at B pool under his direction are the sea-walls, de- "signed by Mr. Brodie and executed under his direct su ion. It would be difficult to find around our sea-defence works carried out in a more thorough _ Mr. Brodie was elected a member of the of Civil Engineers in 1906. ® 6: a. ING tO an announcement in the Times of the Royal Agricultural Society is entering important development of its activities in the Se ectleral experimental investigation, eral decades the society has carried on valuable its experimental farm at Woburn, but it is that many important practical problems cannot tely dealt with at a single centre. Members ety are being invited, therefore, to co-operate view of carrying out experiments under ly differing conditions prevailing in various of the country. Among the subjects for investi- on referred to in the preliminary announcement continuous growing of corn, green manuring, ed manurial value, the use of lime, the treat- pasture, and calf-rearing. These subjects int scope for the practical investigator, but the works accomplished under the scheme largely upon the detailed arrangements for and supervision of the work, further in- mcerning which will be awaited with of the council of the Institution of Mining gy for the year ended December 31 last, at the annual meeting held on April 11, = increasing inclination of Government de- turn to scientific and technical organisa- advice and assistance. The council is pre- . deal with problems of reconstruction after Co-operation between the leading scientific ing societies has increased, the report , and augurs well for future developments. al progress was made during 1917 in the tin sten research inaugurated by the institution co-operation: of the Royal Cornwall Poly- ty, and carried out under the direction of _ mineral resources of the Empire the council has done _ useful work in urging the establishment of a Depart- nt of Minerals and Metals. The Imperial War Con- nce which met in London during the spring of 1917 ; that it was desirable to establish in London _ Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau, upon which ild be represented Great Britain, the Dominions, ndia, and other parts of the Empire. The bureau _ should be charged with the duties of collection of in- _ formation’ from the appropriate departments of the _ Governments concerned and other sources regarding _ the mineral resources and the metal requirements of _ the Empire, and of advising from time to time what action, if any, may appear desirable to enable such resources to be developed and made available to meet the metal requirements of the Empire. The committees the various Government Com- _ have recognised the necessity for such a central organisation, and the council awaits the final cision of the Government. NO. 2529, VOL. 101 | In connection with the organisation of the . In the issue of Man for April Dr. A. C. Haddon discusses the outrigger canoe of East Africa. Canoes with outriggers are confined to the Indo-Pacific area, and are-absent, and so far as we can tell always have been, from the American continent and urope. Canoes with single outriggers are unknown in Africa, while canoes with double outriggers are confined to the east coast, from Lamu to Dar-es-Salaam, to the Comoro Islands, and to the north-west coast of Mada- gascar. Their occurrence in this region is certainly due toa cultural drift from Indonesia, which also brought in its train a peculiar form of fish-trap. Mr. C. W. Hob- ley, through Mr. H. R. Montgomery, District Com- missioner, East Africa, has supplied Dr. Haddon with an interesting account, furnished with numerous illustrations, of the East African type of canoe. Fur- ther information, both from East Africa and Indo- nesia, is required before the question of ‘the origin of this type of canoe can be regarded as definitely settled. At a meeting of the Zoological Society on March 5 Mr. Tate Regan exhibited photographs of a fish with markings on the tail simulating old Arabic characters, on one side ** Laillaha Illalah’’—“ There is no God but Allah ’’—and on the other ‘Shani Allah ’’—‘ A warn- ing sent from Allah.’? The fish was sold in the market at Zanzibar for a penny; the man who bought it was going to eat it and cut off the tail, throwing it on the ground; another man picked up the tail and saw the writing ; great excitement ensued, and the fish changed hands at increasing prices, until 5000 rupees was offered. Major H. R. Cartwright, Commandant of Police, had the fish preserved and sent photographs of it to the Natural History Museum, where it was identified as Holacanthus semicirculatus, Cuv. et Val., a widely distributed Indo-Pacific species of Chzto- dontide. Mr. Regan considered the markings as falling within the limits of normal variation of the species. Unper the title ‘“‘Our Ill-fed Foes” the Illustrated London News of March 23 devotes a page to illustra- tions, drawn by Mr. W. B. Robinson, of some of the food substitutes used in Germany. The more thought- ful reader who will carefully examine his drawings may, however, learn many lessons which he will find distinctly beneficial in these days of rations and dear foods. We have before us also a paper written a year ago by Dr. F. A. Bather (of the Natural History Museum) in the Puiney News Letter, advocating the use as vegetables of several of our common weeds, notably the dandelion and stinging-nettle, and sprouts of hops. The present writer can speak from experi- ence as to the excellence of the young nettle-tops when served like spinach, and the attempt to weed the gar- den of dandelions is greatly stimulated by the reward of daily after-dinner coffee made from ground and well-roasted roots. Dr. Bather also recommends nettle soup, and dandelions stewed, while the Jatter are often eaten in salad by travellers abroad. Of the other ‘*vegetables”’ depicted in the Illustrated London News we regard sorrel as a great delicacy; ‘‘Good King Henry” and watercress are too well known to require comment, but meadow-cress, herb Barbarea, and scurvy grass seem well worth trying, and without following the German practice of roasting the roots of ** Lords and Ladies ’’ (which are poisonous when raw), it would be very interesting to try using them for starching our shirts and collars. The German coffee substitutes shown in the diagram referred to include asparagus seeds and ground acorns; of these we are informed that the latter are often used in Switzerland; but quite a long list of other German substitutes, both for coffee and for tea, is given. Apparently hops and beech leaves form the staple substitutes for tobacco in 134 NATURE [APRIL 18, 1918 | Germany. But in the matter of health, as well as of economy, advantages are to be gained by substituting dried coltsfoot leaves (either smoked in a pipe or made into cigars) for the more insidious narcotic. Mr. Robinson’s diagrams do not include fungi, but judging from the British species, these would fill many pages of the Illustrated London News. Instead of pitying our ‘‘ill-fed foes,’? we might learn a good many in- teresting lessons from their dietary. Tue Board of Agriculture has issued a leaflet (Food Production Leaflet, No. 34) on the canning of fruit and vegetables which should be very useful to the large number of growérs and others who are desirous of preserving the largest possible quantity of fruit and vegetable food for winter use. The - leaflet deals specially with the use of small canning plants suitable for domestic use by amateurs or small fruit-growers. The instructions given for every stage of the process are sufficiently detailed to ensure a reasonable prospect of success for the veriest tyro. Demonstrations are given’ daily at 11.30 a.m. in the Canning Kitchen, Food Production Department, 72 Victoria Street, S.W.1, and, in addition, periodical demonstrations are arranged in provincial centres. The necessary outfit of steriliser and cans can be obtained from the Depart- ment on terms which are explained in the leaflet. A soMEWuatT original method of reinforcing metals is described in the Engineer for April 12. The process has been devised by Mr. C. W. Denny, and lends itself to the manufacture of tubes and plates. It con- sists in reinforcing with perforated steel, of suitable thickness, weaker metals such as copper and lead. In making reinforced copper sheets, the perforated steel plate is prepared by any well-known method for elec- tro-deposition, and, finally, copper-plated to any re- quired thickness, the deposition of copper’ going right through the holes and forming a sheet of copper with ‘the steel core inside. It, is claimed that a plate so formed will stand bending and pressing without the copper leaving the steel. In some cases the copper can be rolled on hot. In producing reinforced lead plates it has been found practicable to roll or press the lead into the perforations. Messrs. HENRY FROWDE AND HODDER AND STOUGH- TON have in the press ‘“‘The Medical and Surgical Aspects of Aviation,’? by H. Graeme Anderson. Messrs. WITHERBY AND Co. announce an important book which should be of interest to ornithologists, viz. ‘‘A Monograph of the Pheasants,’’ by W. Beebe. The work, which is being published under the auspices ‘of the New York Zoological Society, embodies the author’s own observations and information from other sources, and will contain many coloured plates and. maps; also photographs showing the pheasants of the world, their haunts, changes of plumage, nests, and eggs. There will be four volumes, the first of which is to be issued next. month. . A USEFUL catalogue (New Series, No. 82) of books of science has just been issued by Messrs. J. Wheldon and Co., 38 Great Queen Street, Kingsway, con- taining 1328 titles of works relating to astronomy, chemistry, electricity, engineering, mathematics, meteorology, and physics, and, in addition, particulars of sets of many scientific journals. The catalogue will be’ sent to any applicant for the sum of twopence. Messrs NEWTON AND Co., 72 Wigmore Street, W.1, are offering for sale the ‘collection of microscope slides (some 650 in all) formed by the late Mr. Lewis Wright. A classified list, with the prices asked, will be sent by Messrs. Newton upon application. NO. 2529, VOL. I0T] OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. Tue Aprit Mrtrror SHOWER.—There is reason believe that this display may be more abundant than Of late — years it has been very disappointing, and very few ye usual at the ensuing return on about April 21. true Lyrids appear to have been seen since 1got. radiant point is like that of the August positions on successive nights being :— é ° oO o oO April 17 265+ 33 April 23 ... 274433 ° 18 267+ 33 | 24... 275433 19 2684+33 | 25... eee: 20 270+33 | 26... Sapa 21 QUT 33 42H Pp ee pa bs 22 273433 | 28 ..: 28033 The stream has been observed with certainty be- tween April 16 and 26, but it has very probably a longer duration than that. ae This meteoric shower has a cometary connection, for the first comet of 1861 shows a suggestive similarity of 4 orbit, but the periodic time of revolution, either of the comet or meteoric shower, is not exactly known. There were rich displays of Lyrids in 1803, 1851, 1863, and 1884. This vear moonlight will interfere some- — | what with the phenomenon, as, at the time of the maximum, our satellite will be a little past the first | quarter, and above the horizon until between 2h: and 3h. in the morning. neat ag, ee TeEmMPEL’s Comet.—The following ephemerides of Tempel’s first periodic comet have been constructed by Dr. A. C. D. Crommelin on three assumptions of the date of perihelion passage in 1918: (A) May 9:37; (B) May 17:37; (C) May 25-37. The ephemerides are for 9 p.m. Pere A B ae Cc: Date RA. S. Dec. " ROA.) S. Dees ene tease h..m..’s. me, h. m 5 Paes Si Sh ae April17 165118 1630 1632 4 1448 161236 1255 25 1652 6 17 9 163144 1525 1611 4 1326 May 3 165054 1755 162920 16 3 16 739 14 2. Il. 164752 1843 1625 5 1648 16 2 33 14 40 19 164326 1934 161941 1736 155628 15 25 Search should be made along a line through posi- tions A, B, C, or this line produced. The values of log A on hypothesis B are 0-0959, 0:0749, 0:0574, 0°0440, 0:0357 for the five dates. This comet has not been seen since 1879, so there is considerable uncertainty as to its position. AKG ABSORPTION AND RaDIATION OF THE SOLAR ATMO- SPHERE.—A paper by Prof. Shin Hirayama appears under this title in the Proceedings of the Tokyo Mathe- matico-Physical Society, second series, vol. ix., p. 236. Utilising observations of the radiation from different parts of the solar disc which have been made by Abbot, Prof. Hirayama computes the transmission and radiation of the solar atmosphere, on Schuster’s sup- position that a great part of the solar radiation comes /— from an absorbing and radiating layer above the photo- It is shown that the observations are better — represented in this way than by the previous calcula- sphere. tions of Biscoe, in which the radiation of the atmo- sphere was not considered. The coefficient of trans- ~ mission increases gradually with the wave-length, and the radiation due to the atmosphere ranges from one- third of the whole radiation for the shorter wave-, lengths to nearly one-half’ as the wave-length in- creases. ture of the photosphere is about 7040°, while that of the absorbing layer is 52109. ye to. 4 Perseids, for i. it exhibits a diurnal shift of 1° to the eastward, the Assuming the effective temperature of the ~ : sun to be 6000° Abs., it is calculated that the tempera- a ton ef iske - y a Apri 18,. 1918] NATURE 135 E POSITION OF NATURAL SCIENCE IN ses EDUCATION. ~* “HE report (Cd. gorr, price od. net) of Sir J. J _ Thomson’s Committee appointed in 1916 to in- lure into the position of natural science in the educa- al system of Great Britain has now been pub- ned, and we propose to deal with its main points in later issue. It is a valuable survey of the position of science in schools and in relation to professional and university education. The case for increased si ttention to science in order to expand the mental estate well as equip the nation. with the elements of industrial progress is so strong that it has already convinced all who have considered it. What remains to be done now is to act upon the principles set forth in the re , and if the stress of war has not ‘shown the necessity for such action by our political rulers national disaster will do so when too late. It is inted out that there has been no general and suffi- cient recognition of science as an essential part of the riculum for all boys in the public schools, and that ‘grant-aided secondary schools the customary course nce work is too narrow, to the neglect of great _ principles with their human interests and applications. More trained scientific workers and to secure them there must be a gener- Is exter of the system of scholarships and greatly _ increased contributions from the State for university and technical education. ‘*If,” says the report, ‘‘ the _ umiversities are to discharge their responsibilities to- _ wards the science students who are coming, and to their position as homes of scientific learning ch, they must receive a measure of financial - much more considerable than they have hitherto.” The report concludes with a sum- ‘principal.conclusions under eighty-three heads, on from which is reprinted below. 1.—Natural science should be included in the eral course of education of all up to the age of out sixteen. Real progress in education depends on revolution in the public attitude towards the salaries chers and the importance of their training. A crease in the number of scholarships at all of education is necessary. condary Schools.—Steps should be taken to secure I pupils in State-aided secondary schools a school life beginning not later than twelve and extending at ist up to sixteen. Science should be included in the _ general course of education for all pupils in public and other secondary schools up to the age of about teen, and this general course should be followed by more specialised study, whether in science or in other subjects. In all secondary schools for boys the time given to science should be not fewer than four periods in the first year of the course from twelve to sixteen, and not fewer than six periods in the three ‘succeeding years. Increased attention should be given to the teaching of science in girls’ schools. In girls’ schools with a twenty-four-hour school week not fewer than three hours per week should be devoted to science _in the period twelve to sixteen. A larger number of - State-aided schools should be encouraged to. provide advanced instruction in science, and those which “undertake advanced worl should be staffed on a more generous scale. The elements of natural science should be a necessary subject in the entrance exam- ‘ination of public schools, and due weight should be given to this subject in the entrance scholarship _ €xaminations to public schools. _ Science Course Twelve to Sixteen.—The science work for pupils. under sixteen should be planned as a NO. 2529, VOL. 101 | ah is self-contained course, and should include, besides physics and chemistry, some study of plant and animal life. More attention should be directed to those aspects of the Sciences which bear directly on the objects and experience of everyday life. There should be as close correlation as possible between the teaching of mathe- matics and science at all stages in school work. The present chaos of English weights and measures causes waste of time and confusion of thought, and there are strong educational reasons for the adoption of the metric system. All through the science course stress should be laid on the accurate use of the English language. Science Course Sixteen to Eighteen.—The amount of time devoted from sixteen to eighteen to the sub- ject or subjects in which a pupil is specialising should be not less than one-half or more than twosthirds of the school week. Pupils specialising in science should continue some literary study, and those specialising in literary subjects should give some time to science work of an appropriate kind. © Pupils who do advanced work in science should be enabled to acquire a read- ing knowledge of French and German. Eighteen should be the normal age of entry from secondary schools to the universities, and the age limit for en- trance scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge should be reduced to eighteen. Examinations.—In the First School Examination all candidates should be required to satisfy the examiners both in mathematics and in natural science. In this examination there should be co-operation between the teachers and examiners, and weight should be attached to the pupil’s school record. Teachers in Secondary Schools.—It is essential that the salaries and prospects of teachers in secondary schools should be substantially improved and a national pension scheme provided. A full year’s train- ing shared between school and university is necessary for all teachers in secondary schools. pre Laboratories.—The teachers in State-aided schools should be given freedom and responsibility in the selection and purchase of laboratory appliances up to a fixed annual amount. Elementary Schools.—Increased attention should be given to the provision of suitable instruction in science in the upper standards of elementary schools. A larger number of students in training colleges should be encouraged to take advanced courses in science. There should be in every elementary school a room in addition to the ordinary classroom accommodation available for work in science and other practical sub- jects. Technical Education.—Greater efforts should be made to develop and increase the provision of instruc- tion in pure and in applied science in technical schools and institutions of all grades. Many more scholar- ships are needed to enable technical students to pass on to the universities, and also to enable boys from junior technical schools (or their equivalent) and from evening schools to enter senior technical schools. The position of junior technical schools in the educational system should be reconsidered. It is essential that the salaries and prospects of teachers in technical schools should be substantially improved, and a national pen- sion scheme provided for whole-time teachers. In the proposed continuation classes provision should be made for instruction in science both in its general aspects and in its bearing on industry. -Medicine.—The First School Examination should be recognised by the General Medical Council as qualify- ing for entrance into the medical profession. Students should be allowed to take the First Professional Exam- ination in (a) chemistry and physics, and (b) biology : 136 NATURE ‘ [APRIL 18, 1918 before entering the university or medical school. More scholarships should be provided for candidates of both sexes tenable throughout the medical course.” Engineering.—A thorough and practical. training in mathematics and science is essential to the school edu- cation of engineers; it cannot be replaced and need not: be supplemented at school by practice in an engineering workshop. Agriculture.—Specific instruction in agriculture or agricultural science should not be given in elementary or secondary schools, though in favourable circum- stances a rural bias may be given to the work of a secondary school. All county education authorities acting either singly or in co-operation should provide well-equipped farm institutes for their areas. Army.—Science should be an obligatory subject in the examination for entrance into the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and be included in the course of instruction in ‘the college. Steps should ‘be taken to improve the efficiency of the instruction in science at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. More encouragement should be given to officers at later stages of their career to improve their scientific qualifications. Home and India Civil Service.—An inquiry should be made as to the best methods of securing the services of scientific men for the purposes of the State in per- manent posts and otherwise. Many permanent posts can best be filled by men selected, not by the ordinary competitive examination, but at a riper age on the ground of high scientific qualifications and profes- sional experience. All candidates for the competitive examination for these servites should supply evidence of a continuous course of training in science extend- ing over several years. To ensure sufficient catho- licitv in questions propounded in the viva-voce exam- ination, these examiners should include some repre- sentative of science. niversity Education.—The universities should adopt the First School Examination as the normal examination for admission, and should abolish special matriculation examinations for candidates from schools. Greek should not be retained as a necessary subject in Responsions at Oxford or the Previous Examination at Cambridge. The universities should make special arrangements to test the fitness for entrance of candidates who are above twenty-three vears of age. Degree Courses in Science at the Universities.—The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge should arrange to provide more suitable courses in science for candi- dates who do not aim at an honours degree. _Candi- dates for the university intermediate examinations should be allowed to take the examinations from school. The universities should recognise the Second School Examination as alternative to the whole or part of their intermediate examinations. It is desirable that a year spent mainly on research should form part of the work of university students preparing for careers concerned with. science and its applications; but this should follow the course for a first degree in science. Scholarships are needed. to enable a young. graduate to spend a year or more in research, at his own or at another university. State Aid to the Universities.—Large expenditure of public money is necessary to equip the universities. for their work in pure and in applied science. Grants from public funds to the universities should be in- creased to allow the universities to make a substantial reduction in their fees. University Teachers.—The duties of junior demon- strators should be limited so that they can. spend a considerable amount. of time on research. There NO. 2529, VOL. I0T| should be posts of substantial value in university de-— partments for senior men whose best work lies in The “heads of technological departments should be allowed to undertake private professions: ap. teaching. practice. Scottish Universities. Steps should be taken to re- move the limitations which confine a large proportion of the old-established bursaries to the faculty of arts. Scholarships at Schools and Universities.—Scholar- ships should be considered as distinctions awarded in recognition of intellectual merit and promise. All scholarships should be of nominal value, to be supple mented according to need. Where necessary the whole cost of a scholar’s education and maintenance should be defrayed. Scholarships at the universities should be tenable for at least three years with a possibility of extension. Scholarships awarded by local education authorities should not be restricted to particular univer- sities. Scholarships at the universities should be ‘awarded on a wider range of subjects than at present. The age limit for scholarships at Oxford and Cam. | bridge should be eighteen rather than nineteen. Scholarships should not be awarded on work done in large pass examinations for schools. ‘Scholarships to the universities for candidates from technical and even- ing schools should be awarded without an age limit, and for the present on a limited range of subjects. The number of scholarships at the women’s colleges should be increased. Loan funds should be estab- lished to enable senior students to obtain professional: training. Bedteee ac ih Supply of Trained Scientific Workers.—Concerted efforts should be made by employers, teachers, local education authorities, and the State to increase the flow of capable students to the universities and higher — | technical institutions with the view of securing the larger supply of trained scientific workers required for industrial and other purposes. Paine APPLICATIONS OF ELECTRICITY TO — MEDICINE. ad HE Institution of, Electrical Engineers devoted an evening meeting last week to a visit to the Cancer Hospital, Fulham Road, S.W. The occasion was a joint meeting of the members of the institution, and the members of the Electrotherapeutie Section of the Royal Society of Medicine. Two papers were read by medical men, and there was a large and representa- tive exhibition of radiographic and electrical apparatus used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The modern and thoroughly well equipped research institute of the hospital, under the direction of Dr. Alexander Paine, was thrown open to the visitors, who had an opportunity of seeing the inner working ar- rangements of several laboratories equipped for research work in physics, pathology, bacteriology, chemistry, and other subjects associated with the investigation of disease by modern methods. se aed The governing body of the Cancer Hospital has always exercised a wise judgment in the adoption of new methods for the investigation of the causa-— tion of disease, its diagnosis and treatment. This hos- pital was one of the first in this country to recognise the therapeutic use of X-rays and other electrical methods in the treatment of malignant disease. So far back as‘1903 it inaugurated a very complete X-ray department, which was carried on for several years — under the directorship of Dr. J. D. Pollock. — In 1911 the research institute was ready for work, and a year or two later the scheme for modernising the special branches of the hospital work was com-. pleted by the equipment of the new electrical and ~ radiotherapeutic department, which is housed in a- aa 1 _ Aprit 18, 1918) NATURE 137 arate pavilion, connected to the main building and Ss by corridors. These two buildings complete a le for the investigation and treatment of disease is one of the most complete in this or any other iry. the radiotherapeutic department are to be found he latest forms of electrical apparatus. These allow wide range of wave-length for the treatment of case by radiations, commencing with the ultra- et radiation to the very penetrating y ray of radium. = hospital. possesses a large quantity of, radium, i is in constant use in the department. Originally ugurated for the treatment of patients suffering m cancer and allied diseases, the department was, at outbreak of war, offered to, and accepted by, the Office for the treatment of wounded soldiers. Of these a large number have been treated by X-rays, radium, and electrical methods, this work being carried in addition to the ordinary work of the department. An interesting development in radium therapy has : in: in this department, a number of soldiers having been treated by radium and X-rays keloid scars of the face and neck. These result gunshot wounds, and frequently require plastic to restore the parts destroyed by the injury. tion treatment greatly aids the surgeon in his ve efforts by softening the scar tissue. A num- cases have been successfully treated in this way. se is well shown by the various forms of appa- n in the radiographic and radiotherapeutic ent. High-tension transformers and large coil _ outfits are used for the energising of the X-ray tubes, which a number are in daily use. The Coolidge ; used exclusively for treatment. Diathermy and forms of high-frequency apparatus are used for the | pain and for the surgical treatment of disease. Is and interrupted currents are used for the diseases and injuries of muscles, bones, iographic side of the work was demonstrated . radiographic room, where a Siemens impulse apparatus was shown at work in con- with a Coolidge tube. A new piece of appa- signed by Mr. C. A. Holland, was also shown. stereoscopic plate-changing stand which two plates being exposed in about half ad. It is worked by a large flywheel, which es a mechanism for changing the plates, shifting tube, and automatically making the exposure. This be found to be extremely useful when stereoscopic ss of the thorax or abdomen are required, where is essential that no great interval should elapse een the two exposures. Two papers were read and discussed at the joint meeting; these very appropriately dealt with recent Pacey of electricity to medicine. Diathermy— ue use of the electrical current to raise the tempera- ture of the body in the treatment of disease—was the - subject of a paper by Dr. E. P. Cumberbatch. A very clear description of the action of the high-tension cur- rent, the method of its production, and the uses to which it can be put in practical work claimed the appreciative attention of the audience. Diathermy is one of the most recent of the many electrical methods used in the treatment of disease; when its value is more fully realised by the medical profession, and the tec’ e of its application is more developed, _ it will undoubtedly become a routine and valuable _ method for the treatment of diseases which are at a sega uninfluenced by other forms of treatment. It $ a valuable agent to use in combination with X-rays and radium. . ‘The second paper was on *‘Single-impulse Radio- NO. 2529, VOL. I01 | use of electricity in the treatment and diagnosis ‘graphy: its Limitations and Possibilities,’ by Dr. R. Knox, director of the electrical and radiotherapeutic department of the hospital. The limitations of the apparatus at present in use were demonstrated, and a plea was made for help in the designing and production of more powerful apparatus. In addition to the permanent apparatus in the hos- pital. a number of new forms of electrical appa- ratus were exhibited by several firms. These attracted a good deal of attention and amply demon- strated that the manufacturers of this.country can pro- duce high-class apparatus equal to the product of any , other. Given closer co-operation between physicists, electrical engineers, medical men, and manufacturers, it should be possible in the future for British manu- facturers more than to hold their own in open com- petition with other countries. The meeting was well attended by a large number of the members of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and of the Electrotherapeutic Section of the Royal Society of Medicine. The council of the institution is to be warmly congratulated on the success of the meet- ing, and it is to be hoped that it may be the forerunner of many more of a similar character. SILVANUS THOMPSON MEMORIAL LECTURE. T the meeting of the R6ntgen Society held on April 9, with Capt. G. W. C. Kaye, president, in the chair, Sir Ernest Rutherford delivered the first Silvanus Thompson Memorial lecture. He dealt with the important advances in our knowledge of the con- stitution of matter, resulting from the discovery of X-rays in 1895. The following brief abstract indicates the scope of the address. The discovery of the X-rays marks the commence- ment of a new epoch im physical science, for in the attempts which were immediately made to ascertain the nature of the unknown radiation attention was directed to the study of radiation in general, and new pheno- mena were.soon encountered. A general investigation of the cathode rays and of the nature of the discharge of electricity through gases led to the discovery of the “electron” and to the putting forward of the “ ionisa- tion theory” by Sir J. J. Thomson. Prof. Townsend followed up the initial work by his theory of ionisation by collision, and Prof. O. W. Richardson investigated the emission of ions from incandescent solids. All this work was originally of academic interest solely, but within the last few years the practical applications have been shown to possess immense value. These in- clude the production of detectors and amplifiers for wireless telegraphy, electrical rectifiers and oscillators by which radiotelephony across the Atlantic is now pos- sible, and the Coolidge X-ray tube, which is destined to play an important part in radiology and in pure science. From the outset X-rays and the phenomena of phos- phorescence were generally thought to be connected, and Becquerel, while in search of ‘‘invisible’’ or X-radiations from certain phosphorescent salts, dis- covered the radio-activity of uranium compounds. The brilliant researches of the Curies, by which this dis- covery was followed, resulted in the isolation of the radio-active elements, polonium and radium. Numer- ous other radio-active elements were brought to light, and the chaotic condition which ensued was not re- duced to order until the introduction of the trans- formation theory by the lecturer. Difficulties regard- ing the periodic classification were overcome by Prof. Soddy, who applied the term ‘isotope’ to substances Which occupy the same place in the periodic table, 138 NATURE [Aprit 18, 1918 but cannot be separated chemically, and the atomic weights of which may differ slightly. With regard to the study of the X-rays themselves, no outstanding advances were made tor some ten years after their discovery, when Barkla obtained evidence of the existence of ‘‘characteristic’’ radiations from experiments on secondary X-rays. The discovery led to the wave-theory of the X-rays, which was completely substantiated at later dates by the diffraction experi- ments of Laue, the Braggs, Moseley, and Darwin. Barkla’s characteristic rays are thus shown to be of the same nature as the rays yielding bright-line spectra in the case of ordinary light. The diffraction experi- ments led to the employment of the X-rays for two classes of investigation, in the hands of Prof. Bragg and his son, problems of crystal structure have been successfully attacked, while in the other direction the late Mr. Moseley has shown these phenomena to be'a most powerful method of investigating the constitution of the elements. He showed that the critical property of an element was its atomic number, while its atomic weight was relatively of secondary importance. The important relationship between the frequency of the K or L series of characteristic rays and the atomic number of the element should be known as Moseley’s law. At the conclusion of the meeting the president pre- sented to Sir Ernest. Rutherford the first of the medals which will be given annually in commemoration of the Silvanus Thompson Memorial lecture. SCOTTISH METEOROLOGY. He Journal of the Scottish Meteorological Society for 1916 retains the interesting character it has held of recent years. There are four articles besides the report of the council, and the statistical informa- tion, with fifteen pages of letterpress, on thé weather of 1916 in Scotland. Capt. Douglas gives a very interesting account of his observations on clouds as seen from an aeroplane, put. as this was the subject of an iarticle in the issue of Nature for April 4 it is unnecessary to say more about it here. ~ The second article is by Mr. M’Cullum Fairgrieve, and discusses a chart suggested by Dr. Griffiths Tay- lor, and called by him a climograph. The chart is formed by plotting the mean monthly wet-bulb tem- perature against the mean monthly humidity on squared paper, and joining in order the twelve points so formed. The idea originated with Prof. Hunting- don, who was investigating the effect of climate upon the mental and physical fitness of a race, Both Mr. Fairgrieve’s and Dr. Taylor’s papers should be read— it is impossible in a brief space to give extracts; they are both very interesting, but the criticism that occurs to one is that ‘the magnitude and prosperity of a big city do not: depend very largely on its climate, but rather on its geographical position. Thus, Edinburgh . or Liverpool has probably just as good a climate as London or New York, but the preponderance of the latter cities depends chiefly on other considerations. ~Dr. Crighton Mitchell, in the third article, discusses the time of the occurrence of the maximum and mini- mum temperatures at Eskdalemuir. He has taken the frequencies at each hour of the day, and so formed a frequency table for each month. The standard devia- tion of the time of maximum is much less in the summer than in the winter. For the summer the time of maximum is 2 p.m. and the standard deviation 2:55 hours. For the winter these values become 1 p.m. and 5:85 hours. As at other stations, the minimum mostly occurs about the time of sunrise. In the fourth article Mr. Smillie and NO. 2529, VOL. ror] Mr. Watt discuss a curious case of: ground-ice which caused — much inconvenience by blocking the inlet of a public water supply.. The trouble occurred at Lochrutton Lock, near Dumfries, and is the only similar case re- corded there, although many more severe frosts have occurred since the construction of the waterworks. There was no surface ice on the lock at the time, the inlet became clear, and no further trouble was experi- enced as soon as tthe surface was frozen. The authors discuss the reason of the formation of ground-ice and — show that it is probably due to radiation. ; The rest of the journal contains notes, reviews of current literature, a list of fellows, and a statement of accounts, as well as an interesting description of the weather of each month by Mr. Watt. * eG UNIVERSITY. AND EDUCATIONAL — INTELLIGENCE. | Tue Foreign Secretary and the President of the Board of Education have invited representatives of uni- | versities to attend a conference to be held on May 9 to consider the possibility of establishing closer connec- tion between British universities and those of the Allied countries. The proceedings will be private. i In recognition of his services to the cause of science the sum of two lakhs of rupees was recently presented to Sir J. C. Bose, of the Presidency College, Calcutta, by some of the leading citizens of Bombay. In accept- ing the gift Sir J. C. Bose stated that it would be held in trust by a committee of three for the use of the Bose Institute. * ‘ Tue Department of Agriculture and Technical In- — struction for Ireland will next June award a limited number of trade scholarships. The object of the scholarships is to enable selected persons who have — been engaged in certain industries in Ireland, for a | period of at least two years, to obtain systematic in- struction in the principles of science and art as applied to these industries. By this means it is hoped that the standard of workmanship will be raised and the industries, as well as the scholarship holders, thereby _ benefited. Candidates must be recommended by — the managers of the industries in. which they are em- — ployed, and must produce an undertaking from the ~ managers to the effect that the latter will re- employ them after the termination of the scholarships. Scholars must also undertake to resume their employment on the termination of the scholarships. Scholarships will not be awarded to apprentices whose apprenticeships will normally terminate . within the period of the training course. The scholarships will be tenable for one school session, and will be of the value of 1l. per week during the period of instruction, together with class-fees and travelling expenses. Can- didates unable to produce evidence of a satisfactory general education will be required to pass a simple qualifying examination in English, arithmetic, and drawing, and the standard will be equivalent to that of the sixth standard of the Board of National Edu- — cation. For the session 1918-19 the industries | selected are typography, cabinet-making, loom tenting, motor engineering, plumbing, and woollen manu- facture. — A paPER on ‘“‘ Technical Education in India: its Past and Future,” was written by Mr. E. F. Tipple, of the Thomason Civil Engineering College, Roorkee, U.P., for the Indian Industrial Conference held in:Calcutta in December, 1917. Mr. Tipple urged that practical — education .in India has been much neglected, and that courses for the technical education required for the management of industries should be provided, and ~ RIL 18, 1918] NATURE 139. ae lower industrial training suitable for the workers. These appear to be essential if any is to be made, but India has lagged behind industrial matters. The existing system of ly industrial training from generation to genera- which finally merges into the ‘‘caste’’ system, ‘worked upon as the groundwork of the industrial training; but the higher technical thas been entirely - neglected, possibly be- as Mr. Tipple points out, higher or university tation in India has largely fostered courses which persons mainly equipped for Government ser- ° lawyers, clerks, etc., but not for practical rs He also deplores the fact that education in dian schools Has been arranged to lead up to uni- education of a literary type. He suggests that [ secondary-school career, instead of ending th an examination which is intended as an ‘“en- ance”’ into the existing universities, should end with final examination.’’ In such a school final ‘preliminary training suitable for diverse such as industrial, commercial, and trade pur- ight be- provided for. This reform has mgly urged during at least the last twenty Lis essential if India is to hold its own in work. It is to be hoped that the Indian ‘ Commission, which has been taking evi- ‘ different parts of India for some months, > a much-needed lead towards more practical education in India in the future. A copy of the annual statement of the Rhodes Trust -17 has been received from the secretary of the It is recorded that the war has interfered in- th the operation of the scholarship system. of 1916 the American section of the ships was still barely affected; but on the entry United States into the war the difference be- can and Colonial Rhodes scholars natur- ad to exist. The trustees have decided to post- resent all further election to scholarships. it, however, interfere with the holding of lifying examination in the United States, where qualification is not obtained mn of local universities with the Uni- rd. Altogether, there were in residence r some part of the year eighty-five Rhodes “whom seventy-one were American and sen Colonial. Of the seventy-one Americans, the 2 puoey are now serving in the United States _ For 1917 agi 18 there are at present eight Rhodes lence—six Colonial and two American. Colonials, five are medical students; and , two have already seen service. Of the ans, one has returned from a year’s ambu- wk on the French front, and is temporarily 1 Government work in the University chem- utory, while the other has been rejected, on grounds, for military service. In addition, cholar has returned after three years’ military in France, to complete his medical course. The ships set free under the Act of Parliament ing the German Rhodes scholarships have been avenge Free State; one to Alberta and Saskatch- (which have hitherto had only one between and one to Kimberley and Port Elizabeth alter- (Kimberley to select in the first year). Four- scholars and ex-scholars have given their lives in service of the Empire during the year, and others ve won many military honours. Five scholars were tted in the year to read for advanced degrees. address of the trust is Seymour House, Waterloo lace, London, S.W.r. NO. 2529, VOL. 101 | as follows:—One to the Transvaal; one to. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LONDON. Optical Society, April 11.—Prof. F. J. Cheshire, president; in the chair—J. W. French: The balsam problem. For cementing optical parts together Canada balsam is almost invariably employed. Although starting or starring of the balsam layer, actual separation of the parts, or deformation. of the optical surfaces frequently occurs, there is no appre- ciably better substance known. Optical parts may be combined with an air space between the surfaces, by optical contact with or without sealed edges, by optical welding, or by cementing. The disadvantages of the various methods were enumerated, the loss of light at transmission surfaces being particularly discussed, A considerable number of balsamed specimens of ages varying up to ten years had been opened and photo- micrographs of the balsam layer were exhibited. In all cases there were fluid layers between the harder balsam and the glass surface, and the photographs demonstrated particularly the smallness of the adhesion to the glass. Specimens artificially produced were also exhibited. In many cases the age of the specimen was shown to be deducible from the configuration. So-called granulation of balsam was stated to be due to the action of moisture on the balsam surface. No trace of crystallisation of glass-quality balsam was found in any of the experiments, but a number of the photographed specimens showed definite right-angled fractures occasionally observed in torn gelatine films. ParIs. Academy of Sciences, March 25.—M. Paul Painlevé in the chair.—A. de Gramont: The spectrum test for boron.: The bands obtained in the Bunsen flame, with or without the addition of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid, are diffuse and insensitive; the use of the oxy- acetylene flame gives additional bands, but still diffuse. The lines of boron given by the condensed spark are characteristic and more delicate, and the presence of three lines only in the ultra-violet shown by Sir William Crookes is confirmed. The line N=2497°82 will just detect 1 in 100,000 of boron. Appli- cations to. metallurgy and mineralogy are given.— C. Depéret : An attempt at the chronological co-ordina- tion of quaternary times.—S. Lattés: The repetition of rational fractions.—M. de Pulligny : Some values of the approximate quadrature of the circle. —G. Claude : The industrial préparation of argon. A_ method of fractional condensation and distillation of air is de- scribed by means of which a mixture is obtained con- tinuously containing argon 75 to 80 per cent., nitrogen 1 to 2 per cent., the remainder being oxygen. The oxygen is readily removed by burning with the correct proportion of hydrogen..—M. Travers : The estimation of tantalum in its alloys with iron. The impure tantalic acid obtained by the usual method is freed from iron by fusion with caustic potash, and after igniting and weighing the tantalic acid, the silica still remaining is determined by volatilising the tantalic acid in a current of hydrochloric acid at go0o° C.—F. Zambonini : The identity of . shattuckite and plancheite.—A Guébhard : The notion of ‘“ geosynclinal.’’—A. Polack : Inversion of the Purkinje phenomenon in congenital hemeralopy.—Ch. J. Gravier: A new copepod, Fla- bellicola neapolitana, parasite of a polychetal anne- lid, Flabelligera diplochaitos.—L. Binet: The cerebral pulse in emotional states. April 2.—M. Paul Painlevé in_ the chair.—L. E. Bertin: Obituary notice on Lord Brassey.—P. Appell : The notion of fixed axes and of absolute movement.— | Pp. Termier: Contributions to the knowledge of the 140 NATURE [APRIL 18, 1918 tectonic of the Asturias; the signification of the Arnao mylonites. sets ROE | Jourdain : Demonstration of a theorem on ensembles.—L. Schlussel : The value of the accelerations and velocities of dynamical actions. regis- tered by the dynamometer.—A. C. Vournasos : metastable form of antimony tri-iodide. Pure glycerol at its boiling point dissolves 20 per cent. of antimony tri-iodide, and deposits it on cooling as an amorphous powder, a fourth metastable modification of this sub- _ Stance. At 172° C. ,it is completely transformed into the stable form of hexagonal crystals.—R. Charpiat : The glauconite sands of the Lower Lutetian, in the north-east of the department of the Marne. —A. Lécaillon: The manner in which Psammophi!a hirsuta captures and carries its prey, and the rational ex- planation of the instinct of this Hymenoptera, The sense of smell is suggested as the means by. which the prey is detected.—A. Durand : Correlation ‘between the phenomena of condensation and smell. The author gives reasons for the view that water vapour plays a part in the mechanism of smell. BOOKS \ RECEIVED. Handbook. McBride, Nast, and The Young Observer’s Westell. Pp. 317. (London: Co., Ltd.) -7s. 6d. net. Carnegie Institution of Washington Year-Book, No. 16. Pp. xvi+358. (Washington: Carnegie In- stitution.) Club Types of Nuclear Polynesia. Plates xvii+pp. 173. (Washington: tution.) Forecasting the Yield and the Price of Cotton. Prof. H. L. Moore. Pp. vi+173. (New York: The Macmillan Co.; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) The Aviation Pocket-Book for 1918. By R. B. Matthews. Pp. xvi+362. (London: Crosby Lock- wood and Son.) . 6s. net. : Welfare and Housing. By J. E. Hutton. Pp. viii+192. (London: Longmans and Co.) 5s. net. Carnegie Institution of Washington. Papers from the. Department of Marine Biology.’. Vol. xii. Pp. v+258. (Washington: Carnegie Institution.) The Interferometry of Reversed and Non-reversed Spectra. By Prof. C. Barus. Part ii. Pp. 146, Washington: Carnegie Institution.) European Treaties bearing on the History of the United States and its Dependencies to 1648. Edited by F. G. Davenport. Pp. vi+387. (Washington: Carnegie Institution.) Applied Bacteriology. Edited by Dr. C. H. Brown- ing. Pp. xvi+291. (Oxford Medical Publications.) (London: H. Frowde and Hodder and _ Stoughton.) 7s. 6d. net. By W. Churchill. Carnegie . Insti- By DIARY OF SOCIETIES. THURSDAY, Aprriu 18. . Rovat InsTiTuTION, at 2.—Present-day Applications of Ex: Psychology: Lt.-Col. C. S. Myers. oe, sage Royat Society or ARTS, at 4.30.—Water Power in India: A. Dickinson. INSTITUTION OF MINING AND MET: ALLURGY, at 5.30 LINNEAN SOocIETY, at 5.—Narrative of the Percy Sladen Expedition to Brazi! in 1913, with Lantern-slides : Prof. J. P. Hill. INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—Overseas Distribution of Engineering Appliances: L. Andrews: CueEmicat Society, at 8.—Hugo Miiller Lecture: The Old and the New Mineralogy : Sir Henry Miers. MATHEMATICAL Society, at 5. FRIDAY, Apri to. Royat INsTITUTION, at 5.30.—The Use of Soap Films in Engineering : Major or. {INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, at 6. NO. 2529, VOL. I0I| A new By Wo PR. SA TURDA Y, Apri 20. Roya InsTITUTION, at 3.—Musical Instruments Scientifically Considered Prof. E. H. Barton. MONDAY, Aprit 2 Roya Society OF ARTS, at 4.30. a Nateey eeplouges of To-day? By Young. Pte a EEA Society, at 8.—Rehaviour as a Psychological Concept Prof. A. Robinson. Royat GEOGRAPHICAL SociETy, at 8.30.—The Transkei : ason. TUESDAY, Apri 23. Rovat InstiruTIon, at 3.—Barrow- Explorers : Prof. A. Keith. Roya. ‘STATISTICAL. Society, at 5.15.—The Industrial. Position of Sig: Prof. Commendatore Attolico and Capt. F. Giannini. INSTITUTION OF Civit ENGINEERS, at 5.30.—Annual General Meeti ZooLocicaL Society, at 5.30. —Report on the Deaths‘in the Cieens during the Year r9r7: Dr. J. A. Murray.—Exhibition of oe aga _ Pipsteating the Effects of Rickets: Prof. Wood- -Jones. WEDNESDAY, Aprit 24: Royat Society or ARTS, at 4.30. —Mental Effects of the War and their sons in paca and Medical Reconstruction: Sir Robert Jones. THURSDAY, Apri 25, Armstrong- Rovat Society, at 4.30.—Bakerian Lecture: Experiments on the Produc tion of mond : Sir Charles Parsons. Royat InstiTUTION, at 3.—Rheims Cathedral : Sir Isambard Owen InsTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—Large Batteries for Power Purposes: E. C. McKinnon. FRIDAY, Aprit 26. Roya raga dak at 5.30.—F ood Production and English tanas Sir A. Daniel Hal Puysicav Society, at 5.—Notes on the Pulfrich Refractometers J. Guild. —The Accurecy attainable with Critical Angle Raa F: Simeon.—Cohesion; Dr. H. Chatley. SATURDAY, Apri. 27. Roya INSTITUTION, at 3.—Modern Investigation of the Sun's: Surin Prof. H. F. Newall. PAGE 121 CONTENTS. A Ministry of Health ,:. Alcohol, Its Use and Abuse. By Prof. W. M. Bayliss, F.R.S. $ iy os ae te a aes eee Two Aeronautical Books ...... Viva sage metas Pique er as ee Our Bookshelf toe te be ee ee ie E24 Letters to the Editor :— Long-range Guns.—A. Mallock, F. R, 8,5 es eas ‘The Motion of the Perihelion er Merry Sir ‘ Oliver Lodge, F.R.S, - 125 Relativity and Gravitation. He ‘O'Farrell ; fe Prof, A, S. Eddington, F.R.S........ 1267 Elliptical Haloes.—Prof. J. B. Dale. ...... 126 Abnormal Catkin of Hazel.—W. B. Grove... . 126 Volcanic Studies. (///ustrated.) Pras) S. Fa ai eb Science for Secondary Schools . . ee eee The Future of Science in Wales ..... ke Si 129 Anatomical Nomenclature Meme saclay. Notes APE cc feats whee Ce SO Our Astronomical Column :— Be The April Meteor Shower 2 §s).)!.5 0. me pe te ae Tempel’s Comet i» 1434 Absorption and Radiation of the Solar Atmosphere - 134 The Position of Natural Science in Education . . 135 Applications of Electricity to Medicine . .... 13 Silvanus Thompson Memorial Lecture ..... . 137 Scottish Meteorology Soret eid Ahn Be bod University and Educational Intelligence Sth atte 138 Societies and Academies ......... Eriitgrec P26 Books Received. 20. bo eS Pas Sea: Fee AO Diary of Societies boris: ae a » + + 140 Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltp., s ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the Publishers. Editorial Communications to the Editor. Telegraphic Address: Puusis, Lonpon. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. ’ Miss er ‘HL x 1 Shae Ores Psd NATURE 141 “THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1018. Ves. 9aS | “INTELLECTUAL ADVENTURES.” Self and Nature. By DeWitt H. Parker. +316. (Cambridge, »Mass.: Harvard sity Press; London: Humphrey Milford, Price 8s. 6d. net. es Theory of Knowledge and its torical Relations. - By Prof. J. Gibson. V+338. (Cambridge: At the University 1917.) Price 1os. 6d. net. Problem of Creation: An Attempt to the Character and Trend of the Cosmic _ By the Right Rev. Dr. J. E. Mercer. “xili+325. (London: S.P.C.K., 1917.) rice 6d. net. y: A Popular Study of the Creative By T. Sharper Knowlson (‘Thomas ). Pp. xvi+304. (London: T. Laurie, Ltd., 1917.) Price 15s. net. ding Prof. Parker’s book we breathe that delightful and invigorating atmo- the New World which seems the vital of American philosophy. We are not with new doctrines or confronted, with y original theories. The problems are all enough, whether they are old or new, yet or makes us feel that we are out on “an adventure,’’ and though we are through a well-charted country we are 1 discovery. The book is pervaded through- the spirit of William James, ‘the father such as dwell in philosophical tents and go ilosophical pilgrimages. James pro- system, introduced no new method, no principle, had none of those quali- ciate with the founders of schools, and osopher of our generation lives on in his so definitely and so directly as he. The living is in every word he has written. philosophers contradicted themselves more 9r set forth with the full confidence of con- sO many inconsistent theories, yet few d so many and so varied a following. rof. Parker’s book is a general treatment of physical problems, especially of the central m of the nature and unity of mind, and the is described as “radical empiricism ex- through the imagination.’’ To summarise uthor’s views on the problems would serve urpose, and would destroy the main charm, is the personal freshness of the treatment. By way of contrast there is something of olic British nature, as well as sound and 1 philosophy, in Prof. Gibson’s study of ’s theory of knowledge: It is a work of » and penetrating scholarship, which must occupied many years of the author’s life, and it is written with a lucidity: and charm which e the reader unconscious of the. erudition. ie “Essay ’’ of the great English philosopher ‘suffers, we are told, “from the twin ptions that it can be understood without - NO. 2530, VOL. 101] | being studied, and that its full significance can be summed up in a small number of simple proposi- tions.”’ This is true, no doubt; but of what great classic could not the same be said? Prof. Gibson means, we suppose, that he would like to see Locke’s “Essay ’’ more regularly included among the set books of Philosophy Honours Courses. There are only two ways of approaching the study of the great philosophies, One is to study a special work as a compendium of precise know- ledge. In this way the Catholic seminaries teach the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. The other is to study a philosophy as the historical expression of an ever-changing problem, ever-changing because, like life itself, it never attains finality. If Locke’s “Essay’’ suffers peculiar injustice because it is generally taken as read, on the other hand, when it is closely studied for its own sake, we have to be constantly on guard lest we read into it con- cepts and developments of concepts which did not become explicit until long after. To understand the philosophy of a bygone age we must recognise that for that age it was fully concrete. We must install ourselves within the historical conditions, and not merely know the historical relations. Then -we shall cease to lament the absence of our cherished concepts, and not continually bewail the “unfortunate’’ orientation of the author’s mind. Prof. Gibson has brought out with great clear- ness the predominant concept which determined — the form and direction of Locke’s philosophy—the idea of composition. To the philosophers of his age the main task of philosophy seemed to be the discovery of the simple ideas out. of which the complex and complicated ideas had arisen, and to reveal the nature of the aggregation and agglu- tination. This notion of composition dominated the intellectual outlook as completely as the notion of evolution dominates the thought of our time. What we seem to miss in this thoroughly scho- larly and most useful introduction to the study of the father of English philosophy is the true note of the historical concept. The chapters on the his- torical relations, excellent as they are, are not historical judgments in the full philosophical mean- ing; they are comparisons with systems which preceded and systems which have followed. (3) The “intellectual adventure ’’ to which the Bishop of Tasmania invites us in his ‘ Problem of Creation’’ is of another order. We have the feel- ing of being on a personally conducted tour rather than on a voyage of discovery. We are shown the wonders of Nature, taken into perilous places, made to look into volcanoes, and cross torrents; we get thrills, and yet all the time we feel we know that there is no real danger. Dr. Mercer, nevertheless, propounds a serious argu- ment, and very ably sustains it. He holds -firmly the ‘principle ex nihilo nihil fit, and his purpose is to reconcile it with the orthodox view of creation, with the concept of God, and with the ethical principle of freedom. He also discusses its: bearing on the problem of evil. Dr. Mercer is not, howevery always a guide to be depended I 142. NATURE - [Aprit 25, 1918 upon when he expounds scientific theory. It is a little disconcerting, for example, to find (p. 5) Dr. A. A. Robb’s theory of time and space re- ferred to as a form of the theory of relativity. The misprint Rolls’ for Robb’s is perhaps pardon- able carelessness, but the account of Einstein’s principle of relativity is so slight and inadequate as to be positively misleading. (4) “Thomas Sharnol’’ describes his adven- ture as “a popular study of the creative mind.’’ It deals with the problem which is the most deeply interesting of all the problems of philosophy, yet the impression the reader is likely to derive is one of bewilderment in regard to the precise concept of. “originality ’’ he is invited to study. The book is an amazing pot-pourri of opinions, sentiments grave and gay, quotations from, and references to, writers of all sorts, past and present. The main philosophical motive which serves to hold the attention amidst the author’s exuberance is the notion with which Bergson has familiarised us, that life is an impetus finding expression in the new forms it creates. Combined with this is the notion of the structure of unconscious mind which we. owe to the discoveries of Freud and Jung. The book is very uneven, sinking at times to sheer triviality, yet pleasantly written and always good- humoured. It is intentionally addressed to the thoughtful man of general culture, and not to the student of technical philosophical problems. . H. W. C. PHYSICS TEXT-BOOKS. (1) A Text-book of Physics for the Use of Students of Science and Engineering. By J. Duncan and S. G. Starling. Pp. xxili+1081. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 15s. net. (2) Advanced: Text-book of Magnetism and Electri- city. By R. W. Hutchinson. Vol. i., Magnetism and Electrostatics. Pp. viit372+Index xil. Vol. ii., Electrodynamics. Pp. vit 468+ Index xii. (London: University Tutorial Press, Ltd., 1917.) Price, 2 vols., 8s. 6d. (3) Lecture Notes on Light. By J. R. Eccles. Pp. vi+217. (Cambridge: At the University Press, 1917.) Price 12s. 6d, net. (4) A Manual of Physics, Theoretical and Practi- cal, for Medical Students. By H. C. H. Candy. Second edition. Pp. vili + 451. (London: Cassell and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 7s. 6d. net. (1) ENGINEERING students too often look upon physics as little more than a neces- sary evil, and a book that connects the scientific aspects of the subject with its modern’ practical applications fills a real need. The authors of this volume—one an engineer and the other a physicist —are to be congratulated on the successful way in which they have accomplished this task. The book, which is both theoretical and ‘practi- cal, gives a course in dynamics, sound, light, heat, magnetism and electricity, which the authors claim is suitable for intermediate examinations. A stu- dent, however, who knew all in the book would be NO. 2530, VOL. I0T] well beyond this stage. Few of the objectionable | features of examination text-books occur, and the treatment is lucid and up-to-date. Modern high ‘vacuum pumps, internal-combustion engines, peri- scopes, range-finders, kinemacolor, dynamos, X-rays, and radio-activity, are all considered. — Strangely, there ig no reference to wireless tele- — graphy, and some criticism might be offered of the - treatment of Newton’s “ Laws of Motion.’’ Minor — details apart, however, the book is most satis-— factory and should make a strong appeal to all engineering students. (2) This is a text-book for final degree exam- inations, and it will probably appeal to the student who has but little outside assistance. The explanations are very full, and definitions and statements of special importance are printed in heavy type. There is a large collection of prob- lems, taken chiefly from university examination papers, and some of these have been fully worked out. Brief directions for practical work are also given in the text. ag The treatment mostly follows on stereotyped lines, but references to modern developments are interspersed, and the chapters on radio-activity, the _ passage of electricity through gases, and elec- — | tronic theories are well written, and it is here diffi- cult to find any of the more important developments. of the subject that are left untouched, (3) This book ‘was originally written for the pupils of Gresham’s School, Holt, and it probably forms a satisfactory supplement to the author’s course of lessons; but it is nevertheless unlikely to make any general appeal. The master is supposed to “lecture on the lines © of the notes and draw the diagrams on the board,’’ whilst the boys enter the diagrams in special copies of the book with blank left-hand pages. The pre- sent volume is intended as a guide to the master, and the diagrams—some very carefully drawn— are inserted. The wording throughout is some- what loose, but in spite of this the author wishes | his definitions to be “learnt by heart.’’ On p. 117 the ‘“‘edge of a prism ” is defined! Further, we are’ told that, “since light travels in straight lines, any one of these straight lines is called a ray of light.’’ The objection to the corpuscular theory is that, “if — the corpuscles travelled with this immense velo- city, they would possess considerable momentum, of which there is no evidence ’’; whilst, after three lines of explanation, the wave theory is dismissed as “the one that is now in vogue.”’ (4) Students working for the First Examina- — tion of the Conjoint Board, or even pos-. sibly for the London University First Medical, | will find in this book most of the information they need. In addition to the ordinary theoretical work, about forty pages of the book are devoted to — brief instructions for carrying out a number of illustrative experiments. The style throughout, sometimes even at the expense of accuracy, and descriptions of out-of-date pieces of apparatus still occur. Nevertheless, those who- have never studied physics before will find the book very useful. The present edition appears to be a is simple — PRIL 25, 1918] NATURE 143 considerable improvement on the first, and are a number of references to the applica- ‘of physics to medicine that may help to bring o the student the dependence of his future | the more fundamental sciences. @y G. D. W. MEDICINE. AND THE LAW. Medical Jurisprudence for India, with trative Cases. By Lt.-Col. L. A. Waddell. edition. Pp. xiii+783. (Calcutta and : Thacker, Spink, and Co.; London: W. and Co., 1918.) Price 28s. net. ‘reviewer remembers the appearance of = first edition of this work in 1888, for year he passed from military to civil under the Government \of India and a district civil surgeon. That officer, to n extent, combines the duties of police and coroner, since all medico-legal cases titted to him. Upon his report further depends. Where the use of poisons is ed he passes.on the viscera or other .the chemical examiner, whose report | to the surgeon’s record. In the Presi- *s where there exist coroners’ courts a zeon is appointed for medico-legal n Calcutta and Bombay that officer is turer on medical jurisprudence in’ the ege. The later editions controlled by ‘Waddell have maintained the 1eputation ron’s work acquired at its first appear- Jith advances in research and experience ‘and methods have been added, while jue has been improved. ‘Time brings in fundamentals, but, as knowledge science follows more closely the track inal and provides more certain help who administer the law. can be no more profitable school for the of forensic medicine than a large Indian such as either Bombay or Calcutta. Lyon is material from the police records of Bom- id from that classic storehouse of illustra- ses erected by Norman Chevers. As re- xicology Lt.-Col. Waddell was specially for the editorial work through practical viedge acquired as a Government chemical iner in Calcutta. , from Bombay that much help has come. “Preface ’’’ Lt.-Col. Waddell records in- tedness to the experience of Prof. Arthur lecturer on medical jurisprudence at the iy University. Very useful advice is- given to the medical ess as to demeanour in court and as to the ter of his replies to questions. This advice S 2 od in the appendices, where examples ire given of the kind of question which may be xpected in particular cases. _ Now that well-deserved praise has been given, ere anything lacking, anything that might be ded? While most of the chapters contain latest information, it is noticeable that “NO. 2530, VOL. 101 | It is again, in this new. chap. xxvii., ““Snake Venoms,’’ gives no. refer- ence to the valuable recent researches of Acton and Knowles (“Ind. Jour. Med. Res.,’’ 1914, pp. 46-148). This paper “throws the searchlight into many dark places, straightens some crooked ways, and is altogether illuminating and inspir- ing ’’ (Alcock). Again, one is surprised to find scorpions and spiders classed as “venomous insects ’’ (p. 592). Errors which might be due to proof reader or printer are few and of no great importance. “Myer” for “‘ Mayer’’ (pp. 623, 624) might lead to momentary difficulty, but the reagent is well known. The book has a good general index and also a “ Vernacular Index of Plants and Drugs.”’ We notice some differences in the spelling of certain names in the text and in the latter index. This may be due to different hands using slightly different methods of transliteration. As cases of self-inflicted injuries to support false charges are rare in England, it may be mentioned that the case of. Jitan Ali Mir (ref. p. 573) was fully re- ported, under the title “Two Interesting Medico- legal Cases.”’ yd 2 ay ene, g OUR BOOKSHELF. Department of Commerce, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Terrestrial: Magnetism. United States Magnetic Tables and Magnetic Charts for 1915. By D. L. Hazard. Pp. 256+ maps 5 in pocket. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1917.) i Tue latest American publication of similar scope referred to 1905, but declination charts for ‘1910 have been published. The observing stations used for the present charts exceeded in number those used for the 1905 charts by some 50 per cent. For declination 405 sea observations were used, and results from 6120 land stations, includ- ing 1129 in Canada, Mexico, and the West Indies. The first set of tables give declination (D), in- clination (I), and horizontal force (H) results obtained at successive epochs at repeat stations. The D and I results are given to the nearest 1’, the H results to the nearest 10y. The second set of tables’ gives the corrections for reducing observations taken at different epochs and in dif- ferent geographical ' positions to the epoch January 1, 1915. They are followed by tables giving D, I, and H, first as observed at the several stations, then as reduced to January 1, 1915. The last set of tables gives for each whole — degree of latitude and longitude the values for January 1, 1915, of D, Iy H, total force (T), and north, east, and vertical (V) components. Lati- tudes from 19° to 51° N. are included. At 19° N. the longitudes range from 74° to 105° W., while at 47° N. they range from 64° to 128° W. In these final tables the D and I results go to o°1°, the force results to o’oor C.G.S. A pocket at the end of the volume contains charts of D, I, H, V, and T for the epoch January 1, ‘1915, the lines of, equal -values of the elements being in red. The first three charts 144 NATURE [Appin 25, 1918 include lines of equal annual change in blue, The extreme values of the annual change in D are met with on the Canadian border on the Atlantic coast, where westerly declination has an annual increase of 6/, and in the S.W. in Texas and Cali- fornia, where easterly declination has an annual increase of 3'.' Inclination is increasing as much as 7/ a year in the extreme south of Florida, whereas in the extreme north, on both the Atlantic and Pacific shores, it shows an annual fall of rt. H is falling throughout the whole of the United States, the annual decrease varying from toy in the extreme north to 120 y in the extreme south. The volume contains a great mass of magnetic information in a convenient form. C. CHREE. Directions for a Practical Course in Chemical Physiology. By Prof. W. Cramer. Third edition. Pp. viiit+119. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1917.) Price 3s. net. “THE text of this edition is (apart from a few verbal alterations) identical with that of the second edition. The changes in the external appearance of the book have been made with the object cf keeping the price as far as possible at its former level.’’ So runs the preface, and that being so, any extended notice of this book is unnecessary. The second edition was fully reviewed in Nature for March 25, 1915, and we then took occasion to point out what we conceived to be its defects. These defects still remain, but, in spite of them, the work has been a success, seeing that a new edition has been necessary after so short an interval. . LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake io return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] ; Reconstruction Problems and the Duty of Science. Ir is sufficiently obvious that the problems of recon- struction following the war will tax the intelligence and good will of mankind to the utmost. It is also certain that mistakes made during this period will have more serious consequences than similar errors in a period of less social plasticity.. By the same token, wise moves will produce greater and more permanent good. Never before, perhaps, has the obligation to choose between good and evil been quite so insistent, or the danger of a wrong choice quite so perilous. Already we observe several groups of people prepar- ing to deal with this situation. Their methods are diverse, and their aims more or less conflicting. Upton Sinclair sends us the first number of a new periodical, devoted to social justice. Yesterday I attended a meeting in which college students were invited to consider the ethics of Jesus as a foundation for the new democracy. The speaker spent some time’ in ex- plaining to us that the movement, which is a national one, was neither pacifist nor pro-German. Business men, we read in the papers, are inviting the Germans to consider the conditions under which it will be pos- sible to resume commercial relations. All these move- NO. 2530, VOL. Lor | ments, and others, invite public’ discussion, and are beneficial to that extent at least. .Underlying the Christian and Socialist propaganda is the entirely right feeling that mankind must agree on some syst of ethics, some basic philosophy, which will make for co-operation and human welfare. It is possible that there is more than one such system which would fairly serve our purpose; but it is certain that we must, in the main, agree. The very existence of peer t implies some such agreement, and its failures resu from the partial lack of it. So far, I think scientific men can reasonably, indeed — enthusiastically, go with the religious and radical — groups. We are all seeking an absolutely neces- sary basis for conduct. Yet at this point, where we seem unanimous, grave possibilities — of conflict arise. The scientific man is obliged to ask : What will be the consequences of the doctrines we propose to adopt, and how will they harmonise with natural law? There was a time when it was generally agreed that illness was due to evil spirits, and in a certain sense the facts were as postulated. Yet the total ‘spirits,’ of bacteria, left man in a very defenceless position. Nature penalised him, and she always does, for his ignorance, not asking whether he “ ought” to have known. So it must always be, and mere a intentions or pious motives, without wisdom, avail us nothing. They may avail less than nothing if they create an impression that our problems have been met, when they have only been evaded. This is clearly seen by the ablest representatives of most movements, — but not so clearly by a large portion of the rank and file. It is because it is so easy to allow emotion to crowd out intellect, and then to lead it to waste its energies in uninformed sentimentalism, that wun- patriotic motives have sometimes been ascribed to those whose love of their country and their fellows was actually keener than ordinary. Such injustice is naturally resented; but it remains a fact that there are many who for various reasons are particularly in- terested in preventing the great volume of hope an good will from turning the wheels of reform. To such all ineffective efforts afford ‘‘ aid and comfort.’’ While the scientific fraternity, thus confronted with a perplexing situation, is making up its mind how to act, what may be considered a perfect manifesto on its behalf has come from an unexpected source. Labour Party. The concluding passage of that report reads as follows :— ae aan ie “The Labour Party is far from assuming that it possesses a key to open all locks, or that any policy — which it can formulate will solve all the problems that beset us. But we deem it important to ourselves, as well as to those who may, on one hand, wish to join the party, or, on the other, to take up arms against it, to make quite clear and definite our aim an purpose. The Labour Party wants that aim and pur- pose, as set forth in the preceding pages, with all its might. It calls for more warmth in politics, for much less apathetic acquiescence in the miseries that exist, for none of the cynicism that saps the life of leisure. ignorance of the nature of those — a ag The © New Republic of February 16 prints the report on — reconstruction by the Sub-committee of the British © cepeagpentmarratnes On the other hand, the Labour Party has no belief in any of the problems of the world being solved by good will alone. Good will without knowledge is warmth without light. Especially in all the complexities of politics, in the still undeveloped science of society, the Labour Party stands for increased study, for the scien- tific investigation of each succeeding problem, for the deliberate organisation of research, and for a much more rapid dissemination among the whole people of — And it is perhaps specially all the science that exists. cially the Labour Party that has the duty of placing this Aah R L 25, 1918] NATURE 145 nent of science in the forefront of its political n What the Labour Party stands for in all life is, essentially, democratic co-operation; eration involves a common purpose which ; to; a common plan which can be ex- |and discussed, and such a measure of success adaptation of means to ends as will ensure a satisfaction. An autocratic sultan may govern science if his whim is law. A _ plutocratic choose to ignore science, if it is heedless } pr solutions of social problems that yolit triumphs ultimately succeed or fail. our Party can hope to maintain its posi- ‘its proposals are, in fact, the outcome of political science of its time; or to fulfil its s that science is continually wresting new human ignorance. Hence, although the the Labour Party must, by the law of its ain for all time unchanged, its policy and me will, we hope, undergo a perpetual istment of our measures to our ends. mother of freedom, science, to the Labour be ‘the parent of law.” rit all students of science may unite. and not otherwise, may the decay of arrested, and the fair fruits of ages of to maturity. T. D. A. CockereELt. olorado, March, 1918. cle istics present themselves, in a continu- . otion of the Perihelion of Mercury. of resistance suggested by Sir Oliver _ April 18, p. 125) is very difficult _ The motion of a planet consists prac- steady motion in a circle, with a super- ration, the amplitude of which is pro- eccentricity, and the phase of which » longitude of the perihelion. The the perihelion can be made to move in the eccentricity is equivalent. to free vibration can persist in a resist- without change of amplitude. It is true solute resistance would be expected to be ‘perihelion than at aphelion, on account of ‘in density at the two points, but this ms the eccentricity as a factor, and it yn that the rate of decrease of the eccen- “motion of the perihelion would be of of magnitude. on of the resistance to a force. parallel axis would mean that the departure of 1 circularity determines a very small “resistance, most of this being due to a on of the medium in that direction with far exceeding the parabolic velocity. Even the difficulties introduced by the high density such a velocity could not be accepted. ect of a difference between longitudinal and ‘se electr netic masses was shown by Mr. Walker, in the April Philosophical Magazine, change in the plane of a planet’s orbit. The ‘this change can be found -without much to be a rotation of the plane about the pro- n itself of the sun’s motion in space, the ‘rotation being proportional to the product components of the sun’s motion in and per- lar to the plane. The rotation being about an the ‘plane of the orbit, the effect on the nodes ‘be much less than that on the inclinations, Thus it seems that motion of the node of Venus cannot be accounted - in this way, and either one of the two component NO. 2530, VOL. I0T] Ey is the case. _as knowledge grows, and as new phases | velocities must be very small or the effect of absolute motion on electromagnetic mass must be in some way compensated in the law of gravitation itself. The absence of the variations in the eccentricities that would be expected to be produced by a motion of the sun through space also suggests that there is such a compensation. Haro_p Jerrreys. A Plea for the Naturalist. THE naturalist is not so black as he is painted, Conditions of modern technological inquiry are against him; the splitting of species into geographical and local races, distinguished by the finest touches of colour or the minutest of structures, has put the detailed identi- fication of many of our native creatures beyond his compass. But there is still a wide field for the naturalist, the closer observation of the habits of our native creatures. It is to be apres therefore, that in this his proper field his work should be slighted and minimised by the worker who prides himself, and rightly, on his technical equipment for specialised work. In a recent issue of Nature (March 21) a writer grouped naturalists with “landowners, sportsmen, farmers, rat-catchers,’’ as well as a large class of bird-lovers, as being of the people whose personal opinion “is really of very little moment,” in a matter which, after all, is mainly ‘one of observation—an inquiry into the economic significance of the feeding ‘habits of birds. ‘Why the fact that a man possesses -or farms a few acres should invalidate his natural history observa- tions is not easily understood. And, after all, are the opinions of the naturalist really so much at fault? Many times during the last few years we have been told in effect that years of careful work by an experi-, enced investigator, supplemented by the researches’ of many others, had at last made it ‘possible to state definitely that. at the’ present time there is ample evidence of a far-reaching kind to prove that no quarter should be shown to the wood-pigeon,”’ that the rook ‘tis far too plentiful at the present time, that it prefers a grain diet, and that it is injurious,’’ that ‘“‘the starling has increased in numbers enor- mously,” and that ‘‘the bullfinch. and blackbird in fruit-growing districts are most destructive.’” But the naturalist knew and had recorded these things; pigeon-shoots are not affairs of yesterday; and already in the early part of the fifteenth century the Scottish Parliament had passed a law for the destruc- tion of rooks precisely on account of their ‘“‘ gret skaithe apone cornis.’’ On the whole, the naturalists and farmers were right, and minute researches have con- firmed their general opinions. ; -On the whole, too, the results. of the minute re- searches are less definite than would at first sight appear, for, apart from the difficulty of contrasting vegetable with animal food as it is represented in the food canal of a bird some time dead, there is the danger of reaching conclusions from unconsciously selected specimens. The gull on the turnip-field is likely to be shot and sent for examination, that on the offal of the fishing village is likely to be left unharmed, andthe percentage of injury caused by gulls rises ac- cordingly. No one would dream of deprecating such inquiries as have been carried on. They are necessary and of the greatest value, and in the hands of an organised group of observant workers of wide sym- pathies they will yield a large proportion of truth. But they are not infallible. The contributions of both naturalist and laborato expert are necessary to the fullness of this knowledge, but one without the other leans on a broken reed. April rr. James Ritcutr. 146 NATURE [Apri 25,. 19 18. TIME AT SEA AND THE NOMICAL DAY. ASTRO- iy spite of the stress of ‘war, the British, French, and. Italian Admiralties found opportunity last year to come to an important decision on the question of timekeeping at sea. Hitherto the general practice appears to have been to set the ship’s clocks to the local time corresponding with the place where observations were made, and con- tinue its use until further observations were secured. In consequence, two vessels speaking each other might record different times for their meeting; cases are not unknown where it has been of legal importance to ascertain the exact time of a death occurring at sea, which was ‘a matter of some difficulty on the old system. It has now been resolved to extend to the sea the CS i Fic. 1.—P. Vincent’s design for chronometer dials. system which has been so widely adopted on land, of keeping time which differs by an_ integral number of hours from Greenwich time, the hour being changed on crossing meridians_15° apart. In this connection it may be noted that there is need of a short name for the regions that keep the same time. The word “zone”’ is to be de- precated, since both by root-meaning and by usage it suggests a belt parallel to the equator. The word “lune’’ has been adopted in works on spherical trigonometry, but is apt to suggest ‘a connection with the moon. The French use the somewhat cumbersome term “fuseau_horaire.”’ Mr. T. C. Hudson suggests the term ‘‘ douve ’’; it means a barrel-stave, which has some resem- blance to the shape of the regions in question.’ Commandant P. Vincent has devised a new form NO. 2530, VOL. IOT|- of chronometer dial to facilitate the determination of the ship’s time; he-describes and illustrates it in La Nature for March 2 (see Fig. 1). There are three hands, indicating day of month, Greenwich hour, and minute respectively. Apart from the month hand, which is of the nature of a luxury, the new form of dial could be readily adopted for all chronometers. It has five concentric circles of graduation: first, the degrees of longitude, counted from 0° to 180° in each direction; second, the hours to be added or subtracted; third, the graduations of the minutes of time; fourth, the Greenwich hours, reckoned from oh. (midnight) to 23h.; fifth, the days of the month; inside these the compass points are indicated, but they can be omitted if desired. The discussion on time at sea has incidentally reopened a larger question, which was mooted some thirty years ago, but shelved for a time. This is whether the use-of the astro- nomical day, commencing at noon, might not be discontinued, and ‘the civil day, commencing at midnight, extended to astronomy. This matter has been under informal discussion for several months, and in the opinion of the present writer the general feeling is in favour of the change, though there are some names of great weight on the other side. The astronomical day goes back at least to the time of Ptolemy; it is based on the obvious principle that the bulk of observa- tional work is done at night, so that the night should be skept as an unbroken unit. But this pdint is not gained with- out appreciable inconveniences; most astronomers must have felt a considerable amount of mental worry in having a dif- ferent calendar date for all occurrences between midnight and noon, according as we are considering their astronomical or their civil aspect; even the month or year is sometimes affected. There is, more- over, some confusion as to whether the astronomical day begins with mean or apparent noon; the Nautical Almanac uses both systems in different sections, so that several minutes each day form a sort of No-man’s-land, being claimed for different dates on different pages of the almanac; there would be no similar confusion at midnight, ap- parent midnight being a meaningless phrase. Both the British and French Admiralties are agreed that the use of the civil day would be a convenience to navigators. The French have already decided to adopt the civil day in their abridged Seamen’s Almanac from the year 1920. A few British astronomers have suggested that our abridged almanac should be changed, but not the larger one. This would lead to great risk of error, since the larger almanac is often used at sea; the sailor has a claim to consideration before the professional astronomer, since the latter has more leisure to make his calculations, and errors, if made, are less disastrous. _ Aprnt a5 1918] NATURE 147 vs ace to an appeal from the Admiralty, the Royal Astronomical Society is now sending d a circular to representative astronomers 1 societies in our own, the. Allied, and neutral ntries. This, after a brief résumé of the cir- stances, enumerates the changes in the inac that would be involved if the new system . adopted, and invites suggestions and sism. It is thought that 1925 is the earliest that is practicable for making the change, ice the almanac goes to press several years in vance. _ It is proposed that the reckoning by | days shall still begin at Greenwich noon, in equence of the numerous ephemerides of vari- stars that have been drawn up on this em; this would afford a means of relief to those astronomers ' who dislike the change; by dating their observations in Julian days, instead calendar dates, they could continue to keep sir nights undivided. It is hoped that the change, if made, will be opted throughout the astronomical world, so oan of the subject. Some have hopes that the change might be accompanied by the introduction gweory-four-hour reckoning by the general public; this system has long been in use in Italy, and leads to a great simplification of time-tables et tr ane ag tides, etc. It does not necessarily ho r dials. It suffices to use the present dials, ‘merely inserting 13h. to oh. inside the figures th. to 12h. In fact, many prefer this system, since the hours on a twenty-four-hour dial are in- eno se. A. C. D. CRoMMELIN. THE RECOVERY OF POTASH FROM ; oe _BLAST-FURNACE GASES. Pr Pe sources of potash were described by Sir _ + Edward Thorpe in an article in Nature of lamiary 3 (p. 344). One of these sources has been the: subject of study by Prof. R. A. Berry and . W. McArthur, who have published the results” of their investigations in a paper read before, and discussed at, a meeting of the West of Scotland Iron and Steel Institute. These in- _yestigators have studied in particular the possi- - bilities. of recovering potash from the blast- : _ furnace gases obtained in Scottish practice, with the view of obtaining information as to how far may be expected to constitute an economic source of supply, when the restrictions imposed by the war no longer hold. That the dust deposited from blast-furnace and Pil gases contains potash salts has long been _known, and in 1884 Barclay and Simpson, of the [Herrington Ironworks, Cumberland, took out a atent for the recovery of salts, and especially “potash salts, from coke-fed furnaces. The most paging investigation, however, on this sub- is that by Wysor, of the Bethlehem Steel pany, U.S.A., who found that the dust which gts at the bottom of the stone chequer-work the stoves and gas-fired boilers contained 15 per cent. of water-soluble potash (K,O). Fur- NO. 2530, VOL. 101] the t an interval is wisely being left for full ventila-' e use of new clocks with twenty-four- | ther, he drew up a balance sheet to show the amount of potash charged into the furnace and the percentage recovered. His conclusion was that the greatest losses occurred in the primary and secondary washers, constituting some 56 per cent. of the whole, while 20 per cent. was carried off in the slag; further, that less than 1 per cent. of the potash charged was recovered in the dust alluded to. In 1916 a Cottrell plant for electro- static precipitation was installed, and it was found that practically all the dust could be precipitated. About 22°4 lb. of potash were charged per ton of pig-iron produced, and after deducting the amount contained in the slag and the dust-catcher, about 15 lb. per ton of pig-iron appeared to be left in the gases, which were then recoverable in the Cottrell plant. The average potash content of the American ores is about 1 per cent., and as the production of iron in the United States in 1916 was nearly forty million tons, if Wysor’s figures are correct the flue-dust from the furnaces should constitute a very considerable source of supply. As the authors point out, the problem in Scot- land is different: first, because coal, and not coke, is the fuel generally used, and secondly, because the ores contain rather less potash. With coke-fired furnaces the gases are not washed, but are led from the catchers direct to the stoves and boilers. In coal-fired furnaces, however, a considerable amount of tarry matter is pro- duced, whereas the dust deposited is relatively very small. The problem of recovery is therefore different. The potassium is present, in the ore, principally, no doubt, in the form of silicate. This reacts at the high temperature of the furnace and forms other compounds, for, as the dust analyses show, chlorides, sulphates, and carbonates were the principal acid radicals present. It is well known, further, that potassium cyanide. is formed in certain regions of the furnace, but decomposed in others. At the high _tem- perature these potassium salts are’ vaporised; they condense in the cooler parts of the furnace as -fine dust particles, and are carried along with the dust from the fuel and the ores. The first particles deposited are the heaviest, and these are caught in the dust-catcher, in the form of a coarse, black powder; deposition also occurs on the main tube, and these two constitute the tube cleanings. The heavy, tarry matter separates principally in the condensers and carries with it much of the fine dust; the gas then passes to the water scrubbers, which retain the rest of the tarry matter and most of the remaining dust. Any mineral matter still retained is caught in the stove and boilers. The authors have received and analysed samples of these deposits and liquors from various plants im Scotland, and have determined their potash content. Nine samples of flue-dusts were examined: eight from coal-fired furnaces and one from a coke-fired furnace. The highest yield of dust in the former was only at the rate of 21 tons per annum, as against 300 tons for the latter, and the water-soluble potash averaged 8°86 per cent. The percentage of ash in the tube cleanings varied 148 NATURE 4 [APRIL 25, 1918 from 53 to 74 per cent., but these contained a very small. percentage of water-soluble potash, the highest being 2°7 per cent. Special attention was paid to the spent liquor, of which the specific gravity, total solids, ash, and water-soluble potash methods of separating the mineral values from the tarry matter, which greatly hinders evaporation. up a balance. sheet showing the amounts of potash in the raw. materials charged, and its distribution in the products. In ome case where 7'6 lb. were charged per ton of pig-iron, 6°04 lb. per ton were and to secure data necessary to permit of the rapid — accounted for, of which 1°4 lb. were contained in | the spent liquor, 1°7 Ib. in the pitch, o’2 Ib. in the tube cleanings, o'04 Ib. in the flue- and stove-dust, and 2°7 Ib. in the slag, leaving 1°6 lb. unaccounted for. This balance sheet is very different from that obtained by Wysor, but too much stress should not be laid upon it, because the figures refer to one plant only. The authors estimate finally that about 1667 tons of water-soluble potash are recoverable per annum from the 102 Scotch furnaces. They give, however, no estimate of the total amount of insoluble potash, and refer only briefly to the possibility of its being rendered soluble. It does not look as though the prospect of recovering potash profitably in Scotland after the war was at all promising, and this view was emphasised in the discussion which followed. HVC, Hee WAR-TIME RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES. 1* is difficult to find in this country in these days a scientific worker, however recondite his studies may have been in pre-war days, who’ is not engagéd in problems connected with the war, the development of industry, or the extension of trade. stage, is to be seen in the United States, where the National Academy of Sciences has formed a National Research Council, which is organising research on current problems. The council is nothing if not catholic in its ideas of war-time research, and the subjects allocated to its com- A similar state of things, at an earlier mittees and sub-committees range from palzonto- logy to psychology. The council has apparently been much con- cerned to secure for American libraries and scien- tific institutions supplies of German. scientific | literature, held up in Amsterdam and London as a result of the British blockade. The difficulty has been satisfactorily solved, and official forms have been duly evolved for the liberation of con- signments, certified by the Library of Congress in Washington and the United States Consul in London. The Geology and Paleontology Committee of ‘the council has published a brochure entitled “What a Geologist can do in War.’’ This has been freely distributed among Army officers, with | the view of explaining what service they can expect | The same committee is collect-’ from geologists. NO. 2530, VOL. 101] | | i _mittee on War Minerals has made a census of all — were determined; and the authors discuss various | ates States, sources of supply, and other matters. In the case of one firm the authors have drawn - : ‘sects. ing information as to the materials available in the coastal States for the construction of ro and fortifications. eel In association with other organisations the Com- = rally ae ae, minerals required for war purposes, with not on their production, stocks held in the Unit Special surveys have been undertaken in some cases to complete information regarding minerals — Rae eis exploitation of deposits. Dr. Dean, curator of the Department of Arms and Armour in the Metro- politan Museum and of Fossil \Fishes in the American Museum, and a member of this com- mittee, has designed models for modern body — armour, which are now being made for trial in- field operations. ee each The Committee on Zoology has organised an extensive field of work in connection with the elimination and control of animal pests, especially those known to be carriers of disease, the exam- ination of pathological specimens, investigation of water ‘and soils from camp-sites, and the disposal — of garbage and drainage. Even more important, — perhaps, in view of the urgency of the food prob- lems caused by the war, is the work this com- ~ mittee intends to undertake on the improvement — of breeds of domestic animals, better methods of — increasing and conserving stock,-and possible — remedial measures against food-destroying in- — Another interesting problem in its pro- — gramme is the study of limbs and joints with the — view of improving the construction of artificial — limbs. The utilisation of aquatic birds in locating _ submarines, a subject which has not escaped the — attention of the popular Press in this country, ‘is ~ also being considered. Sa The programme of the Botanical Raw Products — Committee is perhaps the most far-reaching of all, _ since it aims at establishing for the use of manu- — facturers a kind of “clearing house of informa- — tion’”’ regarding raw materials, exclusive of food — staples. This committee proposes to collect all — available information regarding plants of economic — value with the view, among other things, of pro- — ducing supplies of essential raw materials at home, providing substitutes for materials previously im- ewer Sigd te: ~ pot ae ; source. u frequently been the case _ during three years, and as possibly will be more — frequent during the next few years, the manufacturer has been placed in an uncom- fortable position. Curiously enough, such a pre- dicament is many times brought about by the curtailment of a product used in such relatively 3 small quantities that the fact that it is essential | le to the finished article is overlooked or forgottem during times of plenty.’’ This opinion is worth F ~ quoting, as it diagnoses accurately a predicament Apri 25, 1918] NATURE 149 ch many a manufacturer in the belligerent has found himself during the war with to both raw materials and partly manu- 1 products. erous other committees have been formed, Oregoing notes will be sufficient to indi- far-reaching scope of the National activities and the practical character of it proposes to undertake. Throughout erammes of work laid down, but especially of the Botanical Raw Products Committee, resting to note that the problems to be e of immediate practical importance, and co-operation with traders and manufac- solving them is considered essential. os perused fay. A. ® NOTES. British Science Guild is organising a compre- “4itish Scientific Products Exhibition, to be ig’s College, London, for four weeks during ¢ summer. The exhibition will comprise splay of products and appliances of scientific tial interest which prior to the war were chiefly from enemy countries, but are now in the United Kingdom. Much has been by our manufacturers since the opening ‘industries in which previously we had behind, and it is believed that the exhibi- > a stimulating influence upon scientific research by bringing home to the public iportance of science in industry. Par- exhibition will be issued siiortly. Press reports, platinum has been dis- quartz deposits in the Ober Rosbach n¢ Taunus Mountains (Germany). Steps ‘been taken to work the deposits. ath of Mr. Daniel Macalister on April 12 in Engineering for April 19. Mr. Mac- _the engineer and superintendent of the ation Water Department, and had > the resident engineer during the con- of the James Watt Dock. He joined the 1 of Civil Engineers in 1882, and held the _ record the death of Mr. Richard B. occurred on March 26. Mr. Prosser 1 Birmingham in 1838, and was regarded our best authorities on the history of in- He was connected for about twenty years Patent Office Library, and became super- nt examiner of specifications in 1883. An rt his career.appears in Engineering for ement to tthe leaflet entitled, ‘‘ Birds, ops,” the Royal Society for the Pro- (33 ey Anne’s Gate, $.W.1) has twelve “ Bird-Ally’ postcards, each on the front a quotation as to the value of s on the land, while the back is left free for ng. The postcards, which can be had for 43d. a ecket, should be useful at the present time, when joard of Agriculture has warned growers of le insect plagues. Tue death is announced, in his eighty-sixth year, of ir. E. T. Wilson, a well-known medical man, of nham. In 1901 Mr. Wilson was the president of - NO. 2530, VOL. 101] the Medical Section when the British Medical Associa- tion met at Cheltenham. He contributed numerous ers to the medical periodicals, and was the author of “Sanitary Statistics of Cheltenham.” He founded a naturalists’ society at Cheltenham, and was in- terested in the collection of Neolithic flint implements. His son, Dr. E. A. Wilson, was a member of Captain Scott’s Antarctic Expedition, and died on the journey from the South Pole. THE subject of the Jacksonian prize of the Royal College of Surgeons of England for 1919 is to be The Investigation and Treatment of Injuries of the Thorax received in War.” The John Tomes prize of the college for the period i915 to 1917 has been awarded to Mr. J. G. Turner for his work on the subject of dental pathology. In con- sequence of the temporary removal of the pathological specimens of the museum of the college for greater safety, the delivery of the Erasmus Wilson lectures, and the demonstrations, are to be discontinued for the duration of the war. By the death, at the age of seventy-seven, of Col. George Adolphus Jacob, India has lost an accom- plished scholar, Belonging to a well-known Anglo- Indian family, which included the famous founder of Jacob’s Horse, he entered the Indian service at the age of sixteen in the Bombay Presidency, where he mastered the Marathi language, and later on devoted himself to the study of Sanskrit. His chief work was done in philosophical literature—a monumental con- cordance to the principal Upanishads and _ the Bhagavad Gita, and his manual of Indian Pantheism, the best introduction to the Vedanta. His official work ‘was the Directorship of Military Education, and he acted as examiner in Sanskrit and Marathi for the University of Bombay. The University of Cambridge conferred on this eminent scholar the honorary degree of Litt.D. In the Niewwe Courant Dr. I. P. Lotsy recently directed attention to the hybridisation experiments of Mr. R. Houwink, a private breeder of Meppel, Holland, who has tested Darwin’s view that our domestic fowls are derived from Gallus bankhiva. He has obtained fertile hybrids of this species vith G. Sonnerati, and also with G. furcatus. The latter hybrid was again fer- tile with G. bankhiva, whence it would appear that all | three species may be among the ancestors of domestic breeds. Domesticated rabbits have been found fertile both with wild rabbits and with hares, and hybridisation ‘experiments are also in progress with jackals, foxes, and wolves, in order to determine the origin of domestic breeds of dogs. Experiments on the crossing of wild and domesticated pigs are subsidised by the Dutch Government. Tue Times of April 19 and 20 contained letters by Mr. W. Baden-Powell and Mr. R. B. Marston direct- ing attention to the Order about to be made by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries authorising the taking of salmon kelts, subject to certain conditions. It is suggested by both correspondents that an excel- lent opportunity is thus afforded for obtaining evidence with regard to the rather obscure questions whether and to what extent kelts feed in fresh water, and also whether they destroy the young of their own species. Many anglers would probably be glad to take out the stomachs and digestive organs of the fish they kill and send these, with full particulars, to scientific men appointed by the Board... Hitherto. it has been illegal to take kelts, and so the evidence with regard to their feedigg habits is: very unsatis- factory and meagre. Mr. W. J. M. Menzies, in the 150 NATURE [APRIL 25, 1918 Times of April 23, states that he has examined a certain number of kelts in all the so-called :‘*mend- ing” stages, and has found no trace of food in any of them. : Hutt is probably one of the few places in this country which are extending their museums in these times. It may be remembered that during the Museums Conference at Hull in 1913, Col. G. H. Clarke pur- chased for 1oool. the Mortimer collection of York- shire archzological and geological specimens, which the members had an opportunity of visiting at Driffield, and as the building is now required for other purposes the collections have been removed. The Hull Corpora- tion has taken some temporary premises in Albion Street, in the centre of the city, and in these the entire collection has recently been placed, and steps have been taken to prepare the museum for public inspec- tion. When it is remembered that in the archzxo- logical collection alone there are the entire gontents of nearly four hundred barrows of tthe Bronze age, as well as several hundred skulls of prehistoric, Roman, and Saxon date, about 1000 prehistoric, Roman, Saxon, and medieval vases, some of large size, and the contents of several Anglo-Saxon and Roman ceme- teries, it will be understood that the removal of the collection has been an undertaking of some magni- tude. Nearly twenty vanloads were required to remove the specimens, and we understand the entire collec-' tion, consisting of about 60,000 objects, ‘thas -reached its new quarters without damage. , Ir is proposed shortly to establish’ in’ Naples a National Experimental’ Station for -Ceramics and Glass-making, in which will be incorporated the exist- ing Ceramic. Laboratory of the Royal Museum for In- dustrial Arts at Naples... L’Economista d’Italia for April 4 states the objects of the new ‘institution as follows :—(1).To carry out researches bearing on problems connected with ceramics and glass-making, and to promote such ‘manufacture by’ publications, lec- . tures, and assistance; (2)*to experiment with and pub- lish new methods of working, for the better utilisation of raw materials, the improvement of the quality of the products, and the effective utilisation of by- products and waste; (3). to investigate and suggest new sources of supply of raw materials and new markets for the products; (4) to give opinions and advice; (5) to make analyses, tests, and researches, and to verify instruments and apparatus when requested by the pub- lic, by manufacturers, or by public bodies; (6) to pro- vide laboratory accommodation, etc., for the use’ of students; (7) to publish a bulletin giving results of researches and other information; (8) to admit into the laboratories as pupils young students who have passed through a technical college and taken a diploma, etc., and intend taking up the manufac- tures mentioned; further, to hold evening and holiday classes of theoretical and practical instruction for work- people. AN account of an interview with Prof. E. H. Starling on the position of natural science in the educational system of Great Britain, as described in the report to which we directed attention last week, is given in the issue of the Observer for April 21. The report, Prof. Starling remarked, is an anticipation of and preparation for nothing short of a revolution in the intellectual life of the country. Hitherto in this country we have neglected and despised science,. We have not understood that it is simply the whole of human experience ordered and classified. A State which tries to govern its affairs without science is blind. Every step it_takes is a step into unexplored ground, and it only learns by bitter experience, by,tumbling into every NO. 2530, VOL. 101] . combined. shell-hole it comes across. That is what. we call ‘‘muddling through ’’—a method of which some people are proud. The question of the future is whether our democracy has léarned the bitter lesson ithat the war has taught us—that for survival it must use the laws _ given by science, or go under. The penalty of sin is — death. And sin in this case is a neglect of Nature’s laws. One of the main points of the report is that it is necessary not only to make scientific experts, but also to educate every individual in this country so. that he may know of the existence of this mass of human ‘experience, and may recognise that behind every problem with which the is confronted there is the great body of science to which he can appeal for a right solution to his difficulties. Vie WeMeare, 225” Mr. L. ANDREws read an interesting: and suggestive paper to the Institution of Electrical Engineers on April 18 on the ‘‘ Overseas Distribution of Engineer- ing Appliances.’’ It is generally admitted that the — British artisan as an engineering craftsman can hold | his own against all competitors. He attributes, there- fore, the commercial success of Germany and America in the pre-war days to the excellence of their “systems of distribution. The British manufacturer is in too many cases content to make machines and ap- paratus and trust to his agents abroad to get the orders, leaving the conveyance of the goods to an out- — sider. This lack-of co-ordination leads. to unneces- sary expense. To remedy this, Mr. Andrews proposes - a modified form of State control: Some system of _Overseas trade service should be set. up and managed by the State or by the State and private enterprise Its first aim would be to provide -facilities for British subjects in all parts of the world to-secure — British-made engineering appliances on ‘satisfactor terms, and its second aim would be to give to British producers the fullest information ‘regarding overseas requirements. Mr. Andrews instanced the Govern- ment Postal Service as the kind of department he ad- vocated: it is run on strictly business lines, bein financially self-supporting, and yet it competes wi no private undertaking. He objected strongly to any despotic mandatory control by the State. News of the death of Dr. Ethel de Fraine, Fellow of the Linnean Society, for some years lecturer in botany at Whitelands Training College, and afterwards lecturer. in botany at Westfield College, University of London, has been received with great regret by many friends. Dr. de Fraine was a conscientious worker: in the field of plant anatomy, particularly in the realm of seedling — anatomy, a branch which has acquired great promin- ence of recent years. The series on the Gymnosperms, in. which she collaborated with Mr. T. G. Hill, adds . considerably to our knowledge of the obscure “ transi- tion’’ phenomena between the vascular structure of the stem and that of the primary root, and a similar — independent contribution published in 1910 deals with ~— the seedling structure of Cactacez. The School of Seedling Anatomy, to which these publications belong, was initiated by the work of the late Miss E. Sargant, and arose at the beginning of the present century as a modern development of that search for phylogenetic clues, that hunt for the “missing link,’’ which is attributable to the spread of evolutionary ideas follow- ing upon the publications of Darwin. Dr. de Fraine, fixing her attention on taxonomic rather than on broad phylogenetic characters, was led to conclude that the _ study of seedlings: was barren from this point of view. — Her .research career covered a period of about ten years, during which she made an incursion into the | realm of fossil botany with a paper entitled ‘‘The — Structure and Affinities of Sutcliffia.”’ The ecological — expeditions in which she took part resulted in 1913 in ae ae | ~ Aprit 25, 1918] NATURE 151 sé of the anatomy of Salicornia, the common as studied from its habitat at Blakeney de Fraine belonged to a type of painstaking vhose sience can ill afford to lose, and it is greatly. that her faithful pursuit of knowledge, “was with’ a strenuous professional life, rob us of the.further fruit of her labours. ‘a uth on March 25, after an illness of _% ‘eas Pitney . H. G. O. Kendall, in the April issue of ts the discovery at East Farm, Winter- onkton, North Wilts, of a fragment of a fine, micaceous sandstone, very similar to the so- - stone at Stonehenge. This has been ito shape all round jits periphery, so as to larp-cutting edges and to form a knife, ap- the Bronze age, resembling.a small. broad- ee -MEERWARTH, assistant-curator of the ‘al Museum, Petrograd, recently visited has compiled a useful ‘‘Guide to the Col- Musical Instruments in the Indian Museum, A large proportion’ of’ the specimens were iby the late Raja Sir Sourindro _Mohun the well-known authority on Indian music. truments, except a few of Tibetan origin, are exclusively from India-or Burma. The guide fully prepared and gives-much useful information dian music. In all 284 specimens are illustrated dialect ts composing the Salinan Indian linguistic ‘oup, of which two abvive in the Missions of San Antonio and San Miguel, are described in a .mono- aph by Mr. J. Aldem Mason, published in vol. xiv., the Publications of the University of Cali- _ Ameri ean Archeology and Ethnology. Re- m and Kroeber have connected Salinan -an ‘‘Iskoman” group, which, in later come to regard as part of ly, a reclassification now accepted by nonograph gives full linguistic details, and he number of beast folk-tales in the original text glish translation. res in - study of. sorege in radium therapy by . Mottram and Dr. S. Russ is given in the issue’ of the Archives of Radiology and apy (No. 212). . Small subcutaneous can- dules were treated, and among other results that there is much less. effect upon the if ation, loss of hair, etc.) when it is for a long time to a weak source of radium ons than when a strong source is used for a time, the effect upon the cancerous growths g very nearly the same in the two cases. TH Mf the Royal Microscopical Society for che i.) contains an account, by Mr. R e civilian internment camp at Ruhleben, near The equipment of the laboratory consists of --Dr. A. E. Lechmere has given a course on Edge has lectured on animal physiology, and At : with scientific activity outside. _ NO. 2530, VOL. 101] . y asswort, and her last publication, in’ 1916,) the morphology and anatomy. of the genus, oint.: thoroughness of hand and spirit the’ ean philologists and anthropologists. Mr.. licroscopical and biological work carried th accessories, a microtome,. incuba-. y biology, Mr: M. S. Pease one on heredity, . Hill has given instruction on the testing of. ‘seeds.. Various friends have presented A library of 500 volumes has been got At present ‘Nature is the only periodical .A DISEASE known as “trench fever” has been very frequent among the troops on the Western front. —It'- is characterised by recurrent attacks of fever of short duration, usually at intervals of four or five’ days, and followed generally by acute pain in the shins. and frequently by dilatation and disordered action of the heart. A committee under the chairmanship of Surg.-Gen. Sir David Bruce was instituted to investigate the causation and spread of the disease. As regards the jatter, various circumstances impli- cated the louse, and experiments were made on this hypothesis. Lice were allowed to feed on patients in all stages of the disease, and were then allowed to bite healthy volunteers; the result was negative. Next the excreta of lice similarly infected were applied to a scarified area of skin, and in from six to ten days after, all the five volunteers so treated developed trench fever. From these experiments it is evident that the bite alone of the louse does not produce trench fever, but that when the excreta of infected lice are scratched into the skin the disease is produced. The funds for this research have been provided by the Lister Insti- tute of Preventive Medicine, and details of the research are published in the British Medical Journal for March 23 (p. 354). . PRESENT-DAY applications of experimental psycho- logy were dealt with recently in two lectures delivered at the Royal Institution by Lt.-Col. C..S. Myers. The first lecture was mainly on the application of psychological experiment to industrial efficiency. Laboratory researches on mental and muscular work were described, showing the relation between rest and length of task, the importance of -determining and employing the optimal load, and the various psycho- logical factors which affect the work curve. The eco- nomical value was emphasised of introducing system- ~ atic rest pauses in the workshops and of selecting by appropriate tests employés fitted for tasks demanding special skill. There is a wide difference between. the increased production due’ to the’ adoption of scientific short-hand methods of: industrial efficiency and that due to the more dangerous process of ‘‘ speeding up.” In the second of his lectures Lt.-Col. Myers de- voted himself mainly to the subject of nervous break- down, pointing out the extreme importance of early and proper treatment of the disorder in industrial as well as in Army life. He showed how the enormous importance now attached by psychology to the influ- ence of the feelings had come to revolutionise our conceptions of memory, of personality, and of con- sciousness generally; and he insisted on the necessity for continuing in peace. time the special hospitals and the special psychological training of doctors which it had been found necessary to organise owing to the effects of war-strain. -Tue Transactions of the London Natural History Society for 1916, which has just been issued, contains a long address on “‘ Apterousness in Lepidoptera,’’ by Dr. T. A. Chapman, which is of remarkable interest. Not only has Dr. Chapman summarised all that has ‘been recorded on this theme, but he has also added many new facts gleaned from a long study of this subject. He is of opinion that the apterousness of the summer moths is due to factors entirely different from those which have brought about the apterousness of winter moths, THE report on the progress and condition of the United States National Museum for the year ending June 30, 1916, has just reached us. While bearing witness to the wide field of activities which this museum embraces, it shows also that the museum’s work: is fully appreciated by other departments of the State. 152 NATURE [APRIL 25, 1918 The Department of Justice, for example, obtained for .Dr. AléS Hrdlitka, curator of physical anthropology, three months’ leave of absence from the museum in order that he might undertake the anthropological ex- amination of about 800 Chippewa Indians for the pur- pose of determining which should be classed as ‘‘ full- bloods.”? This necessitated a preliminary study of the Sioux Indians of North and South Dakota. Apart from the immediate purpose of this investigation, valu- able scientific results have been obtained, for in all 1200 Indians were examined, and from the data thus collected it has been possible to establish thoroughly the characteristics of the Sioux people, and to put on record the present racial status of the Chippewa people, who, as a pure race, are fast disappearing. How thoroughly alive the U.S. Department of Agri- culture is to all affecting the welfare of agriculture is well illustrated in a recent Bulletin (No. 621) by Mr. E. R. Kalmbach on ‘t‘The Crow and its ‘Relation to Man.’’? The economic position of the common crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and its four subspecies has long been an intricate problem, and has formed the subject of many investigations, of which the most im-. portant is that of Barrows and Schwarz (1895), based upon an examination of the stomach contents of go9 birds, mainly from the eastern States. The report now issued is based upon an examination of 1340 adults and 778 nestlings. As the result of this inquiry the author shows that 25 per cent. of the yearly susten- ance of the adult birds is animal matter, and 71:8 vegetable matter., Of the former 18-7 consists of insects, and of the latter 51 per cent. of corn and other grain, 3-7 per cent. of cultivated fruit, and 17 per cent. of wild fruits and seeds. The young birds remain in the nest for about three weeks. The percentage of animal food in the nestlings was 83-4, and 16-6 of vegetable matter. Of the former 48 per cent. con- sisted of insects, 6-2 per cent. of rodents, and 1-6 per cent. remains of poultry and their eggs. The actual corn was only about 10 per cent. Mr. Kalmbach is of opinion that the misdeeds of this bird greatly out- number its virtues, and points out that its capabilities for good or evil are great. The attitude of farmers, he thinks, should be one of toleration where no serious losses are suffered, rather than one of uncompromising antagonism resulting in unwarranted destruction. This bird seems to fill a position somewhat analogous to that occupied by the rook in this country, and from the results obtained in this investigation we should have presumed that a considerable reduction in its numbers was advisable. THE influence of the Cambridge geological school on palzontology outside our islands is evidenced by the appearance in 1917 of two handsomely illustrated memoirs, one by Dr. F. R. Cowper Reed, on ‘‘ Ordo- vician and Silurian Fossils from Yunnan”’ (‘‘ Palzeon- tologia Indica,’’ vol. vi., Mem. 3, Geol. Surv. India), and the other by Mr. H. Woods, on ‘The Cretaceous Faunas of the South Island of New Zealand” (N.Z. Geol. Surv., Pal. Bull. No. 4). Pror. E. W. Sxeats (Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. xlv., p- 81, 1918) usefully reviews the evidénce of the Funa- futi boring in reference to the current discussion on the origin of barrier reefs and atolls, and points out that the discovery of a thickness of 1100 ft. of shallow- water deposits cannot be lightly set aside. On p. 194 of the same volume, he shows that the conversion of marine: limestone into dolomite is commonly asso- - ciated with shallow-water conditions. The rock at Funafuti from 635 ft. down to 1114 ft. is dolomitised, and thence this mineral feature affords additional evidence of subsidence of the atoll as it grew. NO. 2530, VOL. 10T | hexahydrophenylethylamine, OwineG to the difficulty most. people have at the published abroad, the appearance of the monthly pat of Science Abstracts is awaited with much less than was the case before the war. The in © the two volumes for the year 1917 have just been ‘issued, so that the volumes now become available for reference. The physics volume deals with nearly 1400. abstracts, has 640 pages, the name-index twenty-three pages, and the subject-index forty-four pages. The — present time in getting copies of scientific periodicals ane bes ity electrical engineering volume deals with fewer than — 870 abstracts, has only 490 pages, a name-index of eleven pages, and a‘subject-index of twenty-two pages. The average length of an abstract in the former volume is a little more than 0-4, and in the latter a little more than o-5 of a page. length over abstracts of five or six years ago, due, we presume, to so many of the most experienced ab-— stractors being otherwise occupied. The volumes remain two of the most useful issued in this country, ° and their cessation would entail an expenditure of time on the part of scientific workers in looking up refer- ences which cannot be contemplated with any satis- - faction. Z ‘ In the Biochemical Journal for December last Mr. A. Weinhagen describes the reduction of phenylethyl- amine, prepared from phenylalanine, by ing the Both show a material inerease in — aqueous solution of its hydrochloride with finely divided _ platinum and hydrogen. exactly the volume of hydrogen theoretically requisite was actually absorbed. The product of reduction is of which the platini- chloride, the aurichloride, and the picrate are described. On the other hand, all the author’s attempts to reduce synthetic phenylethylamine by the same method were in vain, although the finely divided platinum used was shown to be active. No explanation for the failure can tween the synthetic phenylethylamine and that obtained from phenylalanine is that the former decolorises per- manganate solution only very slowly, whilst the latter It was found that almost as yet.be offered. Practically the only difference be-\ | does so instantly. Attempts to reduce tyrosine, phenyl- — ; alanine, and p-hydroxyphenylethylamine in the same way were also unsuccessful. : eK ev | In our issue of March 9, 1916, we made a passing reference to the Derwent Dam, then recently com- pleted, forming part of one of the five large reservoirs included in the Derwent Valley scheme for the suppl of water to the towns of Leicester, Derby, Shefiteld, and Nottingham and the counties of Derby and Not- tingham. A paper by Mr. Edward Sandeman, read before the Institution of Civil Engineers on April 9, gives a fuller account of the undertakin carried out by the Derwent Valley ater Board. The works authorised by Act of Parliament in 1899 | now being : comprised the provision, in six Jarge reservoirs, of a — total storage capacity of 10,000 million gallons, with aqueducts, filter-beds, and other ancillary works, at an estimated expenditure of about 6,000,0001. One of these reservoirs, the highest and smallest, was after- wards abandoned, and tthe storage capacity of the Derwent reservoir correspondingly increased. The gathering ground is 31,946 acres in extent, and lies on the southern slope of the Pennine Range at an eleva- — tion varying from 500 ft. to 2000'ft. The average rain- _ fallis 47in. perannum. The water is very soft—2° to 3° of hardness—but is discoloured ‘by peat when in flood. The first instalment of work, which has been completed, comprises the Howden and Derwent reservoirs, supply- ing 13 million gallons per day. The two dams are very similar as regards dimensions, their lengths being | respectively 1080 ft. and 1110 ft.; their heights, 117 ft. and 114 ft.; and their greatest base widths, a ft. Ls 153 ; PRIL 25, 1918] ‘at 30 ft. in the interior. The main aqueduct es in length, and consists of 4 miles of 3, 7 miles of covered conduit, and 17 miles of me Tine. | INDY classified catalogue of college text-books nd works of reference on agriculture, botany, emistry, engineering, geology, mathematics, physics, 1ology, and zoology has just been issued by Messrs. ewis and Co., Ltd., 136 Gower Street, W.C.1, Id be of service to many of our readers. R ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. IPANION TO Sirius.+In a letter to the Ob- or April, the Rev. T. E. R. Phillips directs the fact that the companion to Sirius is visible in instruments of moderate aper- lis is accounted for by the circumstance that companion is now in the neighbourhood of greatest zation from the bright star. The star was easily ‘Mr. Phillips with an 8-in. refractor, and t in both cases a quiescent atmosphere essential condition. The mean of several ions gave the position angle of the com- ‘as 721°, and the separation as 10:89". Mr. , ihe Union Observatory, Johannesburg, also the companion is now an easy object, and gives the position angle 73'4°, and distance we observations suggest that. Doberck’s } years is too short by o'22 year, or that ; 49°71 years. AL OBSERVATIONS oF VENUS.—Among numer- ns detailed in Circular No. 41 of the atory, Johannesburg, Mr. Innes reports ng observations of the planet Venus. were commenced on November 15, 1917, *t of determining as nearly as possible te of dichotomy, and these resulted in half the visible disc was illuminated 23. The date given in the Nautical this occurrence, based on geometrical was November 29'9 G.M.T., so that the e@ was seven days in advance of the pre- It was remarked by all the observers edge of the planet was very bright, darkish lune along the terminator. It noted that the northern cusp was more ly pe inted than the southern. circular also includes measures of eighty-seven e stars, photographic observations of comet ‘and of several asteroids, and three ditional sheets of the valuable photographic atlas e southern heavens which is being issued by the m Lunar Crater Ermmart.—Attention has pre- been directed by Prof. W. H. Pickering to ‘changes in the lunar crater Eimmart, which a non-periodic nature and independent of the ;phase. A careful study of this crater has been ‘on at the Florence Observatory during the last ‘years by Dr. Maggini, who has made use of a sscope of 4-in. aperture, with powers of 175 and 300 Astronomie, March, 1918). ‘The crater is situated e north-western edge of the Mare Crisium, in ude 295° and latitude 24° N., and has a diameter ut 40 km. It is best observed about two or days after full moon, when the Mare Crisium - NO. 2530, VOL. 101 | NATURE icuously bright in a reflector of 18-in. - is near the terminator. On the western rampart there is a very small crater, which usually appears as a brilliant point, but shows a deep cavity under very oblique illumination. Following a general description of the appearances under different illuminations, Dr. Maggini gives an account of the changes noted in Sep- tember, 1915, and October, 1916, when certain portions were of quite unusual brightness. The observations suggest that the changes originate in the craterlet, which is surrounded by a white deposit, extending in rays somewhat similar to those about Tycho. It seems possible that there is an occasional recrudescence of activity in the craterlet, with emission of a white sub- stance, masking for a time the. craterlet itself, and afterwards dispersing over the surface. Continued observations promise to be of considerable interest. THE NATIONAL DYE-MAKING INDUSTRY. ‘ES assure a national supply of dyes, independent of any foreign sources, it is necessary that in respect of each of the three stages of manufacture—({1) raw products, (2) intermediates, (3) finished dyes—this country should be self-supporting. An abundant supply of the necessary raw products is available in Great Britain, and, moreover, their manufacture in the state of purity required for the production of dye manu- facture has long been carried out within the country on a very extensive scale. In respect of intermediates, at the ‘outbreak of war we were very badly placed indeed, for although at one time or another various firms in this country had manufactured a considerable number of the necessary intermediate products, in most instances they had been forced, by continuous underselling on the part of German firms, to abandon their manufacture. This state of affairs led to the | result that the British firms which manufactured colours were to a very large extent dependent upon imported intermediate products. The correctness of the statement that before a really national supply of dye can be established there must be a sufficient, and secure, supply of intermediates will not be denied by anyone who has to deal with the manufacture of colouring matters, for without them the dye-maker is in the position of the dyer who has no supply of colours. Moreover, if the dyewares that are to be produced from them are to be of a kind which will enable our textile industry to compete successfully in the open export market, every dye-maker will admit that the intermediates must be of the finest quality. On Saturday last, April 20, a considerable party, representing the Press of this country, visited the works of British Dyes, Ltd., at the invitation of the management of the firm. ‘The chairman of the com- pany (Mr. J. Falconer, M.P.)and the managing director (Mr. J. Turner), in their remarks to assembly emphasised the great importance of intermediate pro- ducts, and also the fact that to ensure a sufficient -national supply of these compounds of the highest quality was one of the first aims of the company. During the inspection of the works the party visited the research, technical control, and large-scale experi- mental laboratories; colour sheds; plant for the pro- duction of intermediates, both the trial and the large plants being included; and the various subsidiary plants for the production of the requisite heavy chemicals, » power, etc.; and those present were able to obtain a very fair idea of the progress that has been made by the company. It must have been gratifying © the visitors to. see at work the large plants which recently came into operation for the pro- duction of some of these essential intermediate pro- ducts, particularly to those who had a grasp of the. great amount of preliminary work that is necessary 4 154 NATURE [APRIL 25, 1918 before Operations upon so large a scale can ‘be’ com- menced, Mistakes there are bound to have been, but that.the company has made a definite step towards its objective, and towards the assurance of a national supply of dyes for this country, cannot be denied. On the other hand, what has been accomplished is but small in comparison with what remains to bedone; for the large plants visited produce but a small fraction of the total number of intermediates that are of primary importance. Despite this, when the actual progress that has been. made by British Dyes, Ltd., and by other firms, in the face of the great difficulties of the times, is fairly surveyed, the confidence that British chemists and engineers can place the country in a position of independence as regards dyes is confirmed, but it is also clearly seen that this result can only be achieved by years of strenuous work, by co-operation, and with the aid of sympathetic national support of the industry. A. B. E: SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS OF REFRIGERA- TION AND COLD STORAGE. COMMITTEE has been set up by the Food Investigation Board of the Department of Scientific and Industrial _ Research to consider engineering and physical problems which arise in connection with the use of cold to preserve food, and to organise such research on these subjects as may be considered necessary. . The Committee consists of Sir Alfred Ewing (chair- man), principal, University of Edinburgh; Sir Richard Glazebrook, director, National Physical Laboratory ; Commdr. C. F. Jenkin, professor of engineering science, Oxford; Mr. S. R. Beale, of Messrs. Louis Sterne and Co.; Prof. H. L. Callendar, professor of physics, Imperial College of Science and Technology ; Messrs. G. C. Hodsdon and F. A. Wilcox, of Messrs. J. and E. Hall, Ltd.; Prof. C. H. Lees, professor of - physics, East London Technical College; Mr. A. Mac- donald, superintendent engineer of the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, Ltd., of the Cunard Line; Mr. J. T. Milton, chief engineer surveyor of Lloyd’s Regis- ter of Shipping; Mr. W. B. Statham, of. the Messrs. Lightfoot Refrigerating Co.; Mr. J. Thom, chief engineer of the London Central Markets Cold Storage Co.; and Mr. A. R. T.-Woods, general manager of the H. and W. Nelson Line. The terms of reference to the Committee are ae- signedly wide, so that its activities may be as little hampered as possible. They cover refrigerating machines and ‘the insulation of cold stores in general, ‘and in particular the application of refrigeration in ships, barges, and railway vans for the conveyance -of produce at low temperatures, -and the methods of measuring the temperature and degree of. moisture in closed spaces. The Committee may be said to be taking up work at the point at which it was left by the Refrigeration Research Committee of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, but with greatly extended terms of refer- ence. That committee, which was also under Sir Alfred Ewing, was appointed to define a standard in refrigeration, and the valuable results of its delibera- tions were issued as a report of the institution i October, 1914. In setting up the present Committee an attempt has been made to include experts representing each division of the subject, and in attempting a general survey of the scientific problems which press for solu- tion on the engineering and physical sides the Com- mittee will be guided by the first-hand. knowledge of its-members. It includes engineers with much ex- NO. 2530, VOL. 101 | in the countries at war. perience in the ‘practical work of refrigeration, and also physicists familiar with the methods of experti- _ mental research which are likely to be relevant. = No single committee, however, can hope to possess an exhaustive acquaintance with all aspects of so wide a question. The work will therefore be helped e forward by suggestions received from without, and the Committee would welcome suggestions as to specific questions on which further knowledge is needed. Any communication should be addressed to the Secretary, Sir Alfred Ewing’s Committee, Scientific and Industrial Researc Department, 15 Great George Street, Westminster, S.W.1. PRESENT AND PROSPECTIVE FOOD ck SUPPLIES. RECENT reviews of the outlook for food supplies after the war have been so uniformly pessimistic that a note of comparative optimism from so eminent an authority as Sir R. Henry Rew is doubly welcome at the present juncture. In his address to the Royal Statistical Society on December 18 last (Journal of tthe Royal Statistical Society, January, 1918) Sir Henry was able to arrive at the conclusion that the prospects of food supplies for the hungry world after the war are at least not hopelessly gloomy, although indeed his © considerations were limited solely to supplies, and did not cover the problem of transport. th ois Dealing first with breadstuffs, and reviewing the — existing position as regards production and require- ments in the chief importing and exporting countries, he deduced that although there is an immediate de- ficiency of normal breadstuffs, available to meet the existing demand, there is no shortage in the world’s supplies as a whole, if Australia be included. More- over, the shortage affects only the northern hemisphere, and, so far as can be judged, the wheat crops south of the equator will compensate for the deficient wheat crops north of it. As to the food situation which will exist when the war ends, it is by no means certain that the Central Powers will draw heavily upon extra- European sources of supply, since their needs will probably be met adequately from Russia and the Balkans. Another factor which must be taken into account is the reduction in the number of bread-eaters It is difficult to assess the present reduction of food requirements from this cause at less than one million tons of cereals alone. - More- over; it is probable that demobilisation will lead to a reduction in the average food consumption per head of the men affected, and that the general econémy in the use of food which war conditions have engendered will persist for a considerable period. As regards meat, there has been a serious reduction in the number of cattle, sheep, and pigs in Europe during the war, but, on the other hand, a very sub- | stantial stimulus has been given to the overseas trade in meat, and sources of supply hitherto almost un- tapped, such as Brazil and South Africa, are being steadily developed. On the whole, therefore, Sir ‘Henry found reason to believe that there are, and will be, adequate supplies of meat in the world to satisfy the demands of carnivorous Europe, again assuming, as in the case of breadstuffs, that they can be shipped. Transport is thus obviously the dominant factor, and no optimism as to the world’s supplies can modify the grave fact that the most rigid economy of food is essential throughout the war, since the food available ~ is limited, not by the world’s supply, but by the quan- tity which can be brought to, or produced in, the country which reeds it. . ba The optimism expressed in the paper was not en- tirely shared by speakers in the subsequent discussion, ApRIL 25,1918] NATURE 155 Mr. Udny Yule, in particular, giving reasons for belief that Sir Henry’s estimates of the exportable surplus of ' realised. He agreed, however, that the outlook as cereals was less serious than as regards meat. cereal supply might wecover with comparative dity after the war if the land had not become seri- foul and impoverished, but it might be some years before the meat supply attained anything like 's former plenty. LEEPING SICKNESS AND: BIG GAME. TE have received the report of the Sleeping Sick- ¥¥ ness Commission of the Royal Society, No. xvi. (pp. 221+17 plates+3 maps), which bears date 1915, but has only just been distributed. This volume, most ‘of the papers in which have been already published in beg oceedings of the Royal Society, gives an account of the investi ations carried on by the commission, ‘the direction of Sir David Bruce, in Nyasaland 1912-14. The most important conclusion of the mission was that Trypanosoma brucei, the cause of magana in Zululand and other parts of Africa, is _ identical with T:; rhodesiense, the trypanosome caus- ' ing sleeping sickness in man in Nyasaland and ; ia. On account of the marked infectivity of game in the fly-country—‘‘and this fact stands out prominently and without any shadow of doubt” Aan _is diminish the number of wild animals in fly-areas, e.g. Poweand ig am restrictions regarding the pursuit and ng of the game. Removal of infected natives, h they are apparently few and far between, to free areas, and the clearing of the forest around eS so as to keep the fly away, are also useful sures, and the suggestion is made that for pur- inistration it would be well to gather the ee in fairly , large villages. Direct w the destruction of the fly are not con- wili disappear and the tsetse with them.’’ Ma uthbert Trop. Med. and Parasitology (vol. xi., No. 3, pp- ; ) a note on tsetse-flies and fiy-belts in Central ca, in which he expresses the opinion that if, in sing of wild animals or great game, the antelopes referred to, he is convinced that they play a quite negligible part, if any, in relation to sleeping sickness in man, and that it is possible to exclude with certainty ‘most of the wild animals, though he places one or two ler suspicion. Of these, he considers the. pig will found to be the chief culprit, not only the common red river-hog and the wart-hog, but more especially the semi-domesticated pig frequently seen about native cf es. ‘ ‘ ¥i ‘ -) z ; 7) METALLURGY OF COPPER. ‘HE Cantor lectures on “ Progress in the Metallurgy of r,” delivered by Prof. H. C. H. Car- ter before the Royal Society of Arts in December , have just been published. Prof. Carpenter com- Aces with a brief review of the early methods of _ copper smelting, giving some interesting details of the _ process in use at Keswick, Cumberland, towards the nd of the sixteenth century, traces the origin and rise f the industry of copper smelting in Swansea and the adjoining districts of South Wales, and thus comes _ to the early years of the nineteenth century, when the - influence of the importation of Chilian ores, followed by the utilisation of the vast deposits of Huelva and the adjoining part of Portugal, first made themselves felt. “NO. 2530, VOL. 101] wheat from North and South America would not be recommended. that efforts should be made to. offer any chance of success, but “when the | becomes opened up, cleared, and. settled, the | hristy contributes to the Annals | By the end of the nineteenth century the huge copper resources of the United States of America dominated the world’s markets, and from that period, when the United States was producing one-half of the copper output of the entire world, up to the present day, American practice has exerted a preponderating influ- ence upon the metallurgy of coprer. Prof. Carpenter gives a full and interesting account of modern American methods, as exemplified in the works of the famous Anaconda Copper Mining Com- pany, and shows well the development of the, most modern improvements, especially in the application of. the flotation process and of hydro-metallurgical pro- cesses. He concludes with an account of the last- named method as applied in the works of the Chile Exploration Company at Chuquicamata, where it is being employed on a vast scale, and points out that the modern tendency in the metallurgical treatment of copper ores is to replace smelting methods by wet methods, so that the similarity between modern pro- cesses for the treatment of gold and of copper is becom- ing more and more pronounced. Incidentally, attention may be directed to a statement of Prof. Carpenter to the effect that ‘‘in the time of Elizabeth, James, etc., the metalliferous ores of this country were reserved to the Crown.’’ This is a mis- take; for whilst it is true that in earlier times the Crown had laid claim to such ores, this pfetension was constantly resisted, and in 1568 it was definitely disposed of by the Great Case of Mines, in which the judges declared unanimously that if a metalliferous ore or mine contains no royal metal—i.e. neither gold nor silver—the proprietor of the soil is owner of the ore or mine in question. It is thus clear that even in the earlier part of Queen Elizabeth’s reign the law gave a definite decision to exattly the opposite effect to that stated by Prof. Carpenter. lo he oe THE ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH. ; J AST October Mr. G. Hogben and Dr. J. Allan Thomson submitted to the New Zealand Minis- ter of Internal Affairs a report on schemes adopted in various parts of the British Empire and in the United States for the organisation of scientific and industrial research. The following abridgment of the report provides a summary of the progress already made and of the plans proposed for the future :— \ Great Britain. By Order in Council, July 28, 1915, a Committee of the Privy Council was appointed to direct the appli- cation of any sums of money provided by Parliament for the organisation and development of scientific and industrial research. It was further ordered that, for these purposes, there should be an Advisory Council (which consisted at the outset of eight eminent scien- tific men, three at least of whom were actually en- gaged in industries dependent on scientific research). To it stood referred for their report and recommenda- tion proposals (i) for’ instituting specific researches ; (ii) for establishing or developing special institutions or departments of existing institutions for the scien- tific study of problems affecting particular industries and trades; and (iii) for the establishment and award of research studentships and fellowships. The sum voted for the first year was 25,0001. For the second year (1916-17) the sum voted by Parliament was 40,000!., but during the course of the financial year the Government decided to establish a Depart- ment, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to take the functions and powers of the 156 NATURE [APRIL 25, 1918 Committee of the Privy Council, the official members of which became. a trust to administer public and other funds given for the purpose named. - The appro- priation for the year accordingly took the following amended form :— 4 (a) Salaries, wages, and allowances 75250 (b) Travelling and incidental expenses 800 (c) Grant for investigations carried out by learned and scientific societies, etc. .. 24,000 (d) Grants to students and other persons en- gaged in research ... phat Ris 6,000 (e) Scientific and industrial research (grant in aid) see Hee ra “ad : 1,000,000 41,038,050 - Items (a) to (d) are ordinary annual votes which lapse at the end of the financial year. Items (c) and (d) are to be distributed by the Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of the Advisory Council, and are intended to meet cases in which assistance is required by the individual worker or by learned, scientific, or professional societies which stand in need of funds to carry on research work. Item (e) was paid to the. Imperial Trust’ for the Encourage- ment of Scientific and Industrial Research, and is intended.to cover expenditure for the next five years. Imperial Scheme. Consequent upon the publication of the proposals for the original British scheme, suggestions were made by the Minister of Public Works of Victoria and by the Premier of New South Wales that the scheme should be extended and made applicable to the Over- seas Dominions, or even to the Empire as a whole. A memorandum drawn up by the British Committee of Council was therefore, on March 2, 1916, circulated to all the Governments of the Overseas Dominions, concurring in the suggestion, and inviting each Govern- ment to constitute some body or agency having func- tions similar to those of the Advisory Council which acts for the United Kingdom. The memorandum lays stress upon two points: First, any body or agencies instituted for the purpose should, under their respec- tive Governments, have really responsible functions and substantial authority; secondly, a close connection should be maintained between these bodies and the public educational systems and institutions of their respective countries. Commonwealth of Australia. “An Advisory Council of Science and Industry was appointed on. March 16, 1916. Since that date addi- tional appointments have been made, ‘so that the Council now consists of thirty-five members representa- tive of both science and industry, and includes mem- bers from all the Australian States. It is a temporary body, designed to prepare the ground for a proposed permanent Institute ‘of Science and Industry, and to exercise in a preliminary .way the functions that will in future belong to the institute. functions are :—(i) To consider and initiate scientific researches in connection with, or for the promotion of, primary or secondary industries in the Commonwealth, and (ii) the collection of scientific industrial informa- tion and the formation of a bureau for. its dissemina- tion amongst those engaged in. industry. At its first meeting the Advisory Committee elected an Executive Committee, of which the Prime Minister (or, in his absence, the Vice-President of the Executive Council) is chairman. The deputy-chairman is Prof. D. Orme Masson.. The Executive Committee at first consisted of six members besides the chairman; to these were afterwards added the chairman of the NO. 2530, VOL. IOT] The chief of these Committee ex officio. several State Committe:s as members of the Executive ~ The Committee in each State consists of the State — representatives on the Advisory Council, together with — any other associaze members appointed on the nomina- tion of State Governments, one of whom is generally a professor of the university. Re The first work of the Advisory Council was, inter alia :— (1) To make a register or census (a) of Australian industries, their distribution and importance; (b) of problems connected with them; (c) of the equipment and personnel of laboratories available for industrial scientific research; (d) of research work in actual pro- gress in laboratories and at Government experimental un a 5 1S. ; ; farms; and (e) of the facilities available for the proper training of future scientific investigators. x (2) To establish relations with other authorities, as State Governments, scientific and technical depart- ments, universities, technical colleges, scientific socie- ties, and associations and committees representing the pastoral, agricultural, manufacturing, and other indus- tries. - ~ (3) To encourage and co-ordinate researches. already in progress (much of the work of the Executive has been of this kind). ; RN ie The next step was the initiation of new tesearches. Having collected all the information from reports and | experts on any special question, the Executive appointed in each approved case a small Special Committee to report further or to carry out actual experimental in-— vestigation. In the latter case the Executive selected the locality and the institution for conducting the research, appointed a salaried investigator to assist the Special Committee, and voted a reasonable sum for: expenses. iy ade Sie Twenty such Special Committees were appointed up ‘to June 30, 1917: some of these committees each car-— ried out or initiated several researches. Their work was in addition:to the research work being carried out by Government Departments, by such societies as the Pastoralists’ Committee, and by universities and other institutions or by two or more of these bodies acting together. ey The primarily” for scientific research and primarily for the necessary routine work of depart- mental testing. It is recommended that (a) the con- trol of the present Commonwealth laboratories should not be disturbed, but that they should be co-ordinated, scheme distinguishes between laboratories - laboratories. their staffs increased, and their equipment improved; — (b) any new national laboratories which may be created for special purposes of research and experimental in- quiry, including a physical laboratory for testing and standardising purposes, should be controlled by -the institute. The Executive Committee urgently recommends the establishment of the permanent institute under statu- tory authority. It advises (i) that an Advisory Coun cil consisting of nine members representing science and the principal primary and secondary industries should be appointed by the Governor-General in Council; (ii) that, for the purpose of controlling and administering the institute and of collecting information and deter- mining on the researches to be undertaken and direct- ing their elucidation, three highly qualified salaried directors, of whom one should be chairman of the directors, should bé appointed by the Governor-General | in Council; (iii) that of the three directors one should be an expert business and financial man with ability in organisation ; the other two should be chosen mainly on account of scientific attainments and wide experi- — ence; their tenure should be fixed by the Act; and that — the scientific staff should be appointed by the Governor- — AprIL 25, 1918] NATURE 157 General in Council on the recommendation of the It is intendéd that so far as possible the Advisory shall act in co-operation with the Advisory u 1 of the Imperial Privy Council and with similar in other parts of the Empire. | scheme the Prime Minister stated that the Canada. “On the recommendation of the Minister of Trade and ‘ce, the Governor-General in Council approved, June 6, 1916, of the appointment of a Committee the Privy Council, consisting of the Minister of ade and Commerce, the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Mines, the Minister of Inland Revenue, and the Minister of Agriculture, which should be charged with, and responsible for, the expenditure of y moneys provided by Parliament for scientific and ustrial research; and also of an Honorary Advisory uncil, ‘responsible to the Committee of Council, to oe of nine men representative of the scien- and industrial interests of Canada, who should be _. charged with the following duties :—(a) To consult with all eg cal saueci bodies and persons carrying on industrial research work in Canada with he view of bringing about united effort and mutual 0-0 1 in solving the various problems of scien- | industrial research which from time to time if thenteebies ; (b) to co-ordinate so far as possible : rages 's0 carried on so as to avoid overlapping of Lonel to direct the various problems requiring ‘solution into the hands of those whose equipment and a are best adapted thereto; (c) to select the most and present them when approved by the to the research bodies for earliest possible ) to report from time to time the progress and1 s of their work to the Minister of Trade and _ Commerce as chairman of the Committee of Council. ey Sm: ‘November 29, 1916, the nine members of the eee ary Advisory Council were appointed, six of q presidents or professors of Canadian uni- _versities. On December 13, 1916, the number of the — of the | Honorary Advisory Council was raised 2) pore .and Dr. A. B- Macallum was appointed per- ‘manent chairman of the said Council, with head- _ quarters at Ottawa, with a salary of 20001. per annum, * ie ta: United States of America, nas An the United States before the war scientific re- cegateh wan oaobebly better organised than in any other 2 Germany. ‘The chief agencies were important Government scientific bureaux; cer- tain institutions privately, and in a few cases munifi- cently, endowed for research; some universities and schools of ‘technology carrying on researches, and scien- tific societies and industrial corporations giving a cer- _ tain amount of opportunity for, and support of, re- _ search. What was chiefly wanting was organisation vand co-ordination, to avoid overlapping and to secure ang distribution of effort over the whole field in which scientific research in connection with national defence and industrial efficiency was likely to be profit- ares ge 1916, the National Academy of Sciences O its services to the President of the United in the interest of national preparedness. Presi- Wilson accepted the offer, and, after preliminary vor! by an organising committee and the appointment a) representatives of the Army, Navy, Smithsonian a Institution, and various scientific bureaux of the Government and of universities, scientific associa- tions, and of engineering institutes and societies, ‘NO. 2530, VOL. 101 | It is understood that for the carrying out of the . and pressing problems | indicated by industrial , the National Research Council was ‘formed, and held its first meeting in September, 1916. The council con- sisted of thirty-seven members, Dr. George E. Hale; director of the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory, being chairman. The main work, however, is done by the Executive Committee, consisting of ten members (now more), of which Mr. |. J. Carty, chief engineer of the American -Telephone and Telegraph Co., is chairman. Committees were also set up to prepare a national census of research and of the equipment and personnel available, and for other purposes of organisation. The research committees are of two kinds: (a) cen- tral committees, dealing with various departments of science, composed of leading authorities in each field; (b) local committees in universities, colleges, and other co-operating institutions engaged in scientific research; and other special committees. It is not intended to supersede or to interfere with existing institutions carrying on research, but where necessary to increase their usefulness by placing addi- tional funds at their disposal and in other ways. For instance, each State is to have an additional grant of 30001. a _year for research conducted by institutions situated in it. The Throop College of Technology, a research institute in California, received a grant of 20,0001., and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology a gift of 100,0001., to be used for the most part for research, The relation between the central committees and the local and other special committees may be illustrated by reference to chemical research. There is a central committee of chemistry, which deals in the first in- stance with all industrial problems connected wholly or mainly with chemistry. This committee defines the specific problems to be investigated, and assigns them to the local committees at certain institutions, or to other special committees consisting of experts in the branch in question. South Africa. As a consequence of the memorandum from the Committee of the Privy Council the South African Government towards the end of the year 1915 appointed a Committee under the title of the Government Muni- tions and Industries Committee, the members being representative of the chambers of commerce an manufacturers’ associations. The work of this Com- mittee was in the main confined to practical engineer- — ing matters, and by no means covered the whole field of industrial research. In October, 1916, the Government appointed an In- dustries Advisory Board, which was intended to have a wider scope; its members, who were to hold office for three years, were almost exclusively business men representative of commerce, manufactures, and labour. In February, 1917, the Advisory Board recommended ‘‘the appointment of a Scientific and Technical Advi- sory Committee to deal with all scientific and technical questions, and questions of research which may be referred to them by the Industrial Advisory Board.’’ The Government accordingly constituted a Committee of ten members—men of science and engineers—the functions of which were to be to provide for scientific research; to co-ordinate industrial investigation. and research in South Africa; to co-operate with other Government . Departments. in South Africa and with similar Departments in the United Kingdom and the Dominions; to carry out an economic survey of the resources of South Africa; and to deal with certain other economic, industrial, statistical, and educational matters. Both the Board and the Committee are under the control of the Minister of Mines and_ Industries. The Committee has begun its work by instituting a general survey of the position in the Union under forty- eight special headings, covering a wide range of natural. and manufactured products of South Africa, each por- / 158 NATURE [APRIL 25, 1918 — tion of the ‘‘ survey’ being entrusted to a reporter, who is apparently a scientific or technical expert. ‘ New Zealand. The British memorandum on the ‘suggestions for making the British scheme applicable to the whole Empire was referred by the Hon. ‘Minister of Internal Affairs to Dr. Thomson for report. At that time the original Australidn proposals were also available in New Zealand. Dr. Thomson’s report consisted of two parts, the first exposing the defects of the pre-war relationship between science and industry, the second outlining proposals for New Zealand. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Institute on January 31, 1917, the reports of the affiliated socie- ties: were adopted, and the following resolutions were passed :—(1) That scientific research be endowed to a very much greater extent than has been done in the past; (2) that the importance of research’in pure science be recognised as of equal importance with that in applied science; (3) that as a definite step towards the endowment of research adequate provision be made for the appointment of fully qualified assistants to the professors of science in the four university colleges; (4) that a Board of Science and Industry be constituted, to consist of (a) members selected by the New Zealand Institute; (b) representatives of the scientific Depart- ments of the Government; and (c) leaders in industry and commerce. This Board to recommend and direct research problems, and to have power to spend money voted by Parliament for the purpose. The New Zealand Institute further offered its’ ser- vices at a deputation to the Acting Prime Minister, and received the reply that the matter would be re- ferred to the National Efficiency Board, the setting up of which was contemplated. The Standing Commiitee of the New Zealand Insti- tute has, at the request of the Efficiency Board, set up an Industrial and Research Committee in Welling- ton to receive and co-ordinate suggestions from the affiliated societies of the institute and from other bodies interested, and to frame a scheme for submission to the board of governors. Consequent on the resigna- tion of the National Efficiency Board, the chairman of that board has intimated that it is the desire of -the Government that the New Zealand Institute should proceed with its deliberations and report directly to the Government.* In the meantime the General Council of Education had set up a Recess Committee to consider the adapta- tion of the educational system of the Dominion to the development of its resources. The Committee met in Christchurch from May 16 to 18, and the report deal- ing with scientific research was adopted ‘by the Council in the following form :— (1) There should be a National Advisory Council on Research, consisting of (a) four scientific men, one of whom should be a scientific expert attached to a Government Department, (b) three members connected ’ with leading industries of the Dominion, one of whom should represent agriculture. (2) (i) The National Advisory Council should con- sider and allot to the proper -persons for investigation all proposals for specific researches (or at its discretion reject such proposals). The proposals might be re- ferred to it by the Efficiency Board, or might come from institutions, or societies, or private persons, or might originate in the Council itself. (ii) The Council might also consider the problems affecting particular industries, to determine along what lines research might be instituted. (iii) The Council should award and supervise the tenure of the research fellowships 1 In view of the reappointment of the National Ffficencv Board, the institute will presumably report to that body as originally requested. NO. 2530, VOL. 101] | mentioned below, and should, on’ the request. of the University of New Zealand, consult with and advise the Senate of the University in matters relating to the national research scholarships in the award of that body. (iv) The Advisory Council should consider and advise the General Council of Education as to the lines along’ which there could be brought about a general improve- ment in scientific education with the view of the train. ing of experts, and should co-operate with that Council and other public bodies in taking such steps as may lead to the better appreciation of the aims and advan- tages of science on. the part of producers and the general body of citizens. — 1 (3) In aadition to the existing national research scholarships (the number of which should be increased) there should be established research fellowships tenable for two, three, or more years by men or women quali- fied and willing to conduct researches approved by the Council. (The fellowships should be of sufficient value to prevent the possible holders from being attracted away to other positions.) (4) The University and the University colleges should assist the fellows in their research in such ways as may be arranged. (5) It is suggested that three Ministers of the Crown “ should form a Research Committee of the Executive Council, and that all the proposals of the National Advisory Council involving additional expenditure or a question of policy should come before the Committee _ for approval. Except in this respect the National Ad- visory Council should not be considered as a depart- ment of the public service, but should be free to act as it thought fit in regard to matters within its control. (6) (i) In further explanation of the functions of the National Advisory Council it is suggested that the fol- lowing should be included among them. The Council might (a) recommend to industrial firms or com- panies scientific managers, superintendents, assistants, or scientific experts ; (b) advise industrial firms or com-~ — panies as to improvements in the arts and processes employed, and as to the utilisation of waste products; (c) make recommendations as to the adoption in any industry of the results of investigations conducted under its directions; (d) undertake the investigation of industrial problems that, if unsolved, would obstruct the development of industries concerned; (e) advise the Government in regard to the help that should be given- to any new industry that is likely to be ultimately of value to the country, though at first it may not be worked except at a loss. (ii) The Council might advise the Government as to what contribution, if any, should be made towards the cost of any research by the firms or companies concerned. (7) That all bulletins and reports relating to the re- searches set up by the Council should be drawn up and published with its authority. ; (8) That the Council of Education communicate with the chambers of commerce, the annual conferences of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, the New Zealand National Dairy Association, and the New Zealand Farmers’ Union intimating that the Council would welcome any suggestion from these bodies as to how the educational agencies of the Dominion might assist in achieving the purpose of bringing the pro- duce of our New Zealand industries into the most profitable relationship with the markets of the world. (a) That the attention of the Government be directed to the necessitv for establishing a course for the train-_ ing of hydro-electric engineers. Re es During the past year various industrial bodies have discussed the general question, and passed resolutions approving of increased Government aid to industrial research, but no details of any scheme have been | framed by them. , Br snd NATURE 159- i publication of an abstract of twenty years’ ‘record of earthquakes in Italy gives an oppor- nity for edged the effect of the gravitational attrac- of the sun; the period is so nearly coincident with na e of nineteen years that the effect of the may be regarded as eliminated, the record is of continuity and completeness, and the num- observations is large enough to allow of the ex- n of groups sufficiently numerous to give good s distribution of the stresses throughout each nal period presents two peculiarities : first, the range ress is greater during the day than during the } summer, with an opposite variation during secondly, the general effect of the vertical com- ‘towards a progressive diminution of the down- an increase during the six hours following, the passages at noon and midnight. 9 gating the first of these, a division of the year parts, at the equinoxes, gives a proportion s during the day to those during the night, | greater than the average during the summer 1 somewhat less during the winter. As this t be purely fortuitous it was tested by a uw treatment of two other records which stood - use—Milne’s catalogue of Japanese earth- om 1885 to 1892, and the after-shocks of the earthquake of 1897. They show a variation iden- 1 character with that of the Italian record. A second t depends on the argument that, if the variation is any way seasonal, the divergence should he increased it the height of each season ; the figures for the months anuary—February and of June-July were taken out, ng midwinter and midsummer respectively, ) show a divergence in each case greater the same direction as, the respective half- WwWaAk actual figures are as follows, the frequency 8 expressed as a ratio to the mean, of each group, as 100:— . _Disrripution or Suocks py Day anv Nicut. Italy, 1891-1910. Day Night IIo 112 116 119 123 cu ae 98 OP Pagel FOF 5 oi ake ty 307 Assam After-shocks. hy ens 87 BOR Gua 93 ‘e A tees 101 99 ‘Taken by itself the variation, as between any pair of ratios, is as likely to be in one direction as in the ther, but the odds against a complete concordance _ thro ut the whole series are 31 to 1; it may, there- fore, be taken that the variations are not fortuitous, t to some common cause which tends to increase cy during the day and decrease it during + entitled ‘* Some Considerations arising from the Frequency * read before the Geological Society on February 6 by R. D. _ NO. 2530, VOL. 101 | \ essure during the six hours preceding, and For the second line of investigation a computation was made of the mean amount a stress for the whole of Italy and the whole year for each of the six hours preceding and following the meridian passage. These were plotted and compared with the correspondin curve of frequency of earthquakes; the result show no apparent relation between the frequency and the total, or the horizontal, stress, though a, close one with the variation of the vertical stress, the greatest number of earthquakes being in the period in which there is the greatest increase of downward pressure. As the rate of increase diminishes the frequency of shocks is less, suffering a further diminution as the pressure begins to decrease, and reaching its minimum in the period where the decrease in pressure is greatest, in- creasing again in the same way to the maximum. The , acini record is not directly comparable with the Italian, being dominated by the after-shocks of great earthquakes of the world-shaking type, and nearly half of the whole record consists of after-shocks - of the Mino-Owari earthquake of 1891. Taking these separately, we get a curve of frequency similar to the Italian, except ihat the maximum and minimum are reversed, the greatest number of shocks corresponding with the period when the load is being lightened most rapidly, indicating that these shocks were due to a general movement of elevation rather than depression, a conclusion in accord with field observations of other great earthquakes. The actual figures of variation of stress, in Italy, and the frequency of earthquakes are as follows :— XII II Illi VI XII ~ Hours ... VIII x } } Mean range of verti- cal stress in each an two hours, Italy. —0°14 —0°27| -0°13 +0°13'+0°27, +0°14 Ratio of actual to | ' mean frequency of | ; each _— two-hour ta period, Italy, . I8gI-1g910... ... 1°06 1°17) I’oL 0790. 0°88 .0°99 After-shocgks of. fet Mino-Owari, Oct. | 28, 1891, Japan. _ 1°OL 0°95 | 0°96 0°97 \ | 4°08 | 1°03 The principal point of interest in these figures is that they give a means of estimating the rate of growth of the strain which produces earthquakes. Accepting the hypothesis that earthquakes are due to the relief by fracture of a growing strain when this has reached the breaking point, it can be shown that a variable strain, acting alternately in increase or de- crease of the general growth, while leaving the average rate of growth unaltered, will give rise to a correspond- ing variation in the frequency of shocks in each period, and, besides that, there is a simple relation between the magnitudes of the two stresses, to which the strains are due, and the variations from the mean fre- quency of earthquakes. A calculation based on this shows that the growth of strain for Italy is such that the breaking strain would be reached in about three and a half years, starting from a condition of no strain. The after-shocks of the Mino-Owari earth- quake give about five to six months, if account is taken of the difference between the resistance of rock - to tension and compression. These figures are given for what they are worth; at the least they are of interest as ae the first authentic estimate which it has been possible to make of the time required to pre- pare for an earthquake, and, thence, of the rate of growth of the particular tectonic process involved in their production. " ‘ 160 “ NATURE ae 25) gee UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL | INTELLIGENCE. IN spite of the war, changes have been carried through with the object of placing higher technical education in Holland on a university basis. About twefity years ago the engineering and technological college at Delft became a technical university; later, a commercial high school was started at Rotterdam. Now the Minister of Agriculture has brought about the réorganisation of the veterinary college at Utrecht and the agricultural college at Wageningen ; both these have recently. been converted into institutions of university rank, It was at the Utrecht veterinary school that van’t Hoff taught chemistry and physics from 1875 to 1877, before his appointment to a pro- fessorship at Amsterdam. ‘SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LONDON. ‘Zoological Society, April 9.—Dr. A. Smith Woodward, vice-president, in the chair—Miss J. Proctor: The variation of the pit-viper, Lachesis atrox. The paper dealt with the variation of the principal characters of the Central and South American pit-viper, Lachesis atrox, L., of which the author regarded L. lanceo- latus, Lacép. , aS a’synonym, and L. affinis, Gray, jararaca, Wied, and jararacussu, Lacerda, as varieties. The author laid special stress on the different patterns of markings, discussing their evolution and regarding that shown by the more northern form, L. affinis, as the most primitive,’ derived. . Mathematical Society, April 18.—Prof. E. W. Hobson, vice-president, in the chair.—P. A. MacMahon; The attraction of a circular disc——H. Hilton: n-Poled cassinoids. BOOKS RECEIVED. Malaria in Macedonia : ‘Clinical and Hematological Features and Principles of Treatment. By P. Abrami, G. Paisseau, and H. Lemaire. Translated by Dr. j age 2 Rolleston. Pp. xxx+115. (London: University of London Press, Ltd.) 6s. net. The Science and Practice of Photography. By Dr. J. R. Roebuck. Pp. xiv+298. (New York : D. Apple- ton and Co.) 2 dollars net. Medical Contributions to the Study of Evolution. By Dr. J. G. Adami. Pp. xviiit+372. (London: Duck- worth and Co.)- 18s. net. A Text-book of Mycology and Plant Pathology. By Prof. J. W. Harshberger, Pp. xiii+779. (London: J. and A, Churchill.) 15s. net. A Treatise on the Principles and Practice of Har-- bour Engineering. By Dr. Second edition. Pp. xvi+ 377. and Co., Ltd.) 25s. net. Brvsson Cunningham. (London : DIARY OF SOCIETIES. THURSDAY, Aprit. 25. Roya. Society, at 4.30.—Bakerian Lecture: Experiments on he Produce tion of Diamond : Sir Charles Parsons. * INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—Large Batteries for Fane: Purposes: E. C. McKinnon. FRIDAY; Ar RIL 26, Royat InsTITUTION, at 5-30.—Feood Production and English Land: Sir A. Daniel Hall. PuysicaL Society, at 5.—Notes on the Pulfrich Refractometer’: J. Guild. —The Accurecy. attainable with Critical Angle» Refractometers: F. Simeon.—Cohesion: Dr. H. Chatley. SATURDAY, APRII. 27. Roya INsTITUTION, at 3.—Modern Inyestigation of the Sun’s Surface: Prof. H. F. Newall. NO. 2530, VOL. I0T| « Petrifaction with Foliage ; (2) A Survey of the Bi from which all others could be . C. Griffin MONDAY, APRIL 29. eke ae Society, at 8.—The’ Conception of Social Orders: Pr H. J. W. Hetherington. TUESDAY, Aprtt; 30. ae Rovat INSTITUTION, at 3.—Cave-hunters : Prof. A, Keith. % Rovat Sociery oF ARTS, at 4.30.—British Guiana : Sir Mer a Egon WEDNESDAY, May :. i Rovat Society or ARTs, at 4. hie from several Points, of yes: G. Martineau. : ENTOMOLOGICAL SociETYy, at 8. es GroLocicaL Society, at 5.30.—The Relationship between Ges : Structure and Magnetic Dintmiseanen, with Special Reference to Leicester- shire and to the Concealed Coalfield of ‘Nottinghamshire Dr. A. Hubert Ox, SocieTy-or Pusiic ANALYSTS, at 5. Ravtors ye she bea of Plant Ashes, with Special Reference to Tobacco: O. D Effect of Codeine inHindering the Prec’ Rintce of seo - from a Solution of its Lime Compound: H. E. Annett and = Analysis of ‘‘Cocoa Teas”: J. L. Baker fat H. F.E . ‘THURSDAY, May 2 ROvAL Sociery, mK: 4.30.—Frobable ‘Papers: Dental Pulp: ‘eee haan —The Naturé of Growths in ¢ i Silica Spletions-! . Onslow. Reyau Society, oF Arts, at 4.30.—The Freedom of the Seas: Gerard 1ennes. LinnEAN Society, at 5.—A New Fresh-water Sivieae (Caridinay from Fiji: G. M.°Thomson.—(1) Bennettites scottii, sp. nov., a European ogical Vaspect ‘ot the Neabe End ‘Cells i Constitution of Coal: Dr. Marie Stopes. 3 Ha FRIDAY, Mav fies i Roya. INSTITUTION, at 5.30.—The boleninee Top in Herkews ‘Sir G. Greenhill. ; INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—Employment of ‘Women in Munition Factories: Miss O. E. Monkhouse (Diésczss7on). SATURDAY, May ame face RovaL FASS a8 at Peon: icpestenaiel of the Sun's Surface: Prof. H. F. Newall. CONTENTS. | PAGE Some ‘‘ Intellectual Adventures.” By H. w. C, pet Physics Text-books. By G.D: W..). . 4 4.0) gaa} Medicine and the Law. Byd- H. T. W. Rey ean a ee Our Bookshelf . . ; opie hae aaa a Letters to the Editor: —_— | tee irect ge 9 Problems and the Duty of Science. ome act Prof 'T.:D..A, Corkerell 9. . 344 The Moros of the Perihelion of Mercury. —Harotd meet Jeffreys... RUSS 4S A’Plea for the Naturalist.—Dr. James RikBie, Pines > i. Time at Sea and the Astronomical Day. (Was: “igs trated.) By Dr. A.C. D. Crommelin: . . . 21146 The Recovery of Potash from Blast-furnace Gases. ei By H. C. H.C. 147, War-time Research in the United States, By a: T. A. H. pct enter sep sft - 0 Ledeen © Notes. . oe hea Se ale er ae 149 Our Astronomical Column :— x The Companion to Sirus ....... . oe FSS. Physical Observations of Venus... . cs 153 ‘The Lunar. Crater Eimmart . . 9. 2. 153 The National Dye-making Industry. By A. oe ae 153 Scientific Problems of Refrigeration and Cold Storage . ye GA GS Present and Prospective Food Supplies. Sas 24 Sleeping Sickness and Big Game. ...... eae piel So4 Metallurgy of Copper. Ky H.L. .-...... 155 The Organisation of Scientific and Industrial Research . 155 The Sd degae of Earthquakes. "By R.D. ‘Oldham, F.R.S 5 OES A University and Educational Intelligence . J ways aeRO Societies and Academies... 9.00. Me ee 160 Booka Received':: +... .... ee 160 ~ Diary of Societies 160 | - , Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltp., Bas ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the Publishers. : ; Editorial Communications to the Editor. : ‘Telegraphic Address: Puusis, Lonponx. = ie Telephone Number : "GERRARD 8830. ° Bigs NATURE 161 _ THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1018. _ OUR HERITAGE. OF SCIENCE. 1) Britain’s Heritage of Science. By A. Schuster and, A..E. Shipley. Pp..xv+334. (London: Constable and Co., Ltd., 1918.) yd Shori History of Science. By Prof. W. T. Sedgwick and Prof..H..W. Tyler. Pp. xiv + 4 474. mi ew York: The Macmillan Co.;. Lon- ¢ lacmillan and Co. 5, ‘Ltd., 1917.) Price . net. . phe main purpose. of the. first of these two 4 . historical books is to give a plain account of Britain’s great heritage of science : “an heritage fs ‘that—handed down through several centuries of * ished achievements—will, if the signs speak true, be passed on to the coming age with _ untarnished brilliancy.’’ It is a legacy to be proud of and to use. Prof. Schuster starts off with a hi fine. chapter on the ten landmarks of physical _ science associated with the names of Roger Bacon, : Gilbert, Napier, Newton, Dalton, Young, Fara _ day, Joule, William Thomson, and Clerk Maxwell. - Then f s a sketch of physical science in the universities during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the achievements of men like _ Halley and Hooke, Bradley and Black. The non- _ Boyle, Cavendish, Priestley, Herschel, and Watt. Through Rumford and Davy and George Green _ the author passes to the golden age of mathe- _ matics and physics at Cambridge associated with the names “of Stokes and Adams, Sylvester and _ Cayley. His survey broadens out to include the q work of Thomson and Tait, Rankine and Fitz- _ teenth century. Thus the author deals with such investigators as Graham, Joule, Balfour Stewart, _ Reynolds, Sorby, Crookes, Rayleigh, George _ Darwin, Ramsay, Rutherford, Airy, John _ Herschel, Adams, and Gill, and the distinguished ; ot in ing ‘ends with Henry ‘Moseley, whose career r promise was cut short in 1915 by a bullet. The next chapters illustrate the Boa of scientific institutions, such as the Royal ‘ ety, and “the effects of pure scientific research on that complex organisation of the community _ which usually goes by the name of civilisation.’ _. Prof. Schuster’s historical sketch is illuminating ‘and inspiring—a fine"example of wise selection of _ materials. In illustration of his judicial spirit we _ may refer to what is said about the estimation of the relative merits of co-operative discoverers. A a ‘generalisation gradually matures; many investi- _ gators may contribute to it; “when the time is 3 some one with a better appreciation of the 3 ‘significance of the facts or a deeper insight into _ their mutual connection touches the matter with a master hand, and presents it in a form that carries _ conviction.’® Sometimes there is a long balancing of arguments for and against a new idea; he who ‘NO. 2531, VOL. 101] Price 8s. 6d.. , and other illustrious physicists of the nine- | mnie d adds the last-grain-that tips the-balance is techni- | - academic succession is illustrated by the work of | cally the discoverer. “There will always be a conflict between those who attach. importance to the intrinsic merit of an investigation and those who look only on the actual influence’ it has had on . scientific thought.”’ _ Dr. Shipley begins with the biological science of the Middle Ages; he sketches the development of botany in Britain from Turner to Ray, from Grew to Hales, from Knight to Brown, from Lindley to Hooker; he outlines the history of British zoology from Pennant and the Hunters to Owen and Huxley, from Erasmus Darwin to Charles Darwin, from Robert Chambers to Alfred ‘Russel Wallace, and on to Balfour and Weldon, and to a master of the craft still with us, Sir E. Ray Lankester. A vivid sketch is given of the progress of physiology from Harvey and Hales to Michael Foster and Burdon Sanderson, and on to Wooldridge and Roy. The growth of geology sketched in the final chapter affords a crowning instance of.the glory of the British heritage of science. Dr. Shipley’s story leaves one a little breath- less, but this is because of the magnitude of his subject and the compulsory compression. His style is as vivid and delightful as ever; but we cannot approve of a construction like “the latter of whose work . ...’’ Some omissions strike us as curious; thus mention is made of four marine laboratories, but that at Millport, with the second largest record of researches, is left cut; we find no mention of John Goodsir, whose w ork had far- reaching importance; and we are a little startled by finding no reference to the author of “The Principles of Biology. *» But we must not pursue the quest for omissions. Dr. Shipley makes some wise remarks on the limitations of science: “No body of scientific doctrine succeeds in describing in terms of laws of succession more than some limited set of stages of a natural process; the whole process—if, indeed, it can be regarded as a whole—must for ever be beyond the reach of scientific grasp. The earliest stage to which science has succeeded in tracing back any part of a sequence of phenomena itself constitutes a new problem for science, and that without end. There is always an earlier stage; and to an earliest we can never attain. The questions of origins con- cern’ the _ theologian, the metaphysician, perhaps the poet.’ The: authors have no thesis to establish, but their valuable book will leave in the minds: of those 'who read it a strong impression of the large number of contributions of the first rank in import- ance that Britain has made to science, which is by its very nature cosmopolitan; and of the extent to which, in spite of our calamitous neglect, _we are nationally indebted to science for advance- ment in mind, body, and estate. But we have not | had more than the first-fruits. (2) The aim of’ the’ second ‘book is “ to furnish a bread, general. perspective of the evolution of science, to broaden and deepen the range of the students’ interests, :and , to encourage the ‘practice of discriminating scientific K 162 [May 2, 1918 reading.’’ The authors believe that students will understand modern science better if they know more of its development, and we share this belief. Prof. Sedgwick is mainly responsible for the treatment of the “natural sciences ’’; Prof. Tyler for the mathematical. ‘‘ ‘he mathematical group, from their: relatively greater age and higher development, afford the best examples of maturity ; the natural sciences illustrate more clearly recent progress.” A considerable proportion of the volume—per- haps too much—is devoted to early history. Ina very interesting way we are told of the gropings of the incipient scientific spirit in early civilisations, of early mathematics in Babylonia and Egypt, of beginnings in Greece and among the Ionian=philo- sophers, of science in the Golden Age of Greece, of Alexandrian science, of science in the Roman world, and of Hindu and Arabian science. We are gradually led to the beginnings of modern natural science, which may be typified by the fundamental work of Galileo. The progress of the seventeenth century is illustrated by the work of men like Harvey, Boyle, Hales, and Huygens; the begin- ning's of modern mathematical science are found in Descartes, Newton, and Leibniz. The next chap- ter deals with the eighteenth century, and we read of Black, Cavendish; Priestley, Lavoisier, Scheele, and others in chemistry; the pioneers in the study of heat, light, sound, and electricity; the classifi- cations of Linnaeus, the descriptions of Buffon, the comparative anatomy of Hunter, the physio- logy of Haller, and so on. The story of the nine- teenth century, all too short, is mainly concerned with the conception of energy, the rise of modern chemistry, and the development of genetic inquiries" along many lines—geological, astronomical, bio- logical, and anthropological. There are scme very interesting appendices, e.g. the oath of Hippocrates, the sixth part of the ‘* Opus Majus’’ of Roger Bacon, the dedication Copernicus wrote to his “Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies,’’ Harvey’s dedication of his work on the circulation, Galileo Galilei’s condemnation and re- cantation, Newton’s preface to the “ Principia,’’ and excerpts from Jenner and Lyell. There is a brief discussion of the origin of some inventions of the last two centuries. In a useful chronological list great names and dates in science are placed oppo- site great names and dates in general history and literature. And the volume ends with a selected list of reference books bearing on the history of science. We appreciate the authors’ scholarly and careful work, which will be of great value to serious students. The task attempted was perhaps too ambitious; for twenty authors, rather than two, would be required to show the true inwardness of the progress of scientific inquiry in its various departments. Sometimes the reader does not get enough material to enable him to understand the drift of the history; sometimes he will be apt to lose the wood in the. trees. authors is most marked in the chapters dealing with early days, and in those sections where they NO. 2531, VOL. 101 | : The success of the: have concentrated attention on. the development’ of particular conceptions, such as energy or organic evolution. of typical passages from authorities, and we admire the solid competence of the whole work. There are some interesting illustrations, e.g. of Tycho Brahe’s quadrant, Huygens’s clock, and Newton’s theory of the rainbow. a REFRIGERATION AND RELATED — SUBJECTS. ee La Statique des Fluides, la Liquéfaction des Gaz, et l’Industrie du Froid. By E.-H. Amagat and L. Décombe. Premiere Partie: Statique des. Fluides Purs. By E.-H. Amagat and L. Décombe. Deuxiéme Partie: La Probléme de la Liquéfaction des Gaz, l’Industrie du Froid. By L, Décombe. Pp. vi+265. (Paris and Liége: C. Béranger, 1917.) Price 18 francs. 3 We like the frequent citation — ‘THE first part of this book deals with the pro- — perties of liquids and gases, giving a very — clear summary of some of the more important ex- perimental work carried out in this branch of physico-chemical research. Amagat’s work and conclusions are recorded in considerable detail, as well as much of the work of other physicists. The researches carried out by the great French physi- cist are of such importance that readers will be glad to have this connected account of them. The compressibility of gases at different tem- peratures receives full consideration, and is illus- trated by reproductions of the dpv/dp isothermals, for ethylene, methane, carbon dioxide, air, and hydrogen. The curves for the last-mentioned gas are taken from the work of Onnes and Braak (1907) from — 180° C. to — 217° C., demonstrating that hydrogen at sufficiently low temperatures ex- hibits a minimum value for pv on the isothermals, as do other gases at higher temperatures. Van der Waal’s equation, constituting an important advance with regard to our knowledge of the com- pressibility of gases, is given a prominent position in the book. The equations of Clausius, Sarrau, — Amagat, and Onnes are briefly dealt with. The application of the reduced equation of state (corresponding states) by Amagat to the deter- mination of critical constants, by ascertaining the conditions of coincidence of the dpv/dp isothermals. of different substances, is described in detail, and illustrated by superposition of the curves for carbon dioxide and ethyleng, and carbon dioxide and ether. Leduc’s work on molecular volumes. in corresponding conditions receives attention, as well as the application of the method to the accu- — rate determination’ of molecular and atomic weights. An interesting comparison of the results obtained for the atomic weights of a number of elements determined in this way with those ob- tained from density determinations shows that a high degree of accuracy obtains in most cases. The study of refrigeration, dealt with in the second ‘part of the book, opens with a brief ac- count of the history of the liquéfaction of gases. A chapter is devoted to the consideration of the — May 2, 1918] NATURE 163 edénptia| parts of the Claude and Linde air lique- _ fiers and the principles underlying their working. _ The Hampson liquefier is not described. The ; fractionation of liquid air is illustrated by diagram- 3 matic representations of Linde’s and Claude’s frac- _ tionating plants, and the merits of the two sys- _ tems are compared. __ The theory of refrigeration is dealt with from the thermodynamic point of view, and a considera- tion of the expansion of gases against external pressure and without external pressure leads up to the behaviour of the working substance in a refrigerating machine. A comparison of ideal indicator diagrams of the cycle with those obtained in practice is utilised to bring out the points need- _ ing careful attention in work of this nature. The _ construction of the essential parts of refrigerating machines is described in some detail, and pro- fusely illustrated with excellent reproductions. The concludes with a chapter on the applica- - tions of refrigeration to ice-production, cold stor- age, and the preservation of foodstuffs, and a ‘description is given of the construction of railway _ wagons and steamships designed for the transport of perishable foodstuffs. On the whole, the subject-matter of the book is _ well thought out and presented to the reader in logical sequence and in a very lucid and readable form. The illustrations are numerous, well repro- duced and explained, and deserve a special word of commendation. The bibliography in the second . part of the book is fairly comprehensive, but the __ value of the first part might, perhaps, be enhanced by a little further attention to this point. _ The utility of the book would be increased by the addition: of an index. A. G. G. Lronarp. nes THE NERVOUS IMPULSE. The Conduction of the Nervous Impulse. Keith Lucas. Revised by E. D.. Adrian. Pp. -xi+102. (Monographs of Physiology.) (Lon- _ don: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1917.) Price 5s. net. ‘2 the spring of 1914 Keith Lucas by good fortune was called upon to deliver the Page By Dr. ~ May memorial lectures at University College, London. He intended to rewrite the lectures for _ the present monograph, and by July, 1914, had _ completed eleven of the thirteen chapters. At the _ outbreak of war he offered his services to the country, and was posted to the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough, where, until he was killed in an aeroplane accident on October 5, 1916, he was fully occupied with problems of flying. ‘The two missing chapters have been written by _ Mr. Adrian, pupil and fellow-worker, for the most & part from the lecture notes. Nearly one hundred years of intensive investi- ‘gation has been devoted to the nervous impulse. The volume of the.work and the number of workers of outstanding ability who have engaged in attempts to discover the nature of a wave NO. 2531, VOL. I0T] probably of no great intrinsic complexity may appear strange to a physicist. The’reason is one of scale: the single conducting unit, the nerve- fibre, being only some 18 to 20 yu in ‘diameter, is too delicate for separate treatment. It is neces- sary, therefore, to work with the nerve, which is a bundle of many hundreds of fibres. For this reason so simple a matter as the relation between the intensity of the stimulus and the amplitude of the wave is incapable of direct measurement, for it is impossible to determine directly whether an increase in the integral response of the nerve is due to an increase of the response of individual fibres or to an increase in the number of fibres called into action. Owing to this ineradicable difficulty, the whole structure of our knowledge of the nervous impulse is based upon an assumption, namely, that the molecular wave suffers a decrement in traversing a region the conductivity of which has been im- paired by some narcotic such as the vapour of alcohol, and that the capacity of the wave for traversing a narcotised region is a measure of its amplitude. The effect of this fundamental, in- security is, to quote Lucas’s words, that “the argument of the experiments becomes somewhat complex. . The experiments are often easily made, even with a considerable degree. of accuracy; it is in their interpretation that the real difficulty begins. And this difficulty arises again and again from the same cause, that nerves and muscles are not units, but each composed of many fibres.’”’ What is the nature of the wave? It is accom- panied by a change of electric potential, but as the rate of travel is only of the order of 40 ft. per sec., it cannot be a simple electrical wave. It is true that on Kelvin’s cable theory and by making many assumptions it can be shown that a wave of simple displacement of electricity would travel in a structure like the nerve-fibre at a speed of this order. But by delicate micro- chemical technique it has been found possible to detect an increased output of carbon dioxide during the passage of the wave, and a rise of temperature has been measured of the order of 7x 107% of a degree Centigrade, not to be accounted for save as heat liberated during the passage of the wave, which would therefore appear to be one of exothermic chemical change. These and other cognate problems are discussed in the clear logical way so characteristic of Lucas’s mind, and from these relatively simple issues the author proceeds to consider how far the pheno- mena of the isolated nerve may be used to inter- pret the much more complex phenomena of the central nervous system. I commend the book to physicists—to the physiologist it is a matter of professional interest, but to the physicist it should come as a romance. Of the gifted author himself there is no space to speak. His skill, his courage, his clear vision are fittingly dwelt upon in a prefatory note by Prof. Starling which could not be bettered. W. B. Harpy. 164 NATURE [May 2, 1918 OUR BOOKSHELF. A Course in Food Analysis. By Dr. A. L. Winton. Pp. ix+252. (New York: J. Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) Price 7s. net. Tus is a useful introductory work for students who have had preliminary instruction in general chemistry and are commencing to learn the prin- ciples of food analysis. The author has arranged his subject-matter in a manner suitable for class work during a course extending over forty labora- tory periods of four hours each. In his experience multiple pieces of apparatus, such as Kjeldahl digestion and distilling stands, are most conveni- ent when designed for twelve determinations—that is, for six students, each carrying out duplicate experiments; and the same number of students is also a convenient one to use on the same day such apparatus as the polariscope, refractometer, or Westphal balance. Hence in the text provision is made for students to work in groups of six, if so desired, and the methods can be suitably allotted to avoid duplication of expensive apparatus. General information is given upon, and labora- tory work mapped out for, the various classes of foodstuffs—dairy products, flesh foods, cereal foods, sugars, fats, vegetables, fruits, flavourings, and beverages. The general matter indicates the nature and composition of the foodstuff dealt with, and includes brief statements of the principles in- volved in the chief methods of analysis employed for examining it. Inthe laboratory work prescribed there are detailed instructions for carrying out the commoner estimations. These include experiments with the polarimeter, refractometer, tintometer, and colorimeter; nitrogen estimations; determina- tions of alcohol, saponification numbers, iodine values, and so forth. A useful chapter is one devoted to the microscopic examination of vege- table foods. The book is written primarily for American students, but the English user will find no diffi- culty arising from that fact—except perhaps for an occasional phrase such as “Hamburg steak ’”’ or “salt-mouthed bottle.’’ As an introduction to more comprehensive works the volume can be confidently recommended. Cc. 3S Instruments de Musique: Le Télharmonium. By Julien Rodet. Pp. 96. (Paris: Gauthier, Villars, et Cie, 1917.) Price 3.50 francs. Tus little book is characteristic of the clear ex- position of a well-informed French author when he has thoroughly mastered the subject. All the phenomena of sound are briefly dealt with in such a manner that he who runs may read. The chap- ters include the production and propagation of sound, a short discussion of the laws of vibration of cords, plates, and tubes, the intimate nature of musical sounds, and a study of musical scales. Then follows a summary description of the more common instruments of music; this chapter will be of great use to the amateur who desires. to know the principles on which his favourite instru- NO. 2531, VOL. 101] ment is constructed. The last chapter is on a new instrument, the tel-harmonium, and is the novel part of the book; it is the description of an — electric organ by which, and by electrical means alone, a synthesis is possible of any musical sound; however complex. The tones so produced are de- veloped by telephone. Alternating currents pro- duce electric generators of tone, and these are superposed on the diaphragm of a telephone. A keyboard controls the tones of seven generators, and by resistance arrangements the intensity of any generator may be modified. ‘In this way it is said that the qualities of the chief instruments of the orchestra, such as the clarinet, the oboe, the cor anglais, the violoncello, and others, can be reproduced with such accuracy as to satisfy the musical sense of a musician who is unaware of the origin of the sounds. Evidently the manipulation of the instrument must be difficult. © J. G.M. — LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with ‘the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] | circa Pope Innocent VIII. and Witchcraft. 5 In the issue of Nature for April 11, p. 113, is an — erratum which corrects a statement made in NATURE for April 4, p. 82, regarding Pope Innocent VII. and witchcraft. It is stated that Pope Innocent VIII. in 1484 ‘gave the sanction of the Church to the popular beliefs concerning witches.”” In the cause of historical — truth it must be stated that Pope Innocent VIII., by his Bull ‘‘Summis desiderantes affectibus” (1484), must be considered to affirm the reality of the alleged phenomena of witchcraft. But the Bull pronounces no dogmatic decision, and the Pope does not wish anyone to believe more about the reality of witchcraft than is involved in the utterances of Holy Scripture. The immediate effects of the Bull have been greatly exaggerated. The expression, ‘‘ gave the sanction of the Church,” is, therefore, inexact, and, being inexact, is unscientific; it needs much qualification. A. L. Cortir. Stonyhurst College, April 18. . [The reference in NaTuRE was from. an article by Dr. E. Withington in ‘Studies in the History and Method of Science,’ reviewed in our’ issue of April 4. Dr. Withington sends the following remarks upon Father Cortie’s letter—Ep. Narure.] — ca Tue Pope’s Bull is printed as preface to all editions of the ‘‘Malleus maleficarum.”’ It was taken as authoritative by Catholic inquisitors, and, presumably, by most of the faithful. ‘This is what ordinary Eng- lish people would understand by ‘the sanction of the Church’’; those who in future denied ‘the reality of the alleged phenomena of witchcraft"’ would contradict an affirmation of its supreme Pontiff. The writer did not intend to suggest that such beliefs are -current among Catholics of the present day or form part of Catholic dogma. E.. WITHINGTON. May 2, 1918] NATURE 165 : THE CENTENARIES OF GERHARDT AND 9 WU ‘4 RTZ. s I? is surely a coincidence not without its special I significance that, at the very time when France, with the sympathy of the greater part of the civilised world, is nobly struggling to regain the provinces of which she was despoiled nearly half a century ago, it should be her pious duty and peculiar privilege to celebrate the centenaries of two of her many eminent sons, both illustrious im the annals of chemical science, both Alsatians, and Frenchmen to their very finger-tips. These events, occurring under present conditions, we may be sure, have not failed to impress the soul ‘of France, or to stimulate and strengthen her resolution to gather again within her fold those compatriots of whom a brutal and arrogant despotism had ruthlessly robbed her. Subjects of which Gerhardt and Wurtz are types are, indeed, among the most precious of her assets. In thus commemorating the services of these distinguished Alsatians, the Chemical Society of France has also ressed the sentiments of admiration and esteem with which those services are regarded wherever science is appreciated. Charles Frederic Gerhardt was born at Stras- burg on August 21, 1816, and died in that city on _ August 19, 1856. The son of a white-lead manu- facturer at Hangenbieten, near Strasburg, it was the intention his father that Gerhardt should assist him in his business, and with the object _ of learning chemistry he was sent, on leaving the Protestant gymnasium of his native place, first to the Polytechnic at Carlsruhe, and then to Leipzig, where he worked in Erdmann’s labora- tory. Here, when barely nineteen years of age, he made his first contribution to the literature of _ science—a lengthy paper in the Journal fiir Prak- _ tische Chemie on ‘‘ The Formule of the Natural - Silicates.”’ He now returned to Hangenbieten, but the craft of chemical manufacturing had no attractions for him. He eventually threw up his | position and enlisted in a cavalry regiment, from ' which, thanks to the generosity of Liebig, to and became one of the most active of the con- tributors to that famous periodical. The times were favourable to the development of his genius, and no field for the display of his peculiar talents could be better than that journal. Revolutions were impending not only in the political world, but also in that of science. It was, perhaps, the most pre-eminently polemical period in the history of chemistry—a time of Homeric combats between the opposing schools of France and Germany. Gerhardt, from his antecedents and upbringing, was well fitted to be what he actually became—a free-lance, whose keen and incisive thrusts were directed, with equal impartiality, sometimes at one protagonist and sometimes at the other. No wonder that the articles over the signature “Z’’ were eagerly scanned by both sets of combatants. Space will not permit of any detailed examina- tion of Gerhardt’s powers as a critic. One ex- ample, however, may be given, which, although of minor importance, is typical of ‘his skill in sarcasm. As is well known to chemists interested in the history of their science, the followers of Liebig were at first disposed to scoff at the doc- trine of substitution, and the editor of the Annalen had disfigured his pages by a letter, supposed to emanate from Paris, and signed S. C. H. Windler, in which the writer, in execrable French, attempted a reductio ad absurdum of Dumas’s great discovery. It was a somewhat clumsy piece of buffoonery, flavoured with that spice of malice which so frequently characterises what Germans regard as humour. Gerhardt took a neat revenge by reprinting the letter in the Revue Scientifique with all the solecisms, faults of grammar, and mistakes of idiom scored through or italicised, as if correcting a schoolboy’s composition. The letter, as we now know, was written by Wohler; it was unworthy of that calm and unimpassioned philosopher, and was, we may be sure, in after years regretted by him. Whilst in Paris Gerhardt worked with Cahours, and after 1841 many of his papers appeared in the Revue, more especially on didactic subjects _whom he became in turn pupil, friend, and rival, he was enabled to procure his discharge. After a short stay at Giessen he made a second attempt to comply with his father’s wishes. It was no _ more successful than the first, and, after eighteen months of irksome drudgery, he finally abandoned the effort and betook himself to Paris. Although only twenty-two, the venture was not altogether hopeless, for he had already made a mark in French scientific circles by his translation of : Liebig’s “Introduction to the Study of Chem- istry,’”’ published by Mathias in 1837. The hand- some, well-grown youth, almost ‘feminine in features, was well received by Dumas, whose early experiences were not wholly dissimilar, and under his encouragement Gerhardt attached him- self to the Répertoire de Chimie, then directed by Gaultier de Claubry. On its foundation, in 1840, by Dr. Quesneville, connected with chemical philosophy. In 1841 he was appointed to succeed Balard at. Montpellier, where he remained seven years. He continued to write for the Revue, but the results of his experimental work were, as a rule, sent to the Academy, and appeared in the Annales de Chimie. Almost at the outset of his career as a professor he was. brought into conflict with Laurent, but the two men soon healed their dif- ferences, and to the great benefit of science and their own fame became firm friends and active SO ROE until separated by Laurent’s death in 1853. In 1848 Gerhardt returned to Paris, where he learnt to know Williamson, who was at that time studying mathematics under Comte. He had started the Comptes rendus des Travaux de Chimie in 1845 in association with Laurent, pre- sumably to afford its editors a wider and more | Gerhardt joined the staff of the Revue Scientifique, ‘NO. 2531, VOL. ror] independent scope for the dissemination of their peculiar views than was possible to them in the 166 NATURE [May 2, 1918 Revue Scientifique. The journal had a somewhat chequered career; each year saw a change of pub- lisher, and it ceased to appear in the troubled times of 1851. He now started a school of prac- tical chemistry at 29 Rue M. le Prince, where he had as pupils and collaborators, amongst others, Chancel, Chiozza, Pisani, and for a time August Kekulé. It was here, too, that he made his memor- able researches on the organic anhydrides—the culminating point of his experimental work. Shortly before his death, in 1856, at the age of forty, he was transferred to Strasburg, but beyond a couple of short papers published posthumously, nothing furthér appeared from his pen. - It would be impossible to do adequate justice, in an article of this kind, to the extraordinary value of Gerhardt’s labours during the twenty short years of his ceaseless activity. His mind was continually at work upon the basic principles of theoretical chemistry, and his pen was never idle in expounding them. His wealth of ideas, the fruitfulness of his conceptions, his grasp, the range of his knowledge, and his logic and insight are simply astonishing. Much of his doctrine is now so woven into the structure of.the science that to recall it all would seem to the student of to-day to savour of the commonplace. But what a cata- logue it makes !—the reform of the atomic weights, the unification of formule, the true conception of the molecule and the atom, constitutional formule, the principle of homology, the réle of water in chemical change, the basicity of acids, and the nature and classification of salts. Suchis the baldest summary of Gerhardt’s influence on the philosophy of chem- istry, as expounded in his critical papers and his various text-books, above all in his classical treatise on organic chemistry. His published papers number more than 100, almost exclusively on subjects of organic chemistry—essential oils, the alkaloids, amides, anilides, ureides, thiocyanates, mellonides, and lastly the acid anhydrides—co- extensive, in fact, with the whole range of that section of the science. The admirable biography which we owe to M. Grimaux and the filial piety of M. Charles Gerhardt, jun., does full justice to these imperishable labours, and they are recalled in graceful and felicitous terms in the Conféretice which M. Marc Tiffeneau delivered before the Chemical Society of France on the centenary of the birth of their illustrious author. Charles Adolphe Wurtz was born at Strasburg on November 26, 1817. He was the son of a Lutheran pastor in a small village near that city, and it was the intention of his father, who had inscribed his name at the Protestant seminary of theology, that he should follow his own profession. The boy, however, had been irresistibly attracted towards chemistry, and his inclination was strengthened by his association with Caillot, then professor at Strasburg, to whom eventually be became lecture-assistant. The father had little sympathy with the son’s aspirations. In his judg- ment chemical science offered little or no prospect of a living, and accordingly the young Wurtz, to NO. 2531, VOL. IoT| meet in some degree his parent’s objections, ap- plied himself to medicine and took his degree in that subject in 1843. he repaired to Giessen, then the Mecca of chemists, and worked under Liebig for about a year. This circumstance determined his career. In 1844 he left Alsace to join Dumas, to whom he had been recommended by Liebig, and in the well-known laboratory in the Rue Cuvier he worked in com- pany with Cahours, Melsens, Stas, Piria, and others, who became more or less eminent in that stirring and fruitful epoch. Dumas’s influence at that period was all-powerful in France, and Wurtz’s rise was rapid. He was “chef des travaux chimiques ’’ at the Ecole Cen- trale in 1845, and in 1846 a member of the Faculty of Medicine. When Dumas became Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, after the Revolution of 1848, Wurtz succeeded him as professor of organic chemistry, becoming titular professor of mineral chemistry in 1853 in succession to Orfila and a line of such illustrious ancestors as Fourcroy and Vauquelin. Here he remained for twenty-one years, attracting to himself a body of active workers from all parts of Europe and America by his power as a teacher, and by the enthusiastic energy with which he directed his school of re- search. In 1872 he was made professor of organic chemistry at the Sorbonne, a position created for him. He retired in 1882 and died on May 12, 1884. ees During the half-century of Wurtz’s scientific activity France passed through many political In the course of his studies — crises, which, no doubt, at times were not without | influence on his position and prospects, but, on the whole, his career was far more placid and prosperous than that of his brilliant compatriot. Although practically contemporaries, Gerhardt was at the height of his fame when Wurtz was but — little known outside Paris. To-day, indeed, the men seem to belong to a different age. By far the greater volume of Wurtz’s work was published when Gerhardt had ceased to write. His earliest efforts were on inorganic subjects. He studied the acids of phosphorus and determined their — basicities, which he afterwards confirmed by preparing their compound ethers; he discovered phosphoryl chloride and copper hydride, the first member of this class of substances to be made known, and noted the significance of the mode of its decomposition by hydrochloric acid in refer- ence to the atomic constitution of elements in the free state. But under the influence of Dumas he soon turned — into the rapidly developing field of organic chem- © His work on copper hydride led him to — istry. speculate onethe constitution of Frankland’s com- pound radicals, and to indicate the necessary exist- ence of mixed radicals, such as methyl-ethyl, ethyl- amyl, etc. He discovered liquid cyanogen chloride and synthesised urethane, and prepared the cyanic and cyanuric ethers and the first of the compound ammonias—a subject brilliantly exploited by Hof- — He prepared the com- — pound ureas, established the triatomic character of — mann a few years later. May 2, 1918] NATURE (67 glycerol, and predicted the existence of the di- atomic alcohols, which he established by the dis- 3 covery of glycol, glycollic acid, and a number of other derivatives. The theorétical deductions to 3 which these researches gave rise led to a memor- _ able controversy between the French and German __ schools, which greatly influenced the development - of the conception of basicity, and the spread of _ Gerhardt’s teaching of the true principles on which the formulation of organic compounds should be | based. ‘In 1854 Wurtz isolated butyl alcohol (iso- Es Seep! carbinol) from the fusel oil of potato-spirit, _ and ten years later he added another term to this series of homologues by the preparation of his r ~ methylene hydrate, an isomeride of amyl alcohol discovered by Cahours. The mode of its resolu- tion by heat into water and amylene led Wurtz to the study of abnormal vapour densities, as mani- _fested by the thermal decomposition of phosphorus _ pentachloride, the hydrate and alcoholate of aghioral, ammonium sulphydrate and chloride, etc. -—an inquiry which brought him into conflict with Berthelot and Sainte-Claire Deville. His study of _ the action of hydrochloric acid on aldehyde led to the discovery of aldol, its polymerides, and other derivatives, which occupied much of his attention for several years. foregoing i is a very incomplete summary of ‘Wurtz’s contributions to experimental chemistry _ contained within some 150 memoirs. His relation to his epoch has already been set forth in the admirable obituary notice by Friedel—himself an _ Alsatian—which appears in the Bulletin of the _ Chemical. Society of France—a society of which _ Wurtz was one of the original founders, and _ which he consistently supported so long as he lived. A charming sketch of his life, work, and personality by his pupil and life-long friend, Prof. Armand Gautier, appeared in the Revue ’ Scien- _ tifique of December 22~—29, 1917, written on the occasion of the celebration of his centenary. It affords a delightful picture of Wurtz as he ap- peared in his laboratory—the directing and dominant agency, primus inter pares, of a galaxy of collaborators such as Friedel, Caventou, yon Louguinine, De Clermont, Salet, Naquet, _Willm, Oppenheim, Lauth, Girard, Le Bel, Y eeu, Cleve, Chydenius, Tollens, "Sell, Silva, ee Maxwell Simpson, Hanriot, Franchi- ' mont, C&chsner de Coninck, Richet, and van’t Hoff, _ with Gautier himself—all men who, stimulated by the example of their leader and influenced by his _ teaching, have contributed to fashion the edifice _ of modern chemistry. Wurtz was a fine character—a man with a broad mind in a large and manly frame. He had all the onecage which attract men and fascinate youth— charm of manner, transparent integrity, generous _ impulses and a ready sympathy, an enthusiastic and loyal devotion to science, and a quick and _ whole-hearted appreciation of merit in those who | “sought to enlarge its boundaries. He was idolised _ by his students. As a lecturer he had much of the force and fire of his master, Dumas, the same NO. 2531, VOL. 101] « gift of happy and graceful diction, the same clarity | of thought, the same power of logical and lucid | exposition. He had also, in no small measure, | Dumas’s facility of literary expression. No nobler | tribute was ever penned than that paid by Wurtz, | in the opening pages of his well-known Dictionnaire, | to the genius and labours of Gerhardt and Laurent. | M. Armand Gautier well applies to him the words _which he himself used at the graveside of Dumas: “Votre grande figure n’est pas de celles qui puis- sent disparaitre dans l’oubli. Votre souvenir se perpétuera, votre nom passera d’A4ge en 4ge. Vous Vivrez par vos ceuvres, par l’exemple que vous avez donné, par les productions immortelles et les qualités de votre esprit.’’ ue . THORPE: ICE AND FLOWER EXPLORATION HIGH ASIA t) TH indefatigable explorers of the glaciers of the Karakoram Himalayas, Dr. and Mrs. .Workman, who have done more than any others to visit and map out the details of those vast ice-fields, give in the volume before us still another account of their travels and explorations in a new sector of these regions. As usual, in order to cover as much new ground as possible within the narrow summer limits in which travel was practicable, they formed separate and inde- pendent expeditions, although they combine their results in a single volume. At the present time, when so much is being“ written about the extension of women’s sphere on account of the war, it is interesting to find abundant evidence here of the pre-war exploits of a woman-pioneer in these Indian Alps, ‘in fields usually regarded as the especial preserve of men, and of men of unusual nerve because of the physical perils to be encountered and overcome. Mrs. Workman independently instituted and led the pioneer expedition to the hitherto unvisited Rose Glacier of Sia Chen, which is the longest non- polar glacier in the world; Dr. Workman explored the Sher-pi-Gang and other glaciers and basins; and between them they achieved the feat during two summers of mapping out nearly two thousand square miles of ice-field details for the first time. Although the journeys were performed in 1911 and 1912 the exigencies of the war have prevented the publication before now; but as no one else has visited those regions since then, this delay in no way detracts from the interest and solid scientific value of the work accomplished and now given to the public. A striking feature of the moraines in those remote regions was the great preponderance in them of sedimentary rocks at such an extreme alti- tude. The “black’’ moraines on the north, which must have been intensified in the snowy surround- ings, were found to consist of hardened black shale and mixed with slabs of “a pure white 1 (1) “Two .Summers in the Ice-wilds of Eastern Karakoram : The Exploration of Nineteen Hu-dred Square Miles of Mountain and Glacier.” Bv F. B. Workman and W. H. Workman. Pp. 296. (London: T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd., 1917.) Price 1/7. ss. net. (2) Gre) n the see of the World.” By Reginaid Farrer. Vol. i., pp. xii+ 3115 vo ii., pp. viii+328. (London :\Edward Arnold 1917. Price, 2 vols. jos. net. IN 168 NATURE [May 2, 1918 marble ’’; and on the south the black slaty sedi- mentary rocks contained some veins of iron pyrites with quartz and other igneous rocks. _ As in their previous: joint books, the text is enriched by a profusion of excellent photographs, all taken by the writers themselves, and quite up to the high standard set in their earlier journals. Altogether, it is an attractive record of solid geo- graphical achievement. (2) This is one of the travel-books which owe their existence to the enterprise of horticulturists ransacking the world for new species of flowering plants for decorative garden purposes. The re- cesses of south-western China have already proved a happy hunting-ground for such botanical expedi- tions, especially in the more southern borders, but our author traversed the unfrequented northern on the Tibetan border called the White Wolves. He prefers his own system of, phonetics for Chinese names: thus Archueh becomes “ Arjeri,’’ and the familiar Yamen appears as “‘ Yamun.’” With Mr. Purdom, formerly of Kew, and three Chinese lads, Mr. Farrer started from Peking in the spring of 1914 and spent that year on the hill ranges of South Kansu on the border of Tibet, and thereafter wintered in the north, moving farther north in 1915 into the alpine tracts above Sining. Those tracts had previously been in part traversed rapidly by the scientific expeditions of Prezewalsky and Potanin, but these brought back only dried specimens, and did not gather seeds or living plants, which defect our author has now remedied for cultural purposes in regard to several rare species. A list of the new species is given Fic. 1.—/sopyrum Farreri, sp.n. portion in the hope of securing new specimens which would be more hardy and thus more suit- able for the British climate than the softer pro- ductions of Yunnan and Szechuan, which have now been freely explored by Forrest and other collectors. The narrative, in detailing the author’s experiences, reflects his abounding enthusiasm; and though he has his eyes mainly on the business of collecting, he also gives incidentally a good deal of description of the people and of the country through which he passes. As it makes no pretence of being a scientific book, and is thoroughly colloquial in style, relatively free from technicalities except the names of plants, and somewhat facetious, it is easy reading for the general reader. The author had some excitement at times in. evading the roving bands of brigands NO. 2531, VOL. 101 | From ‘‘On the Eaves of the World.” in the appendix, and includes amongst others several new poppies, primulas, and asters, a new gentian, and two new rhododendrons, besides the Isopyrum named after the author, which is here illustrated. Several others of the new species are also decidedly decorative, as seen in good photo- graphic reproductions, whilst other photographs illustrate some of the country traversed and its semi-Tibetan people. L, A. WADDELL. THE SUN AND THE WEATHER. ROF. C. G. ABBOT has contributed to the Scientific Monthly (November, 1917) a reasoned discussion, in the light of recent investi- gations, of the extent and probable sequence of the effect of solar variation on world weather. Be ee May 2, 1918] NATURE 169 .: fees, than one independent line of argument will be found to point to the conclusion that in a ' period of two thousand years there has been no _ appreciable change of climate. Therefore the balance of the heat exchanges between the earth’s 4 e from the solar radiation and its expendi- _ ture in terrestrial radiation into space may be re- Pg as only fluctuating between narrow limits. a ae per cent. of the solar radiation fails to reach the earth’s surface through its protecting _ envelopes, and 90 per cent. of the terrestrial radia- a fails to escape. Such is the beneficent effect et our atmosphere, for want of which the tem- _ perature of the moon’s surface, as proved by actual observation, falls during the short period of a lunar eclipse many times as far as does that _ of any part of the earth between day and night. In most places on the earth the surface air tem- ; Fos rarely varies as much as 1 per cent. & por mea to day, but the variation between day ht is affected by the character of the sur- 4 Timbuktu, in the Sahara desert, having pee the daily and four times the annual change F of temperature at Port au Prince, Haiti, in approxi- the same latitude. _ * Prof. Abbot considers that a slow increase of I per cent. in solar radiation should produce a ss of 1 per cent. in terrestrial radiation, and : on the assumption that this varies as the fourth _ power of the absolute temperature, | he finds this to be equivalent to a change of o°7° C. for each unit per cent. of change of the solar radiation. _ The annual cha nge of mean temperature at Tim- . eae aa ou cs should be 24° C., but is 136° C. From this Prof. Abbot mceludes that the annual variation (due to the 4 -sun’s ¢ dai ing altitude) is not slow enough to 3 aie ce my full effect, and suggests that the Pv in the period ‘of the sun-spot cycle may be more ae me Dr. G. T. Walker finds in general a lower temperature ‘at sun-spot maximum, and this is confirmed numerically. | Képpen, for instance, finds at. sun-spot maximum an average decrease - of o7%° C. for the period 1815-73, ‘and of 05? CG. for’ ‘the period 1873-1910, when the _ maxima were, on the average, less intense. This _ apparent paradox is tentatively attributed to _ increased cloudiness, possibly due to greater pene- trative i of the solar ions. Prof. Abbot’s s fluctuations in the solar radiation provide another line of approach to the elucida- tion of the problem, and Dr. Clayton, of Argen- tina, has applied the method of correlation, for about — ‘fifty well-distributed stations, between Mount Wilson solar constant values and local _ changes of temperature for the few following _ days, obtaining in some cases significant co- efficients. Thus an increase of solar radiation _ was followed by an increase of temperature at Pilar, Argentina, with its maximum one or two _ days late, and by a decrease at San Diego, Cali- fornia, with its maximum three or four days late. In the temperate zones, roughly speaking, the correlation is negative, and elsewhere positive, NO. 2531, VOL. 101 | but the tropical belt of positive correlation is nar- rower over the oceans. The amount of the change found by Dr. Clayton is several times larger than Prof. Abbot’s reasoning led him to expect. He therefore concludes that the results require con- firmation, but that they indicate secondary pro- cesses set going in the ‘atmosphere by changes in solar radiation, and that the effect on winds, cloudiness, and ‘precipitation may be revealed. He infers that as the changes in the sun are followed by changes of similar magnitude on the earth, with a lag depending on latitude, these changes could be predicted if we can secure daily observation of the solar emission. For this purpose new observ- ing stations in cloudless regions are required, and considerations of expense will probably defer this until after the war. Prof. Abbot hints finally that a bequest of half a million dollars would enable the Smithsonian Institution to handle the problem adequately. W. W. B. ANTI-VIVISECTIONISTS- ‘AND _PROTEC- TIVE MEDICINE IN THE ARMY. T is wonderful to what follies anti-vivisection will betray those who believe init. The American Red Cross has been involved in a law- suit by some of the American anti-vivisectionists, who are endeavouring to prevent it from doing medical research on active service. This research would be, almost all of it, bacteriological; it would be inoculations of small rodents in the direct course of the work of the Red Cross for the Army; © but the anti-vivisectionists seem to care more for the rodents than for the Army. Dr. W. W. Keen, of Philadelphia, one of the very foremost of American surgeons, whose name is well known among our own _ physicians and_ surgeons, has. written» an admirable ,article in Science of February 22 last on this attempt to inter- fere with the work of the Red Cross. He tells again some of the oft-told truths: the facts of the protective treatment against typhoid, of the protective treatment against tetanus, of the results of Lister’s work, and so forth. He points out that the anti-vivisectionists in his country all these many years have done nothing, absolutely nothing, to lessen disease or to save life either in animals or in man; and he quotes the statement made by forty-one American medical officers on active service in France: “We feel that anyone en- deavouring to stop the Red Cross from assisting in its humanitarian and humane desire to prevent American soldiers from being diseased, and pro- tecting them by solving’ the peculiar new problems of disease with which the Army is confronted, is in reality giving aid and comfort to the enemy.”’ This article by Dr. Keen is well worth study- ing; but some anti-vivisectionists are blind and cruel; and it is not possible to reason with them, any more than Antonio could argue with Shylock. The fact is that the anti-vivisectionists, since the War, have been rather out of work; and, as Dr. Watts says, “Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.”’ Over here they have done, since 1914, very 170 NATURE [May 2, 1918 little. Some of them led a wild campaign against the protective treatment of our soldiers against typhoid fever; but nothing worthy of notice came of it. Attempts have also been made lately to use the memory of Miss Nightingale as a sort of stalking-horse for anti-vivisection, and to persuade this nation that Pasteur and Lister were of little worth. Over these and the like vagaries, anti- vivisection is spending its time and its money, hoping, after the war, to recover hold of public attention. Surely it will be disappointed of that hope. The war has burned deep into the hearts of all of us this lesson, that‘the magnificent work: of. our Army medical services is indeed founded and built on knowledge-made possible by experi- mental bacteriology. Not all: the anti-vivisection societies in the ‘world will. ever persuade us to forget that lesson of the war. | ‘NOTES. — SOME little excitement was caused in agricultural circles by an article in the Times of April 20 describ- ing how to grow wheat’ and grass on the same Jand. The method, if well founded, would revolutionise agri- culture and overcome some great. difficulties in “food production. At present it is impossible to ‘express any. opinion, as no sufficient. statement of .detail has yet been made. It was stated in the, article that the Government experts had been much impressed; by the method, but inquiries: at the Food. Production Depart: ment put rather a different complexion on the case. According to the article, the method ‘consists in -de- livering a mixture of wheat- or oat-seed and artificial fertilisers under the surface of grass land in July. By. September or October the cereal is-stated to have grown from 8 in. to ro in. high. Livestock are then run on to the field to eat down the corn and grass; the effect of this is said to bea strengthening of root-growth. | The protection from frost given to the roots of the cereal by the covering’of-turf is further said to cause an earlier start of normal spring growth, more heads to be thrown up, more rapid development of the. plant, : and earlier ripening ‘of the. grain. .The harvesting ‘is proposed to be done by ‘means. of. an ordinary -mowing machine fitted with an extra knife at the proper height above the grass to cut the heads of the grain. .The lower knife is to cut. the hay as usual, and the upper knife to act as a‘‘ header.” proposed for separately collecting ‘the. straw. It would be easy to enlarge on t should be repressed until a:definite trial has been made and seen by competent observers. periments are just as full of pitfalls as any. others, and agricultural literature contains many. proposals for. revolutionising crop production which, unfortunately, never matured. There is a great’ deal of evidence to show that growing grass has a pernicious effect on wheat sown in the ordinary way, as careless farmers have often learned to their cost. Mr. Pickering’s experi- ments at the Woburn Fruit Farm further: demonstrate the incompatibility of grass and crops. It. will be well, therefore, to await definite and unexceptionable evidence before attaching importance to the new claims, which are the subject of a further article in the Times of May 1. “A Brix entitled ‘‘Ccinage (Decimal System)’’ has been introduced in the House of Lords by Lord South- wark. The measure provides that for the existing coinage of silver, copper, and bronze there shall be NO. 2531, VOL. ror] Special arrangements are- pe and. the’ e advantages - of the method. if it . materialised, ‘but -expectations » Agricultural : ex-. | substituted a decimal coinage based on-thé sovereign. All coins below a sovereign are to be multiples of the thousandth part of a sovereign, such part being also minted and called a ‘‘mil.”” The new coinage — specified in the schedule to the Bill includes silver coins of the double florin (200 mils), florin, half-florin, — and quarter-florin; coins of nickel, or other metal or alloy, of ten mils and ‘five mils; ‘and bronze coins of four, three, two, and one mil. There is a provision to the effect that in the case of any statutory under- taking authorised to levy or demand rates, tolls, charges, or payments the Board of Trade may, on application, fix the, amount to be payable in mils in respect of any such authorised ‘rates, etc. If the measure becomes law, the ‘date on which it is to come into operation: will be: fixed'-by proclamation. It will be noticed: that ‘the proposed legislation closely follows the suggestions. put. forward by the: Decimal Associa- tion, which.were referred to. in NaturE of October 18 last (p.: 132).’ The proposed bronze coins represent very approximately our present penny, halfpenny, and farthing, while, in addition, there is a coin of three © mils’ which~is ‘nearly three farthings. This large range of coins of low ‘denominations would probably be found .convenient. in the equitable adjustment of — prices. of commodities. The adoption of a decimal coinage has’ for some years been advocated by bodies representing banking and other commercial interests; > and | d the decimal. subdivision of the currency would certainly facilitate accounting work. se ye Asout five-and-twenty cases of a-disease believed to be botulism have recently occurred in London and Sheffield. After an incubation period of from twelve to twenty-four hours the disease sets in acutely with paralysis of the internal and ‘external muscles of the eye, dilatation of the pupil, vomiting, arrest usually of the salivary ‘secretion, difficulty of swallowing and loss. of. voice; and depression: of the heart’s action, which\may cause a fatal issue. The condition is due to a poison found in: food: by the action of a bacillus, the B. botulinus, which chiefly occurs in tinned food, ham, and sausages; from ‘the last-named the name — is derived (Latin, botulus=a sausage). So far the B, botulinus -has not: been isolated in connection with the present series of cases, and until this is accom- plished its’ exact. nature ‘must’ remain somewhat doubtful. - Wie (Una t . Tue Faraday Society has arranged a general discus- _ sion on “The Co-ordination of Scientific Publication,” to be held on Tuesday, May 7, at’5.30, in the rooms of the Chemical Society, Burlington House. The dis- cussion, which -will be ofan informal character, -will be, opened by. Sir Robert Hadfield, Bart., president of the society. a ee he _ In reply to.a‘letter addressed to the Board of Trade on the: subject of the Lighting; Heating, and Power Order, 1918, the registrar of the Institute of Chemistry has been informed’ that, ‘‘ where consulting analytical research and: technological chemists and teachers and professors of chemistry are able to show that by reason of their professional: needs they have been unable to effect the economy prescribed by the Order, the Board © will) accept this as a_ sufficient explanation under paragraph 14 of the Order.” At the méeting of the Zoological Society of London on April 23, the secretary, Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell, directed attention to an advertisement that recently ~ appeared in the London Press announcing fur sales _ by public auction about to be held in the United States. The sales. in question are only examples of what take place annually in London and other important com-_ mercial centres. The numbers advertised are smaller 4 “May 2, 1918] NATURE 171 n usual, no doubt on account of the war, but they ude very large quantities of animals the extinction f which cannot be far distant, unless measures are arried out to protect them. In the opinion of Dr. mers Mitchell, which was confirmed by the meet- there is urgent need for drastic measures to pro- mammals. The protection of birds appeals to sentiment, and is zealously advocated by many ‘organisations. The danger that threatens gals is even greater, and, on account of their * intelligence and more sensitive nervous sation, the cruelty involved in the methods of §, trapping, and killing them is incomparably FOOD economy (plants) exhibit has been led in a new case in the Central Hall of Natural History Museum. The several sec- of the exhibit comprise cereals, bread, roots “tubers and. other ‘‘vegetables,’’ nuts, the fresh fruits, beverages, and sugar and its ss. ‘The plants are those most generally used inited Kingdom’ for foodstuffs, and these are ecifriens, ‘models, drawings, and diagrams. e of the exhibit is the series of coloured ; showing the values of some typical foods in and in building power; comparison of the food- of different foods is easy, as all the diagrams ‘on the same scale and each colour has the same nificance throughout. Two interesting items appear the bread section: one is a model of a 2-Ib. loaf, the 7 of the several daily rations being indicated black lines; the other is an analysis of 4 oz. of sad with the actual constituents of a piece of bread ‘this weight. Food equivalents are exemplified in part of the case by a series of samples of foods, them being equal in energy-value to the 4 oz. BS. - ‘ * n of the German long-range gun. Interest- mation gh es regarding the type of gun, shell, etc. It appears that the Germans have one of their 15-in. naval guns and, by means technical process known: as relining, reduced bre to 82 in. The powder is probably an slow-burning powder, the weight of the og Be rage to give the desired muzzle to the gun. The shell is in two parts, the fine-pointed head and the body. The shell cial driving bands turned on projecting por- the body, in addition to the usual copper bands. burster is either T.N.T. or trinitroanisol (an ex- . The writer of the article does not incline to eory of a special propellant shell, but thinks the Usage ociaaabata in accordance with the usual 2, with necessary modifications in charge, shape shell, and other minor details. An‘ extraordinary general meeting of the Institute emistry was held at King’s College, London, on 27, to consider matters submitted to the institute Executive Committee of the proposed British ciation of Chemists, having in view the desir- _ ability of effecting the more complete organisation of properly trained and competent cine, Gy tes eset esol were passed, among them being :—(1) That it is desirable that the council Should modify the exist- ‘ing requirements of the institute, in order to include as “many chemists as possible in the membership (asso- ¢iateship and fellowship) of the institute, so far as _ such a course is within the provisions of the royal _ charter of the institute. (2) That, until December 31, | NO. 2531, VOL. 101] ae | -plosive similar to T.N.T., but having a lower melting-. 1921, it is desirable that any candidate who can pro- duce evidence satisfactory to the council of having had a sufficient eneral and scientific education, and of having practised pure and applied chemistry for not less than seven years, and who holds a responsible position, should be accepted as eligible to apply for admission to the associateship of the institute, pro- vided that he has complied with the provisions of the charter of the institute with regard to age, general education, and _ scientific training—in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and an optional subject—and that he has passed approved examinations in those subjects. It is the intention of the council to main- tain the requirements for fellowship at a decidedly high level. Every associate will be required to produce evidence that since his admission and for a period of three years therefrom he has been continuously engaged in the study and practice of chemistry in a manner satisfactory to the council; and that he has carried out original research of sufficient merit in the opinion of the council, or that he has devised processes or inventions of sufficient merit in the opinion of the council, or, in special circumstances, that he is pos- sessed of knowledge and ability equivalent, in the opinion of the council, to having fulfilled certain specified conditions, otherwise an examination will be imposed. Steps will be taken towards.closer co-opera- tion between the work of the institute and that of the universities and colleges; the question of extending the publications of the institute will be reviewed; further endeavours will be made to bring before the public the importance of chemistry to the country, and generally to forward the interests of chemists in every way possible. Mr. SaMuEL Henry MILLER was a native of Fen- land, and lived during the » aso part of his life at Wisbech and Lowestoft. lected a- fellow of the Meteorological Society so long ago as 1870, he con- tributed several papers to its publications, dealing seve with observational meteorology, in which he was keenly interested. From 1861-76 he maintained a fully equipped meteorological station at Wisbech, and from 1879-1900 at Lowestoft. An important work by him, written in conjunction with S. B. J. Skertchly and others, is ‘‘The Fenland: Past and Present’ (1878), in which the principal characteristics of this famous and interesting district are efficiently described. Other works written at that time are ‘‘A Guide to the Fen- lands” and ‘“‘The Camp of Refuge.” A record of the gales experienced round the British coasts was con- tributed to The Shipwrecked . Mariner in 1887. Mr. Miller was a gold medallist and foreign member of the Society of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society for nearly forty years. He left Lowestoft in 1900, and spent the re- mainder of his Jife in quiet retirement at Deal, where he was buried on April 20 at the advanced age of ninety-four years. Dr. J. Micuert Crarke, whose death occurred at Looe,. in Cornwall, on April 21, was Pro-Vice-Chan- cellor and professor of medicine in the University of- Bristol. He was a son of the late Mr. W. Michell Clarke, of Clifton, and was educated at Dr. C. T. Hudson’s school at Clifton, Clifton College, Caius College, Cambridge, Bristol Medical School, and St. Thomas’s Hospital. He took the M.B. degree at Cambridge in 1885, M.D. in 1892, and became F.R.C.P. (Load.) in 1896. At Cambridge he favoured anatomy, in which subject _he held a junior demonstra- torship, but experience of clinical work soon convinced him that his true vocation lay on the medical side. In London he became house physician at St. Thomas’s, and on returning to Clifton settled down as a 172 NATURE [May 2, 1918 physician. Dr. Clarke acted as lecturer on practical physiology, and later on as professor of pathology, in the Bristol Medical School; in 1907 he became senior physician to the Bristol General Hospital. He held a position of considerable influence, and was one of those chiefly concerned in the establishment of Winsley Sanatorium. Much of Dr. Clarke’s scientific work was concerned with the welfare of his patients, and the list of his formal published writings is less exten- sive than might have been expected, though this is compensated for by the contributions, often of imme- diate utility, which he made to the medical journals. Amongst his writings may be mentioned ‘‘ Hysteria and Neurasthenia,” ‘‘ Family Periodic Paralysis,” ‘‘ Spinal Cord Degenerations in Anzemia,’’ and contributions to Quain’s “ Dictionary” and Allbutt’s ‘‘ System of Medi- cine.”” In 1915 he held the Bradshaw lectureship, and last year he was elected a member of the council of the Royal College of Physicians. Dr. A. H. Carter, whose death occurred at his residence at Abingdon on April 1, was well known in Birmingham as a distinguished physician and an enthusiastic advocate of public and social work affect- ing the community of that great industrial centre. He was born at Pewsey, Wiltshire, and educated at Epsom College and University -College, London, where his career as a student was marked by many distinctions, including gold medals in comparative anatomy, forensic medicine, and clinical medicine, also with silver medals in physiology and practical physiology. Dr. Carter took the degree of M.B. at the University of London, gaining first-class honours in physiology. In 1871 he was appointed house surgeon to the General Hospital, Wolverhampton, and two years later became patho- logist at the General Hospital, Birmingham, after- wards as house physician, taking his M.D. degree in 1872. In 1876 he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians, and was elected a fellow of the college in 1881. Afterwards he was appointed physician to the Queen’s Hospital, Birmingham, and became professor of medicine at Mason College, and later held the same office at the newly constituted Univer- sity. Thus he was closely connected with the cause of medical education in Birmingham, and actively pro- moted the growth of ‘the medical school in its affilia- tion to the University from Mason College. Dr. Carter’s writings were mainly of a professional kind. In 1895 he published a text-book on ithe practice of medicine, which has reached the eighth edition. As president of the Birmingham branch of the British Medical Association in 1895 he gave an interesting address on ‘‘Rationalism in the Study and Practice of Medicine.” WE have received the seventy-eighth annual report (for 1917) of the Crichton Royal Institution, Dum- fries. The physician-superintendent, Dr. Easterbrook, contributes a general account of the activities of this mental hospital. The causes of illness among the ad- missions for the year showed a decline due to alcoholism, but an increase due to venereal diseases. Results of ten years’ treatment are discussed: the recovery rate is 35 per cent. among the certificated, and 46 per cent. among the voluntary, patients. Various experiments on potato-growing, cattle-breeding, and cattle-feeding have been carried out at the farm. The pathological research laboratory has been closed owing to the absence of the pathologist, Dr. Cruickshank, on war work. Notes on meteorological observations and data are included. STUDENTS of animal behaviour will find some interest- ing facts on the ‘“‘drumming” of the ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellatus) in Forest and Stream for April, NO. 2531, VOL. 101] illustrated by a series of remarkable photographs, probably the first of the kind which have ever been taken. The author, Mr. F. K. Vreeland, had the good © fortune to watch at close range one of these birds while ‘displaying,’ ‘and the is convinced that the — strange drumming sound then made is produced by — the use of the wings alone. This may indeed be the case, but we suspect that later investigations will show — | that these sounds are at least partly vocal. The dis- section of the syrinx would afford valuable evidence on this point. The author is apparently so much of an ‘outdoor naturalist’’ that.he has never read any of the voluminous literature on this theme of courtship displays. But in some respects this adds rather than detracts from the value of his observations, since his records are made without bias. Tue deplorable results which are likely to accrue from hasty war-time legislation in regard to the Wild Birds’ Protection Acts and game laws, in response to popular demand, are briefly commented upon in the Scottish Naturalist for April by Mr. Hugh §. Glad- stone. The vindictiveness displayed towards the pheasant, he points out, is by no means justified. On overstocked estates these birds are certainly harmful to the farmer, but where the head of game is pro- portionate to the size of the estate they perform most. useful work in clearing the ground of wireworm., It is certainly remarkable that, while we are severely penalising all kinds of ‘‘game,’’ the French Govern- ment is making inquiries as to how best to re-~ stock the devastated area of the war-zone with part- ridges and hares. ‘‘It is to be hoped,” Mr. Gladstone remarks, ‘‘that at no distant date there may be set up in this country an ornithological bureau similar to. that already in existence in the United States.” Ir is seldom realised that almost one-third of the continental part of Canada, or nearly a million square miles, must be regarded as unexplored. This is the | estimate of Mr. C. Camsell, who has published in the Geographical Review for March (vol. v., No. 3) a map showing the location of the unexplored areas. In the same issue Mr. Camsell has a paper on some of — the geographical problems awaiting solution in northern | Canada. Recent discoveries have added more than | 2000 square miles to the area of the Great Slave Lake, but few of its shores are yet surveyed. The Caribou Plateau, north of the Peace River, is a great unknown area, although it lies within easy access of settled regions. An even larger unexplored area lies north of Lake Athabaska, around the headwaters of the Thelon and Taltson rivers. are huge areas which no white traveller is recorded ito have crossed. ; La Nature for April 6 describes a new form of voltaic cell, with electrodes of zinc and carbon in a solution of sal-ammoniac, which is due to M. Féry, and has been in use for some time on two of the French railways. The negative electrode is a plate of zine which rests on the bottom of the glass containing- jar, the copper wire connected to it being insulated — up to a point well above the level of the solution in the jar. dinate about half that of the jar, pierced with holes, which rests on the zinc plate, being insulated from it: by an ebonite cross. The evaporation of the sal-— ammoniac solution is retarded by the wooden cover. During the action of the cell the lower part of the solution becomes acid owing to the descent of the dense zinc chloride, while the upper part becomes alkaline owing. to the ammonia produced. The de-~ polarisation of the cell is effected by the air alone. The positive electrode is a carbon tube of | On all sides of Hudson Bay there | } NATURE 173 Phe electromotive force of the cell is 1-18 volts, and a ‘giving 90 ampere-hours weighs only 2-1 kilograms. work begun by Pollok and Leonard in 1905, on pe raphic determination of metallic elements hen present in solution in small quantities, has lately been extended to lithium, rubidium, cesium, and gold y Messrs. A. G. G. Leonard and P. Whelan. The s are stated in a paper which appears in the entific Proceedings of the Royal Dublin Society, . (N.S.), No. 25. In each case solutions of | Stren down to o-oor per cent. were ed, and the tables show the relative persistency _ various lines as the concentration was ed, thus providing a basis for quantitative . Lithium and cesium could be detected in per cent. solutions, but rubidium and _ gold no lines in solutions of strength less than cent. Some of the photographs are repro- it, in the absence of a scale, comparison with ; is somewhat difficult. A line at 2478 in the of metallic lithium and rubidium, which the were unable to identify, was probably due to Ve have examined a new astronomical model de- d for use in schools and colleges by Dr. William n. Those who saw the model at the Royal al Society last year must have been struck educational value, and will welcome the an- it that copies of it are to be placed on the r the war, the matter of price being left nation later. The model represents, with tive angular velocities and axial poses, the and revolutionary movements of sun, earth, and the changes in the moon’s ovbit plane. and cog-wheels are not employed, the ‘effected by taut endless strings pass- each string has a tension regulator, to give the necessary tension. By some ye the tensions the corresponding are put out of action, so that the student imple cases, such as a planet revolving ion Or a moon moving in the same plane . Fine adjustments are obtainable by of the distance between the two half- hich the pulleys are divided; thus tthe the Saros eclipse cycle of 18 years 11 days be satisfied within a very small quantity ; - is not a mere toy, but is capable of al solutions of problems. The phases shown by covering half of the white ddington has pointed out, the chief difficulty rienced by astronomical students is generally that ng relations that cannot be represented on a urface, but involve three dimensions.’ For such should prove very ‘helpful. Full particulars model are given in an illustrated pamphlet to ined (post free 6d.) from Dr. Wilson, 43 Fellows London, N.W.3. ave received a copy of a recent publication of ited States Bureau of Standards (Circular 67), d ‘‘Combined Table of Sizes in the Principal a This table includes the numbers and ; ” in the fol . and S. (Brown and Sharpe), Steel (Stl.W.G.— edited by Epstein; “The Military Map:, Elements of Modern numbers in these five systems in mils,, inches, and millimetres, also the cross-sections in square mils, circular mils, square inches, and square millimetres. The table will probably be found useful by manufac. turers who wish to determine the nearest equivalent in American or British sizes of wires, specified in milli- metres or square millimetres, or vice versa. It should be noticed that the Stubs’ Birmingham gauge is not the same as the series of sizes legalised in the United Kingdom in 1914 under the denomination ‘‘ Birming- ham gauge (B.G.).” The latter system is peactically identical with the series of numbers and sizes issued by the South Staffordshire Ironmasters’ Association in 1884, and is chiefly used for sheet and hoop iron and steel; but it is quite different from the legal ‘American system (‘‘Standard Gage for Sheet and Plate Iron and Steel,” Bureau Circular No. It is an excellent idea to issue in a handy form lists of the principal wire-gauge systems of America and the United Kingdom, and this table is likely to have a wide sphere of utility. A copy may be obtained on application to the Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 18). Tue tendency to utilise drop stampings has become very marked in recent years, and the advantages of these substitutes for forgings and castings have led to considerable developments in connection with muni- tions. Of the two chief methods of lifting the stamp steam is the older, but friction lifting is becoming more popular. Until recently the heaviest weight of tup and die dealt with by friction was about five tons, of which the tup weighed four tons. Messrs. B. and S. Massey, of Manchester, have now built two stamps capable of dealing with weights up to 9-5 tons, and these machines form the subject of an_ illustrated article in the Engineer for April 19. The stroke of the tup is 7 ft., and the lifting speed is 320 ft. per minute. Power is supplied by a 200-h.p. electric motor. The lifting mechanism consists essentially of a hea clutch operated through a light relay clutch. The connection ‘between the lifter and tup is made with strong woven belting 15 in. wide. When the tup is held suspended, the power delivered by the motor is dissipated in work done against friction and converted into heat; hence the necessity arises for cooling the clutch by circulating water, which in these machines is maintained in circulation by means of a pump. ~ books of nds: A AmonG the announcements of forthcomin science we notice the following :—‘‘ Tidal Study of Shore Problems,” A. E. Carey and Prof. F. W. Oliver (Blackie and Son, Ltd.); ‘‘The Produc- tion and Treatment of Vegetable Oils,” T. W. Chalmers, and a new edition of “Industrial Elec- trical Measuring Instruments,” K. Edgecumbe (Con- stable and Co., Ltd.); ‘‘Modern Engineering Measur- ing Tools,’ E, Pull, ‘‘ Military Observation Balloons,” E. J. Widner, and ‘Seasoning of Wood: A Treatise on the Natural and Artificial Processes employed in the Preparation of Lumber for Manufacture,” J. B. Wagner (Crosby Lockwood and Son); ‘*Savage Sur- vivals,”’ J. Howard Moore, and a selection of the lec- tures and essays of the late Prof. W. K. Clifford (Watts and Co). Messrs. MACMILLAN AND Co.’s new list of forth- coming books includes a new edition of ““An Elemen- tary Treatise on Curve Tracing,” Dr. P. Frost, revised by Dr. R. J. T. Bell; ‘The Statesman’s Year Book, 1918,” Sir J. Scott Keltie, assisted by Dr. M Topography "’ (French School of War), complete in one 174 NATURE | [May 2, 1918 volume, with. maps; ‘‘ Examination Papers: in’ Ele- mentary Engineering,”’ R. M. Milne; ‘Alcohol and Life: A Manual of Scientific Temperance Teaching for Schools,’ J. A. Hunter, illustrated; ‘‘ Essentials of Practical Geography,” B. C. Wallis (Practical Modern Geographies); ‘‘A Geography of America,’’ T. Alford Smith (Practical Modern Geographies). OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. Minor. Pranets.—Mr. H. E. Wood records a number of minor planets on plates taken last year at Johannesburg. They have been identified by M. Louis Fabry (Marseilles Circular, No. 10). The most in- teresting is 722 Frieda; this planet had not been observed since its discovery in 1911, so its recovery is fortunate. The Astronomical Journal, No. 729, contains elements of an_ unidentified planet discovered at Washington by Mr. G. H. Peters last November. It may be identical with 293 Brasilia, 1906 WF, or rott LU. If new, he proposes the name Washing- tonia. Prof. Barnard followed the Wolf planet DB until April 4, when its magnitude was 15. It has been so well observed that it ought to be possible to secure its re-observation at the next perihelion in 1922. Tue CEPHEID VARIABLE SU CassiopeL#2.—Further investigations of this interesting variable star have been made by W. S. Adams and H. Shapley (Astro- physical Journal, vol. xlvii., p. 46). Mr. Shapley had already shown that the variation could not be inter- preted as the result of the rotation of a simple ellip- soidal body, and the conclusion that the star is a Cepheid has been verified by the new spectroscopic observations. The range of photographic magnitude, according to Parkhurst, is from 6-52 to 6-99, and the . variations of radial velocity, —18 to +4 km., are correspondingly small. A period of 1-9495 days satis- fies both series of changes, and the epoch of maximum negative velocity precedes the maximum of light by 0-05 day. The spectral type varies from Ag at maxi- mum to F5 at minimum. Taking the visual magni- tude as 6:23, as given by Boss, the spectroscopic parallax is identical with that derived by Van Maanen, namely, +0-010" +0003". New Dovusre Stars.—Mr. R. G. Aitken’s twenty-_ fourth list, giving details of 100 new double stars, appears as Lick Observatory Bulletin No. 306. This observer’s systematic survey of the sky was initiated in 1899, and the present list brings his total published discoveries up to 3000, the region covered being from the pole to declination 14° S., and to declination 22° S. from 13h. to rh. ‘right ascension. All the stars in- cluded are under 5” in distance, and in the present list nearly half are less than 1” apart, while sixteen do not exceed 0:3". The brightest star included is 41 Ophiu- chi, the components of which are rated as magnitudes 46 and 76, the position angle and distance being 298° and 0-52” respectively. JOURNAL OF THE CHALDEAN Socirty.—We have pleasure in directing attention to a small astronomical magazine which is issued quarterly by the Chaldean Society under the title of The Chaldean, The publi- cation has now reached No. 10 of the first volume, and while dealing with astronomy generally, its special appeal appears to be to observers of meteors. The recent issue includes an article on astronomical photography, and several notes on meteors by Mr. Denning and others. A feature of particular interest is a facsimile of a page from the observation book ‘of the late Prof. A. S. prersepel, which furnishes a good example of the method of recording meteors. Com- munications should be addressed to the editor, Mr. J. Hargreaves, Bennington, Stevenage, Herts. NO, 2531, VOL. 10r] | | | species thus indicated is called gilpinite, from specimen, one of those styled uranopilite, proves _ican Mineralogist, vol. ii., p. 78, 1917). RECENT WORK IN MINERALOGY AN PETROLOGY. MINERAL variously labelled .johannite a uranopilite in collections has yielded to Mess E. S. Larsen and.G. V. Brown the composit RO.UO,.SO,.4H,O, where R=Cu,Fe,Na, vs A he typical locality Gilpin Co., Colorado; but a identical. The authors insist that optical tests the microscope are characteristic, and that their ap cation shows that more than one-third of the hund; specimens of ‘‘secondary uranium minerals’’ exa from various museums are incorrectly labelled. Mr. A. E. V. Zealley, in ‘‘ Notes on Newly Recorded Rhodesian Minerals’? (Proc. Rhodesia Sci. Assoc., vo XVi., Pp. 17, 1917), includes an account of the iferous tantalite of the Victoria tinfield, discove 1911, but not hitherto described. Two other Rhe occurrences of tantalite are noticed. l Messrs. R. C.» Wells and B. S. Butler p- 348), has now been disputed in a detailed paper by, — Dr. W. R. Jones (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., vol. xxii. p- 165, 1917). Mr. Scrivenor urged that these be deposits were derived from the surface of Gondw: land during the Permian ice-age, which is respon for the Talchir Beds of India. Dr. Jones, hov “See connects the tin ore with the Mesozoic granite noy i situ in the district, and he brings forward strc 1g evidence to show that there is only one alluvial tin- bearing series in Kinta, instead of two, one another, and separated by a long geological terval. : ‘ante Those acquainted with the work of Mr. W. H. Goox child on the Insizwa Range in the Cape Province (Inst.of — Mining and Metallurgy, Bull. 147, 1916) will ve the publication of Dr. Du Toit’s researches in the area, schist pee 1903 to 1912 (Du Toit and 4 Rogers, ‘‘ The Geology of Part of the Transkei,” South Africa Geological Survey, Explanation of Sheet 275 1917). The geological map, showing a magnificent series of dolerite sills, penetrating the Karroo strata up to the highest Stormberg beds, is now also issued, on a scale of 1:247600. The Insizwa gabbro, with its copper ores bearing nickel and platinum, is included in the north-east of the sheet, and the memoir con- tains a map showing the whole of the gabbro-norite masses. The three sulphides—chalcopyrite, pent- landite, and pyrrhotine—have separated from the igneous rock in the order in which they are here named, as a gravitative differentiation-product in the concave floor of a great sill. Forty-five miles of visible contact along the base of this sill await systematic exploration. a Pay. a The occurrence is discussed, in compari- son with that at Sudbury, in the recently issued repert:> +39 of the Ontario Nickel Commission. _ te = aaa lee E Prof. R. A. Daly (‘‘ Low-temperature Formation of Alkaline Felspars in Limestone,” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci, vol. iii., p. 659, 1917) describes a dolomite from Water- — ton Lake, on the Montana and Alberta border, which _ contains 34-5 per cent. by weight of orthoclase and . ; Ef a oe ee such productions. _ angu May 2, 1918} NATURE 175 | 3:1 percent. of albite. The author compares this with recorded: occurrences of albite in Jurassic and other “unmetamorphosed limestones in Europe. Issel’s dis- _ covery (Comptes rendus, February 24, 1890) of albite _ erystals enclosing radiolaria in a Cainozoic limestone _ may be added to those quoted. Prof. Daly concludes that the alkaline felspars of Waterton crystallised out, like the European examples, at the sea-floor, or soon after the burial of the associated dolomite, and at _ temperatures which may have been well under 100° C. ‘Time, he points out, may be an important factor, and this has to be borne in mind in experimental work on Mr. W. A. Tarr (Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. xliv., + -409, 1917) has examined with much care the ongated chert-lumps in the Burlington Limestone of Missouri, a formation of Lower Carboniferous age. Because he finds no remains of siliceous organisms associated with the chert, and only a partial replace- ment of originally calcareous fossils, he criticises the view that flint is commonly a pseudomorph of portions of the limestone in which it occurs, and remarks that, had the first investigations been made on material . collected in Missouri, the theory that attributes the _ material of flint in other cases to the solution of gs Tamar would not have been propounded. This shows that the author attaches little weight to he mass of evidence collected outside Missouri; yet his reading has evidently been extensive. No reference is made to the frequent occurrence of silicified oolitic rocks, from the Assynt Limestone upwards, in which all the structure of the original limestone is retained, “nor to the remarkable suggestion made by R. Liese- 3 ak Sirs to the rhythmic deposition of flint layers by water holding silica in solution. Mr. Tarr does well to emphasise the fact that flint formation goes on at an early stage in the consolidation of limestone, since pebbles of the flint are often found in the next follow- $ deposits; but it does not follow from this that flint nodules represent —aphee matter precipitated directly on the sea-floor. The shrinkage-cracks in the Missouri flint, filled by limestone, and Mr. Tarr’s interesting riments on the precipitation of silica, help towards his conclusion that the flint in the Burlington Lime- stone is not a replacement of the calcareous rock; _ but this by no means disposes of the cases where flint _masses spread out into successive layers of a lime- stone, or of the thousands of sections from Cretaceous or Carboniferous material that are stored in European collections. We read this paper with the feeling that, if Mr. Tarr has proved his case for the Missouri example, he has dealt with an exceptional occurrence which certainly deserved description. It is characteristic of the association of the sciences in technical industries that geologists should be asked to look for ‘‘pulpstones.”’ Mr. L. H. Cole has, in consequence, tested certain Canadian sandstones “to determine their suitability as pulpstones” (Canada, Dept. of Mines, Mines Branch, Bull. 19, 1917). These ‘are used in wood-pulp mills, and should tear the fibres rt rather than cut them. In the case of sandstones, ains should be of medium size and medium ity, and the stone must resist considerable stresses. Diagrams of the grinding machines add in- terest to this useful bulletin. P Mr. H. Ries describes a gritty plastic “‘clay”’ re- sembling léss (Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. xliv., p. 316, 1917), which proves to consist of 98-5 per cent. of small crystals of dolomite and 1-5 per cent. of iron oxide ‘and alumina. He suggests that the flat faces of the dolomite rhombs, coming into contact or separated only by a film of water, may account for the plasticity, ‘surface tension holding the grains together, but allow- ing of slipping along their faces. NO. 2531, VOL. 101 | phoric oxide; The phosphate deposits of Saldanha Bay, north-west of Cape Town, have been reported on by Dr. A. L Du Toit (S. Africa Geol. Survey, Mem. 10, 1917). The material contains from 10 to 22 per cent. of phos- but this is mostly combined with aluminium. and iron, having been produced by the action of ancient guanos on underlying granitic rocks. The author discusses the value of such phosphates as fertilisers, making no attempt in his summary to reconcile the somewhat contradictory statements of agricultural chemists, but pointing out the need for experiments on natural lines under biochemical condi- tions. His proper mistrust of Germany should not have led him into the error of asserting that the citric acid test of availability of phosphorus was “devised in Germany for the purpose of enabling that country to supply the markets of the world with highly citric- soluble basic slag.” Mr. T. A. Jaggar, jun. (Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., vol. vii., p: 277, 1917), describes the phenomena presented by the aa and pahoehoe types of Hawaiian lava during the cooling of the mass. He suggests that the quantity of confined gas for each unit of volume of melt may be a controlling factor. The ex- pansion of gas in the aa type may be more rapid, but ‘with so many variables there is no cause for wonder that the distinction is as yet unexplained.’’ The author proposes the term ‘‘dermolith”’ for the pahoehoe type, which has a crust or skin as its chief character, and the term ‘“‘aphrolith’’ (foam-stone) for types of lava which divide on the surface, like aa, into lumpy vesi- cular units. He prefers ‘lith’’ to “lite” as a ter- mination, on the well-established analogy of ‘‘mono- lith,”’ Prof. R. A. Daly has furnished a useful synopsis of our knowledge of the nature of rocks in the Pacific islands (Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. xxvii., p. 325) and urges that much more observation is required. He believes that, so far as can be judged at present, the primary magma under the Pacific is of basaltic composition, giving rise to andesites and picrites by differentiation, and to alkaline rocks by solution of comparatively small proportions of limestone. G.. As Jee THE BIRD CULT OF EASTER ISLAND. N the issue of Folk-lore for December last Mrs. Scoresby Routledge gives a singularly interestin account of the bird cult of Easter Island. The sacr bird is the sooty tern (Sterna fuliginosa), and the valued privilege of securing the first egg is a matter of competition between members of the Mata-toa group, the right to become a competitor being acquired only by supernatural agency. The selection is made through a dream vouchsafed to a divinely gifted indi- vidual, the Iviatua. The candidate on selection takes a new name, and the bird-name thus conferred was given to the year in which victory was achieved, thus forming an easily remembered system of chronology. It is also significant that this bird cult is connected with the statues for which the island is famous. The bird-man used to spend his official year on the moun- tain in which the monoliths were quarried; the bird’ initiation of children was also performed in connec- tion with the statues, and the ring design on the back of the images was reproduced at the ceremony on the children’s backs. ‘There seems reason to believe, says the writer, that the people who originally celebrated the bird cult included in it reverence for the statues. The ancestors of the present inhabitants were, there- fore, either the makers of the monoliths of Easter Island, or, if the bird worshippers represent a more 176 NATURE [May 2, 1918 recent migration, the old religion of the images: was | in by the institution, covering the different divisions of astronomical, anthropological, biological, and geo- blended into, and perpetuated by, the more recent eulture. : The conclusions of Mrs. Scoresby Routledge have been extended by a second paper in the same issue of Folk-lore by Mr. Henry Balfour on the ethnological affinities of the natives of Easter Island. He arrives at the conclusion that the island culture is composite, and exhibits traces of fusion of at least two stocks. The first was a Mela- nesian migration, which introduced the practice of distending the ear-lobe, a ‘characteristic style in art, certain special types of stone implements, and ‘the cult of the frigate-bird, which was designed as a magical method of increasing the food supply. This Mela- nesian culture was submerged by a wave of Polynesian immigrants, to.whom is due a new bird cult, aiming at increasing in a like magical way the supply of birds and eggs. This culture seems to be closely.allied to that of the Solomon Islands, and ‘‘it seems likely that the symbolism of many of the ideographic signs em- ployed in tthe Easter Island script may be explained by a:study on the spot of closely similar designs still used in the Solomon Islands, the symbolic significance of which might be ascertained before it is too late.’’ Thus a survey of the materials collected by Mr. and Mrs. Scoresby Routledge, interpreted by the wide ethnographical knowledge of Mr. Henry Balfour, seems to bring us at last within reach of a solution of the mystery of Easter Island. It may be hoped that the clues suggested by him will be followed by some care- ful local anthropologist. SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. Hiker report of the secretary of the Smithsonian In- stitution for the year ending June 30, 1917, has been received from Washington. It reviews the affairs of the institution, summarises briefly the operations of its several branches, and, in addition, contains, in the form of appendices, detailed reports by the assistant- secretary and others directly in charge of its various activities. The permanent fund of the institution now amounts to 200,000l., the limit authorised by Congress. The income during the year under review reached 17,730l., and with the cash balance from the previous year the total resources for the financial year amounted to ES The disbursements for the same period were 24,0301. The former secretary of the institution, the late Prof. S. P. Langley, demonstrated in 1896 the feasibility of mechanical flight by a machine heavier than the air propelled by its own power. As an indication of America’s debt to his researches, his name is fittingly preserved in the name ‘‘Langley Field,” a tract of some 1800 acres near Hampton, Va., where important experiments in aviation are now being carried on. The large machine with which Prof. Langley experi- mented in 1903 proved its worth and its capability of flight during the year reviewed by the report. The institution has established a research laboratory at Langley Field for scientific investigations, and among “several sub-committees engaged in the study of aero- nautic problems may be mentioned those on aerial mail service, aero torpedoes, aircraft communicating, airplane mapping, the relation of the atmosphere to aeronautics, and the construction and navigation of aircraft. The usual activities of the institution were continued during the year in carrying out one of its fundamental objects, the increase of knowledge. Various explora- tions and researches were inaugurated or participated NO. 2531, VOL. 101] logical science; but the secretary points out that T= tunities for undertaking important lines of investiga- tion are constantly being lost through lack of means to carry them into execution. Moreover, several pro- posed expeditions to various parts of the world haye — been delayed temporarily by the war. Px Ba The report directs attention again to the work of it, the Research Corporation, organised in 1912, and hay= ing as its officers men particularly interested in the | development of industry. The principal income of the corporation is derived from royalties for the use of the — Cottrell process for the electrical precipitation of sus- pended particles. Dr. F. G. Cottrell, the inventor of the process, offered his patents to the Smithsonian Institution, but as it was impracticable for the insti- tution to administer them commercially, the Research Corporation was organised for that purpose. The cor- poration seeks to do for industry what other institu- tions are doing for science, for medicine, and for the improvement of social conditions. An annual fellow- — ship has been established ‘“‘open to general competi- tion for the purpose of PES and assisting men > of science in the prosecution of their investigations.” To the successful competitor the corporation offers an honorarium of 500l, and the assistance of the corpora-— tion in securing the most favourable Re hitedian for prosecuting the particular object of study. une The additions to the libraries of the institution and its branches during the year numbered more than — gooo volumes and pamphlets. Among important gifts _ were a first consignment of 561 volumes and 703 pamphlets, part of the botanical library of Dr. J. D. Smith, of Baltimore, and the scientific library of Dr, E. A. Mearns, an American zoologist who died in ~ 1916. “i With the secretary’s report for 1917 may be noticed — conveniently the annual report of the Board of Regents — of the Smithsonian Institution for the year ending ~ June 30, 1916, which has now come to hand. This — handsome and well-illustrated volume of 608 pages includes the secretary’s report for 1916, to which we directed attention last year; but its most attractive feature is the comprehensive general appendix, with — t its invaluable selection of miscellaneous scientific memoirs intended for the use of correspondents of the _ institution, teachers, and other workers engaged in the © promotion of knowledge. Among the memoirs are original contributions, translations from foreign period- icals, and reprints from scientific serial publications printed in English. The original contributions include papers by Prof. C. G. Abbot, director of the Astrophysical Observatory of the institution, on news from the stars; Prof, Paul Bartsch, curator of marine invertebrates in the U.S. National Museum, on pirates of the deep—stories of the squid and octopus; Prof. Albert Mann, on the economic importance of the diatoms; Mr. W. E. — Safford, economic botanist to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on narcotic plants and stimulants of the ancient Americans; Dr. J. W. Fewkes, on a pre- historic Mesa Verde Pueblo and its people; and Mr. Van H. Manning, on mine safe veloped by the United States Bureau of Mines. The translations include an address by Prof. A. Pictet, professor of chemistry at the University of Geneva, on molecular structure and life, published in the Revue Scientifique and the author’s “Extrait des Archives des Sciences physiques et naturelles, Geneva, 1915’; a lecture delivered in Vienna by Prof. F. Berwerth, on the origin of meteor- ites; and a lecture given in ‘French by Prof. M. Caul- lery, exchange professor at’ Harvard University in _ 1916, on the present state of the problem of evolution. z devices de- — German in 1914 in ~ 7 : rte MCAD. eT ee Le te eee Le Si ail Be Se _ the following is provided, for the building of the Carnegie tive Committee on February 26, and some of the _ matters dealt with in it are Here summarised. The u will comprise an infant clinic, pre-natal clinic, school May 2, 1918] NATURE 177 WELFARE AND PUBLIC Seacksth 4 ; LIBRARIES, . ee ceursh annual report, that for the year ending ; De er 31 last, was submitted to the trustees United Kingdom Trust by the Execu- PHYSICAL ul administration of the trust during the year was not an task. Restrictions of various kinds arising out _ of the war have militated against smooth and rapid 4 ress, but the record of work done is, both in ity and amount, satisfactory. _ The new developments opened up by the Executive - Committee, with the approval of the trustees, are de- scribed in the report. The normal income of the trust a amounted to 124,419l., and the grant promises ade by the trustees in connection with these new spmients reached for the year the total of 122,174]. For the last three years, during which. the trust may _ be said to have been in full operation, the average amount of grant promises per annum has _ been 127,5171., and the average normal income for the three ears in question 11,5281. less than that sum. The income for the year 1917 may, however, be regarded as the minimum income available in the future, but even that figure is slightly less than the average grant commitment for the Tast three years. iy Infant Welfare Centres. - The physical welfare of mothers and children, with all that is implied in that comprehensive phrase, has occupied public attention largely in recent months, and the committee’s labours have also been directed towards furnishing, within the limits of its powers, some assistance in the solution of this national problem. The elaborate surveys referred to in the last annual t have been completed and published. he c ttee has determined to erect and equip ildings for six infant welfare centres in urban areas ited Kit m. Broadly speaking, the centres for mothers, and nursery, and the necessary accom- modation for the staff. These buildings will be main- tained by the local authority concerned by means of local rates and Imperial grants, and will be given on conditions :—That a _ suitable site that the plans and_ estimates prove acceptable to the trustees; that the authority undertakes the efficient main- tenance of the centre as a part of its comprehen- _ sive system of physical welfare approved by the Local Government Board for the purpose of Imperial grants; and that full reports of the work of the centre are _ submitted to the trustees annually. - In selecting the urban areas to which the offer de- scribed above has been made, the committee has been influenced in the main by the likelihood of the local _ authority affording to the experimental institution the Se gt __ Represe it might F not on — thro chance of permanent success. The following _ towns have received and accepted the trustees’ offer of ce :—Birmingham, Liverpool, Rhondda, Shore- _ ditch, Motherweli. and Dublin. Central Institutes. ntation has been made to the committee that be extremely useful to Government Depart- ments, local authorities, and voluntary organisations if a central institution were created the activities of which ee serve to assist the movement generally. ble conditions and with fully representative nt such an institute might be of great value to voluntary workers, but also to authorities ut the country. Its main functions would in- NO. 2531, VOL. I01| Under su clude the following :—(a) To form independent opinions in regard to the desirability or need of certain courses of action or policy, which could, when necessary, be presented to Government Departments or local bodies with the weight of recognised authority behind them; (b) to encourage, and to some extent direct and co- ordinate, experimental work by voluntary agencies which, if shown to be successful, could be recom- mended for official consideration; (c) to organise a thoroughly efficient information bureau by means of which inquirers could obtain full, accurate, and up- to-date knowledge of arrangements made both in this country and abroad for maternal and infant welfare, in addition to assistance and advice in regard to any investigation or personal work they desired to under- take; (d) to provide an adequate library of reference of English and foreign literature bearing on the sub- ject ; ©) to organise conferences, meetings, lectures, etc., for the instruction of those interested in infant welfare and for the education of public: opinion in matters relating thereto; (f). to consider the training desirable for workers in maternity and infant. wel- fare centres, heaith visitors, etc., and to formulate conditions of training which might be accepted as the standard for the country as a whole. Accordingly, the committee has decided to provide the necessary accommodation and equipment for two institutes of this character—one to be situated in Lon- don and one in Edinburgh. The trustees will be responsible only for the capital outlays involved, and will not be concerned with the provision of the income required to maintain the institutes, although they will need to be satisfied that proper financial support is forthcoming. It is not contemplated that the function of the institutes will, in any way, supersede or en- croach upon the proper spheres of the various volun- tary and statutory bodies, and funds for their efficient administration ought not to be difficult to find, having regard to their wide sphere of usefulness. Preliminary consideration has already been given to the organisa- tion of the two institutes referred to, and there seems ig prospect that the suggestions will prove accept- able. Travelling Welfare Exhibition. ln connection with the valuable report for Scotland received from Dr. Leslie Mackenzie, the committee’s attention was directed to the useful work undertaken by the Travelling Welfare Exhibition inaugurated by the National Union of Women Workers of Great Britain and Ireland. The work consists essentially in preparing the ground and educating public opinion as to the necessity for higher standards of domestic hygiene as applied to mothers and children. In order to extend the opportunities afforded by the exhibition, the committee has agreed to render financial assist- ance to the National Union of Women Workers in order that a second travelling exhibition may be set on foot in Scotland and two similar exhibitions estab- lished in England and Wales. The néed for propa- gandist work of this nature ought to be only tem- porary, but it is important that it should be undertaken immediately in order that public opinion, particularly in the less advanced communities, may be prepared to welcome the larger ideals of national service to which Imperial and iocal effort will presently be directed. Play Centres. Another aspect of the problem which has engaged the attention of the committee is the question of the fuller provision of play facilities for children. The ' Government Education Departments have realised the possibilities for good which might arise from the efficient administration of centres, where children may have recreation after school hours, and grants are now 178 NATURE [May 2; 1918 available for the assistance of municipal effort in. this direction.. In certain cases, however, the initial equip- ment of ground suitable for the purpose, which has already been acquired by local authorities, might prove an obstacle in the way of the early establishment of play. centres. The committee, therefore, proposes to consider favourably applications for grants from local authorities for the preparation and equipment of such open spaces for children’s playgrounds, on condition that the authorities are prepared to maintain them. Library Policy. The committee expressed the view last year that con- sideration of library matters should not be deferred entirely on account of the war, and that steps should be taken to strengthen a movement which will occupy a place of increased importance after the cessation of hostilities, when various reconstructive measures—edu- cational ‘and social—will call for prompt attention. Endorsement of this view has been given by the in- creased interest taken in libraries, and their future posi- tion in the educational system of the country, by those who are engaged in the consideration of reconstruction after the war. Probably the library movement has never before received the same degree of public atten- tion as during the past twelve months. There is a universal consensus of opinion in the library world that the greatest barrier to progress with which the public library movement is confronted is the present limitation of rate aid; in this view the com- mittee fully concurs. It is useless to expect the library movement to fulfil its enlarged function in the educa- tional system of the future, unless adequate means are forthcoming for its efficient development and mainten- ance. | From time to time suggestions have been placed before the trust to the effect that it might supplement by endowment the meagre incomes at present avail- able, and so make up for the deficiencies which exist in numerous instances owing to the inadequacy of the rate produce. Any step of this character would, in the opinion of the committee, be disastrous, and inevitably postpone the day when larger rating powers are placed within the reach of local authorities. The Library Association has instituted an inquiry into the existing provision of scientific and technical literature in public and other libraries in the United Kingdom. Probably there is no branch of public library work relatively so neglected at the present time as that which deals with technical literature. The reason ‘is not far to seek. Technical books bearing on industrial opera‘ions, scientific and commercial, are costly, and rapidly become out-of-date. The meagre income available for the purchase of books does not, as a rule, allow of extensive outlay in this direction. Book selection committees are apt to look askance at proposals which involve a substantial expenditure for the acquisition of a single work. But in the future, when. the public libraries become more closely cor- related with the educational system of the country, their reference sections will come to be of increasing importance. The existing state of affairs needs further examination, and the trust has responded to an appeal fromthe Library Association in order that a complete review may be obtained. ; The activities of tne Central Library for Students ‘have continued to widen, and its work has promise of considerable importarice in the future. The function of.the library is to supply students with the loan of necessary books which they are not in a position to obtain otherwise. The books are lent, as a rule, to classes organised under the Workers’ Educational Association, the Adult School Movement, or’ other similar organisations of working men and women en- gaged in systematic courses of study; they are also NO. 2531, VOL: £01 | ‘lent to individual students: At the present time there is necessarily a considerable number of students who are prevented from following their studies in the usual manner by reason of their absence from the United — Kingdom. In neutral countries and in enemy coun- tries hundreds of students are interned, and conse- quently cut off from access to text-books. The British Prisoners of War Book Scheme is a voluntary organ- isation expressly constituted to supply books and litera- ture to British subjects so situated. In normal times these students would have enjoyed the facilities pro- vided by the Central Library for Students, and the committee has accordingly made a special grant to the Central Library in order that the organisation named above may supply more adequately books of study to those who are at present aoroad.. It is hoped that on the cessation of hostilities these books will be returned to this country, and, in that event, it has been arranged that they shall be handed over to the Central Library as a permanent addition ts its contents. ene denial and devotion of the teachers, who, it is evident, while training the mind and body of their pupils, recognise the importance of the formation of character. _ These visits have brought home to the King and Queen = Kkeenness and patriotism of the youth of the ountry. They realise the unselfish and hearty manner which boys ese ges. net. € Ra author, who is one of the surgeons to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, has. com- pressed into 220 pages a great deal of interesting matter concerning the development of surgery in the northern capital from 1505 down to the period preceding Lister. The origin of this famous school may be said to date from the “seil of cause granted be the Towne Counsell of Edinburgh to the Craftes of Surrengenry and _ Barbouris’’ whereby they received permission to dissect one condemned criminal each year ‘“quairthrow we may heif experience, ilk ane to instruct utheris.’’ The principles here laid down to base surgery on anatomy and to teach the same pervades the whole history of the Edinburgh school down to_ the period of Syme, its greatest representative | in the middle of last century. At first the barbers were eliminated from the - May 9, 1918] NATURE 183 irgical craft, which continued for a long period ide the University walls, until in 1726 the versity itself established a chair of anatomy, ch was first occupied by the race of the ros, father, son, and grandson. The history the connection of the Bell family, Benjamin, and Sir Charles, is well described, and their tion of a great following, numbering amon he flock the representative names of Sir William ‘ergusson, Robert Liston, and James Syme, a xy of practical surgeons of which any medical ool might be proud. Lister migrated in early from University College, London, to become pil of Syme, with whom he became intimately iated before returning to London. is clearly to be made out in Mr. Miles’s book nn Edinburgh was by way of the dissecting-room, and in the pre-anzsthetic times, when rapidity of operation was the order of the day, a very exact owledge of anatomy was essential. The intro- though for many years to come surgeons all er the country learned their art as dis- s, and the eminence of our surgeons as gractical craftsmen may be referred to this early training in manipulative skill. At the same time, wever, English surgery as a science was in a ckward state, and there is considerable ground - for the belief that part of Lister’s great work was _ due to his training as a pathologist rather than as an anatomist. He became familiar with patho- ical doctrines and the bacteriology which was ‘hen rapidly coming to the front, and most suc- cessfully applied the knowledge to the problems of disease which confronted him. In this way he laid the foundations for enormous advances, although he departed from the Edinburgh ana- _ tomical traditions. — __ In comparison with expert craftsmen like _ Liston, Fergusson, and Syme, Lister was not a _ brilliant and dashing operator,- although his final _ tesults have possibly never been surpassed. Under _ his magic hand the terrors of sepsis disappeared _ and a new era in medicine was revealed. The _ preparatory training which Lister went through Was not imitated by others to any great extent for a long time, and the great discoveries of bacteriology passed into the hands of pathologists. This must seem strange when it is remembered that the great majority of cases which a surgeon ; called upon to treat are the direct or indirect esults of infection. The technical developments ‘Operative surgery have tended more and more to make the surgeon an operative craftsman rather than an original investigator. The relative failure of pure surgery apart from science in the present war is a confirmation of this. _ As a study of the evolution of operative surgery in Edinburgh Mr. Miles’s book is a welcome addi- tion to our knowledge, however. There still is a “necessity for a work on the evolution of ideas on _ Surgical diseases as opposed to manipulative skill _ in their treatment. NO. 2532, VoL. ror] the path to surgicAl fame and fortune in | OUR BOOKSHELF. Frontiers: a Study in Political Geography. By C. B. Fawcett. Pp. 107. (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1918.) Price 3s. net. It would not be easy to say much that is new in a general discussion on frontiers after the works of Sir Thomas Holdich and Prof. L. W. Lyde, one arguing that frontiers should secure protec- tion to the State, the other that they should be chosen rather to facilitate intercourse in the hope of securing peace between adjacent States. Mr. Fawcett has, however, written a very readable essay treating the subject from the viewpoint of geographical evolution. He begins by discussing the value that various features have as frontier zones, and leads on to a consideration of the com- plexities of the frontiers of modern States. He notes that the strongest force at present working towards the modification of frontiers is a tendency _ towards the coalescence of national and political coupe 4 : _ boundaries, duction of anzsthetics altered this, however, -economic and strategic considerations, though in This implies a subordinate place to the main such frontiers will conform with the latter. The real difficulties arise in the determina- tion of nationality in frontier lands which are well peopled. We are glad to notice that Mr. Fawcett defines his use of the terms “frontier ”’ and “ boun- dary,” employing the former for an area and the latter for a line. Loose usage of these terms is not conducive to clear thinking. His suggestion to speak of zones of separation and zones of inter- course (or of pressure), instead of natural and arti- ficial frontiers, has much in its favour. Among his wealth of instances we find no mention of the neutral zone established in the south between Nor- way and Sweden in 1905. Here is an instance of a frontier of intercourse (short compared with the long zone of separation) which both nations agree to prevent so far as possible developing into a menace to one another, by prohibiting the erection of military works or the establishment of garri- sons. RN. Re B: Story-lives of Men of Science. By F. J. Row- botham. With portraits and other illustrations. Pp. 266. (London: Wells Gardner, Darton, and Co., Ltd., n.d.) Price 3s. 6d. TuEsE attractively written biographies of some seventeen workers in science will interest young readers, and probably indirectly foster a love of natural knowledge among ‘them. Among the heroes of science chosen by the biographer may be mentioned Galileo, Newton, Davy, Faraday, Darwin, Pasteur, ,Kelvin, Lister, and Crookes. The chapters are full of incident, and deal with the domestic lives as well as with the researches of the great men chosen for in- clusion in the volume. Mr. Rowbotham shows a wide acquaintance with the literature of his subject, and possesses a happy style. It,is unfor- tunate that throughout the chapter on Lord Kelvin ‘“Thompson”’ is printed instead of ‘‘ Thomson,”’ and that Francis Bacon appears in the table of contents as Lord Bacon, instead of Lord Verulam. 184 NATURE [May 9, 1918 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. - [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. © Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] ** Bread-crust’’ Volcanic Bombs. Ir is easy to identify the writer of the friendly notice of Dr.. Tempest Anderson’s ‘“* Volcanic Studies” (second series) in Nature of April 18, but, notwith- standing his high authority, | must adhere to my explanation of ‘“ bread-crust’’ bombs (p. 42), viz. that the cracks are results, not of internal expansion, but of contraction. had the opportunity of studying a large example near the crater of Vulcano, with others of smaller size in the Lipari Islands, and brought away a ‘“hand-specimen,”” now in the Sedgwick Museum. The former has a compact and rather glassy “rind” about an inch thick, with an interior full of small vesicles. The cracks vary much in size, and the walls of the shallower converge (are rifts, in the strict sense of the term); they appear to be analogous with the cracks in septaria, etc., and I do not see how the formation of numerous vesicles filled. with steam is to increase the volume of the ‘core’? within the ‘‘ rind,” for the process is not comparable with one of effer- vescence. Simple contraction of the crust seems in- adequate, since these cracks, so far as I have seen, do not occur in lumps which are homogeneous throughout. In regard to admitting into the book some photo- graphs which Dr. Anderson had already used as illus- trations, I determined to risk the criticism, because I knew them to be those which he preferred; so that if I had excluded them I should have had to select from the less valuable group, and I was anxious to obtain a representative series. T. G. Bonney. Ir is certainly not without diffidence that any British. geologist will venture to question Prof. Bonney’s interpretations of volcanic phenomena, but in this case he is clearly in opposition not only to received opinion, but also to well-established facts. A ‘‘bread-crust’’ bomb has a thin, compact .rind broken up into polygonal. areas separated by cracks. The’ interior is usually highly vesicular, and even pumiceous. An important point is that the cracks in the crust frequently gape as if they had been opened out, and into them the spongy matter of the interior has sometimes risen up in such a manner as to sug- gest that expansion has taken place afier the crust solidified. Prof. Lacroix, in his monograph on ‘‘La Montagne Pelée’’ (p. 523), has given an excellent account of them. ‘‘The concentric arrangement of these bombs -and the structure of their crust, different from that of their interior, must be-explained in the following manner. When a portion. of the magma at a very high temperature is projected in a pasty condition the surface rapidly cools, expelling the gases which it contains. Thus the glassy crust is formed; this occupies a smaller volume than when molten, and cracks from contraction, but at the same time the centre of the bomb, cooling more slowly beneath the protecting crust, gives off its gases only gradually. As the solidifying glass becomes more viscous these gases occasion the production of vesicles of varying size,, which increase the volume of the bomb. By the conflict between the contraction of the periphery and the expansion of the centre, ‘lips’ are pro- duced, and the fragments of the carapace are dis- NO. 2532, VOL. IOT| placed as shown in plate xxiii.” On p. 522 he ex- plains the term “lips” as signifying open cracks in ‘‘bread-crust’’ bombs, with the edges more or less everted like the leaves of a book. | ~ ilggete Prof. Mercalli, in his text-book of Atv," Pao of the best and most recent (‘* Volcani Attivi,” p.110), — gives practically the same explanation, and states that — these bombs are sometimes called .‘*bombe gonfiati™ (bombs that have swelled). Mercalli does not share — Prof. Bonney’s unwillingness to admit that the mole material in bombs may effervesce, for he describes ‘‘exploding bombs”’ that are ruptured with violence by the expulsion of the gases in the magma, and cites as authorities Prof. Ricco and Sir William Hamilton. The name was originally given by Prof. Johnston- Lavis (NATURE, vol. xxxix., p. 110, and Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol. xi., 1890, p.392). He states that “ expan- sion causes cracking of the hardened crust, and in some cases protrusion through the crust.” His explanation refers to the bombs of Vulcano (to which Prof. Bonney’s description also refers), and was accepted by Prof. Hobbs (Zeits. Deut. Geol. Gesell., vol. xiv. p. 579) and by Prof. Bergeat (‘‘ Die Aeolische Inseln,” p- 185), both of whom know the island well, and have made careful study of the petrology of these bor bs. References might be multiplied if that were desir~ able, but sufficient has been said to prove that among English, French, American, Italian, and German geo- logists who have had every. opportunity of observing the facts, the explanation adopted by the reviewer is generally regarded as the only . satisfactory rs. a ne te i: ry Recovery of Speech through Excitement. Pustic attention has recently been directed to several remarkable examples of recovery of speech by shell~ shocked soldiers as the result of unexpected excite-— ment. Your readers may be interested to learn that a — very remarkable instance of the loosening of the tongue occurred several thousand years ago, namely, in the case of the afflicted son of Croesus, King of Lydia. Cyrus, the Persian, besieged and took Sardis $48 RE; ;! and Herodotus, writing approximately one hundred years after the event, tells us that ‘when the town was taken one of the Persians was just going to kilk Croesus, not knowing who he was. Croesus saw t man coming, but under the pressure of his affliction did not care to avoid the blow, not minding whether or no he died beneath the stroke. Then this son of his, who was voiceless, beholding the Persian as he: rushed towards Croesus, in an agony of his fear and grief burst into speech, and said, ‘Man, do not kill, Croesus.’ This was the first time that he had ever spoken a word, but afterwards he retained the power of speech for the remainder of his life.” (Herodotus, book i., chap. Ixxxv., translated by Rawlinson.) » -J. Newton FRIEND. London, May 6., THE PROMOTION OF POST-GRADUATE * WORK AND RESEARCH. g ikee Senate of the University of London has — had under consideration proposals which have emanated from the Conference of Canadian Uni-. versities held in May, 1916, the Conference of Universities held on May 18, 1917, and the Ameriéan Association of University Professors. The object in view is to encourage post-graduate — / work and research and to contrive some means of strengthening the ties between the universities | of Britain and her dependencies and those of the nal iit eal Oh lt me Foe 3 be this is not far to seek. what the D.Sc.(Lond.) implies. Pa Se ee ee ee Pies Coe May 9g, 1918] NATURE 185 Allied nations, especially the United States of _ America. _ stitution of a new doctorate to be attainable by _ students who have taken a lower degree in some The chief proposal consists in the in- overseas university. The Senate at its meeting on _ January 23 considered the question of provision forthe needs of graduate students from afar, and resolved that the report of the Academic Council _ be approved and adopted. The first item in the Be ad declares that “it is undesirable to institute a doctoral degree of a lower standard than the - doctoral degrees.’’ Let ‘may assist those who are not familiar with existing regulations to form an opinion on this if they are reminded that the M.A. and M. Sc. ‘already exist intermediate between the first e of Bachelor and the final degrees of D.Litt. and ‘D.Se., and that the degree of Master is awarded on the results of research undertaken by 4 the candidate. ld be impossible in the space here avail- able to set forth all the arguments which might be used for and against the proposed new doc- torate. No doubt many of the existing Doctors of the University of London would be opposed to any > of the kind indicated, which would appear easier terms to other students than were pai ‘on themselves. But those who are inti- mate with the working of the regulations for the doctorates of the University of London know that these degrees have been awarded in the past on candidates of very unequal merit. In fact, there can be no doubt that there is as much difference among them as would be at all likely to exist between the old and the suggested new doctorates. The D.Sc.’s, for example, include the survivors of the old e when a stiff examination was the only test, but the list includes some famous names. Since the alteration of the regulations, so as practically to do away with examination and require only the production of a thesis, the quality of the graduates has not appreciably improved, to by their average achievements. The reason If in every case the ideas embodied and illustrated in the work set forth in the thesis were those of the candidate himself, the case would perhaps be otherwise. But this is rarely, if ever, true, for the practice has been for the candidate to go to his professor for a subject and to work it out under his super- _ vision. This is the plan long adopted in the German universities with respect to the Ph.D. degree, and the. only difference which has grown up since the institution of the degree in London _ is the extension of the time which is required to elapse between the stage of Bachelor and that of Doctor. The fact is, the attempt to maintain the very high standard originally aimed at has been dis y a failure. No one can now say exactly At Oxford and Cambridge the Doctorates in. Science are given under quite different conditions, after the lapse of a much longer interval of time, and on the evidence of published work implying mature study and research and an established reputation. NO. 2532, VOL. 101] These degrees, therefore, are not comparable with those of London. The report of the Academic Council referred to-above sets forth a summary. of reasons for and against the institution of a new doctoral degree. Under the former head it mentions. (1) that it would be the means of strengthening the unity of the Empire by increasing the number of students from the universities of the British Empire who pursue their graduate studies in Great Britain, (2) that it would meet a demand preferred by the Canadian and French universities, (3) that it would increase the number of graduate students from Allied countries, and (4) that it would promote research in this country. On the _ other hand, it is stated (1) that the establishment of such a degree is not in the interests of real university education, (2) that the abler students come to London on account of the facilities for study and not primarily to get an English degree, (3) that the establishment of the doctorate might cause the masterships to disappear alto- gether, and (4) that the establishment of the degree would affect prejudicially the standard of the existing doctorates and so injure the University. Of all these considerations it appears to the writer that the first is, at the present time and probably for generations to come, of greatly pre- ponderant importance. And in declining the pro- posals which come to it from his Majesty’s Dominions beyond the seas the Senate has missed a great opportunity for the development of the University. Students who come to London for the purpose of advanced study and research are attracted doubtless to some extent by the facilities afforded by museums, libraries, and laboratories. But in future, if the lessons of the past have not wholly failed to influence university authorities in this country, university professorships will be filled everywhere by men who have shown by their work and teaching that they are qualified and eager to advance knowledge in their respective subjects, and the abler students will go to the abler teachers. Schools of thought can be created only in this way, and in this way chiefly will research be pro- moted. Degrees have very little to do with the matter, and the sooner the student desirous of doing research is out of tutelage the better. The old doctorates at Oxford and Cambridge are in the nature of honorary degrees, and it will be better to keep them so. Meantime, Oxford has already instituted a new degree—namely, Ph.D.—which is to be given to students who have carried out a special course of study or research extending over a period of two to three years at least under the direction of one of the Boards of Faculties, and have satisfied the examiners that their work constitutes an original contribution to knowledge and is of a sufficient standard of merit. It is within the experience of every man more than forty years of age that the quality of his doctorate, if he is a Doctor in Science or letters, 186 NATURE _ [May 9, 1918 matters very little to himself or to the world. If | lexicons sometimes still remain “blind leaders of there is anything of value in the man it is already | the blind.’’ Until, two years ago, Sir Ww. ts showing itself in the position he has attained or , Thiselton-Dyer gave us a compact enumeration of in the quality of the work he is doing, and is due | those plants actually Greek with which it is pos- — to the endowment of Nature. If it cannot be said | sible to wed a Greek name, no scholar and no — that he has accomplished anything, and if it is | naturalist in this country had any real assurance obvious that he is occupied in‘an inferior line of | as to the accuracy of any accepted identification. work, it seems all the more to cast discredit on the process by which he obtained his degree. W. A. T. ANCIENT PLANT-NAMES.} de Beal antiquity of plant-names needs no proof. We read in Genesis how man, early in his career, came to designate living things, and learn the name of the tree from which he improvised his first raiment. Semitic tradition is corroborated for other regions by Chinese ideographs which admit The same author has now, in the. paper cited in our footnote, dealt with a special group of — ancient plant-names, mostly Greek. With a re- stricted arable area and an extended seaboard, ancient Greece possessed an adventurous merean- tile marine. u vated edible, officinal, and coronary plants, or for wild species of economic interest was supple- mented by one of names for plants or plant- products imported from abroad. The resolution of such. exotic names is, not unnaturally, often most perplexing. ; Z 5 x : to ,the subject The list of Greek names for culti- — of comparative study and by Aryan vocables that The aid this new contribution to ,th | lend themselves to ethnic generalisation. renders to the scholar and the naturalist cannot ; The results of the study of ancient plant-names | well be measured. Both can best repay their ’ are only satisfactory when the incidence of the | obligation by studying it with care. The space ’ names is assured. But assurance is not easily | at our disposal forbids any attempt at its analysis; — : attained. The work calls for the exact knowledge | The account of duwpov and xapdépwpor, térse yer: 3 of the scholar, the historian, the ethnologist, and | complete, carries instant conviction. The problem the naturalist. The requisite combination cannot | of the Idzan vine, the solution of which by — : always be secured. Dodoens three and a half centuries ago ‘has, as There are, too, certain intrinsic difficulties. | the author explains, been generally overlooked, Names identical in significance are not always | amply merits restatement. But the other sections — applied to one plant. The tournesol of France and | equally deserve unstinted praise. It may yet be the girasole of Italy belong to separate natural | necessary to modify ‘in detail the conclusions families, the heliotrope of Greece to a third. | reached regarding dzoxdAracov. This cannot, Words linguistically equivalent may connote dis- | however, lessen the value of a note which mani- tinct species. The sarson of Hindustan and the sarisha of Bengal are different crops, both equally prevalent in either country; the sarshaf of Persia is akin to, but distinct from, each. The position of classical. plant-names was that of plant-names to-day. Theophrastus, oldest in time, yet most modern in method, of Greek botanists, taught his pupils that most cultivated plants had names and were commonly studied, but that most wild kinds were nameless, and few knew about them. Yet European study of ancient plant-names is mainly that of Greek ones. As Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer has pointed out in Whibley’s ‘“‘Companion to Greek Studies,’’ the Greek botanist had a name for every conspicuous Greek plant, and most of these names have come down to us,- whereas nothing of the kind, if it ever existed, has survived from the Romans. Renaissance students endeavoured to identify the plants described by Dioscorides. Their texts show great critical acumen; their illustrations are often most faithful. Yet much of their work is obsolete. _ Their appreciation of the principles of plant-distribution was imperfect. They sought in Central Europe for Mediterranean species, and often were in error when they felt most assured. It took the European naturalist three centuries to realise this; even yet the European scholar. does not always appreciate the situation, and standard 1 “On Some Ancient Plant-names.” III.. By Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, K.C.M.G. Journal of Philology, vol. xxxiv., pp. 290-312. NO. 2532, VOL. 101] festly puts the special student on the real track of this elusive bane, and gives the scholar some- thing better than the old lexicographic acceptance — of its identity with an innocent gum. The traveller responsible for that self-contradictory conclusion — could justify it only by the assumption that Galen — _had been misled. This note may also spare us the repetition of a contrary, suggestion, less con- | sonant with phytogeographical considerations than anything ever hazarded by a Renaissance scholar, that in déroxadAracov the ancients had somehow come into contact with the West African ordeal- tree. = WATER-POWER IN GREAT BRITAIN. | ‘THE absence of co-ordination. and systematic control in regard to the water resources of this country has frequently been alluded to in the columns of NATURE when reviewing the volumin- ous reports and statistics issued by hydrological departments on the Continent and in the United States. It is satisfactory to observe that this re- grettable indifference to a matter of urgent national importance has at length become the subject of comment and discussion. At a meeting of the Royal Society of Artson January 23, Mr. Alexander | Newlands, engineer-in-chief of the Highland Railway, read a paper reviewing the water-power resources of the United Kingdom (with special — reference to Scotland), estimating their extent and Ws 4 Dy ee See RET rer ears +E ae i cca DO a Bee May 9, 1918] NATURE 187 economic value. He pointed out that the situation created by the war had intensified the national in- terest in questions of economic importance, and _ that the abuse and neglect of the natural resources _ of this country were now being closely investi- ) gated, as evidenced by the report of the Coal Con- servation Committee. Coal is certainly at present, and will probably be for some time to come, our principal source of power, but it should not be _ overlooked that 1 cubic foot of water per second falling through 11 ft. can supply a horse-power unit toany modernturbine. The past neglect of the water _ resources of the country is, therefore, an economic waste which should not be tolerated any longer. Of a total of 104 million horse-power generated in industrial engines in 1907 in Great Britain and Ireland, only about 180,000, or 1°6 per cent., was attributable to water. Unfortunately, few of the larger English rivers are trustworthy enough in discharge, or possess sufficient intensity of fall, to render them utilisable _ to any great extent. On the other hand, there are large rivers in the Scottish Highlands which have falls of 14 ft. to 16 ft. per mile, and several Irish rivers have very considerable falls almost at the points where they enter the sea. Scotland, particularly the region which lies north of the Forth and the Clyde, possesses greater potentiali- _ ties of supply than any other part of Great Britain. Taken as a whole, it has the greatest rainfall, the only localities comparable with it being Seathwaite, in Cumberland, and Snowdon, in Wales. (An annual rainfall of 160 in. has been recorded on Ben Nevis, 182 in. in Cumberland, and 193 in. on Sno i}. Mr. Newlands computed that in Scotland— chiefly in the Scottish Highlands—there are about 11,500 sq. miles of country with a rainfall of 50 in. or more, as compared with 3360 sq. miles in England, | . miles in Wales, and 5910 oo ee is Sac By impounding the discharge from the lock basins, and assuming an average rainfall of* 42 in. (representing a yield from the eatchment area’ of 3 cubic feet a second per sq. mile), of which two-thirds, or 28 in., would be available for power purposes, he estimated that the supply in Scotland would amount to 375,000 horse- power in round figures. This is exclusive of the basins of the Clyde, the Forth, and the Tweed, om account of their other important interests, and of rivers and small streams. By diversions and the linking-up of adjoining catchment areas, and by impounding in excess of the. quantity provided for in the estimate, it might be assumed that for, Say, 100 days’ supply 650,000 horse-power would be available. According to the figures of Mr. Archibald Page, of Glasgow, the power requirements of Scotland in 1916 were 1,119,000 horse-power units, and it would appear, therefore, that there is sufficient water-power in the Scottish Highlands to meet a large proportion of this demand, though it is doubtful whether, after development and _trans- mission to existing industrial areas, the cost would be less than that of power generated there at the NO. 2532, VOL. 101] pit-head. One of the most interesting features of this water-power was that it existed in a territory destitute of coal. In surveying the situation in regard to England, Wales, and Ireland, Mr. Newlands remarked that the absence of large lochs and the lack of sufficient elevation in the country as a whole detracted from the possibilities of any great development of water- power, which, so far as it was available, would have to be derived from river-flow. The paper concluded with a plea for more support and recog- nition of the work of the British Rainfall Organisa- tion and of the Scottish Meteorological Society than those bodies receive. BRYSSON CUNNINGHAM. SOME AMERICAN VIEWS ON AERONAUTICS. Or April 14, 1917, the American Philosophical Society held at Philadelphia a “Symposium on Aeronautics,’’ of which the papers are now pub- lished in the society’s Proceedings (vol. lvi., No. 3). The titles of some of the papers contributed to the conference—namely, “ Dynamical Aspects,’’ by Prof. A, G. Webster; ‘‘ Physical Aspects,’’ by George O. Squier; ‘‘ Mechanical Aspects,’’ by Dr. W. F. Durand; “Aerology,’”? by William B. Blair; and ‘‘ Engineering Aspects,’’ by Dr. Jerome C. Hunsaker—show that every attempt was made to ensure a thoroughly representative dis- cussion. But in reviewing the proceedings one cannot help being struck with the opinion that modern aeronautics is too straggling a subject or collection of subjects to be dealt with efficiently in a meeting of this character. Thus, Dr. Web- ster, the author of a standard treatise on “Rigid Dynamics,’’ reproduces certain familiar dia- grams of lines of flow and explains the mean- ing of lift and drag; Mr. Squier tells us that in the past few years several elements, helium, argon, neon, krypton, and xenon, have been found in the air; Dr. Durand enumerates the problems which have to be solved in the development of the aero- plane—problems more often enumerated than solved ; while in Mr. Blair’s paper a large amount of space is taken up with twelve diagrams, al- though he fails to explain what connection these figures have with the mean of wind observations in “Highs’’ and “Lows,’’ or what the different parts of the diagrams represent. The three pages which Dr. Louis A. Bauer devotes to his subject refer to difficulties attending the use of the com- pass in aeroplanes arising from deviations of the apparent vertical due to normal and_ other accelerations. An original composition to the programme of the meeting is represented by Prof. Edwin B. Wilson’s second paper on “The Theory of an Aeroplane Encountering Gusts.” The first of these papers was published in 1915 by the American Government Advisory Com- mittee. Together the two constitute a mathe- matical extension of the theory of small oscilla- tions from free to forced oscillations. Apart 188 NATURE [May 9, 1918 from any questions as to how best to deal with the gust problem, the study of the forced oscillations of an aeroplane is a problem pro- posed for solution many years ago, which has to be solved sooner or later in the development of the aeroplane, and the sooner the better. Of course, the treatment is limited to the consideration of smail disturbances, ‘but we believe it was Mr. Bairstow who, in the earlier days of his experi- ments, pointed out that a.theory so formed might give useful approximations for practical purposes, just as our knowledge of the pendulum was largely based in the first instance on the study of oscilla- tions of small amplitude. It will be seen that both longitudinal and lateral disturbances are considered, although the inconvenient notation renders it a little difficult to know what is longitudinal and what lateral, or even whether the aeroplane is sup- posed to be flying forwards or backwards. An alternative method of treating gusts has been developed and worked out by Mr. Brodetsky in this country, although only his first paper has yet appeared in print. The value of mathematical work of this kind has been called in question by certain meteorologists who have claimed that theirs was the proper method of solving the problems of aviation. A study of the present collection of papers, however, shows that while meteorological investigations are required to ascertain the conditions under which flights are made, it is necessary to resort to very long, hard mathematical calculations in order to ascertain how these conditions can be met in the construction of a flying machine. Of course, work such as that of Prof. Wilson requires developing from the experimental side, but the mathematics must be done previously. GC. ee NOTES. THE present position of nitrogen fixation in this country was stated in the House of Commons on May 2 by Mr. Kellaway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions, in reply to a question by Sir William Beale. The various proposals for fixing nitrogen have been examined in detail by the Nitrogen Products Committee of the Munitions Inventions De. partment, and, as a result, intensive research has been concentrated upon the Haber process. A research staff composed entirely of young British scientific workers has accumulated the knowledge requisite to the translation of the vague outlines of this process of ammonia synthesis, as revealed in the patents of the German industrial concerns, into a commercially practicable process. This has involved two years of unremitting laboratory research, during which period numerous departmental patents have been taken out for improvements in ammonia synthesis, as well as in the subsidiary branches of the problem, such as hydrogen manufacture. These patents are held in the names of the members of the research staff, and are assigned to the Secretary of State for War. The research work of the staff of the Munitions Inventions Department is now far advanced, so that the results have been .placed at the disposal of the Explosives Department for application on a factory scale. The manufacturing operations will be conducted at present for war purposes, the production of synthetic ammonia being applicable to the manufacture of explosives, as NO. 2532, VOL. I0T] cylinders working up to 1800 Ib., particularly in con- well as to the production of ammonium sulphate for _ agriculture. The results of the research work on syn- thetic ammonia have not been made public, but may _ be communicated confidentially to concerns proposing to erect plant under financial arrangements approvec by the Treasury. The availability to manufactur of the general research work of the staff of the Mu 4 tions Inventions Department is now being considered by committees representing the several departm concerned, Tue Gas Traction Committee, appointed in No ber last to consider the employment of coal-gas < substitute for petrol and petroleum products in moto: its general safety, and conditions for use, has is: an interim report (H.M. Petroleum Executive, 1d.). This deals chiefly with the present use o mainly at low pressures, in suitable fabric bag work is to be continued to cover its use under compressions when the necessary appliances and are obtainable. The Committee is satisfied that ¢g be efficiently, safely, and promptly substituted for m spirit (only two minor accidents have been reported), Two hundred and fifty cubic feet are considered equiva-_ lent to one gallon of petrol, so that gas at 4s. p 1000 cub. ft. is equivalent in cost to petrol at 1s. gallon. No restrictions, except in so far as” shortage of coal or other war conditions may dem: should be imposed on the use of gas in suitable tainers. A specification for the bags is given; ~ material should be two-ply diagonally doubled, — proofed with 6 oz. per square yard of proofing cor taining go per cent. of high-class rubber, this being vulcanised by the hot process. The permeability of — prepared fabric to hydrogen must not be more t : 10 litres per square metre per twenty-four f ee Baeress t 4 be of greater internal diameter than 4 in. ‘hooage | ment should be given to the construction of semi- rigid containers of rubber and woven wire up to a working pressure of 300 Ib., and it is considered desir able to encourage experiments with rigid metal — nection with their application to motor-omnibus use — and for the transport departments of municipal — authorities. ; Baht p ; : es A LETTER to the Press on the subject of food ee and the protection of birds, recently issued by the — Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, directs attention to the serious diminution in the numbers of our resident insectivorous birds, due to the severe ~ winter of 1916-17, and also to the widespread destruc- tion of birds and eggs, which is a cause of grave anxiety at the present time. That everything possible — should be done to protect and preserve such species is — beyond dispute. ‘As the signatories of this letter point out, all are agreed that insect-eating and vermin- — eating species of wild birds are invaluable to man. Further, the farmer and fruit-grower have everything — to gain by responding to the present appeal to take the matter up promptly with the view of checking — the destruction of these birds and their nests and eggs. Plagues of various species of injurious insects have already been reported from different parts of the country, and but for the services of our resident and migrant insectivorous birds these would each year — grow worse. As it is, they already inflict very serious: May 9, 1918]. NATURE 189 ce Fr | losses, and unless there is a large increase in the © number of beneficial birds there is always the possi- ) bility of their gaining the ascendancy and causing cal ( destruction to our home-grown food sup- ss. At a time like the present, when every acre of food is almost priceless to the country, our agri- ci gardening, and allotment societies and asso- _ ciations might do much to conserve a highly beneficial _ factor in successful production the importance of _ which it would be difficult to over-estimate. __~ By the death of Dr. Joseph Deniker on March -18, _ France has lost one of her most distinguished anthro- _ pologists. Dr. Deniker, who was in his sixty-seventh , p . ‘was. born in Russia, and commenced _ his t’s career in Petrograd. Later he went to Paris s a student of anthropology, where his special jilities were quickly recognised, and he was given nt * grea in the school of his adoption. The thich he published in 1885 on ‘‘ The Anatomy ryology of the Anthropoid Apes’’ is an f how investigations of that kind should He is best known for the work he did the classification of human races. From 1 his death Dr. Deniker gathered data trustworthy sources relating to _ the characters of inhabitants of every quarter slobe, with the view of building up a classification of human races. There are he had not investigated personally. Some sults of that labour can be seen in ‘The n,” which he wrote for the Contem- c Series in-1900. He focussed his at- arly on the races of Europe, and his ions dealing with the racial types and ‘of these types amongst the various of Europe constitute the most trust- sources of information concerning the ethno- modern Europe. Dr. Deniker also made con- our knowledge of the cultural side of ~ He held the post of chief librarian to "History Museum in Paris, and did much aphy of scientific literature. He acted for France in the compilation of the Inter- talogue of Scientific Literature. In 1895 Anthropological Institute of Great Britain nd made Dr. Deniker an honorary fellow, years later invited him to give the Huxley Jecture—the highest honour at its disposal. neral meeting of the members of the Royal 1 held on May 6, the following vice-presi- e elected :—Dr. H. E. Armstrong, Sir Wm. sale, Bart., the Hon. R. C. Parsons, the Lord Wrenbury, the Rt. Hon. Lord ‘othschild, Sir James Crichton-Browne (treasurer), ol. E. H. Hills (secretary). earn from the British Medical Journal that the ite of France has decided to award the Osiris ar. The prize is of the value of 4oool., r for the recognition of the most im- tant discovery or work in science, letters, arts, - indus , or generally anything for the public benefit. Tt has been held in abeyance since the beginning of -___ An informal meeting of the fellows of the Chemical ~ Society will be held at Burlington House on Thursday, May 16, after the conclusion of the business of the ordii scientific meeting. Messrs. Adam Hilger, ‘Ltd., will give a demonstration of their method of determining the best temperature at which to anneal iss, and specimens of apparatus will be exhibited by the Dunlop Rubber Co., Messrs. Fuerst Bros., Townson and Mercer, Ltd., and the Scientific Supplies . ir NO. 2532, VOL. IOT| Tue Iron and Steel Institute has awarded tool. from the Carnegie Research Fund to Mr. G. Patchin © to enable him to pursue ‘research on ‘* Semi-Steel and its Heat Treatment”; to Mr. J. N. Kilby for research work on ‘‘The Basic Open-hearth Process of Steel- making in all its Branches’’; to Mr. S. L. Hoyt for the study of ‘“‘The Foreign Inclusions in Steel, their Occurrence and Identification’; and to Mr. J. A. Vanden Brock for research work on ‘The Elastic Properties of Steel and Alloys.” THE inaugural meeting of the Gilbert White Fellow- ship was held on Saturday, April 20. Resolutions proposing the formation of the fellowship and the adoption of its rules were proposed and carried unanimously. Then followed the election of Dr. William Martin as the first president. The list of vice-presidents includes the names of Mr. E. W. Holmes, Mr. W. H. Mullens, Sir David Prain, Prof. G. S. Boulger, Miss Gulielma Lister, Mr. A. W. Oke, and Miss Willmott. The honorary secretary is Mr. W. M. Dunton, 18 Crockerton Road, S.W.17. Tue council of the Royal Society of Edinburgh has awarded the Keith and Neill prizes as follows :— (1) The Keith prize to Mr. R. C. Mossman ‘for his work on the meteorology of the Antarctic regions, which originated with the important series of observa- tions made by him during the voyage of the Scotia (1902-4), and has continued to the present time; (3) the Neill prize to Prof. W. H. Lang for his paper, in conjunction with Dr. R. Kidston, on Rhynia Gwynne-Vaughani, Kidston and Lang, published in the Transactions of the society, and for his previous investigations on Pteridophytes and Cycads. Art the annual general meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers held on April 23, Sir John A. F. Aspinall was elected president for the year 1918-19. The council of the institution has made the following awards for papers read and discussed during the session 1917-18 :—Telford gold medals to Sir Robert R. Gales (India) and Mr. E. Sandeman (London) ; George Stephenson gold medals to the Hon. Sir Francis J. E. Spring and Mr. H. H. G. Mitchell (Madras); and Telford premiums to Mr. W. L. Lowe Brown (London), Mr. G. Blake Walker (Barnsley), and Mr. Alwyne Meade (Blackheath). Indian pre- miums also have been awarded to Sir Robert Gales and Sir Francis Spring. Tue Secretary of State for the Colonies Las ap- pointed a Committee to inquire into and report upon matters relating to research and development in the dependencies of the Falkland Islands, which include South Georgia, the South Shetlands, and Graham Land, with a view to the preservation of the existing whaling industry and the investigation of the economic and scientific possibilities of those regions. The members of the Committee are as follows :—Mr. P. C. Lyon, Department of Scientific and Industrial Re- search (chairman); Mr. J. O. Borley, Board of Agriculture and Fisheries; Mr. E. Darnley, Colonial Office; Dr. S. F. Harmer, British Museum (Natural History), and Capt. C. V. Smith, R.N., Admiralty. Communications may be addressed to the secretary, Mr. T. Allen, Colonial Office, Downing Street, S.W.1. Tue Government is offering an award of 2000l. to the first person or persons who can obtain on or before August 1 next a fuel-oil deemed by the authorities to be suitable for Admiralty use by admixture of de- hydrated coal-tar with mineral petroleum oils. The mineral petroleum oils to be employed must be in accordance with the Admiralty specifications for fuel- 190 NATURE [May 9, 1918 oil, and may be derived from the following sources :— U.S.A. Gulf fields, U.S.A. Northern fields, Mexico, Trinidad, Persia, Borneo, Burma, and the United King- dom. The necessary samples of tars and mineral oils will be provided free of charge to responsible persons by the Government. All communications respecting the award should be addressed to the Controller, Munitions Mineral Oil Production Department, 8 Northumberland Avenue, W.C.2. Tue Australian Government has published a report (Bulletin No. 6) by its Advisory Committee of Science and Industry on alcohol fuel and engines. A previous report was noticed in Nature of October 18 last. The present report, which is much fuller, gives the result of a considerable mass of experimental work. The numerous ways of obtaining alcohol from various vegetable products are discussed in relation to Aus. tralian climatic conditions. An excellent account is given of the effect on stationary internal-combustion engines of the proposed change of fuel; experiments to determine this were carried out in the engineering laboratory of Melbourne University. The main con- clusions reached are that the world-supply of liquid mineral fuels is not sufficient to meet the world demand; enterprises for the production of mineral oils in Australia have not so far proved successful; no crops suitable for the production of alcohol are at present grown in Australia in sufficient quantity to meet existing local liquid-fuel requirements; the most suitable crops would be sorghum stalks, cassava, and sorghum grain; and experiments indicate that petrol at 405d. per gallon is equivalent to alcohol at 30d., so far as fuel costs per b-h.p. are concerned. The Com- mittee decided to recommend that a Government sub- sidy be granted in order to encourage the proposed new industry. ’ Major Sypney Haroitp Baker, of the Gloucester- shire Regiment, was killed in action on March 23, aged thirty-seven, and by his death natural science loses an earnest student and an experienced. teacher. The son,of. Mr. James Baker, of Clifton, he was educated at Bristol Grammar School and Jesus Col- lege, Oxford, where he held an open scholarship. Graduating with honours in 1903, he continued his reading at Charlottenburg. After a short period at Loretto he became science master at Abingdon School, and entered upon the congenial task. of developing his subject in new and handsome buildings. . To this he devoted himself with much’ enthusiasm until the outbreak of war, when he _ offered himself for service. His promotion was_ rapid. He became captain in February, 1915, intelligence officer in France in the following September, and major in Salonika in August, 1916. Invalided home early in 1917, after a senior course at Aldershot he was placed in temporary command of an entrenching battalion in France. Here he met his end, after holding a redoubt for thirty-six hours. Major Baker was a man of untiring energy, much personal attrac- tiveness, and great range of interests and knowledge. Few men have combined more successfully the gifts of scientific and of literary training. By the death of Mr. Donald Salter, on March 22, from wounds received in action, meteorology has lost an earnest worker of great promise. Mr. Salter be- came a member of the staff of the British Rainfall Organisation in 1908:in his eighteenth year, and, until joining the Royal Engineers early in 1916 under the Derby scheme, was responsible as °carto- grapher for the preparation of the numerous rainfall maps which appeared in the publications of the Organisation. He rendered invaluable assistance to Dr: Mill inthe progressive development ‘of the carto- NO. 2532, VOL. 1or| graphic methods carried on at Camden Square, some of which he himself initiated, Mr. Salter was of an extremely modest and retiring disposition, with a chase of manner that greatly endeared him to his frie A rapid and efficient worker, he invariably maintai that high standard of accuracy which is a tradition Camden Square. He had marked artistic tastes, a devoted most of his leisure to their cultivation. Af a brief period in.the Ordnance Survey Depart Southampton, he saw active service in France unti invalided home in October, 1916. Last year he tained a commission in the Royal Garrison Artille and he was mortally wounded while carrying on duties of section commander near his gun at the ginning of the recent great offensive by the G - Mr. ALFRED GORDON SaLaMon, who died re tly in his sixtieth year, will be remembered chiefly in connection with the chemistry of brewing, to which he made various original contributions. His main service to brewing, however, was rendered less by original résearch than by the interpretation and direc- tion of the practical applications of chemical know- | ledge among brewers at a time when the art of brew- ing was only gradually emerging from conditions mainly empirical. Many members of the Royal Society of Arts will remember his Cantor lectures on yeast, which helped to make known in this country the classical work of Hansen, and he was successful — as an early advocate of the use of raw grain as an adjunct to malt in the brewery. Mr. Salamon con- tributed to the Transactions of the Institute of Brew- ing (of which he was elected president in 1907) papers on this subject and on experiments in malting, and — to the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry — papers on the influence of phosphates in fermenting — worts and on the manufacture of caramel. He was joint author of a successful process of gas in connection with the manufacture of artificial per- fumes. brewers’ analyst and consultant, but during later years he devoted himself more to general technical chemis-° try, especially in its legal aspects. He possessed a keen forensic instinct, and his advice and help in unravelling chemical puzzles arising in connection - 'with patent-law disputes were valued by leading members of the Bar who were more particularly con- nected with this branch of litigation. Mr. Salamon was for two years chairman of the London Section of the Society of Chemical Industry, in which he took a very active interest, as he also did in the Institute of Chemistry, of which he had for many years been, | and was still up to his death, the honorary treasurer. He was popular in his profession, and will be mourned by a wide circle of chemical friends not only at home, 7 but also on the Continent and in America. SPRING this year has somewhat resembled that of last year,. except that the early days of May this year have been much colder. The reports issued by the Meteorological Office show that the cold spells which have prevailed with such persistence in London have been common over the whole of the British Islands. March was, for the most part, dry, mild, and sunny; the mean temperature at Greenwich was 44°; which is 2° above the average, and 5° warmer than’ March, 1917. The,mean temperature for April this vear was 45°, which ‘is 3° below the. average, but 2° warmer than April last. year. The warmest week since the commencement of spring is the week ending March 23, when at Greenwich the mean temperature was 48-2°, which is 5-4° above ther He had at one time a large practice as a tion by the removal of sulphur by the use of ““Weldon mud,”.and also of processes connected with the manu- — facture of cyanides; and he did some technical work — x SRR DT ee ee) pe ee Fe ee eee ee May 9, 1918]- NATURE 191 f |) average. The week with the greatest deficiency of temperature is the week ending April 20, when the mean was 40:4°, with a deficiency of 6-9°; during this week the rainfall at Greenwich measured 1-79 in., which is 0-2 in. more than the average for the whole x In London, at Tulse Hill, in a Stevenson’s St , the maximum thermometer only rose to 60° “or above on three days in April, and the highest tem- “perature was 63°; whilst in March there were seven | “such warm days, and the highest temperature was 9°. April this year was peculiarly sunless, and this, coupled with the low temperature, kept vegetation _ throughout the month greatly at a standstill, _ THe first of a series of articles descriptive of the machinery of the S.S. Wulsty Castle appears in sone ae for May 3. This, the first seagoing _ vessel fitted in this country with steam turbo-electric | age machine _her trials on the “which fixed sets of blades a a the corrosion of brass marine condenser salt water. A laboratory specially designed ipped for the work has been instailed in the rgical department of the Royal School of nd the experimental plant has been removed . Carpenter also sketched in outline the _ most suitable educational course for the metallurgical _ engineer, and emphasised the point that the training cannot be wholly undertaken at a technical school or “university. On completing his college course and _ entering works, it should be the function of the works to find out what special aptitudes the student pos- _sesses. He should have sufficient time to hecome _ acquainted with the practice of each of the operating _ departments, to find his feet, and to acquire the works bo ip gh A discerning management will have little difficulty in judging how best to utilise the services of such a man after this probationary period, during _ which he should be paid, at any rate, a living wage. _ An interesting article appears in the Fortnightly Review for May under the combined authorship of _ Mr. Claude. Grahame-White and Mr. Harry Harper. _ The title is ‘‘ Sovereignty of the Air and its Relation NO. 2532, VOL. 101] the Corrosion Research Committee, which is. to Civil Aerial Transport,” and the authors discuss the conditions which should be adopted for the regula- tion of- air traffic after the war. Three plans are considered: the air may- be completely free to all; it may be under the sovereignty of the country over which it lies; or a combination of these is possible by making the air free to all only above a specified altitude. It is pointed out that if war could be abolished by international consent, a free air would be the best solution. It is, however, fairly obvious that, for at any rate some years after the declaration of peace, the nations will be forced to take strong defensive measures’ in the air, and the only solution of the problem rendering this possible is a complete sovereignty of the air. The authors are of the opinion that commercial aeronautics will make great advances in the near future, and that the rapid inter-communi- cation possible by the use of aircraft will do much to foster the development of friendly sentiments among the nations, and so to advance progress towards the goal of universal peace. They suggest also the desirability of a universal language to facili- tate international relations in general, and this is certainly a point which cannot be overlooked. The whole question of international relations after the war is one of absorbing interest, and the article under discussion is worthy of’ perusal by those whose thoughts turn to the aeronautical side’ of such relations. ; At the annual general meeting of the Society of Glass Technology, held at Sheffield niversity on April 17, Mr. Frank Wood, the president, compared the position of the glass industry to-day with that before the war. Dealing with various sections, Mr. Wood said that the quality of British table and decorative ware is supreme, but owing to competition the output is almost negligible. Given three years’ freedom of action, the position of the manufacturers would be unassailable. The plate- and window-glass trade is developing, and the outlook for optical glass is hopeful, but it is very necessary that the country .should be rendered inde- pendent of foreign supplies of the latter; similarly with chemical glass, electric bulbs, and pressed ware, in which good progress has also been made. The production of bottles and jars—the largest section—is in a very healthy position, due to the introduction of new machinery. The president also stated that with united action amongst masters and men of all sections he has every confidence in the future of the industry. He then referred to the raw materials used by the industry, giving statistics and discussing the degrees of purity required, and concluding with some interest- ing remarks on devitrification. The contents of tank furnaces are subject to devitrification on a large scale; this is known as “dogging.” A certain amount of ‘“dog”’ serves to protect the tank-bottom, but in excess it gives rise to difficulties which seriously affect out- put. The formation of “dog” may be checked by increasing the proportion of alkali or of alumina in the batch. However, the addition of alkali, besides increasing: the attack on the sides and roof of the tank, reduces the durability of the resultant glass, whereas the addition of alumina, with less attack on the tank, gives a more durable and tougher product. In response to the wishes of the American refrigera- tion industries, the Bureau of Standards at Washington has undertaken to redetermine the thermodynamic pro- perties of ammonia, and three papers have recently appeared in the Bulletin of the Bureau, by Messrs. N. S. Osborne and M. S..-Van Dusen, on the specific heat of liquid ammonia, on the heat which must be given to the liquid to- keep its temperature constant when the pressure to which it is subjected is changed, 192 NATURE [May 9, 1918 and on the latent heat of vaporisation of the liquid. The heat in each case is supplied electrically, and the change of temperature measured by means of a plati- num resistance thermometer. Under saturation condi- tions the specific heat of the liquid varies from 1-06 calories per gram at —40° C. to 1-to at o° C. and to 1:16 at 40° C. The heat measured in joules per gram, which must be abstracted from the liquid, when the pressure is increased by a kilogram per sq. cm. in order to keep the temperature constant varies from 0-06 at —40° C. to 0-09 at o° C. and to o-15 at 40° C. The latent heat of vaporisation in calories per gram varies from 332 at —40° C. to 302 at o° C. and to 263 at 40° C. It is to be hoped that these results will soon be’ made available to refrigeration engineers in the form of a total heat-entropy chart. A SIMPLE chart for the conversion of temperatures from the Fahrenheit to the Centigrade scale, or vice versa, has recently been issued by the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Co., Ltd. The device consists of the two scales side by side in the form of a spiral, and is printed on a card about 1 ft. square. The effective length of the scales is thus about 6 ft., thereby permitting the divisions, which correspond with 2° each, to be Satisfactorily open without at the same time restricting the range. This covers from the absolute zero, —273° C., to 2000° C. Both the Fahrenheit and Centigrade scales are divided to 2° to’ prevent confusion, and each interval of 10°, 50°, and 100° is clearly marked to facilitate easy reading. The chart should prove of service to all users of pyro- meters or other temperature-measuring instruments, as both scales are so generally employed that con- version from one to the other cannot in practice be avoided. In addition to the conversion chart, tables of useful thermometric data are given. The Cam- bridge Scientific Instrument Co. states that it will be pleased to forward a copy of this chart free of charge to anyone interested on receipt of six penny stamps to cover the cost of postage. THE report of the National Union of Scientific Workers for the quarter ending March 25 last out- lines the progress which has been made with the work of organisation of the society. Eight branches of the union have been definitely formed in various parts of the country, the prospective membership of which appears to be between 300 and 4oo. An organising sub-committee is being set up to deal with the London area, which, the report says, presents special difficulties. Among the aims of the union specified in the report is the maintenance of the free- dom and independence of research. All inquiries respecting the work of the union should be addressed to the secretary, Mr. Norman Campbell, North Lodge, Queen’s Road, Teddington. A NEW series of books on industrial chemistry, edited by Dr. S. Rideal, is announced by Messrs. Bailli¢re, Tindall, and Cox. It is intended to give in it a comprehensive survey of the chemical indus- tries. Two volumes have just been issued. ‘ Indus- trial Electrometallurgy,” by Dr. E. K. Rideal, and “The Application of the Coal Tar Dyestuffs,” by C. M. Whittaker, are in the press. Further volumes: will deal with ‘‘The Industrial Gases,” ‘‘ Silica and the Silicates,”’ ‘‘The Rare Earths and Metals,’’ ‘‘ The Iron Industry,’’ ‘“‘The Steel Industry,’’ ‘‘ Gas-works Products,” ‘‘Animal Proteids,’”? ‘‘Organic Medicinal Chemicals,’? ‘‘The Petroleum Industry,’ ‘Fats, Waxes, and Essential Oils,’ ‘‘Synthetic Dyes,”’ ““Wood and Cellulose,” “*The Carbohydrates,’? and ‘“Rubber, Resins, Paints, and Varnishes.” NO. 2532, VOL. 101] } THE April issue (No. 64) of Mr. C. Baker’s Classified List of Second-hand Scientific Instruments has j reached us. In consequence of the increasing diffi in obtaining new apparatus, it should be of esp interest and service to scientific workers. Copies be had upon written application. to 244 High Hol W«.C.1. | Messrs. Dutau anv Co., Ltp., 37 Soho Square, W.1, have just issued a Catalogue ‘no. 72) o ; books—some scarce—on botany and nora anthropology, ethnology, archeology, scientific travel, x etc. The list will doubtless be interesting to many readers of NALUKE. ute “OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SPECPRUM OF VENUS.--In a recent report to the Royal Astronomical Society - (Monthly Notices, vol. Ixxviii., p. 278) Mr. J]. Evershed — gives a preliminary account of some p r of. the spectrum of Venus which have been obtained wi the large. grating spectrograph at Kodaikanal. The primary purpose of the investigation was to ascertain whether the general shift of the lines towards the red at all points on the visible disc of the sun affects also a hemisphere turned go° or more from the earth. If the wave-lengths in the light from Venus, after — correction for the motion of the planet as a whole, are found to be identical with those from ordinary sun- light, the solar displacements cannot be ateriinated melaie to motion of the absorbing gases; but if the Venus spectra show a smaller wave-length, a general motion of the solar vapours away from the earth may reason— ably be inferred. Five good photographs, with iron arc comparisons, were obtained in October, — of plates tak which agree with a previous series during February, 1917, in showing a distinctly smaller _ wave-length for iron lines in the spectrum of Venus — as compared with the corresponding lines in the con- trol spectrum of daylight. The results thus favour motion interpretation of the solar shifts, involvi earth effect; but as the February plates were p not entirely free from pole effects in the arc, con- firmatory evidence will be sought during June and — July next. The trustworthiness of the plates for the purpose in view is indicated by the fact that the com- bined results from the east and west elongations yield a value for the solar parallax which differs only very slightly from that adopted in the Nautical Almanac. Only, one plate was obtained when the planet was at half, phase or less, but this is of special interest as showing a discrepant velocity, which is difficult to account for except by supposing that Venus rotates in the same direction as the earth and with the same order of velocity. It is further expected that the Venus plates will eventually decide whether the sun’s gravitational field is concerned in the solar line-shifts or not. , RapraL VELOCITIES BY OsjECTIVE PrisM.—The great advantages offered by the objective prism in the photo- graphy of stellar spectra have led to numerous at- tempts to utilise this instrument for the determination of radial velocities. The spectra of stars down to the tenth and eleventh magnitudes can be photographed in this way, and since a great number of appear on a single plate, even an approximate method of deriving radial velocities would clearly be of great value in connection with the problems of stellar motions. One of the most promising methods appears | to be that suggested by Prof. R. W. Wood, in which the light from the stars is passed through a filter of | “y j . he tg Sree) ie May 9, 1918] NATURE 193 ymium chloride. In this way each of the stellar a is made to show a narrow artificial absorption ‘at 4272, which serves the purpose of a com- son spectrum from a source at rest. An exhaus- “test of the acturacy attainable by this method s recently been made by Mr. T. S. H. Graham, aking use of a photograph taken at the Harvard jlilege Observatory (Journal R.A.S., Canada, vol. xii., ). ‘Twenty spectra were included in the , and four independent sets of measures and were made. The different results obtained the four series indicate a somewhat greater le error than the 1o km. per sec. previously id by Kapteyn and Campbeli. Full and in- details of the procedure are given in the er, and attention is directed to the various sources -, of which even the partial elimination would results of great value. RECENT MARINE BIOLOGY. eember issue of the Journal of the Marine ogical Association contains several papers of interest. One of these, by Dr. Allen ana » gives a detailed account of experiments mee to the inheritance of eye-colour in and in a further paper Dr. Allen presents results in a very attractive manner. Gam- reuxt had*been maintained in the laboratory several years, and, quite suddenly, in the ation of a family of these animals, a strik- occurred. Normally the eye possesses mt, beneath which is chalk-white matter, 2 individuals of this family the black was red. A pure black-eyed stock which bred ey was mated with a red-eyed stock, bred true for five generations. Black dominant, and red as recessive, and the further breeding were in very close corre- h Mendelian theory. Thus black hybrids d were mated together, giving 4393 off- 327 of these were black and 1066 red. results are 3294 and 1098). In the course ents a second mutant appeared in which neither black nor red pigment in the the deeper-lying chalk-white matter. This n was also transmitted in very close ce with expected Mendelian results. Yet ant was observed, a condition in which the te pigment was absent, and this ‘‘ no-white ” ej as a recessive to dominant white and ly followed Mendelian laws of numbers. re was a gradual loss of factors, and accom- ing the process of albinism there was degenera- f the ommatidia of the eye, a tendency towards e | ion of such a condition as that exhibited by & us blind species of subterranean Amphipods. another paper Dr. Allen gives a general account eriments with reference to the cultivation of ns, describing the methods employed by himself “Mr. Nelson in order to obtain pure cultures. In some of these experiments a normal artificial sea-water is employed, as similar in composition as possible ural sea-water, and made from pure chemicals. necessary for the growth of the diatom ; was found to be obtainable from the glass in the cultures were kept. Sometimes this culture SI ded and sometimes it failed, and it was that it always succeeded if it was inoculated with from 1 to 4 per cent. of natural sea-water. Some growth stimulant was, therefore, present in sea-water, and it was found that this substance could be replaced NO. 2532, VOL. 107] “SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN NEW by a very small amount of an infusion of the green seaweed Ulva. The infusion could be evaporated to dryness and ignited to 200° C. without losing its activity, but if the ash were heated to low red-heat it became inactive. The growth stimulant is therefore some relatively stable, organic substance, and it is com- pared with those materials known as auxetics or vita- mines. Besides these matters of special interest, Dr. Allen’s paper deals also, in a very interesting manner, with the general conditions of productivity of food sub- stances in the sea, and is a good summary of our knowledge with regard to this important series of problems. FER ZEALAND, Te quickening of interest in pure and technical science brought about by the war in our Colonies as well as in this country is shown by the action of the New Zealand Government in publishing a journal entitled the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology, to appear quarterly under the general editorship of a group of representative scientific men of New Zealand. This is intended to include a number of the shorter and more popular articles on scientific subjects which are likely ‘to interest the general public, and is supplementary ‘to the more detailed and ex- tended reports of the various scientific departments of the Government. In this way it is hoped to interest and instruct the public in scientific questions, and to cause the growth of a healthy public opinion on the need for the organisation and extension of industrial research in the community. The first number of the new journal, containing sixty-five pages, covers a very wide range of topics of general interest, including short articles on various biological and geological subjects and several papers dealing with mining matters, while an interesting account is given by E. Best on the Maori system of measurement. Special articles are contributed on the history and geology of the Wakamarina valley and goldfield and of the geology of the Waikato valley. Of particular interest is the account by L. Birks of the utilisation of the waters of Lake Coleridge as a source of electric power for the city of Christchurch, sixty-three miles distant. ‘This is the first comparatively large- scale attempt to utilise the important sources of water power in the New Zealand lakes and rivers. The hydro- electric installation at Lake Coleridge was formally opened in November, 1914, shortly after the outbreak of war, and has -un continuously since March 1, 1915. In the first year of its operation about 2000 kilowatts of ver were utilised, and this increased to 4000 in the course of the second year. Six thousand kilowatts are now provided, and to meet further ex- tension another installation of 3000 kilowatts is in course of erection, but has been much delayed owing to the war. This enterprise has proved such a success that it is likely to stimulate the public to make further use in the near future of their great natural resources in water power for general indus- trial purposes. In another article E. Parry discusses the economics of electric-power distribution, and em- phasises the importance and economy of a centralised plant for the distribution of electric power for the larger towns. Altogether the new journal has made an excellent beginning, and is likely to prove a useful asset in interesting and educating the public in the importance of the application of scientific methods to the needs of a young community. 194 NATURE [May 9, 1918 THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION AND THE “ HUMANITIES.” : (97% section of the report of the president of. the Carnegie Institution of Washington for the year ending October 31, 1917, which appears in the Year Book, No. 16, recently received, deals exhaustively with the relations of the institution and the public, The subjoined extracts from the report are of more than domestic interest, It is often openly asserted and more often tacitly assumed that an endowed altruistic organisation acting under a State or a national charter may proceed with- out restrictions in the development of its work, Thus, in accordance with this view, the institution is frequently congratulated on its supposed freedom from govern- mental control and on. its supposed immunity from social restraint. But this view is neither consonant with fact nor consistent with sound public policy. All such organisations are properly subject not only to the literal constraints of their charters, but also to the commonly more narrow, though unwritten, limitations imposed by contemporary opinion. The ideal to be sought by them in any case consists in a reciprocity of relations between the individual endowment on one hand and the vastly larger and more influential public on the other. This ideal, however, like most ideals, is rarely fully attainable. Hence, any new altruistic organisation is apt to find itself oscil- lating between two extreme dangers: one arising from action on the part of the organisation prejudicial to public interests; the other arising from public ex- pectations impossible of attainment and therefore pre- judicial to the organisation. Happily for the institution, neither of these extreme dangers has been seriously encountered. Its evolution has proceeded without surpassing charter limitations and without permanent hindrance from an aggregate of expectations certainly quite unparalleled in the his- tory of research establishments. But while thus far it has been practicable to steer clear of the rocks and the shoals towards which enthusiastic friends even of the institution would have it head, and to demonstrate . the inappropriateness, the futility, or the impossibility of a large number of recurring suggestions for appli- cation of the institution’s income, there remains a multitude of subjects and objects of omnipresent im- portunity for which the institution has furnished and apparently can furnish only general disappointment. There are two classes of them presenting widely different aspects, which appear worthy of special men- tion at the present unusual epoch in the intellectual development of mankind. These two classes find expression respectively in the perennial pleas of humanists for a larger share of the institution’s in- come and in the more persistently perennial pleas of aberrant types of mind for special privileges not asked for, and not expected by, the normal devotees to learning. Claims of Humanists. Whenever and wherever the ‘rules of arithmetic are ignored, then and there will develop vagaries, mis- understandings, and errors of fact that only the slow processes of time can correct. Hence it was not simply natural but also necessary that in the evolution of the institution something like conflict surpassing the bounds of generous rivalry should arise between claimants whose aggregate of demands for application of income has constantly exceeded the endowment from which income is derived. It might likewise have been pre- dicted with certainty that the largest share of: the resulting disapprobation visited upon the institution should come from the province of the humanists, not NO. 2532, VOL. ror] because they possess any property of superiority or inferiority, or any other singularity, but, first, for the reason that they are more numerous in the aggre- gate than the devotees of all other provinces combined; ; and, secondly, for the less obvious but more important __ reason that the subjects and objects of their provi a are more numerous, more varied, more complex, ant in general less well defined than the subjects and ob- jects of any other province. see Concerning all these matters humanistic which have _ agitated academic circles especially for centuries, the — administrative office of the institution is naturally called upon to share in an extensive corres e, Some of this is edifying, most of it is instructive, but a large, if not the greater, part of it appears to have — been relatively fruitless in comparison with the time and the effort consumed, ; neg ae An appeal to that correspondence shows, in the first — place, that there is no consensus of opinion amongst __ professed humanists as to what ‘the humanities are, It is well known, of course, by those who have taken — the trouble to reflect a little, that the words “‘human- istic’ and “humanist” are highly technical terms, more so, for example, than the term “moment of — inertia,’ the full mechanical and historical significance of which can- be understood only by consultin ‘*Theoria Motus Corporum Solidorum.” Te ‘a the humanist is not necessarily humane, though — tunately for the rest of us he generally possesses admirable quality; he needs only to be human. But these finer shades of verbal distinction v with more or less elaboration, have come down | plague us from the days of the illustrious Alcuin an Erasmus, but with no such intent on their part, ar less disconcerting than other revelations supplied by this expert testimony. It shows, in the second place, the surprising fact that some few humanists ‘e restrict this: field of endeavour to literature alone. — From this minimum minimorum of content the esti- — mates of our esteemed correspondents vary with many fluctuations all the way up to a maximum maximorum 7 which would embrace all that is included in the com- — prehensive definition of anthropology to be found in — the Standard Dictionary. : oe Thus some eminent authorities would exclude from & — ss 7 oe pe the humanities all the ancient classics even, except — their literatures. To such devotees philology, literary — or comparative, has no interest; ‘while arch ys classical or cosmopolitan, is of no more concern to — them than comparative anatomy, which latter, by the © way, is held in certain quarters to comprise the whole of anthropology. Equally confident groups of en-— thusiasts, on the other hand, animated by visions held essential to prevent our race from perishing,; — would, each in its own way, have the institution set up boundaries to knowledge within which the humani-— ties, as always hitherto, would play the dominant part, but the appropriateness of fixation of which would be immediately disputed by other groups. There would be, in fact, only one point of agreement between them, namely, that the institution’s income is none too ~ large to meet the needs of any group. a It should be observed in passing, however; in fair- ness to our friends the humanists, that they are not alone in their regressive efforts to establish metes — I eee ee a ene and bounds for advancing knowledge. Contemporary men of science have likewise pursued the same ignis fatuus with similarly futile results, as is best shown by the arbitrary and often thought-tight compartments into which science-is divided by academies and royal societies. A sense of humour leads us to conclude ~~ that these likenesses between groups and assemblages thereof, still more or less hostile at times to one © ; another, serve well to prove that the individuals con- — — NATURE 195 2 cerned are human, if not humanistic, and that they | all belong to the same genus, if not to the same _ There is included also in the extensive correspond- ence on which this section is mainly based a special contribution of letters furnished mostly by university _ presidents and professors and by men ot letters selected ' with the view of excluding all those who might be _ Suspected of any non-humanistic predilections. These _ letters were received as replies to a communication issued first during the year 1910, and occasionally _ since then, soliciting counsel from those well qualified _ to assist the institution in determining how it may _ best promote research and progress in the humanities and how it may be relieved of the charge of unfairness towards them in the allotment of its income. The _ essential paragraphs in this communication are the i _ “Amongst other suggestions arising naturally in this _ inquiry is that of the desirability of something like a rking definition of the term ‘humanities.’ To the que n, What are the humanities? one finds a variety _ of answers, some of which seem much narrower than “In order to get additional information on this sub- } ject, and in order to make this part of the inquiry as _ concrete and definite as possible, | am sending copies of the enclosed list of publications to a number of friends, requesti juesting them to mark those entries of she GEEOu Ee they. as individuals, would consider works falling properly in the fields of the humanities. I shall esteem it a great favour, therefore, if you will kindly examine this list, indicating by some sort of check-mark what works, if any, may be rightly so classed, and then mail the same in the enclosed stamped envelope. It will be of service also to indicate to me, if you care to do so, the lines of distinction _ which may be drawn between the humanistic sciences and the physical sciences. I am sure you will agree _ with me that it will be a decided aid to all of us to secure something like common definitions for these s of knowledge.” thirty distinguished authors have participated ssions of opinion would be well worthy of pub- if they had not been assured that their re- ‘ould not be used for. such a purpose. It is that no confidence will be violated in stating following statistical facts, which not only agree another, but strongly confirm also the in- sr to above, drawn from the more scellaneous correspondence of the institution :— (1) The definitions of the term ‘ humanities”’ vary _ from the exclusiveness of literature alone to the inclu- _Siveness of the more recent definitions of anthropology, with ay noteworthy tendency towards inclusiveness rather than the reverse. (2) To the concrete question, What works, if any, already published by the institution fall in the humani- ties? the answers vary from two to thirty-three, the number of publications up to 1910 being 146. : In the meantime, while waiting for a diminution in the diversity of opinion, it appears to be the duty of the institution to proceed, as it has sought to ae hitherto, in a spirit of sympathy and equity sed On merit towards all domains of knowledge, with a full appreciation of the necessary limitations of any single organisation,.and with a respectful but untrammelled regard for the views, the sentiments, and the suffrages of our contemporaries. Aberrant Types of Mind. If words and phrases drawn out of the past may obscure thought and supplant reason in the domains NO. 2532, VOL. Ior1| with one y mposium; and their frank and generous. of the less highly developed sciences, like the humani- ties, for example, they are by no means free from difficulties when used as media for the communication of ideas in the domains of the more highly developed sciences, The differences between the ambiguities and the obscurities of the two domains are mainly in degree rather than in kind. It is a truism, of course, that in general it is much easier to discover errors and to improve uncertain verbal expression in the definite than in the indefinite sciences. Erroneous statements and interpretations of fact may be often corrected by the facts themselves or by means of a knowledge of their relations to underlying principles. Precision and correctness of language are also greatly increased in any department of learning when it be- comes susceptible to the economy of thought and of expression characteristic of the mathematico-physical sciences. The perfection of these latter is, indeed, so great that novices working in them are often carried safely over hazardous ground to sound conclusions without adequate apprehension of the principles in- volved and with only erroneous verbal terms at com- mand to designate the facts and the phenomena con- sidered. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that the termin- ology of what commonly passes for science, as well ~ as the terminology used frequently even by eminent men of science, is sadly in need of reformation in the interests of clear thinking, and hence of unequi- vocal popular and technical exposition. To realise the vagueness and the inappropriateness in much of the current use of this terminology, one needs only to examine the voluminous literature available in almost any subject called scientific, It is so much easier to appear to write well, or even brilliantly, than it. is to think clearly, that facile expression is often mis- taken for sound thought. Thus, to illustrate, while in physics the terms force, power, and energy have acquired technical meanings entirely distinct and free from ambiguity, they are commonly used as syno- nyms, and quite too commonly to designate proper- ties, sentiments, and influences to which their applica- tion is meaningless. The ‘“‘forcés,’’ the ‘‘ powers,” and, more recently, the “energies” of ‘‘ Nature” are frequently appealed to in popular literature; and a familiar bathos consists in equipping them solemnly with the now vanishing stable furniture “for the benefit of mankind.” Science is disfigured and hin- dered also by much inherited antithetical terminology for which reasons once existent have now disappeared or are disappearing. Instances are found in such terms as metaphysics, natural history, and natural science, the two latter of which appear to have come down to us without sensible modification, except for a vast increase in content, since the days of Pliny the Elder. The diversification and the resulting multi- plication of meanings of the terms of science are everywhere becoming increasingly noticeable and con- fusine. One of the most recent manifestations is seen in the phrase ‘“‘ scientific and industrial research,” which probably means about the same thing as the equally uncertain phrase ‘pure and applied science”; while both phrases have been turned to account in setting up invidious distinctions inimical to the pro- gress of all concerned. This looseness in the use of terminology inherited from our predominantly literary predecessors and the prevailing absence of any exacting standards of ex- cellence in exposition make it easy for that large class here designated as aberrant types to take an unduly prominent part in the evolution of anv establishment founded for the promotion of ‘‘research and discovery and the application of knowledge for the improve- ment of mankind.’’ These types are numerous, and 196 | NATURE [May 9, 1918 each of them presents all gradations ranging from harmless mental incapacity up to aggressive pseudo- science, which latter often wins popular approval and thus eclipses the demonstrations of saner counsels. The representatives of these types are variously dis- tinguished in common parlance as cranks, quacks, aliens, charlatans, mountebanks, etc. Some of the most persistent types are known as_arc-trisectors, circle-squarers, and perpetual-motion men and women. They are not of recent development; they are co- extensive with our race; but they have been little studied except in the cases of extreme divergence from the normal. It ought to be well known, but evidently is not, that the institution has had to deal with, and must continue to be harassed by, great numbers of these aberrant types. The happy phrase of the founder coneerning the ‘‘exceptional man’? has worked out very unhappily both for them and for the institution, since it has only inevitable disappointment to meet their importunate demands, while they in turn have only inevitable animadversion to visit finally upon the institution. Deluded enthusiasts and designing charlatans entertain alike the illusion that here at last is an establishment that will enable them to realise their wildest dreams of fame and fortune. But in the end the hopes of these people are either rudely shocked or wrecked, not because the institution would disturb them in their fancies, but because they compel the institution to decline to approve their theories and to subsidise their projects. Two illustrations drawn from the older and hence more impersonal sciences may suffice to indicate the nature of the daily ex- perience here in question :— (1) A teacher of youth in a public school desires assistance in securing letters-patent for a new proof of the Pythagorean theorem. And why not, since we read every day in the public Press and in the debates of legislative bodies of ‘‘principles” being patented ? (2) Quite recently it has been ‘‘discovered” that the air and the zther contain ‘“‘free energy.’”’ If this is so, if energy, like urbanity, is free, why should it not be rendered available at the expense of the institu- tion for the improvement of mankind? Study and reflection concerning these aberrant types and an intimate association with them beginning thirty years before the foundation of the institution all point to the conclusion that responsibility for their undue prominence must be attributed in large degree and in the last analysis to a prevalent inadequate development of critical capacity even amongst the best educated classes of contemporary life. Many representatives of these latter regard the eccentric individual as thereby worthy of special attention. He is often referred to as a sprite or as a male witch, but commonly, of course, under the more familiar designations of our day as ‘‘a genius”’ or as “‘a wizard.’”’? Thus it is quite easy for obvious charlatans and ignoramuses, as well as for those in pursuit of Sisvphean paralogisms and anachronisms, to secure letters of introduction and commendation to the in- stitution from distinguished people, who pass the applicants along on the theory apparently that no harm can result from an effort to assist in the laudable work of extending learning. It is assumed that a research establishment must have effective facilities for utilising the necromantic capacities attributed to those in particular to whom the terms “ genius” and ‘wizard’ are by common consent applied. Such intro- ductions and commendations are generally held to be equivalent to approvals which may not be lightly set aside. The suggestion of tests of the pretensions and of checks on the deductions of these applicants NO. 2532, VOL. 101] ‘ing others to find errors in his work. He is repulsive to them. What they desire is not diag- nosis, but endorsement. ~ In dealing with these aberrant types there are en- countered certain other fallacies of a more \ and hence of a more troublesome, character. They arise out of the prevailing innocence of, if mot con- tempt for, the doctrine of probabilities. The simplest of these fallacies is seen in the common belief that one mind is as likely as another to make discoveries and advances in the realms of the unknown. Thus it is assumed that research establishments should maintain experts, or corps of them, for the pu of promoting the efforts of tyros, amateurs, and dilet- tanti, or, in other words, perform the functions of elementary schools. A subtler fallacy is expressed in the more common belief that a research organisa- tion should occupy itself chiefly in soliciting and in examining miscellaneous suggestions. It is held that if these are received in large numbers and if read long enough and hard enough, the possibilities of knowledge will be completely compassed. The worst of all these fallacies is found in the not un- popular notion that if experts could be set at work under the direction of inexperts great progress could be achieved. This is the fallacy so often used to justify placing technical work under the administra- tion of politicians and promoters rather than under thé It finds frequent expres- sion also in suggestions to the institution that its — charge of competent men. corps of investigators might avoid the dangers of ‘respectable mediocrity ’’ bv yielding to the of the less conservative and more brilliant advocates of advancing knowledge. ' But what, it may be asked, are the characteristics which differentiate these pseudo-men of science from normal investigators? They are well defined and not numerous, The pseudo-man of science is in general ex- — specious, — y are. cessively egoistic, secretive, averse to criticism, and | almost always unaware of the works of his predecessors and contemporaries in the same field. He displays little of that caution which is born of adequate knowledge. He is lacking especially in capacity to discover ani to correct his own mistakes. He is for ever challeng- an overweening confidence often in formal logic, but is unable to see that this useful device may play tricks — by bringing him, for example, simultaneously to right and to wrong conclusions by reason of wrong premises. His worst defect is manifested in asking for, and in expecting to get, more lenient considera-— tion in the forum of demonstration than that accorded to his more modest but more effective competitors. — How inadequate are the hasty popular estimates of these exceptional individuals is sufficiently witnessed in the extensive experience of the institution. In the brief interval of its existence it has had to deal with about 12,000 of them. Many of these have been commended to the institution in terms well calculated to set aside the laws of biologic continuity and thus © to elevate the aspirants abruptly from irreproachable respectability to questionable fame. To some of them _ have been attributed qualities worthy of the mytho- logical characteristics conceived imaginations of men in pre-scientific times. Not a few of them have proved to be obvious fakers, schemers, or incompetents masquerading in the name of learning with the confident expectation that the institution would endorse, finance, or otherwise promote their objects under the guise of research. But, as might have been predicted, the history of all this varied experience is a history of futility clouded here and there by manifestations of the baser traits of mankind and lighted up only occasionally by flashes of wit, wisdom, or humour in the prevailing pathologic cast. — by the unrestrained — NATURE 197 _ UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. _ BIRMINGHAM.—At the last meeting of the council of é University a communication was received from R. S. Heath stating that owing to ill-health he _ to retire from his appointments as vice- professor of mathematics, and _ reyistrar. h was appointed to his chair in Mason Col- ag 1884—thirty-four years ago. Appointed man of the College Academic Board in 1889 and ipal of the college in 1890, he was included in University charter as the first vice-principal, ig in addition the duties of registrar. As a 9f council and senate he has rendered splendid to the University, and ably represented it on ucational bodies. acey Wilson is resigning his lectureship in to dental students in September next, after is of twenty-six years’ service. Dr. Mary Clarke is resigning her post as lecturer hygiene to students in the Training College for n owing to a great increase in hospital work. +9 4 faculty, the council has appointed Dr. Thomas Wilson Sub-L ean of the faculty. _ Miss B. M. Bristol and Miss N. Carter have been ited honorary demonstrators in botany for the term. ig + Tue Dr. Edith Pechey Phipson post-graduate ip of the London (Royal Free Hospital) Medicine for Women is to be awarded in is of the yearly value of 4ol. for a period ling three years, and is open to all medical by rably coming from India or going to , for assistance in post-graduate study. “must be received by May 31 by the d Secretary of the School, 8 Hunter Street, Square, W.C.1. mnection with the Department of Applied and Eugenics of University College, London, on Benington studentship in anthropometry logy (value tool.) and a Francis Galton in eugenics (value r13o0l.) are to be filled _ Candidates must be post-graduates, and ining in mathematics, physical measure- , and computing. Applications should the Director of the Biometric and Galton es, University College, Gower Street, * ‘THE report on educational reform adopted by the con- oe of the London Teachers’ Association in November last has been:issued in pamphlet form. It anticipates in.some respects the chief provisions of the _ Education Bill introduced by Mr. Fisher in February. _ last, which is now under consideration in Committee of the House of Commons. It is highly satisfactory _ to find so important a body of teachers in whole- _ hearted support of the measures of educational reform initiated and so convincingly advocated by Mr. Fisher, _ and it should have a highly beneficial bg in _ promoting the ultimate passage of the Bill, ere the-aims of the ualeteace oe beyond the provisions _ of the Bill, which are, in effect, in the nature of a _ practical compromise of conflicting demands, and _ might well await the results of experience, it would be wise for the great body of teachers to give unwavering to the measure as it stands, which, if it is _ mentary session, will need all the help the friends of education can bring. There has grown up during. _ these nearly four years of calamitous war a strong J& NO. 2532, VOL. Io1| m the nomination of the Dean of the medical to have any chance of success in the present Parlia-— conviction that the salvation of the nation is to be found in the provision of the means of complete educa- tion for all classes of the people, especially with a view to the extended electorate and the grave responsi- bilities which it implies; that the children are the nation’s greatest asset; and that for the comparatively large number of really capable children to be: found in all strata of the nation, even the lowest, there should be brought into existence the fullest facilities for their adequate training, alike physical, intellectual, and moral, so as to fit them for the duties of life and for the highest service, according to their capacities and opportunities. The conference demands the most complete university education and training for all classes of teachers in both subject and method, and an unlimited scope for gifts and experience, with adequate reward during service and due provision on retirement, and insists that in all grades of the inspec- torate there shall be guarantees of high practical skill as teachers and full knowledge of the best educational theory. Only on such terms can the nation. be assured of a corps of efficient public servants in the most im- portant of its many various spheres of national service. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LONDON. Royal Society, April 25.—Sir J. J. Thomson, presi- dent, in the chair.—Sir Charles Parsons: Bakerian lecture: Experiments on the production of diamond. The paper alludes to some of the results of experi- ments described in papers by the author to the Royal Society in 1888 and 1907, particularly to those on the decomposition by heat of carbon compounds under high pressure, and on the effect of applying pressure to iron during rapid cooling. A description is given of experiments designed to melt carbon under pres- sures up to 15,000 atmospheres by resistance heating and by the sudden compression of acetylene oxygen flame, also by the firing of high-velocity steel bullets through incandescent carbon into a cavity in a block of steel. Allusion is made to experiments on chemical reactions under high pressure and their results. The pressures occurring in rapidly cooled ingots of iron, and experi- < ments bearing upon this question, are discussed. Ex- periments at atmospheric pressure and also in vacuo are/described. The main conclusions arrived at are:—That graphite cannot be converted into diamond by heat and pressure alone within the limits reached in the experiments; that there is no distinct evidence that any of the chemical reactions under pressure have yielded diamond; that the only un- doubted source of diamond is from iron previously heated to high temperature and then cooled; and that diamond is produced, not by bulk pressure, as pre- viously supposed, but by the action of the gases occluded in the metal and condensed into the centre on quick cooling. : Geological Society, April 17.—Mr. G. W. Lamplugh, president, in the chair.—A. E. Trueman: The evolu- tion of the Liparoceratida. The Ammonites con- sidered include several subparallel series, of which four genera were indicated by Mr. Buckman in “Yorkshire Type Ammonites.”’ The details of onto- geny and the sutures have been employed in construct- ing tables showing both the biological and the strati- graphical relations of the various species; a revision of the existing classification is proposed. The early members of each series are similar ‘‘ capricorn” forms with slender whorls and stout ribs. In somewhat later examples the outer whorl is swolien and has paired tubercles. From this stage the tendency is to shorten 198 NATURE [May 9, 1918 the period with slender capricorn whorls by accelera- ting the develépment of bituberculation and prolonging the period of pre-costate globose whorls. The fol- lowing genera may be recognised; each includes Am- monites of the three types mentioned above :—(1) An earlier group, with tubercles paired in the involute stages; Radstock (Somerset) is the only British locality where these Ammonites have been found. (2) A later group, with unpaired tubercles in the involute stage. These genera are most readily distinguished by sutural characters, namely, the relative depths of the external lobe (EL) and the first lateral lobe (IL), and by the width of the external saddle (ES). (a) With narrow ES (not reaching to the outer tubercles). (b) With wide ES, reaching to the outer tubercles. These Am- monites generally occur in the upper part of the Lower Lias, where it has been usual to recognise a capri- cornus zone overlying a striatus zone. There are several horizons with capricorn Ammonites of different series, and several with the involute forms evolved from them. In no locality examined is the complete sequence shown. The absence of some groups is due to the original distribution of the Ammonites; in other cases it is due to non-sequences. Two groups of Lias Ammonites are recognised, namely : (i) those which were evolved directly from a globose ancestor, and {ii) those which passed through an intermediate broad- ventered (cadicone) stage. Royal Microscopical Society, April 17.—Mr. J. E. Barnard, president, in the chair.—J. M. Brown: Pyxidicula invisitata, a Rhizopod new to Britain, and Hedriocystis spinifera, a new Helizoon. ‘The first- named appears to: be widely distributed in Britain, but has not apparently been referred to by any author since first described by Averintzeff. The second species is related to H. reticulata, Penard, but is smaller, has no pedical, and is provided with spines at the angles of the facets of the capsule—E. Atkinson: Hypo- eutectoid steel. Details of a systematic research {R.288) were given, the investigation being conducted to find the cause of failure in a hypo-eutectoid steel of the middle carbon range. In turn each of the fol- lowing was dealt with :—(1) Mechanical test by labora- tory adaptation of the Brinell test; (2) evolution of H.S for printing; (3) tensile testing; (4) chemical composition; (5) computation of pearlite, MnS,. and ‘ferrite to be expected under the microscope; (6) a complete series of photomicrographs showing. enclo- sures of MnS, pearlite, sorbitic pearlite, banded ferrite or “ ghost lines.”” Structural deformation and types of micro-structures were rarely met with. Then followed ‘several illustrations of normal steels with varying per- centages of carbon, commencing with an almost pearlite-free iron. The paper also embraced the pre- paration of specimens, development of structures by ‘etching,’’ and the lens system used in the author’s laboratory for illuminating the specimens. A brief, though very thorough, description of the manufacture of hypo-eutectoid steel concluded the paper.—E. J. Sheppard: Two valuable methods of staining in bulk and counter-staining. The author described a new method of staining in bulk with carmalum and _ counter-staining with light green, and a second method of staining in bulk with iron hematoxylin and counter- staining with erythrosine, both of which methods gave excellent results. Linnean Society, April 18.—Sir David Prain, presi- dent, in the chair.—Prof, J. P. Hill: An expedition to Brazil in 1913. The expedition was supported by grants from the Government Grant Committee and Council of the Roval Society, and the trustees of the Percy Sladen Fund, The primary object was to obtain NO. 2532, VOL. 101] material for studying the development of certain American marsupials, the most familiar being the American opossum. When the expedition was organised, our knowledge of the development of Didelphys rested on the incomplete account given by — Emil Selenka in 1886; the author’s own observations on the Australian mative cat, Dasyurus, differed — essentially from Selenka’s statements, and it was hoped to get the facts concerning them. Another point was to determine the development of those genera regarded on anatomical grounds as nearest the base of the Didelphyd series, namely, Marmosa and Peramys; these are small rat-like creatures, remarkable for the entire absence of the pouch so characteristic of the other: members of the order. Summing up the results, the expedition may be regarded as successful, though all its objects were not attained. Besides the material for anatomical investigation, a small collection of rodents was brought back, about eight genera of Muridz, and an interesting series of frogs, about — twenty-two species, two being new. ee MANCHESTER. Literary and Philosophical Society, April 23.—Mr. W. Thomson, president, in the chair.—Dr. E, Newbery and H. Lupton: Radio-activity and the coloration of minerals. A number of mineral specimens were examined as to their behaviour (a) on heating, (b) on treatment with radium or cathode rays before or after heating, and (c) on heating after treatment (b). Several brilliant colour effects were obtained, among which may be mentioned the complete restoration of the original colour to green fluorite, smoky quartz, zircon, topaz, etc., which had been decolorised by heat, the production of a fine deep blue colour in a colourless fluorite from Matlock by radium, an intense purple in colourless fluorite from the Pyrenees by cathode rays, and an indigo blue in transparent barytes by radium. A’sriote in. the Times of May 15 states. that Farrant’s record Gf 4276,rivets .has been .beaten by, a workman in | Messrs... Beardmore’s. yard at: Dalmuir, Working the’ |! usual shift of nine ‘hours on ship’s’ plates, the man drove'4452 ‘rivets, 176 more ‘than Farrant’s total. °° " Tue first instalment of an interesting article on the Larderello natural steam power -plant, by Ugo Funaioli, director of ‘the’ electrical department .of- the OSC rg tr hg MP sey tes sion of dry steam. ’ THE inaugural meeting of the Société de Chimie Industrielle was held recently at Paris under the presi- dency,.of M. Clémentel; Minister of (Commerce, who was introduced by. M. P.° Kestner,: president of the society. An important paper was read by M. Matignon | on ‘the problem of the production of. synthetic: am-— monia before Haber. M. Matignon pointed out that the first steps in this direction were due to:an English chemist, Perman, who showed in 1904 that: the com- bination of nitrogen and -hydrogen to. form ammonia and its resolution into these elements form reversible - reactions depending upon certain‘ conditions of equili- “brium. These conditions. andthe’ amount of am- | monia ‘producible theréunder were. studied- in. the fol- lowing year .by Haber and one.of his pupils, Van | Ordt, and as a result of these studies a works for | the annual production of 36,000 tons of ammonitim | sulphate was erected at Oppau, near. Ludwigshafen. The-first' patent, however, bearing on this subject, is ‘dated so far back as July 11, 1865, being an English ‘patent: taken out by’ Dufresne)in the: name of Charles ‘Tellier for the preparation of oxygen, in which he: ‘claims the ‘utilisation’ of ‘the nitrogen eliminated in his process.jby: passing «it. .over spongy iron heated to | redness, and afterwards passing hydrogen over the combination of iron and nitrogen thus formed, when a large quantity.of ammonia is at once generated. A; [| ‘French patent ‘was taken’ out -by .Tessié-du Motaysin 4 | ‘2871 for similarly employing nitrides of titanium. “Tn #881™Chartes Tellier: rtooles out) further \"F tench ; arid | NO. 2533, VOL. 101]. fain ‘itoh.- Fatthér wotk’ in this’ direction was done by _ ‘out’ the effect: of ‘numerous metals as catalytié agents ‘in the combination~ of nitrogen’ and? hydrogen, alse _ thé: advantage of employing high pressures: ..1t would, April, 1917,° twelve committees were appointed the members of the American Psychological Associa- , tion ‘‘to.render the Government.of the arising, from ‘the, present military emergency : subjects allotted to these various committees included .the psychological examination -of recruits, the selec ‘tion of’ men ‘for tasks requiring special aptitudes (e.g. artillery service, signalling, etc.), psych ‘problems of.aviation,. problems of “incapacity.” (shell- ‘shock, re-education, etc.), recreation. in the Arm _ Navy, psychological and pedagogical problems of mili- _ tary training. and discipline, and visual and acoustic ‘problems in relation to military.service. For obvious, -reasons a detailed report upon the later activities of - work. [May 16, 1918 an patents fogythe. praduction of ammonia from: — atmiospheri¢ ‘nitrogei’ by means.of sizons, tani fe . Ramsay,.and Young.in.,1884, and patents were talk out, by ,Hlavati in Austria in, 1895,eandingF rence b: the Christiania’ Minekompani in .1896, atid dahl be Le ‘Chateliér in 1901. Perman had, moreover, pointed Fe. therefore; appear :probable that the monopoly of the — ‘rights in the’ production of synthetic ammonia, which _the Badische. Company lays claims to, is likely to be’ ‘invalidated by t , patents. he publication of the above list of Relation to _In an article entitled “‘ Psychology in. | the War,” inthe Psychological Review for_March last, ‘Major R. M. Yerkes, of ‘the United States Army, and. ‘president of the American’ Psychological Association, ‘reports upon the organisation of American psycho- logists for military service during: the, year 1917. In from Jnited States all. possible: assistance with psychological pees ” he ical> and. some of these committees cannot be given, but the -account of the work of ‘the committee for the psycho-— ‘logical examination of recruits well repays study. The purposes of the psychological tests applied were:—, | (a) To aid in segregating the mentally incompetent ; _(b) to classify.men according to their mental capacity ; . (c) to assist in selecting competent men for responsible positions.” It is important to notice that of the ‘number so tested, the lowest (10 per cent.) and the» highest (5 per cent.) .were subjected to a more search- — ing individual examination, on the basis of which a “report was made by the psychological examiner to the medical officer.. As a result of an examination of ' 5000 officers and 80,000 men, the Medical Department recommended the extension of psychological examin- ing to the entire Army. In December, 1917, this re- commendation was approved iby the General Staff, and the section of psychology in the Surgeon-General’s Office is engaged in the preparation of a plan for this We are now informed that a division of psychologists has been organised, consisting of twenty- ty-two lieu- _ May 16, 1918] Rin oy y\\ VALORE. Ms IMSS she tM rg : ch = ee = 2 >. at os . ee ee enn em enemere ew 1 CHPOw TOU ee Se Sa a STI ea SU she ax ti tubesauled.-eut entirely. but it ic evid > ance toa cave in: Sotik. . None of the natives bowl, and - i . iGfiex. nd. suggestions ‘as to; its obable use; hence pre it is evident that it is.a relic of some extinct tribe, of whieh more may be discovered Tater. He also desttibes~some ‘remarkable circtilar found all through’ the district from ithe Nyarido : to Sotik. Arfanged in’ groups of from’ ten: to ‘twelve, each hole is provided with an - entrance in the form of a long narrow passage. But there is nine Ga’ n either-of.the passage or. of: the: pit itself to” *a‘clue*as “to the Uses to which -the xcavations were put. By the present native popula- tion of the Lumbwa eeeey they are said to have been made by a tribe called the Sirikwa, now, % + oe » 2S i > RE ently, no longer in existerice. The only other trace of this tribe now remaining exists in the form of frag- ments of red pottery of a type now unknown in the ¢ountry. In placing these evidences of vanishing and va races on record, the society is. doing some extremely valuable work. ) In the March issue of the Journal of ‘the Board of Agriculture Messrs. E. S. Salmon and H. Wormald give an account of an experiment in the treatment ‘of “covered smut” (Ustilago hordei) of barley. Seed m an affected crop was ‘secured for the purpose, and *parate portions of this were treated with copper sul: hate (2} per cent.), Bordeaux mixture, and formalin vely, whilst a fourth portion was subjected to Sweating ” in a malt kiln. Plots, each two acres in extent, were sown with tthe treated seed, whilst a fifth plot of one acre sown with untreated seed served as control. The results were assessed by counting the ts with smutted ears growing in the six outside ws along each side of each plot, the area thus covered y each separate count being, roughly, one-tenth of an icre. The formalin treatment proved completely suc- cessful, whilst the treatment with copper’ sulphate, ough less effective, gréatly reduced the extent of attack. On the he : On the er hand, neither’ ‘‘ sweating” nor the treatment with Bordeaux mixture afforded any * A - igs #9 i 9 _ Tue depressing effect of weeds upon the growth of: accompanying crops has in the past been commonly regard ed as either an effect of competition for the avail- able soil nutrients or a shade effect, although in recent years increasing support thas been given to the view that toxic excretions from the roots may play a very great part. This latter view receives: little. support,, however, from the experiments carried out at Rotham- sted during the last four years: by Dr. Winifréd:E.. Bre! , the results of which are summarised in ‘the March issue of the Journal of the Board of Agricul- ture. Pot- and water-culture experiments, in which Doppy, Spurrey, blackbent, and charlock have been separately and together with wheat, and barley under varying degrees of competition, have shown zi ; D espect bata) $ Ss. 3 pian a FA 4 at the association of any of the weeds with wheat ad a great influence upon the growth of both, the’ results varying according to the species. of weed intro- duced. “The preseace o extra wheat plants produced an effect similar to that of weed plants, the depre- ciation in individual growth,-being- indeed,..in some cases, much, greater than. was: caused by the weeds... ‘From: su of the whole series of experiments it seems “probable that thé essential factor in the relation of crop - with weed is .that.,of, competition for food, hat of toxic. excreta from se LB ee | ae em are i* ti- “OOS ing in the nei hbourhood shad ever before seen such — . "eroding of. aerial parts) dind defigiericy of'plaht fGod, | that any such action- is easily, masked by the: man other.factors, of competition, such ag root interference, J Tue late Prof. F. E. L. Beal attained a world-wide fame asithe result ,of his minute-studies on the food and feeding ‘habits of wild birds, and in the recently issued Bulletin =No,) 619 of the. U.S. Department of Agriculture, treating of the food habits of the native swallows, his reputation is fully maintained. The paper is characterised throughout by ripe experience; scrupulous, detail, and a. broad grasp of the ; subject, The stomach contents of the seven species dealt with have been carefully examined, 2030 specimens being utilised in determining the nature of the food, and, ag was-to be expected, they prove, in their relation to man, to be as harmless as any family in the bird king-. dom. They are’ practically: wholly ‘insectivorous, thé major portion of their insect food consisting of in4 jurious species. In only a single species, the tree-swallow. '(Iridoprocne bicolor), was there any appreciable amount of vegetable matter; here it reached 19-5 per cent., and consisted chiefly of the fruit of the bayberry and a few weed seeds. Curiously, in this species Diptera: form the largest item of’ the’ food, viz. 40-5: per cent. ; these were taken throughout the year, the highest per- centage (89-5) being reached in November. The. rela- tive proportions of the different elements of food of the seven species. were as follows :—Weevils, 4-2 3 other beetles, 11-8; ants, 9; other Hymenoptera, 16-7; Hemiptera, 17:2; Diptera;’ 26-9; Lepidoptera, “2-7; Orthoptera, 0-4; other insects, 7-8; other animal food? 0-3; vegetable food, 3 per cent. On the whole,, w may say that the bulk of the food consists of beetles; Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera. Lepidoptera are only sparingly eaten, the larva not being readily taken on the wing. From time immemorial these birds have been of the greatest economic importance to man; indeed, it is questionable if there is any other famil ‘of birds so wholly and directly useful to’ mankind, na their strict preservation should be .a. duty of every State. mare . Some Chinese contributions to meteorology, are, de- scribed by Co-Ching Chu in the Geographical Review (New York: American Geographical Society; Februs ary, 1918). Although several meteorological instrus ments had been invented and weather proverbs are ‘numerous, systematic study of meteorological problems appears to have been introduced only with the Western , sciences. The. kite was known at a very early date. probably about four centuries before Christ, but wal only employed in warfare and not for meteorologica observations. Chang Hun, who invented the seismo: _ graph, lived from a.p. 78 to 139. He also calculated m to-be the square-root of 10.: Wind vanes are occat sionally referred to in Chinese writings, as also rain _ gauges, but the earliest references to the latter aré in Korean writings (A.D. 1442). Evidence shows i the Chinese had discovered the: magneti¢ compass a least 700 years before its use by Columbus. Sun-spots - were observed’ in China from 28 B.c.. onwards,- and are described as visible to the naked eye in A.D. 321: On the other hand, the thermometer and hygrometer were first introduced. into China by Ferdinand Ver- biest (1623-88), a disciple of Tycho Brahé, the instrue ments in question’ being ‘an ‘air. thefmometer - and a hygrometer of gut; which ’Verbiest. himself invented. "PROF? REY SS LULL “discusses (Amer. Journ. Sci, Yole XLV; Peasy OTT the alleged “sacralbrain pDikttiaucsk Be bnlaadtagnt 6f thé ispiniak column th jally studied by him in Stegosaurus. If Fy ent, the chief factors involved being the; AINE: ang The possibility of toxic phasesen i spite of Bran NOM2593;"VOL. AO Kf Gi are wwe — ca’s contention, he feels that no unusud pre rs tee tae Narn pao 4, a ing ne yr 4°07 te # lintneathini: bedi COR NA YAS nti & yadi2 . [May 16, 1918 function can be ascribed to such enlargements, other than ‘the normal one of transmission and reflex action in an unusual degree.’? The discussion. involves in- teresting remarks on the mode of, life of the large Dinosaurs. AN interesting review of field observation and labora- tory work on the problems of dynamic metamorphism in rock masses is given by Sir Jethro Teall in the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association (vol. xxix., p. I, 1918). The famous Scourie dyke is again con- sidered, and the flow of the Lizard rocks under pres- sure is imitated experimentally in blocks of hetero- geneous clay. AN important memoir by Messrs. A. S. Kennard and. B. B, Woodward on ‘The Post-Pliocene Non-marine Mollusca of Ireland’’ appears in the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association (vol. xxviii., p. 107, 1917). The authors conclude that, ‘‘with the exception of two or three species which may have been accidentally intro- duced by man, all the species existed in Ireland in pre- Glacial times and survived the Glacial period.’’ The Chara deposits often found beneath peat are held to indicate a warm epoch, when they were formed. in shallow meres liable to desiccation in the hot summers. Under such conditions the plants become white and brittle, and break up to form a ‘“‘marl.’’ The raised beaches of the north-east belong to the same epoch. A damper time followed; but the cold epoch postulated in Prof. F. J. Lewis’s series is not recorded by- the mollusca. work of Mr. R. Welch, of Belfast. THE Boletin oficial de minas y metalurgia publishes a report on the mineral production of Portugal (quoted in Le Génie Civil for April 27). -The minerals ex- ploited have been particularly uranium (1307 tons), wolfram, tin, copper, and iron. against 845 tons the previous year. Elektrotechnik und Maschinenbau for. October 24, 1917, describes new types of platinum-iridium thermo- couples for recording rapid changes of temperature. One type consists of wires 0-02 mm. in diameter, in the proportion of sixty-five parts platinum. and thirty- five parts iridium. The maximum range of the com- bination considered is 1850° C. IN the Zeitschrift des Vereines deutscher Ingenieure for December 8 last, Max Berlowitz discusses the im- provements that have been made in the design of micromanometers. He also gives a detailed descrip- tion of a recent instrument invented by Rosenmuller, which has the great advantage of a fixed zero. The author also describes a new. method of standardising the micromanometer, and gives a table of simplified calculations for use with the instrument. Pror. DoELTER, in Die Zeit (March 13), describes the phosphate deposits of the Ukraine. These deposits occur in the Silurian formation, chiefly in Podolia and Bessarabia, and also to a great extent on the banks of the Dniester and the Ladova, where it is obtained in lumps. considerable calcium phosphate, which yields 273 per cent, of phosphoric acid. There are numerous phos-' phorite deposits in other districts. A GERMAN patent has been granted (Elektrotechnik und ‘Maschinenbau, April 25, 1917) for manufacturing électric condensers by covering a surface of metal with an elastic medium that adapts its shape to that of the metal. The tissue is then impregnated with a Substance to render it dielectric, and a second sheet NO. 2533, VOL. 1or| ‘No. 291,923 (Zeitschrift fiir Mechanik und - A just tribute.is paid to the unflagging The total production . of metals in Portugal in 1914 was only 455 tons, as" The mineral is phosphorite, and contains: plate. German : Pate t. February 1, 1917) describes ‘a condenser formed yea. glass dielectric upon which’a very fine film of lead is squirted. al of metal forms the’ other Messrs. Biackie anD Son, Ltp., are publishi in two volumes, under the title of ‘‘ Applied Optics: The Computation of Optical Systems,” an edited transla- tion, by J. W. French, of Steinheil and Voit’s ‘* Hand- buch der angewandten Optik.’ Vol. i. is ready. Vol. ii., which is in preparation, will deal with the determination of refractive indices and dispersions and the computation of achromatic prisms, with the computation of doublet objectives; also with the dis- cussion of the aberrations of different combinations. In additioa, it will contain appendices on ‘‘ The Deter- mination of the Refractive and Dispersive Powers of Various Media” and on ‘The Trigonometrical For- mulz for the most General Case of the Refraction of Light by a System of General Surfaces.” . OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. Nova Monocrrotis.—Additional particulars of the new star in Monoceros, which was discovered by Wolf. on February 4 (Nature, vol. ci., p. 52), are Pi 1 in Popular Astronomy for April (vol. xxvi., p. 282). The position of the star for 1918-0, as determined by Prof. Barnard, is given-as R.A. 7h. 22m. 46-93s., decl. —6° 30! 34-7". According to observations made at the. Lick Observatory, the spectrum has reached the nebular stage, consisting of extremely broad bright bands of hydrogen, with the nebulium lines moderately strong and absorption near the centres of the’ green bands. Photographs taken at Harvard on February 21 show the bright hydrogen lines a to ¢, and bright lines also appeared at wave-lengths 4363, 4520, 4686, 5007, 5440, 5630, and 5750. A: Ae ahaa ea ca THe Atomic WEIGHT oF ‘‘ NEBULIUM.”’—In a more complete investigation of the periods of vibration of a single-ring atom, taking account of the magnetic and. associated mechanical forces on an electron due to its motion, Prof. J. W. Nicholson has made a more precise calculation of the atomic weight of ‘‘nebulium” (Monthly Notices, R.A.S., vol. Ixxviii.,-p. 349). Adopt- -ing Wright’s values for the two lines A 5006-89 and A 4363:37, it results that m/M=o0-000415, where m is the mass of the electron and M “that of the atom of nebulium. Since the mean of the best determinations of the corresponding ratio m/H for the hydrogen atom — is 0-000545, it results that the atomic weight of nebulium ‘is 1-31, the possible error being unity in the last figure. From observations of the limiting order of interference for the line A 5007, Prof. Fabry had previously shown that the atomic weight was probably. between those of hydrogen and helium. nie HYDERABAD —ASTROGRAPHIC CaTALOGUE.—The -work on the astrographic- catalogue at the Nizamiah Observatory, Hyderabad, has been carried on -with extraordinary vigour since the appointment of the present director, Mr. R. J. Pocock, in 1914. The seven. zones from 17° to 23° south declination were’ originally assigned to the Santiago Observatory, but on account of the long delay in commencing operations the Hyderabad Observatory was afterwards invited to undertake the zones. —17° to —20°. . Little was done before Mr. Pocock took charge, but the teles was got into working order and regular work on ‘the catalogue commenced in December, 1914, The first. volume. of the catalogue has just been issued, com- prising measures of. rectangular co-ordinates and dia~ meters of 63,436 star-images. on plates with ‘centres “May 16,’ 1918] NATURE mir ye declination —17°. The form of the catalogue is y similar to that adopted at Greenwich and d, the measures for each plate being accom- by an equation for the conversion of measured diameters to magnitudes, and the plate constants re- quired for conversion to standard co-ordinates. The reduction of measured to standard co-ordinates, and lence to right ascension and declination, is fully ex- ained in the introduction, and tables are provided to tate the computations. A supplementary catalogue ca? Den 7! Pral 6 _ All the plates reach at least to fhe 12th magnitude, _ and some include stars fainter than magnitude 13. The whole work reflects great credit on the director and his assistants. _ THE CO-ORDINATION OF SCIENTIFIC ep er eee PUBLICATION. ‘THE co-ordination of scientific publication ‘formed = the subject of a recent conference arranged by _ the Faraday Society under the chairmanship of Sir _ Robert Hadfield, when a number of interesting _ problems bearing on the desirability of a fuller co- _ Operation amongst our scientific and technical socie- _ ties were discussed. Both in the reading and publica- tion of ‘papers there is, at present, a considerable amount of overlapping and lack of co-ordination, with _the result that much valuable work is either lost or _ overlooked owing to communications being made to _ societies which are not especially associated with the _ subject-matter of the investigations concerned, and _ much benefit would undoubtedly result from a federa- _ tion of interests in this respect. Whilst there is a q * a ‘maintain the individuality of each society in regard _ to the reading and publication of papers, and that any ss er gat gam communications for later distribution & itral organisation is undesirable, much effec- _ tive co-operation could be secured between kindred _ societies by the arrangement of joint meetings and con- _ ferences with the object of promoting united work on _ problems of common* interest. Borderland subjects _ merit special consideration from this point of view. _ The publication of the proceedings of such _ meetings in the ‘Transactions of the several _ societies concerned would be much facilitated _ by _ the adoption of a uniform size and type for the __ publications of societies dealing with allied subjects, ___ 80 that each could include such papers in its journal or __. distribute themi as self-contained reprints of a standard size. - Similar uniformity is perhaps not practicable _ for all scientifi¢c and technical publications, but in so _ far as it can be adopted it would add much to the accessibility and the utility of the recorded work. Or | collaboration is also desirable by means of which the members of scientific and technical socie- _ ties should have opportunity of knowing what papers _ are being contributed to societies other than their own, - apart gf Se their later publication either in the journal of the society concerned or in the form of _ abstracts. The proposal, which, it is understood, is _ being considered by the Board of Scientific Societies, _ to publish a weekly journal of announcements would _ meet this want, and it is to be hoped that the Board _ will decide to issue such a publication as soon as pos- _ sible. Meanwhile, individual societies could aid in this ‘s ction by publishing in- their journals -both the _~ announcements of cognate societies and short sum- _ tharies of papers read previous to publication, so that the subject-matter is brought to the notice of those ih d at as early a date as possible. A method _ Of mutual exchange to facilitate such co-operation ‘could be easily arranged, and would in no way detract NO. 2533, VOL. 101] gives the standard co-ordinates of the reference stars. general consensus of opinion that it is essential to. from, but rather add to, the interest in the later full publication’ of papers; a Apart from original contributions, the publications of most Societies’ include abstracts of scientific’ and technical literature published both in our’ own and in foreign journals. In so far as such abstracts include subjects of common interest to members of kindred societies, there is at present a great deal of over- lapping which could be advantageously eliminated by organised collaboration. We have, in the past, been far too reliant in many subjects on the foreign, and especially on the German, journals for our supply of the world’s scientific and technical literature, and it is high time that we became independent and self-supporting in this respect. Effective co-operation should achieve this desirable end for each group of cognate. subjects; and whilst the method of collaboration would depend to a considerable extent on the character of the subject, a common journal of abstracts for each group of societies would, in the majority of. cases, prove the most. advantageous plan. Although a scheme of this character would necessarily decrease the bulk of the publications of each society, the original contributions which mark their individuality would be given greater prominence, time wasted by the re- reading of the same abstract in several journals would be saved, and considerable economies in publication would be effected. Much attention is being digected at present towards the unification and co-ordination of scientific effort. The co-ordination of scientific publication, which has made some progress in the directions indicated during, recent years, should certainly continue to occupy a prominent place amongst these problems of recon- struction, ; ty THE DIURNAL VARIATION OF TERRES- ; TRIAL» MAGNETISM. PUBLICATION No. -io2 of the Royal . Meteoro- -logical Institute of the Netherlands consists of sa doctor’s dissertation in Dutch by Miss Annie .van Vleutefi “On the Diurnal Variation ‘of Terrestrial..Magnetism’’ and two short papers in «English «from vol: xxvi. (1917) of the Pro- ceedings of the Science Section of Kon. Ak. v. Wet. -of Amsterdam. The dissertation, which extends to 106 | pages,.contains numerous tables of diurnal. variation ‘data for the magnetic elements, and the corresponding Fourier. coefficients for a number of stations, more especially for Pavlovsk, Sitka, Irkutsk, De Bilt, Chel- _tenham, U.S., Zi-ka-wei, Honolulu, Bombay, Buiten- zorg, and Samoa, and for the group of years 1906-8. The Fourier coefficients, based on the data from these ten stations from the international quiet days, five a month, are used to furnish answers to the questions advanced in the two short papers ‘in English : (1) Does the internal magnetic field to which the diurnal varia- tion is partly ascribed depend on induced electric currents? (2) Do the forces causing the diurnal varia- tion possess a potential? These are problems chiefly associated in England with the name of Prof. Schuster, to whose work there are many references, whilé abroad they have occupied, amongst others, Profs. Fritsche and Steiner, Schuster and Fritsche, using totally different observational data, séparated the forces causing the diurnal variation into one set having a source external to the earth, and a second set having an internal source. Schuster suggested that the second set arise ' from currents adnest in the earth by the former set. Steiner, employing Fritsche’s results, decided against Schuster’s hypothesis. Miss van Vleuten’s material is at once more homogeneous than Fritsche’s, and ‘more representative than Schuster’s. She concludes that. 214 [M&Y 16, 1948 while the terms. of higher ordér accord. pretty, fairly on || the.whole with Schuster’s hypothesis, this is not truc | of,.the principal terms, .of lower order. The natural inference is that the hypothesis is, at best, not a com- plete, explanation of the phenomena. To the second question the answer obtained is that the forces causing the, diurnal, variation do, not possess a potential; part, but only part, of the diurnal variation may be derived from;a potential. Besides the main data mentioned “NATURE __ would be of” extreme’ ‘intereSt ‘to know ‘the nature’ of response in a Series of subjects Whd' have pga ee withstood many nerve-trying ordeals—das,’ for eXampleé, the ‘response of the experienced and ‘successful fightin aif-pilot. It is possible that this ‘test’ would be of value in special cases in ‘the selection ‘of air-pilots, _ and also invaluable to ‘the ‘military ‘authoritieS as an above, data from,a number of other stations are. utilised, | and. there is, besides, a good. deal. of mathematical | theory. While the publication makes most direct appeal | to: theorists, it contains much valuable information as to, facts not otherwise readily accessible. 2 t+; GALVANOMETRIC RECORDS OF Statin ; EMOTIVITY. ) Fas correspondence ‘columns of the issue of the &)*Eancet for ‘February 23, Dr. A. D. Waller described some very intéresting results which he had obtained by the study of the ‘emotive’ response” or ‘‘psycho-galvanic reflex’’ on various ‘individuals. f;’ “by means of electrodes applied to the dorsum and palm of the hand, a_ subject be connected in series with two Leclanché cells and a’ galvanometer, an emotive response is shown by the’deflection ‘of the latter, not only to physical stimuli such as burning, unexpected noise, smell (e.g. a poison gas), but also to psychical stimuli such as apprehension, questions, and thoughts, pleasant or unpleasant. The ;. Fig. x,—Galvanometric record of Miss G. De D. during the air raid of January 29, 1918. At the tenth minute of observation the noise ot as, i ciately followed by that of aeroplanes » and guns,. broke out, and the resistance, which was approxi- mately 60,000 ohms during the first ten minutes before the disturbance, fell to approximately 20,000 ohms during the next {! fifteen minutes: (On the left hand is given the resistance in \. thousands of ohms.) normal - resistance between the back and the palm of, the'-hand is between 10,000 and 40,000 ohms, \)From,many experiments made on different subjects, . besides ‘the big variation in actual resistance © there is a marked difference in emotive response; also. in -the change of, resistance which takes place during an ex- periment, and in. the .response of the subject: to. the same stimulus: ‘at different stages of the experiment. In some individuals-a greater physiological ‘change may be:eaused bysan: imaginary than. by ‘a real excitation. This: is..especially: the .case in imaginative subjects, such:as members of the literary, artistic, and scientific professions.\..‘A:very interesting record(Pig.1) is'givén. of, the response.of sa ‘subject: taken during. an air: raid.) ‘ Comparative :records saré«also given: of ‘two officers, | one of high and the other of normal emotivity. It NO. 2533, VOL. 101] examination in adjunct to the ordinary medical ation ii _Shell-shock, classifying doubtful. **nerve’” cases, e.g, neurasthenia, and malirgering. ATMOSPHERIC: POLLUTION, AN examination of the third report of the Advisory Committee on Atmospheric Pollution, published as a supplement to the Lancet of March 23, shows that the total deposit for 1916-17 has. increased. in _ the (six) summer months over that of the previous _ year, which was greater than that of 1914-15, so little affected by rainfall, that there has been a steady increase in most ‘of the stations during the past three years. On the other hand, in. the (six) winter months a diminution .in 1916-17 is recorded. No very definite conclusions can be drawn from these results, as the stations have in some cases been changed; but in London, where the same stations have been in steady operation during this period, there is a distinct improvement in the winter months, and the same is true of Glasgow. © Among the towns exhibiting the highest deposits of atmospheric impurities St. Helens and Glasgow stand out most prominently, whilst Malvern and Exeter, as might be expected, exhibit the lowest figures. A comparison of deposits during wet and dry weather indicates that, whereas insoluble matter is soluble matter is brought down ‘in much larger amount. The highest and lowest deposits, based on the average of eighteen stations, correspond, nevertheless, in no instance with the highest and lowest rainfall. Some kind of automatic recorder for the rapid regis- tration of atmospheric pollution, to replace the cumber- some and tedious method at pregent used, has always been a great desideratum. Dr. J. S.. Owens describes in the present report a simple form of such an ap- paratus, whereby a known volume of air (2 litres) is drawn at a fixed rate through an aperture (2 in.) into which a piece of filter paper is inserted. The stain produced by the arrested dust particles gives a measure of the amount of suspended impurity, and by calibration with weighed quantities, which have been determined by Mr. J. G. Clark, the depth’ of deposit can be expressed quantitatively. The method appears to give trustworthy results, and each deter- mination is complete in. ten minutes. It does not, of course, touch ithe gaseous impurities, but as these run to a great extent parallel with the solid impuri- ties, and as the latter are the more injurious, the results should give a fair record of the changes taking place in atmospheric pollution: at different centres. As the .method involves simple apparatus and but little attention, it. isto be hoped that a larger number of observers will be induced to enrol themselves under the present committee. = j.. BG; LUBRICATING. .OILS. set NATURE 24 Mey 1A, 1998) _and,,, unsaturated - hydrocarbons of. the Bea: eee polynuclear ; type, and, to a limited ex. tent, b peretins and aromatic. hydrocarbons, ee by, a modified, form, of Ostwald apparatus, raisus lubricating yalue in terms of this property chemical | composition. The desideratum for a Mane appears to be low viscosity and good lubri- ting po power, as the lubricant is concerned in the tidn of solid into liquid friction. On the other hand, the mysterious property known as “body” —that is, ‘the power of maintaining a film (or. film strength) between shaft and bearings—is a vital factor. This property of body seems to depend on surface tension, and is not necessarily dependent on viscosity, appears’ to be connected with molecular weight. The Soaible iso-colloid nature of heavy oils in explain- Shed ory viscosity is considered, and the view is put forward that if this is the true nature of such oils, the film strength may depend upon the relation of the ses present in the oil. The following are some of the authors’ general con- lugioas :—Paraffinoid oils, though highly stable, have little lubricating value, and the smaller the hydrogen content, the greater the viscosity and durability; it is the polynuclear naphthenes, especially the unsaturated ents, which confer viscosity and film strength ; the hi; fractions of petroleum contain such un- saturated members, which, when removed, lower density, lower viscosity, higher molecular weight, and, generally, lower lubricating value. It appears, then, that the true lubricant is an un- saturated und possessing the characteristic attri- butes-of such compounds, and this applies not only to hydrocarbons, but also to fatty oils, such as rape, castor, and olive oil; in other words, unsaturation is a feature of chemical activity which, in addition to colour, taste, smell, and physiological properties, mani- fests itself in lubricating value. Moreover, the col- loidal condition of a good lubricant may also ‘have to be taken into consideration. ‘The whole subject of liquid lubricants is an im- portant one, and in the above brief summary the hehe have brought forward a contribution of a suggestive character, which emphasises very po the * somuszel for further comprehensive and detailed study. STATISTICAL METHODS APPLIED TO . PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. W*, have received a copy of the presidential ad- dress delivered before the Indian Science Con- at Lahore in January last by Sir G. T. Walker, ob one rata of Observatories, India (Calcutta; Thacker, Spink, and Co.). The bulk of the address is devoted to illustrating the. application to important tons are Linda of statistical methods. _ Illustra- iven of the use of coefficients of correlation on with crop prediction, and also to show yo: extent of co-variation ‘between the fever rate, population, cost of rice, cultivated area, and rainfall, so far as this can be determined by a first-degree regression equation computed from the data of twenty- five years. __ An interesting point is the apparently close associa- tion between an. increase of population and an increase de nit Sir G..T. Walker observes that this ‘tis so opposed.to awidely accepted medical ideas. that some, copay I did not treat it seriously.. But,on informing Major McKendrick, of Kasauli, of.it he 1 me; not to reject, it lightly, and directed my atten- n.to. some. analysis, of his, which would. suggest. an lanation.. I;, haye. therefore. examicel the. corre- by {awNod 25335: ‘VOL."T0T} pont) 32k ees dave made careful determinations of . exhibit . sponding relationship for all the. ten provinces of India for which sufficient data aré available, and have ‘not found a single negative coefficient. The average” value is +05. For those of you who are interested in ‘sani- tary matters I may briefly explain’ that the, spread of malaria among men depends upon the méeting * of healthy men with infected mosquitoes, ‘and ‘the ‘spread among mosquitoes on the encounters between infected men and healthy mosquitoes; hence the relations are symmetrical from the mathematical, if not'the zsthétic, pan ‘of view, and an increase in the’ number of men as essentially the same bad effect as an increase in the number of mosquitoes.”’ In view of the work which has been done upon the method of variate difference correlation during’ recetit years, it would be of interest further to explore the association by the new method, Statisticians in this country will appreciate the concluding passage of Sir G. T. Walker’s address:—‘*I] hope that statistical methods may before long be recognised as essential for efficiency for the following reasons, First, a table of data covering, say, fifty years gives any intelligent man the same advantage as if he had carefully watched the conditions. for fifty years and had a perfect memory ; secondly, employing a draughtsman to plot these data will suggest’ relationships in a manner which would otherwise require profound study of the figures; and thirdly, employing a clerk to work out, the correlation coefficients and regression equation will give him with- bh: effort trustworthy information, about. their relation- which will distinguish direct from indirect. effects, could be got in no other way,’ Pee METHODS © OF: ‘GAS: WARFARE: HE. lissue’. of, ‘the. Journal - -of. fhe , ‘Washington Academy. of Sciences: for: February. 4 last-includes a report: of: a. lecture by. Prof. S.;Jis Ma; dda of | the British, Military «Mission, on, ‘‘ Methods of Gas W ar- fare,”’: ‘delivered: - before *: the. ‘Academy, ‘Naturally in the lecture, which. is here-summarised, attention is con- fined. tova description. of; what ‘the. Germans. e ‘been doing}. nothing. is*said of. the merlvitien:, of the 4 Entente Powers,in this’ direction.; » titea The; first; gas: attack’ wwas- sands: ‘by. the saith lans in April,, 1915, and. the p whole: method .of. the War was changed.-.. The attack ,was,-made,, of» geresespeainst men who - were’ entirely. unprepared—absolutely. unpro- tected..; The, Germans ted ‘no. immediate, retalia- tion,, as. they, had. paveat os 0) protection: for- “their own men, A clear and unobstructed gap in thé lines was made, which was only closed by the Canadians, who rallied on the left and advanced, ‘in part through the gas-cloud. itself. The method first used by the Germans’ is simple, but requires great pre paration: beforehand, A hole is dug in the bottom of the trench close> underneath the parapet, and a gas cylinder is buriéd in the hole, It is then covered first with a quilt of moss containin potassium. carbonate solution, and then with san bags. When the attack isto be made the sand-bags are taken off the cylinder, and each cylinder is con- nected with a lead pipe which is bent ‘over the top of the parapet. A sand-bag is laid.on the nozzle to prevent the back.‘ kick” of the outrushing gas from throwing the pipe back into the trench. The attackers must know the direction’ and velocity of the. wind with certainty. » Favourable conditions are limited, practically to wind: velocities betwéen: twelve and four miles an:hour. A wind of more;than twelve miles an hour disperses the gas-cloud very ‘rapidly, ‘An upward-current.of air is the worst’ foe. of m- rdf the trench: line: is. very irregular ‘it is likely: as will: flow:into: a: cig od ad ‘one’ ‘sr own’ rar oa it siovherns «face on 8 re 1 oe Ls Pemye eree “216 NATURE _[May.16, 1918. Germans use a 40° angle of safety; that means ‘that on a given straight portion of the’ front the wind direc- tion must lie between the two directions which make ‘angles of 40° with the neighbouring sections of the front. The most suitable type of country is where the ground slopes gently away from where the gas is being discharged. If the country is flat like that about Ypres, and the wind direction’ is right, there is little difficulty about making an attack. German gas attacks are made by two régiments of pioneers, with highly technical officers, including engineers, meteoro- logists, and chemists. The first attack was made with chlorine. If a gas attack is to be made with gas- clouds, the number of gases available is limited. he gas must be easily compressible, easily made in large quantities, and should be considerably heavier than air.. If to this is added the necessity of its being very toxic and of low chemical reactivity, the choice is prac- tically reduced to two gases: chlorine and phosgene, Pure chlorine did not satisfy quite all the requirements, as it is very active chemically and therefore easily absorbed. _ The first protection was primitive. It consisted largely of respirators made by women in England in response to an appeal by Lord Kitchener. Then came the helmet made of a flannel bag soaked in thiosulphate and carbonate, with a mica window in it. A modified form of this device with different chemicals is still used in the British Army as a reserve protection. The outcome of attempts to counteract the effects of phos- gene was a helmet saturated with sodium phenate. The concentration ‘of gases when’ used in a cloud is small, and 1 to 1000 by volume is relatively very strong.. The helmet easily gave protection against phosgene at a normal concentration of 1 part in 10,000. The element of surprise came in an attack by night. The meteorological conditions are much better at night than during the day. The best two hours out of the twenty-four, when steady and downward currents exist, are the hour between sunset and dark and the hour between dawn and sunrise. Gas attacks have therefore been frequently made just in the gloaming | or early morning, between lights. This took away one of the easy methods of spotting gas, that of seeing it, and we had to depend upon the hissing noises made by the escaping gas, and upon the sense of smell. Another element of surprise was the sending out of more than one cloud in an attack. After the first cloud the men would think it was all over, but ten minutes or, half an hour later there would come another cloud on exactly the same front. Efforts were: also made to effect surprise by silencing the gas. But silencers reduced the rate of escape so greatly that the loss of efficiency from low concentration more than made up for the gain in suddenness. Another method was to mix the gas up with smoke, or to alternate . gas and smoke, so that it would be difficult to tell where the gas began and the smoke ended. There was a long search for materials that would absorb phosgene. The substance now used very extensively «is hexamethylenetetramine (urotropine), ({CH,);N., which reacts very rapidly with phosgene. Used in conjunction with sodium phenate, it will pro- tect against phosgene at a concentration of 1% 1000 for a considerable period. _ An excess of sodium hydroxide is used with the sodium phénate, and a valve is provided in the helmet for the escape of exhaled air. A high concentration for a gas-cloud is 1 part in ‘1000, whereas concentrations of 2 or 3 per cent. can be met by respirators depending on chemical reactivity. One such respirator is a box of chemicals connected by a flexible tube with a face-piece fitting around the ‘contours of the face, and provided with a mouthpiece and a nosepiece. As regards the chemicals used there is NO. 2533, VOL. rot] no secret, for the: Germans have’ many of the samé things. Active absorbent charcoal is one of the main reliances, and is a suggestion that ‘we . owe to the Russians. Wood charcoal was used in’ one’ of their devices and was effective, but most of the Rus- sian soldiers had no protection at all. We wanted to protect against chlorine, acids and acid-forming gases, phosgene, etc., and at one time were fearful of meet- ing large quantities of hydrocyanic (prussic) acid (HCN). The three things that then seemed most im- portant were :—(1) Chlorine and phosgene; (2) prussic acid; (3) lachrymators. Charcoal and alkaline per- manganate will protect against nearly everything used, even up to concentrations of 10 per cent. for short periods. ; cys ne As regards the future of the gas-cloud, it may be looked upon as almost finished. The case is different with gas shells. The gas shells are the most impor- tant of all methods of using gas on the Western front, and are still in course of development. The enemy started using them soon after the first cloud attack. He began with the celebrated ‘‘ tear” shells. The original tear shells contained almost pure xylyl bromide or benzyl bromide, made by brominating the higher fractions of coal-tar distillates. The German did his bromination rather badly. It should be done carefully or much dibromide is produced, which is solid and inactive. Some of the shells contained as much as 20 per cent. dibromide, enough to make the liquid pasty and inactive. ame When the Germans started using highly poisonous shells, the substance used was trichloromethyl-chloro- formate, but not in great strength. The use of gas out of a projectile has a number of advantages over its use in a gas-cloud. First, it is not so dependent on the wind. Secondly, the gunners have their ordinary job of shelling, and there is no such elaborate and unwelcome organisation to put into the front trenches as is necessary for the cloud. Thirdly, the targets are picked with all the accuracy of artillery — fire. Fourthly, the gas shells succeed with targets that are not accessible to high explosives or to gas-clouds. Among the effective materials used by the Germans for gas shells were mono- and tri-chloromethyl-chloro- | formate. Prussic acid never appeared; the Germans rate it lower than phosgene in toxicity, and reports — concerning it were obviously meant merely to produce fear and distract the provisions for protection. ——— During the last months of 1917 the actual materials and the tactics used by the Germans have undergone a complete change. \ Ce Sie One substance used for the method of simultane- ously harassing and seriously injuring was dichloro- diethylsulphide (mustard- gas). It has a distinctive smell, rather like garlic than mustard. | ‘ : Up to the present time there has been no material brought out on either side that can be depended on to go through the other fellow’s respirator. The casual- ties are due to surprise or to lack of training in the use of masks. The mask must be put on and adjusted within six seconds, which requires a considerable amount of preliminary training, if it is to be done under field conditions. beg Among other surprises on the part of the Germans were phenylcarbylamine chloride, a lachrymator, and diphenylchloroarsine, or ‘‘sneezing gas.’’ The latter is mixed in with high-explosive shells, or with other gas shells, or with shrapnel. — LEE isha ea em kan As’ regards the future of gas shells, it should be emphasised that the “gas shell’? is not necessarily a ‘gas shell at all, but a. liquid or solid shell, ps | it ‘opens up the. whole sphere of, organic chemistry to be drawn upon for materials. The material placed inside ‘the shell is transformed into vapour or fine droplets by the explosion, and a proper'adjustment between the bursting NATURE ahZ May 16, gr] and. the poisonous substance is necessary. Both Sees busy trying to find something that the others have not used, and both are trying to find a ‘ colour- less, -odourless, and invisible’. gas that ‘is highly » It-is within the realm of possibilities’ that the “war willbe. finished, literally, in the chemical he following compounds have . been ge by. the PS in gas-clouds or in shells :— hey Allyl-iso-thiocyanate (allyl mustard oil), C,H,NCS hd 8 ed ri > STE bromide, C,H,.CH,Br (shell). o4 Bromo-acetone, CH .Br.CO. CH, (hand grenades). Cc 2 Bromated methylethyl-ketone (bromo-ketone), Br.CO -C.H, or CH,.CO.CHBr.CH, (shell). >H,.CO.CHBr.CH,Br (shell). = ‘Bromine, ‘Br, (hand renades). Chioro-acetone, CH,C1.CO.CH, (hand grenades). & Ml, (cloud). ees oorotormate featite) Di- 4g Nivowicloromethane (cloropistin or » nitro- ; and “smoke Reseed Dichlorodiethylsulphide (mustard eh gee H,).S (shell). i ‘ae Dimethyl sulphate, (CH).S0, hand grenades), oro-arsine, (C,H,),AsCl (shell). . ies Dichloromethy] ether, (CH 2Cl),O (shell). pas ‘Methylchlorosulphonate, CH,CISO, (hand gren- po aS lamine chloride, C,H,N.CC1, (shell). - 97. Phosgene carbonyl chloride), COCI, (cloud and 18. Sulphur trioxide, SO, (hand grenades and shell). 19. Trichloromethyl - chloroformate (diphosgene, palite), ClICOO.CCI, (shell). Oe: ‘a4 bromide (toly! bromide), CH,.C,H,.CH,Br ha Bet 7 =~ CRYSTALS: OBTAINED FROM GLASS . FURNACES. ME... V' WILSON has studied the materials +4 obtained from glass furnaces of the tank type bottle glass, where, by a rupture of the tank, the glass has flowed out and has been allowed to slowly, and he described his results to ‘the Society of Glass Technology on April 17. He finds po party arranged of wollastonite form in great numbers, ed in spherulitic groups of long diverging fibres, partly as separate rod-shaped crystals a aline fibres poe Tridymite occurs also in flat onal plates,-very thin, but showing the polarisa- tion. in sectors which is so characteristic of this mineral. He has:also observed quartz as double hexa- gonal pryamids in places where veins of glass have eaten their way into the bricks which make the walls of the tank; and manganese augite, of purplish-brown colour, only in parts of the glass where an excess of manganese oxide has existed through imperfect mixing of the ingredients of the batch. Fragments of limestone, probably in part magnesian, occurred in the glass, imperfectly dissolved and showing recrystallisation through contact alteration and. admix- ture with silica and other elements of the glass. These have a_ granular crystalline - structure except where veins of glass penetrate into them. The new minerals produced are wollastonite, .augite- (golden-yellow, in small acest melilite, and probably a silicate of lime (3Ca0,2S iO,). eh dow vault: of the furnace consists, of firebriek, and _NO.* 2533, VOL. 101] OO.CH,.CI (shell), = Can is covered with.a fused. glassy. layer, _from which stalactites- hang -down,~ and’ drops of~ molten: matter must have been -falling- into--the glass below. The zone of altered brick is about an inch thick,, and two layers can be detected in it—an outer glassy "stalactitic, layer, containing much corundum and a little sillimanite, in a glassy matrix, and an inner white layer, looking very like. white porcelain to the naked eye. This inner layer is richly charged with sillimanite needles. The: external surface of glass pots also contains, very well formed crystals of sillimanite, and sometimes, also magnetite and corundum. The inner surface. of, old glass. pots often shows much sillimanite embedded in clear, glass, and, where the cooling has been slow, biotit and oligoclase also make their appearance. ee ‘ifson regards as important the presence of. volatile . fluxes, such as soda, given off by the heate slass. ese combine with the alumina arid silica o € clay, forming glassy alkali-alumina-silicates which are “comparatively fusible, and serve as a medium in which corundum, sillimanite, and other minerals are crystallised. The corrosion of the glass pots is due ee - largely to the action of this alkali-alumina-silicate melt . 10. Chlorosulphonic acid, SO,.H. Cl (hand grenades | agra eae ree ca es et | ce tet ‘observed: in_ the use and design of: Pulfrich refracto- ‘meters: A’ théorétical ‘investigation of the’ Various errors 'to which measuréments: are liable is included.— KR, Simeon; ;The ,accuracy attainable with critigal- -_angle.;refractometers., The three , factors: controlling ‘the determination of a refractive. index, by means ofa criti¢al-angle refractometer are,, so. far as. the ; ism, system.is: concerned, (i) the angle of. the, Ter, Mattes refractive index, and (iii) the.angle of. emergence sof the critical ray..from the second .prism - face. ..,Expres-. sions are obtained. for the variation of the required refractive index with each. of these. factors, separately; and curves are given connecting these,,variations with the angle of emergence from the second _prism. face for various prism angles.—Prof. H. Chatley ; Cohesion (fourth paper). ‘The paper is the fourth ‘of a Series dealing with the subject of cohesion. The aim’ of,'the present paper is to consider the value of molecular force as indicated by Van der Waals’s gas: foritula (particularly at the critical state where the liquid’ and gaseous. states merge), and to relate the results to the - previous inquiry. eRe Wa me, Linnean Society, May 2.—Sir' David Prain, president, in the: chair.—G. M. Thomson;.A new fresh-water shrimp (Caridina) from Fiji..—-Dr. Marie: Stopes ; Bennettites Scotti, sp. nov., a European petrifaction with foliage. A new species of Bennettites, is described, externally very like a. Williamsonia ** fruit.’ as regards both shape and. size. It is, howevery..a young vegetative trunk, probably a.“ sproutling,”’ The three main points of ‘particular interest about, 1f are zy- (1) It is the smallest trunk of Bennettites yet known; (2) it is the first European specimen ‘to include: well-, petrified young foliage; (3) it is well preserved, and elucidates some. anatomical ‘details. of leaf-structure not. completely known from the American specimens. Dr. Marie Stopes: A survey of the biological aspect of the constitution of coal.. The history of the compli- cated substance known as- coal was narrated,, from its earliest microscopical investigation. in 1833, by H. T. M. Whitham, and shortly afterwards by, Wi liam Hutton (1798-1860). Four special substances were particularised as building up coal, and some concluding’ remarks were devoted to. the ecological aspect of ‘coal in its formation in geological times, ; Mathematical Society, May 9.—Prof. Hilton, ‘vice- president, in the chair.—E. L. Ince: The continued fractions connected with the hypergeometric » equa- tion._-W. P. Milne: Determinantal’ systems ‘of co- apolar triads on a cubic curve.—A. Young’: The electro- magnetic properties of coils." | “2GIOF os _ Paris. Sue et Academy of Sciences, April 29.—M. Ed. Perrier,in the chair.—J. Boussimesq : Calculation to the second approximation of the limiting thrust exerted ,on.;.a vertical wall by a terre-plein. with. free horizontal -sur- face.—C. Richet, P. Brodin, and Fr. Saint-Girons ; ‘The influence of intravenous ‘injections -of isotonic ,liquids on the dilution of the blood.and on. the number of red- blood corpuscles which may. be lost in bleeding. _From experiments. on.dogs, the classical theory is. ound. not to be in complete accord with, fact... The ,immediate cause of death by bleeding is a more,complex problem than'has hitherto..been supposed.—E. .Ariés: ‘The saturated vapour pressures of ‘triatomic liquids. | The formula derived: in earlier communications. 1s app! to the examination of the experimental data,., or carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrous oxide. Thereate “some divergences. between, the» calculated and. ‘experimental ‘.values, », the, ; causes of: .which,:are discussed.—}i:'Haag: The ‘application .of, the. law...of Gauss,.to syphilis... The: application.of the theory, of . yea | probability, t..120.,cases, of, syphilis sows’ that’ the FOr. ,IOV tf? A re 220: NATURE , e [Max 16,. 1918, period: of ‘ineubation obeys’ very ain the. law of Gauss, the avérdge duration being thirty-four days.— L. ‘Roy : The problem of reflection and refraction by plane periodic waves.—F. B, de Lenaizan ; . The resist- ance of the electric spark.—P. -L. Mercanton: The magnetic state of some prehistoric pottery. ‘The | articles’ examined were taken from Swiss lakes | (Bienne, Zurich, Pfaffiken), and from magnetic ob- servations on nine pieces the. conclusion is drawn that at the time and place of manufacture the terrestrial magnetic inclination was nearly zero.—P. Chevenard : The determination of the velocities of cooling neces- sary for the realisation of tempering in carbon steels. The results for a‘series of steels with carbon graded from o-2.per cent, to-o-8 per cent. are given in the form of curvesi—C. Matignon and F. Meyer: The double sulphate of soda and ammonia. Thermo- chemical and solubility data,.—P. de Sousa; The epiro- genic movements during the Quaternary at Algarve, Portugal.—E. Hernandez-Pacheco: The Archzxocyatide of the Sierra de Cordoba (Spain). —A. Guébhard ; Remarks on the sedimentary crust,—E, Saillard ; The balance of some constituent principles of the sugar-beet during the manufacture of sugar. The various products arising during the extraction of sugar from the sugar-beet have been analysed, and the data used to construct balance-sheets for the dry material, nitrogen, potash, soda, and phosphoric acid. The three last-named substances can be practically all recovered and’ returned to the soil, but about one- half of the nitrogen cannot be utilised.—L. Devillers : The. determination of the indigestible residue in vitro produced by pancreatin acting upon wheat or the products of milling and baking. Figures are given for fourteen samples of wheat, flour, and bread.— F.. Guitel: The first stages of the development of the adhesive apparatus of Lepadogaster. —A, Nanta: The initial alterations of the liver in aiued traumatisms, ‘BOOKS RECEI VED. The Third and Fourth Generation: An Introduction to Heredity, —“By E. R. Downing. Pp. xi+164. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press; London: Cambridge University Press.) 1 dollar net. Plant Products and Chemical Fertilizers. By S. H. Collins. Pp. xvi+236. (London: Bailliére, Tindall, and Cox.) 7s. 6d. net. ° The Alkali Industry. By J. R.° Partington. Pp. xvi+304. (London: Bailliere, Tindall, and Cox.) 7s. 6d. net. University of Chicago. Publications of the Members of the University, 1902-1916. Pp. x +518. (Chicago : University of Chicago Press; London: Cambridge University Press.) Bibliography of the Geology. and Eruptive Pheno- mena of the More Important Volcanoes of Southern Italy. Compiled, with the. assistance. of Madame A. Johnston-Lavis, by .Dr:.H. J. Johnston-Lavis. Second edition. Pp. xxiv+374. (London: University of London Press, Ltd.) Yorkshire Type Ammonites. man. Part xv. (London : 38. 3d. net. The Athenaeum: Subject lndex: to Periodicals, 1916. Science and Technology, including Hygiene and Sport. Pp. 162. (London: The Athenaeum.)- tos. net. A Handbook on Antiseptics. By Drs. H. D. Dakin and E. K. Dunham. Pp. ix+129. (New York: The Macmillan Co.; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 7s. tret. The Botany of Iceland. Edited by Drs. Rosenvinge and E. Warming. Part ii. Pp. 675. (Copenhagen ;: J. Frimodt; and Co.) 5s. 6d. net. NO. 2533, VOL. ror] Edited by S. S. Buck- W. Wesley and Son.) | are . 347 to - London: J. Witeldon eres emia 29.8 4 gas 6 ste SOCIETIES. THURSDAY, May + Sa Roya Society, at 4.30.—Note on Certain Coloured - Interference Bands and the Colours o “Pempered Steel: A. Mallock.—Genetal Factors in: Mental Measurements: J. M. Garnett.—The Absorption of X-Rays in Copper and Aluminium : C, M., Williams.—The Electrical Resol lution a and Broadening of Helium Lines > Dr} T. R. Merton, ‘ Roya. InstiTUTION, at 3.—The Prosecution and Piasbehinees of Animals ; Sir J. G. Frazer. ef Society OF ARTS, at 4.30. —The Freedom of. the nee yland. - INSTITUTION OF MininG AND MET: ALLURGY, at Ss 30. FRIDAY, Mav Royat InstirTuTion, at 5.30.—The Story Mf aienaal Dr, A B, Rendle. TUESDAY, May '2 tet InstituTION, at 3.—A Master of Method—Pitt- Rivers : Prof A. ; th, THURSDAY, May. Royat InstiTuTion, at 3.—The Abode of “ge ai "hes 5: Acpoanaaetel Inbabi- tants, and History: Sir Francis Younghusband. INsTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—Someé Transient Pheno- mena in Electrical Supply Systems: Prof. E, W. Marchant. FRIDAY, May Roya Institution, at 5.30.—Internal Ballistics: Lt. Col. A. G. Hadcock. LINNEAN SOCIETY, at 3.—Anniversary Meeting. SATURDAY, May 2 Roya InstrTUTION, at 3.—Problems in Bird: Migration : Proker i I Patten. TUESDAY, May 28. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 5. fe: .—A Case of Hermaphroditism in a Lizard, sien J Lacerta viridis: Noel Taylor.—Fresh-water bes as Food : C. Tate Regan, = CONTENTS. "PAGE Aerodynamics. ByS.B........++.4. ++ 202 Military’ Psychology: = .:s .) 4)).>. Give oe 201 fae as a Hygienic Agent. By Prof. F. G. Donnan, ‘ F.R.S, Bi ri ay sh the a a Reman a J +s tae Our Bookshelf o - O°) 0+ @ 6: G-s0! Sele, tm s+ 202 Letters to the Editor:. — Cotton-growing Statistics. — Dr, W. Lawrence Balls; The Writer ofthe Article ...... 203 The ‘Duration of Resonance: in’ the Internal Ear. (With Diagram.)—Dr. W. Perrett §. . 1: . 204 Recovery of aGelgn through Excitement.—G, Arch: Gall -Reidiin .05) & iit ee > 204 A Study in Conditions of Human Nurture. ° (lis. ; trated. Yon eisei eR go Ph gee ee “F 205 The Development of Technical Research. By H.L. 206 Conference of Universities . . . Fo imtie be tay BOP ‘Notes ©. PR Our Astronomical “Column : — ie 2 ea oa Nova Monocerotis oe ee eee, The Atomic Weight of “Nebuliam” | ‘ee ee ee BIB Hyderabad Astrographic Catalogue . .. ..: . . 212 The Co-ordination of Scientific Sublientied S Eee erg The Diurnal Variation of Terrestrial Magnetism . 213 Galvanometric Records of Emotivity. (///ustrated.) 214 Atmospheric Pollution.: ByJ. B.C. . .... 214 Lubricating: Oils.) 040. Af Seo ee Pe 4 Statistical Methods Applied to Practical Problems. 215 Methods of Gas Warfare © ....... toe ta Crystals obtained from Glass Furnaces ....... 217 The Carnegie Institution of Washington ..... 21 University and Educational Intelligence . .. 21 Societies and Academies. ........ CE ene Books Recerved soe ee 3 ee sty 220 ‘Diary of Societies. .°. .... |, Ae eta Sd Editorial and. Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Lrp., MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, ST. W.Cagy ss: Advertisements and business letters 1o be addressed to the Publishers. : Editorial Communications to the Editor. Telegraphic Address : Puusis, LONDON. ‘Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. a NATURE : 221 SSSORIT EDUCATIONAL METHODS. ie "Advanced Montessori Method: Scientific ago; as Applied to the Education of Chil- “Seven to Eleven Years. By Maria I., Spontaneous Activity in “Translatéd from the Italian by F. ind L. Hutchinson. Pp. vii+ 357. Montessori Elementary Material. ted f front the Italian by A. Livingston. viii- mae. W. Heinemann, Price 8s. 6d, net and 12s. 6d. net re- *R. one may think of the funda- ] _ doctrines of Dr. Montessori, her ways eminently readable. She has a iasm for her subject, and a rare fund or biographical illustrations, which sally: chosen for the purpose of. carrying .. An uncritical mind is not censorious ; es) 0 mapot. An analogy is as good 1onstr , and the freedom with which 1s atk ectey educational r, Comenius. Of course, her analogies are de, but. much of her theory and practice a ened: analogy between the mature 1 leads her to the conclusion that since = mind does. its. work in an orderly, hiake _ applying | to. the world around _ its anism.of categories which reduces that world foe so our first business should. be definite sensory categories in the mind d which shall make the perceptual his.environment ordérly and. accurate, ities of the objects,, not the objects hich are important’’; so we must ; in. the accurate. discrimination of This is the object of the didactic ay ARE the use of children from O six s of age. Mc ae little respect for experi- : sycho ogy; yet it is worth while noting Stern’s. researches showed that children were ently not natively interested in the qualiaes cts until they were past. the age of thirteen, research dren might be trained to observe pictures and 2 like with special regard to such qualities, when ie they quickly slip back into what seems 4 natural order of the development. of inter —objects. as such first of all, then things of objects, and Jatest of all their qualities. unately, Dr. Montessori never gives the evidence on which her conclusions .are based. A _ pretty story does not establish a principle. This lefect in her books is the more noteworthy because she has presumably. had a scientific trarning and because she explicitly claims that her results are arrived. at. by exact methods. A. chapter headed NO. 2534, VOL. 10T] t and the mind of.the child. This es have shown that although it. are Dappenings then the spatial and causal rathér. naively “My Contributions to Experimental Setence’’ would surely make any person a¢quainted with rigorous scientific method smile. As a summary of results for popular consumption, it. 4s’ Not without merit, but one seeks in vain for references to the original memoirs in Which the detailed work is carefully described and where the conclusions are adequately discussed. She is so acute a critic of the work of others that we might at least expect her to take as much pains as they have done to make her whole method of investigation and its detailed results accessible to scientific criticism. Popular books are necessary, but they must rest upon a solid basis of carefully recorded. fact if they are to stand the test of time. Apart.from this grave defect in the Montessori literature, judged from the point of view of a scientific pedagogy, there is so much humanity in it that we must do homage to its distinguished author for her service to the cause of humane education. She enjoys flogging a dead horse (or should we say a dying horse?), apparently believ- ing that it is»still in vigorous life. She is so’wrapt up in her own work that she is unaware of the great changes which the biological conception of education was bringing about in our schools. before we had heard her name. But a remarkable busi- ness talent has obtained for her a hearing such as few educational writers. in English-speaking coun- tries enjoy. Where one person has. heard. the name of Dewey, a thousand have heard that of Montessori, and we may rejoice to think of the numbers who: will read. the chapters in this book on the will and the intelligence. It is in the second volume that the application of the: Montessori. method to the primary~ school is described. There is much suggestive matter in. its chapters, though very. little that is new, except perhaps the ‘didactic materials.’’ . The author believes that teachers should be. supplied with the material necessary to enable the children of themselves to achieve a desired result. This material should have been determined ex- perimentally, and; once it has been designed) the teacher has only to make himself thor- oughly familiar with its use. So we find the words: and sentences for the grammar work are provided. They are carefully graduated and laid out in neat boxes. One is irresistibly reminded of Pestalozzi’s ambitious designs. Get the mechanism right and train your teachers in the use of it, then all will be well. Of course, the mechanism is the result of experimental inquiry, as was Pestalozzi’s, but, in spite of the charm with which it is described) we fear it will share the same fate as Froebel’ s gifts and Pestalozzi’s A BG's. Rather more than a third of the volume is given to grammar. Under the stimulus of the apparatus, children of eleven are led to distinguish eight kinds of adverbs and fourteen kinds of con-~ junctions, but the apparatus for arithmetic only carries them to a stage which a good Standard ITI. child in an English school would find easy. The rest of the book deals with geometry, music, N 222 ° eV [May 23, 1918 _ . rhythm, and verse structure. The range of. the last may be gathered from its concluding para- graph, which tells us that “the child is now ready for the more difficult problems of anacrusis, cata- lexis, irregular feet, and irregular pauses.” There is nothing of history or geography in the book. No doubt the didactic materials are still in pre- paration. Jj. A. G. MODERN INDUSTRY. (1) What Industry Owes to Chemical Science. By R. B. Pilcher and F, Butler-Jones. With an introduction by Sir G. Beilby. Pp. xiv+150. (London: Constable and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 3s. net. (2) Some Problems of Modern Industry: Bemg the Watt University Lecture for 1918. By W. C. Hichens. Pp. 61, (London: Nisbet and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 6d. net. (1) ge British trade is to hold its own in face of ‘the acute competition which is to. be ex- pected, great alterations must be effected, and these two books point out some directions in which improvements may be made. Messrs. Pilcher and Butler-Jones’s handbook is a capital résumé of the improvements made in metallurgy and in the manufacture of dyes, explosives, glass, pottery, and many other commodities by the application of scientific research. It is very readable; and gives in a handy form an accurate and _ interesting account of the growth and results of industrial chemistry. It shows how much we owe to British and French chemists, and avoids a common mis- take which gives the main credit in this matter to Germany. It is the most compact and convenient history of industrial chemistry which we have come across. As a rule, the authors have kept to general principles, and this is wise, because the book is not intended for experts in each par- ticular trade, but for the public as a whole, and because no one or two men can write on the various industries concerned with first-hand know- ledge of all, but must depend on other books for a large part of the information. ~ In some cases, where the authors have gone into detail—for example, in describing the Pattin- son and Parkes processes for lead refining—the details show that the authors have no recent actual experience of the methods employed in_ this country, but have probably relied on text-books. . In dealing with monazite sand the large and rich deposits in the south of India might be mentioned, and the successful diversion of these sources from German. hands to our own: In relation to the competition between artificial and natural indigo the recent action of the Indian Government in applying modern scientific methods to the produc- tion and marketing of natural indigo should be recognised. _ Would that all Governments and _ Government. Departments were equally broad- minded and far-seeing! In this country the per- manent Government officials are usually recruited from a class which, though aware of the import- ance of chemistry, is so out of touch. with chemists, and so lacking in sympathy with chemical ideas, NO. 2534, VOL. I0T| | that it is hard for them to realise what is really required by the country. The average Member of Parliament and the average man of business do not recognise that a first-class man of science — is, as a_rule, valuable only in his own subject. Messrs. Pilcher and Butler-Jones’s book will show. the public at large how enormous the science has become, and how stupid it is to expect. an elec- trician to be an authority on paraffin oils, or a genius in spectroscopic work on gases to be a sound guide in the manufacture of artificial rubber. (2) As chairman of Cammell, Laird, and Co., Mr. Hichens is able to look at modern industry in a broad manner. He deals mainly with ethical ques- tions, the relations with labour, conditions of work, the right of the State to a share in profits, and so on. He has a pleasant style of writing, and his commercial training has not destroyed his power of refreshing his mind and the minds of his audience by recalling some picture of a bygone age before trade-unions or excess profits were thought of. It is impossible in an hour’s lecture to do more than indicate the sort- of problem to be tackled. Mr. Hichens has done this in an agree-— able and interesting manner, and his lecture should appeal t all students of social problems. BALLISTICS. i Pee “A tents " Lext-book of Ordnance and Gunnery. By Lt.-Col. | W. H: Tschappat. Pp. x+705. (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) Price 30s. net. === | a no previous time in history has so much . attention been paid to artillery as during the present war. The unprecedented number and variety of guns in use enable a mass of evidence, sufficient to prove or disprove any theory which is considered worthy of a practical trial, to be accu- mulated in a very short space of time. Moreover, it is almost certain that all the belligerent coun- tries are liberally spending money on researches into the various branches of the art of gunnery, and employing, for this purpose, more men of scien- tific reputation and mechanical genius than have ever considered the subject seriously before. As a natural consequence, “ordnance and gunnery” must be in a state of rapid development, and it~ would therefore appear to be a somewhat unfor- tunate moment for the publication of Col. Tschap- pat’s book, which is, so largely, merely a revision — of an excellent book with the same title by Lt.-Col. Lissak. | | JF sagt That the revision has effected a decided im- provement cannot be denied, but there is little that is new, of any importance, to be found in it. The major alteration is in the treatment of interior ballistics. Col. Lissak .used Ingall’s méthod. In the volume under review a carefully elaborated method of producing the pressure and velocity curves by integrating the energy equa- | tions is presented. The method has the advan- tage that a complete calculation of a gun can be made without any firing data, but the process | seems laborious, and there does. not seem to be any means provided for quickly finding the point May 23, 1918} NATURE . Ramsower. Pp. xii+523. (Boston, don, etc.: Ginn and Co., 1917.) 6d. net. lume Prof. Ramsower has broken new given us an account of the equipment for starting and maintaining a farm in | States, with special reference to the in the Middle West. About half of the s with the construction of the farmhouse » and the other half with farm im- As material for construction about the asower recognises the shes advan- ere is an ‘interesting chapter on the Water supply and sew- > dealt with at length, and considerable id on the need for adequate sanitation. der of the book deals with farm im- plough comes first as the basal walking ’’ ploughs and “sulky”’ both described. The former is the to walk; the “sulky”’ plough, on _allows him to ride; it takes its xu eee a “sulky ’’ because it accom- - one. The difference between them ests on — i slade or Sole, which slips over the grounc the “sulky’’ plough, on the other on wheels. Thus, the sliding friction tion, and, in consequence, it is possible to add the _ weight of the frame and the driver without materi- y. damaging the draft of the plough. _ Harrows are dealt with at length: the spike- — tooth forms, as commonly seen here, and the _ spring-tine and the disc forms, which seem to have great possibilities. chapter on the gasolene and oil engine, in which the author describes not only the engines them- selves, but also some of the many troubles which _ arise directly an engine or tractor is set to work ' onafarm. | _ The book is well illustrated, and will be found _ very helpful to serious farm students. NO. 2534, VOL. 101 | ‘the c rdinary plough is replaced by rolling fric- There is also a useful: 223 Everyday Physics: A Laboratory Manual. By J. C. Packard. Pp. vi+136. (Boston, Mass. ; London, etc.: Ginn and Co., 1917.) Price 4s. 6d. net. A LABORATORY manual outlining a course in physics “ adapted equally well to preparation for college and to the immediate requirements of everyday life” may be regarded as a sign of the times. It is becoming recognised in an increasing degree that the fundamental principles of physical science must be employed not only in the laboratory, but also in the home and in the factory. Mr. Packard,- who is science master at the High School, Brookline, Massachusetts, has produced a volume of consider- able interest and originality, which may be recom- mended to teachers who are planning a practical course in science for a secondary school. More than sixty exercises are given, covering a wide range of subjects, the usual experiments in a physics course being combined with newer exer- cises involving the use of commercial apparatus. Thus we have nof only a ‘‘ Study of a Metric Rule,”’ but also a “ Study of a Water Meter,” with instruc- tions for testing the accuracy of the meter by filling a tank of which the dimensions are to be determined. This is followed by exercises on gas and.electricity meters with Clearly drawn diagrams for each case. A few of the more novel subjects studied include a water motor, a life preserver (illustrating the principle of Archimedes), an anemometer, a gas or. alcohol stove, methods of domestic heating, light- ing, and ventilation, the mechanism and action of a clock and of a sewing’ machine. Nearly every exercise is preceded by an introduction, intended | to show the bearing of the topic in hand upon re- lated subjects, and is followed by questions or problems emphasising the immediate application of the principle involved to the affairs of daily life. Topics for further study and investigation are sug- gested, and the author points out that much valu- able material for every department of science can be gatherea from trade catalogues. The student is instructed as to the best method of recording the results of his observations, but, as the author rightly says, the object of a laboratory course in physics is not to make a note-book, but to teach the principles of physics and to emphasise their practical comet H. S.A a Se LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of,. rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications. ] The Supposed ‘* Fascination” of Birds by Snakes. I HAVE now received a reply from Capt. G. D. H. Carpenter to my letter suggesting that he had ob- served an instance of ‘‘mobbing.” It was written in ‘January last from Lulanguru, seventeen miles east of Tabora, in ex-German East Africa :— “ Regarding my snake and bird observation, the birds’ behaviour was quite unmistakable ; they were 224 NATURE [May 23, 1918 not looking for food or anything else, and did literally appear to be ‘scared ‘stiff,’ as one might say. - If it was mobbing, it was very different ‘from such active mobbing as I ‘have seen—one might .call it ‘ passive mobbing,’ for there was no attempt at offence either by word or: deed. The feeble chirps sounded more like a faint protest than anything else.”’ It must be remembered, as Mr. S. A. Neave has pointed out to me, that in such cases the presence of numbers: is in itself disconcerting, however feeble may be. the, powers of the mobbers. Capt. Carpenter’s description suggests that the snake was disturbed and harassed. pus _I was mistaken in supposing that Mr. F. Muir’s observation (quoted in Narure of January 17, p. 385) was made in East Africa. He informs me that it was in Amboyna in the latter part of 1907 or early in 1908. Mr. Muir writes :— ‘Is it not-possible that birds are patalysed with’ fear rather than ‘ fascinated’ in such cases? I had a parrot in Africa aes living at Brockenhurst with Dr. Sharp’s family) which would fall: off her perch if a dead or living snake was brought near to her; even a piece of rope suddenly brought into view would produce a fright which would paralyse her and pre- do *not remember if I , Boulenger. ; ‘of which I knew the courting display that tongue. When it reaches the nest there is a g ‘scene on the part of the parents, and they lose any fear of the snake they may have had before in theit attempts to save their young.- The latter, if ne fledged, generally take fright as the result of their parents’ actions,-and not (as I have proved experi- mentally) from ahy instinctive fear of the snake, and. flutter down. I have. seen little bulbuls come down thus unharmed from a nest 50 ft. up. Mostly If shot the snakes before: they have reached 1 but I have seen young birds taken, and I have taken them from inside snakes that had left a_mne or were coiled about:it. “The snake in nearly every case has been Disphoridus typus, 1 believe, for have actually taken it to 2 olor i Saeaeee or two or three seasons | watched all = aS tp S. wee) ¢ bir oe bings I could, as I had noticed in the case | ‘ tended to be repeated under the excitement of mob-— bing, and I felt*that the converse would also be true. So I watched in order to get the displays of the different species. I obtained in this way a cert number of notes, but these do not bear on you tion, referring, I believe, solely to ‘this matter of play. The watching of these mobbings of snakes— which I supposed were well known—long ago con- -vinced me that there was nothing at all m the ‘fascination ’ idea. The birds show great darin insolence, and it is hatred and indignation, and haps partly the desire to assist, and not * fascinat that draws them to the snake. It is the sam believe, in the case of hawks and owls—for the birds — will certainly recognise the latter as an enemy, apart from its rough’ resemblance to a hawk. I have taken a freshly eaten bird from an owl’s stomach (54 ne woodfordi) when it was barely twiligh vent her even from screaming.” I have just received the following interesting record of observations by Mr. C.F. M. Swynnerton, writing from Chirinda, South-East Rhodesia :— ‘“March 29, 1918. “For more than a year past. I have lived in a house’ in an open space, but our old house was. closely surrounded by trees, and, in the breeding. season par- ticularly, the mobbing of tree-snakes by birds was often, for a week or ten days together, a daily occur- réncen.) =. Briss ‘Birds probably mob tree-snakes whenever they. ye A ive.” + RD B. PouLton. _. detect them, for I have seen such mobbings bo Oona) May nt Fey STE eo ane out of the breeding season and when J was unable i soiree gta to. nino by a careful search to find a nest; but in most cases As I was correcting the proofs of the above, the where a nest was concerned the birds—most com- monly ‘bulbuls in my observations—that were the parents of the fledglings were the first to detect the snake’s approach to the nest and to start the hue and cry. Shrikes, sunbirds, flycatchers, warbiers—-in fact, any bird that happened to be near—would quickly following letter from Capt. Carpenter reached The behaviour observed by him is, I believe, to interpreted as due to the interplay between two oj Dpos— ing impulses, both beneficial—one based on the fear of snakes, *the other on social stimuli’ which incite to join in and mob the snake, scolding all round it and | It is only to be expected that such interplay will occasionally darting in at it in the very manner in | to different- behaviour with different species ¢ G which they mob an owl. The mobbers remain, for bird, and perhaps with the same species pris _ the. the most part, out of striking distance of the snake, presence of different types of snake. Differences are, but some—and this applies especially, in my observa- tions, to the * puff-back shrike’ (Dryoscopus cubla)—_ are very bold, both in the matter of darting in and in staying near the snake. -eO Del nsequently as to the best» course of procedure dstoit hydrogen production. La Nature of May 4 Prof. L. de Launay pub- pRiraaey ausporitati ‘article upon. the economic im- . »Alsace-Lorraine. As might be well sup- i from its authorship, the article deals par- rly with ‘the. mineral products, but refers also to -developed textile industries and the various of 5 a produce of this region. The s that i ‘in 1913German Lorraine produced ons of iron-ore out of a total production f 27. s for Germany (including 6-5 million tons f mburg), whilst French Lorraine pro- -dueed 19-5 million tons.out of a total of 21-7 millions _ from the whole of France, or a total of 47 million i by the whole Lorraine basin. lat the possession of this Lorraine bias the basis not only of Germany’s peal arene ‘but also of her military power; it -ewing to the: possession of ‘this supply of iron Fi err ‘has been able to continue the r “the Fast four years. Once, however, ‘again a French possession, Ger- be unable to ‘maintain in ‘their present ex- works that produce her engines of destruc- a result would be obtained which other- ‘nations, no international tribunal, stitution ‘of the Lorraine ag French owners means, in fact, of ce France would be the Sarre coalfield, wholly to France up to 1815. s ‘into’ possession of this field, it -will t of some d in the potash deposits of Mul- 1904, but only slowly developed ; ¥ ted in ror, in which year the wa 7,000 ‘tons. It mtist be remembered, “that Prussia, the owner of the Stassfurt ee osits, was by no means anxious to see the f aeke mer, and that the Mulhouse deposits can pro- “very much more than they have done hitherto. , there is a small oilfield just to the north-west | 3 first discovered in 1880, and though Snfaton in value to the iron, coal, and potash. ; ee: nevertheless, with its production of 50;0600 | _ tons of oil yearly, it is by no means devoid of ingpert-| ance for France. ® to THE con concluding | Byidsy evening ‘discourses at the. a. Ros ‘Institution are as follows :—On May + Lt-} , A. G. Hadcock on “Internal, Ballistics’; on) 31, Mr. Laurence Binyon on “ Poetry and ; Mo Life’’; and on June 7, Sir Boverton Red-: : _ wood ‘on ““The Romance of Petroleum.”’ . The ‘Duke of Northumberland, who died on’ Bai 14. at seventy-two years of age, was a familiar a NO. 2534, VOL. 101 | erat eg ‘torn up as occasion might e to the world.. Of great import-_ When * -a-certain portion of her needs for | 17 million tons — } Another | most. valuable mineral pro-— oi developetl in competition with figure in the scientific world. He became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1900 under the rule which permits of the special election of Privy Councillors and men distinguished in the scientific or educational service of the State; and he had been for many years presi- dent of the Royal Institution. He was president of the Royal Archzological Institute from 1884 to 1892, and was elected a trustee of the British Museum in 1900. Capt. Roatp AMUNDSEN’s long-delayed North Polar Expedition is now announced to start from Norway next month. The Maud, the new vessel built for the expedition, is lying ready at Christiania. According to La Géographie fv}. xxxii,, No. 1), the Maud is built on the lines of the Fram, and is a-three-masted schooner furnished with a petrol motor and capable of a speed of nine knots. Her length is 120 ft., her beam measurement 40 ft., -and her draught 12 ft. The screw can be raised. to avoid ice-pressure.. The petrol capacity of the vessel is too metric tons. The original plan of -Capt. Amundsen was to enter the Arctic Ocean by Bering Strait. .He now proposes to follow the route of the Fram through the Barents and Kara Seas along the coast of Asia, and to enter the eee pack about 250 miles east of the New Siberia slands, allowing his vessel to be caught in the cur- rent which crosses the Arctic Ocean. In La Nature for May 11 Lieut. ‘Lefranc, of ‘the French Air Service, gives very ‘complete particulars of the armament and bomb-dropping arrangements of the modern types of German aeroplane. ihe arma-. ment comprises one or more machine-guns, generally mounted on turrets for securing motion in every direc- tion, ‘some firing through the propeller and syn- chronised by the aeroplane engine. Standard types of bombs are 22 Ib., }-ewt., 1 cwt., 2 cwti, and 6 cwt., charged with high explosive (T:N.T. and ‘hexanitro- diphenylamine). The ratio of charge is very high. A special type of fuse is fitted in order to secure instan- taneous orto delay action. ‘Special frames (vertical or horizontal) are fitted for dropping the bombs, which are discharged in a direction tangential to their trajec- tory. An adapted Goerz sighting telescope in ‘con- junction with a range-table and a direction or route — corrector is employed for securing accuracy. ‘Most bombs are ‘fitted with stabilising vanes at their base in order to ensure the bombs falling nose-on, and to give them a certain amount of spin. At the annual meeting ofthe Illuminating Engineer- ing Society on May 14 the report of the council for the past session was presented. The society has been in communication with the authorities on various ‘sub- jects, including ‘economy in lighting with a view to fuel-saving, “li ting arrangements for air-raid shelters, and the preparation of fuller statistics on the relation between illumination and street accidents. Two com- mittees are carrying on researches for the authorities on parachute flares and luminous gun-sights. It is proposed to form a joint committee with the Ophthal- mological Society, to which matters of mutual interest, comprising the effect of illumination on eyesight, can be referred. Following the conclusion of formal busi- ness, a discussion on the Lighting, Heating, and Power Order (1918) took place. Mr. ‘L. ‘Gaster, “in opening the discussion, ‘said that the society is anxious to assist the authorities to achieve the objects of the Order by: enting waste of light, but it is not desir- able to diminish illumination to a value prejudicial to - health or eyesight, liabie to cause accidents, and inter- fering with efficiency of work. The maximum saving - ‘in fuel possible by. the complete carrying out of the Order as regards lighting is small—probably within } per cent. of the normal total home coal consump- 230 NATURE _ [May 23, 1918 tion—but the psychological effect of extravagance in lighting must be considered.’ A series of recommenda- tions on economy in lighting, prepared by the society with the concurrence of the Board of Trade, was pre- sented. These explain the best methods of economis- ing, importance being attached to- avoidance of worn- out and inefficient lamps and burners and their use only when actually required, and to frequent cleansing of lamps and accessories liable to collect dust. In an appendix the essentials of good industrial lighting are stated, and some figures given for the illumination and consumption of gas or electricity considered desirable for various classes of work. AN interesting address was delivered recently by Sir Robert Hadfield as president of the Society of British Gas Industries, ranging over a number of matters of current interest, such as the economy of fuel, particu- | larly coal and coal-gas, the recent development of the metallurgical industry, scientific and technical educa- tion, trade and patent legislation. Sir Robert Had- field lays much stress upon the very important present- day problem: how to bring about closer co-operation and greater working facilities amongst the numerous technical societies of the country. He points out that some even of our largest and most.important societies have no homes of their own, but* are,’ for. ‘the most part, housed in offices quite inadequate to the require- | ments of such important organisations. He quotes as an example the Iron and Steel-Institute, representing an industry the annual value of the output of which is not less than two hundred millions sterling, which ‘has offices in Victoria Street, Westminster, with its library placed in one or two small and incon- venient. rooms, and _ contrasts this with the splendid library. and spacious accommodation of the corresponding German institution. He urges wisely the. need in this country for a_ central building in which all these technical societies would find a permanent home, with a common library, on similar lines. to the Engineering Soeieties Building - of New York, which he characterises as ‘‘ the chief centre of the great and small technical societies of the great Republic.’ In addition to containing a fine technical library of more than 150,000 books, as well as the various offices and committee-rooms for twenty- ‘four different societies, this building is closely con- nected with that of the Engineers’ Club, where repre- sentatives of all branches of industry are able to meet each other; and Sir Robert Hadfield points out the, real value to the technical man of such a common meeting ground. In the May issue of Man Sir C. H. Read discusses an article by Mr. More Adey in the March issue of the Burlington Magazine on ‘The Registration of Works of Art in Occupied Countries.”” How the Germans have dealt with the art treasures of the areas occupied by them is well known. The suggestion is that officers and men in Palestine, Mesopotamia, and the less explored frontiers of Egypt should register and preserve objects of art. Sir C. H. Read remarks that a large proportion of both officers and men of our forces now in Africa would welcome so intelligent a diversion from the routine of field or camp life. ‘The only danger that I foresee is lest some dis- ciplinarian in a high place should promptly condemn the scheme as non-military and a waste of time.” He suggests, to avoid this, that an order should be ob- tained from the War Office commending it as a means of putting the leisure of our soldiers to an ‘intelligent use. ~ Dr. W. L. Hrt_pspurGu describes some Japanese charms connected with earthquakes in the April issue of Man. “When an earthquake occurs a person in ’ NO. 2534, VOL. 101 | danger should repeat, over and over ore as rapidly as possible, the word Manzairaku, signifying ‘“Ten thousand years of happiness.”” The term is used between persons as a form of congratulation; either on account of its congratulatory significance, ‘or by some play. of words, its use during an earthquake is intelligible. The Japanese, for some obscure reason, believe that.a privy is the safest place of ao during an earthquake. This may be due to the fat that the place is a haunt of spirits, and on leaving, one should throw there a piece of iron, like a nail, as a protection. On the whole, Dr. Hildburgh is dis- posed to connect the belief regarding the privy as analogous to the well-known principle Ider ens children in dirty clothes as a charm against the Evi Eye or similar dangers. cee Buiietin No. 172 of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the Rhode Island State College contains the results of a study of infections of fowls by Messrs. P. Hadley and D. J. Lambert and Misses Doroth Caldwell and Marguerite Elkins. It is established that Bacterium pullorum is the causative agent in ‘an epi- demic in adult fowls indistinguishable in its mani- festations from fowl typhoid, which is caused by B. gallinarum. The two organisms may be distingui by their fermentation reactions. The B.. pullorum is present in 32 per cent. of the eggs of affected birds. _ THE contention. that isolation plays an important pa: in the evolution of species has long been acceptéd as a trustworthy working hypothesis, and during recent years an impressive array of evidence has been accumu- lated to justify this interpretation. The latest con-— tribution to this subject has been made by Dr. Hart Merriam in a review of the grizzly and big brown bears of North America (Bureau of Biological Survey, Washington, North American Fauna, No. 41). In a review of this group twelve years ago the author recognised eight species of grizzly and brown bears. He has now increased this to eighty-six. This nu ber, he remarks, ‘‘ will appear to many preposterous "— unless: they ‘have the material before them which he has amassed. From the fine collection of skins and skulls which Dr. Merriam has brought _ together he has been enabled to show that no sharp dividing line can now be drawn between the grizzly and brown bears. Another surprising result is the discovery ° Admiralty Island, off South-east Alaska, appears to be bears, each of which is, apparently, related to, representative of, an adjacent mainland species. Ir the matter of sexual differences Dr. Merriam is able to show that while the males commonly much exceed the females in the' matter of size, in some species there is’ but little epee A number apiag ixsng hotographs of skulls in profile accompany this paper, but, = ah author remarks, they need to be supple- mented by views showing the Norma verticalis, which furnishes some of the most important characters. Dr. Merriam’s work will be read with the deepest interest not only by systematists, but also by those who are interested in the wider problems concerning the evolu- tion of species. tee age inhabited by no fewer than five distinct species of big and In BuLietin No. 70 of the Agricultural Research Insti- tute, Pusa, is an extremely useful summary by Mr. J. N. Sen, officiating Imperial agricultural chemist, of the composition of-a great variety of feeding stuffs available in India, of which samples have been analysed in the laboratory of the Imperial agricultural chemist. The composition of each sample is set out in detail, so” that the range of variation can be readily deduced. In addition to the ordinary analytical data, the albu- minoid ratio and food units for each sample are given. | The tables are prefaced by a brief introduction dealing May 23, 1918] NATURE 231 _ ‘with the général characteristics of food ingredients; digestibility, albuminoid ratios, food units, feeding _ standards, and the computing of rations. The bulletin gives the most comprehensive series of data available, __andassuch must be regarded as a valuable contribution to Indian agricultural reference literature. = i Tue Advisory Council of Science and Industry of ' the Commonwealth of Australia has issued a pamphlet (Bulletin No. 5) dealing with some problems of wheat _ storage. The bulletin is divided into two parts dealing _ respectively with damaged grain and insect pests. The _ former consists of the report of a committee appointed to geten eats the utility of quicklime for the preserva- _ tion of wheat, in accordance with a scheme outlined by Mr. A. O. Barrett. After careful investigation the committee recommends that the process shalt be given a trial. Its experiments and observations indicate _ that ordinary wheat is improved by the treatment, the _ deterioration of damaged wheat is checked, and any mousy taint is removed. The growth of weevils wds not inhibited, nor were’ théir eggs and the young pupe prevented from developing. The latter problem is dealt with more fully in the second part of the bulletin, which includes a summary of reports received from the _ Government entomologists of the various States as to insects damaging grain, and a progress report of the “special committee on the damage to stored grain by insects. The committee recommends the appointment of a qualified investigator for systematic research on the life-history of the weevils in Australia and the best “means of dealing with them, and this proposal is at_ _ present under consideration by the Wheat Board. _ Tue Weather Bureau of the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture has in active preparation an “ Atlas of American Agriculture,’’ for which the maps dealing with rainfali are practically finished. A copy of the map showing the mean annual rainfall of the United - States was issued with the Monthly Weather Review, _ July, 1917, and has since been issued in a separate _ pamphlet. The map indicates in a marked degree the ~ effect of the western mountains upon the distribution _of the precipitation, and, in a less clear fashion, the ‘similar effect of the eastern highlands, while it empha- es the run of the isohyets almost due north from he shores of the Gulf of Mexico between Galveston and the Rio Grande. In the accompanying text Prof. R. DeC. Ward discusses, among other topics, the ‘climatic provinces of the United States. He divides the eastern half of the country into two provinces, ‘Eastern and Gulf, and draws the boundary between them for the western third of its course at right angles to the north and south trend of the isohyets, so that the western third of the Gulf Province has an annual recipitatio The Eastern yince contains examples of at least three types of rainfall: the summer rains of the north-west of the province, the coastal rains of the Atlantic lowlands, and an area of continuous rainfall at all seasons near _ the southern end of the eastern highlands; these sub- divisions are ignored. Pror. S. W. Wittiston and his pupils continue to make important additions to our knowledge of American Permian Reptilia and Amphibia in the Contributions from Walker Museum (vol. ii., Nos. 1-3), published _ by the University of Chicago. Many of the fossils are, unfortunately, so badly preserved that there is scope for much difference of opinion as to their inter- etation, but the skeleton in several genera is now Ceconanay fairly well known. Some unusually good specimens of the strange Stegocephalian Diplocaulus have just been studied by Mr. Herman Douthitt, who shows that this animal must have been shaped and _ lived like a skate. Since Cope originally described its NO. 2534, VOL. 101 | varying from 20 to 50 in. very short and broad -triangular-skull, .there -has. been much speculation as to its nature, and Mr. Douthitt seems to have solved the problem. Some nearly com- plete skeletons of the primitive reptile Labidosaurus are discussed by Prof. Williston himself, who notes the absence of a neck and the unusual strength of the feet. There are large hook-like incisor teeth’ in front of the upper jaw, which might assist the feet in grubbing up worms and larve. Prof. Williston’s studies have led him to make another effort to attain a natural classification of the reptiles. He recog- nises four main divisions or subclasses, all beginning in Palzozoic times, andall represented by their direct descendants to-day. The Diapsida end in the tuatera, crocodiles, and birds, the Synapsida in mammals, the Parapsida in lizards and snakes, and the Anapsida in tortoises and turtles. UNDER the title ‘‘ Physics of the Air,” Prof. W. J. Humphries, of the United States Weather Bureau, has been contributing to the Journal of the Franklin Institute since August last a series of articles on the physics of meteorological phenomena. The March issue of the Journal, e.g., contains a description of the seasonal and daily changes of barometric pressure and a discussion of their causes, and the thirteen pages form chap. xi. of the series. Together they consti- tute a notable addition to the literature of meteoro- logy, and it is to be hoped that the articles will be re- issued in book form, so as to be accessible to the large number of readers interested in the fundamental facts of meteorology. For such readers there has, up to the present, been no trustworthy English text-book which discussed the subject from so scientific a viewpoint or dealt with its modern developments so completely: THe Photographic Journal for April contains a description of the photometer for measuring the densi- ties of. photographic nee shown at the March meeting of the Royal Photographic Society by its inventors, Messrs. Benson, Ferguson, and Renwick. The negative is placed on an opal. half an inch in diameter, the top surface of which is level with that of a small table in which the opal is inserted. Light from a 15-candle-power headlight lamp placed under the table passes through the opal and negative. Light from the same lamp falls on movable mirrors, by means of which it is thrown on to the under-surface of a second opal near the first, and the distance of the mirrors from the lamp is adjusted until the two opals have the same intensity as determined by a’ Lummer-Brodhun cube above the table. In describ- ing the instrument at the meeting, Mr. Renwick pointed out that the time had arrived when _ eye- estimates of densities were no longer sufficiently accurate to enable progress to be made in ascertaining the conditions which determine the density of a nega- tive. In a paper which precedes the description. of the photometer in the Journal, he shows that the optical properties of the silver grains must be taken into account before photographic densities can be explained satisfactorily. Tue “natural” or spontaneous ccagulation of the latex in the production of rubber has been attributed, on one hand to enzyme action, and on the other to the agency of bacteria. Mr. M. Barrowcliff, in the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry for February 15, adduces good evidence in support of the . former theory. Coagulation of latex was found to take place in normal time after addition of toluol, which acts as a_ bactericide, but is non-toxic to enzymes. Similarly, the addition of thymol did not inhibit or retard coagulation. Small quantities of soluble calcium salts greatly accelerated the action, as 232 NATURE [May 23, 1918 is usual with enzymes; but hydrocyanic acid, which is fatal to nearly all enzymes, completely prevented coagulation. Even the “acid” process of coagula- tion .is considered to -be :enzymic, the added acid functioning as an enzyme activator. At the present time ‘there is .only ,one calcium carbide factory in Great Britain; -it is .situated in Manchester, and is just now being enlarged to meet war requirements. There are also two small fac- tories in Ireland, the electric current for which is supplied by water-power;. but the supply of water is small and erratic, andthe output of calcium carbide is only about 1 per cent..of our normal consumption. Mr. C. Bingham (Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, March 15) gives reasons for the conclusion that in peace times we shall be quite unable to com- pete with water-power countries like Norway in the production of calcium carbide, unless very much more economical methods than the present ones can ‘be found for producing ‘electricity. From an experi- mental study of the question he believes this can be done ‘by utilising waste gases from blast-furnaces and coke-ovens as the source of power for generating the current required. In the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry | for January 31 Dr. T. Rettie gives an account of worl: done on antiseptics for the Medical Research Com- | Edinburgh | mittee at the Pathological Department, University. An urgent requirement of ‘the medical service at the war front ~was a ‘trustworthy antiseptic — for the treatment of heavily infected wounds, with | The | special reference to. spore-bearing organisms. object, therefore, was to find an antiseptic agent thoroughly efficient as a killer of bacteria and spores, and at the same time harmless in its effect on the wound-tissues. hypochlorites were found to be the most efficient germicides. Pure solution of bleaching powder, ‘how- ever, and also sodium hypochlorite solution, are drastic remedies, and on account of their strong alkalinity and high chlorine content they are unsuitable for continued application to wounds. On the other hand, aqueous solutions of hypochlorous acid itself are also unsuited for wound treatment, by reason of the fact | that free chloric and hydrochloric acids develop in— These defects them through spontaneous reaction. were largély overcome by using a mixture of equal weights of boric acid and bleaching powder (‘‘Eupad” —a name derived from the initial letters of Edinburgh University Pathological Department). An aqueous solution of this (‘“Eusol”’) is prepared, of strength 25 grm. per'litre; it contains about 0-26 per cent. of hypochlorous acid, together with calcium ‘biborate. In this way the alkalinity of the a age powder is reduced, the full effect of «fhe hypochlorous acid secured, and the solution cannot become unduly acid, as the dissociation constant for boric acid ‘has a very low value. to the body tissues, and a large quantity can even be - injected: into the circulatory system without ‘harmful This solution has been used successfully both | for the treatment of wounds and, by intravenous in- ‘| be effect. jection, in certain types of gas- -gangrene toxemia. THE announcements of Messrs. Longmans and Co. | include ‘Elements of the Electromagnetic Theory of) L. ‘Silberstein, and (in the series of. Light,” by ‘Dr. Text-books of Physical Chemistry) a new edition of Prof. S: Young’s “Stoichiometry,” written chapters dealing with the more recent deter- minations of the atomic weights of silver, nitrogen, chlorine, and lead. Messrs. G. Routledge "and Sons, Ltd., are to publish ‘‘ Wealth from Waste :~ Elimina- NO. 2534, VOL. 101] Of the various ‘substances tested the- Hence the solution can ‘be applied freely. containing g Tre- tion of Waste a World Problem,” by’ Prof. “Hi iets Spooner, with a foreword ‘by ‘Lord Leverk Messrs. Routledge also announce ‘Incidents in. Life of a Mining Engineer,’’ by E. T. MeC€ Messrs. Constable and -Co., Ltd., will shortly: 7 “The Future Citizen and his Mother,” by Dr.- Gee z Porter, with a foreword by Sir J. Crichton Browne. Messrs. Henry Frowde and Hodder and Stoug) ton have in the press ‘“ Vaccines. and Sera,”’ by Capt. A. Shera, and ‘“‘The Hearts of Man,” ‘by R. MeNai Wilson, ws OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. a eee Mrnor Praners.—The following ephemeri Ets -and Ceres are from the Rechen-Ins' ist :— aie: Pallas: Magnitude 88. . Date R.A. N. Decl. h m. Epi arg, May 26 17 9-4 25 19 June: pg 76 25 40 aq. “26° 55°7 =). Do, 19 16 492 25 39 27 16 43-4 = 25 6 july 5 16 386 24 17 Ceres: Magnitude 7-6. Date RA. S. Decl. ; h. -m. ateNy June 11 18 23:9 25 57 Ig 18 16-4 26 29 29 18 86 26 58 July 5 18 0-9 27 23 + 17 540 27 44 21 17 48-2 28 I oh Planet 31 Euphrosyne was observed on: April 13, a1 the ephemeris needs the large corrections —1 3° 12’. The interesting planet: DB, disbovenst ay es on January 3, has been named Alinda. = ese ia CURRENTS IN THE Upper Arr.—The béhavio ir of streaks or trains left by large meteors supplies dant evidence as to the rapid motion of the sphere at its outer limits. The. diversity, ét. xe as well as the rate of velocity, of these upper wine remarkable; in fact, hurricane speed w _ appes to be quite a common feature amon nest them. ee t true that the data- are not of su ciently accurate — character to allow very exact deductions to be dra vn, but there is no doubt as to the general cor. conn s the results. In some instances the observati aa been as complete as they have been pre these corroborate in a very satisfactory manner : average values obtained from more uncertain | ‘or ine “ss peeuple records. Tt een The long-enduring streaks of swift fireba Is, the Per si and -Leonids, are * ihey ae about — t en of their drift is 121 miles per. hour, and the pre-— dominating direction to the eastward, but there is no quarter to which these lofty cosmic clouds may not _ carried. Of seventy-eight enduring meteoric streaks motion was found to be directed to points at or between north-east and ‘south-east in thirty-seven — cases, while to the points north-west to south-west there were only twenty-four. The individual velocities _ varied from nil to 360 miles per ‘second. In some cases a moderate speed of twenty-seven or thirty miles — per hour was’ indicated. Certain streaks gave /evi- dence of a series of ‘differing currents underlying each other, the upper sections Brinig! in different” —— tions to the lower. uy - May 23, 1918 | NATURE 233 "Distance oF tue Oxtox Nesura.—An interesting estimate of the distance of the Orion nebula has been _ made by Prof. W. H. Pickering (Harvard Circular No. 205). From a consideration of the brightnesses i sradwen ‘distribution of the stars in the nebula and in the " gurroun i region, it is concluded that practically all the stars within the nebula are of type B, and _ that there are no stars in the nebula fainter than g the axis of the great cer nebula which Seance - massivé stars can Pattain the colour of type B; and _as the mean magnitude of the stars ee 10: ila, while the average absolute magni- bom ‘of such star may be taken as —1-0, it follows tance of the nebula is 6520 light-years, or — that the is 0-0005". Among the interesting ; range” ch follow, the mean diameter of the bril- ian region is found to be 63 light- = Yes, and tin distance “ers ‘the extreme stars of ht-year. It is also cal culated that. a Rig is jaa times as bright as’ the ‘Canopus, for which Walkey AL “MAGNETIC OSCILLATIONS, paper referred to below‘ is an important con- jon to our knowledge of oscillations in the lements, especially those of shorter period : ‘ion s’?.by van Bemmelen. The records ned ine an underground chamber near the logical Laboratory at Misaki, between 1910 19 _with a eras set of very sensitive Prof. Tanakadate. The retograp! the . north (N), W), and "vertical {V) components, show several feat The V instrument, which worked a ‘i had the magnet carried by hori- of angen The sensitiveness of the instru- nents was. about o-15 y per I mm., and the time-scale at iginal. to the minute. F iginal © ject ‘was to ascertain whether seismic ; -accompanied by magnetic waves. was established, but many in- ords of pulsations were obtained. The distri- pulsations throughout the twenty-four hours ried ma Ned ly apie period, waves with periods less than seventy seconds having their maximum frequency during the day, and those with periods longer than ninety — ving their maximum during the shorter than thirty seconds were rare. _ Pulsations in V were almost facsimiles of those in EN, A age that aay were of smaller amplitude and had a retardation of ng As the period became the y the amplitude of the V to thet afte 8 pulsation increased, while the difference night. antiga the value of the ratio. The : relation: between: the pulsations, in.N and W, om the q largely on the hour of the day. 4 Regarding north and west as the positive directions in the two-cases, it was found that agreement in phase | tatennsien a and W pulsations was most frequent in was most’ frequent®in the evening. Cases in which by N_ pulsation was largely dominant were most fr juent near noon and near midnight. there was a marked tendency in the vector 1 “On Rapid Periodic Variati of Terrestrial Magnetism.” By q ‘Terada, Journal of the College of Science, Imperial University of Tokyo, vol. xxxvii., 1917, Art. 9. Pp. 85-+5 plates. NO. 2534, VOL. 101] magnitude. Since we are looking very nearly- of 50,000 times that of the sun. The hour of the day seemed. the early morning, whilst direct opposition in phase- in the horizontal plane to rotate, after the fashion - first described by R. B. Sangster for longer-period movements. According to the author, in pulsations at Misaki, clock-wise rotation is most frequent between sufrise and noon, and again between sunset and mid- night, anti-clock-wise rotation predominating in ‘the intermediate hours. Qne interesting feature, which the author thinks may possess considerable’ signifi- cance, is’a tendency when pulsations start abruptly for N to show a rapid rise. He is disposed to attri- bute pulsations to fluctuations in the electrical cur- rents in the upper atmosphere, to which the regular diurnal magnetic variation is now generally ascribed. If, as he ‘thinks most likely, pulsations arise simul- taneously and not successively at different stations, the currents in the upper atmosphere probably fluc- tuate in intensity as well as in position. This might,, he thinks, arise from vertical oscillations in limited portions of the upper atmosphere. A variety of mathe- matical problems relating to oscillating linear electric currents are worked out. The plates at the end con- tain numerous Seer ante ig examples of pulsations. C, Curee. GLOBULAR STAR CLUSTERS. R. HARLOW SHAPLEY’S. preliminary work on the distances of the globular clusters at- tracted much attention two years ago. He has since then diligently pursued the subject, and gives an interesting summary of the progress of his researches. in Pubns. Astr. Soc. Pac., February, 1918. His methods are :—(1) To determine the photographic and photo-visual magnitudes of the cluster stars by, photographs on ordinary and panchromatic plates. e colour-indices of the stars are thus determined and their spectral types inferred. The fact that stars are found in the clusters quite as blue as the B stars in our neighbourhood leads to the assumption that light. absorption is negligible. The distances. can then be inferred, making assumptions on the absolute magnitudes "of stars of different spectral types. (2) The work of Miss Leavitt, Hertzsprung, and Shapley shows that the absolute magnitude of Cepheid variables is a function of the. period of light variation. A curve is: given in the article, from which the fol- lowing values have been measured :— Period (days) Abs. mag. Period (days) Abs. mag. 63 hark hab 49 —2 33 =5 “ ae 17. — 4 0°95 ier. G2 —3 o-7 (and-under) -o-3 Since the cluster variables conform mainly to the Cepheid type, this affords a very accurate means. of obtaining the distances of clusters. Mr. Shapley: notes that the long-period Cepheids are the most: luminous of all stars. The longest observed period: is about 130 days, absolute magnitude’ — 6-8 (indicating about 50,000 times. the Juminosity of the sun).. Cepheid variables are also notable for their rapid! motion, which appears to average more than: too km, /see. (3) By the above sacihedis: the average absolute- magnitude (photographic) of the brighter stars of the different clusters (twenty-five stars selected from each cluster, rejecting the five brightest) is found to be —15. Making this assumption for other clusters, we can estimate their distance without waiting. for more detailed researches. (4). There is found to be a fairly close correlation between distance and apparent diameter, indicating that the linear diameter of a cluster is a function of its distanee. With diameter 1-4' corresponds distance 234 NATURE | May 235 1918 a 130,000 light-years; 3:9’, 65,000 L.Y.; L. Y:;. -12°4/,° 33,000 5LY 3204, : 26,000) Li. These methods have been applied to finding the distances of sixty-nine globular clusters. The nearest are w Centauri and 47 Tucan, 23,000 L.Y.; the average distance is 75,000 L.Y.; seventeen clusters are more distant than 100,000 L.Y.; the most dis- tant is N.G.C. 7006, some 200,000 L.Y. (more than a trillion miles, using the British system of numeration). The distribution in galactic longitude is curious. There are none between 45° and 190°, while more than half are between 300° and 350°. In latitude there are maxima on each side of the galaxy, with a gap in the galactic plane itself. The system forms a split ellipsoid with longest diameter some 300,000 L.Y., and distance of centre 65,000 L.Y. The co-ordinates of the centre are R.A. 17h. 30m., S. decl. 30°. _ While lying outside the galactic limits, the distribution of the clusters indicates that they form part of the same cosmic unit. as the galaxy. Some preliminary in- vestigations of their radial velocities by Prof. Slipher indicate that these are high, but smaller than those | of the spiral nebulz. A. C. D. CROMMELIN.. FROST IN THE UNITED STATES. [® a paper with the above title presented before the ’ second Pan-American Scientific Congress at Wash- ington (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1917) Mr. William Gardner Reed discusses the damage by frost in the United States. Following the rule of the Weather Bureau, he classifies frosts as “light,” ‘heavy,’’ and ‘‘killing,’’ but he determines the dates of the last killing frost in spring and the earliest in autumn from the records of temperature, and not from . the reports of damage. This is fully justified by the fact that the observations of temperature are con- tinuous and exact, whereas the damage depends on many conditions. The number of observations at any one. individual station is seldom sufficient to show the precise chance of frost after a given date at that particular station, but if the observations at neighbouring stations are utilised, a sort of general mean date for the last frost in a district can be obtained. Working on these lines, Mr. Reed gives maps of the United States with lines showing the limits for killing frosts at various dates, the consecutive lines showing differences of ten days in the date. Thus the date for a line running close to the Gulf of Mexico is March 1, but for a line near the Canadian boundary it is as late as May 21. The mean date of the last or earliest frost is not of much importance to the cultivator; he wants to know the date beyond which he will be reasonably safe from damage. For this purpose Mr. Reed calculates the standard deviation of the date, and since he finds that the distribution follows the normal curve, the is thus able to give the date beyond which a killing frost is not likely to occur more than once in ten years. This is, no doubt, a much more trustworthy method than using the extreme dates at each separate station. Charts are prepared in a similar way for the first killing frost in autumn; near the Canadian boundary the date is as early as September 1, but delayed until November 1 near the Gulf Coast. The meteorological conditions that favour frost are not quite the same over the different States, though they are, in general, the clear skies of an anticyclone with. their local nocturnal cooling. As a rule, east of the Rocky Mountains the frost area is south-east, and somewhat in advance of the anticyclone.. In California north-easterly and easterly winds prevail for twenty- four or thirty-six hours beforehand, and a frost occurs if a clear sky accompanies the dropping of the wind. NO. 2534, VOL. IOF] 7°7', 43,000 | Y, _ Mr. Reed also discusses the cause why plants are damaged by frost, and arrives at the conclusion that the matter is far from being well understood. (It is_ a very common belief that the damage is not~so serious if ithe rise of temperature is slow, but Mr. Reed says that recently accumulated evidence throws some doubt upon this. He appears to hold that the length of time during which the trees are exposed ito the cold is of importance, and that even if the heating of an orchard has been delayed until after the ‘eritical temperature is reached, there may still be time to save the fruit; and he concludes this part of his subject by saying that ‘evidently much more investigation is nee concerning the nature of frost effects within the plant.” i rie CONSTRUCTION FOR AN APPROXIMATE QUADRATURE OF THE CIRCLE, THE issue of the Comptes rendus of the Paris Academy of Sciences for March 25 last contains - a paper by M. de Pulligny on a simple geometrical representation of the approximations tothe numerical value of z given by Archimedes and Metius. Other approximations can be represented in the same way. The construction is as follows :—Let OA‘and O two radii of a circle at right angles to one another. Let S be the mid-point of OA. Draw through. S a. line cutting the circle in P and QO, and OB (produced if necessary) in kK. Let OA=a, OR=yay PQ=u. Then we have w?={4—-4y"/(1+4y")}a?=(say) ma*. As PQ rotates round S, y varies continuously from o- to o, and m from 4 to 3. When y=o, the square on PQ is greater than the area of the circle; when y= o, it is less: thus, in intermediate positions of the chord, the square on PQ gives an approximate quadrature of the circle, and m gives an approximate value of 7. The point R determines the chord PQ. If on AO produced we take a point I so that 4.Al=5a, and if with I as centre and JA as radius we draw a circle cutting OB produced® in R, we have y*=3/2, and -m=22/7, the higher limit given by Archimedes. If on AO produced we take a point J so that 8.0] =a¥/3 (a result for which a geometrical construc- tion can be easily given), and if with J as centreand IA as radius we draw a circle cutting OB produced in R, we have y?=(6+1/16)/4, and m=355/113, the approxi- mation given by Metius. It will be noticed that there is nothing in this con- struction to enable us to fix the limits within which we must choose R to get-a close approximation ; but corre- sponding with any assigned value of m, and therefore’ of y, it gives a geometrical construction for the side of the square thus determined. a shel ane RADIATION AND THE ELECTRON.) RR East developments in the domain of radiation are of extraordinary interest and suggestiveness, but they lead into regions in which the physicist sees — as yet but dimly—indeed, even more dimly than he thought he saw twenty years ago. But while the beauty of a problem solved excites the admiration and yields a certain sort of satisfaction, it is, after all, the unsolved problem, the quest of the unknown, the struggle for the unattained, which is of universal and most thrilling interest. 1 Address to the Section of Physics and Chemistry-of the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, on January 4, 1917, by Prof. R. A. Millikan, pro- fessor of physics in the University of Chicago. The substance of this lecture has since been incorporated into a book recently issued by the University of _ Chicago Press, entitled ‘‘ ‘The Electron. ‘be W. W. Rouse Bat. . I make no. eee ere May 23, 1918] NATURE g rb apologies, therefore, for presenting to-night one of the great unsolved problems of moaern physics, nor tor leaving it with but the vaguest of suggestions towards a solution. _ The newest of the problems of physics is at the same time the oldest. For nothing is earlier in the experiences either of the child or ot the race than the sensation of receiving light and heat from the sun. But how does light get to us from the sun and the Stars through the empty interstellar spaces? The Greeks answered this query very simply and very satis- factorily from the point of view of people who were content with plausible explanations, but had not yet learned perpetually to question Nature experimentally as to the validity or invalidity of a conclusion. They Said that the sun and all radiators of light and heat must shoot off minute corpuscles the impact of which upon the eye or skin produces the sensations of light and warmth. This corpuscular theory was the generally accepted one up to A.D. 1800. It was challenged, it is true, about 1680 by the Dutch physicist Huygens, who, starting _with the observed phenomena, of the transmission of water waves over the surface of a pond or of sound waves through the air, argued that light might be some vibratory disturbance transmitted by some medium which fills all interstellar space. He postu- lated the existence of such a medium, which was called the luminiferous or light-bearing zether. Partly no doubt because of Newton’s espousal of the corpuscular theory, the zther or wave theory gained few adherents until some facts of interference began to appear about 1800, which baffled explanation from the point of view of the corpuscular theory, but were easily handled by its rival. During the nineteenth century the evidence became stronger and stronger, until by its close» the corpuscular theory, had been permanently eliminated for four different reasons : (1) The facts of interference were not only found in- explicable in terms of it, but also completely predicted by the wave theory. (2) The fact that the speed of propagation of light was experimentally found to be greater in air than in water was in accord with the demands of the zther theory, but directly contrary to the demands of the corpuscular theory. (3) Wireless waves had appeared and been shown to be just like light waves save for wave-length, and they had been found to pass over continuously, with increasing wave-length, into static electrical fields such as could not possibly be explaifed from a corpuscular point of view. (4) The speed of light had been shown to be independent of the speed of the source as demanded by the zther theory and denied by the corpuscular theory. By 1900, then, the zther theory had become appar- ently impregnably entrenched. A couple of years later it met with some opposition of a rather ill-considered sort, as it seems to me, from a group of extreme advocates of the relativity theory, but this theory is . now~commonly regarded, I think, as having no bear- ing whatever upon the question of the existence or non- existence of a luminiferous ether. For such an ether was called into being solely for the sake of furnishing a carrier for electromagnetic waves, and it obviously stands or falls with the existence of such waves in vacuo, and this has never been questioned by anyone so far as I am aware. Up to 1903, then, the theory which looked upon an electromagnetic wave as a disturbance which originated at some point in the ether at which an electric charge was undergoing a change in speed, and was propagated from that point outward as a spherical wave or pulse, the total energy of the disturbance being always spread uniformly over the wave front, had met with no serious question from any source. Indeed, it had beem extra- NO. 2534, VOL. I0T] ordinarily successful, not only in accounting for all the ; known facts, but also in more than one instance in pre- dicting new ones. The first difficulty appeared after the discovery of the electron and in connection with the relations of the electron to the absorption or emission of such electromagnetic waves. It was first pointed out in 1903 by Sir J. J. Thomson in his Silliman lec- tures at Yale. It may be stated thus :— X-rays unquestionably pass over, or by, all but an exceedingly minute fraction, say one in a thousand billion, of the atoms contained in the space traversed without spending any energy upon them or influencing them in any observable way. But here and there they find an atom from which, as is shown directly in C. T. R. Wilson’s photographs (Figs. 1 and 2), they hurl a negative electron with enormous speed. This is the most interesting and most significant char- acteristic of X-rays, and one which distinguishes them from the a and £ rays just as sharply as does the property of non-deviability in a magnetic field; for Fic. 1.—Tracks of B particles Fic. ejected by X-rays from mole- cules of air. 2.—Tracks of @ rays in air. neither a nor f rays ever eject electrons from the atoms through which they pass with speeds comparable with those produced by X-rays, else there would be new zigzag lines branching out from points all along the paths of the a and 6 particles shown in the Wilson photographs. But this property of X-rays introduces a_ serious difficulty into the zther theory. For if the electric intensity in the wave front of the. X-ray is sufficient thus to hurl a corpuscle with huge energy from one particular atom, why does it not at least detach cor- puscles from all the atoms over which it passes? Again, when ultra-violet light falls on a metal it, too, like X-rays, is found to eject negative electrons. This phenomenon of the emission of corpuscles under the influence of light is called the photo-electric effect. Lenard (Ann. d. Phys. [4], vol. viii. [1902], p. 149) first made the astonishing discovery that the energy of ejection of the corpuscle is altogether independent of the intensity of the light which causes the ejection, no matter whether this intensity is varied by varying the distance of the light or by introducing absorbing 236 NATURE [May 23, 1918 screens. I have myself (Phys. Rev., vol. ii, [1913], p. 173) subjected this relation to a very precise test and found it to hold: accurately. Furthermore, this sort of independence has also been established for the nega- tive electrons emitted by both X- and y rays. Facts of this sort are evidently ditficult to account for on any sort of a spreading-wave theory. But it will be seen that they lend themselves to easy interpre- tation in terms of a corpuscular theory, for if the energy of an escaping electron comes from the absorp- tion of a light-corpuscle, then the energy of emission of the ejected electron ought to be independent of the distance of the source, as it is found to be, and, further- more, corpuscular rays would hit but a very minute fraction of the atoms contained in the space traversed by them. This would explain, then, both the independ- ence of the energy of emission upon intensity and the smallness of the number of atoms ionised. In view, however, of the four sets of facts mentioned above, Thomson found it altogether impossible to go back to the old and exploded form of corpuscular theory. for. an.explanation of the new facts as to the emission of electrons under the influence of ether waves. He accordingly attempted to reconcile these troublesome new facts with the wave theory by assum- ing a fibrous structure in the ether and picturing all _ electromagnetic energy as travelling along Faraday lines of force conceived of as actual strings extending through all space. Although this concept, which we shall call the zther-string theory, is like the corpuscu- lar theory in that the energy, after it leaves the emit- ting body, remains localised in space, and, when ab- sorbed, is absorbed as a whole, yet it is after all essen- tially an zther theory. For in it the speed of propaga- tion is determined by the properties of the medium and has nothing to do with the nature or condition of the source. Thus the last three of the fatal objections to a corpuscular theory are not here encountered. As to ' the first one, no one has yet shown that Thomson’s suggestion is reconcilable with the facts of interfer- ence, though, so far as I know, neither has its irre concilability been as yet absolutely demonstrated. But interference aside, all is not simple and easy for Thomson’s theory. For one encounters serious diffi- culties when he attempts to visualise the universe as an infinite cobweb the threads of which never become tangled or broken, however swiftly the. electrical charges to which they are attached may be flying about. Yet the boldness and the difficulties of. Thomson’s “‘ ether-string”* theory did not deter: Einstein (Ann. d. Phys. [4], vol. xvii. [1905], p. 132; vol. xx. [1906], pP- 199) in 1905 from making it even more radical. In order to connect up with some results to which Planck, of Berlin, had been led in studying the facts of black-body radiation, Einstein assumed not only that the energy emitted by any radiator kept together in bunches or quanta as it travelled through space, as Thomson had assumed it. to do, but also that a given’ source. could emit and absorb radiant energy only in units which are all exactly equal to hv, v being the natural frequency of the emitter and h a constant which is the same for all emitters. I shall not attempt to present the basis for such an assumption, for, as a matter of fact, it had almost none at the time. But whatever its basis, it enabled Einstein to predict at once that the energy of emission of corpuscles. under the influence of light would be governed by the equation Bin nds hb at Vane Reo re rere (41) in which hy is’ the energy absorbed by the electron from the light wave or light quantum, for according to NO. 2534, VOL. 101| ” the assumption that it was the whole energy contained in that quantum, p is the work necessary to get the electron out of the metal, and 4mv? is the energy with which it leaves the surface—an energy evidently measured by the product of its charge e by the poten- tial difference V, against which it is just able to drive — itself before being brought to rest. Be At the time at which it was made this prediction was as bold as the hypothesis which suggested it, for at that time there were available-no experiments whatever for determining anything about how the positive poten- tial V necessary to apply to the ifluminated electrode to stop the discharge of negative electrons from it under the influence of monochromatic light varied with the _ frequenty v of the light, or whether the quantity h to which Planck had already assigned a numerical value appeared at all in connection with photo-electric dis- charge. We are confronted, however, by the astonish- ing situation that after ten years of work-at the Ryer- son Laboratory and elsewhere in the discharge of elec- trons by light this equation of Einstein’s seems to us to predict accurately all the facts which have been observed. ’ 2 Paes eet The method which has been adopted in the Ryerson Laboratory for testing the correctness of Hinstein’s Fic. 3.—Photograph of apparatus used pe me photo-electric determinatio of Planck’s equation has involved the performance of so many operations upon the highly inflammable alkali metals in a vessel which was freed from the presence of all gases that it is not inappropriate to describe the present experimental arrangement as a machine-shop in vacuo. Fig. 3 shows a photograph of the apparatus, and Fig. 4 is a drawing of a section which should m the necessary operations: intelligible. ewe ciety One of the most vital assertions made in Ejinstein’s theory is that the kinetic energy with which mono- chromatic light ejects electrons from any metal is pro- portional to the frequency of the light, i.e. if violet light is of half the wave-length of red light, then the violet light should throw out the electron with twice the energy imparted to it by the red light. In order to test whether any such linear relation exists between the energy of the escaping electron and the light which throws it out it was mecessary to use as wide a range of frequencies as possible: This made it necessary to — use the alkali metals, sodium potassium, and lithium, for electrons are thrown from the ordinary metals only | by ultra-violet light, while the alkali metals respond _ May 23, 1918] NATURE ‘2 ve 37 ‘this. way te any, waves shorter than those of the red— thé is, they respond throughout practically the: whole Visible spectrum as well as the ultra-violet spectrum. ae sereaere: of these. metals were therefore placed as Pate ce cleansurfaces were | g shavings from each metal in an by an electromagnet F outside the tube. freshly cut surface was turned nother electromagnet until it was of Fig. 4, and a beam of mono- a er sconieter was let in through a new surface. The energy see by. it was measured by applying i ye potential just strong enough arged electrons from reach- - opposite (shown in dotted lines) * ating an observable negative charge , eenepetes, which was attached to this , en the new surface and a test oan, by another electromagnetic device pot LA. a eS ee ais) Ree lege a” agit el Fes ate es —t—f- 4124x190" fo} | y o. Patong aores oe are, saa i rly 70 a 90 100 10 120 -NCY - . v 44 relation between energy of electric emission and ey -ot the Hight which stimulates the emission. Hig! 5g padi in Fig. 85 but for further details the original paper may be consulted (see Phys. Rev., vol. vii. [1916], . p. 362). Suffice it here to say. that Einstein’s equation demands: a linear relation between the applied positive NO. 2534, vou. 10r | or wee ee th the aid of the knife K,; which silts and the frequency of the light, and it also de- mands that the slope of this line should be exactly equal to h/e. Hence from this slope, since e is known, it -should be possible to.,obtain h. How. perféct ‘a linear relation is found .may .be seen from Fig. 5, which also shows that from the . slope of this line h is found to be 6-56 x 10777, which is as close to the value obtained by Planck from the radiation laws as is to-be éxpected from the accuracy ..with which the .» experiments in radiation can be made. . The / most trustworthy value of h obtained from a consideration of the whole of this work is h=6-56x10-*". In the original paper will be found other tests of the Einstein equation, but the net result of all this work is to confirm in “a very complete way the equation which Ein- stein first set up on thé basis of his semi- ~ corpuscular theory of radiant energy. And if this equation is of general validity it must certainly be regarded as one of the most fundamental and far-reaching of the equa- tions ot physics, and one which is destined to play in the future a scarcely less impor- tant réle than Maxwell's equations have played in the past, for it must govern the transformation of all short-wave-length - €lectromagnetic energy into heat energy. (To be continued.) UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. — Lonpon.—The thanks of the Senate have been _ accorded to the Worshipful Company of Drapers for | the renewal, at the rate of 3001. a year for 1918 and — 1919, of their grant in aid of the biometric labora- tories of the department of applied statistics at Uni- versity College ;.and to the Chadwick trustees for the renewal of their grant of 250l. in furtherance of: the promotion of sanitary science by aiding the mainten- ance of the Chadwick professorship of hygiene and -the teaching of municipal engineering at University College during the year 1918-19, and for their con- ‘tinued provision of the Chadwick gold medal. The Senate has adopted a resolution expressing gratification that the London Hospital has decided to open its medical college to women students—‘‘a step which is in entire conformity both with the ' wishes and the policy of the University.” The following doctorates have been conferred :— D.Sc. in Statistics: Mr. R. J. Ewart, an internal student, of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medi- cine, for a thesis entitled ‘‘The Influence of Age of Parent at Birth on Length of Life, Sex, Suscepti- bility to Zymotic Diseases, Stature, Intelligence, and Eye-colour.’’ D.Sc..in Botany: Mr. Walter Watson, an external student, for a thesis entitled ‘‘’The Bryo- phytes and Lichens of Various Ecological. Groups of Vegetation,” and other papers. D.Sc. in , Physics: Mr. E. ‘N. da: Costa Andrade, an external student, for a thesis entitled *‘The Flow of Metals under Con- stant Stresses,’’ and other papers. THE remaining public lectures of the course on “Some Biological Problems of To-day’’ will be de- livered at University College, London (Gower Street, W.C.1), on Mondays at 5 p.m., as follows :—May 27, “ Substitution of Raw Materials,’ by Prof. F. W. Oliver ; June 3, ‘The - Anaerobic Treatment of Wounds,” by Dr. R. C.. McLean; and June to, _“ Fresh Ate and Efficiency,” by Prof. 'H. R. Kenwood: 238 NATURE [May 23, 1918 THE Registrar of the Institute of Chemistry has been informed by the Board of Education that ‘* instruc- tions have been given by the National Service Depart- ment to defer, for the present, the calling up of any student of chemistry attending a teaching institution recognised by the Board of Education or the Scotch Education Department who has not been or is not placed in Grade I. and produces a certificate from the principal of the institution that he has passed his matriculation or corresponding examination, and is taking a full course of study in science, including chemistry. The Board further understands that calling-up notices (including any already issued) may, if necessary, be suspended for fourteen days for pro- duction of this certificate.’’ A DETAILED description of the curriculum and equip- ment of the Institute of Applied Electrotechnics and - Mechanics at the University of Toulouse is given in Le Génie Civil for April 27. The institute provides a thorough course of training in electrical engineering and, applied mechanics, which lasts three (and in some cases four) years. The laboratories, which are : equipped in an up-to-date manner, provide both for teaching and research. Special. attention is given to hydraulic and _ internal -gombustion — engineering. Separate sections are devoted to technical measure- ments on electrical machines and accessories; static electricity and magnetic. measurements, photometry, wireless telegraphy, etc. A special water-tower and auxiliary plant is installed for experiments on water pressure and flow—an innovation that will prove of and girls’ clubs), 4300l.; farm demonstration work in | New Hampshire (including boys’ and girls’ clubs),- 30001. ; educational investigation and research, 10,2001.; consolidated rural schools, 200ol. ;.experimental school, _ 9350l.; the total being 628,453l. Since its foundation — the board has granted to ‘colleges and universities alone the total of .2,724,152l., while those inStitutions themselves have raised simultaneously 10,026,674l. The board’s gifts have assisted in increasing the re-— sources of 112 colleges and universities situated in> practically every State in the Union. Since its — organisation in 1902 the General Education Board has _ appropriated for all purposes 4,271,500l1. An important — action of the board in the past year has dealt with the establishment of the medical department of the Uni- versity of Chicago. The General Education Boz the Rockefeller Foundation together contrib 400,000l. towards a total of 1,060,000l., which w; necessary in order to bring together in a single uni-— versity medical school institutions and resources valued at almost 3,000,000l. : 95 es ‘= ha SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LONDON. nS Royal Society, May 9.—Sir J. J. Thomson, president, in the chair.—Major P. A. MacMahon and H. B. C. _ Darling : Contribution to the theory of attraction when the force varies as any power of the distance.—Sir George Greenhill: Electromagnetic integrals. | Racket, with Maxwell’s M, mutual inductance of two coaxial __ circular currents, a straightforward integration will lead to the analytical expressions arising in the theory . of the ampere-balance current-weigher, described in Phil. Trans., 1907, by Ayrton-Mather-Smith, and the complicated dissections gre not necessary, Ss oe . | great value in view of the proposed extension of hydro- electric power in different parts of France. A DELEGATION of ten distinguished professors from universities of Italy is visiting eight of our universi- ties, namely, Oxford, London (and the Imperial Col- lege), Cambridge, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Edin- burgh, and Glasgow. The members of the delegation are :—Prof. Volterra, senator, professor of mathe- matics in the University of Rome; Prof. Archangeli, professor of commercial law in the University of Parma; Prof. L. Bianchi, deputy, professor of | psychiatry in the University of Naples; Signor V., Bianchi, deputy, specialist in nervous diseases; Prof. by Viriamu Jones, Minchin, and other writers. The elliptic integrals which occur are then reduced to a simple standard form, capable of use with pri tote tables of the elliptic function; and the quadric trans- formation is explained geometrically, required to re-— concile the conflicting notation of previous treatment. A re-drawing is submitted of Maxwell’s figure XVIIJ of the curves: of constant M, employing the co- ordinates of the confocal conics on Weir’s chart. The | Columba, Rector of the University of Palermo, pro- fessor of ancient history; Prof. Credaro, late Minister of Public Instruction, deputy, professor of philosophy in the University of Rome; Prof. Galante, professor of canon law in the University of Bologna; Prof. Giacosa, professor of bio-chemistry and physiology in the University of Turin; Prof. Lori, Rector of the University. of Padua, professor of electro-technics, president of the Societa per il Progresso delle Scienze; . and Prof. Nasini, professor of chemistry in the Uni- versity of Pisa. Oxford was visited last week, and the visit to London began at University College on Tuesday, when the Vice-Chancellor entertained the delegation at dinner. On Wednesday the Imperial College was visited, and the party lunched with the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House. To-day (Thurs- day) will be occupied with visits to King’s College and Bedford College and a dinner given by the Royal Society of Literature. Tue. General Education Board, founded by Mr. John D. Rockefeller ‘‘ to promote education within the United States,’’ will shortly issue its complete annual report for the financial year 1916-17. The grants for that year included the following :—Universities and colleges for whites, for endowment, 237,000l.; colleges and schools for whites for current expenses, 2000l.; medical education, 270,000l.; the education of negroes, 68,6071.; professors of secondary education, 6993l.; farm demonstration work in Maine (including boys’ NO. 2534, VOL. 1or| : same co-ordinates are applied to a state of uniplanar — liquid motion, where they appear appropriate, as— well as to Euler’s problem of the orbit under two- centres of force.—Dr. T. R. Merton and Prof. J. W. Nicholson: Intensity relations in the spectrum of — helium. The paper contairis the results of an experi-_ mental investigation of the variations in distribution of intensity among the lines of the helium spectrum under various conditions. of excitation. The intensi- ties have been examined quantitatively, according to. the method described in previous memoirs, at various — assigned positions in. the cathode dark space and ~ beyond, so that the variations can be determined as definite functions of cathode distance. It is found ~ that the relative intensities of lines in the diffuse series of helium and parhelium remain essentially the ~ same at all distances, but that striking variations occur in other types of*series. The results are dis- cussed (1) from the point of view of selective transfer of energy in any one series; (2) in relation to type of - series—diffuse, sharp,.or principal; and (3) in relation to the relative behaviour of the doublet and _single- line spectra. The spectra of mixed gases—hydrogen and helium—have also been studied in the same way, and it has become apparent that the phenomena pre-— sented by the presence of a spectroscopic trace of one of the gases are essehtially different in character from those presented when the gases are mixed in com- parable amounts. The low-pressure spectrum of “May 23, 1918] NATURE 239 2. helium has been investigated quantitatively, and the _ results have been discussed _ the reproduction in the laboratory of the abnormal - intensity relations found in the spectra of the nebula. _ It is shown that the nebular spectrum of helium would _ be obtained very closely by a combination of the con- ditions belonging to the condensed discharge and to with special reference to the low-pressure spectrum.—Dr. S, Chapman: The _ outline of a theory of magnetic storms. The average _ characteristics of magnetic storms are separated into two parts, depending respectively upon time measured from the commencement: of the storm and upon local time. In the former the horizontal force is the ele- ment chiefly affected, a brief initial increase being followed by a much larger decrease, extending over several hour: . Afterwards, during a period of days, the fe ce slowly returns to its normal value. The local- ie changes, after the ordinary diurnal mag- variations have been removed, are approximately le sine or cosine waves in all three elements. neir mutual relations in phase, and the dependence f their amplitudes upon latitude, are determined for twelve observatories from the mean of -forty storms. The two sets of variations are interpreted in terms rie. current systems circulating in the upper e (with corresponding earth. currents). _ These, again, are referred to the inductive action of tem of atmospheric motions.. These motions are marily vertical, though the unequal distribution of ‘ical velocity introduces horizontal movements also. lospheric motions are explained as the result of the precipitation of electric particles from the sun into the earth’s atmosphere. A depression of the absorbing layer (which becomes ionised) is first pro- cd. his is succeeded by a general upward expan- 1, due to the mutual repulsion of the particles th are mainly of.one sign of charge) which are ed in the layer. The stratum in which these occur is considered to be above that in which - diurnal magnetic variations are produced, and the ionisation in the latter layer is attributed to the action of ultra-violet light from the sun. _ Zoological Society, May 7.—Prof. E. W. MacBride, lent. in the chair.—Dr. B. Petronievics : nm between the lower jaws of the cynodont athus and Cynognathus.—Miss Brooks : The Finally, a theory of climatic evolution is outlined in NO. 2534, VOL. 101| accordance with these ideas and the theory of isostasy. —J. E. Clark and H. B.:Adames ; Report on the pheno- logical observations in the British Isles during 1917. The persistent winter, scarcely broken over. four and a half months from early December, dominated seasonal conditions. The chief practical result of the cold was indirect, the heavy destruction of bird-life favouring tree-blight and caterpillars, the ova of which were preserved by the unbroken cold. In many parts the latter stripped fruit trees. and ruined garden greens. So, too, the antler-caterpillar plague in Derbyshire was ascribed mainly to the scarcity of rooks. On the other hand, berries and other fruits suffered little from birds. Other summer broods than garden white grubs were also favoured, éspecially Vanessida, in- cluding such rarer forms as the Common and White Admiral. From late July into September the splendid harvest prospects were much marred by rain, wind, and lack of sun. Final results were better than 1916, although grain crops fell some 5 per cent. below the ten-year average in England, rising, however, above elsewhere. As to roots,‘'a warm, dry November more than made up for the cold, wet October; whilst pota- toes gave a record crop with 8,600,000 tons off 1,364,000 acres, compared with 5,468,000 tons off 1,134,400, acres in 1916. Tree-fruits, too, gave excel- lent returns, the August gales proving prejudicial to apples only. Finally, November gave a splendid. send- off for the coming year in the exceptionally favoured winter earing of the grain crops. This, as the presi- dent, Sir Napier Shaw, has shown, may be counted as half the battle’in the prospects for successful har- vesting. Table v. of the report gives the yearly floral means for the five chief districts from 1891. That year alone was later than 1917, namely, 96 days against 7-6 days after the mean flowering date, May 17-4. . Birds and insects in table vi. confirm the lateness of 1917, averaging six days and twelve days behind; whilst table vii., of ‘twenty-four migrants, shows nearly ten days’ lag behind a twenty-year mean, 1877-96. Paris. Academy of Sciences, May 6.—M. P. Painlevé in the chair.—P. Termier: Contributions to the knowledge of the tectonic of Asturias; Pefias de Careses; the Careses-Fresnedo anticlinal zone.—Th. Schlesing, jun.: Ammonium nitrate as manure. In default. of the opportunity of working on the agricultural scale, pot experiments are described, using equal weights of nitrogen as ammonium nitrate and ammonium sul- phate, together with a blank experiment without .am- monium salt. With maize, the nitrate gave slightly greater yields than with the sulphate. Some sug- gestions as to the best method of carrying out field experiments are added.—C. Richet and L. Flament: Urinary secretion troubles after great traumatisms. In seriously wounded cases there is a marked diminu- tion in the urinary secretion and in the production of urea. The urea in eleven cases of mortally wounded fell to 30 per cent. of the normal, whereas in fifteen cases, seriously but not mortally wounded, the urea was 44 per cent. of the normal.—J. Pérés: Certain developments in series.—T. Lalesco: The application of integral equations to the theory of. linear differen- tial equations..-M. T. Béritch: An intuitive method for the detection of ordinary maxima and minima.— J. Amdrade: Some point transformations, and_ the circle of similitude of two cycles.—R. Bricard : Move- ment with two parameters round a fixed point.— L. Guillet ; The influence of cadmium on the properties of the copper-zinc alloys. With 60/40 or 70/30 brasses cadmium commences to affect the mechanical proper- ties only when the percentage is 1 per cent. or more. Since commercial ' zinc rarely contains sufficient 240 NATURE [May 23; 1978 cadmium to. give) 1 per cent: with it, the influence. of cadmium has not much. indus- trial importance. —G, Lincio: The stibnite and pyrites: layer at Su Suergiu, Villasalto, Sardinia.—S. Steianescu; A new. method for the study of the phylogeny of mastodons, stegodons, and elephants.— H. Perrotin: The propagation of heat in. the lower layers of the atmosphere.—P. Lesage : Contributions to the study of the germination of the spores of mosses.—E, Bordage: Observations on the nuclei of the trophocytes arising from the transformation . of striated muscular tissue in-insects.—P. Remlinger: The action of ether on rabies virus: ‘The brain of a rabbit infected with the virus, after 120 hours’ immersion in ether loses. its pathogenic power. The brain readily forms an emulsion with physiological water after this treatment. with ether, and this emulsion can be in- jected in large doses into: animals without any danger. The immunity against rabies thus conferred appears to be lasting. BOOKS: RECEIVED. An Enquiry into the Analytica! Mechanism of the Internal Ear. ‘By Sir T. Wrightson. With an Ap- pendix on -the Anatomy of the Parts Concerned, by Dr. A. Keith. Pp. xi+254+plates ix. (London’: Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 12s. 6d. net. Tidal Lands : A Study of Shore’ Problems. By A. E. Carey and Prof. F. W. Oliver. Pp. xiv+284. (London: Blackie and Son, Ltd.) 12s. 6d. net. Applied Optics: The Computation of Optical Systems. Being the ‘“‘Handbuch der angewandten Optik” of Dr. A. Steinheil and Dr. F. ok ’Trans- lated and edited by J. W. French. Vol. Pp. xviit+ 170. (London: Blackie and Son, Lid) 12s. 6d. net. Astrographic. Catalogue. Hyderabad Section, 1900-0. 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Ios. net. é NO. 2534, VOL. 101] (Edin- xxi + 468. r { in the brasses made ' The Decline in the Birth-rate . i Reyes DIARY OF SOCIETIES. ‘THURSDAY, May 23. tae Rovau: LxsTiTUTION, at g-—The Abode: of Snow ; Its’ Appearance, eta i tants, and History: Sir Francis Younghusband. te INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—Some Trdhsicak P mena in Electrical Supply Systems : Prof. E. W. Marchant, FRIDAY, May 24. ie Roya InstrvuTron, at 5:30.—Internal Ballistics: Lt.-Col. A. G, LINNEAN ‘Society, at 3, —Anniversary Meeting... ni SATURDAY, May. 25. F eee bing series Rovar InstiruTion, at 3. .—Problems in Bird-Migration : : Patten. MONDAY, May’ 27. ite By ¥ ARISTOTELIAN Society, at 8.—The ‘* Modes” of Spinoza. —_ ““Monads” of Leibniz: Prof. G. Dawes Hicks. RoyaL GEOGRAPHICAL hes at 5.30. —Aliniversary pe ‘TUESDAY, May 28. orcs ZOOLOGICAL Society, at 5.30.—A Case of Herirapinatieie i Lacerta wirtdis: Noel ‘Taylor.—¥fresh-water Fi as wen egan. Institution OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGISTS, at 8.— Electrical Power to Oilfield Requirements: J. Wilfred pe WEDNESDAY, May 29. 7 Roya Shuieiey or ArrTs, at 2 3 Organic Cheater : Industry ; Dr, M. Ov Forster. 1) UPA, UR THURSDAY, May go0 (OT eee eee RovaL: InstiTuTION, at 3.—The Abode of Snow}: ae habitants, and History: Sir F. Younghusband. 4: INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 6.—Ann Royvau SocieTy: or gms ae t 4.30-— The’ Gotten Hon. Sir Dinshaw E.. W — Lape JUNE : ” Rovee TON at 3.—Problems: in. Bird- Beatie Prof ¢ CONTENTS. Montessori Educational Methods. By J: KE G3 aS oe y Modern Industry . Sb Ue ea ee ae 0 te Ballistics Sh ME Ge Mee th Pans tue Wine goes 55 > Te ert Vie beret © va Our Bookshelf. ../. 05.662: eid Sige Letters. to. the: Editor :— ges ar The Supposed ‘‘ F ascination” of f Birds rds by 8 Prof, Edward B. Poulton, St sheet 2 Scientific Tests for the penning of (Ditots for ee Air Force. By Major Martin Flack eye ee The Zinc Ore Resources of the bigs ro é ica oe : Sir Alexander Pedles;, F.R:S. ps Ba Ww. A ce hs ; Notes s ie ts wee Foe) ce F st ach Paes Our Rear caieat "Column: —.. mriduiene it Minor. Planets Raiveaty eo her's = nits a Currents in the Uppec Ae Se <¥ Horticulture,’’ the earlier “volumes of which tied, been noticed in these pages, is-main- tained in ‘the fifth and sixth volumes, which have nov ared and arrived safely in this country. imagine no more interesting or stimulat- | e for British ‘horticulturists than the this country are reflected: inithe different horti-— iral treatment (practised by European and | : (perts. ‘Thus, in the case of the straw- oe find that in the southern districts of the _ United States itis the practice.to take one: crop Fopoidhc owe to discard ‘the :plants, whereas .in noderate:climate.growers-generally take ro fore|ploughing up their plantation, ain, as isto’ be expected in the case - of -so Gd wocscensioon ‘the :grape-bearing species \ of _ Witis:are-treated:of in a°far more: comprehensive ee British cyclopeedia; indeed, jonfess toa glad surprise to learn that there we ee thirty-six: ape cies: of ‘Vitis which ere and feck ‘the British ‘horticulturist will omissions, -as, for -example, the failure of author ‘résponsible for the article on tulips to sthe “literature” the admirable mono- 1 ir. Dykes on that:genus) of plants. > Bae idly.growing importance of‘ California as = = eta conssitty is strikingly illustrated by _ the statement in the article “Seed and Seedage”’ that the seeding acreage under lettuce, onion, and _Sweet-pea—most : popular of flowers in America— les 5000. In addition to these seed juant see” of seed of ‘the culinary pea, bean, cab- | age, radish, and others; ‘nevertheless, ‘the — American imports of garden seed dlone are of ,the — ghee vale ‘of two: eamien, dollars. Among the important genera described in’ these 2 volumes are” Primula, Prunus, Pyrus, Rosa, and | Solanum, and each is dealt with in a thorough tanner. ‘It is noteworthy ‘that, as admitted inthe — article onthe potato, America, like ourselves, ‘has awakened ‘late ‘to the great ‘importance of this -erop; Germany alone of all the great nations — “to have taken advantage of the fact that ‘this plant is the most productive of all cultivated food plants. Whereas half ,the ‘huge crop _ raised in Germany is used for food for stock or ‘for commercial purposes, only 1 “per cent. of -the _ ‘far be subject that might give far more real- c and attractive : results than any shown in this hibition. “The ‘Gravel Pit,’’ by Arthur 583). seems to be the most successful 5 oN ‘exhibited. ‘The high cloud at sunset in 2. oes “Still ‘Evening’ (175) raises “an ’ ienseee sien as to the probability of the ‘onditic ‘being true ‘to life. Bands of igh “clouc htly tinted pink in the rays of the seating sun sun, \ is other clouds in'the same art of: , but at an apparently higher level, are illumin , but without colour. The writer “does not ri aber ‘a case of this kind coming Bit his. be impossi ssible, The interesting and quite common Ri Pie wo the high clouds are illuminated with ap “passed into the shadow of the earth, does not “seem to ‘have attracted the artist’s imagination. ‘Ver "interesting information as to the relative ‘hei be obtained in'these circumstances. _ Observers often, in dealing with Nature herself, have difficulty in deciding to which of the arti- ficial types of the international classification a cloud belongs, so infinite are the varieties which occur, but all meteorological observers who visit ‘the Academy will undoubtedly give a sigh of relief that they are not expected to classify the strange NO. 2535, VOL. ror] : Saphowied from ‘the greatest distance possible the | A very similar éffect | Feo ataal the sky is covered with detached | velouds : | } / | i ee. se ced in ‘the smaller. work by =< same © shapes which appear in the sky in ‘Evening ’”’ (233), ‘to mention one case only, though it does not ‘stand alone. In “Wind from ‘the South”’ (383) the artist -presumably set out to ~portray falling snow; but surely with a title so meteoro- logical he ‘might have given more careful atten- ‘a range of hills, or the hills-and valleys of : cy above. “Some ‘of | these mountain mist effects | for confirmation of their views. ‘Guild for December last. tion to the meteorological elements in his picture. Finally, all who hold that gunfire has an influence on rainfall should undoubtedly visit the Academy If the clouds ‘over the battlefields of France really take the ‘forms shown in some of the pictures (notably “Dawn,’’ 333), few will have the hardihood to maintain that ‘the rainfall.or even the entire climatic conditions of the neighbourhood may not be _ seriously affected. Seb. THE CARNEGIE TRUST FOR THE UNIVERSITIES OF SCOTLAND. A FEW months ago (Naturr, January to, p. 369) attention was directed to a report of a special committee appointed by the British Science Guild and published in the journal of .the The report discussed the manner in which the trustees of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland were carry- ing out their purpose of strengthening and de- veloping scientific research, a question which was raised by Prof. Soddy in Science Progress for January, 1917. The recent issue of the sixteenth annual report of the Carnegie Trust seems to call for some further comment in connection with _ the criticisms then advanced. observation, although it appears not to — The .report shows how the grants have been distributed during the year 1916-17. — Since this is the fourth year of the third quinquennial ° period, no vital changes in the general character of the report are 'to be expected. A new feature is the list of the trustees and the members of the executive committee, which is printed on the back of the title-page. When it is ‘borne in. mind that one of the main _pur- poses of the Carnegie Trust is to improve and extend the opportunities for scientific study’ and research, it is matter for some surprise that of the twenty trustees four only can be regarded as men of science with direct knowledge of the mean- ing and methods of research. There is improve- ment, however; for originally there were only two, ‘and for a> short interval none, who could be ranked as men of-science. k glow, ‘while the ‘lower ones have already | As regards distribution of grants under Clause A of the trust deed, the present war con- ditions have naturally had important effects. Large sums granted ‘towards the cost of new of different cloud layers may sometimes | buildings have not been expended. In the case of the Universities of Glasgow and Aberdeen these sums are simply held over; but in the case of Edinburgh a sum of 31, oool., originally allo- cated over the five years for buildings and permanent ‘equipment in chemistry and anatomy, has been diverted for the endowment of a ‘professorship of chemistry in relation to medi- cine, a professorship of French, and two ‘new - 246 NATURE | (May 30. 1918. lectureships, one ‘in Italian and one in Spanish. The institution of a separate chair for chemistry in medicine may be expected to make possible a fuller development of the original chair as a centre of scientific research, and the University of Edin- burgh is to be congratulated on having given a useful lead in this much-needed reorganisation of the chemistry department. Arranging under general groups the sums ex- pended during the year 1916-17, and taking into account the change in the allocation for the Uni- versity of Edinburgh, we find that 43 per cent. was applied towards providing new buildings and permanent equipment in arts, medicine, and science, 36 per cent. towards endowment of pro- fessorships and lectureships in these three facul- ties and for other general purposes, 9 per cent. towards books, etc., for libraries, and 12 per . cent. towards the direct endowment of research in science, medicine, and history—where under history are included also archeology, economics, modern languages, and literature. It may be men- tioned that fully half the sum was allocated to the history group, so that only 6 per cent. of the grants. for the year were used in the encourage- ment of research in modern progressive science. It must be recognised that under present, war conditions scientific research by young graduates _is practically impossible ; but the fact remains that in the present quinquennial scheme, which was inaugurated nine months before the outbreak of war, direct endowment of scientific research did not form a very conspicuous feature. On the other hand, it may be argued that it is not an easy matter to supply money directly for research un- less the purpose of the research is clearly recog- nised. Post-graduate work by Carnegie scholars and fellows may or may not yield important gains in increasing or systematising scientific know- ledge. A trust like the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland may have good reasons for believing that the interests of scientific 1e- search may be best advanced in the meantime by providing better laboratories, increased equipment, and more efficient teaching, in the hope that other good things will follow in their train. In any case the trust has a grave responsibility, and must see to it that there is no chance of wasteful squandering of the funds it has to administer. THE RELATIONS OF GEODESY TO GEOLOGY.} fa study of the earth is the aim of both geo- logists and geodesists, but their methods of investigation differ so widely that their co- operation is sometimes difficult to bring about. While the geologist utilises descriptions and measurements which he has collected at many places. widely distributed over the earth’s surface, the geodesist deals with a comparatively limited number of observations carried out with the aid of. instruments of high precision, and carci ' 1 “The Structure of the Himalayas and of the epemactc Plain as Eluci- date1 by Geodetic Observations in India.” By R. D. Oldham. . ‘“‘ Memoirs Geol. Survey of India,” vol. xlii., part 2, 1917. NO. 2535, VOL. 101] ‘corrected for all ascertainable errors; > his material for discussion is provided from data the magni- tudes of which are very small, and the weight and relevance of which are not readily appreciated — by workers whose advance is along other lines. Still, the co-operation of geology and geodesy is very desirable, and the work that has been done during the past ten or fifteen years in. India, where the most extensive collection of. high-grade geodetic material in the Empire is available, in bringing together these two lines of investigation may lead, we hope, to further work both there and elsewhere. of South Africa furnished some similar material, and Dr. W. Bahn, in an article which appeared in the Beitrige fiir Geophysik of ‘1910, discussed The reports of the Geodetic Survey ) the geodetic results and indicated their bearing — on the tectonic geology of the area; ‘Peale such discussions have been few. The Himalaya problem is: dealt witha ‘in ‘the present memoir by Mr. Oldham, who aims at adding to the stock of fundamental facts and so utilising the work of Col. Sir Sidney Burrard, Dr. Hayden, and others that a theory may be built up such as will adequately account for the conditions. revealed by geodetic and geological observations. The following conciusions are quoted as obtain- ing general acceptance, and as, therefore, pro- viding a starting point for discussion. The eleva- tion of the Himalayas has been accompanied by compression of the rocks of which they are com- posed; a great main boundary fault lies along the outer edge of the Himalayas, and separates the srocks of the northern area from the Upper Tertiary rocks of the southern area; a series of similar faults is found within the Siwalik area, and these are regarded as marking progressive shifts southwards of the boundary of uplift. to the north and deposition to the south. The discussion is introduced by a chapter cach is devoted to an’ explanation of the nature of the geodetic evidence in which the theories of com- pensation and isostasy are discussed. — work of Archdeacon Pratt and Sir George Airy to the recent studies of Hayford, Bowie, and others leads up to the development of tables of compensation factors for various distances and depths. The pada does not determine the absolute -value of the deflection of. the plumb-line from the vertical, and selects a station as origin to which he refers the results obtained at other stations. A short ‘but useful. account of compensation from the For India the station of Kalianpur has been taken — as origin with the assumption that no deflection — exists there; but as the existence of a southerly deflection hoa been established, a correction for the amount of it has to be applied generally before the results at other stations can be employed. Variations in the force of gravity are determined by. comparing the period of a free-swinging pen- dulum. at different stations when all the necessary corrections have been applied. These local values" have then to be compared with the normal value | for that point on the soba s surface, and to do ' ately taken into account. May 30, 19 18 | NATURE 247 dite: it is necessary to reduce the local observed _' value to’sea-level. This involves an estimation of the masses of the earth above sea-level, both above and below station-level, in order that their _ €ffect may be correctly allowed for. _ Mr. Oldham first takes the case of an imaginary mountain range agreeing approximately in its ' dimensions with the Himalayas, but more regular in form, consisting of a plateau of 15,000 ft. alti- tude, from which an incline of 100 miles in “breadth descends to 5000 ft. by a series of steps, and terminates in another plateau at an altitude of 1500 ft., and 20 miles broad, bounding the Gangetic trough on the north. Utilising this imaginary range, the effects of i wathanae® hypotheses of compensation are con- sidered, and the deflections at a series of points on a line crossing: the range are computed and tabulated. The attractions .of the visible masses, both compensated and uncompensated, are com- " pared, and also the topography of the imaginary by ta; and the actual topography, as determined ajor Crosthwaite, R.E. The Siwalik Hills, wath their lower density of about 2°2, as com- pared with the 2°7 of the Himalayas, are separ- The case of uniform compensation to different depths is examined and compared with the results given on the assump- tion of a variable compensation. Passing from the hill range to the Gangetic trough, reasons are given for taking the value | 2216 for the density of its filling material, and on this assumption the deflections due to such a trough of various depths, breadths, and sectional forms are computed and compared. All this forms a standard of comparison for estimating the value of the observational material, and the geodetic data along lines traversing the Gangetic trough "are next examined, the conclusion being reached _ that the maximum depth of the trough need not ‘exceed 25,000 ft., and can scarcely be less than 20,000 ft., according to the deflection observa- tions. ~The gravity observations are next dis- cussed and are considered to bear out generally ‘the conclusions which had been reached on the deflection data and to indicate a general upward slope of the floor of the Gangetic trough towards the south. Special cases at Dehra Dun, in the Punjab, etc., are discussed in fuller detail, and near the Siwalik Hills a maximum depth of at least 10,000 ft. for the trough is highly probable. The next stage in the investigation is a dis- cussion of the support of the Himalayas, and taking the Himalayan geodetic stations, the prob- able and actual deflections are compared. Local topographical irregularities introduce difficulties in some cases, but there is in all three regions examined an ‘excess of observed over calculated deflection in a northerly direction. Neither altera- tion in the depth to which compensation extends nor the adoption of a hypothesis of flotation -pro- vides an explanation, but the author would attri- bute it to departures from locally complete com- pensation. The observations of M. de Filippi’s expedition to the Himalayan region should add NO. 2535, VOL. 101] estimated cost was 350,000l. ; valuable material for this inquiry, but at present there seems to be a defect of cranty as the hills are entered. This memoir is a valuable atditian to geo- physical literature, and a useful contribution to the study of a difficult problem which will be wel- comed both by geologists and geodesists. It is to be regretted that the illustrations are poor speci- mens of such work, for there should be no diffi- culty in providing more satisfactory blocks. The omission of an indication of the units employed in several of-the tables is tiresome to the reader. .G CLIMATOLOGY AND AN . ABANDONED FLYING SCHOOL. B hese Times of May 20 contains a summary of the third report of the Select Committee on National Expenditure, which gives the material facts about the abortive scheme of the War Office to establish at Loch Doon, Ayrshire, a large school for the training of airmen in gunnery. It is a striking and very expensive example of that incoherence or lack of co-ordination under stress against which thé discipline of science as a part of education should be our safeguard. In 1916 the Air Board wanted an aerodrome for special purposes, and found a site at Loch Doon which would fulfil their requirements provided that a peat-bog on the western side of the lake could be drained and certain engineering work carried out on the eastern side. Taken independently, both these conditions could be’ satisfied, and operations were set on foot. By May, 1917, the afterwards, large further sums were being asked for to complete the scheme; but, though each item had been separately satisfied, the object was not achieved. The climatic conditions were quite unsuitable for a training school, the local ‘“‘bumps’’ were a great drawback for the special purpose of the aerodrome, the conditions of the surrounding area placed intolerable restrictions upon its use, and, on account of the increased speed of flight, the engineering works were already out of date. In January, 1918, the Air Council decided to cut the loss and abandon the scheme. Looking back at the evolution of this fiasco, various points are evident. The air authorities apparently worked by the map, the engineers con- sidered only the questions of draining a bog and constructing certain railways, hangars, etc., not the making of an aerodrome; and the vexatious details of the climate of the British Isles were left to express themselves in their own inexorable way when the mechanical operations had been provided for. The last is, perhaps, the most in- structive feature of the situation.. Climatology is the science which uses the common experience of past weather to safeguard the future of all opera- tions that depend upon weather. Its basis of fact is merely organised public memory. The Meteoro- logical Committee, in its reports, has frequently urged that, in the public interest, local authorities 248 NATURE | [May 30, 1918 should keep: suitable records. If this course had been followed in’ Ayrshire, some 500,000l; might: have been saved. But our local authorities have not yet acknowledged ‘the duty. It has been left to the meteorologiéal societies, or the Meteorological’ Office; or the British Rain- fall Organisation’ to collect such observations of weather as are made for country landowners or by meteorological enthusiasts in various localities ; the distribution .is naturally haphazard. Moreover, with the possible exception of-the water engineer,. the people. who have to carry out such schemes have no training in the use of the collected in- formation or in-how to find it, and without some experience. the. tables. are, difficult. to: use: Much of the information, requires. re-working in order to answer special questions. For those who know. where to look for it, thére is a vast mine of. in- formation about the climatology of the British Isles, but, for lack of schools devoted to such sciences, it is largely unworked. An. authorita- tive compilation is much needed. The Royal Meteorological Society, in co-operation with the Meteorological Office; began to work the data. for a climatological atlas shortly before the war, but has had‘ to. discontinue the task for. the present. It was thought at the time to be an undértaking of great utility, but that-its present worth might run to six figures in a single case was clearly not realised. THE twelfth. annual meeting. of the British Science Guild will. be held at the Mansion: House:on Wednes- day, June 19, at 4.p.m., the Lord Mayor in the chair, Lord Sydenham, president: of the guild, will deliver: an address on ‘‘ Education, Science, and: Leadership” ; ’ and other speakers will’ be Sir Algernon Firth, Bart., and Sir Henry Newbolt. Tickets: of admission may. be obtained from the Secretary, British Séience Guil : 199 Piccadilly, London;. Wit. Tue Lords Commissioners of H:M: Treasury have approved the: proposal of the Méteorologi¢al. Com- mittee that, in view, of; the: variety and: importance of the. scientific problems. upon. which; the: Meteoro- logical Office is required to. advise the fighting forces, Sir Napier Shaw shall, for. the period: of. the. war,, become ‘scientific adviser to His Majesty’s Government in meteorology, and be relieved‘ of the adininistrative duties: of: the Meteorological’ Office, but retain the chairmanship of the Meteorological Committee: Lt.-Col. +H. G. Lyons; with: the sanction: of: the. War Office, has been. appointed acting director of the Meteorological Office for. the same period. We most heartily congratulate the Government. and Sir Napier Shaw. upon this appointment. Meteorology. in England has made great progress during the last twenty years, and a large share of the credit for this must be given: to Sir Napier’s administration of the Meteorological: Office and to his lectures and papers- on’ the. subject. The. value in war of correct: forecasts is obvious, but there are many. other ways. in. which an intimate knowledge of. meteorology may be of use, and no more suitable man could have been, found for the new post. ° TuE return to,Copenhagen from Greenland, via‘ the Far6ée Islands, ‘of. Mr. Knud Rasmussen, the Danish ‘Long Fjord. The difficulties of travelling were accen ‘study of: medicine. Arctic explorer, is announced by Reuter’s Agency. In NO. 2535, VOL. 101] 1916.Mr. Rasmussen explored: the: coasts. of: Melville Bay, betweerm Upernivik. and Cape York, as ice pres vented his. reaching: his station at Thule, in. North Star Bay, In 1917; he. returned to. his. original. pro gramme of exploring the north-west coast of Green- - land, with special reference to Eskimo migrations. This was almost the last unexplored part of the Green- __ land coast. The expedition also planned to carr mails to the American Crocker Land Expedition and! — its relief expedition, the latter supposed then: to be at North Star Bay, south of Smith, Sound. The news now to.hand. through a Reuter message reports: — that Mr. Rasmussen reached Sherard. Osborne Fjord early in. May, 1917, and spent the summe: 4 in mapping the little-known fjords as far north as D Pear tuated by the absence of game. In the begi August. the expedition: started south again over the ice, and with great difficulty reached’ Cape Agassiz, 140 miles.north of Etah, in three weeks’ time, and. Etah on September 10. Dr. Wulff, one of the men of — science, died of exposure. Mr. Rasmussen apparently — wintered at Etah or Thule, and left Greenla this. + spring. He reports no trace of Eskimo migrations on the north-west coast. Apparently his plans for travers= — ing the Canadian Arctic archipelago from east to west — have been deferred; 2 nye ae ScieNcE has lost another distinguished young vot yo by the-death of Capt. James Watson: Pryde, who_ in action in East: Africa‘on May 5. Capt. Pryde was. a native of; Dundee, and received his early at the Morgan Academy, He then entered versity. of St. Andrews, and: completed his arts course with distinction in. every class. With a stro fi a for science, he selected. zoology as.his.main depart- ment, and there he gained the highest honours in class and degree’ examinations, as well as in practical’ — work. Moreover; he at' once commenced; as. Walker _ Trust: seholar,. original: work: at: the Gatty Marine — Laboratory, taking up the- study of the North Sea - Polychzts where another. able graduate; Wm. Small, now with the fighting forces in East: Africa, had. — left off, and his published papers show that he did so with conspicuous syccess. Early in } \ lege career- Prydé joined the O:T.C., and at the outbreak. of the: war was. sergeant-major: He volun- _ teered for service at onee, and received a mission —_ in the Black Watch, his: talents, administrative skill, and. agreeable. bearing making him.-very: ny Tiers is was. then attached to. bbe Kings Pale Rifles, and. lately was at Zomba, Nyasa ‘pursuing. the. — Garnade into Portuguese East ATC eae re pe of the: Lugenda River. He was looking forwar an early return‘ to. continue his researches: and® The loss of a: zoologist so” ss and accomplished,;. and: of: so gallantr a: soldier, is grievous, Netti '] Door as Tue Trustees of the British Museum have published a report: on an: investigation carried out by Mr. J. | Hartley Durrant, of the Natural History Museum, and’ _ Col. W. W.:O. Beveridge to ascertain:how andiwhen: the infestation. of Army biscuits. by. flour-moths-takes _ place;,and whether any steps can be:taken-to pr wat this. A list is given of eight. species. of. beetles: and. four Pyralid moths that were actually found in the. tins of? biscuits examined. But by far the most serious- pest was the moth Ephestia kithniella, and — excellent illustrations and‘a full description are giver both of this. species and)of Corcyra cephalonica. Evi-. dence, is. adduced indicating. that’ Central Americayiss probably the: original home of, E. kiihniella, the so~ called Mediterranean. flour-moth. The examination of _ various intact airtight tins showed that the biscuits 4 — NATURE 249° Mav 30, 1918] contained. in: them: were infested, thus indicating that the moths. had- gained: access to them in the factory prior to. packing. By. means of a thermo-couple. the temperature in the centre-of the biscuits during baking was: tested; and. found to rise to a minimum of just above 100° €.. It is considered improbable: that insect- eggs, if present. in the dough, could survive this. tem. . perature: The infestation of the biscuits must take place, therefore, during the cooling: and prior to the tins. soldered: The authors suggest that.a strong draught of screened cooled air should be passed over. the: biscuits i would: cool more rapidly, F mca ae ible for the» moths: to oviposit on: _ them.. Further, the packed tins might be punctured; _ heated: to a lethal: temperature, and then soldered up; _ but against this there are certain technical difficulties, also the question: of expense. ge R. D’Arcy Power has been appointed Bradshaw ‘tu: er of the Royal College of Surgeons of England he ensuing year. Royal Society’s. Croonian lecture: will be de- ered sy Major . B. Cannon on Thursday, June 20, subject being “The Physiological Basis of Thirst.” and render it bei Pa _ Tue Bathgate memorial prize of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, consisting of a es _ medal and books; has been awarded to Miss J. A. 4 EM oN. FE __ Tue medal of the Franklin. Institute, Philadelphia, been awarded to Senator.G. Marconi and Dr. Mendenhall. The presentations. were made at ting of the.institute on May 15. w GR et ae Ar the ordinary: scientific meeting of the Chemical ty: to be held on Thursday, June 6, Dr. Horace T. n will deliver a lecture entitled ‘‘The Principles : Their Analogies and Applications.” eis LuV RSS ES. i R-has been; awarded the: medal’ of Chemical Industry in recognition of © comspicuous services which, by his research: work _ in; both. pure and applied. science; he has rendered» to ~ chemical. industry. [ E. seventieth annual general’ meeting of the rsetshire Archzological and Natural History -Municipal: Hall, Taunton, uly. 23, under the presidency of Prot. l, who will deliver a. short address nara an eed 72> . nerset;’ : 5 / Phe ighth: geophysical discussion arranged by the jociation- Geophysical Committee will be held byal Astronomical Society on Wednesday, + the Navy, in the chair. The subject. will » “The Tidés,” and the opener wil! be Prof.. H. amb, who will be followed by Prof. Love, Mr. Proud- of, the. Institution: of! Electrical: Engineers: have been » the ensuing: year:—Presidént:' Mr. C: H. ore __VicesPresidents:' Mt. W. A: Chamen, Mr. R, A.. Chattock: Hon: Treasurer: Mr. J. E. Kin Ordinary: Members) of Council: H:. W.. Clothiers, Mr: D) N. Dunlop; Sir R ‘ Hadfield,. Bart:, Prof: E. W. Marchant, Mfr. C. C: _ Paterson, and. Mr. J. Sayers: Tue officers of the Linnean Society elected. for: the ensuing year. are:—President: Sir David' Prain. Treasurer: Mr. H. W. Monckton. Secretaries: Dr. NO. 2535, VOL. 101} ee ae ‘immediately: they have been baked; this: + them er. of. the. Roman, Empire as- Seen. -m., Rear-Admiral' J. F) Parry, Hydro- officers:and new members of comune : Mr. B. Daydon Jackson, Mr. E. S: Goodrich, Dr. A. B. Rendle. The new members of: council are :—Mr. S. Edwards, Prof. J. B. Karmer,. Mr. C. GC. Laecaita, Mr. R. Innes Pocock, and.Miss. A: Lorrain Smith. Tue British Medical Journal announces the death on March 3, at sixty-six years of age, of Prof. C. Blarez, professor of chemistry in the University of Bordeaux. We learn that Prof. Blarez published more. than two hundred memoirs on pure or applied’ chemistry, and was the author of a course of organic chemistry in three volumes, and of -monographs on_ ‘the urine and on milk. His last publication was a treatise on wines and spirits embodying the results of forty years’ work. A STRONG earthquake visited La Serena, the capital of the province of Coquimbo, in Chile, at 1 p.m: om May 20, but: the damage to the town seems, according to the telegram of the Times correspondent, to have resulted’ from fires: rather than from the shock itself: The disturbed area was of considerable extent, the shock being felt’ at Valparaiso, about 210 miles, and Santiago, about 2 and most unfavourable. The winter ice in Spitsbergen fjords broke up a month later. than usual, and the autumn ice formed several weeks ahead of the average date. There was pack-ice off the west coast of Spits- bergen throughout the summer months. The coast “was most approachable during the first half of August and the second half of September. Throughout the summer it seems, as usual, to have been easier to enter King’s Bay than fjords further south, but until late in | July the pack on the west coast of Spitsbergen more or. less met the pack of the Greenland Sea, and on this account it was not easy to reach the open water north of Prince Charles Foreland. Storfjord seems to — have been clear of ice in September, and possibly in August. Reports from ithe Kara Sea are scanty, but ‘the ice conditions there seem to have been bad. No vessel attempted to make the passage in 1917, © 2 than. those © Some. explorations in the previously ‘little-known x Tibetsi highlands of the Sahara by Col. Jean Tilho are summarised in an article in La Géographie, vol. xxxi., Nos. 6-8. The explorations were part of a long series of journeys between Lake Chad and the Anglo-Egyptian — Sudan . undertaken in the. years 1912-17. Col. Tilho has established that the Tibetsi highlands are not a single range lying north-west and south-east, but con- sist of four, or perhaps five, ranges radiating between west-north-west and north-east from the Koussi massif. In this massif is the extinct volcano of Emi-Koussi, which rises to a height of 11,155 ft. above sea-level, and marks the summit of the Tibetsi highlands. Emi- 'Koussi has an enormous crater, eight miles long and about five miles brcad, within which are several secondary. craters, of which Era Kohor has a diameter of about two miles. In the bottom of this crater is a deposit of sodium carbonate covering about 100 acres and at least 4 ft. in depth. There is clear evidence of the former existence of a lake, but there is now no water. Among otner interesting results, Col. Tilho claims to have established definitely that there was never any connection between Lake Chad and the Nile. Material has been obtained in most of the region traversed for a new map, which has been drawn on a scale of 1 to 1,000,000. No map accompanies the article. . sae “May 30, 1918 | NATURE 251 report on rainfall registration in 1916 in Mysore just reached us. It includés maps showing the tual rainfall for the year 1916, and the average nnual rainfall for the period 1870-1915. On June 25, ‘916, more than 16 in. of rain fell during twenty-four hours at Nagar in the Shimoga district; the total rainfall at that place during June was 38 in., nearly 50 per cent. above the normal, although the total fall ed esastet practically normal at 104 in. The rains during” ber and November, 1916, were above the mal on account of an exceptional number of cyclonic ‘storms, which originated in the Bay of Bengal. The _fains were on the whole but half of the normal during _ the cool-weather period, January and February, and _also during March, the beginning of the hot-weather period. The deficiency was more than made up during _ the rest of the year, especially in the north-east mon- soon period from October to the end of the year. The tables occupy fifty-eight pages, and give the details the 224 stations under various heads; a notable 3. that which gives the distribution in the river _ WEATHER-CONTROLS over the fighting in Meso- _ potamia, in Palestine, and near the Suez Canal is the subject of an article by Prof. Robert DeC. Ward, of Harvard University, in the Scientific Monthly (April). se summer-heat, of deserts and steppes, of ‘ mild winter, and of cold-season rains.”” The nm temperature at Bagdad for January is given as 487° F., and for August 92-5°; the mean maximum is 119-5°, and the mean minimum 21-9°, which are the mean extremes in the year. Winter frosts occur and snow falls locally. The total mean annual rainfall is only about 8 in. or 9 in., and in some years only about half as much. The rain falls between October and May, and the remaining months are practically ess. February or March is the rainiest month, and the floods come in March and April. The climate alestine has been discussed by Exner and Hann, an midwinter temperature of between 50° ., and mean midsummer temperature of 75° ©. The hill stations, at elevations of about . to 3000 ft., have mean midwinter tempera- s° to 50°, and midsummer means from under 80°. range from 55° in midwinter to 85° or mer. Jerusalem averages 3-6 days a erature below freezing, and the highest atures réach 100° to 105°. The annual _ that winter is the best season for a campaign, both on account of the better water supply and of the lower _ temperature. _A PRELIMINARY report on the mineral production of Canada during the year 1917 has been issued by the Canadian of Hines. Although the total value of this production shows an increase over that for the previous year to the extent of 8°9 per cent., this is due almost entirely to increased values of the products, the quantities showing actual decreases in _ manycases. Thus the coal output, a little above 14 mil- _ lion tons, shows a decrease of 3°2 per cent.; the pro- _ duction of copper shows a decrease of 7°08 per cent., _ Of lead of 22°71 per-cent., of silver of 13 per cent., NO. 2535, VOL. 101 | is characterised as ‘‘a country of aridity, - the article quotes various data. The coast stations In the Jordan valley the’ and of gold of 19°68 per cent. On the other hand, the - production of zinc increased by 33°5 per~cent., and that of cobalt by 29°62 per cent. There were trifling increases in the production of nickel and of pig-iron, though in the latter case this was due entirely to the production. of iron in the electric furnace; further- - more, the pig-iron produced from Canadian ores showed a heavy decline, more imported: ore having _ been smelted in 1917 than in 1916; a large proportion of the latter consists of Wabana ore from Newfound- land. Upon the whole, it may fairly be said that the mineral industry of Canada is holding. its own reason- ably well under the severe stress of war conditions. In the Elektrotechnische Rundschau for Septem- ber 26, 1917, a writer directs special attention to the process of steel hardening by. air-blast, owing to shortage of oils in Germany. The hot tool is placed in an attachment capable of rotating freely. It is then exposed to the cold blast forced through a number of tubes in such a way as to rotate the tool. Drills, turning-tools, and other simple pieces may be cooled in the blast from a fan. _ ACCELERATION in the deposition of metallic deposits may be obtained by suitable electrolytes, stirring the bath, and applying high temperatures. In this way it has been possible (according to Elektrotechnik und Maschinenbau, October 14, 1917) to produce cobalt deposits in three to five minutes with a current density of 29 amps. per dm.? A nickel deposit that previously required 13 hours can now be made in five minutes by using a solution of 220 grams_nickel-sulphate, 21 grams nickel-chloride, and 21 grams boracic acid to one litre of water at 70° C., and using a current density of fram 25 to 39 amps. per sq. dm. The action of high temperatures is said to bring about an increase of concentration of the ions. The method is not of universal application, as all solutions do not allow high temperatures to be used. K. H. Giipner, in the Zeitschrift des Vereines deutscher Ingenieure for August 11 and 18, 1917, describes some investigations which he has carried out to determine the lateral deviation of projectiles caused by the spin imparted to them by the rifling of a trench-mortar. The trench-mortar provides a suitable means of carrying out such tests, as the motion of the projectile may be followed by the eye. Rifling with a right-handed twist may cause constant lateral deviation both to the right and left. Right or left deviation is the result of right or left precession, and is visible to. the naked eye. Left precession with rifling having a right-handed twist can occur only after the maximum height of the trajectory has been passed if the centre of action of the air-resistance lies behind the centre of gravity of the shell. The precession on the ascending part of the trajectory is always greater than in the descending part. Tue making of accurate screw gauges presents con- siderable difficulties, as is well known to those who undertook to manufacture these appliances for the Ministry of Munitions. A lathe having many novel features has been designed and made at the request of the Ministry by Messrs. Bryant, Symons, and Co.. 320 St. John Street, London, E.C.1, and is described . in Engineering for May 24. Both centres are dead centres, thus ensuring that work shall be round and not slightly elliptical. The effective pitch of the lead screw can be varied at will, so that it can produce a thread of slightly greater or smaller pitch than the standard; in this way shrinkage during hardening can be provided for in advance. The lead screws of all these lathes are tested’ separately, and a correction bar 252 NATURE | May 30, 1918 is fitted. to compensate: for: local: errors in: each lead screw. Each: tool, when sold; is: accompanied! by a certificate fromothe National Physical Laboratory ‘as to its. performance, and) the: certificate: gives the errors: foundsin.a screw 8:in: long actually cut i the machine. The: design: of: the machine; so far:as. can be deter- mined from the drawings and) photographs given in the article, is excellent, and: the lathe should: form:a valuable addition to the equipment of gauge shops. Tue May issue of the Transactions of the Optical Society is devoted almost: entirely to papers on the methods of’ design of telescopic objectives. Mr. P. F. Everitt'sets out clearly in order of importance the six conditions which. it is desirable that an _ objective, so far: as is practicable, should fulfil. He then shows: how, by the help of tables such.as those of Smith and Cheshire, the’ approximate radii of the surfaces of the objective are found, and corrected by tracing. the paths of an axial’ and an edge ray through the -system. Mr. T. Smith gives an account of. the methods in ase at the National Physical Laboratory which have furnished’ the tables just mentioned, and Mr. S. D. Chalmers gives an alternative method of making the calculation. In, the discussion. of. the three. papers Prof. Cheshire emphasised the import- ance of accurate computation of the properties of. an, objective before the manufacturer put tool. to: glass. We cannot; in. modern times wait for a sample to be. made and _ tested: before producing instruments. in. quantity.. Mr. Conrady and. Mr. Hasselkus. con. tended that an objective should be designed to. com- pensate the errors of the. common. eye-pieces,. while- Mr. Everitt declined to saddle the objective with this task. Mr. G.. TURNBULL read. a. paper> to ilge Institution of Electrical. Engineers. on May g: in which: he: urged. the: necessity of: having a ‘‘ national: proving house.” for testing: British: engineering apparatus: andi materials. Although most of> the speakers. agreed with Mr. Turnbull, no one advanced any real proof that there was any urgent necessity. for: a. commercial laboratory of this‘ kind. We are not aware that: there is. any appreciable quantity. of inferior apparatus: or. shoddy: electrical materials: in the market. The presi-- dent; Mr. C. H. Wordingham, in opening: the dis-. - cussion; gave a summary of a. report of’ the- com: mittee of the council’ which had been: considering: the subject: He began by saying that the proving: house would not enter into competition: with: existing institutions, but it! will! be difficult: to avoid: doing: sov. It will be remembered’ that) when the National) Physical’ Laboratory. was started this: consideration’ caused 'considérable friction. As‘a proving house: will: have: to» be largely, if’ not’ altogether, self-supporting; little research work can be: undertaken. Sir Richard) Glazebrook welcomed’ the suggestion that: the: proving house should work in: conjunction with the National: Physical Laboratory. The experience of: the working: of the National Board of Fire Underwriters of the U:S:A:, which has. what is practically an electrical proving house, shows, however, that the: main problems it~ is forced’ to consider are political; com- mercial; and’ international rather than _— scientific. Hence: it'- may be advisable to leave the problems of ee British“ national ‘proving ‘house to the engineers’ and ‘ manufacturers’' associations, as-they are free to«déal. with such questions. Unless a much stronger case can be made out for it; the: whole. proposal will probably falf’ through. In the Kjeldahl method. for the estimation. of nitrogen in. organic. compotinds. the substance. is usually—in: fact, almost invariably—digested with. the: sulphuric. acid until_a. clear, transparent liquid.is ob- tained. With some substances, e.g. indiarubber, a NO. 2535, VOL. 101| very prolonged period. of: digestion is: thereby. rendered necessary. Mr. (Journal: of the Manihot: rubber,. it. was. found tha 94 per cent. of the nitrogen was: converted into. am=_— Matthew Howie: finds,. howevaie: Society of Chemical Industry; March: 30), that the-whole of. the: nitrogen: presenti int — rubber, iss converted into: ammonia in less: time: than: — is required to effect: the complete dissolution: of: the: — substance. Using samples: of: plantation: sheet and: of : t: 80. pers centz. tov monia after one hour’s digestion, whilst:three toyfour: hours’ digestion gave as: high.a nitrogen value: as: the: six hours necessary for. complete: clarification” of» the- solution. . highly, resistant nitrogenous. substances the trier estimation might be similarly shortened. = mr: 9 ie * a - r - OUR ASTRONOMICAL. COLUMN. a May Metreors.—Between- May 17 and 24 m have occasionally been abundant and given evider seyeral well-defined showers. Whether or not thi is worthy of special note cannot be absolutely affirmed, though the evidence strongly suggests. that it. needs — further investigation. This year some fine met .. were observed.at Bristol on the mornings. of M: 18> and 19,,and proved :that several of the various pees: which mark.this. epoch returned with tolerable streng! In 1866, May. 18,. several of. the nasen ane ™ Royal Observatory, Greenwich, remarked; a prevalence of. bright meteors,. and Mr. on projecting. the roughly ‘observed pate t the radiant was. placed at. 247°+.32° near {, Hercu Se. This shower was observed at. Bristol; in 1903), 1 and a few, other years, and: from a al inves tion of all the meteor. tracks- recorded: at the Jatter: station. since 1875. during. the period Mags: 17 following. radiants: seem well debned pe ee ee a ES aight ean u 194+57. " 245 +62. 280 —13, tee 223441... 248 +29 280 4.316 oo 3I6SES o 227—.6. 254-21 290-+60. "331450. tit: - 230+33 263 +37. 291+52) naga ito i 231M; 27, 270+-47 294t.0: 334458 — 241+ 48 273 +22: 31i+80'.) 354+40) Many periods: of the year appear to‘ be raacitawoas worthy’ for the large: number of’ streams” a than) ye! for the special'richness of ome or'two: 8 Distance OF THE PLEIADES.—Prof. W. H: P: has made a further application of the st method to. the. determination of the aA Pleiades. (Harvard. Circular, No. 2 pores magnitudes. were calculated by Russ¢ 4 formula M=0:-6+2:1(T—2), where. M. is. the. cua ‘ tude and T the type of species counting B. as” A as 2, Fas 3,,G as 4, and Kas 5. _ rate aot d stars. considered range in type from B5. to Ag. sant omitting, the six. brightest stars* as, ad ‘super-giants,’’ the average- difference — ty parent and absolute magnitudes is 6:46. This. Iss yeaa sponds with a distatice of 201 parsecs, or 656. ight- years, the parallax being 0-0050’+0- -0008". t hus. appears that the Pleiades are about five ‘times: : as remote’ as. the Hyades,. while the: distance between the two: farthest. apart of: the bright stars (63/): is: 12. light-years.. The brightness of; Aleyone: is: ist enti~s mated: to. be: 2100 times, that of the: sun, while- the other: five: bright stars: average about, 860) sane as. bright: as- ther sun.. By-thesame-method Prof: Fe finds 301. light. years, or-a parallax of: 0:0109" + 0:00 for. shies a Berenices ‘cluster THE Gritiraosogeie BINARY 42 CaPRIconNt.— The variable radial velocity of this star was shown in’ It is possible that im the case of other- NATURE 233 3 May 30; 1918] © 3 notographs taken by Dr, Lunt. at the Cape Ob- atory in October of last year, and data for the itation of a provisional orbit were provided by en plates taken later (Astrophysical, Journal, xivii., p. 134). The. magnitude of the star is , and the spectrum of type K. The semi-ampli- of the velocity curve is 22:75. km./sec., and. the pproaching with a velocity of 3-0 km./sec. . the sun, or receding at 7:3 km./sec. when ponent of the:solari motion is eliminated. The of the later types aries G,. K, and. M having s than twenty days. ~TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE _ OF JUNE 8,, 1018. pse Number” of Popular Astronomy i, No. 5; May) gives special prominence ‘articles on the approaching total eclipse sible in the: United States: Prof. H. C. ‘a general account of eclipse phenomena the: earth:in the Pacific south of. astronomers: for, observing the eclipse: The u e: about 500. miles south of the Alaskan ig: 152° W.; omits landward course it “the western.coast of: Washington: by way dually diminishing from: 121: to 50 sec. é number of. American astronomers: are occupied. with war-work to undertake ob- , but. several well-equipped parties. will tations along the track.. Ample provision wwe been made: for: direct photographs. of: rvations,,and-some of the observers the- deflection of rays of light. from the Mt. Wilson. Observatory, and. determine the. rotation of the corona nts.of the green coronal: line, besides: fraphs. for studies of the. chromo- at. different levels.. Prof. Campbell's. - Somewhat restricted by the delay in the instruments. employed: by him. in but some- instruments. are available. addition to. many other. observations, Ww to-extend the spectroscopic. observations- into the extreme red-by the use of plates :stained with. dieyanin: Profs.. Frost. and Barnard have also. pre- pared; an, extensive programme of photographs. of. the corona and its. spectrum. at Green River, Wyoming: In @ separate article Prof. Frost. directs attention. to. the valuable observations of the chromospheric spec- _ trum which are possible at places within 200 miles of, meal Steet Sows - On. account. of. the war, it is. not. expected. that _ there will’ be any ions from foreign countries _ to observe this eclipse. a NO. 2535, VOL. 101 | ial interest, inasmuch. as: the period: is. $, whereas. Campbell found: no spectro-. reumstances: of the eclipse of June 8, to. ded a series of letters:indicating the plans. ss) north-westward, and_ reaches: its: to Florida,. the duration: of: totality’on the: Jarge and small scales, as well. as: for: l. efforts. io. obtain. photographs: suit-. sun which is predicted by, Einstein's, vity. Prof. Hale: will be in Wyoming. the eclipse track, asi indicated. by Newall and, Fowler:| DIURNAL VARIATION OF ATMOSPHERIC ; PRESSURE. sins effect. of geographical latitude dn the semi- diurnal: wave: of. atmospheric pressure is fairly, regular and well. marked; but the variation of. the diurnal wave has attracted less attention: since. Angot: in 1887, and also Hann, showed conclusively its de-. pendence» on. secondary local conditions: Three Japanese investigators. from the Geophysical, Seminary: ofthe Physical: Institute, Tokyo, contribute an account * of:a preliminary attempt to trace more detinitely the mechanism of these local influences, one of the: most. obvious ef which; under the name of “ continentality,"’ has. recently, been: attracting the attention. of _ Mr. C. E: P.. Brooks in this country in. connection with climate, and) with a purely. geographical: theory- of- the Iceoagey The elementary definition of continentality as. the percentage of land in a circle of definite size (say 10° radius) surrounding the station is clearly insufficient, so muclt depending upon the orientation’ and shape of the coast line or lines that the form of the function is bound; to be: complicated.. The: Japanese authors, soon come. to the conclusion: that it is not linear, and are constrained to make a series of simplifying assump- tions im order: to. reach a workable hypothesis. The assumptions: are no) more: probable than those of. the early days of.the theory of tides, with which: the pre- sent problem: has. obvious ae With: these limitations the authors: appear to account for such features-as: the variation with: longitude, the inversion: of phase: near the poles, and. the: minimum: amplitude near the coast, but-a general solution of the problem has: evidently not yet. been reached. They the investigation, and: conclude: with. a: representative set: of: daily» variation curves, for ten, British- observa- tories, showing considerable. dissimilarity, those. of}! Oxford and: Aberdeen, for instance, being--almosti the: converse of:each other. A systematic series of stations within: the. Empire, chosen with special reference. to: of the programme: of: co-ordinated: British Empire meteorology so strongly advocated by Major» Lyons: in his presidential address: to the Royal Meteorological Society. The barometric. variations: dealt; with: above’ paper, as generally studied, are natur- ally to. be» regarded as: vertical oscillations. of the free- atmosphere, though; there is a pos+ sible difficulty. in the differentiation between: statical: and dynamical pressure, wheman ascending: or descend- ing current is:in. question. But. there: is also: a very in: the _| decided horizontal: oscillation or: motion of* the .free atmosphere, and: this: has begum to. attract attention since thecuse of pilot balloons has: providéd more ins. ‘| formatiom about the direction of> the wind: at: different: heights than:can-be inferred fromthe motion’ of clouds. A paper from Batavia? has appeared:in the Proceedings of the Royal: Academy: of Amsterdam: dealing with the semi-diurnal variation: of: this motion. There is a. good:deal of! uncertainty about the inves« tigation, even im a favourable place like Batavia, where atmospheric conditions: areas' a rule very’ quiét- and- steady.. Observations: were made not only at Batavia, but also; at: a) neighbouring: mountain: station’ of 3000 metres-elevation, as: well as ffom a:small coral island, to’ eliminate the landseffect: Single observations are 1 On. Diumnal Variation of Rarometric Pressure.” By T. Teraday. M. Kiuti, and J. Tukamoto. Journal of the College of Science, Imperial he WN Pokyo, vol. xli., art: r (November 20, 1927). orizontal Oscillation. of the Free, Atmosphere up . Sea-level Deduced from Pilot-Balloon Observations at Batavia."”. By W. van-Bemmelen Tr Boerema. Proceeditigs' Royal Acad; Amsterdam, vols xx., pp. 119-35-++plate. indicate the lines on which: they propose: to continue: the elucidation: of this problem, may: well form part. ‘ 254 NATURE included, especially at times of the day when convection currents are not in evidence in the lower atmosphere, otherwise double observations by day and by night were obtained with different base-lines of approximately half a mile, one mile, and one and a half miles in length. Some hundreds of ‘ascents were observed, of which a fair proportion reached a height between 9 and 11 km., only 30 per cent. failing to reach the 4-km. level. The data are admittedly insufficient to determine a diurnal oscillation, but Dr. van Bemmelen is fairly satisfied with the result for the semi-diurnal one. The east and north components are treated separately, and it is found that the former has a greater amplitude than the latter, and also a better determined phase. Gold’s theoretical results for the lower layers are con- firmed (Phil. Mag., vol. xix.):; The phase ofthe east component. diminishes up to 4 km., and probably in- creases above that height, showing a fairly close analogy with the vertical oscillations. W. W. RECONSTRUCTION IN FRANCE. q Re issue of the Revue Scientifique for April 13 contains evidence that our French neighbours are discussing the problems of reconstruction on much the same lines as we are. In an article on agriculture in 1917, M. Albin Haller, president of the Académie d’Agri- culture, deals with the present effects of the war on agriculture and the outlook after the war, particularly in regard to the supply of artificial manures. He points out that war conditions have led to a diversion of the supply of nitrogenous manures to the manu- facture of explosives, and that after the war it will be necessary ito make up for the lost fertility of the soil by State efforts in the direction of stimulating the home supply of nitrogenous fertilisers from such sources as the by-products of gas- and coke-making, or even from special plants devoted to nitrogen fixation. In regard to the latter, he rightly points out that the feasibility may depend upon the harnessing of the waterfalls of the country—a point that we might well’ take to heart when we consider the immense possibili- ties of the Highlands of Scotland in this direction. M. “Haller also- throws out suggestions in regard to the future supply of phosphatic fertilisers, again touch- ing a problem which is engaging attention here. The fact that the State now controls the production of sulphuric acid, and that, owing to its command over Australian zine ‘‘ concentrates,’”’ it may be able to market the acid as a waste product, inevitably suggests State enterprise in the future production of fertilisers as an adjunct to its food-production campaign. An article in the same issue by M._ Brucker, Principal of the Lycée de Cherbourg, entitled ‘““L’Education de l’esprit scientifique,’ may be paral- leled by the Report of the Committee appointed by the Prime Minister to inquire into the position of natural science in the educational system of Great Britain. It is perhaps characteristic of the two nations that, whereas the former is largely de- voted to a discussion of the abstract and logical principles of scientific education—whether, for example, the methods should be synthetic or analytic—the latter concerns itself: largely with the concrete problems of curricula, supply and training of teachers, etc. One rarely reads the writings of an educated Frenchman without having some cause to envy his possession of a language which is such an elegant vehicle for the picturesque, and, at the same time, precise expression of ideas. Such an instance can (be cited in M.- Brucker’s characterisation of scientific definition as “une lutte contre le psittacisme,”’ or, when quoting another writer, he speaks of ‘‘ battant la paille des mots pour en faire tomber le grain des choses.’” May we com- mend the latter operation to our politicians ? B. NO. 2535, VOL. I0T] RADIATION AND ‘Tl. cular theory out of which Einstein got his equation seems to be wholly untenable, and has, in fact, been pretty generally abandoned, though Sir J. J. Thomson 2 and a tew others* seem still: to adhere to some form of zther-string theory—that is, to some form of theory in which the energy remains localised in space instead of spreading over the entire wave front. Boas Two very potent objections, however, may be urged -against all forms of zther-string theory, of which kin- stein’s is a particular modification. ‘Vhe first, is that no one has ever yet been able to show that such a theory can predict any one of the facts of interference. The second is that there is direct positive evidence against the view that the zther possesses a fibrous structure. For if a static electrical field has a fibrous structure, .as postulated by any form of zether-string theory, “‘each unit of positive electricity being the THE ELECTRON origin, and each unit of negative electricity the termina- tion, of a Faraday tube,’ * then the force acting on one single electron between the plates of an air condenser cannot possibly vary difference between the plates. Now in the oil-drop ex-. periments (Phys. Rev., vol. ii.[1913], p. 109) we actually study the behaviour in such an electric field of one single, isolated electron, and we find, over the widest limits, exact proportionality between the field strength and the force acting on the electron as measured by the velocity with which the oil drop to which it is attached is dragged through the air. eae When we maintain the field constant and vary th charge on the drop, the granular structure of elec- tricity is proved by the discontinuous changes in the velocity, but when we maintain the charge constant and vary the field the lack of discontinuous change in the velocity disproves the contention of a fibrous struc- ture in the field, unless the assumption be made that there are an enormous number of ether strings ending in one electron. virtue out of an zther-string theory. i Despite, then, the apparently complete success of the Einstein equation, the physical theory of which it was designed to be the symbolic expression is found so un- tenable that Einstein himself, I believe, no longer holds — to it, and we are in the position of having built a very perfect structure and then knocked out entirely the — underpinning without causing the building to fall. It stands complete and apparently well tested, but without any visible means of support. These supports must obviously exist, and the most fascinating problem of modern physics is to find them. - Experiment has out- run theory, or, better, guided by erroneous theory, it has discovered relationships which seem to be of the greatest interest and importance, but the reasons for them are as yet not at all understood. = —— os continuously with the potential | Such an assumption takes all the It is possible, however, to go a certain distance to- — wards a solution and to indicate some conditions which _ must be satisfied by the solution when it is found. For the energy hv with which the electron is found by ex- periment to escape from the atom must have come either from the energy stored up inside the atom or else from the light. There is no third possibility. 1 Address to the Section of Physics and Chemistry of the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, on January 4, 1917, by Prof. R. A. Millikan, pro- -fessor of physics in the University of Chicago. The substance of this lecture has since been incorporated into a book recently issued by the University of Chicago Press, entitled ‘‘ The Electron.” Continued from p. 237. i 2 Proc. Phys. Soc. of London, vol. xxvii. (December 15, 1914), p- 105. 3 “ Modern Electrical Theory” (Cambridge University Press, p. 248. F 4 J. J. Thomson, *‘ Electricity and Matter,” p. 9. 1913) 1 Bs spite of the credentials which have just been pre- - __ sented for Einstein’s equation, we are confronted — with the extraordinary situation that the semi-corpus- — NATURE 1255 Now the fact that the energy of emission is the same, ether the body from which it is emitted is eld within an inch of the source, where the light is very intense, or a mile away, where it is very weak, would seem to indicate that the light simply pulls a trigger in the atom, which itself furnishes ali tne energy which the electron escapes, as was originally gested by Lenard in 1902 (Ann. d. Phys. {4}, vol. , [igo2], p. 149), or else, if the light furnishes the sy, that light itself must consist of bundles of rgy which keep together as they travel through ace, as suggested in.the Thomson-Kinstein theory. Yet the fact that the energy of emission is directly oportional to the frequency v of the incident light Lenard’s form of trigger theory, since, if the om furnishes the energy, it ought to make no differ- ence what kind of wave-length pulls the trigger, while it to make a difference what kind of gun—that kind of atom—is shot off. But both stations are the exact opposite of the observed The energy of the escaping corpuscle must m, in some way or other, from the incident n, however, we attempt to compute on the basis preading-wave theory how much energy a cor- = can receive from a given source of light, we find ficult to find anything more than a very minute 1 of the amount which the corpuscle actually s, the total luminous energy falling per second n A to oa 1. 7 < 3 4 = : from a from a standard candle on a square centimetre at a ‘distance of 3 m. is 1 erg.’ Hence the amount falling er second on a body of the size of an atom, i.e. of ss-section 1o-** cm., is 10~'* ergs, but the energy hv a corpuscle is ejected by light of wave- 90 wu (millionths millimetre) is 4x 10-' ergs, mes as much. Since not a third of the inci- Sy is in wave-lengths shorter than 500 mp, a ‘of sodium or lithium which is sensitive up to should require, even if all this energy were in -le i—which it is not—at least 12,000 ‘four hours, of illumination by a candle 3 m. e any of its atoms could have received, all 1 energy to discharge a corpuscle. Yet the observed to shoot out the instant the light n. It is true that Lord Rayleigh has re- m (Phil. Mag., vol. xxxii. figtel, p. 188) atom may conceivably absorb wave-energy the order of magnitude of the square of the incident light rather than of wn cross-section. This in no way , the cogency of the type of argument i, for it is only necessary to apply the same analysis to the case of y rays, the wave-length 1 is of the order of magnitude of an atomic . cm.), and the difficulty is found still ed. Thus Rutherford® estimates that he t ray energy radiated per second by one zram of radium cannot possibly be more than 4-7 x 1o* ergs. Hence at a distance of 100 m., where the y rays from a gram of radium would be easily detectable, thetotal y-ray energy falling per second on a square millimetre of pall ty the eect which is ten-thousand billion _ times greater than that either of an atom or of a disc the radius of which is a wave-length, would be 4-7 x 10+ 47 x 101°=4x 10-" ergs. This is very close to the energy with which 8 rays are actually observed to be ejected by these y rays, the velocity of ejection being about nine-tenths that of-light. Although, then, it should take ten thousand billion seconds for the atom to gather in this much energy from the y rays, on the basis of classical theorv the f ray is observed to be 5 Drude, “ Lehrbuch der Optik ” (1906), p. 472. 6 ‘* Radioactive Substances and their Radiations,” p. 288. NO. 2535, VOL. 101 | ejected with this energy as soon as the-radium. is put in place. This shows that if we are going to abandon the Thomson-Einstein hypothesis of localised energy, which is, of course, competent to satisfy these energy relations, there is no alternative but to assume that at some previous time the corpuscle had absorbed and stored up from light of this or other wave-length enough energy so that it needed only a minute addition at the time of the experiment to be able to be ejected from the atom with the energy hv. Now the corpuscle which is thus ejected by the light cannot possibly be one of the free corpuscles of the metal, for such a corpuscle, when set in motion within a metal, constitutes an electric current, and we know that such a current at once dissipates its energy into heat. In other words, a free corpuscle can have no mechanism for storing up energy and then jerking itself up “by its boot straps” until it has the huge speed of emission observed. The ejected corpuscle must then have come from the inside of the atom, in which case it is necessary to assume, if the Thomson-Einstein theory is rejected, that within the atom there exists some mechanism which will permit a corpuscle continually to absorb and load itself up with energy of a given frequency until a value at least as large as hv is reached. What sort of a mechanism this is we have at present no idea. Further, if the absorption is due to resonancé—and we have as yet no other way in. which to conceive it—it is difficult to see how there can be, in the atoms of a solid body, corpuscles having all kinds of natural fre- quencies so that some are always found to absorb and ultimately to be rejected by impressed light of any par- ticular frequency. But apart from these difficulties, the thing itself is impossible if these absorbing corpuscles, when not exposed to radiation, are emitting any energy at all; for if they did so, they would in time lose all their store, and we should be able, by keeping bodies in the dark, -to put them into a condition in which they should show no, emission of corpuscles whatever until after hours, or years, of illumination with a given wave-length. Since this is contrary to experiment, we are forced, even when we discard the Thomson-Einstein theory of localised energy, to postulate electronic ab- sotbers which, during the process of absorbing, do not radiate at all until the absorbed energy has reached a certain critical value when explosive emission occurs. However, then, we may interpret the phenomenon of the emission of corpuscles under the influence of zther waves, whether upon the basis of the Thomson- Einstein assumption of bundles of localised energy travelling through the ether, or upon the basis of a peculiar property of the inside of an atom which enables it to absorb continuously incident energy and emit only explosively, the observed characteristics of the effect seem to furnish proof that the emission of energy by an atom is a discontinuous or explosive pru- cess. This was the fundamental assumption of Planck’s so-called quantum theory of radiation. The Thomson-Einstein theory makes both the absorption and the emission sudden or explosive, while the loading theory, first suggested by Planck, though from another viewpoint, makes the absorption continuous and only the emission explosive. The h determined above with not more than one- half of 1 per cent. of uncertainty is the explosive con- stant, i.e. it is the unchanging ratio between the energy of emission and the freqiiency of the incident light. It is a constant the existence of which was first discovered by Planck by an analysis of the facts of black- body radiation, though the physical assumptions under- lying Planck’s analysis do not seem to be tenable any longer. For the American physicists Duane and Hunt (Phys. Rev., vol. vi. [1915], p. 166) and Hull (ibid., 256 NATURE. vol. ‘vii. [1916], p 157). have recently shown that the same quantity h appears in connection with the impact of corpuscles against any kind of target, the observa- tion -=here being that the highest frequency in the general or white-light X-radiation emitted when cor- puscles impinge upon a target is found by dividing the kinetic energy of the impinging corpuscle by h. Since ‘Emission of Ws Fic. 6.—Absorption of certain substances. in region of K-radiations. black-body radiation is presumably due to the impact of the free corpuscles within a metal upon the.atoms, it is probable that the appearance of h in black-body radiation and in general X-radiation is due .to the same cause, so that, contrary to Planck’s assumption, there need not be, in either of these cases, any coin- cidence between natural and impressed .periods .at .all. The -hv which here appears is not a. characteristic of the atom, but .merely a ; property of the zether pulse . ggseapescs ene reggoms HA 3 generated a the miss tonas Wand stopping of a moving elec- {ff sorption AB ee Why this ae pulse i Ab ae e should ,be resolvable .into | pes a continuous or white-light : spectrum, which, however, ES has the peculiar property of ey being chopped off sharply at a particular limiting fre- quency given by hv=PD xe is thus far a complete mys- tery. . All that we can say is that experiment seems to demand a sufficient modi- fication of the zther-pulse theory of white-light and of general X-radiation to take this experimental fact into account. On the other hand, the ap- pearance of h in connection with the absorption and emission of monochromatic light (photo-electric effect and ‘Bohr atom) seems to demand some hitherto unkn>wn type of absorbing and emitting mechanism within the atom, This demand is strikingly emphasised by the remarkable absorbing property of matter for X-rays discovered by Barkla (Phil. Mag., vol. xvii. [1909], p. 749) and beautifully NO. 2535, VOL. 101] Pen oe exhibited in De Breglie’s photographs here shown : It will be seen from these photo- — (Figs. 6 and 7).’ [May 30, 1918 — graphs that the atoms of each particular substance — transmit the general X-radiation up to a certain critical frequency and then absorb all radiations of higher fre— quency than this critical value. The extraordinary significance of this discovery lies'in ‘the fact that it — indicates ‘that there is ‘a type of absorption which is not due either to resonance or to free electrons. But these are the only types of ‘absorption which are recog- nised in the structure of modern optics. . We have as yet no way of conceiv- ing of this new type of absorption in terms of .a -mechanical model, — <} There is one result, however, which ‘seems to be definitely -established by all this experimental “work. Whether the radia- tion is produced by the stopping of a_ free elec- tron asin ‘Duane, and ‘Hunt’s experiment, and Borium Ne6 es tum Ne _ presumably also in black- “mi cc tet.«. i body’ experiments, or Db g__Nbsorftron poe ..the 7 beer pea py Mercury N80 sion of energy by bound “Sil ea aga, «SC electrons,. as sin -photo- - electric and spectroscopic be always \tied up in some -way with the emission and:absorption of energy by the — electron. .h may, therefore, be considered as one of the properties of the electron. : The new .facts:in the field .of radiation which have -been discovered through the study of the properties of the electron seem, then, to require in any ‘case a fundamental revision or extension of classical theories of absorption and emission :of radiant energy. The Fic. 7.—Absorption of uranium and thorium in region of L-radiations, Thomson-Einstein theory throws the whole burden of accounting for the new facts upon the unknown nature of the wzther and makes radical assumptions about its: structure. 7 These photographs will he found also in the August, 19t7, number of the % Physical Review (see presidential address of the presidentof the Physical. Society). : } ; work, Planck’s h seems to- The loading theory ‘leaves the ather as it . eee May 30, 1918] NATURE 257 a was and puts the burden of: an explanation upon the _ unknown conditions and laws. which exist inside the atom. I have already given reasons for discrediting the first type of theory. The second type, though as _ yet very incomplete, seems to me to be the only possible _ one, and it has- already met with some notable. suc- , as inthe case of the Bohr atom. Yet the “is at present woefully incomplete. and hazy. “all that we can say. now is. that we seem to be by newly discovered relations in the field of nm either to the Thomson-Einstein semi-corpus- ory, or else to a theory which is equally ive of the established order of things in physics. er one of these alternatives brings us. to a mary’ quantum theory of radiation—that ty which calls for an explosive emission of in units and has there atomism about it. To be living in a period sh faces such a complete ‘reconstruction of’ our tio ; as to the way in which ether waves are bed and emitted by matter is an inspiring pros- _ The atomic and‘ electronic worlds have revealed ves with beautiful’ definiteness and wonderful ancy to the eye of the modern: physicist, but tion to the world of zther waves is still to ind mystery for which the coming genera- ai ie incomparable opportunity of finding a - hs ee Be CLURE IN RELATION NETIC DISTURBANCE. RE oe the relationship between geological e and magnetic disturbance, with especial ef sicestershire and the concealed coalfield Nottinghamshire, was delivered before the Geo- ica Society on May 1 by Dr. A. Hubert Cox. re the lecture, at the request of the president, A. Strahan, director of the Geological Survey, ’ outlined the circumstances that had led to an gation into a possible connection between geo- gical struct ir and magnetic disturbances. The m agnetic su rveys conducted by Riicker and Thorpe ine 1886"; 891 had proved the existence of certain of disturbance, but those authors + 4 eae wf - ona = » magnetic indications appear to be ndent of the disposition of the newer NC are a,” and Dr. Strahan had not been able to detect l'an Iron Ores Committee to con- Ss ; Should be taken. The com- ded that attention ‘should be concen- -areas of marked magnetic disturb- anee, and that a more detailed magnetic survey of rocks of the neighbourhood, should’ be made. Dr. Strahan had been approached with-a view to the petro- ‘legical work being undertaken. by the Geological Survey, and it had been arranged by the Board of umenie ee of H.M. i eer that a geologist’ should be. temporarily appointed as a member of the. staff for the Saabasss of the investiga- lecture would show that results of great significance _ had been: obtained by him. e new magnetic ob- _ servations had’ been made by Mr. Walker, and’ the examination of the specimens collected, in regard to NO. 2535, VOL. 101] ? - ’ ¥ + fi fore something akin: these 2 “accompanied by a petrological survey and an examination of the magnetic properties. of the’ tion. Dr. Cox liad received the appointment, and his: their’ magnetic susceptibility, had been conducted by Prof. Ernest Wilson. ; _ Dr. Cox then described the selected’ areas, which lay on Lias and: Keuper Marl between Melton: Mow- bray “and: Nottingham, and in. the neighbourhood: of Irthlingborough, where the Northampton: Sands. are being worked as iron ores. The Middle Lias iron ores, consisting essentially of limonite, which. crop out near’ Melton Mowbray, have been proved: in- capable, by reason of their low magnetic suscepti- bility, of causing disturbances of the magnitudes observed, while the distribution of the disturbances showed no: correspondence with the outcrop of the iron’ ores. Nor was any other formation among the Secondary. rocks. found: capable of: exerting any. ap preciable influence. It appeared, therefore, that the origin of the magnetic disturbances: must: be deep- seated. Investigation showed: that the disturbances. were arranged along the lines.of a system of faults rang- ing in direction from north-west to nearly: west. The faults near Melton Mowbray have not been proved in: the Palzozoic rocks, and, so far’ as their effects: on. the Secondary rocks are concerned, they would appear to be only minor. dislocations: But farther. north, near Nottingham, faults which take a parallel course,» and: probably. belong» to; the same | system of faulting as those near Melton’ Mowbray, are Known from evidence obtained in underground workings to have a’ much greater throw in the Coal Measures than: in the Permian and’ Triassic rocks at the surface. It appears, therefore, that’ movement took place along the same lines at) more: than: one period, the earlier: and more powerful movement: being of post-Carboniferous but presPermian age, the: later: movement being post-Triassie: Accordingly; it: is probable that the small dislocations in’ the Mesozoic rocks indicate the presence of important faults in: the underlying Palzeozoic. The faults can give rise to magnetic disturbances only’ if they are associated: with rocks of high mag- netic susceptibility. It is known from deep borings that the concealed coalfield of Nottinghamshire ex- tends into Leiéestershire, but: how far is not: known. Deep borings have proved that intrusions of dolerite occur in the Coal. Measures at several localities. in the south-eastern portion of: the concealed’ coalfield, and always, so far. as observed, in, the immediate vicinity of faults. It has been. established that dolerites may exert a considerable magnetic effect; and the susceptibility of those that occur in the Coal Measures is above the general average. Further, no other rocks that are known to occur, or are likely to occur under the area, have susceptibilities so high as the dolerites' found in the Coal Measures. These facts suggest the possibility of the occurrence of dolerites intrusive into Coal Measures beneath. the Mesozoic rocks of the Melton Mowbray district. The distribution of the dolerites actually proved, and of those the presence of which is suspected by reason of the magnetic disturbances, appears to be controlled by the faulting. Moreover; whereas the character of the magnetic disturbances is such that it would not be explained by a sill or laccolite faulted down to the north, in the manner demanded by the observed throw of the principal fault, it would be explained by an intrusion that had arisen along the fault-plane. The faulting itself is connected with a change of strike in the concealed Coal Measures, and the incoming of doleritic intrusions in the concealed coalfield; in contrast with their absence from the exposed coalfield; appears to depend upon the changed tectonic features. The change of strike is apparent, but to a less degree, in the Mesozoic rocks, which, in the neighbourhood of Melton Mawbray, have suffered Vv 258 NATURE a local twist due to the development of an east-and- west anticlinal ‘structure. In view of the evidence that later movements have, in this district, followed the lines of earlier and more powerful movements, it’ appears possible, and even probable, that this post-Jurassic (probably _ post- Cretaceous) anticline is situated along the line of a more pronounced post-Carboniferous but pre-Permian anticline. In this connection the isolated position of Charnwood Forest has a considerable significance. The forest is situated on the prolongation of the east- and-west line of uplift; and just at the point where this uplift crosses the line of the more powerful north- westerly and south-easterly (Charnian) uplift. Where the two lines of uplift cross, the elevation attains its maximum, and the oldest rocks appear. The main line of faulting and of magnetic disturb- ance is parallel. with and on the northern side of the east-and-west anticline, and the faulting is of such a nature that it serves to relieve the folding while accentuating the anticlinal structure. It is possible that this belt of magnetic and geological disturbance - marks the southern limit of the concealed coalfield. The results obtained by joint magnetic and geological work have thus served to emphasise the real import- ance of a structure which, when judged merely. from its effects on the surface-rocks, appears to be of only minor importance. A further series of observations was carried out on the Jurassic iron ores of the Irthlingborough district of Northamptonshire. The ores occur in the form of a nearly horizontal sheet of weakly susceptible. ferrous carbonate partly oxidised to hydrated oxides. They give rise to small magnetic disturbances which are quite capable of detection, and these may be of use in determining the boundaries of the sheets in. areas not. affected by larger disturbances of deep-seated origin. The results obtained by the joint magnetic and geological work in the two areas show that this method of investigation. may be used. to extend our knowledge of the underground structure. It appears also that an extension of the method to other parts of the country would yield information of considerable scientific and economic importance. UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. Leeps.—The University has gratefully accepted a gift by Mr. W Denison Roebucls of a unique collec- tion of microscopic slides and a library of books upon the subject of. fresh-water Algae, as the nucleus of a specialist library and collection of Algze in general. These were the property of Mr. W. B. Turner, who died twelve months ago, and who, since his coming to Leeds in 1877, had been one of the most active scientific workers in the city until laid aside by a serious illness. The value of the gift is enhanced by the fact that many of the books are illustrated by coloured drawings done by Mr. Turner himself, he having been a talented natural history draughtsman. The collections will be known as the “ Barwell Turner Memorial,” and will be available for the use of students of algological science. OxrorD.—The annual Halley lecture was delivered on May 28 by. Sir Navier Shaw, director of. the Meteorological ‘Office. The subject. was ‘The First Chapter in the Story of the Winds.” The lecture, which was illustrated by lantern-slides, dealt with Halley as the first framer of a_physical explanation of trade winds and monsoons. His views still in part hold good, but the phenomena are more. complicated than -Halley thought. Contrary to what was_ once surmised, observation has shown that the horizontal NO. 2535, VOL. 101] ‘Oundle School; [May 30, 1918 circulation of the air is explicable, the vertical cir- culation being at present too complex for exact deter- mination, though progress may be hoped for in this _ ‘ direction. The report for the past year of the visitors’ of ‘tig University Observatory mentions the appointment SEs Miss Bellamy to assist in the provisional seismological — service undertaken by Prof. H. H.-Turner on the — death of Prof. Milne. Dr. J. K. Fotheringjham has received a temporary appointment in connection with — his work in the region where astronomy and chrono-— logy overlap. Lectures have been delivered by Prof. Turner to. military audiences, including some in France, and also others of a popular character. Vol. iii. of the Vatican Zones has-been sate. and distributed. The work for other of the | atican Zones has been partly completed, and some Santi plates have been dealt with, with the aid of a grant from the Royal Society. The counts of stars for the Astrographic Catalogue and the analysis of Weatier statistics have been continued. etn, On May 28 the preamble of a statute establ shing a definite school of agriculture and forestry was laid — before Congregation by the Warden of All Souls’. 42 The statute was supported by Profs. Somerville, Sir W.: Schlich, Bourne, and Spenser Wilkinson, and pee the Warden of Wadham. It was opposed by | Walker, fellow of Queen’s, and on a division _ the preamble was carried by 53 to 11. The Romanes lecture will be given’ ie the Right — Hon. H. H. Asquith, M.P., on Saturday, June 8, at 3.30 p.m., in the Sheldonian Theatre, on- east Aspects of the Victorian Age.” THE appointment to the: George Honey age studentship for research in physiology at. ‘ambrid University will shortly be made. The studentship is: of the annual value of 2o00l., and is open to women. — Applications should be made by June 20 to. ag (4 Langley, Physiology School, Cambridge. b, Tue Toronto correspondent of the Times repo that a movement has been begun at. Me gi eae . A. Maikins, Lieutenant-Governor . of anitoba, — Archbishop Matheson, Primate of All Cahada, Sir — Augustus Nanton, Prof. W. F. Osborne, of. “Manitoba. ; University, and ‘others for a conference at which prominent educationists of Canada, Great Britain, cand — the United States will discuss the best methods re Re promote ideals of national citizenship and character. The correspondent states that the conference is ex- pected to result in the formation of an unofficial _per-— manent National Board of Education, which will act. as a clearing-house for educational ideals and an E advisory body for the direction of new methods it | education. One particular object of the movement is 2 to improve text-books.. . ; THE meeting of the Physical Society to be hela on Friday, June 14, at the Imperial College of eas: will be devoted to a discussion on ‘‘The Teachin, Physics in Schools,” to, be introduced by Sir O eer Lodge. Contributions to the discussion are expected __ from Mr. C. E. Ashford, headmaster, R.N. College, Dartmouth; Dr. T. J. Baker, King Edward’s High School, ‘Birmingham; Mr. .C. L. Bryant, Harrow School; Mr. G. F. Daniell, Educational Department, — \ London County Council ; Prof, R. A. Gregory, chair-. — man of the British Association Committee on Science in Secondary Schools; Mr. J. Nicol, Northern Poly- — technic, Holloway ; Prof. P. Nunn, London Day — Training College; Mr. F. W. Sanderson, headmaster, Mr. A. T. Simmons, Inspector of Secondary Schools, University of London ; Mran Bex Smith, Leyton Secondary School; and Prof. ie Womack, Bedford College. Visitors are invited to. attend this meeting of the society. eetiet i a ne by : lenses are determined from general consideration of meters from trigonometrically the formation of the solar system.—M. . function of the oxide of iron and lime employed as —— Ts, f NATURE 259 ‘SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LonpDon. Optical Society, May 9>—Mr. S,. D.: Chalmers: in’ “i a I the chair.—T. Ker and Major L. N. G. Filon: Spherical aberration. The authors had con- sidered the subject from the point of view of an optical esign for a system of co-axial thin lenses (separated ) in which the focal lengths and separations of the functions that the instrument has to perform, and from | perry. for correcting for colour. A design carried out in $ manner leaves available for the correction of spherical aberration the forms of the q various lenses. For a thin lens of definite focal -made of a definite variety of glass the differ- ence of curvature of the two faces of the lens is fixed, but the mean of these two curvatures is arbitrary. | ‘hen aberrations of the second order have to be included, the semi-cubical parabola is no longer a iently close approximation to the caustic, which, Ul, develops two new cusps off the axis. The pacial a nlagit of such a caustic was examined, as well as the possibility of deriving the two para- 1eters from calculated rays. The authors urged that the full import of the higher-order aberrations could best be understood by an actual of the caustic in the several media, from 8 which the trained optical calculator would be able to _ tell from the s 27 saa the successive curves how the of different orders would affect the final formation, and also to form an idea as to lenses were having most serious effect, and anges in the forms of the lenses. would enable ae mae any ‘ ay Panis. ney Efe eens, May 13.—M. Léon Guignard ‘Hermite.—J. Boussinesq: Further studies on re of a Sandy terre-plein.—H. Le Chatelier and mh: The action of oxide of iron on silica. imental study of the penetration of silica y oxide of iron. The iron penetrates more nm a reducing atmosphere, the portions reached iron oxide contain less lime than the original 1ereas the part of the brick not attacked by oxide contains more lime than originally, the g expelled by the ferrous silicate and driven upper part of the brick. Four reproductions nicrographs are given, showing the condition of silica brick impregnated by oxide : Limiting values of Poisson’s | to the sphere and a point of -dis- ontinuity of ntinu) ie data.—E. Belot: The rédle of the forces dominating the attraction in the architecture’ of the earth and other worlds. Mechanical model of ied: The e rides lomerants in the manufacture of silica bricks. In Be the effect of different agglomerating materials LL _ was elicited that appreciable quantities of oxide of manufacture of silica bricks an unexpected fact iron, even in the presence of lime, do not appreciably lower the melting point of the brick. Further ex- _ periments on this question’ are now given in confirma~ tion. In one case the ‘addition of 3 per cent. of oxide of iron and 1 per cent. of lime lowered the fusion point only by 5° C.,.an amount not exceeding the experimental error.—E. Rengade: The composi- tion of silica bricks taken from a Martin furnace.— Ed and Mile. L. Nicolle: The neutral zirconyl nitrate.. There is no evidence of the existence of anhydrous or hydrated neutral zirconium nitrate. NO. 2535, VOL. 101 | nish the spherical aberration of the final Hi : The indefinite quadratic’ The hydrated zirconyl nitrate, ZrO(NO,),,2H,O, can be obtained as a crystalline product, but the anhydrous zirconyl nitrate could not be prepared from this.— M. de Chardonnet : Treatment of the wash waters in the manufacture of artificial silk. There are about 4 cubic metres of washing water (containing sulphuric and nitric acids, lime, and sulphur) per kilogram of silk produced, and it is necessary to neutralise this liquid before it can be run into drains or rivers. An arrangement is described for neutralisation vith lime and removal of the precipitated sulphur. The liquors after neutralisation have marked manurial properties. —M. M. Yélénko: Results of studies on the earth- quake of August and September, 1912, on the Sea of Marmora.—C,. Sauvageau: The plantules of Phyllaria reniformis.—E,. Voisenet ; Is the Adamkiewicz reaction due to glyoxylic acid or to formaldehyde? Hopkins and Cole showed that the use of acetic acid in the Adamkiewicz reaction introduced a substance neces- sary to the production of the violet colour, and con- sidered this to be glyoxylic acid. They considered the possibility of formaldehyde as the necessary reagent and rejected it. The author takes the opposite view, and regards formaldehyde, arid not glyoxylic acid, as the essential reagent. CaLcuTta. ‘Asiatic Society of Bengal, April 3.—Dr. T. Kaburaki : Zoological results of a tour in the Far East. Brackish- water Polyclads. The Polyclads described in this paper were obtained in brackish water in the north- eastern part of the Malay Peninsula: They belong to the genus Shelfordia, which has hitherto been known only from Borneo. It is the only genus of Polyclads that has been found in fresh water. -Two new species are described.—Dr. N. Annandale: Zoological results of a tour in the Far East. Mollusca of the Tai-Hu. The Tai-Hu is a large, shallow body of fresh water occupying a depression in the alluvium of the Yangtse delta. Seventeen species of molluscs, of which three (all belonging to the family Hydrobiide) are now described as new, are recorded from it. One of the new forms belongs to the genus Hypsobia, Heude (which has recently been re-described by Robson under the name Katayama), another to Stenothyra, Benson, and a third to a remarkable new genus hitherto ap- parently confused with Vivipara, though actually belonging to a different family. The Tai-Hu mol- luscan fauna as a whole is remarkable for the small size of the individual and for the existence of an estuarine element in its composition.—Dr. N. Anman- dale: Zoologicat results of a tour in the Far East. Sponges. (1) Two marine sponges (Reniera implexa and a new variety of Amorphinopsis excavans) were found on the piers of a landing-stage some distance up a creek on the coast of Perak. They lived in very muddy water, and were exposed daily at the fall of the tide. The structural peculiarities which enabled them to exist in these conditions are discussed in detail. (2) Specimens of fresh-water sponges collected in Japan, China, and the Malay Peninsula are dis- cussed and described. They include new species of Spongilla and Trochospongilla.—Capt. F. de Mello and Dr. J. F. St. A. Fernandes: Révision des champignons apparténant au genre Nocardia. In this paper the authors give a synoptical account of the numerous species of parasitic fungi belonging to the genus. Nocardia. Our knowledge of these forins is at present in an extremely chaotic state, and the authors have attempted to introduce order and precision into the classification.—C. Fischer: Preliminary note on the flora of the Anaimalais. (i) General description of the tract; (ii) faunistic notes; (iii) jungle tribes and their cultivations; (iv) division of the vegetation into five 260 NATURE [May 30, 1918 types, description and characteristic ienicn (v) general conclusions. and synopsis.—A, McKerral : The. Burmese sesamum . varieties. .Notes on their variation .and growth, After discussing the literature dealing with this crop and the importance of sesamum.to Burmese agriculture, the author proceeds to describe the dif- ferent varieties. grown in Burma and their variations, using as a basis.material collected from .the principal sesamum -districts.and grown at the Talkon Agricul- tural Station. The description is followed by a.tenta- tive classification ofthe Burmese sesamums based on the branching habit, vegetative ‘period, and colour : of the seed, and by a discussion of the abnormalities which occur. In conclusion, the author discusses the possibilities of improvement, especially through single- plant. selection. VICTORIA. - Royal. Society, March 14.—Mr. J. A. Kershaw, presi- . dent, in the echair.—Prof, O. Nordstedt: Australasian Characee. This synopsis includes .about fifty species of Chara and Nitella, one of Talypella, and one of .Lychnothamnus,.and was communicated by A. »D. Hardy, who incidentally ‘remarked on the .over- production and subsequent .decay of the -species of Nitella in some Victorian reservoirs.—A. .D. Hardy: Note. on pentamery in’ Narcissus. The author described an _ inflorescence of ‘Soleil d’Or” (N. .tazetta) in which five flowers .were -normal, the sixth having the floral:formula of K5 G5 A5+5 Gs. Careful search amongst many thousands of flowers: of this .species ‘during the season failed ‘to .diseover a similar specimen. kind :known to the .author was that The only other case of a -similar || of -Crocus | (K5.C5 A5G5), quoted by -Worsdell in ASrine pies of | Plant Teratology. eg BOOKS RECEI VED. The ‘Invertebrate Fauna -of “Nottinghamshire. ‘Prof. ‘W. Carr. Pp. viit+618. ty. (Nottingham : J.cand :H. ‘Bell, .Ltd.) ‘By. Manuale:di Fisica ad: uso delle Scuole: Secondaire. et ‘Superiori. By. Prof. B.iDessau. Vol. iii. Pp. evii+ 760. (Milano: ‘Societa ‘Edittice Libraria). 23 lire. A ‘Handbook «of ‘Briquetting. By ‘Prof. G. Franke. Translated ‘by ‘F.C. “A. 0H. ‘Lantsberry. °Vol. ii. ‘Pp. xi-+214. (London: C. “Griffin: and “Co.,. Ltd:) 15s. net. ““Inasmuch *:: Some Thoughts concerning the Wreckage cof “the ‘War. By >J. Oxenham. Pp. 26. (London:: “Methuen and Co., Ltd.) “6d. net. Aids in the! Commercial Analysis of Oils, Fats, and their Commercial Products. ‘By G. 'F. Pickering. Pp. viii+:133. (London > Cc. Griffin and Co., Ltd.) 4s. 6d. “net. Tropical Wild ‘Life ‘in British Guiana: " Zoological ‘Contributions from .tive Tropical ‘Research Station of ithe orig York Zodlogical Society. By W. ‘Beebe. Vol. ‘Pp. 504. ‘(New York’: /Zoological Society ; oben» Witherby ‘and .Co.) :12s. 6d. inet: ‘Practical: Organic:and ‘Bio-Chemistry. “By R.H.A. ‘Plimmer. ~New edition. “Pp. xii +636. ~ (ILondon:: Longmans ‘and C€o:) 18s. ‘net. Tychonis .Brahe ‘Opera ‘Omnia. Tomi ~ Quarti. ‘Fasc. ‘Prior. Pp. 376. (Kobenhavn 'K.) The sProblem ‘of -Man’s “Ancestry. — By seach AF. 48. «(London: Prof. °F. 1S2PsC KX!) bas net. "DIARY OF ‘SOCIETIES, THURSDAY, May. 30. RoyAL ocean: at 4.30.—A Method of Avoiding: Collision at Sea: Prof. J: Joly. —A Statistical Survey of Colour Vision: Dr. R. ’A. Houstoun, — Che Production of -Anthocyanins and Anthocyanidins. II]. ::Dr. AE Everest. Roya. InsTITUTION, ‘at 3.—The Abode of Snow; .its “Appearance, In- habitants, and History : Sir'F. Younghusband. NO. 2535, VOL. ToT] “Societies and Academies .. “Books, Received ....°... =, INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL choca. at 6.—Annual General Meeting. Roya Socrety OF ARTs,°at 4.30:—The Cotton-mill Industry of lagi : Hon. Sir Dinshaw E. Wacha. * SATURDAY, _JUNE 2. -RovaL Institution, at 3.--Problems in Bird-migration: Prof. LC. 5 atten. . ote) "MONDAY, June 3. yi poe Rota: Gubcenswidin Society, at 5. reer Society or CHEMICAL INDUSTRY, at 7:30.—A Cadmium:vapourAre: Dr. H. J. S, Sand.—The Estimation of Tin in High-grade Wolfram ae _ Use of Lead asa Reducing Agent in Pearce’s Brae fo AL , Powe: ss Vicrorta InsTiTuTE, at. 4.30.—Germani«m :.Rev, Chancellor. Lias. vee WEDNESDAY, June s. py eth j GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 5.30. ENTOMOLoGICcAL Society, -at 8.—Studies: in Rhynchophora. ‘W. A Pre liminary Note on the Male Genitalia ::D. Sharp. 4 Society oF Pusric ANAL NATE at, 5.—A..Method for? the. rim ‘Estimation ‘of’ Cobalt: G. Jones.—Nucleic Acid or Ce Ani Examination : AA. iC. RB ae ~(x) Opium Wax. atio Morphine in Opiam by Polarimeter :. Jitendra Nath’ inalehie a : cation of the Walenta. Turbidity Test to Mineral Oils: crete rei) Valenta and Crismer Tests :-J. H. gre? ae Dr.’ , Stewart.— New'Method of Rdeorityints Starches : earns ~from Colombia, S.A.: A. L. Bach cei dct ze pa ‘4 : THURSDAY, June 6. sey) Fete “Rovat InstiTuTion, at3.—The Abode of Snow ;. Its Appearance, Anhabie tants; and ‘History :~Sir F. Younghusband. LinnEAN gece at 4.3 230: ee mae 7 Some Critical Species 6f Behiam [V.iper’s Bugloss], as. Exemplified in thé Linnean and ot ipa ve a Description of Echium judaicum, a New Species from Lacaita.—Experiments with Cyclamen ¢ et “A.W. Hill. ithe el on- S. Hastings.- : ‘ship between the-Symbionts inva Lichen: R.! Paulson and Abnormal Apple-blossoms and Fruit: W. c ‘Worsdell, are etioy 2 FRIDAY, June 7. a 2 Sir Be Rovat InstiTUTION, at 5.30. —The *Romance of Petroleu f Redwood. SATURDAY, Jor 8. Ace Mievas: -InsTITUTION, at. 3.—Problems in Bindmigration: Prof! C. Je a ‘Patten. bara 29 — CONT ENTS. aol APACE Bacderiivg: Oldeand New . GanenS og 'Principles-and: Methods of Hebence A ceixhcling iv: ee) Aviation Engines. nisi BoW. oR ae aoe sf Our Bookshelf .. eC Letters to the Editor :— she “The: is gaa of Post-graduate "Work-and’” Reseaithe: —Prof."M. J. M.‘Hill, F/R-S,; W. A. T. ae ‘Proposed: ‘Society of Science’ Stud nts —jJ.4 ‘ANButleh ve {PEs Owens ; Clouds at the Royal hendemg? ‘By y. s. ip. ‘The Carnegie Trust forthe oF ee ‘The Relations of Geodesy to Geology. ten. The best approximation of the functions of _ The saturated vapour pressures of tetratomic é eee tok « OF ENGINEERS, at 5.30.—War. on and under the “Sea: Ee | BririsH Association GropuysicaL ComMmitTRE (R ‘Natural History Observations .. . Letters to the Editor :— a Description of Echinm judaicum, a New Species from Petaling) or Lacaita.—Experiments with Cyclamen : Capt. A. W. Hil 1. —The R: ship between the Symbionts in a Lichen: R. Paulson and S. Hast Abnormal Apple-blossoms and Fruit: W. C. Worsdell. : FRIDAY, June 7. Bae Roya n-padechnaon at 5.30.—The Romance of Petroleum? 2 Sin Be Redwood SATURDAY, JUNE 8. MONDAY, JUNE 10. yeuseks ARISTOTELIAN Socirty, at 8. ao Ontological Argument for the ence of God: Prof. A. A. Cock Roxas Grocrapuican Society, at 8.—The Backbone of Atien: fapsovremtont 2 arpe. eh eT TUESDAY, June 11. ZooLoGIcaL SociETy, at 5.30.—-On Two New islasmabranch ‘Fis the Upper Jurassic Lithographic Stone of Ravers ‘Dr. A. wae: —The Function of Dathsioayi in Evolution: WEDNESDAY, Junt 12. reat at 5.—Discussion: ‘The Tides. igen Pret Prof. Love, Mr.!Proudman, and others THURSDAY, mie EY ah gida ge OpricaL Sacer: at 7.—The Prevention of Filming in Enc Instruments: S, Ryland. —A Chart for Finding the No mb : in, and Size Se a Block Horace Lee:—Charts for Assisting in the Se tion of Suitable Glasses for Cemented Doublets: IT. Smith, : ' FRIDAY, June 14. RoyaL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, at 5. Puysicav Socrety, at 5.—Discussion : The Teaching of oe 0 O s in Opener, Sir Oliver J. Lodge. CONTENTS. f Symmetry in Nature, By Dr. A. E. HH. Tutton, ws F. Piate. oF ln felsé 7 aller Pate? ak ‘By De: A. ‘Russell ia ee ae Pate aS Teg Our Bookshelf... 2... 1 ee 263 Electricity Meters. Construction for an Approximate Quadrature ft Circle. — Robert E. Magnes : : oes The “* Wolf-note ” in Pizzicato Playing. Ear toc -C,V. Raman . The “ Hay-box” Principle i in Cooking, iain Eoaajerlced ak British Oligocheet Worms.—Rev. Hilderic Friend . 64 ‘ The Position of Natural Science in the Educational 4 System of Great Britain. By W.A.T. .. . .— 265 Science and Administration, va Lt. -Col. w. A. Be MEHeE «J O’Meara, C.M.G.... 6 shee | ** After the War.” By Prof. H. Louis... . a3 oe Notes: 25.5". Le 43 Our Astronomical Column: <— ai - Early History of the Solar System... . . .- Stellar Investigations at Mount Wilson. . .— Spectra of Chromosphere and Corona ~ 4 The Metric System and Decimal Coinage. Harry Allcock . . ‘ Ren ee Progress of the Wducation. Bill 2 Tah eae Organisation of Glass Industries . . . . . The Royal Observatory, Greenwich... .. _ University and Educational Intelligence . age _ Societies and Academies . Rooks Heneed <2 . Diary of Societies . 2 2.) 1 pe Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltp.,— MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, ST. WwW. (ee oe 4 Advertisements ul business letters to be nddvessed to the Publishers. eo ge Ode Editorial Communications to the wae Bee Telegraphic Address: Piusis, Lonpon. EAR Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. ee %. ia i bk NATURE 281 a | THURSDAY, JUNE ALUMINIUM AND RARE EARTH ee: Edited by Aluminium gees Friend. Vol. iv. ce 158. net. * *) THIS | ‘book, the fourth of the series oe nine _ 4 yolumes which constitute the “Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry,’’ edited by Dr. J. Newton _ Friend, deals with the menibers of the third group of the Periodic Table. The. arrangement of. the subject-matter of the treatise in accordance with Mendeléeff’s scheme has, no doubt, much to re- : commend it. . ‘The classification, of course, rests upon a rational basis, very different in character - from the arbitrary and often inconsistent methods which prevailed prior to the enunciation of the generalisation of the distinguished - Russian ‘chemist. At the same time, it must be admitted that the arrangement brings together elements which, at first sight, seem to have little or nothing | in common. We jump, as it were, from boron to aluminium, from aluminium over scandium and gallium to indium, and thence by —. of the “rare earth’’ metals to thallium. The up the elements so as to bring out their ral affinities as manifested by their chemical and. physical: attributes, and we seemed to pass from the consideration of one element to that of B tecench Gy easy and more or less obvious stages n by the brusque and staccato method _ ef violent contrasts which appears to follow from the application of the periodic law. _ Mr. Little, indeed, would appear to have been conscious of the somewhat bizarre effect which a ' too rigid adherence to the scheme of the table wom? produce in the arrangement of his material, ‘some extent he meets the difficulty by 7 starting with boron as the so-called “typical press f ats and following on with aluminium as a “short period ’’ member. this sense and in its “formal valency resemblance ”’ that boron can be styled a ‘“congener’’ of aluminium. The other members of the group are _ “Jong period ”’ elements, and are divided into the _ odd subgroup comprising gallium, indium, and thallium, and the even subgroup which comprises the “rare earth’ metals but leads up to actinium, _ the relations of which to its “congeners’’ are as ill-defined. Debierne regarded actinium as allied to thorium, which would place it in the next ‘main group, but such congenital affinities as it pos- ‘sesses point to its being more akin to the cerium _ group, and thus afford some slight ground for _ placing it in the position assigned to it by the * author. - In a short introductory chapter Mr. frankly faces the difficulties which his arrangement NO. 2537, VOL. 101] wr cee oa L its ANIM bie! including the "Rare Earth aD oe By i BV. Little. Pp. xx+485. | ey : Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd., 1917-) older systems: at least had the merit of attempting | But it is really only in Little | involv es, and which grow upon him when-he deals with the “rare earths,”’ and in a few paragraphs refers to the analogies and discordances to which it leads. The student, therefore, is warned,.at the ~ outset, of its limitations—limitations necessarily imposed by the imperfect and provisional . nature of the generalisation on which it is based, and of which the weakness is plainly revealed in the case of the “rare earth’’ elements. With regard to the main body of the book we _have little but praise. It has evidently been most carefully and conscientiously compiled, and prac- tically every statement has been verified by refer- ence to the original sources of information, The bibliography, indeed, is one of the most valuable features of the work, and will be appreciated, not only by the student, but also by the investigator, - who may have to concern himself with the litera- ture relating to the various elements and their compounds dealt with in the book. The chemical. history of boron -has been brought up to the date of publication, but since the issue of the work much additional information has been gained respecting the many unstable hydrides of boron—a particularly difficult class of substances to deal with, but which have been investigated. with great skill by Stock and his collaborators. The industrial extraction of boric acid and the manu- facture of borax scarcely receive the treatment which they deserve as being by far the most im- portant of the boron compounds. Incidentally, the writer terms the jets of steam from the volcanic vents in Tuscany suffioni instead of soffiont. A good description of the methods of manu- facture of metallic aluminium is given, together with a short account of its alloys, many of which _are of growing importance. Compounds of alu> minium, including some’ of the more important aluminous. minerals, are dealt with in fewer than forty pages. The treatment is necessarily very slight in many cases, especially when compared with that of the chapter on clay and ceramics, which extends to more than thirty pages. This, and also the chapter on. ultramarine, which seems to have been largely based: on the article on that subject i in Thorpe’s “Dictionary of Applied Chemistry,’’ are, judged by their length, the most important contributions to industrial chemistry in the book, which is otherwise not remarkable for its technology. | The most valuable feature of the work is, how- | ever, its treatment of the chemistry of the “rare earths.”’ This section occupies more than half the volume, and is without doubt the fullest and most comprehensive account of their history, ‘modes of extraction, properties, and relations which has yet appeared. Although the first “rare earth’’ was discovered by the Finnish chemist, Gadolin, so far back as 1794, and was quickly followed by the isolation of other members of the group by Ekeberg, Berzelius, Gahn, Mosander, Cleve, Héglund, and others during the next fifty or sixty years, it is only within comparatively recent time that the chemistry of these substances has received its main develop- Q 282 NATURE [JUNE 13, 1918 ae ment. This is largely due to the great extension of the gas-mantle industry, which, in its exploita- tion. of the sources of thorium and cerium, has placed at the disposal of investigators relatively large quantities of material more or less rich in ‘rare earths.’’ Indeed, in the case of certain of these substances the term “rare earths ’’ is a mis- nomer. Some of them have been found to be widely distributed and to occur in large amounts. Accordingly, the literature on these elements has been largely augmented during the last few decades, as its hibliography shows, and it has needed no inconsiderable skill on the part of Mr. Little to deal with it within the limitations of space necessarily imposed upon him.. The biblio- graphy reveals how very slight and comparatively unimportant have been the contributions of German chemists to this literature. Up to. the present there are some fifteen ‘‘rare earth’’ elements (excluding’ actinium) the identity of which may be considered as established, and all of these have been discovered hy Scandinavian; Swiss, or French chemists. An Austrian chemist, Auer von Welsbach, resolved Mosander’s didymia into its components, and he shares with Urbain the credit of proving’ that’ Marignac’s ytterbia was complex. Investigators of the type of Klap- roth; Bunsen, and Wohler are, apparently, no longer to be found in Germany: larging our knowledge of a particularly interesting group of elements of great theoretical importance and rich in possibilities of technical application is rapidly passing into the hands of Anglo-Saxon chemists, and especially of American ‘chemists, who. have not only devised adequate methods of separation and isolation, but have also inci- dentally contributed a great amount towards the chemical history of the individual metals. We can unreservedly congratulate Mr. Little on the production of a particularly useful work. If the remaining@volumes of the series maintain the same high level, the entire treatise will constitute a most valuable contribution to our chemical literature. THE CONSTRUCTION OF HARBOURS. A Treatise on the Principles and Practice of Harbour Engineering. By Dr. Brysson Cun- ningham. Second edition. Pp. xvi+ 377. (London: Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 25s. net. He second edition of this standard work has been revised and brought up to date; much new matter has been added—including numerous additional illustrations—nearly a further hundred pages. Many of the points briefly referred to in the. first.edition have been elaborated, so that its pages are-now crowded with useful information. Chap. v., dealing. with ‘Piling,’’ is one of the most instructive in the book. Timber versus: re- inforced-eoncrete piles is discussed, also the vari- ous: methods of pile- -driving. The sustaining power of piles, and the prevention of destruction of piles caused he decay or by marine organisms, are ably NO. 2537, VOL. 101| The work of en-. dealt with. The Hennebique and other forms c steel sheet-piling are described and compared w timber sheet-piling. re The introductory chapter deals, among oth matters, with the national interest in harbours, which will doubtless be more marked after the 1 oe than it was previously, for undoubtedly the Se ite in many cases enlarge them. Chap. ii, de aling — with “Harbour Design,’’ has been dealt with in- a most exhaustive manner, and the author has — done well to include particulars and Nustraeleot i that harbour which has probably caused mo: cussion than any other—the, Madras Harbo projection of which has resulted in such a hug accumulation of sand on _ the windward ‘s (due to the south-west monsoon), ssitatin the spending of large sums eres ae dredging inside the harbour; while the AVOC wrought by erosion on. the lee side, du 2 trapping of the sand by the harbour, is “most. serious. The effect of rivers flowing themes bours has had due consideration in the book, the cause of bars occurring at the : harbours, and the suggested means for remo these, have not been dealt with so fully as « would have wished. ee SE eran The chapters on “ Breakwater ‘Des “Breakwater Construction’’ deal very fu sod these subjects, and many excellent details of con- struction are given,which would only occur toa practical author; the additional plates which have | been added to these chapters increase value re immensely. Figs. 154-59, showing ‘the construc- » tional staging at Gibraltar Harbour Works, are admirable. ee, ta le Aale One is disappointed to find no celoneg ne € to slipway construction at a time like pierce! when so many slipways are being laid down; and the notes on the action of sea water on concrete might have been extended. A few more example of failures in breakwaters, either through faulty foundations- or storms, would have added to the - value of the ,.book, for, after all, the engineer’ learns more from failures than from successes. BP The use of reinforced-concrete in harbour engineering has not been given ‘the. prominence in the book that one would have desired, ‘especially _ its use in the construction of jetties. . The effect upon reinforced-concrete piles of their being alter- nately submerged in sea water in tidal work saris exposed to air does not appear to be referred to, and this is at the present time a very ‘debatable! subject. The mechanical handling of material | might have occupied more space in the book, and the use’ of reinforced-concrete ,in the building of — lightships and in the construction of. ligheheniers, might have’ been’ discussed. The chapter dealing with “ Surveying, Making. and Submarine, ”’ will be most useful to. civil: engineering students, the course of procedure: | being clearly set out and.well illustrated, and. the notes on this subject are very practical. venens The chapter on’ “Channel Demarcation’’ is in-. teresting, as.it deals with lighthouses,- lightships, . and buoys, while that.on “Pier-heads, Quays, and — < _/ Jone 13, 1918] NATURE 283 “Landing-stages " contains some excellent notes and illustrations of the more modern methods of construction of these structures. River quays and wharves are well described, and the-Liverpool float- ing landing-stage is discussed and well illustrated. __ The various tables in the book will prove of — value to the maritime engineer, especially . indicating (on pp. 66 and 67) the tidal’ rises at certain harbours. The specification for cement and concrete (on pp. 149-59) is also most useful, and some of the larger plates give a great deal a of detail as to the planning of harbours. Fig. 36a, _ which is a plan of the Aberdeen Harbour, is excep- tionally — good. The illustrations generally are excellent; it is seldom that one meets with a _ technical work so well illustrated. __ The second edition of this standard work should 7 certainly find a place on the shelves of the library of every maritime engineer; as a book of refer- F ence it is second to none. E. R. M. Pe RADIO-THERAPY. Radiography and Radio-therapeutics. By Dr. R. « Second edition. Part ii., Radio-thera- peutics. Pp. x+ 387-606. (London : ¥ Te ‘Black, Ltd., 1918.) Price 155. net. “HE ‘second edition of Dr. Knox’s work, ps padioeraphy and Radio-therapeutics,”” is mpleted b y the appearance of part ii., “Radio- A. and 2 r s.’ Part ii. leaves on the mind of 33 the reader very much the same general impression as that of part i., namely, that of an excellent duction. A perusal of the baok shows an ever- _ widening range of utility of X-rays and radium in the treatment and alleviation of disease. They are agents which, under expert guidance, are beneficial in the treatment, not only of superficial ailments such as intractable skin diseases, but also ment of internal growths, benign and malignant, claims much of the author’s attention. - Apart from the above-mentioned applications there is evidently -a place for the radiations in the treatment of the several varieties of blood diseases and other somewhat obscure pathological conditions. A special chapter is devoted to the use of X- rays and radium in injuries and diseases among the wounded, and a following chapter, which illus- trates the value of radiations in plastic surgery of the face and jaws, is contributed by Mr. * Percival P. Cole. The fearful nature of some of these wounds would lead many to despair of betterment, but the combination of surgery and the administration of some form of radiation have in “many cases resulted ina Yes able transforma- tion of the patient. - ' The physical properties of the rays from ‘radium and its emanation therefrom are very clearly dealt with in a chapter contributed by Mr. C. E. Phillips. The thorough way in which the sppliciton of these agents to the appropriate pathological con- dition is set forth in this volume is in itself a _ weassurance as to their utility; but what pleases NO. 2537, VOL. 101 | | of: deep-seated conditions; and of these the treat- us most is the general outlook upon the subject of radio-therapeutics adopted by the author. A con- fidence in the utility of the agents he handles is tempered by a realisation of (1) the lack of pre- cision in their administration, and (2) the little that is known as to the real nature of the changes set up in cell life under exposure to the rays. Moreover, he shows a keen appreciation of the service which the investigator may render to the future development of the subject of medical radio- logy, for on p. 395 we find: “By a combined attack from the physical and clinical aspects, we may hope in the near future to produce a marked improvement in our methods of treatment by radiations, which should result in material benefit to patients suffering from malignant disease.”’ The range of X-radiation which is at hand for clinical application covers several octaves, and the: fact that one variety of cells may respond in a totally different manner from another, according to what type of radiation it is exposed to, is clearly in the author’s mind when he writes, as on p. 540: “The reason why one case responds and another fails to do so is one of the profound problems which the radio-therapist is striving to fathom, and when. the solution is arrived at it will go a long way to establish radiation treatment on a sound basis. In all probability the! expiana- tion is a biological one, a condition of cell, physical or other, which responds to a particular type of ray. ” The book will undoubtedly do much towards a fuller recognition of the clinical utility of these radiations, and also towards placing radio-therapy on a surer scientific footing than it holds at the present day. OUR BOOKSHELF. Field Sanitation. By C. G. Moor and E. A. Cooper, in collaboration with other Officers and Men of the ,1st London Sanitary Company. Pp. viii+220. (London : Bailliére, Tieden, and Cox, 1918.) - Price 2s. 6d. net, Wuen the history of the war comes to be pris st and all the marvellous achievements of our Army, none will be more noteworthy than the wonderful health record. This is, to a great extent, due to the work of the Sanitary Companies, and the volume under review, written by two of their officers, is intended to hand on the results of their experiences and those of their colleagues. It is written in simple and readable form, and will make a very useful text-book, not only for the highly trained but perhaps less experienced sani- tary officers, but also for the men under their command. The opening chapter deals ath general yg ined: and includes notes on many, if not all, of the infec- tious diseases liable to attack the troops. Chapters follow on flies and other insect pests ; disposal of refuse; latrine and urinal construction; baths and laundries; brickwork, wooden buildings, and. metal work; disinfection; drainage and sewage disposal; water; ventilation; food; camping; economy; and the work of sanitary sections. 284 NATURE In the chapter on water much attention is devoted to the important question of sterilisation, and although the authors: give a brief historical sketch of the subject of chlorine sterilisation, they fail to mention the pioneer work of Houston, who, so far back as 1905, was the first to apply the treat- ment to:the whole water supply of a town when he undertook the sterilisation of the water supply of Lincoln, and who now controls the chlorination of a large part of the London water supply. question of dose in relation to period of contact of the water with the sterilising agent seems to require some modification. , The authors show great ingenuity in finding a use for all sorts of waste materials, such as empty oil-drums, biscuit-boxes, and petrol-cans; in fact, it appears that the complete sanitary officer must not only be highly skilled in medical and sanitary science, but also have sothe considerable know- ledge of such trades as bricklaying, carpentry, metal work, and a host of others, besides know- ing something of allotment gardening and poultry farming. The hook is well illustrated with clear and: well- drawn diagrams, and concludes with what ap- pears to be a most complete and useful index. D: BaB: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] Propagation of Sound and Light in an Irregular ; Atmosphere. it I suppose that most of those who have listened to’ (singlée-engined) aeroplanes in flight must have noticed the highly uneven character of the sound, even at moderate distances. It would seem that the changes are to be attributed to- atthospheric irregu- larities affecting the propagation rather than to vari- able emission. This may require confirmation; but, in any case, a comparison of what is to be expected in the analogous propagation of light and sound has a certain interest. One point of difference should first be noticed. The velocity of propagation of sound through air varies indeed with temperature, but is independent of pres- sure (or density), while that of light depends upon pressure as well as upon temperature. In the atmo- phere there is a variation of pressure with elevation but this is scarcely material for our present purpose. And the kind of irregular local variations which can easily occur in temperature are excluded in respect of pressure by the mechanical conditions, at least in the absence of strong winds, not here regarded. The question is thus reduced to refractions consequent upon temperature variations. The velocity of sound is as the square root of the absolute temperature. Accordingly for 1° C. differ- ence of temperature the refractivity (u—1) is 0-00183. In the case of. light the corresponding value of (u—.1) 18 0-000294 x 000366, the pressure being atmospheric. The effect. of temperature upon sound is thus about 2000 times greater than upon light. If we suppose the NO. 2537, VOL. ror] The - the case of sound, such. sensitiveness to_ not to be expected, and the reproduction o there appears a note on the currents in the _as revealed by the direction of drift of the The ordinary view seems to be that the tra front o have been seen which remained luminous — -is true that balloons have not explored the a _of the passage of electricity through rarefied system of temperature differences to be altered in t proportion, the course of rays of light and of sou will be the same. : 1S When we consider mirage, and the twinkling of — stars, and of terrestrial lights at no very great d tances, we recognise how heterogeneous the atmo- — sphere must often be for the propagation of sound, anc we need no longer be surprised at the variations < intensity with which uniformly emitted sounds a1 received at moderate distances from their sour It is true, of course, that the question is_ hhausted by a consideration of rays, and that vy remember the immense disproportion of waye- greatly affecting all phenomena of diffract twinkling star, as seen with the naked eye, r appear momentarily, which means that | no light from it falls upon the eye. When is employed the twinkling is very much re¢ ing that the effects are entirely different so near together as the parts of an object-g phenomena would require the linear scale.oa pheric irregularities to be very much enlarg June 7. et The Drift of Meteor Trails. In the Astronomical. Column of Nature of by meteors. Before we can say with ce ever, that such drift represents movement we require to know the real nature of a met posed of air heated by the meteor in its fli the atmosphere, the heating being producec much by friction as“by the compression 0! the meteor. But is it physically a mass of air so heated to retain its heat sc c i a remain luminous for any length of 1 ght. sae both trails and streamers is usually towards the east, but both more rarely move in other directions. The — movement in the case of the aurora is presumably due. to the passage of electrified particles jing in the — earth’s magnetic field, and deflected by it. Is i? ip tae "1 sible that a meteor trail is due to the passage of elec- — tricity through rarefied air that may have been ionised by the passage of the meteor? (, OR I ae It is difficult to imagine that there are definite air currents in the upper part of the atmosphere. It — much above twenty miles, and that meteor far higher. But it is difficult to suppose that co cath at on, tions are other than isothermal, in a vertical di ct above the base of the stratosphere, however 1 one may go. If this is so, there would be no vertical cir- culation; and if there’ is no vertical circulation, could ee there be any horizontal circulation? There is usually 'a marked falling-off of the wind as a balloon enters the stratosphere. Perhaps some of your readers more | _ versed in dynamical meteorology, and in the que 10m air the a= F im = : I am, can throw light on the problem. June 4. fie, a ee es _ change June 13, 1918] NATURE 285 -)> THE NEW STAR IN AQUILA. poy ‘HE unremitting character of the watch kept on the sky by the amateur astronomers in. this - country is well shown by the number of indepen- _ dent discoveries of the new star. Apparently, the _ first observation was made by Miss Grace Cook ‘at Stowmarket when on the watch for meteors at - g.h. 30m. G.M.T. on June 8. Other independent discoveries were made by Mr. W. F. Denning, at Bristol, and Mr. David Packer, at Birmingham, at ‘10.0 G.M.T.; Mr. C. L. Brook, at Meltham, at 10.15 G.M.T.; Mr. W. H. Steavenson, at West Norwood, at 16.30 G.M.T.; Mr. H. Thomson, at - Neweastle, at 10.44 G. M. T., and Mr. Felix de Roy, at Thornton Heath, at 10.45 G. M. T. It was © noticed at 9.40 G. M. T. by Mr. Witchell, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, but not identi- fied asa Nova. On the following day it was also detected i in Scotland by Dr. Ander- ‘ of Nova Persei and Nova . Independe: | rigze. Mr. Denning says that the increase in the light of the star must have occurred during day- time in England on June 8, for he was observing the whole of the preceding ight ‘nothing unusual in the sky. Pre- sumab e, the object must have been faint : n any case, of such small magni- tude ¢ : it to escape detection. As yet little 4 n has been received with regard to obs s in other countries; the star was seen 2 Hector Observatory in New Zealand, but aj , 12h. after its discovery in England. A y the star was very nearly of the sas Altair (o’°9m.). The testimony discoverers agrees on this point. It d by photometric observations at Mr. Jonckheere, who determined ide with a wedge photometer by com- with Vega, Arcturus, and Altair. e of brightness in the short night of June 8 was very slight, if indeed perceptible. In colour the star was like°a Aquile. With the highest power the star showed a sharply-defined stellar nucleus in the 28-inch telescope at Greenwich. So far as could be seen with an eye-piece prism, the spectrum appeared to be perfectly continuous, no ‘night lines being detected. At the Cape Observa- tory the important observation has been made that the Nova contains hydrogen and calcium absorp- tion lines similar to Nova Persei, February 22, 1901. It is not stated in the cablegram whether the observation was made on June 8 or June 9. A great increase of brightness occurred in the next twenty-four hours. On Sunday night the star certainly equalled Vega (o-1m.) in brightness, though Vega was at a much greater altitude. ‘Observation at Greenwich was somewhat difficult owing to some faint, low-lying haze. To some Observers the star appeared to be considerably brighter than Vega. As on the previous night no bright lines were seen in the star’s spectrum. ‘The position of fhe star relative to B.D. +0°4023° (8°5m.) was determined by M. Jonck- hheere. Using the position of this star given in NO. 2537, VOL. 101] The- the Abbadia Catalogue (1900) Nova is found to be R.A. 18h. 44m. 43:48s., Dec. 0° 29/ 28°2!! for 19180 Direct observation at the Transit-Circle by Mr. Witchell gave R.A. 18h. 44m.‘ 43'47s., Dec. 0° 29! 31°5/! for 1918°0 It was noticed by M. Jonckheere that a star on the Algiers Chart Zone +1°, No. 141, having the | co-ordinates — 3/ and — 32/ and of the ninth magni- tude seemed to be in the position of the Nova. Reference to the measures of the Algiers Astro- - graphic Catalogue shows that this star is No. 108 on plate 1003. Its. magnitude is given as 8'8m.. Its co-ordinates on this plate (centre: 18h. 4om. and 0°) are +57°0074' and +27°8588’. With the data given in the catalogue the position of the star is found to be R.A. 18h. 44m.,43°52s., Dec. 0° 29/ 31°0!! for 1918'0 It thus seems very probable that the Nova is identical with this star of the Algiers Astrographic Chart and Catalogue, photographed on the dates Aug. 20, 1909 and June 26, 1895. This star is also shown on a Franklin Adams plate taken at Johannesburg in 1910. It cannot be said with certainty that these three photographs show no evidence of variability, though on the photographs of 1909 and 1910 the star is perceptibly fainter the position of the | than the neighbouring star (No. 105 in the Algiers Catalogue) while in the catalogue (date of photo- graph, 1895) it is given as of the same magnitude (8°8m.). If the identity of the Nova with this star is confirmed the point is one of great interest. It is fortunate that the Nova will be well placed for observation for some months, so that! ample records of its varying luminosity and spectrum will probably be secured. At the present time the star rises practically due East at about.7.20 p.m., and is on the meridian, 39° above the- horizon at London, at about i.20 a.m., G.M.T. ; F. W. Dyson. The spectrum of the Nova was observed by me on June 10 with a McClean star spectro-' scope on a 3-inch refractor, and on June 11 with a Z6llner spectroscope on the 6-inch refractor at the Imperial College. It was not notably different on the two evenings, except that the continuous background was possibly more intense on June 10. In each case the spectrum strongly recalled those of Nova Aurigz and Nova Persei in their early stages, shortly after maximum brightness, The most striking feature of the spectrum was the red line of hydrogen, which was of extra- ordinary brilliancy. In the green there was a group of four bright lines, of which the most re- frangible and brightest was doubtless H», while the others may well have been the enhanced lines of iron about wave-lengths 517, 502, and 492, which were observed in previous nove. Another conspicuous line in the blue was probably Hy. There was also a broad nebulous line about A 532, and another of the same character which was roughly estimated to be about A560. On the - red side of the latter was a dark shading, and there 286 NATURE [June 13, 1918 was a strong absorption line or band which was estimated to be in the position of sodium D. There was possibly a bright fringe on the red side of ‘this absorption line. Between D and C there were two fairly conspicuous bright lines, which were estimated to be in the neighbour hood of A 615 and A 630. The star was brighter than Altair, and was of a reddish-yellow colour. A. FOWLER. INSECT BEHAVIOUR.! : T was on a Harmas (an untilled, pebbly bit of land) in Provence that Fabre, after heroic struggles, opened his “laboratory of living ento- mology,’’ where, undisturbed, he might “pry into life.’? ‘Never, in my insect- hunting memories, ‘have I seen so large a population at a single back of the butterfly’s neck; the -beautifully finished cupolas made by Eumenes wasps out of minute pebbles and mortar, and stored with half- paralysed caterpillars, the food for the grub which hatches out of the egg cleverly suspended from the roof; the way the glow-worm. deals with snails, first ‘chloroforming them and then drinking them, for the flesh has to be liquefied into a broth before it can be used. Fabre’s words suggest that the liquid passes up the hollow mandibles to the mouth, but there seems some doubt on this point, as may be seen by comparing the recent observa-— tions of Miss Kathleen Haddor with those of Prof. Bugnion. Apart from the sheer delight afforded by Fabre’, Ss intimate descriptions, the chief value of the essays — before us lies in their evidence of the limitations of instinct, which gives a basis for the conviction, Fic, 1,—The Lycosa lying head downwards on the edge of iner pit, holding in her hind legs her white bag of eggs, and lifting them toward the sun, to assist the hatching. spot; all the occupations have made it their rally- ing-point. Here come hunters of every kind of game, builders in clay, weavers of cotton goods, collectors of pieces cut from a leaf or the petals of a flower, architects in pasteboard, plasterers mixing mortar, carpenters boring wood, miners digging underground galleries, artificers handling goldbeaters’ skin, and many more.’’ What a place for studying those inborn capacities for effective behaviour which we label instinctive! What dis- closures this inimitable observer gives us—the sounds of the midsummer night from the tink- ling of toads to the death-wail of the surprised cicada, the green grasshopper’s strange banquet off her fertilising | capsule, the quick and fatal bite which the ‘‘devilkin’’ or Empusa gives on the 1 ‘The Wonders of Instinct. By Jj. H. Fabre. Pp. 320. (London: Chapters in the Psychology of Insects.” Translated by A..T. de Mattos and~Bernard Miall. T. Fisher wawts, Ltd., 1918.) Price ros. 6d. net. NO. 2537, VOL. 101] From ‘‘ The Wonders of Instinct.” from which the author never departed, that in- stinctive behaviour is not in the samé category as intelligent behaviour. On one hand we see extra- ordinarily perfect instinctive behaviour like that of the Capricorn grub boring in the depths of the oak-tree for three years on end, yet coming at the appropriate time to the surface and preparing down to minute details an exit for the future beetle. It behaves as if it had perfect prescience. On the other hand, the burying beetles, though ~ persisting in trying all their bag of tricks when their undertaking is difficult, will allow themselves to be baffled by a hitch which the least spice of intelligence would remove, and will submit to in- carceration in a prison which to expert tunnellers like Necrophori has practically an open door. Similarly, Fabre’s procession caterpillars per- sisted for a week in a futile circumambulation of the margin of a vase in the garden. Instinctive it is not reflective. “transformism ”’ in a line with reason? course, invariably wise. ee ee ee ee ee ee ae , a eer the grass affect the g¢ ui Bie do. not think that the British public could find But part we have too. bite of a good thing? to make his _ June 13, 1918] NATURE 287 behaviour depends on inborn, ready-made capacity ; But why did Fabre think that > was compelled to rank instinct ~ Fabre was a very great naturalist, but not, of Thus, once in a way it may have been useful to deplore the fact, or sup- posed fact, that “natural history, youth’s ’ glorious _ study, has, by dint of cellular improvements [sic], _ become a hateful and repulsive thing,’’ but it was unwise to reiterate contempt for the labours of _ the analytic zoologist who follows the nerve-fibres of a _Cirripede, or counts the joints of a Crusta- _ eean’s antenna, or puzzles over the architecture of an Annelid’s egg. Fabre had no sympathy with this sort of study, and he did not understand it. The same must be said in regard to: the great naturalist’s attitude to “transformism’”’ or evolu- _ tion-theory. The translation continues to be, clear and ae but the right word has not always been : the macre care should have been taken with otes; thus the word ‘ “species ’’ is mis- sie 4S . tiresome | feiteration; not every Annelid i is a ae ‘worm; it is unhappy to say that oe -plant-like sea-animals, including star-fishes}, > jelly-fishes, sea-anemones, and sponges ’’; and surely. the cicada is not “akin to er.’’ But these and their like do not general success of the translators’ work. -much ‘more. wholesome than these essays : by one of the greatest of observers, but we are in — me obliged to express to the publishers our ¢ that this fascinating volume should con- Served ‘which we have read in book _ We: read “The Harmas”’ and “The in “The Life of the Fly’’; we read fy a Caterpillar’? and ‘‘ ‘The Cab- bage Cat r’’ in “The Life of the Caterpillar.’ ~ PROF. BS “BLA SERNA. F ee life and work of Prof. Pietro Blaserna, who died at Rome on February 26, .an in- teresting account is now contributed by Prof. Cantone to the Atti dei Lincei, xxvii., (1) 7. Prof. Blaserna was born on February 29, 1836, at - Aquileja, near Gorizia, and attended school at the latter place, afterwards proceeding to Vienna, where, after he had completed his degree course, he assisted in the physical department. Being thus a native of the scene of recent conflicts between Italy and Austria, he was entirely Italian in his sympathies, and, after studying in Paris under Regnault, he obtained a chair of physics, first at Palermo, and then at Rome. Here he devoted his main efforts to teaching and organ- isation, and succeeded in building up a school of physicists of which Italy has every reason to be proud. Instead of giving most of his time to researches, which might have necessitated his maintaining an attitude of exclusiveness towards elementary students, Prof. Blaserna endeavoured classes popular, and thus to NO. 2537, VOL. 101 | disseminate a scientific spirit in Italy. At Rome the laboratory of practical physics was originally in a church building, but was removed in 1881 to the Istituto di Panisperma. A weekly colloquium was instituted at an early stage, and the names of Alfonso Sella, Eugenio Beltrami, and Vito Volterra are among those who derived inspiration from him. To physicists outside Italy Prof. Blaserna’s name will be familiar in connection with the Accademia dei Lincei, of which he was president for twelve years, up to December, 1916. Although his duties left scanty time for research, Prof. Blaserna made important contributions to science connected with electromagnetic induction, determination of refractive indices, tangent galvanometers, and the polarisation of the light of the corona in the eclipse of 1870. Of practical problems, that of the design of the best form of amphitheatre was solved by him and applied to the construction of his classroom; this problem also led to a study of ‘certain pro- perties of Z and Gamma functions. Much work of national importance was also entrusted to Prof. Blaserna, who figured prominently. in many pro- ceedings of the Second Chamber. He was keenly interested in music, which he studied from the acoustical point of view, and he was instrumental in standardising the concert pitch for Italy, be- sides . writing. a popular treatise on sound and music, as -. NOTES. Ina Tong list . of promotions in, and- appointments to, the Order of the British Empire, made on the occasion of the King’s birthday,’ we notice the fol- lowing ‘names of men who have been honoured for scientific services in connection with. the: war :— Knights Commanders (K.B-E.) :- Col.-H. E. F. Goold- Adams, late Controller, Munitions Inventions Depart- ment; Mr. Horace Darwin, F.R:S., chairman, Cam- bridge Scientific Instrument .Co., Ltd.,° member of Munitions — Inventions Department.- Panel; - Lt.-Col. A. G. Hadcock, F.R.S., managing director, ‘Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co. Ltd Dray C, Houston, director of Water Examinations, Metropoli- tan Water Board; Mr. H. D. McGowan, managing director of Nobel’s Explosive Co., Ltd. ; Prof. T. Middleton, Deputy Director-General, Food Production Department, Board of Agriculture; Col. Sir Frederic L. Nathan, chairman, Standing Committee on the Causes of Explosions at Government and Controlled Factories, Ministry of Munitions, chairman Advisory Committee on Alcohol Supplies for War Purposes; Mr. A. Nimmo, president, Mining Association of Great Britain, chairman Board of Trade Committee on the Coal Trade after the War, member Central Coal and Coke Supplies Committee; Admiral Sir Richard H. Peirse, Naval Member of the Central Committee of the Board of Invention and Research; Mr. P. L. D. Perry, Director of Mechanical Warfare, Ministry of Munitions; Mr. J. W. Restler, chairman, Metropolitan Munitions Committee, chief engines Metropolitan Water Board. Commanders (C.B,E Prof, E. C. C. Baly, F.R.S., professor of chemistry, | Liverpool University, Deputy, Inspector of High Ex- plosives, Liverpool Area; J. Barcroft, F.R.S., Superintendent of Physiological Investigations, Chemical Warfare Department, Ministry. of - Muni- tions; Mr. Conrad Beck, president, British Optical 288 NATURE [June 13, Bie’! Instrument Manufacturers’ Association; Dr. H. N. Dickson, professor of geography, University College, Reading, Head of Geographical Section, Naval Intel- ligence Division, Admiralty; | Prof. H. B. Dixon, F.R.S., professor of chemistry, Manchester Univer- sity ; Prof. A. S. Eve, F.R.S., Resident Director of Research, Admiralty Experimental Station, Parkeston; Prof. E. C. K. Gonner, professor of economic science, Liverpool Ee CORO. Director of Statistics, Ministry of Food; Mr. C. H. Wordingham, president, tion of Electrical Engineers, Director of Electrical Engineering, Admiralty. The list of several. hundreds of Officers of the Order (O.B.E.), published on June 7, includes the names. of a near of men of science. Tue creation of extensive hay dumps for Army requirements tends to bring into prominence the ques- tion, which is ever-recurrent in agricultural practice, as to the extent to which spontaneous ignition may take place and the conditions that are favourable to it. ‘The commonest cases of spontaneous heat produc- tion. are, of course, those in which living material, seeds, leaves, etc., undergo a ‘‘sweating”’ process when placed in heaps, and this change, which is asso-_ ciated with respiratory and enzymic changes, also proceeds to a certain extent in stacks of green or fresh hay. A. much more potent effect is, however, exerted’ by the growth of micro-organisms, bacteria, and moulds, some of which have been shown to be capable of raising the temperature to upwards of 7o° C. Beyond this temperature it is doubtful whether even these organisms can continue growth, and this view is supported by the fact that only carbon dioxide, and not inflammable gas, is produced, but the high temperature already attained, and possibly the pro- ducts of microbial action, serve to initiate purely chemical oxidation changes, which eventually raise ‘the temperature to the region of 90°-95°. During this phase the hay assumes a dark brown or black colour, small quantities of formic acid are produced, and there is a loss of pentosans. and other nitrogen- free constituents. The latter temperature is, of course, unable to. give rise to firing, but in view of the fact that substances such as bran become 9 PYto- phorus on exposure to’ temperatures of 145°-175°, sand that energetic changes: take place as low as 130°, it has been assumed that a prolonged action at the temperature occurring in the haystack may also result in the formation of similar pyrophorus substances. The presence of moisture and of easily decomposable compounds and a free air supply are predisposing conditions to excessive heating. SoME interesting notes, which someone should col- lect, have been made from time to time by competent observers in regard to the behaviour of various animals under the terrific conditions of noise, vibra- tion, explosion, and other disturbances at the front. Thus it seems clear that some kinds of birds, under _ the dominance of instincts of feeding, nesting, or brooding, behave as if they were indifferent to the - Most conspicuous anomalies of their environment. Living creatures of many kinds are not in the least impressed by sounds which have no interest for them. Just as human perceptions are affected by pre-estab- lished concepts, so the intensity of animal sensations is affected by previously established associations. To terrific disturbances, which have neither inherited nor acquired ‘‘meaning,” an acutely sensitive organism may remain quite indifferent. The cuckoo’s calls are not interrupted by the thunderstorm. But another point is raised by some observations which Capt. W. Neilson Jones has just sent us. These refer to the diverse ways in which sheep and cows react to dummy NO. 2537, VOL. 1oT| Institu- — bombs released from an aeroplane. . The cows entirely indifferent to the ‘“‘ swish”’ of the falling but the sheep ‘‘invariably scatter in panic,” € question is whether this can be taken as a. well-es lished fact, and the answer must take the form | considerable number of precisely and impai observed cases. Supposing it to be a fact, the second question of interpretation. Have a different—more placid—temperament? | excited they get at times by the buzzing of cannot hurt them. The excitement is. probak to fallacious association with the buzzin sucking flies which can hurt them; and :. suggestion is that sheep are panic-struck swish of a falling bomb is probably not 1 sound of a bird of prey, say a golden eagle le, upon the lambs. Susceptibilities of 2 may prove very persistent, as Mr. Robinson 1 well shown in his suggestive. books Bee Pr Tame Apsley s Count A. DE La BAUME gee Sir Fr and Prof. F. Schlesinger have been e members of the Society of Italian Speci On the recommendation of the council. Society of Arts, the Albert medal for "1918 awarded to Sir R. T. Glazebrook “for his in the application of science-to the indust and war, by his work as director Physical Laboratory since 1899, and as cl the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. ACCORDING to a correspondent of the a severe earthquake was recorded — Observatory on the preceding day. eg probably on the evidence of n Keppel Bay, on the east coast of Au ess miles north of Sydney. The stren quake is evident from the fact that towns of New South Wales, not less than miles south of Keppel Bay, were se The chief interest of this shock lies in in a district which is rarely visited by In. view of the public interest. whi is b at present in the Madsen. machine-gun, the Engineer has reprinted in its issue description of this gun, which first ap contemporary on March 10, 1916. Th photographs of the weapon, and also a set c of di ings meee, the arrangement of the br mechanism. It is impossible to attempt a 2S tion of this mechanism here on- account of its | plicated nature, and readers inte ‘should refer to the original ‘article. iy EES, We regret to note that the regina for | announces the death of Mr. nas May 27. Mr. Aitken was road surveyor for ihe Cube. district of the County of Fife durin the Jast thirty- n six years. His invention of a roi -tarring n machine > brought him into prominence during the: in of the motor-car, and his machine gained the gold — medal and the prize ‘of one hundred guin Bie. at the — Road Surveyors’ International Com ion at Staines - in 1907.. His book, ‘‘Road-making and Mainte ance,” has now pecontie a standard work. Howard: member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. — ade as We jearp from Science. that Mr We Hague Har- ‘Har- | rington, one of the best known of the older entomologists, died on March 13 at Ottawa, cy at the age of sixty-six years. Mr. Harri one of the founders of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’. Club, and an one time was president of the. Rater : pee es a 3 fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. years his main interest in life was entomology, and he brought together a large collection of Canadian _ Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. He was a systematist _ Portsm “Manchester, Sheffield, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. of about 70 _ 14% tons, of which two tons consisted of bombs. guchute| NATURE 289 aoe i eal Society of Ontario. In 1894 he was elected a , For many of recognised standing, and probably the highest authority on Hymenoptera in the Dominion of Canada. | _ Pror. P. Giacosa gives elsewhere in this issue his impressions of the recent visit of university representa- tives from Italy to some of our educational institu- tions. The Italian delegation, which was invited by the: British Government to visit the universities of the United Kingdom, consisted of Profs. Arcangeli, Bianchi, Borgese, Columba, Credaro, De Viti de Mar Giacosa, Lori, Nasini, Romagnoli, Ruffini, gael); Woltbrrs. For various reasons Profs. Borgese, De Viti de Marco, and peorgnoli were unable to accept the invitation. Prof. Ruffini, who was detained in Rome on political business, delegated Prof. Galante to represent him. The delegates visited Winchester, outh,; London, Oxford, Cambridge, Leeds, _ THERE have been several rumours during the last few months to the effect that the Germans were building even larger raiding aeroplanes than the Gothas with which we are already acquainted, and it now appears that these rumours were well founded. A giant machine has been recently brought down in France, of which some particulars appeared. in ‘the Times for June 8. The information given shows that the machine had a span of about 140 ft. and a length ft. The weight, fully loaded, was ee he machine carries four engines of 300 h.p. each, and the speed is stated to be seventy-five to eighty miles per hour. If these figures are correct, the aeroplane stion appears to be the largest machine which ‘been flown. It is not by any means definitely ied that the largest possible bombing machines ‘be the most effective; indeed, it is reasorable to ose that a larger number of smaller machines ith a higher speed would be the more effective and 3s easy to attack. The larger a machine becomes, the more difficult it is to land in the dark, and the ‘more vulnerable it will be when there is a chance of definite aim from the ground or of attack by fighting machines. While this new development is highly interesting from the point of view of the possible development in the size of machines, it does not seem likely that these giant aeroplanes will appreciably increase the effectiveness of the enemy’s night raids. _ Mr. Frank Harwoop Lescuer, who died on May 12, aged seventy-five, was for many years one of the best- known men in the wholesale drug trade, into which he made his entry more than sixty years ago. (As a student he distinguished himself by carrying off the medal for botany and materia medica, a success which was soon followed by the Pereira medal, the blue ribbon of the Pharmaceutical Society. In after-life materia medica remained his favourite study, the results of which were, to a considerable extent, em- bodied in his “‘Recent Materia Medica,” in which all the newer remedies were ably discussed. Averse to publicity, his contributions to the current journals were not numerous, but his work was, nevertheless, con- tinuous and his store of knowledge profound. Those who were fortunate to hear it will not readily forget the fascinating and scholarly address delivered a short time ago to the students of the Pharmaceutical Society, in which-he summed up the results of his researches on the drug-routes of the world. By his death a genial, active, and intellectual worker has been lost. NO. 2537, VOL. 10T] THE interim report of the Gas Traction Committee, noticed in Nature of May 9g, p.. 188, referred to the need for experiments and tests in connection with thé determination of factors affecting portable gas- generating plants, and the commercial use of gas’ for traction purposes in containers at high pressures, together with questions relative to liquefaction, ab- sorption, and enrichment, as well as in regard ‘to improvements in the existing arrangements for effect- ing the admixture of gas and air in the requisite pro- portions under varying conditions. A sub-committee of the Gas Traction Committee has now been ap- pointed for the purpose of giving effect to this recom- mendation and of furnishing periodical statements on it. The sub-committee consists of Sir Boverton Red- wood (chairman); Lieut.-Col. R. K. Bagnall-Wild, Mr. W. Worby Beaumont, Major A.-MecN. Cooper- Key, Prof. C. Vernon Boys, Major B. Hopkinson, Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith, and Mr. S. Strakér, with Mr. Cecil H. Lamb, of H.M. Petroleum Executive, as secretary. Tue death of M. Jules Lachelier, at the age of eighty-six, which occurred recently, deprives us of an eminent French philosopher who marked a distinct stage in the development of the philosophical move- ment of his country. He linked Poincaré and Bout roux and Bergson with Ravaisson and Maine de Biran. Lachelier was not widely known, and he con- tributed very litthe to philosophical literature—tweo volumes on ‘‘ Le Fondement de l|’Induction”’ and an edition of Leibniz—but his influence as a teacher was immense. His own philosophical theory was a refined form of idealism which goes for its origin direct to Leibniz. A science of Nature, he held, would be an . impossibility if the lawsgof thought were not at. the same time, as Kant maintained, the constitutive laws of Nature; but he went further than Kant, believing that there is a method, which he named reflection, by which thought possesses itself in its very essence, and has nothing to seek beyond. Sensible knowledge he conceived, in the manner of Leibniz, as an obscure form of intellection. His chief work and his influence dates back to the years 1864 and 1877, during which period he lectured regularly on philosophy as Maitre de Conférences in the Ecole Normale Supérieure. In the latter year he was appointed Inspecteur Général de I’Instruction publique. Since 1901 he lived in prac- tical retirement, but continued to take a keen interest in philosophy, especially as a member of the Societé Francaise de Philosophie, assisting in discussions and in the work of producing the ‘ Vocabulaire philo- sophique.*’ He died on January 18 last at Fontaine- bléau. . . In 1896 Dr. Guiliano Vanghetti, an Italian phy- sician, when seeking to ameliorate the condition of the hapless soldiers who had been mutilated by the Abyssinians after falling into their hands as prisoners. of war, conceived the idea of utilising the muscles in the stumps of amputated limbs as the “ driving-power ” for artificial limbs. The technical difficulty of yoking ~ such muscles to the levers of artificial limbs proved to be very great, and ghee 1914 only twenty patients had been operated on. ith the outbreak of the present war this new departure of surgery—the ‘‘ kinematisa- tion of stumps”— was taken up by a young Italian surgeon, Prof. V. Putti, professor of orthopaedic sur- gery in the University of Bologna and director of the Rizzoli Institute. Prof. Putti has improved the technique needed to make such operations a success, and has now operated on fifty cases. His patients, by means of muscles retained in the stumps of their limbs, are able to execute movements in artificial hands, knees, and feet. During a recent visit to, England Prof. Putti demonstrated his methods and 290 NATURE [ JUNE ‘13, 1918 results to British surgeons, and convinced them’ that this new departure in surgery deserves their most favourable consideration. The muscles of the stumps are yolsed to artificial levers by various devices, and it is*surprising how the parts become tolerant of the abnormal burdens placed on them by the surgeon. The patient is even able to estimate the weight of the load which he attempts to lift. For success the surgeon depends on the intelligence and perseverance of his patients as ‘much as on his own technical skill. It would be wrong to give rise to the hope that ‘‘ kineplastic’’ surgery can ever give a limbless man conditions of movement comparable to those he -has lost, but this new departure in surgery does promise an amelioration of our former helpless outlook. Prof. Putti has presented models and casts of ‘‘kine- matised stumps ’’ to the museum of the move College of Surgeons of England. APPRECIATIVE notices of the work ot ami. Oo, Ahrens, who died on March 14, at eighty-one vears of age, are contributed to the Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club by Mr. E. M. Nelson and Prof. F. J. Cheshire. We extract the following particulars from Mr. Nelson’s notice :—Mr. Ahrens was a prism and spar slitter. He made Nicol prisms and analysers, quartz and calcite prisms of all kinds, as well as the glass prisms for Wenham binoculars. In 1867 he designed a binocular upon quite a novel plan. The rays.issuing from the back of the objective were separated to an angle of 15° by a double-image calcite prism; these rays were then crossed over by two flint prisms, to correct the chromatic dispersion. The rays used were the extraordinary, the ordinary being diverted out of the path. The tubes were equally in- clined to each other. In 18@1 he introduced another new binocular, in form like Stephenson’s. It had parallel tubes, but they were bent as in the Stephen- son. The ingenious part of the arrangement was that the beam from the back of the objective was divided by two Wollaston camera-lucida prisms placed back to back; these deflected the rays right and left, then another prism with two reflections bent them up the tubes. Probably a carefully made binocular on this plan would be a very successful instrument. In 1884 he designed a bent-tube erecting monocular micro- scope; obviously a most useful instrument, it is sur- prising that some energetic manufacturer has not taken up this idea. In the same year Mr. Ahrens designed a new polarising prism, which was further improved by Mr. G. Madan in 1885. In 1886 he brought out yet another improved form of polarising prism, the object of which was to lessen the ratio of de length. to its breadth. That of the Nicol is about 3:1, while the Ahrens was 13:1. In 1887 he made an erecting microscope the design of which has had far-reaching consequences. The erection was obtained by Porro prisms. It was Ahrens who first brought the long- forgotten Porroprism to remembrarce. WE have received the Report of the Bacteriologist, State Board of Agriculture, Michigan, for the year ended June 30, 1917. Much work has been done on contagious abortion of cows. the Bacillus abortus did not prevent infection with succeeding abortion in guinea-pigs. The bacillus soon dies out on wool, silk, and in soil; on the two former materials within’ a fortnight, and in soil within a week. Cultivations of leguminous bacteria have been tested as fertilisers for leguminous crops. On alfalfa they seem to be of benefit in about one-third of the crops treated, but.on other crops no. definite conclusion has yet been "reached. “THE Report of the Departmental Committee ap- aad to inquire as to precautions for preventing the NO. 2537, VOL. 101] Vaccines prepared with. danger of infection by anthrax in the manipulation of 7 wool, goat-hair, and camel-hair has just been iss (Cd. 9057). The Disinfection Sub-Committee conclude that anthrax can only be prevented either by preventin the disease among animals or by the destruction o the organisms in the wool or hair. The Sub-Com. mittee has devised a process for the ar pose, the essential features of which are :—(1) Tr ment of the material with a warm aqueous solution — of soap containing a little alkali, followed by pee ee ing between rollers; this disintegrates the blood-clots. (2) Treatment with. a warm solution of- formaldehyde, in water and again squeezing; this destroys most of the spores. (3) Drying and standing for a short time, by which any remaining spores are killed. The Com-— mittee is of opinion that the Government should undertake the work of disinfection at a central institute. oe or station. For the treatment of 10,000,000 Ib. of wool annually the cost of the central station is esti- ek mated to be 18,o00l., and the working cost to be “ee 0:544d. to o-824d. per lb. of untreated material. These figures were computed at pre-war prices, | Bese 75 per cent. would have to be added to meet day conditions. Cart. E. G. Frenron discusses in the May issi Man the remarkable cart-ruts found in Malta. It! been formerly assumed that they date from prehistor times, and that they probably belong to the oe olithi period. There is no sign of a groove cut a feet’ between the ruts,,and the suggestion | be made that they are the result of human power in ce a shape of a number of men drawing waggons, ~ ~ that the Neolithic civilisation was brought to neo by a period of desiccation, such as that discussed by — Ellsworth Huntingdon in ‘‘The Pulse of Asia,” the © dawn of our Mediterranean historical period being heralded by the increase of moisture. Capt. Fenton, on the whole, believes that they date from the early Ai part. of the Iron age, at a time when the Nie c. ranean was moister and the island was capable supporting a larger population than under od . conditions. The suggestion that these SH changes can be equated with events in Egyptian is tory is interesting, but the evidence is ?, ee j sufficient to support any definite conclusion. | Boyd Dawkins. in the June issue of Man, asserts . that the ruts are ‘“‘due to the weathering of ‘the rock — ; under vaporal conditions. . They ordinary joints, widened and eroded by the rain- water containing carbon dioxide, familiar to geologists — in all limestone plateaux, and to be seen over | ‘very’ wide regions in Southern France.” eae ty di A RESEARCH of interest to veterinarians and Ps on the efficiency of some Anthelmintics has been 4 lished by M. C. Hall and W. D. Foster (Journ. Agric. Research, vol. xii., No. 7, 1918). By comparing the number of worms evacuated after the administration of various drugs with those found in the diges tracts of “patients” killed a few days later a sort oF ‘percentage efficiency” can be calculated. |The number of experiments, of. this kind is “necessarily f limited, but the result in nearly all cases is disappoint- ingly low. Dr. H. E. Cross has been trying the effect of various emulsions intended to protect camels from the attacks of blood-sucking flies (Bull. 76, Agric. Research Inst., -Pusa); he finds that the only service- able agent is ‘castor-oil, which is too expensive — for 4 practical use. of A systematic zoological paper of more than —. interest is Mr. J. Hewitt’s ‘‘Survey of the Scorpion — Fauna of South Africa,” which constitutes part ii. of the Transactions of the Royal Society of South Afriea (vol. vi., i918). The semen has a large ie ess are merely the © Yet ? : by Mr. Charles Dawson at Piltdown in rg15. ke June ETS, 1918] and neural arches ‘are certain wedge-bones and some separate parts Section of Geol meetin _ ment of Science (Science, April 5), urged the claims of geology NATURE 291 ; gh and species, which are described in detail with help of structural drawings and admirably repro- _ duced photographs. The author takes occasion to dis- _ Cuss the bearing of the variation of features of sys- tematic importance on questions concerning the factors _ of evolution, and concludes :—‘‘In view of the con- tinuous variability of most of the characters employed in the distinction of species amongst our scorpions, ~ it seems probable that discontinuity arises most fre- quently through the elimination of intermediate forms rather than by mutation processes.”’ _ «Iw his latest studies on American Permian verte- brates (Contributions from Walker Museum, Chicago, vol. ii., No. 4), Prof. S. W. Williston discusses the ae of the vertebra in the amphibians and reptiles, and shows that all stages in the development are now Inheriting separate pleurocentra, hypocentra, from the early fishes, the land- vertebrates soon consolidated their centra, until in later reptiles the only remnants of the primitive ie Ta in the atlas and axis. Among other notes Prof. Williston also describes and illustrates some fine specimens of the known. _ brain-case of Eryops, Edaphosaurus, and Dimetrodon. Pror. Roiiin D. Sarispury, in his address to the xeology and Geography at the Pittsburgh of the American Association for the Advance- “as a factor in general education, and pointed to modern geography as having even greater romise. Like Mr. Bateson in the ‘‘ Cambridge Essays,”’ feels that ‘‘the type of subject which works on _ Strictly mathematical lines cannot, by itself, afford the st preparations for the solution of the average problems of the average man.’ We require a “ train- ing in the methods by which uncertainties are cleared up,” and the sciences concerned with Nature in the _ field furnish this training to a marked degree. I the of London Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society . , vol. Ixxiii., p. 1, Dr. A. Smith Woodward describes two additional cranial fragments and a molar tooth of Eoanthropus, which were yeni ince one fragment is occipital, and the same region is represented in the imperfect skull originally described, there is no doubt that we now possess traces of a second individual. The paper is rendered still more _ valuable by an appendix by Prof. G. Elliot Smith, and tS a eee by the printing of the discussion, in which Mr. Pycraft, Prof. A. Keith, and Sir Ray Lankester took an important part. Attention may be directed to Mr. Pycraft’s comments on a ramus of the mandible of a chimpanzee with worn molars, sent him by Mr. G. T. Miller, who, as is well known, opposes the attribution of the Piltdown jaw to the skull fragments associated with it in the gravels. A WRITER in the Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Chemie for March 22 estimates the available water-power in Germany at 11-4 million h.p., only about four millions being yet utilised. In 1910 the proportion utilised was only 5 per cent. of the steam-power produced, while in France the percentage has reached 40 per cent. Tue restoration of Alsace to France would put the latter country in possession of the valuable potash deposits discovered in 1904. These rich deposits cover an area of seven square miles, to the north-west of Mulhouse. The workable yield is estimated at 300 _ million tons, and they could be made to yield an annual output of 800,000 tons at a low cost of pro- _ duction. According to the Zeitschrift fiir angewandte NO. 2537, VOL. 101] Chemie, March 22, fitteen shafts have already been sunk, but production has been hampered by legal restrictions arising out of the German potash laws. AccoRDING to a writer in the Berg- und Hiitten- mannischer Jahrbuch, part i., 1917, there are exten- sive, unworked deposits of manganese ore in the Bukovina which reach into Rumanian territory. The article describes the deposits and the methods of work- ing them. Analyses made show the yield of metallic manganese to be 40:65 per cent. The ore oceurs in some parts in the form of outcrops, thus making it cheap and easy to win. . Another authority, writing in Stahl und Eisen for April 4, estimates the quantity of manganese ore in the Kutais Government of Russia as thirty million tons, and in the Yekaterinoslay Government about eleven million tons. The posses- sion of Batoum by the Turks should enable them to control the entire output of ‘the deposit first mentioned, while the peace made with the Ukraine brings the second source of supply within the range of German influence. For the making of chemical manufacturing plant chemists and metallurgists have long sought some form of metal which will resist the corrosive action of acids, Such a metal would have obvious advantages over the stoneware or similar breakable material ordinarily employed. In the laboratory it has long been known that iron could be made resistant to either sulphuric . or nitric acids by alloying it with a certain proportion of silicon or chromium, but it is only recently that successful use has been made of this acid-resisting property on a large scale for chemical installations. In the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry for March 30 Mr. S_ J. Tungay gives an account of what has been done in this country and abroad towards the industrial production of acid-resisting iron. Con- siderable manufacturing difficulties have had to be overcome, but British metallurgists are now able to produce a large variety of vessels and plant suitable for the making of sulphuric and nitric acids; the material employed is understood to be an iron-silicon alloy containing a small proportion of one of the rare elements. Since the outbreak of war the metal has been found a great boon in condensing the nitric acid required for high explosives, as by making use of it large nitric acid plants were installed very rapidly; moreover, the condensing efficiency obtained was high, since the alloy possesses a heat conductivity about ten times that of stoneware. WE have received from the Controller of Munitions Mineral Oil Production a report on ‘* The Production of Fuel Oil from Ordinary Gas-works Plant.” In view of the peculiar and difficult conditions. now obtaining, the technical advisers of this Depart- ment realised that existing apparatus and trained staffs must be employed, and they appear to have gone a long way to solve a problem of the greatest urgency. Without betraying any _ official secrets; it may be said that the enormous deposits of cannel and bastard cannel: which occur in this country are being explored and tested with a view to the production of an indigenous oil supply. It is obvious that our almost complete dependence on foreign sources for fuel oil, gas oil, benzine, and kerosene is a weakness that the enemy has not: been’ slow. to realise, and it is a matter for congratulation that. on the eve of the fifth year of war the authorities have decided to prosecute their search for substitutes. It appears that the researches of the Department indi- cate that excellent yields of tar can be obtained from cannel coal—a fact which is by no means novel, seeing that, in the distant past, there actually was existent in .Staffordshire a home oil. industry. Where ~the 292 NATURE [JUNE 13, 1918 present report, however, achieves novelty is in the production, at suitable temperatures, of not only a good yield of tar, but also an excellent production of gas and of sulphate of ammonia. It has commonly been considered that a good gas make indicates a low oil production, and vice versa. The Department, however, by means of a compromise on temperature and by various modifications of standard gas-works technique, has, without doubt, made a distinct step in the direction of producing ample supplies of fuel oil compatible with the maintenance of the gas output. In a communication to.the Journal of the Rontgen Society, vol. xiv., No. 54, January, 1918, Mr. C. A Schunck describes a series of tests made to ascertain the region of .the ultra-violet spectrum that produces the greatest therapeutic effect. The several parts of the spectrum were isolated by the absorption of weak solutions of quinine sulphate, salicylic acid, and phenol, or by glass plates. The therapeutic effect was observed by exposure of the operator’s forearm to the screened rays for definite periods of time, and note was taken of the reaction produced. The greatest effect appears in the region 2500 to 2350 A.U.; the boundaries, however, of this region are not sharply marked. Engineering of May 31 contains an account of the new Trollhattan Canal, connecting Lake Vanern with the Kattegat. Sanctioned by a -.Parliamentary vote in May, .1909, the waterway in October, 1916, had reached a stage which enabled it to be opened to traffic, and the ceremony was performed by the King of Sweden. The project is really one of old standing, dating back. to the days of Gustavus Vasa, who initiated steps for linking up Lake Vanern with Trdll- hattan by means of a navigable waterway. The first lock was opened in 1607. It was not, however, until 1800 that through connection was established to Gothenburg. Various extensions have since been carried out, culminating in the development called the new canal, the cost of which has somewhat ex- ceeded a million and a quarter sterling. ‘The enlarged waterway, which is- fifty-two miles in length, is: adapted for vessels generally up to 13 ft. draught, but the locks, which are six in number, enabling a change in level of 140 ft. tobe negotiated, are constructed to: pass vessels of 163 ft. draught, this being a provision to meet likely developments in the near future.: Each of the lock-chambers has a length of 320 ft. and a width of 45 ft., with a depth of 18 ft. of water over sill. The canal has a mean bottom width of 79 ft. The traffic during last year amounted in the aggre- gate to 9759 vessels, totalling 870,668 tons. -Of this number 7827 were steamers, 664 sailing vessels, and 1268 barges. The undertaking was designed and carried out under the direction of the Royal Water- falls Board. OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. KopaikaNnaL OxssERVATORY ReEport.—The report of the Director of the Kodaikanal Observatory for the year 1917 has been received. The weather during the year was generally unfavourable, according to Indian standards, but substantial. progress in many depart- ments of solar research is recorded. Direct photo- graphs of the sun were obtained on 294 days, mono- chromatic images of the disc in K light on 328 days, prominence plates on 262 days, and H, disc plates on 255 days. Judging by the mean latitude of spots, it would appear that the maximum of the sunspot cycle was not reached; though the northern hemi- sphere may possibly have attained its greatest activity. NO. 2537; VOL. 101] The prominences, with a mean daily number of 198, — were in excess of those recorded in 1916; the northern — hemisphere continued to be more active than t southern, as regards both prominences and spots, and also as shown by prominences projected as absorptit F markings on the disc. Work with the large grati Vi ba ve It has been fow most of the iron arc lines in the region between 4: and 4494 show a tendency to shift towards the re with increasing exposure time, indicating that are unsymmeétrically widened towards the rec very slight degree. The vertical motion- 3 km./sec. reported by Perot for the B group of oxygen (telluric lines) was not confirmed by observations made at Kodaikanal. An attempt to photograph the con junction of Regulus and the sun on August 22, ir infra-red light, was unsuccessful, but the- Vege- table). By A. E. Baines. Pp. xxix+291. (London: G. Routledge and Sons, Ltd.) 125. 6d. net. British Ant- By Prof. F. E. Lutz. Pp. DIARY OF SOCIETIES. THURSDAY, June 13. RowaL Society, at 4-20.--Experiments on the Effect of the Vibration of a Stretched Wire forming part of a Closed Electric Circuit : Admiral Sir Henry Jackson.—The Effect of Wind Pressure on the Pitch of Organ ‘Pipes: A. Mallock —The Diamagnetism of Hydrogen and the Value of om stig. poh : Dr. As A One: ? ; PTICAL SOCIETY, at 7.—The Prevention of Filming in Enclosed Optical Instruments: H.S, Rvland:—A Chart for Pieding the Number of Larises in, and Size of, a Block: Horace Lee.—Charts for Assisting in the Selec- tion of Suitable Glasses for Cemented Doublets : T. Smith. MATHEMATICAL Society ‘at 5.—Hellinger’s Integrals: Prof. E. W, Hobson.—An Assumption in'the.Theory of Singular Solutions of Ordinary Differential Equations of the First Order: Prof. M. J. M. Hill.—Quartic and Cubie Residuacity Tables: Col. A. J. Cunningham and Th. Gosset. —Lncas’s Process applied to°Comy ite M Numbers: Col. A. J. Cunningham.—The Gaussian Period Numbers and-the Conditions that’ 2 should bea Residue of a 16th or a 32nd Power: Dr. A. E. Western.— The Aberrations of a Svmmetrical Optical System: T. W. Chaundy.— The Rotation-groups of the Regular Figures in Four or more Dimensions: T. Lindsay Ince. : : NO. 2537, VOL. ror] (London: J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd.) | Natural His- — ‘DY 3h) a (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s | , eee FRIDAY, JUNE 14. : - Roya AsTRONOMICAL SociETy, at 5.—Literal Development of the the Lunar Perigee : R. Moritz.-—William Herschel’s Observations able Stars and Stars suspected of Variability. —The Me the Thousandth of a Second: R. A. Sampson.—The M of the Red Spot on Jupiter: Rev. T. E. R. Phillips.—The Stella tude Scales: of the Plasrorcaphic ‘Catalogue. ~ Note; Hy Perth, Edinburgh, and Cape Magnitudes : H. H. Turner.—An of the Determination of a Minute Periodic Variation as Illustre w of Errors: S. Chapman.—The ‘Pulsation ‘Theory of ables: F. A. Lindemann. -- Probable Papers: The Proper Mo B Stars: Sir F. W, Dyson.—Observations of a New Star W. H. Steavenson.—The Origin and Energy of Magnetic S. Chapman. ; re OS Puysicat Society, at 5.—Discussion : The Teaching of Physics Opener, Sir Oliver J. Lodge. 5 eda MALaco.ocicaL Society, at 7.—Notes on Magilus G. B, Sowerby.—Note on an Unpublished Reprint of a Brazier, pucimed in the Syduey Mail of December 2, 1! Shaw.—On a Supposed New Genus of Pelecypoda Tertiaries of Southern Nigeria: R. Bullen Newton. — ; MONDAY,, June 17. VicTorta INSTITUTE, at 4.30.—Annual Address, tion : Prof. D, S.-Margoliouth. TUESDAY, June 18 ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY, at 5.15.—Annual Genera Economic eveerorhis in Japan in their Relation the United Kingdom: K. Yamasaki. MINERALOGICAL Soctety, at 5.30.—The Origin Richardson.—The Composition of the Nickeliferous | of Lodran, Powder Mill Creek, and Holbrook: Dr. The Future Miller By ipple. : Roya Microscoricat. Society, at 8,—Phote ot 3 THURSDAY, June 20. Rovar Socrsy, at 4.30.—Croonian Lecture: ' Phy: Thirst; Major W. B. Cannon. CONTENTS. © Aluminium and Rare Earth Metals _ The Construction of Harbours. Ry, EL Radio-therapy ...... Our Bookshelf eas a ‘Letters to the Editor :— babes Propagation of Sound and Light i . Atmosphere.—Lord Rayleigh, O.} x, _ The Drift of Meteor Trails. —Capt. 'C. The New Star in Aquila. Pepe poe F.R.S. ; Prof. A. Fowler, F.R:S. . Insect Behaviour. (///ustrated). 2. . Notes ~ pie Spey ica id «tind * Our Astronomical Column :— Kodaikanal Observatory Report. . ._ -‘Annuatio of the Rio de Janeiro Observ Alexander the Great and his Celestial — (Jllustrated.) By Sir G. Greenhill, F.R.S. The Visit of Delegates from Italian Uni By Prof. Prero Giacosa . . . The Education Bill . > Ey Nees Light and Vision. By Prof. W. M. Bayliss, University and Educational Intelligence Societies and Academies... Books Received ...... Diary of Societies ...... it Scie Sao ‘Editorial and Publishing Offices: — MACMILLAN AND CO.,. ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LON Advertisements dnd business letters to be fs Publishers. Sats Editorial Communications to the Telegraphic Address: Puusits, Lonpon. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. . any desired extent. -_ seribed area. volume is largely a reflection of American prac-_ pe - MATURE 3C1 THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1918. — MASONRY DAMS AND IRRIGATION WORK. Fah Engineering for Masonry Dams. By W. - Pitcher Creager. Pp. xi+237. (New York: J. ,Wiley and: Sons, Inc.; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) Price 11s. 6d. net. (2) Irrigation Works Constructed by the United Sta Government. By A. Powell Davis. Pp. xvi+413. (New York: J. Wiley and Sons, Ine.; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1917.) Price 21s. net. (1) ade? engineering term “dam’’ has a + diversity of applications; it may be de- fined to include any work which has for its. object _ the confinement of water, (a) so as to produce a rise in level, (b) so as to exclude it from a certain area, and (c) so as to repress the natural flow to subject is approached almost. entirely from the point of view of the adaptation of dams to the formation of reservoirs in schemes of water con- servation. The briefest reference is made to weirs, anicuts, and the like, in river rectification opera- _ tions, and none to dykes and embankments in coastal defence works. The general location of the dam is assumed to be already determined, and the opening chapter deals with the selection of the most suitable site for the former within the pre- rib As might be anticipated, the tice, with some few illustrations selected . from _ other countries; we miss, however, any reference to English and French designs, some of which are certainly worthy of note. Within the purview chosen the treatment is lucid and coherent. We confess to a dislike of the use of numerals as points of reference in a diagram, when the lines and areas they indicate _ have numerical coefficients assigned to them: ~which have been adopted in their design. there is always some possibility of confusion. But this is a minor defect. Dams are divided into six ‘classes, of which only three come strictly within the term “masonry dam.’’ The author investi- gates in careful detail the various external and internal forces acting upon such structures. The customary preliminary assumptions are made that the dam is rigid and homogeneous, that the foundation is elastic, and that the distribution of basal pressure follows a law of uniform variation. These assumptions are, of course, not strictly ‘correct, but Sir John Ottley and Dr. Brightmore have shown that calculations based on them give | results which, at any rate, are not less than the | , stresses actually experienced, and that they con- stitute, therefore, a conveniently safe working hypothesis. Indeed, in the present state of our knowledge no other premises are practicable, and the long-continued stability of existing dams demonstrates the trustworthiness of the principles It is NO. 2538, VoL. 10T | In Mr. Creager’s book the © true that Mr. Atcherley, in his theory of tension in vertical planes, has attacked the soundness of the position, but the weight of evidence is undoubt- edly against him, The author notes the contro- versy briefly, but, in view of the vital importance of the matter, we venture to think that the refuta- tion of Mr. Atcherley’s contention (ably ‘ main- tained as it was by Prof. Karl Pearson) by the experimental investigations of Ottley and Bright- more, and also by those of Messrs. Wilson and Gore, is deserving’ of rather more than. passing allusion in a footnote. If the postulates, how- ever, be conceded, the rest of the reasoning ~ follows. The author lays down six rules which govern the design of masonry dams in all essential respects. Each of these rules is then expressed in the form of a mathematical equation, belonging to one or other of two classes, which are termed respectively equations of determination and equations of investigation. The former of these fix the length and location of successive joints; the latter decide whether the results so obtained are compatible with the proportions adopted for adjacent sections and'the design as a whole, the process being, to.a large extent, one of “trial and error.’* Following this, a series of examples is worked Out im numerical and graphical detail, including two solid non-overflow _dams, a sotid spillway dam, and two hollow (re- inforced conerete) dams. Arched dams are also treated and illustrated, but we are a little sur- prised at the absence of any comment on the Bear Valley Dam in California, which is remarkable for its extremely slender proportions ; if we mistake not, the line of theoretical pressure, reservoir full, lies almost entirely outside the profile. | Some observations on noteworthy instances of _failure—at Bouzy and Habra, for example—would _have been serviceable, and the expenditure side of the question certainly deserves consideration ; but no particulars of cost are given. Taking it as a whole, however, the work will undoubtedly prove a_ useful text-book for students _ and draughtsmen, and we desire to express every appreciation of it as such; but it will scarcely be claimed by the author that he has exhausted the subject. (2) In-quite a number of respects, Mr. Davis’s volume is complementary to that of Mr. Creager. He gives a series of* articles on reservoir work carried out in the United States, including de- scriptions of the dams, with detailed statements of cost. Some of these dams are discussed and illustrated by Mr. Creager, but Mr. Davis’s ' presentment is less theoretical and more prac- tical, and his range is more extensive, since he includes timber and earth, as well as masonry _ structures. At the same time, his survey is limited | to irrigation works undertaken by the Reclamation Rapes, of the United States Government. The book is an appropriate record of a great State enterprise which has resulted in the provision of reservoirs and distributing systems whereby water is available for the irrigation of nearly two million ea = 302 NATURE [June 20, 1918 3 acres of land. In the year 1916 the annual pro- duct of the acreage actually under treatment was estimated at more than 22,000,000 dollars. The contents of the book are deserving of careful study by engineers and others engaged in the develop- ment of irrigation schemes. : Brysson CUNNINGHAM. MEDICAL ELECTRICITY. Medical Electricity: A Practical Handbook for Students and Practitioners. By Dr. H. Lewis Jones. Seventh edition, revised and edited by Dr. Lullum Wood Bathurst. Pp. xv+588. (London: H. K, Lewis and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 15s. net. ‘Bas LEWIS JONES was chiefly responsible for raising medical electricity to its present honourable position. He rescued it from the depths of disrepute into which it had been thrust by the hands of charlatans. The best years of his life were devoted to this work; by painstaking study he sifted the real from the sham, and by original investigation and -patient experiment in- troduced many new features in well-known elec- trical procedures. He showed a readiness to adopt new methods of treatment once he had convinced himself of their value. It was owing to the influ- ence of Prof. Leduc, of whom he spoke in terms of affection and admiration almost verging upon reverence, that he first realised the great possi- bilities of ionic medication. On the death of Dr. Lewis Jones the question arose whether the book that epitomised the history of medical. electricity should be allowed to pass out of existence. If not, where was the champion who would rescue it and keep alive the name of its creator? Dr. L. W. Bathurst answered the appeal. We may say: at once that in the new (seventh) edition, which he has revised and edited, he has carried out his difficult task in a worthy spirit.. All the essential features of the book, as we know it, have been retained, and such new matter has been added as the experience of recent months has shown to be worthy of adoption. Dr. Lewis Jones foretold the further expansion of ionic medication and the use of the thermal effects of electricity. Diathermy apparatus is now fully established in surgical practice as a means of coagulating the tissues. The introduction of drugs through the skin from electrodes moistened with them (ionic medication) is becoming more and more recognised as a valuable medical pro- cedure. The drugs mostly used are the chlorides of sodium, ammonium, and lithium, salicylate of soda, sulphate of zinc, the iodides of potassium and lithium, quinine sulphate, and cocaine hydro- chloride. Condenser discharges were first intro- duced into this country by Dr. Lewis Jones as a good diagnostic method of testing for the re- action of degeneration in diseases of the nervous system. These discharges are capable of accurate quantitative adjustment, and their use as stimuli for nerve and muscle gives more trustworthy results than are obtained by the galvanic battery. NO. 2538, VoL. 101] INDUSTRIAL WELFARE AND HEALTH. — The methods of using the condenser discharges for treatment are described in detail. ag Prof. Leduc’s remarkable experiments on the — production of “electric sleep” by rapidly inter- rupted currents passed longitudinally through the nerve-centres are described. ‘The anode w. or a rabbit, and the kathode on the skull. — skin was previously shaved. The current . increased gradually, and at a certain strength animal became unconscious. When this st was reached, a state of tranquil sleep was duced, in which the animal remained -unti current was stopped. During this period of slee there was anesthesia. As soon as the current ceased, the animal jumped up and seemed quite well, and no injurious results followed.’’ In 1 experiment of which Prof. Leduc had the coura to make himself the subject ‘‘the current was pushed to complete insensibility, the operat believing that this had been attained, although professor was able to tell them afterwards consciousness had not been lost, though he » quite unable -to communicate with them account of his peculiar condition, which he pares to that of one in a nightmare, aware some impending disaster, but unable to move or cry out. The current used in these experi is the Leduc current (§ 63), with 1oo periqds z second and with closures of one-thousandth of © second. The application of this electric sleep practical medical purposes remains untried, but it seems possible that it may one day prove useft The subject of death from electric shock is cussed in detail. The action of X-rays and rad in treatment and the subject of X-ray derma come in for reasoned comment, though the scop : of the book does not permit of a very full account of this important branch of the subject. Chaps. — xi.—xviii. contain classified lists of diseases, with the electric methods of treatment best suited each disease. Finally, we find a useful appendix _ containing (1) a table of electro-chemical equi- valents, (2) a comprehensive list of the towns of Great Britain and Ireland with particulars of their _ electric supply, and (3) plates, showing the motor — points in the head, neck, and limbs, the areas of distribution of the cutaneous nerves, and the seg- mental distribution of the sensory nerve-roots. __ “Medical Electricity ” is a true text-book and a valuable work of reference. “ATG aye: ste Tae Welfare and Housing: A Practical Record of War- time Management. By J. E. Hutton. Pp. viiit 192. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1918.) Price 5s. net. : Se 5 HE employment to-day in munitions factories _ of women on work to which they were not previously accustomed, and of men rejected by the Army on account of their inferior physique, — has raised in an acute way problems of industrial — welfare and health upon which efficiency and‘out- _ put are directly dependent—problems with us im ~ | aaa — / June 20, 1918] others with similar problems to solve. ‘undoubtedly of considerable value, but we should NATURE 393 _ pre-war days, but largely disregarded when labour _ was plentiful and when the need for its conserva- _ tion was not so manifest. _ An authoritative and informing manual dealing with the whole subject is at the present moment much needed, and Mr. Hutton’s book is a useful contribution to the subject; probably he intended it for no more. But it cannot in its present form be regarded as a standard work on the subject. It is curiously uneven. The scope of ‘“‘ Welfare Super- vision ”” touched upon very, inadequately later; the subject of factory medical service—a matter of the utmost - importance—is dealt with by another writer, who is allowed but limited space; recreation, which is just receiving much attention, .and being thoroughly organised in many industrial centres, is represented only by a few instances from some - of the factories of Vickers, Ltd.; while the last chapter, which introduces industrial unrest, and deals with it haphazard by a series of quotations, might have advantageously been omitted, for it openly seeks to drag’ the peace-making influence of the welfare movement into the unsettled tur- moil of economic strife, from which it should be _ ever guarded. The six appendices which reproduce from Home “Office publications legal and other information do, it is true, give condensed and useful information on many points, but appendices’ often escape the reader. In fact, we regret that Mr. Hutton did not use all the space he allowed himself for dis- cussing at greater length those branches of the subject with which he is best able to deal—indus- trial housing, transit, and feeding. The chapters dealing with these subjects are the best, and the information they contain as to how Vickers, Ltd., have dealt with the difficulties they had to face will be turned to, both now and in the future, by They are like to have learnt more of the workers’ point of view—as to whether they take any share in organ- ising and administering, or whether they are just housed and catered for “like dumb-driven cattle.”’ ‘The workers’ point of view is too often neglected by those who take a paternal interest in them, and there is a tendency to forget that (using Dr. Renton’s words) “there is-an inseparable relation- ship in varying degrees between all work and health and disease, and it is only by intimate knowledge of both that a correct conclusion can be reached, especially if, added to this, one has knowledge of the home conditions and habits of the worker.”’ OUR BOOKSHELF. Apblied Mechanics. Second Year. By H. Aughtie. Pp. 227. (London: G. Routledge and Sons, Ltd., 1918.) Price 2s. 6d. net. ‘Turis book opens with a very good discussion on the relations between movement and force ; experi- mental evidence is obtained by use of a trolley | NO. 2538, VOL. IoT| is outlined in an early chapter, but only . and vibrator. Engineers’ units are used freely, in which the unit of mass is g pounds. We are rather uncertain, however, as to what exactly the author wishes us to understand by “1 lb. weight.’’ The poundal absolute unit of force is explained, and mention is made of the dyne, but the engineers” metric unit of force of one gram weight or one kilogram weight is not mentioned. There is a slip on p. 11, where, in dealing with momentum, W/g is described as lb., instead of engineers’ units of mass. Despite these minor blemishes, this section of the book is a good deal clearer than many similar discussions in other text-books. Some very readable matter on hydrostatics and hydraulic appliances follows, illustrated by appro- priate experiments. The chapter on materials will be useful in laboratories possessing but small equipment and under the necessity of using ex- temporised apparatus. The drawings of apparatus throughout the volume are such as to enable the appliances described to be constructed from them. Some of the illustrations in the sections of the book dealing with the transmission of motion and power could be improved, especially in the iso- metric drawings of pulleys and wheels; the dis- tortion in some cases strains the readers’ eyes in examining the drawings. ' The remainder of the book is devoted to the motion of bodies subjected to alternately decreasing and increasing accelera- tion, motion in a curved path, centrifugal force, and the speed control of engines. The treatment throughout is simple, and the book contains suffi- cient to interest the student and induce him to push on to the study of the higher branches of the subject. : Glossary and Notes on Vertebrate Palaeontology. By S. A. Pelly. Pp. ix+113. | (London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 5s. net. In this little book Mr. Pelly has made a praise- . worthy effort to help the inexperienced reader of works on fossil backboned animals and the visitor to museums. It is a laborious compilation, sug- gested by many visits to the British Museum (Nat. Hist.), and consists of a series of brief memo- randa, often quotations, arranged under the names of various extinct animals in alphabetical order. Some of the notes are apt and excellent, but most of them are so inadequate and so lacking in essentials that it is difficult to understand to what type of student they can be of service. A special feature is made of the derivation of each technical name, and in most cases the original Greek words are rightly chosen, but the English equivalents given are not always appropriate to the occasion. There are, however, unfortunate instances of bad guesses (such as those under Goniopholis, Trema- taspis, and Uronemus), and the author would have done well to consult the old glossaries of Owen, Page, and Nicholson, which he appears to have overlooked. The book is well edited and remark- ably free from misprints, and of a convenient size for the pocket. Ac Sow: a 304 NATURE ay [June 20, 1918 LETTERS TO THE .EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents, Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with | rejected manuscripts intended for | the writers of, “i ‘ o notice is this or any other part of NaTURE. taken of anonymous communications. ] The Food of the Rook. Is there not even a fallacy in the argument against this bird which is supported ‘by a note in Nature of June 6, p. 271? You say that because 52 per cent. of 28:5 per cent... beneficial, therefore ‘‘it is impossible to ignore the fact that at present this bird does considerably more harm than good,” even though, as you admit, 23-9 per cent. of the rook’s food consists of injurious insects. Is it not possible that if these injurious insects— they doubtless consist of many species—had been left unconsumed by the rook, they might have So. multi- plied that their total depredation upon man’s food supply would have. considerably exceeded the 52 per cent. of foodstuffs which the bird consumes directly? As. a method more likely to restore the balance of Nature than the indiscriminate destruction of certain | species of birds, the rook included, I would suggest a strict preservation of all our bir ds’ of prey; and now . that game-preservation has to take second place to food production, this would seem to be a matter for practical legislation. SypnEy H. Lone, Norwich, June to. Ir Dr. Long assumes that the 23-9 per cent. of injurious insects left unconsumed might have multi- plied, it is surely only fair that he should also assume that, under similar conditions, the 48-5 per cent, of _ cereals, potatoes, and roots would have multiplied and brought forth a hundredfold. The point at issue, however, is whether, in estimating by the volumetric method the amount of food consumed by the rook per | annum the figures express equivalent or economic values. This method has so long been recognised’ as the only trustworthy one that it is not necessary to reassert its superiority over all others; and as McAtee has so pertinently remarked (The. Auk, 1912, ‘p. 452), such “criticisms are wide of the mark, for no one claims that percentages do express economic values. They are simply convenient handles to facts, and they must be interpreted.” As the result of long experience and the examination of the alimentary system of upwards of two thousand rooks, by which we have obtained the percentages referred to, = viz. that of the food consumed by the rook during a whole year, 52 per cent. is injurious, 19-5 per cent. neutral, and 28-5 per cent. beneficial, the detailed nature of the food under each heading, leads us to the conclusion that this bird does con- siderably more harm than good. The advisability of practical legislation for the strict preservation of birds of prey and. the relationship of such to game-bird preservation is a very complicated subject. “All statistics, however, go to prove that the preservation of game-birds is. beneficial rather than Animical to food production, and there are many other sides of the question which Dr. Long does not seem to have considered. THe WRITER OF THE NOTE. A Proof that any Aggregate can be Well-ordered. In ie letter printed in Nature for April 4, 1918 (vol. , p. 84), the class of direct continuations used for ect. ordering should have been stated to be ‘‘ com- NO. 2538, VOL. 10T] | our interpretation ° of | these figures, in the light of a long experience as to’ .» The Bourne, Basingbourre Road, the rook’s food is injurious, 19-5 per cent. neutral, and | plete"’—that is.to say, no chain of M outside class is such that every member of this class is a ment of this new chain. The actual construction o complete class of direct continuations can be ca out in a perfectly unique manner throughout in of the possible chains of M, without assuming there is any chain of M that exhausts M itself. T construction is given in detail in a paper which shortly appear in the Comptes, rendus, and the ¢ of the consequences of the existence thus ove already appeared in the Comptes rendus for Ap nite E, B, Jor Fleet, Hants, ages 31. Circle. Tue construction for squaring the cent Mr. R. E. Baynes in Nature for June 6 was more fully by Mr. T. M. P. Hughes in tt April 2, 1914, with a simple extenname sentation of the circumference. be Mr. Hughes suggested the use of a pe square of the proper angle, and-it seems th method was known earlier, for in the Science s1V mn by po it bore the inscription ‘‘ Edward Bing, B Perhaps someone else may know the hi instrument and method. . Dany of Edinburgh, June 8. Tere are in the Science. Museum th of the set-square to which Mr. Smeal | ef have been here since 1876, in which year lent by the inventor, Edward Bing, a m staff of the Waggon Works at iga, for in. the Special Loan Collection of $ paratus. There is a short description | 1876, at p published gen HO cag and the other two of wood, each case being about 72 Jin. ‘long. _ Tiere MS. label inside the mahogany case_ containing steel es: reads :—‘ Bing’s Cinta 4 Kreiswinkel. Equerre | circulaire. (a=27° 35° 49°636°).” The Science Museum, . South Kensington, June 13. INTER-ALLIED SCIENTIFIC — iF .-. “COMMISSION.” 2 aes EN a recent speech Mr. Clynes stated events of the last two years had re necessity, ‘not only of securing complete action among the Allies, but also o such action on the guiding principles laid d science. This recognition of the fundamente which science should play in the successful | tion of public affairs is noteworthy as coming from a member of the youngest of our political parties, .and augurs well for the future of | country when this party comes to be entrusted with a responsibility commensurate. with its pol power. In fact, much of the success of the im Ministry ‘with which Mr. Clynes is pennants ‘e _ be ascribed to the adoption by Lord Rhondda of ~~ Ta ae Se ee ee ee Shp ge 3 ; Paris, Rome, and London. _ JuNE 20, 1918] NATURE 395 scientific men rather than on _ the _ political €xigencies of the moment. Thus- the United Kingdom, alone among the European Allies, has been able to maintain a distribution of bread free from any restriction, at a time when all the others felt themselves constrained to limit the consump- tion of this, the most essential of all foods, by a system of rationing. This policy does not mean, _ as is so often thought, that the shortage of bread- stuffs in this country was less than that of the other Allies. But Lord Rhondda adopted the scientific policy of economising cereals at the expense of animals, instead of the more obvious expedient of diminishing directly the supply of bread to man. : __ When the pooling of supplies was decided upon by the Allies meeting in conference, a satisfactory tion was found practically impossible in ~ the absence of precise knowledge both as to the resources and as to the needs of each nation, The needs of a country depend on physiological facts, and can be deduced from a knowledge of the nutritional requirements of its inhabitants of varying age and sex, and the distribution of these classes of individuals among the population. The question is, therefore, fundamentally a physio- logical one. The resources of a country can be - gathered from the statistical information at the "disposal of the Government with al production and trade returns, etc., but the value of these resources as human food is also a question which can be determined only by physiologists. On this account, the Inter-Allied Songress, sitting at Versailles in the autumn of 1917, decided to establish an Inter-Allied Scientific Food Commission, consisting of two representa- tives of each of the Allied countries, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which should perform towards the Allies as a whole some- what similar functions to those which had been discharged for the United Kingdom by the Food Committee of the Royal Society. The task of this Commission was, therefore, to examine the re- sources of each of the Allied countries, to make a forecast of their production for the year 1918~10, and to report on the imports which should be allotted to each country in order that it should be supplied with sufficient food to maintain its sere in health and efficiency. - . e Commission has held three meetings—at In the first two meet- ings the Commission was mainly employed in establishing certain principles which should serve as a basis for its recommendations as to the imports necessary to meet the deficit of each country. It was of importance in the first place that all countries should make use of the same units of measurement, and base their cal- culations of food values on the same sets of figures for calorie value and composition of the chief food- stuffs. Thus it was agreed to use the metric ton as the unit of weight, the hectare as the unit of area. A list of the average calorie values of foods; based chiefly on the results of Atwater, was drawn up NO. 2538, VoL. 10T | regard to. for use by all Allied countries. As regards thé food requirements of the ‘ average man,’ and the relation thereto of women and children of various’ ages, the Commission accepted the figures given by Lusk. Uniform milling values were arranged, and all countries accepted the principle that the maximum possible amount of cereals, with the exception of oats, should be assigned to human food. It was also agreed that, whereas it is im- possible to fix any minimum requirement for meat, it is desirable that:the ration of fat should at no time fall below 75 grams per ‘average man’ per day. The question of a minimum protein ration presented no difficulty, since a sufficient amount of this foodstuff is contained in a mixed diet of adequate calorie value. The Commission thus accepted Bayliss’s dictum: ‘‘ Take care of the calories and the protein will take care of itself.” The Commission also laid down the form in which the statistics of production in pre-war years and the forecast of production in the coming year should be presented by each delegation from infor- mation supplied by its Government. We understand that the examination of these balance-sheets for each country has been the work | of the Commission during its meeting in London, which has just terminated, and that the Commission will shortly present to the Allied Governments -for the use of the Inter-Allied Executives, on whom devolves the task of procur- ing and apportioning the foods available for import from abroad, a report in which is laid down the relative share in these imports due to each Allied country. It must not be imagined, however, that it is the office of such a scientific commission to effect a rigorous subdivision of the hundred- and-one articles which may enter the Allied countries as food. All it can do is to indicate the principles of such a division and the limits within which it must be carried out. The total food to be imported will be given by the number of food calories due to each country. Some indication as to the distribution of these calories among: staple foods, such as. meat and cereals, is afforded by the agreement that 75 grams of fat per day should be provided in each country for every “average man.’ In this way a rough subdivision _ of imports is achieved, but the final division, must be left to the Executives, who will be guided by the three controlling factors, viz. supplies, tonnage, and finance. But this, after all, is the proper limitation of the function of science in public affairs. Science should be the eyes, the informative organ of the State, rather than the organ of volition. The responsibility of action lies with the administration, but the success of the measures adopted will be in direct proportion to the degree in which they are based on the broad principles taught by the body of human experience, which is science. THE members of the Inter-Allied Scientific Food Commission are as follows :—France, Profs. Gley and Langlois; Italy. Profs. Bottazzi and Pagliani; Belgium, Prof. Rulot; United States, Profs. Chitten- 306 NATURE [ JUNE 20, 1918 den and Lusk; United Kingdom, Profs. E. H. Starling and T. B. Wood. The conclusions agreed upon by the Commission are summarised in the following paragraphs :— (1) The Commission has decided to state the weights of the various foods produced in each Allied country in metric tons. (2) The Commission has decided that it is not desir- able to fix a minimum meat ration in view of the fact that no absolute physiological need exists for meat, since the proteins of meat can be replaced by proteins of animal origin, such as those contained in milk, cheese, and eggs, as well as by. proteins of vegetable origin. The Commission, on the-other hand, resolved to fix a desirable minimum ration of fat. able minimum ration amounts to 75 grams per average man per day. ‘The ration will be made up of (i) fats of vegetable origin and (ii) fats of animal origin. If the amount of fats of vegetable origin is insuffi- cient for this purpose, it may be necessary to maintain a certain stock of animals to furnish a_ sufficient quantity. (3) The Commission has established the value,’ i.e. the number of average men Gocivaent ‘to the population of each of the Allied countries. This man value is taken as the basis for calculating the exact amount.of food which must be provided for the adequate nourishment of the total population of each country. (4) The Commission has considered estimates in tons of the home productions of the soil furnished by each Allied country for the year 1918-19. These statistics will serve as a basis for determining the amount of food available for men and for animals respectively in each country. (5) The Commission recommends that each delega- tion, in calculating the amount of calories available for men, should assign to men the maximum possible ' proportion of all cereals except oats. (6). The Commission is of opinion that a uniform average milling extraction of 85 per cent. for wheat be adopted throughout the Allied countries. It is recog- nised that this extraction may vary from 8o per cent. in summer to 90 per cent. in winter, and that it can apply to the United States only as regards their in- ternal consumption, and then only in case of scarcitv. (7) The Commission recognises that the methods adopted for reserving the maximum possible propor- tion of the cereal production for the use of man may vary in each country. Man should always take pre- cedence over animals in the allocation of food by the Governments. If this principle be accepted, the Com- mission is of opinion that in the fixing of prices it is the prices of animal products which should be limited rather than those of such vegetable products of the soil as may serve equally well for feeding men and animals. Thus the production of veal, pork, and poultry at the expense of food available for man should be dis- couraged, and this is best achieved by fixing a price for those animal products which will make it unprofit- able for the producer to feed the animals on cereals. (8) The Commission reserves for its next meeting the task of examining the figures which will’ enable it to determine the calorie value of the home pro- duction of each of the Allied countries during the year 1918-19. The determination of this figure “compared with the needs in calories of the population of each country will enable the Commission to deduce either the amount of imports necessary for the maintenance of the population or the exportable surplus, as the case may be. (9) The Commission is of opinion that in all the Allied countries any propaganda having for its object the encouragement of food production and of economy in the use of food should be organised and directed by men of science well acquainted with these subjects. NO. 2538, VOL. tor] . This desir-_ ‘man | THE NEW STAR IN AQUILA. < COM observations appear to indicate. that the new star in Aquila is following the — normal course of such objects, as exemplifie especially by Nova Persei (1901) and Nova Gemi- norum (1912). The increase of brightness from about magnitude o-9 at the time of discovery « June 8 to a brightness equal to, or greater tha ie that of Vega (0-1 m.) on June 9 was suc ; by a steady decline, so that on June 16 the star was reduced to about second magnitude. No Persei showed a closely similar rate of fadi from near magnitude o on February 23 to mag tude 2 on March 2, and if this precedent be lowed, Nova Aquile may be expected to ( the third magnitude about June 21, and the fo rt magnitude about: ten days later. Small os tions, however, may possibly accompany the . general decline. sls The spectrum of the nova also appears to” ave followed the expected sequence of changes, so far as can be gathered from the brief reports pre-— sented at the meeting of the Royal Astronomica’ Society on June 14 by the Astronomer Roy Mr. Harold Thomson, and Prof. Fowler on the _ visible spectrum, and by Prof. Newall, Father Cortie, and the Rev. T. E. R. Phillips on the — photographic spectrum. The spectroscopic ob- — servations may be conveniently summarised by | comparison with previous nove, as discussed by Sir Norman Lockyer in a memoir on the cS mena of new stars published by the Solar Physics — ea Committee in 1914. It is there shown that there — are four distinct stages in the history of a nova | as revealed by its spectrum: (1) A stage of short duration in which the spectrum is conBapenian ye } continuous with dark lines, occurring during rise to maximum brightness. (2) The bigaes or “typical nova,’’ stage, where the outs ing feature is a spectrum crossed by broad bright bands, many of which are accompanied by absorp- tion bands on their more refrangible edges; the brightest lines are those of hydrogen, but en- hanced lines of iron are also prominent. (3) A stage marked by the presence of a bright band of | unknown origin about A 4640, which is some the brightest in the whole spectrum. (4) The nebular stage, characterised by the bright lines of gaseous nebule, of which 5007 and 4959 ite the brightest in the visible spectrum. The first stage was shown in Nova Aquilee by observations immediately after: the discovery, and in observations by Prof. Newall and Mr. Thomson on June g. It is especially for- tunate that the latter part of this transient stage was caught by Father Cortie in a photograph taken at Stonyhurst on June 10, in which dark lines, somewhat resembling those of Procyon, are the chief feature in the blue and violet parts of . © the spectrum, although bright lines in the visible © spectrum were noted on the same evening py other observers. The second, or “typical nova,’’ stage had be-- come well developed by June 11, as shown by g _ June 20, 1918] parison ¥ eg Ar ate : ; NATURE 307 both the visual and photographic observations. The Cambridge photographs of June 13 are par- ticularly valuable in having aCygni as a com- spectrum, thereby confirming Sir Norman Lockyer’s conclusion that many of the _ enhanced lines which are so prominent in this star are reproduced as bright lines in the spectra of nove. Later observations communicated to us = by Prof. Fowler show that this stage continued up to June 16, when his last observations were made. The bright C and F lines of hydrogen, and the enhanced lines of iron XX 517, 502, and 492, have. remained the most conspicuous features of the visible spectrum since bright lines appeared, and the diminishing luminosity of the star has been accompanied by a marked reduction in the in- tensity of the continuous spectrum. _ On June 12 it was found that the bright fringe on the red side of the dark band about 589 had become a definite bright band, having a narrow dark line near its red edge, the whole group being _ probably identical with that shown in photographs of Nova Persei taken at the Yerkes and Lick Observatories, which clearly proved that the ~ narrow line was sodium D. Revised estimates of the two bright lines between C and D suggested identity with lines about \615 and A625 shown in the Yerkes photographs of Nova Persei, and a fainter line was noted about ) 641. brightenings were also observed between F and G. On June 13 the dark band about D was much reduced in intensity, while that about A560 had Two vague become considerably stronger. On June 15 and 16 the principal change was the reduced intensity of the continuous spectrum and the consequent greater clearness of the bright lines between 517 and D. If the nova progresses at the same rate as Nova Persei, the third stage may possibly be fa upon about the end of the first week in uly. With reference to the probable distance of the nova, direct determinations of the parallax will necessarily occupy a considerable time. The cir- cumstance that nearly all nove have occurred in the Milky Way, however, furnishes strong evidence that these objects are actually situated in the Milky Way, and, therefore, at distances of the order of, say, 3000 light-years. THE NEW SYSTEM OF TIME-KEEPING AT SEA. aa article in Nature for April 25 described the - mew system of time-keeping at sea which was adopted last year by the British, French, and Italian Admiralties. The Board of Trade has now published a memorandum on the subject, with a coloured chart, adapted from a similar one pre- pared by the “Service hydrographique de la marine francaise.’’ Reference may also be made to useful explanatory articles by M. J. Renaud in “Annuaire du Bureau des Longitudes, 1918,’’ and in L’Astronomie for April, 1918. The chart illustrates the international time system both by land and sea. The countries and NO. 2538, VOL. 101 | | modes of numbering the “fuseaux.’’ .to call the Greenwich “fuseau’’ (extending from States that have adopted it are coloured either red or blue, red denoting Greenwich time, or time differing from it by an even number of hours, while blue denotes a difference of an odd number of hours. A few countries (India, South Aus- tralia, Venezuela) use time differing from Green- wich time by an odd number of half-hours; these are coloured violet on the chart. The remaining countries are coloured yellow. Inspection of the chart shows what great progress the international time system has already made. The whole of Europe except Russia, almost the whole of Africa, Japan, Australia, North America, Peru, and Brazil have adopted it. It is not improbable that its adoption by ships may lead to still further extension of it on land. It is much to be regretted that the Board of Trade uses the term “zones ’’ to denote the regions that keep the same time. The use of this term ought to be confined to the designation of belts parallel to the equator, not at right angles to it. It is much better to employ the term “fuseau,”’ which the French have adopted, unless a suitable English name can be devised. ‘Inspection of the chart shows that the boun- daries of the “fuseaux’’ on land do not strictly follow the theoretical meridians; they frequently deviate to some political boundary not far away, in order to keep the same time throughout a country or State. It is obviously convenient for a ship while in territorial waters to keep the time observed on the adjacent coast; local tide tables, etc.; would be given in this time. But when on the high seas it should change its clocks at the nearest convenient moment to the time of entering the new “fuseau’’ (say, at the nearest change of watch). It is important to note that the change of system is wholly in the direction of greater simplicity. Hitherto there have been two entirely distinct sets - of timepieces on board: the chronometers, used in navigating the ship, which keep Greenwich time; and the ship’s clocks, used for the ordinary purposes of daily life; these have usually kept local apparent time, being set about noon on each day, sometimes twice a day if the ship was travelling very rapidly. For the future all clocks on ships in all parts of the world ought to show the same minute as the gate-clock at Greenwich, the differ- ence being in the hours only. The French and English have adopted different Both agree 74° W. to 74° E.) zero; the French number the “fuseaux’’ to the east of this +1, +2, +3, in succession, up to +23 for the “fuseau’’ just west of the zero one. These numbers give the correc- tion to apply to Greenwich time to obtain ship’s time. The English system uses two series of numbers, each from 1 to 12, negative to the east, and positive to the west, thus giving the correction to apply to ship’s time to obtain Greenwich time. It matters little which is done, provided the system is understood. It is recommended that the “fuseau’’-number be always displayed on the 308 NATURE ee f mt = ry - ye RES Oo ore eet ee ~ [Joxe 20, 1918 ship’s clocks, and quoted in all time-readings. Only one ambiguity would remain—that of the Greenwich day. this 1 arise in the neighbourhood of the antimeridian of Greenwich; the line of demarcation, which is shown on the chart, is not quite regular, different islands keeping Asiatic or American reckoning according to their political affinities and history. It was with the view of lessening these difficul- ties that Commandant Vincent added a day-hand to his chronometer dial (see p. 146). . It is clear that the difficulty is considerably increased by the fact that at Greenwich two different systems, the » civil and the astronomical, are in use, the day be- ginning at midnight and noon respectively. It is hoped that the reform of using the former system for all purposes may soon be introduced. From the discussion that is now taking place, it is clear that the only serious difficulty that is felt in the - matter is the breach that will be caused in the continuity of astronomical recofds. This incon- venience will be minimised if in all records, for some years before and after the change, the time- origin employed is clearly stated. aoe, Summer time is not to be used at sea; it would cause needless complication, and the reasons which make it desirable on land are much less potent at sea; it will be remembered that navigation and _ astronomy were excluded from the scope of the Act, and the Greenwich ball has been dropped throughout at 1-0’clock Greenwich time (2.0’clock summer time). A. C. D, ‘CROMMELIN. DAMASCENE STEEL. , B aden ccices er Damascus steel made its appearance in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was manufactured in India, and the origin of the process may be traced back .Mmany centuries B.C, The same kind of steel had previously been introduced into Russia, where it was known as ‘“‘poulad’’ or “bulat.’? The ex- ternal characteristic of this steel was its patterned surface-watering or “jauher’’ (Persian), which gave rise to the name “poulad jauherder.’’ It was imported into Russia through Persia and the Caucasus, and into Western Europe through Syria and Palestine. A most interesting and important study of this material was presented by Col. N.-T. Belaiew at the spring meeting of the Iron and Steel In- stitute. According to his researches, there were three principal methods of producing it :— (1) The old Indian, by which crucible steel was made by melting pure ore with the best kind -of charcoal; (2) the Persian, in which case pure soft iron and graphite were the ingredients; and (3) a particular heat treatment which was in the nature of a prolonged tempering. The greatest care was taken in regard to the temperature and duration of the melting process, Since it was known that the best “watering ’’ could be obtained only with alloys which were kept molten for a long time and afterwards very gradually cooled. The fluid alloy was allowed NO. 2538, VOL. 1oT] : Uncertainty about this might. scene steels contained from 1°1 to 18 | beautiful wavy or motley watering of © to freeze in the crucible, and remoyed only v cold in the form of 4 cake. | ke These cakes have been described by Taverni and others, and were brought to this countr Scott. Numerous investigations were cartel on them, notably by Stodart and Farad: England, Réaumur and Bréant in France Anossoff in Russia. The last-named was early as 1831 to apply the microscope to the of polished and etched surfaces, not meré these steels, but also of all his alloys that y tended for industrial applications. He first to classify the patterns of damasce and showed that in ‘steels containing tk carbon the watering took. the form of ; stripes, and that as the carbon incre; became wavy, then mottled, and finally vertebra, which were considered the mo form. ‘To this the Persians gave the n narduban,’’ or “forty steps of Mahomet’s Col. Belaiew took up the experimen: of these steels at the instigation of Tchernoff, who, in lecturing at the Mich lery Academy, Petrograd, stated that “ kind of steel ever manufactured was unc the bulat.”’ He found that the majority carbon. The following is a complete : one of them :— : Riva Mn Si “SHED 1°49 0°08 0°005 0105 He then proceeded to reproduce t artificially at the Putiloff works, using t Crucible method (soft iron and- grap studied both the primary crystallisation (! melt) and the secondary (from the solid), an showed that the latter differed in its form ac Orc ing to whether the steels were hypo- eutectoid, i.e. ogo per cent. Damascene steels all belong to the latter He found that in all cases where the a slowly cooled. a remarkably clear pr secondary crystallisation followed. Th consisted of dendrites of austenite of very carbon content, the latter of dendrites of ce which closely followed the orientation austenite axes. The higher the « more closely did the primary crystallisations resemble one another, — “structure of large crystals ’’ resulted. To bP eh 8 stand how, from an alloy with this structure, the — blades can be obtained, the discusses the — history of a 1'5 per cent. carbon steel from molten state. Every cake is either cut in two,’ which case each half makes the blade of a sabre or the central part is cut away and the remainir ring is cut through at one place so as to facilitate subsequent ‘working and then drawn into a bar. — If the specimen is only drawn lengthwise the “veins ’’ produced are longitudinal and the wat ing consists of parallel stripes or \ronces. the forging is executed in two or more dir 1S then, ‘according to the skill of the workman ar _ the manufacturers and users of tool-steel. ine pee the quality of the damask, all the other shades and gradations—the wavy, the motley, and the _ ‘kirk narduban ’—may be obtained.’’ This water- _ ing, when examined by the naked eye, represents _ the macrostructure of the finished article and _ melting process and the slow rate of cooling: are he - es Jour 20, 1918] " NATURE 399 shows the way in which it has been mechanically treated. : ‘The most remarkable quality of these high-car- bon steels is their unusually high degree of malle- ili Belaiew shows that while the to some extent responsible for this, the real expla- nation is to be found in the microstructure of the finished article, which reveals the fact that the free cementite (hyper-eutectoid) is no longer present in the sharp, pike-like projections characteristic of the metal in the cake, but is in the form of small, rounded globules resolved at about 50 diameters’ ‘magnification, which appear like “milky ways.”’ The main cause of the great malleability of damas- cene steel is the globulitic microstructure of the cementite produced by forging at a low tempera- tuse.-; This. ‘Ss idising,’’ which has ‘been studied in other connections by Howe, occurs readily at temperatures rather below Ac, (730° C.), and is much facilitated by forging. All the Oriental writers, and especially Anossoff, insist on .the importance of not exceeding a red heat dur- ing this operation; and the reason for this is now clear. This aspect ,of the results of Col. ‘Belaiew’s research has a most important lesson for The low-temperature forging below A, is a process § _alloy steels. capable of manifold application to high-carbon _ steels, which, without it, are too brittle. It is scarcely too much to say that there are many cases where carbon tool-steel. treated in this way could be used instead of the much more expensive Efe 874 » fee OF ‘ NOTES. Sm Wittram Crookes attained the age of eighty- _six on Monday, June 17, and received the congratula- OO OO v7 \ tions of many friends. He bears the burden of his years lightly, -and is still actively engaged in research. This spirit of inquiry ‘has been maintained throughout his life, and we trust that strength will be given to Sir William for some time yet to enable him to continue to satisfy it. We regret to announce the death at forty-seven years of age of Dr. E. A. Newell Arber, demonstrator in oe at the University of Cambridge since 1899. ~ : FoLtowine the precedent of Jast year, the Confer- ence of Délegates of Corresponding Societies of the British Association will this year be held in London in the rooms of the Geological Society on Thursday, July 4. Dr. F. A. Bather has been nominated as president, and a discussion will be invited upon his ddress, which will be entitled “‘The Contribution of Local Societies to Adult Education.” The question of afforestation will also be considered. From a statement made by Sir Albert Stanley, President of the Board of Trade, in an address at Manchester on Friday last, June 14, it appears that : NO. 2538, VoL. ror] the Government has decided to take certain further steps in support of the dyes industry. The matter was referred to in a note recently published in these columns (Nature, May 23), and it is satisfactory to find that, in addition to the control of imports by a system of licences and in order to further ‘financial help to be given amorig smaller makers, a com- bination is to be arranged between the two great firms, British Dyes, Ltd., and Messrs. Levinstein, Ltd. The foreigner must be fought with his own weapons, and long ago in Germany it was recognised that mutual support and assistance con- tributed almost as much as, or perhaps more than, any other condition to the success of the dye-making firms. One of the first things which should now be done in this country is to prepare a general survey of the dye field, to ascertain which firms are best pre- pared to make particular classes of dyes and their necessary intermediates, to determine in what direc- tions the home industry is weakest, and to pool the results of research. The relation of explosives to the dye-making business must be steadily borne in mind, and the ‘‘combine’’ which is contemplated between Nobel’s and other explosive manufacturing concerns is a feature of the situation from which results of the utmost importance may ensue to the dyes industry. Tue death is amnounced, on June 9, at sixty years of age, of Mr. J. H. Lace,.C.1.E., formerly con- servator of forests, Burma. . Tue Toronto correspondent of the Times reports that the Honorary Advisory Council for Scientific Research, which has been studying measures to foster the scientific development of Canadian industries, proposes the establishment of a research institute for the Dominion. Tue third Gustave Canet lecture of the Junior Institution of Engineers will be given on Monday next, June 24. at the Institution of Civil Engineers by Sir Wilfrid Stokes, who will take as his subjéct ‘‘ The Stokes Gun.” Free tickets of admission may be obtained from the secretary of the Junior Institution — of Engineers, 39 Victoria Street, S.W.1. Tue Royal. Academy of Science of Turin has an- nounced, we learn from Science, a prize of 26,000 lire, to be awarded for the most remarkable and most cele- ~ brated work on any of the physical sciences published ~ in the four years ending December 31 next. The prize fund is a bequest from Senator T. Vallauri. Competition is open to Italian and foreign men of science, and the term “physical sciences” is to be taken in the broadest sense. : WE learn from Science that the Boston Society of Natural History has awarded the Walker grand honorary prize, which this year takes the form of a one-thousand-dollar Liberty bond, to Prof. Jacques Loeb, of the Rockefeller Institute, New York, in recognition of his many published works covering a wide range of inquiry into the basic concepts of natural history. The Walker grand prize.is awarded every fivé years, under the terms of the will of the late William Johnson Walker, “for such scientific investigation or discovery in natural history,” made known and published in the United States, as the council of the society shall deem deserving thereof. Tue President of the Board of Agriculture ‘and Fisheries has appointed a Committee to consider and report how Government stores which may become available after the close of the war can ‘best be ‘utilised for agricultural and horticultural purposes, and what first 310 NATURE - 24 methods of purchase by farmers and others should be adopted. The members of the Committee are :—Earl Grey, Mr. J. S. Gibbons, Mr. W. R. Hopkinson, Prof. F. Keeble, Mr. Douglas Newton, Mr. J. W. B. Pease, Capt. Sir Beville Stanier, Bart., Mr. R. Stephenson, Mr. N. Walker, and Major the Hon. E. F. L. Wood. The secretary of the Committee is Mr. E. G. Haygarth Brown, of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, 4 Whitehall Place, S.W.1. Tue possibility of exploration in the Himalaya by aeroplanes is discussed by Dr.-A. M..Kellas in the Geographical Journal for June (vol.. li., No. 6). Dr. Kellas’ believes that there should be no- physiological difficulty in flying for. some-time.at-an elevation of 25,000 ft. provided: oxygen and. a.suitable- apparatus for utilising it were carried... October. and November, or, better still, September. and -May, hé considers: the best months as regards climatic conditions, but the problem of flying through cloud would have to. be solved. Another great difficulty would be landing .and starting at great altitudes. ‘The snow at .such.alti- tudes is either. powdery, or soft beneath a thin -hard layer, and would therefore require either rolling or compressing with-a heavy stamp -to make it firm enough to give the necessaty resistance to a moving plane. Dr. Kellas thinks the airmen would have to be acclimatised to high altitudes by many trial flights. In the discussion which followed the paper a number of airmen took part, and their general consensus of opinion seemed to be opposed to the project. Ir was reported in the Times of June'i2 that British iron and steel manufacturers have taken an important step for securing the future position of their industry, and that they have agreed to form a national council ~on trade policy. This council is to be representative not only of the iron and steel capitalists, but. probably also of the employees. Undoubtedly it would be wise to constitute the new body on this basis; and it would afford another illustration of the effectiveness of the alliance between employers and employed which is coming to be one of the most important results of the war in this country. The function of the council will be to obtain an assured supply of the raw materials of the industry and a proper organisation with regard to production and export. Such a policy has much to commend it. The German iron and steel industry was organised for this purpose for many years before the war, but there was no place for labour in it. ,.A representative conference of masters and men is also said to have agreed to the estab- ‘lishment of a second body, viz. an industrial council to deal with all labour questions in every branch of the iron and steel trade. * By the death on June 11 of Mr. R. Hooper Pearson, at the age of fifty-two years, horticulture has lost one of its most earnest, capable workers. As managing editor of the Gardeners’ Chronicle Mr. Pearson exer- cised a steadying, wholesome influence on the science and practice of an industry, we might say a profes- sion, which in recent years has grown in importance, and in consequence of the war is likely to become one of our principal food-producers. He was a great worker without ostentation. . His knowledge of things appertaining to horticulture was exceptional. He had sound judgment and an open mind, and, what was of the greatest value in the position he held, kept steadily ‘to the task of controlling and guiding the art of cul- tivation along the path that leads to improvement. To those who did not know him intimately he was likely to appear lacking in “push” and “vim,” but his habit was to sift and weigh before coming: to a decision. This was evident in the journal which he NO. 2538, VOL. 101] managed with such success. He planned and edi a series of popular handbooks known as ‘Pres day Gardening,”’ and was the author of the 1 ‘Book of Garden Pests.” Mr. Pearson’s best is referred to, and, in explanation of the fact that does not favour any immediate change, it. i out that the Committee appears to have b this decision by its anticipation of the ex difficulties with which trade will be faced di period immediately following the war. In_ entitled ‘‘Great Britain’s Interest in the System of Weights and Measures,’ which panies the association’s report, it is maintai increased competition from our foreign ri the war will necessitate the organisation and ¢ ment of our export trade, and demand the elim of all hampering influences such as our en weights and measures. The suggestion is put fi ward that during the transition period it woul be unreasonable fot the Government:-to bea of the reform in certain cases; for instance ing firms to retain out of the amount th otherwise pay as excess profits a sufficient recoup them for the charges they incur owing change. . tieg Arrer the marked failure of wheat all 04 world last year, it is pleasant to be able to that this year’s crop promises to be good. A toa leaflet issued by the International Inst: Agriculture, the Argentine Government’s ¢ the 1917-18 yield of wheat in the Argentine cent. higher than last year’s. crop and 35:3 higher than the average for the five years New Zealand has issued an amended estimate wheat crop in that country, showing an in 24-6 per cent. on the 1916-17 yield, but a of 2 per cent. on the five-year average. The yields of wheat for the southern hemisphere (Argen- tina, Uruguay, Union of South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) are estimated at 55:4 per cent. last year’s crop and 34-3 per cent. above the aver. yield for the five years 1911-16. The total crop of oats in Argentina and New Zealand for 1917-18 estimated at 123-1 per cent. above last year’s ¢ and 6:5 per cent. above the five-year average. — regards the northern hemisphere, the agricul situation was an average one in Spain at the i of April; in France the weather is generally — able for the growing crops and for spring sowin Great Britain the’ weather is favourable for all er while in Ireland the condition of crops is conside quite satisfactory. It may be stated in summary tha’ on April 1 the condition of crops in the northern hemisphere was excellent in Ireland, good in Great Britain, France, and the United States, and avera es Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Morocco. = WE have recently received a copy of the first num! of Helvetica Chimica Acta, a new periodical devoted to the advancement of pure chemistry. Before 1 the contributions to chemical literature emanating from Swiss laboratories had reached a_ total approximately, 380 ‘per’ annum, ~ but ‘the — Chemical Society has hitherto had no official orgar 4 ay <4 4 re 3 3 E * interest. bs Jone 20, 1918] ~ NATURE 311 for thé publication of these. Whilst the hospitality of foreign scientific journals is duly acknowledged, and notwithstanding that there has been some hesita- tion about increasing the number of periodicals dealing with chemical questions, it is now considered necessary for the society to have its own journal—and all the more so since the present postal restrictions are hindering the publication in other countries of chemical researches carried out in Switzerland. In _ the new periodical it is proposed to give accounts of investigations made, _ Switzerland and by Swiss chemists who are domiciled’ both by chemists living in abroad, so that the result will represent, as it were, _ the whole national effort in this branch of scientific inguiry. Papers will be printed in any of the three national languages (French, German, Italian), and will be six or eight issues a year. The first _ number opens well with a contribution by A. Werner on a new type of isomerism in cobalt compounds. This is followed by half a dozen other communica- _ tions, some of which are excellent examples of re- _ search work in pure chemistry. The periodical is clearly printed and neatly produced. Chemists in this country will follow the new venture with sympathetic THE announcement of the death on May 12 of Dr. -R. G. Hebb brought a sense of personal loss to a _. wide circle of scientific colleagues and friends, felt posts of physician and phyacan pathologist. His al Microscopical Society was baie Sir) Frank Hebb was a regular contributor ~to the pages of the Journal. He was elected an ordinary - fellow of the society in November, 1885, and appointed to the council a few years later. In 1902, 0n the death of Mr. A. W. Bennett, Dr. Hebb succeeded to the editorship of the society’s Journal (the first number for which he was solely responsible being that for April, 1902), a post he continued to hold to the time of his death. In 1892 he became co-secretary with _ Dallinger, from which time until 1911 he was virtually » responsible for the conduct of the society’s affairs. After the resignation of Dallinger in 1907, Dr. Hebb ‘became the senior secretary, and had as associate secretaries, first J. W. Gordon, and afterwards F. Shillington Scales. In 1911 he resigned the post of secretary and was elected a vice-president. During the fourteen years he held office Dr. Hebb proved him- self an ideal secretary, and the society, which has lost a devoted officer, fully realises the debt it owes to his exertions. ; THovucH Benjamin Franklin at the beginning of the _ War of Independence seriously considered the possi- NO. 2538, VOL. 101 | bility of arming the American troops with the longbow, as a cheaper and more effective weapon than the flint- lock musket, archery among the Indian tribes is nearly a lost art since the introduction of the rifle. There is little evidence to show how these tribes made and used the bow and arrow. Mr. S. T. Pope induced the last survivor, Ishi, of the Deer Creek Indians of North-Central California, to live at the University of California from'1g911 to 1916, and from him a mass of information on the subject was obtained, a summary of which has been published in vol. xiii., No. 3, of the University Publications in American Archeology and Ethnology. The process of making bows and arrows is elaborately described. Ishi’s greatest flight-shot was 185 yards, which contrasts badly with that of Ingo Simon in France in 1914, with a very old Turkish composite bow, of 459 yards. The greatest recorded flight with the English longbow was made by I. Rawlins in 1794, a distance of 360 yards. The best American flight-shot is 290 yards, done by L. W. Maxson in 1891. Tue Carnegie Institution of Washington has issued an elaborate monograph by Mr. W. Churchill on ‘‘ Club Types of Nuclear Polynesia.” By ‘‘ Nuclear ’’ Polynesia, a term proposed by the writer, he means Samoa, as the “nucleus,” with Nina, Tonga, and Viti on the peri- meter. He divides the clubs of this region into various types—the billet, rootstock, missile, pandanus, axe- bit, lipped, mace, coconut-stalk, and others. In each section is provided a full series of measurements and descriptions, with details of specimens in American and other collections. In previous volumes the author - has discussed the linguistic evidence, and the present investigation corroborates the theories already arrived at. ‘‘In these wooden artifacts of Nuclear Polynesia, highly evolved in form to correspond with needs not only utilitarian, but even vital in their necessity, most remarkably specialised in ornament, there are found with equal clarity’ the memorials of such transit and sojourn of the peoples of the Nuclear Polynesia race through and in various parts of Melanesia as has already been established through the study of the many languages of the two Pacific areas.” In the Bulletin of Entomological Research (vol. viii., parts 3-4, 1918) there is a noteworthy paper by Dr. . J. Simpson on “The Bionomics of Tsetse-flies in the Gold Coast.” By marking a large number of flies and liberating them at various distances from the river near which they had been captured it was ascertained that a few returned from a point four miles away, but no large proportion from more than two miles away. As none were found farther from the river than their place of liberation, it seems that these insects are constantly attracted by water. Mr. H. Tetley contributes a paper of value on the mouth- parts of Pangonia longirostris. pointing out some marked secondary sexual differences, and drawing comparisons with corresponding structures in other Tabanide. It is doubtful if the minute lobe of the maxilla, described by Mr. Tetley as the lacinia, really represents that,element of the typical appendage. In an interesting memoir on the early development of Didelphys aurita (Quarterly Journal of Micro- scopical Science, vol. Ixiii., part 1), Prof. J. P. Hill points out a fundamental distinction between the blastocyst of the marsupials (Didelphia) and that of the higher mammals (Monodelphia). In the former the process of segmentation gives rise at once to a hollow blastosphere, the wall of which is composed of a single layer of cells, differentiated into formative and non-formative polar areas. The formative area furnishes both ectoderm and entoderm of the blasto- 332 NATURE cyst; the non-formative is the trophoblastic layer. In. the Monodelphia, on the other ‘hand, as is well known, the formative cells always form an inner cell- mass enclosed by the trophoblast. The Ornithodelphia (Monotremata) agree with the marsupials in the ar- rangement of the formative and non-formative areas, and for the condition exhibited by these two groups Prof. Hill suggests the term ‘‘Phanerotypy,” the term ‘“Cryptotypy” being proposed for the condition met with in the higher mammals. Precision in termino- logy is much to ‘be desired; and in this connection we may perhaps point out, without being ‘hypercritical, that the author speaks of four-celled and eight-celled eggs. Surely such stages can scarcely be called eggs. Why not cal} them embryos? THERE is no fact with which medical men are more familiar than that the ‘nerve-tracts which connect ‘the brain and body are crossed, the right half of the body being united tothe left hemisphere of the cerebrum and the left half to the right hemisphere. In 1907 Prof. A. Francis Dixon, Trinity College, Dublin, sought to explain the crossed arrangement by supposing that it was a result of the primary connection between the right halves of the retinze with the right hemisphere of the cerebrum. The ‘right halves of the retine receive rays coming from ‘the left field of vision—the field in which the left half of the body is situated. Prof. Dixon pointed out that there is a manifest func- tional advantage in having the ope of the brain which controls the movements of a limb situated near the cerebral area which receives the visual field in which ‘the limb is situated. To secure that end, the nerve- paths have to be crossed, so that the hemisphere which ~ receives the left visual field will also control the left half of the body. In the Dublin Journal of Medical Science (March, 1918) Prof. Dixon has carried his ex- planation a stage further—an extension due to the discovery by Col. W. T. Lister and Lt.-Col. Gordon Holmes that the retinal picture is inverted in the visual cortex of the brain, the upper half of the field of vision falling on the lower half of the visual cortex. It is well known that the movements of the body are represented in an inverted order in ‘the cortex of the brain, those for the mouth and face being placed lowest down, and those for the lower limb higher up. If the retinal connections are the circumstances which determine the distribution of cortical areas, as Prof. Dixon supposes, the visual fields being inverted in the cortex of thé occipital lobes, then we should expect, just as we actually find to be the case, a corresponding inversion of the motor areas—the movements of those parts of the body which lie in the upper field of vision being lowest down on: the surface of the brain, and those in the lower visual field highest up. THE American fuel famine is discussed at length, in the American Museum Journal for February, by Prof. C. Berkey and Mr. C. van Hise. The shortage of coal, which is acute, and has demanded drastic legisla- tion, is in no way due, they remark, to any “pre- cautionary measures engendered by fear of exhaust- ing the mines, for careful estimates show that at the present rate of consumption, which is enormous, the mines of the United States will continue to yield for something like two thousand years. The scarcity is to be attributed entirely to the unprecedented demands to feed the multifarious industries dependent upon coal and the difficulties of transport. Labour and distribution, in short, are unable to keep pace with the demand. But Prof. Berkey is of opinion that the anthracite reserves are being depleted at a much faster rate than the bituminous coals, and will prob- NO. 2538, VOL. IoT| ' sidered. ably not last more than a hundred years. The of production of bituminous coals at the present: in ‘the United States is about 600,000,000 ‘to annum, THE problems in the development of British Gu a somewhat neglected Possession, are disc Sir Walter Egerton in the Journal of th Society of Arts for. May 31 and June 7 (vy Nos. 3419 and 3420). Sanitation, drai “ad and improvement of the water supply are all 1 These, as well as administrative reforms, are di by Sir Walter Egerton, but he lays most questions of population and communicatio; 50 per cent. of the inhabitants are East I their numbers are increasing. The ‘pros sugar industry ‘rests on their labours. C to come in large numbers many years ago, most useful, but the Chinese population is + Sir Walter Egerton ‘insists ‘that interfere immigration of East Indian and Chinese o in equal numbers will prevent the due de the colony. At present ‘the cultivated ar Guiana is more or less confined ‘to a coas plains intersected with drainage and irrigé This gives little scope for an increased tion.. The interior ot the colony, howe rich savannah land, more healthy than 1 well adapted for cattle-ranching. There possibilities in gold and diamond mining. siderations emphasise the second great colony—-railway communication with the i line from Georgetown to Rupununi s: Brazilian frontier. At present the .on interior is by water, and it isnot easy. is Tue May issue (vol. ii., No. FY of Journal of ‘the Society of ‘Glass Tech an important article by Prof. Boswell on Bri plies of potash-felspar. A good account is all the more important localities where orthoclase or microcline, is known to | ties sufficient to warrant the assump prove to be of economic importance, purity of the material, quantity avz access, and convenience of transpo; _ The author ‘holds defini hand-picked in order to obtain it i purity sufficient to enable it to be used pottery manufacture or for the extracti There are practically seven groups of to sented, namely, (1) Cornwall, (2) between ford and Inchard, (3) between Durness an (4) near Overscaig, Loch Shin, all the 1 named being situated in Sutherlandshire, on the borders of Co. Donegal and Co. (6) Glenties, in ‘Co, Donegal, and (7) B Co. Mayo. It would appear that the p are those of Cornwall and Belleek, the in both cases fairly accessible, but the both places appear to be limited. The ot show much larger quantities of mineral, potash contents are decidedly lower, and the are for the most part inconveniently situated 4 of transport. The author does not appear that, as a source of potash, any of ‘these deposits is likely to be “economically w normal times, but is apparently rather more as to the prospects of the best of these depo source of supply to the glass and pottery indus G.- Vatuauri, in Elettrotecnica for January February 5 Jast, discusses at some length. the NATURE 313 ‘of the audion. Included in the article is a summary re uses of vacuum tubes with three electrodes for wvadio-telegraphy, their properties and characteristic eS, approximate formula: for these characteristics, the possibility of investigating the action of the audion as an intensifier and generator, the study of typical methods of connection, and the possibility of ‘investigating the audion.as a receiver and in the more ex cases in which it fulfils several functions at __ W. Brock, in the ‘Central-Zeitung fiir Optik und Mechanik, January 20, describes a method of photo- graphing shells in flight by a kinematograph camera bios, Bay specially broad film. The film moves for- ward in jerks, the photographs being taken when it is stationary, through a ‘rotating screen having thin slits cut in it. The length of exposure is varied by varying ‘the width of the slits. Since, however, the time between the successive ‘stationary positions -of ‘the film is ‘too in ‘comparison with ‘the ‘rate of motion of ‘the shell, numerous slits are cut in the screen, and several exposures are made on the same portion of the film so as to show the projectile in various stages _ of progression. _ AN interesting product of cellulose distillation is paoy ll . Sarasin in the Compte rendu de _ céllulose in the form of cotton was distilled under reduced pressure (12 to 15 mm.) a semi-crystalline dis- a _ was obtained, which, after purification by allis from hot water or from acetone, proved cosane. This compound is not itself fer- y yeast, but on hydrolysis with dilute id it is converted into a@-glucose, which ean be transformed into alcohol by fermentation. ~ aleohol ee , Pr = ts On an | ; igs Free Christiania, in 1916. taken + _ expedition of 1913. The account is based on Prof. The interest of the observation lies in the possibility which it suggests of obtaining the glucose, and thence hol, e distillation of cellulosic raw materials ustrial scale. Se _Naturen, the Norwegian popular science monthly, contains in its April issue an illustrated account by J F. Schroeter of Prof. Stérmer’s aurora-borealis ler’s own ‘papers in Terrestrial Magnetism and his address to the Scandinavian Scientific Association, The observations of the aurose were t ically from Bossekop and Store Korsnes, two stations in the North of Norway 27-5 _ kilometres apart; and they provide ‘more than 2500 determinations of height which, in general, lie be- tween 86 and 226 kilometres with a maximum number - about Yo5 kilometres.. The angular distances of the auroree the north magnetic pole of the earth lie between 20° and with a maximum frequency at about 23°: The following. types of display are disting :—(a) Intense curtains, red below, greenish-yellow above; (b) faint curtains, green to greenish-grey; (c) arches; (d) faint zones; (e) isolated rays; (f) luminous areas; (g) coruscating bands; (h) coruscating areas. Although the theoretical examina- tion of these observations is not yet complete, it seems likely that the corpuscular theory, according to which aurore are due to electrically charged particles enter- ; ing the earth’s atmosphere and describing paths deter- - mined by the earth’s magnetic field, will explain most of the known facts. : _ Tae U.S. Bureau of Standards thas ‘issued a new edition, of its publication on polarimetry, with special ' reference to its technical ications, more especially to saccharimetry and the refractometric examination of NO. 2538, VoL. tor] \. solids and M. J Physique of Geneva (No. 1, 1918). When . liquids. The bulletin deals with the various. polarising systems in use, and contains a description of the different polarisers and -polariscopes. which have been found to be ‘generally applicable to practical requirements, and explains the best methods. of ‘their employment so as to secure uniformity and accuracy of results. It treats of the various sources. of light to be used in connection with, polarimetric + work ‘and the several pieces of subsidiary apparatus required, the control and regulation of temperature, the employment of thermostats, temperature correc- tion, ete.—in fact, all the details to be followed in accurate testing work of ‘the kind. It has been put together to serve the needs of the practical man; it is simply and concisely written, and its «account of the fundamental principles upon which modern polari- metry is based, whilst ‘sound and accurate, may be readily ‘followed by ‘any ordinarily intelligent reader. The present edition (the second) has been carefully revised, and a considerable amount of additional matter has been included in the appendix. The new material comprises ten tables, new ‘Bureau of Standards Baumé scale for liquids heavier than water, a résumé of the work «of the International ‘Commission for -~ uniform methods of sugar analysis, a special section on the polarisation of low-grade products, together with a statement of the amendments of the United States Treasury Department sugar regulations. The work is admirably printed and illustrated, and highly creditable to the Washington Government Printing Office. It is now ready for distribution at a price of 25 cents, and those interested may obtain*a copy by addressing a request to the Bureau -of Standards, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. Discusstnc the question of ‘the organisation of chemical research in India, Sir Thomas Holland, president of the Indian Munitions Board, urges in an address given at Lahore that India must be inde- pendent not only industrially, but also to a large extent in regard to scientific research. India should have its own research workers carrying out investigations on the spot. The task of training the educated young men of India to qualify for research and technical work should be an essential part of the organisation of every scientific and technical depart- ment in that country. Because European beet-sugar has been able to compete successfully with Indian cane-sugar, and synthetic indigo ‘has practically destroyed the Indian indigo industry, it has been generally assumed that tropical countries will not be able to hold their own against European and American competition ; but what can be done in Europe under the (relative) disadvantages of a temperate climate could, the speaker argued, be done still more abun- dantly and successfully in India. It will, however, be necessary to bring the.asolated chemists of India into one organisation, and an official scheme to this end had been mooted. At present only the fringe of the various great chemical problems in India has been touched. These include questions relating to agri- culture, forest products, drugs, perfumes, dyes, and °* tanning; the manufacture of salt, sugar, alcohol, and explosives; saltpetre refining, mineralogy, and metal- lurgy. It is suggested that for administrative pur- poses researches on these matters might be ‘centred in three groups: (a) Agricultural chemistry, with the chief laboratory at Pusa; (b) organic chemistry, with two principal laboratories at Dehra Dun and Banga- lore ; and (c) mineral chemistry, with the chief labora- tory at Kalimati or ‘Calcutta. The address is reported fully in the Pioneer Mail for January 18, and a detailed abstract appears in the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry for April 15. + 314 NATURE [JUNE 20, 1918 ce OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN.’ NeBuLosiry IN Star Crusters.—In a letter to the Observatory for June Dr. Harlow Shapley states that the appearance of nebulosity which has sometimes been noted in visual observations of star clusters has not been confirmed by the Mount Wilson photographs. In the case of the cluster No. 361 of Dreyer’s Index Cata- logue, the photographs show stars fainter than 18th magnitude, but there is no trace of nebulous matter. The cluster N.G.C. 6760; which has also often been observed visually as nebulous, appears purely stellar on the photographs. The actual connection between luminous nebulosity and star clusters seems to be limited to stellar groups of little condensation and rich- ness, where the brighter stars are mainly of type A* or In these cases the nebulosity becomes visible because of direct reflection of the light of the surrounding stars, and partly on account of selective secondary radiation. Thus the frequent association of diffuse nebulosity with blue stars of high tempera- ture does not necessarily indicate immediate evolu- tionary relationship. ‘There is at present no certain evidence of luminous nebulosity in globular clusters. INTERPRETATION OF STELLAR TypEs.--In a com- munication to the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, March, 1918, Prof. C. D. Perrine makes the interesting suggestion that the spectral class of a star is in part dependent upon the amount of cosmical matter in its neighbourhood and the relative ° velocity. of the star and matter. Many of the A, B, and O. stars, the gaseous nebulae, the nove, and possibly the Cepheid variables, on this hypothesis, are confined to the galaxy because there the energy derived from the matter swept up is in excess of that lost by radiation. The direction of spectral change under such conditions will be towards the nebula. In regions where there is little or no cosmical matter the energy gained from external sources is not sufficient to compensate for the loss of radiation, and the direction of change will be towards the later types.. Upon this hypothesis the stars are probably all pursuing one definite course of very slow change towards extinc- tion, but each individual star will be pursuing a course which may have many whole or partial cycles due to varying external causses..: THE STRATHMORE METEORITE.—This meteorite fell on December 3, 1917, at 1.18 p.m. Though in full sunshine, its brilliance was compared with the limelight, and it left a trail. It was seen so far away as Hexham, 120 miles from the earth-point. Prof. R. A. Sampson gives an interesting account of it in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edin- burgh (vol. xxxwiii., part i., No. 10). He fixes the explosion point as twenty miles: above Collessie, Fife. Four fragments have been found, one penetrating a roof near Coupar Angus; the largest, weighing 22% lb., fell at Easter Essendy Farm, near Loch Marlee; it made a hole 20 in. deep, the rubbish being piled to the north-west, showing the direction of ‘motion, which agrees with other indications. The fragments did not fall until some minutes after the sounds of explosion were heard, showing how much the speed (which must initially have been some miles per second, to account for the brilliancy) had been reduced by atmospheric resistance. Prof. Sampson explains the heating of meteors by supposing that the air in front of them-has not time to escapé, so is rapidly compressed. Assuming probable figures for mass and velocity, he shows that a temperature of 2000° might be produced. The meteor is of the stony class, to which many people assign a volcanic origin. In view of the difficulty of understanding how it could have escaped from our atmosphere without rup- NO. 2538, VOL. 101] .and time required for replacing a destroyed fl agent, would be assisted by the agency of birds, and j remarkable - ture, if expelled from a terrestrial volcano, — Sampson -suggests a lunar origin. In this ca might either describe an orbit within the earth-m system, or, with a higher speed, a planetary orbit a the sun. The latter would seem the more likely Denning having shown that it probably came fr known radiant in Sagitta, which is active ea December. The lunar origin would then imply large shower of fragments was expelled fi moon during a single eruption. t THE SOUTH-EASTERN UNION OF SCIENTIFIC. SOCIETIES. “THE twenty-third annual congress of the Eastern Union of Scientific Societies was Burlington House, in the Linnean Society’s on May 29 and three following days, un presidency of Sir Daniel Morris. The address was entitled ‘‘The Geographical Distributior of Plants,’’ and was, to some extent, concerned — the various means of dispersal of seeds and the in which geographical distribution was effect destruction, of the flora of the Island of Krak volcanic eruption and the comparatively rapid grov of a new flora gave valuable evidence as to t Transport by water-currents, through a meteorological agencies must not be wholly the reckoning. Many seeds reach our ow from tropical America by the agency of the Gulf — Stream, but these have not been known to germinate — in a natural state after transportation, = Mr. Percy Webb’s paper on ‘ Romano-British — Mints”? was an excellent summary of the subject. — Mr. Webb pointed out that it was probable that the province of Britain, accustomed to use and strike coins for nearly two hundred years before the Roman — invasion, kept its mints in some operation even under Roman rule. There is no clear identification of — mints owing to the system of mint-marking not com- © mencing until a late period. Claudius struck types — of coins relating to Britain, but they were no doubt | issued and used in Rome. Hadrian issued bronze — pieces on which appears the seated figure of Britannia, — her first appearance in history. These coins, and others of the same type issued by Antoninus Pius, — suggest in their less accurate mintage, and from the — fact that they have come to light in numbers in British finds, that they are of colonial origin. From Carausius and Allectus we have indisputable British issues, — the former the founder of the short-lived first British Empire, the latter defeated and slain by the Romans — on Wolmer Common, near Liss, where his military chest was exhumed in 1873, having been buried before | battle with its contents of nearly 30,000 coims. = The subject of ‘‘ Mosquitoes in England’? was intro- duced for discussion by Sir Ronald Ross, and amongst — those who took part in the discussion were Col. Buchanan, of the Local. Government Board; Capt. | MacDonald, and Mr. A. J. Grove. Sir Ronald Ross pointed out that malaria had formerly been prevalent — in Britain, but had afterwards died out. Anophelines, — however, continued to exist in certain low-lying parts, — and recently evidence has been found to suggest that malaria has really continued all the time to be endemic. to a very small degree in parts of Kent. Last year some cases undoubtedly occurred, in this country. Certain alarmists are seriously perturbed by the possi- bilities of its greater prevalence. Sir Ronald came to the conclusion that the spread of malaria in a com- munity must depend upon about fifteen different — factors. ‘Of all the millions bred in a locality, pos-— aa, NATURE 315 | June 20, 1918] : y only a few can ever succeed in biting a human ng at all. Then only a proportion of these will nerally have bitten an infected human being; and, ain, only a smaller proportion will have bitten an infected person whose blood contains sexual .parasites Suitable for transmission into a mosquito. Hence the chanees usually are that only a very small proportion of all the Anophelines in a place will ever become ‘infected at all. But how many of these will infect healthy persons? A mosquito must live for about ten “days at least before the parasites can mature in her ' body and enter her salivary glands, and of the small pinot of mosquitoes which may live long enough for this a still smaller proportion are likely to succeed in biting and infecting healthy persons afterwards. Men and mosquitoes may vary in individual resistance to parasites. Both will be infective to each other only at certain times. The general equations for’ diseases common to two species of hosts contain fifteen inde- F esceagls constants, or, rather, parameters—namely, the bi ate, death-rate, immigration, emigration, im- munity, infectivity, and recovery ratios for each species of host, and the contact ratio common to both; and the total proportion of infected individuals of either species must depend on all of these combined in certain mathematical functions.’’ A special appeal was made to the members of local societies to make a study of the bionomics and distribution of mos- -quitoes in Britain. _ A lecture was given by Mr. Reginald Smith, of the British Museum, on the ‘‘Geology of Flint Imple- ‘ments.’’ In the course of many interesting remarks, the Mousterian cave-finds from St. Brelade, Jersey, were illustrated, and compared with certain surface- finds in England. The hope was expressed that sr research in England, which had the advantage of the boulder-clay, might decide man’s relation to the glacial period by associating definite types of flint- working with deposits both before and after the most intense glaciation of the country. Much information had been lost to science by inattention to the labelling of specimens as to their place of origin and the posi- ~ tion in which found. _ Other papers were: ‘Meteorological Instruments and How to Read Them,” by Mr. R. Corless, of the Meteorological Office, and by Lieut. R. W. Ascroft, of the Food Production Department, on ‘Allotment Pests.’’ Among the afternoon excursions may be men- tioned visits to the New Transport Co.’s works at Battersea, where heavy goods are sorted by machinery, on the principle of a central goods clearing-house; to the church of St. Bartholomew the Great; to the classic Charlton Pits, under the guidance of the veteran logist, Mr. W. Whitaker; to Kew, under that of Lieut.-Col. Sir David Prain and Prof. G. S. Boulger; and to the diving and mine-rescue apparatus works of Siebe, Gorman and Co., under the direction of Dr. J. S. Haldane. The congress was well _ attended, and apparently justified the council in decid- ing to hold it this year as usual. ~—— THE TREATMENT OF MALARIA. Ap He treatment of malaria has engaged the atten- tion of the medical department of the War Office since the outbreak of the war. So soon as cases of this disease began to return to England malaria hos- _pitals were openéd, and in certain large hospitals special wards were set apart so that all patients could be concentrated and treated by physicians with special - knowledge of malaria. This branch of the medical ~ work was placed under the supervision of Col. Sir 1 Society of Tropical Medicine. (1) An Interim Report on the Treatment t of Malaria. (2) Report on a ‘‘ Discussion on the Treatment of Malaria.” Both by Sir Ronald Ross. NO. 2538, VOL. 101] ik eeciad ee Ronald Ross, K.C.B., F.R.S., consultant in malaria, War Office, and an interim report now published by- this officer gives the results of tréatment of a number of-cases in four of the hospitals under his control up to the date of publication. Before commencing treatments, 193 patients who had previously taken quinine, but who had recently discontinued the drug, were observed without further medication with the view of determining approximately the liability to relapse without further treatment. Of these 193 patients, 88 had relapses within twenty-seven days. Owing to illness (unfortunately not specified), 76 had to be given quinine without continuing the control. After a month, only 15 per cent. were free from relapse, and were considered well enough to be discharged; 85 per cent. were still showing symptoms of the disease. Two. thousand four hundred and sixty cases of malaria were treated under one or other of the fol- lowing methods :-- (a) Anti-relapse Quinine Prophylaxis.—Quinine sul- phate in small doses by different methods up to 60 grains weekly was given to 1040 cases. A dose of Io grains daily was found to be more effective than one of 5 grains, and was more suitable than one of I5 grains, because, as well as being equally effective, it was better tolerated. Under these treatments re- lapses were reduced to 1o per cent., and even in relapses not so reduced the severity of the paroxysms was diminished. (b) Short Sterilising Treatments.—Large doses of quinine sulphate, hydrochloride, or bi-hydrochloride were given daily for seven days, or on consecutive days up to ten days, to 334 cases. A high percentage of these cases relapsed. eas (c) Long Sterilising Treatments.—Large doses of the same salts of quinine. as in treatments (b) were given daily over long periods, continually, or on con- secutive days, or at intervals of several days. Some of these treatments appear to have given the best results, especially the three treatments (c) 15, 16, and 17. Two of these were combined in the later stages with iron and arsenic. It may be noted that, in the experience of some observers, much intolerance is shown during the large dosage as here used, with- out more appreciable diminution of the number of relapses than results from less heroic lines of treat- ment. (d) Mixed Treatments, including the administra- tion of drugs other than quinine in the combinations generally used, were given in different doses for vary- ing periods. The drugs used were tartar emetic, acid arsenoids, sodium quinine sulphonate, ethyl quitenine hydrochloride, and collosol quinine. Only a few cases were treated with é@ach drug, as nearly. all these relapsed. 2 Sir Ronald Ross points out that he has not noticed any marked superiority in the oral, intramuscular, or intravenous methods of administering quinine. He advises that a much larger number of cases should be controlled before the efficacy of any particular drug over others can be determined. Obviously it is neces- sary to observe cases carefully for a much longer period than twenty-seven days after they leave hos- pital before it is possible to decide what is the actual liability to relapse. A generous diet is recommended during treatment, with a little stimulant in the form of beer or wine, Opinion seems divided as to whether patients should be kept in bed or not during treatment. A second paper expressing the opinions of medical officers in the Salonika area as to the value of pro- phylactic quinine and on the treatment of malaria under different conditions of service was afterwards read by Sir Ronald Ross before the Society of Tropical 316 NATURE Medicine. Of 111 officers interrogated on the pro- phylactic value of quinine in 1o-grain doses twice weekly, their opinions were divided, the majority holding that it was of little or no value, and some even saying that it was detrimental. For treatment in an advanced dressing station for three days, one officér considered that quinine should be given in 8o0-grain doses daily, The majority (about 63 per cent.) were in favour of 30 grains daily. For treatment aftér return to duty subsequent to the above, nine officers advised stoppage of ali quinine; seventy-three considered that the drug should be con- tinued for from one to three and a half months in daily doses, according to different opinions, of 10, 20, or 30 grains. Some recommended gradual reduction of the amount of daily quinine during the same period. : In treating cases following discharge from hospital the treatment advised was much the same, the medical officers expressing the same opinions practically as for cases leaving dressing stations. Subsidiary treatment was recommended by some. Continuance of quinine ‘ until the end. of the malarial season had also some supporters. y : Both these papers include an account of a large - amount of work done by many skilled officers, and should serve as a valuable guide to officers and medical men who have charge of malarial cases or intend * carrying out further investigation work on this very important subject. It is desirable that an effort be made to ascertain definitely why quinine, so success- ful in the majority of cases, should fail in others. An interesting addendum to the first report deals with the excretion of quinine in the urine. It seems that there is a tendency for the excretion of quinine to reach a concentration of 7-11 grains per. litre of urine. These results obtained no matter. what salt was given or how administered, except, perhaps, in the case of the lactate. F. W. O’Connor. SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS OF DISABLED SOLDIERS. W* commend to the attention of our readers the April issue of Recalled to Life, a journal edited by Lord Charnwood, and devoted to ‘the care, re- education, and return to civil life of disabled sailors and soldiers.” Its articles are written by men who are seeking for practical solutions of the problems presented by disabled soldiers—problems which are both medical, and sociological. Half of the men who are wounded require special treatment for the restora- tion of movement to damaged limbs. Great military hospitals have been, and are being, established in various centres throughout the country for the treat- | ment of these orthopzedic cases.. The establishment of these great “ orthopedic’ centres has been accom- panied by a real educative movement, in which surgeon and soldier have been equally involved. It is true that no new principle of treatment has been intro- duced; the old methods have been adapted to new conditions and applied on a scale which no one had ever anticipated. Sir Robert Jones, who contributes an article on “The Problem of the Disabled,’ was the first to realise that success in the treatment of orthopzdic cases was largely a problem of education—to teach soldiers how to bring back lost movements to damaged joints by voluntary and natural movements of the limbs, The introduction of “curative workshops ”’ to military hospitals is one of the most profitable innova- tions of the war. Of the men treated in orthopaedic hospitals about three-fourths return again to military NO. 2538, VOL. tor] . Ministry of Pensions to look after the welfare o’ -months of March, May, and October, the service; the remaining fourth is discharged as w for further service. It is now the business 0} discharged fourth. ey Various writers describe the organisations are being brought into existence to meet th not only of the men discharged from hospitals, but also of the large numbers the Army on account of a permanent in health due to exposure in the field, in rheumatism, tuberculosis, disordered acti heart or of the brain. To meet the needs o charged unfit the Ministry of Pensions is + throughout the country centres of treatmen intendence. An ideal form of “ village ce: butes an article on the rang Everywhere the importance o 20 phasised. Capt. Wilbur C. Lowry, of Army Medical Service, while giving an ace in “remedial exercises’? practised in the ort gymnasium Granville Canadian Spe Buxton, mentions the fact that the best to be found amongst*the men who th undergone gymnastic treatment. — CLIMATOLOGY OF. PARIS.1 { FLAMMARION, in the compret * referred to below, not cnly gives a the meteorological conditions in Paris dur 1915 and 1916, but also carries the comp: seasonal variations of the principal clime back to 1886. The year 1915 had a mean equal to 10-4° C., or 0:2° above the normal, was in even closer accordance with thé ave rainfall of 1915 was 574 mm., and of or respectively 3 per cent. and 22 pr the average. The author concludes t the frightful intensity of the cannonac exerted no influence on the rainfall in_ Paris.”’ In 1915 less than half the avera; showing an excess being December, w the rainfall was more than double the was followed by a very dry Ja less than a quarter of the average. A what wetter than 1915, no noah an excess of rain greater than one- being the lowest reading in the vicinity of Paris since December 24, 1821. In 1915 temperature was some- what abnormal, the coldest month, November having a mean temperature 4° Cs an tl of December: In 1916 the lowest temperature as late as March 8, while the month of. . colder than May. An interesting diagram for each year of the daily variations of the vz elements of climate, the phases of the moon k also shown, as the author remarks that “ the ignore still continue to associate weather phenomena witt lunar period. Pre 1&6 : . rea ea Tuvisy pendaat let Anneay apis st ree" Par Me, Cole a “Directeur de la Station. Pp. 41. 7 INE 20, 1918] 317 "2 2HE STORY OF A GRASS.! ASSES form one of the largest and most wide- Spread families, adapted to very different condi- of soil. and climate, but with a remarkably meen of structure. Wherever conditions allow fe on land, there, almost without exception, mily is represented. In number of species the family falls short of other great families of ng plants, Composite, Leguminosz, or Orchids, in the aggregation of many individuals of one and ie same or a few species, either growing alone or isely scattered through a mixed herbage covering areas, it forms a pre-eminent type of the earth’s tion—as, for instance, in the grass-carpets form- e meadows or pastures of temperate or cold s, or the coarser growth prevalent over vast in steppe or prairie vegetation. ‘sociable grasses play an important part in general scheme of plant-life; they protect the soil sat evaporation of water, and .cover up Ss in the resting stage, such as bulbs, tubers, the cold or dry season. The penetrating roots and underground stems helps to stiff soil and fit it for other plants. amples of the great variety of habitat in which ses thrive are seen in the short turf which covers stone areas, where the soil is too dry and thin Support trees or shrubs; in the luxuriant growth w-land where it thrives together with a yf other herbs; in the reed-grasses which are with water; in the coastal mud-flats in shire and Sussex, which are being rapidly re- by the growth of Spartina Townsendi, a rowing hybrid which has spread over large recent years; or the sand-dune grasses, nd and fix the sand dunes and prepare the - for a more varied and permanent type of a ion. i, : rae ye Ae adaptation necessary to accommodate the plant dely differing conditions of life does not involve _ changes in general plan of structure; for instance, in hot, dry, or exposed areas, where excessive loss of er by the~plant must be avoided, this is effected arrowing the leaf-surface, or roiling it over from wgin to margin to protect the upper face on which are water-transpiring stomata. The structure of the stem, a slender, hollow cylinder, strengthened by a band of supporting. fibres beneath the outer layer, or strips accompanying the water-conducting tissue, gives sufficient strength, with the greatest economy of material, for the purpose required, namely, to carry up into the light and air the leaves, flowers, and fruits _ for the short period of active life, and to allow of the _ swaying motion which favours the processes: of nutri- tion, of transfer of pollen, and of distribution of the . - mature fruits. - The mode of: development of-the branches at the base of the stem determines the habit; a tufted growth results from the upward growth of the buds in the interior of the leaf-sheath, as seen, for instance, in the “tillering” of cereals; while the turf- or sod- formation is due to the penetration of the sheath-base by the ae shoot and ‘its lateral development in the soil. Branching from the upper part of the stem is rare in grasses of the temperate zone, but occurs in tropical genera, and is characteristic of the bamboos, | in which the woody stem often attains tree-like. ‘oportions. : Points of interest in the structure of the grasses are _ the mode of growth in length of the stem by a zone - 1 Abstract of a discourse delivered at the Royal Institution on May 17 by i Dr. A. B. Rendle, F.R.S. . NO. 2538, VoL. 101] NATURE of growth above the place of insertion of each leaf, the rigidity of the stem at this tender-growing zone being maintained by the stiff, encircling leaf-sheath ; the swollen ‘‘ node’ round the base of each leaf-sheath, which is able by a geotropic growth response to an alteration in its position to raise again to a vertical position a stem which has been laid; and the short prolongation of the leaf-sheath above the line of its union with the leaf-blade to form the membranous “ligule"’ which protects the entrance to the tube formed by the sheath. The grass-flower and the association of flowers to “form the inflorescence are very characteristic. The - unit is the spikelet which contains one to several, sometimes many, flowers. The character of the spike- let is determined by the bracts or glumes, the green membranous or papery scale-leaves which enclose the single flower and overlap each other in a double row when several flowers are present in a spikelet. The bract-leaf is a general method of protecting the flower- bud; in the iris, for example, each flower-bud is enveloped by a pair of bracts—the outer, farther from the main stalk, green and leaf-like, the inner, between the bud and the main stalk, thin and hyaline with a double keel on the back. In the iris the bracts wither as the flower opens, in the grass the bracts remain as the character-giving feature during flowering and fruiting, the flower itself being reduced to those organs which are directly concerned in the setting of the fruit. The pollen is distributed by means of air-currents, and the petals are represented merely by a pair of minute fleshy scales (lodicules) at the base of the flower, which, by absorbing water, swell and cause the bracts to separate, and thus allow the thread-like stamens to grow out and expose the delicately hung anthers, from which the light. dusty pollen is scattered by the wind; the feathery stigmas protrude later to catch the pollen- grains. In the great majority of grasses there are_ three stamens, as in the Iris family, and a single ovary bearing a pair of long, feathery stigmas and containing a single egg. The remarkable variety in the form of the spikelet and the inflorescence is achieved by variety in the form, size, and number of the glumes which constitute the spikelet and the degree of branching of the inflorescence. The colour of the inflorescence is due to the colour of the pendulous _ anthers, and disappears when these drop after shedding the pollen. ‘Fertilisation of the ovule succeeds pollina- tion of the stigma, and the ovule becomes the seed, which, except in a few genera, is peers en- closed in and inseparable from the fruit. The fruit also generally remains enclosed in one or more of the glumes, which fall with it and by their light, papery consistency help in its distribution by wind. Fre- quently the outer glume bears a stiff awn on the back: or tip, which is an effective aid to distribution, as it will cling to the coat or plumage of an animal or bird. In the steppe grasses of the genus Stipa the awn is sometimes very long and feathered, forming an admirable device for distribution by wind. The stiff awn is frequently spirally coiled in its lower portion and hygroscopic, and its coiling or uncojling with the varying degree of moisture in the atmosphere is arranged so as to drive the pointed end of the glume, in which the fruit is enclosed, into the ground. The seed contains the embryo at the lower part of one side; the rest consists of a food store of starch and gluten to nourish the embryo on germination. The embryo has a well-developed stem-bud or plumule and root; the plumule is enveloped by a sheath (coleoptile), which appears above ground in germina- tion as the slender pointed green seed-leaf from which | the true leaves successively break. The food store in 318 NATURE [JUNE 20, 1918 the seed is rendered soluble and absorbed by a flat sucker (scutellum), which is attached to the base of the coleoptile, and together with it represents the single cotyledon characteristic of the division of flowering plants, Monocotyledons, to which the grass family belongs. UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. ; BIRMINGHAM.—Sir William Ashley, Dean of the ‘faculty of commerce, has been invited to become Vice-— Principal in succession to Dr. R. S. Heath, whose resignation takes effect at the end of the current ses- sion. The post of registrar, hitherto occupied by Dr. Heath, is to be filled by Prof. Alfred Hughes, Dean of the faculty of arts. CAMBRIDGE.—The governing body of Emmanuel College offers two exhibitions, each of the value of 5ol. and tenable for two years, to research students commencing residence at the college in October, 1918. The governing. body may also make additional grants to students whose means are insufficient to cover the expense of residence at Cambridge or whose course of research may entail any considerable outlay in the provision of apparatus or materials. Oxrorp.—Prof. Horace Lamb, professor of mathe- matics in the University of Manchester, has been appointed Halley lecturer for next year. THE Times correspondent at Toronto states that a prominent citizen, whose name is not yet disclosed, will give from 100,0001. to 600,o00l1. to endow chairs in the faculty of medicine at the University of Toronto. ~ By the will of Sir G. H. Philipson, the sum of 20001. has been left to the University of Durham Col- lege of Medicine, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for the founda- tion of two Philipson scholarships to be awarded to the undergraduate of the college obtaining the highest marks at the M.B. final examination. THE sum of 25001. has been given to the Armstrong College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, by Miss Stephenson, for the endowment of a studentship in the faculty of arts, in memory of her late father, Sir W. H. Stephen- son; and Messrs. Cochrane, Ltd., of Middlesbrough, have given 3000]. to the same iastitution for the foundation of scholarships, primarily for residents of Middlesbrough and New Brancepeth. THE Regulations for Secondary Schools for 1918-19 (Cd. +9076, price 2d.), now published by the Board of Education, are in substance the same as those for the present year. The definition of advanced courses for pupils remaining in secondary schools until eighteen years of age has been revised and modified: It will be remembered that the Board’s circular of 1913 on the curricula gf secondary schools pointed out that the legitimate requirements of the great majority of pupils would be met by the provision of three different types of advanced course, viz. (a) science and mathe- matics, (b) classics, and (c) modern humanistic studies. The requirement that the work of an advanced course in group (a) must include both science ard mathe- matics has now been relaxed. In schools, especially girls’ schools, where biology occupies a prominent place in the curriculum, it is not always possible without risk of serious overstrain to require the in- clusion both of mathematics and of the auxiliary sciences of chemistry and physics. The Board has therefore reserved discretionary power to dispense with NO. 2538, VOL. 101] the requirement of mathematics in such cases. I expected that chemistry will always be continued the advanced course in connection with biology that physics will also be continued unless — previously been carried to an adequate standard. claims of geography for recognition as an ad course are discussed in an explanatory note regulations, and it is stated that the Board is p to give sympathetic consideration to any’ pract proposals made by suitable schools for advan courses in which geography is made a pred subject. ren Sic One chapter of the recently published report o Board of Education for the year 1916-17 (Cd. gos is concerned with the work of universities and uni sity colleges. It includes a section dealing wi : [ th t Ly sep | gifts and bequests received during the year review by the university institutions which come the scope of the report. The majority of the tions were directed to promoting the study of the importance of which has been empha the war. Among the gifts recorded the follow be. mentioned :—A legacy to the University of | mingham of soool. from the late Sir Charles Holeroft, the income of which is to be devoted to researc rk in science and engineering; a bequest of 10,0001. from the estate of Miss Craddock for the purpose of found- ing ‘a chair of commerce at the University uiver-— pool; 25,oool. under the will of Sir George Franklin — for the foundation of chairs at the University of Sheffield ; 30,0001. contributed to the Ramsay Memorial © Fund; some 30,000l. given towards the erection of new — science buildings at Bangor University C Bs @ 20,0001. promised by anonymous donors to Aberyst-— wyth College for buildings required by the Agri Department; and at Cardiff 25,o00l. receiv om Sir W. J. Tatem towards the provision of new — chemical laboratories, a. bequest of 20,0001. to the © : fiss ‘ 2 SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. | Lonpon. yt ae Royal Society, June 6.—Sir J. J. Thomson dent, in the chair.—N. B. Dreyer and Prof. C. S._ Sherrington ; Brevity, frequence of rhythm, and amount of reflex nervous discharge as indicated by reflex — contraction. A single momentary stimulus of moderate intensity, e.g. a break-shock, even though — not far above threshold value of stimulation, applied to the afferent nerve of a spinal reflex-centre, evokes — from that centre not uncommonly a repetitive series of volleys of motor impulses. It tends to do so more as the stimulus, within limits, is increased in intensity, but the state of the reflex-centre at the time is also a decisive factor. The rhythm of repetition of volley- discharges from the spinal reflex-centre was traced, | by the ordinary mechanical method, to be of syn-_ chronous rate, with that of stimulation of the afferent nerve up to a frequence of 55 per sec., and by a mechanical resonance method up to a frequence of | 65 per sec. By a ‘doubling frequency” method it | | NE 20, 1918] NATURE 319 “shown further that the frequence-rate of the discharge has not reached its limit under a lation of 75 per sec., but surpasses that degree, by what amount the method cannot say.. The lal mechanical power of a muscle contracting Spinal reflex action is frequently as great as imal which can be evoked from it by direct sation of the motor: nerve itself. Society, June 5.—Mr. G. W. Lamplugh, t, in the chair.—W. D. Lang: The Keles- a sub-family of Cretaceous cribrimorph a. The Kelestominz are a sub-family of Pelma- ~The latter are a family of Cretaceous Polyzoa, the costz of which are prolonged as hollow spines from the median area of ‘the intraterminal front wall. The broken ‘these spines form a row of pelmata (or, if pelmatidia) on the intraterminal front wall. The slestominze are Pelmatoporide with an apertural a each half of which is bifid; and the proximal and stal forks of each half are fused with the corre- forks of the other half. The fused distal re also fused with the proximal pair of aper- les, which are greatly enlarged. The simplest n of this arrangement is seen in the genus Marsson. Morphasmopora, unlike Kele- retains a small number of costa and a short but the thickness of the proximal apertural which are scarcely recognisable as such, “is inereased ; the thickness of the bifid aper- f is also increased.—Dr. R. L. Sherlock: The and genesis of the Trefriw pyrites deposit. _pyrites deposit is worked at Cae Coch Mine, the western side of the Conway Valley (North Vales), about one mile north of Trefriw. A band of rites, about 6 ft. thick, and of considerable purity, sts on the inclined top of a thick mass of diabase, ch is shown to be intruded into the Bala shales ee Pyrites deposits are classified by Beyschlag, Vogt, and Krusch into four groups :— (1) Magmatic segregations; (2) formed by contact- metamorphism; (3) lodes; (4) of sedimentary origin. None of these modes of origin, however, will account for the Trefriw pyrites. The conclusion arrived at is that the diabase was intruded below a bed of pisolitic iron-ore. “Hot water containing sulphuretted hydrogen, given off from the intrusion combined readily with the -pisolites, which were in the form either of oxide or of silicate of iron, and formed pyrites. The grap- tolitic horizon at which the pisolitic ore occurs usually _ contains some pyrites, and this would be added to - that derived from the above reaction. Linnean Society, June 6.—Sir David Prain, presi- _ dent, in the chair.—C. C. Lacaita: A revision of some critical species of Echium as exemplified in the Linnean and other herbaria, with a description of Echium judaeum, a new species from Palestine.— Capt. A. W. Hill: A series of seedlings of Cyclamen. _ Normally only one cotyledon develops, the other re- _ maining as a rudiment at the apex of the hypocotyl _ or tuber. If the lamina of the cotyledon be removed, new laminz arise as outgrowths from the petiole just below the cut surface; but if the cotyledon with its petiole be removed, the rudiment of the second _ cotyledon ‘is stimulated to develop into an assimilating organ. On removal of the lamina of this sécond cotyledon new laminz will bé formed from the inner edges of its petiole.close to the apex, exactly as is _ the case with the cotyledon proper. When plumular ' leaves are so treated no new laminz are regenerated. _ Further cotyledon leaf-cuttings will produce roots _ from the base of the petiole, while plumular leaf- NO. 2538, VOL. ror] ° cuttings remain rootless.—R. Paulson and S.: Hastings : The relationship between the symbionts in a lichen. Cladonia digitata, Hoffm., is the lichen used as material for many of the authors’ preparations. This plant grows at the base of trees in shady woods in Hertfordshire and Essex, as well as in most northern localities. The gonidium is spherical, except when subject to pressure from other gonidia. The ‘diameter of fully developed cells ranges from 8 to 15 p; the chloroplast in the mature gonidium has an uneven ~ surface; after fixing and staining, minute reticulation of the cytoplasm is evident; the so-called pyrenoid is large. and central, and exhibits a distinct structure throughout the substance, its diameter is roughly one- third that of the chromatophore; a small lateral body stains darker than the pyrenoid, it is very conspicuous in many of the preparations surrounded by a very lightly stained area. Twin gonidia frequently occur ; there is no vegetative cell-division of the gonidium; the increase in the number of gonidia results from the formation of autospores, reduced zoogonidia; there is no penetration of gonidia by hyphe. Mathematical Society, June 13.—Prof. E. W. Hobson, vice-president, in the chair.—Prof.'M. J. M. Hill: An assumption in the theory of singular solutions of ordinary differential equations of the first order.— Col. A; J. Cunningham and Th. Gosset: Quartic and cubic residuacity tables—Col. A. J. Cunningham : Lucas’s process applied to composite _Mersenne numbers.—Dr. A. E. Western: The Gaussian period numbers and the conditions that 2 should be a residue of a 16th or 32nd power.—T. W. Chaundy : The aberra- | tions of a symmetrical optical system.—T. L. Ince: The rotation groups of the regular figures in four or more dimensions.—J. H. Grace: (1) An-analogue in space of a case of Poncelet’s porism. (2) Note on enumerative geometry.—E. K. Wakeford :. Posthumous MS. discovered in his kit. EDINBURGH. Royal Society, June 8.—Dr. John Horne, president, in the chair.—Miss L. H. Huie: The formation of the germ-band in the egg of the holly tortrix moth (Eudemis naevana). ‘The following main results were obtained. The egg laid in July and August 1s much flattened, having the form of an oval scale, the ventral surface of which adheres to the leaf. The shape of the egg and the transparency of the envelopes make this a convenient material for the study of the early development of a lepidopterous insect. An account — was given of the stages leading to the formation: of the blastoderm, the ventral plate, the amnion, the germ-band, and the ‘‘inner layer.” This last becomes segmented almost at once, but the ectoderm remains unsegmented during the winter.—Prof. R. A. Sampson : Studies in clocks and timekeeping. No. 2.: The cir- cular equation. The present communication ‘1s the second of a series of studies executed at the Royal Observatory upon precision clocks and timekeeping. The astronomical interest of these studies comes front - their ultimate bearing on the rotation of the earth, which is our standard of timekeeping. Their plan is to accumulate with sufficient care and detail the neces- sary observations and discussions upon all points at present obscure or imperfectly treated which may affect the timekeeping of a clock. The present paper contains the calculation of the theoretical effect upon the clock’s rate of any variation of arc of oscillation, of the pendulum. The formula, which are known, ate here reduced to tables for convénient reference. The comparison of these theoretical results with actual performance is reserved for future members ‘of the series._Dr. C. Davison: The sound-waves and other 320 : NATURE ee fleas: 20, 918 & Pah) air-waves. of the East London explosion: of January 19, 1917. This is the complete report of the facts col- lected on the occasion of the East London explosion on January 19, 1917 (see Narure, February 1, 1917, p- 438, and August 2, 1917, p. 450, im which the main conclusions were anticipated).—Sir Thos. Muir: The quadratic relations between the determinants of a 4-by-8 array. The main idea of the paper was to develop a convenient notation to facilitate - the analytical use of these arrays. CaPETOWN. Royal Society of South Africa, April »7.—Dr. J.: D. F. Gilchrist, president, in the chair.—Dr. J. D. F. Gilchrist: Luminosity in a South African earthworm and its origin. Luminous earthworms are found on the slopes of Table Mountain. ~The luminosity pro- ceeds from a discharge from the mouth and anus, which consists of cells heavily laden with inclusions of different kinds. The smaller inclusions consist of a substance allied to fat, by the oxidation of which’ the light ‘is produced. The cells arise from: the body cavity, and are discharged into the anterior and pos- terior parts of the alimentary canat by definite com- munications between the ccelom and alimentary tract. —Sir Thomas Muir: Note on the adjugate of Bezout’s eliminant of two binary quantics.—f. B. P. Evans and Averil M. Bottomley: The genera Diplocystis and Broomeia. Some specimens of Diplocystis have recently been obtained by the authors from Portuguese East Africa, and this is the first recorded oceurrence of the interesting genus from Aftica. The African material is not identical with that from Cuba, and the authors describe it as Diplocystis Junodii, nov. spec.— Ethel M. Doidge: South African Perisporiacee, ii. Revisional notes. This communication consists of a revision, due to work on a number of fresh collections of South African Perisporiaceze, of a previous com- munication on the subject by the author.—F. G. Cawston: Fresh-water snails as a cause of parasitic _ diseases. The author describes a number of snails collected by him from various districts in South Africa, and found to be. infested with the cercarial stages of the various trematode worms. ay. Moir: Colour and chemical constitution, part iv. The remaining phthaleins. The absorption spectra of complex phthaleins are described, these being partly duplex compounds of the phenol-anthrol type and partly of a new class (e.g. thymol-naphthol) derived from thymoylbenzoic acid. The additive nature of the effects of different substitutions is emphasised by means of a table giving the numerical value of the change of wave-length for different substituting groups. BOOKS RECEIVED. The Chemical Analysis of Iron. By A. A. Blair. Sth edition. Pp, 318. (Philadelphia and London: J. B. Lippincott Co.) 215. net. Fisheries of the North Sea: By N. Green. Pp. vii +178. (London: Methuen and me Ltd.) 4s. 6d. net. Map Work. . By V. S. Bryant and T. H. Hughes. Pp. 174. (Oxford: Clarendon Press.) 5s. net. Is Man the Product of Evolution? By S. by iicromick _Pp. 24. (London: Headley Bros, Lid) net ae eee of Adventure and Liberation in the Light of* the Spirit. By W Pp. 2 (London : Headley Bros., Ltd.) We i Ce Methods of Measuring puso By Dr. E. Griffiths. Pp. xi+176. (London: C. Griffin and Coi, Ltd.) 8s, 6d. net. NO, 2538, VoL. tor] | The Story of a Grass. By 1 Dr. A. B. Rendle, F.! DIARY OF SOCIETIES. THURSDAY, June 20. f Rovau Soctery, at 4.30.—Croonian Lecture : The Physiological Thirst : Major W: B. Cannon. LINNEAN, Society, at 5.—Les especes. d'Alpheide rapportées Stanley Gardiner de I’Océan Indien: Prof. H. Coutiére. ith i of Ferdinand Bauer’s Landscapes, c. 1754. ne Ten British P Claridge Druce,—kxhibition of Lantern-slides ri Intermediate Forms of the Diatom Genera Navicu Nicolas Yer Sex in the Bryophyta : Phenological Observations in an Elementary School: A. O. ' Roya Society oF Arrs, at 4,30.—Indi 2 Cotton and thes! Industry : The Hon, Sir Dinshaw. E. Wacha. 5; MONDAY, June 2 ARISTOTELIAN SOCIETY, at 8. —The Moral Argument sy Theis: W.R. Matthews, by Rave GEOGRAPHICAL. Society, at 8.30.—Addr ph ee Canadian Minister of the Interior, "aatiie erence. TUESDAY, JUNE 2552 8 Roya ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, at 5. —Sociology eople, Formosa : S. Ishii. AERONAUTICAL, peace 3h (Central Hall, Westmi: ster), at 8.— pee ial Lecture; Some Outstanding Problems in; F: Durand. a es 8 ya JUNE 276 Ro¥aL Soctery, at 4, prt vobable P. apers of Finite viele: Fe ‘i wes Bg seein peal Di Waves by the Earth» Dr. G. Watson Lease nomena. II.: Periodic Vaniitions of Conductance < Fibrillation in the Mammalian Heart : Prof. J. Aw ‘ac\ Development of the Sea Anemones, Actinoloba dianthus a palliata: Dr. J. F. Gemmil.—The Oceurrence of ) Vegetative ‘Tissues : R. Beer and, Agnes Arber. —The Hertwig in the Teeth of Man, with Notes on the Foll Membrane: Dr. J. Hi. Mummery.—Avzd o-her Papers. FRIDAY, Jone 28. Puysicat Socirry, at 5.—A New Currents and Electric Onciiiarians ¢ L Will Coupled Vibrations > Prof. E. H, Barton and Miss B CONTENTS. Masonry. Dams and Irrigation Werk. By Brysson Cunningham ......... Medical Electricity. By A. C.J. Industrial Welfare and Health Aw oe Our Bookshelf. 2... 5 eee oa dy : Letters to the Editor :— The Food of the Roo’.— Dr. Syd: The Writer of the Note ; ae 304 2 ieee Scientific Food. Commission Ps en ae +304 The New Starin Aquila. pee i The New System of Time-keeping. ‘at ‘Bea By : i Dr. A.C. D. C‘ommel'n. . Damascene Steel. By H.C. H.C. Notes:. *-..; anita Our Astronomical Column : i Nebulosity in Star Clusters. >... . Interpretation. of Stellar Types ; 314, The Strathmore Meteorite . . Stace se (aS: The South-Eastern Union of Scicntise Societies | cast ae The Tieatment of Malaria. By Saat. Pe nes O’COntO@ iene core Scientific Problems of Disabled Soldiers piers Climatology of Paris . University and Educational Intelligence . Societies and Academies . Books Received Diary of Societies MACMILLAN, AND co., Sin oe ‘ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON, w.c Advertisements and business letters.to be addressed to. 7 Publishers. Bs Editorial Communications: to the Editor. i Telegraphic Address: Piwusis, LoNpoN. Telephone Number: GERRARD. 8830. , . ¥ a ‘4 Ties Practice : ae range of subjects. including biochemical assays, and reagents for the NATURE S27 _ THURSDAY, JENE: 27, ae, fe Be ry. tle Shige isewp wir ‘OF PHARMACY. of Pharmacy. By Dr. Jf. P. ign Remington, assisted by Dr. E. Fullerton Cook. Sixth edition. Pp. xxviii + 25 to 1987. (Phila- _ delphia and London: J. B. Lippincott Co.) Price 358. net. Ora the American nots on pharmacy none is so well known as Remington’s. Since the publication. of the first edition in 1885 its popu- ‘has been maintained, and from a compara- tively modest size it has grown to a stately volume It must, however, be borne bes awe: mind that the author has put a very wide = oe tah i upon the term “pharmacy,” and has used it in the restricted sense in which it ‘is nor y employed in this country. Jn “The tice “Of Pharmacy ” he has embodied to all nts and purposes the whole of the Pharma- ceia of the United States and also the National Formulary, appending notes to the monographs where necessary. He has dealt with crude vege- ‘ $s, unofficial as well as official, and with q “thesiical drugs, both inorganic and organic, | = Pg eee many of their derivatives and most newer synthetic remedies. Thus, for , in the section on cellulose he treats of B cotton, styptic cotton, pyroxylin, oxalic acid, acetic | a, acetone, tars, phenols, coal-tar and products therefrom, thus covering an extremely Pharmaceutical testing, analysis of urine, for the examination of blood, and _ for bacteriology are also discussed. “The Practice of Pharmacy” is, therefore, essentially a hand-book or compendium and a ' work of reference, rather than a-text-book for students. For the former purpose it appears to be well suited, as there are but few subjects connected with pharmacy concerning which information is not to be found in it; whereas the ground covered and the arrangement of the subject-matter render it unsuitable for use by students as a text-book. American pharmacists have for a number of years — ‘enjoyed the reputation of excelling in ie pharmacy, a yea the part of the volume . with this subject i is well written and fairly coh although’ it does — not convey _ the impression t that the American pharmacist is in this respect a preciably ahead of his British colleague. Among the pharmaceutical presses, for instance, the dotiole-tever press, which is a powerful and handy press, and undoubtedly the best for use in the pharmaceutical laboratory, might well have been included. The section on ampoules, now so important a means of preserving and distributing sterile solutions for medicinal use, would he improved by a more detailed description of the methods at the. disposal of the pharmavst for a them. . _ The crude vegetable caee hve been lavsiiea NO. 2539, VOL. IoT| A Handbook on Antiseptics. according to the natiire of ‘their chief constituents, _a classification that has recently been advocated by Prof. Fschirch, but is difficult to carry out as the constituents are in many cases insufficiently known. This section of the work, particularly as regards the constituents of the drugs, stands much in need of careful revision in the light of the many recent researches in this field. In some of the “liquors ” also revision ts necessary, as, for example, solution of arsenious and mercuric iodide, which is made by triturating arsenious iodide with mercuric iodide and water until solution is effected in which, the author says, “no chemical change occurs.” That the finished solution is apt to darken in colour ts well known, but the restoration to normal colour by shaking it with metallic mercury or arsenium is surely a questionable proceeding. These minor defects, while not materially detracting from the utility of the book as a work of reference, indicate the desirability of securing for the next edition the collaboration of several experts to each of whom a section should be allotted for careful revision. The Scope of the work is so extensive that it is only by such a combination of experts that a thoroughly satisfactory result can be attained. Nevertheless, Remington’s “ Practice of Pharmacy” will continue to be for British pharmacists a mine of information on American pharmacy. 3 : RECENT CHEMICAL ANTISEPTICS. By Dr. H. D. Dakin and Dr. E. K. Dunham. Pp. ix+129. (New York: The Macmillan Co.; London: Macmil- Ian and Co., Ltd., 1917.) Price ‘7s. net. so the Ee object of this little handbook, authors state, is to give a concise account, of the chief chemical antiseptics which have been found useful for surgical purposes during the pre- sent war. It appears at a very opportune moment, for, in spite of the disapprobation with which these substances are’ viewed in certain quarters, there is no indication that, as accessories. to surgi- cal treatment, they are losing in favour—rather the contrary. The septic character of most of the wounds received in France emphasised, at an early period of the war, the importance “of a searching and systematic study of antiseptics. The result has been an array of new active substances. And this fact furnishes an additional raison d’étre for the volume under review. Dakin’s hypo- ehlorite solution, Lorraine Smith’s eusol, the chlor- amine antiseptics of Dakin and his collaborators, Browning’s flavine antiseptics, and Morison’s so- called B.I.P. paste, which have supplanted to a great extent the older preparations, have. all appeared during the last four years. In most of the larger military hospitals these substances are known and used, but there must be a number of surgeons who have not access to the information except through occasional detached articles in the medical Press. S 322 But the book serves another purpose. The authors have sought to place the subject on some- thing like a scientific basis. The importance of a standard method of testing is emphasised ; the remarkable influence of media in this connection is referred to, and an attempt is made to explain (though at -present little understood) the nature and mechanism of the action. The book 1s divided into chapters. The introductory chapter deals with various groups of antiseptics and their properties, the laws governing disinfection, the modes of application, and the influence of media. This is followed by chapters on particular groups, beginning with the chlorine group, in connection with which Dr. Dakin’s name is so closely ‘associated. The phenolic group, the group of heavy .metals, the dyes, and miscellaneous anti- septics such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, iodine, iodoform, boric acid, etc., are treated in succes- sive chapters... . ’ ‘The final. chapter is devoted to special appli- cations of antiseptics, such as the disinfection of “carriers’’ and that of -drinking water, and the production of electrolytic hypochlorite from sea- water for disinfecting ships. ie Although the pursuit of this subject has been attended in recent years with remarkable success, it must be admitted that the methods have been ‘mainly empirical and to some extent fortuitous. There. is still a wide field for more systematic research and. study, for there remains very much in. the chemical action of antiseptics which is obscure. For.a book of. 129 pages, and of such small dimensions, the price of 7s. seems ee ° MILK HYGIENE. Principles and Practice of Milk Hygiene. By Prof. L. A. Klein. Pp. x+329. (Philadelphia -and-London: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1917.) Price 12s. 6d. net. HIS “book, as its. title implies, has been L written particularly for the veterinary inspector, but, nevertheless, there is in it a great deal. of information which will be of value to the analyst, the bacteriologist, the sanitary inspector, and the dairy student. A clear account is given in the first chapter of the Zeitzschman theory of milk secretion, accord- ing to which two distinct phases are to be recog- nised in the process. The first is the slow secre- tion of milk during, the intervals between milking, whilst the .second phase begins at the bidding of the ‘stimulus.due to. the act of milking. The chemical and. physical properties of milk are dealt with: in the usual way, and there is also a good description of the biological proper- ties. This is followed by an‘outline of the various groups of bacteria commonly found in milk, and the changes which they directly or indirectly bring about. Defects-of- milk, whether-due to bacteria or to NO. 2539, VOL. 101] “NATURE. on ee Seana Seneca saiee # a aa a ee a pen a is given to tuberculosis, and the writer divides cows which are liable to cause infection into three classes: (a) those suffering from tuberculosis of | the udder, (b) those having normal udders, but showing disease in other parts, (c) those which exhibit no clinical symptoms, but react to the tuberculin test. ‘Vane’ As a result of much careful investigation it would appear that the most hopeful lines upon which to work in order to obtain a supply of milk free, or relatively free, from tubercle contamina- tion is to apply the tuberculin test and examine the cows frequently. Full particulars as to methods of examination and the interpretation of symptoms are given later on in the book, Stress is laid upon the necessity for careful in- spection of the cowshed and premises and the maintenance of a high standard of cleanliness in milking, feeding, cleaning, water supply, etc. — The use of a partly covered milk-pail is alse recommended, and this practice has increased con- siderably of late years in the United States. _ There is one sentence in the chapter upon farm inspection which cannot be too strongly impressed upon all those who are connected with the pro-- duction of milk; it is this: “The hygienic quali-. ties of milk depend very largely upon the condi- tions existing at the source of supply.’’ Many enlightened public bodies in this country have acted for some time past upon this axiom with excellent results. The score system of dairy in- spection is also explained. Bt i pee rm One chapter deals fully with -pasteurisation, whilst the rest of the book is devoted to details of the methods used in the examination of milk. OUR BOOKSHELF. — The Problem of Man’s Ancestry. By Prof. F. Wood-Jones. Pp. 48. (London: S.P.C.K., 1918.) ° Price 7d. net. . In this booklet Prof. Wood-Jones has expanded’ the substance of a lecture which received consider- able attention from the Press when delivered at — King’s College, Strand, during the past spring. _ A new hypothesis as to man’s origin is put for- ward and a new place is given to man in the zoo- logical scale—a place far apart from that occupied some disease of the animal, are dealt with very — fully, and there is a good account of the influence _ of disease upon milk. Naturally, a prominent place — oui aes fe = way ange hs aihant Aidlaes rea eye ft - by the anthropoid apes, with which Prof.. Wood- — Jones considers man has only a most remote relationship. To explain the number of “primi- tive” anatomical characters which are to be found in the human body and the number of “human” features which are to be found in that aberrant and diminutive primate Tarsius, the author supposes that both man and Tarsius have sprung from a common stem—one the root of whichis represented — in the Lower Eocene strata by Anaptomorphus and Necrolemur. “If man is a more primitive mammal than are monkeys and apes, and if he undoubtedly ' belongs to their phylum, then it follows that, far { FOE VAL | June 27, 1918] 1758-1833, Seventy-Five CO ee . of every other department of biology. STi F NATURE o*3 _— oo = \ rt. r : es, _ from being a descendant of the apes, he may be looked on as their ancestor.’’ __- No one who has patiently analysed the structural characters of man and of anthropoid apes, and noted the points in which they resemble each other and those in which they differ, can find a perfectly Satisfactory genealogical tree to account for the distribution of the points of resemblance and points sof difference. That difficulty must remain so long ‘as we are ignorant of the manner in which heredity works in moulding anatomical features. But to ‘one who has tried to solve these difficulties, Prof. ‘Wood-Jones’s hypothesis, while clearing away aminor difficulties, substitutes much greater ones. We cannot, on his hypothesis, explain the very remarkable and unquestionable structural com- munity which binds man and anthropoid apes together, unless we fall back, as Prof. Wood- Jones has done and as the late Prof. Hermann Klaatsch did, on “convergence phenomena.” There can be no progress in anatomy, any amore than in cultural anthropology, unless we pre- ‘sume, until the opposite is proved to be the case, ‘that similarity of structure and identity of custom ‘presuppose a common origin. Ae, ‘The Genera of Fishes from Linnaeus to Cuvier, f Years with- the Accepted Type of Each. By D. S. Jordan, assisted by B. W. Evermann. Pp. 161. (Leland Stanford Junior University Publications: University Series.) (California: Stanford Uni- versity, 1917.) THE aim of this list, which must have involved much labour, iS ‘‘to give stability to nomenclature ” dy altering, for the sake of priority under new rules enacted by various committees the mission of which thus to revolutionise has never received general sanction, most of the names with which we are familiar and the change of which would defeat the very object for which the use of Latin mames is intended. We are glad botanists have almost unanimously repudiated such suggestions, and we trust to the good sense of the zoologists of the future to treat in like manner these attempts at upsetting nomenclature, and thus adding to the difficulties not only of systematics, but, even more, The writer of this notice is determined to continue, as in the past, to respect old names which have been universally in use, even if they do not conform to the strict rule of priority, which should be applied only when no serious harm can result from the point of view of stability in nomenclature. We are referred to a Committee of Zoological Nomenclature, including several Germans, in May, 1917 (sic), with an appeal for “the fullest criticism both as to matters of fact and of opinion before placing the contents of this paper before the International Commission.’’ We doubt if a commission so composed will ever meet-again, and such seems to be also the impression of its presi- dent, as conveyed in the address delivered by him to the Zoological Society of France in January, 1QI5. ea G. A. BOULENGER. NO. 2539, VOL. ror] > 7 2 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. - [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous. communications. | The Promotion of a Gloser Union between England = and Italy. Rt: THE utility, even the necessity, of a more intimate union between the democracies of the Entente_ will make itself felt still more urgently after the war than it does now. After the war, in fact, and even if its issues be as we wish and firmly trust they will be, there certainly will still be the danger that the hege- monic aspirations ‘of Germany will again arise, and ‘that she will renew her attempts at economic, technical, and scientific penetration for political purposes.. On the other hand, the international division of labour, and the necessity arising from it that each country should avail itself of the complementary production and work of the other countries, will certainly con- tinue after the war; so that, if this division of labour among the countries of the Entente is not: organised, and if there does not come to pass a-closer intellectual and moral union between Britain, France, and Italy, the last-named country sooner or later cannot but have recourse again, and in large measure, to Ger- many for all those productions and services needed to complete her own. ° It is not enough, however, that Britain will produce henceforth all those manufactures which we formerly imported from Germany; nor will it be enough that she can furnish them at prices so low..as. to compete with Germany; nor yet will it be enough that the British manufactur2rs will understand the necessity of furnishing all those large supplies of goods on credit and affording all those facilities in the way of long credit with which Germany coaxed our markets. Cer- tainly all these are measures that Britain must gm immediately if she wishes to regain this market. If formerly, when she was the only producer of given machines or goods, she might well expect the cus- . tomers spontaneously to come to her without needing to give herself too much trouble to secure them, now that she has a competitor. so. dangerous, as Germany, Britain, too, must take due pains to acquire and pre- serve in our country an ever-widening ‘circle of customers. ery ee But, I repeat, even all these facilities will not suffice. For the economic. penetration of one country by another must always be accompanied, and often even preceded, as Germany, well understood, “by (a whole process of intellectual and moral penetration. » Let not the fact, for instance, seem insignificant that while almost no British’ firm ‘is accustomed ‘to write in Italian to Italian customers, the Germans, on the contrary, did so in always. increasing, measure. ., It is but too well. known how they studied our. needs and tastes in order to satisfy them... The .insinuating work, often undignified, but persistent and able, of their commercial travellers has been remarked by all as one of the most important means used’ for’ the conquest that they-had made in a few years of ‘the world’s markets in general,-and of ours in particular. As regards the intellectual side, properly speaking, no one can fail. to recognise what valuable arms. for Germany’s. penetration here among us, in,,[taly ,she~ had in her books and periodicals, especially scientific and technical. These books and periodicals were in course of time considered so necessary to’ the students both of’ technical high schools and_ universities: that where, in our secondary’ schools, there: was ‘the ‘option . es oe a 324 NATURE [June 27, 1918 between English and German, a proportion always sreater from year to year chose the latter. Our future technical ‘and scientific men’ thus completed their. in- struction with German books and periodicals; and when their studies were finished, and they entered the reat arena of industrial and scientific life, the influence of this intellectual training, to a great extent of the German stamp, had its after-effects on all the scientific, technical, and economic relations of our country with Germany. “It is, therefore, necessary that Britain, throwing aside not only in politics, but also in all the varied forms of international relations, its proud device of “ splendid isolation,’ should understand the full necessity of this reciprocal moral and intellectual penetration of our two countries, and convince herself that no efforts to produce and intensify it can ever he great enough. I should be glad, for example, to see that in the- ‘British commercial schools Italian commercial corre- spondence should be taught; that the principal indus- trial and commercial firms in Britain should mean- while, as soon as the war is over, call for Italian young men to conduct their correspondence with Italy in Italian; and that an ever-increasing number of British young men should be sent every year to Italy —-whether. to our commercial schools and commercial universities or to our largest industrial, commercial, and banking houses—to exercise themselves in Italian and to know better the economic life of our country. Both in Britain and in Italy special sections of the respective commercial schools and commercial uni- versities should be devoted to the preparation of com- mercial travellers and agents, perhaps also commercial consular officials, through the careful study of the commercial and industrial needs of each country. Then it would be of fundamental importance, as we have just now said, to see to the reciprocal penetra- tion of a technical and intellectual sort. The exchange of teachers and students in the universities and other superior schools, which will no doubt have been already thought of, will aid this not a little. Very useful also in this regard will be the establishment, not only in Milan and London, but in all the principal cities of Britain and Italy, of Italo-British institutes. And no less is it to be recommended that British books should be more largely bought by the public Italian libraries, and [talian books by British libraries; and that in every important city in- Britain and Italy should be formed associations of the studious, the technical men, the manufacturers, for the purpose of founding reading-rooms, in which would be found all the im- portant foreign reviews—scientific, technical, economic, legal, political, historical, literary, artistic, and so on. But all this would certainly be not yet sufficient. lf Britain wishes to regain in other countries for its book production, both technical and scientific, the place from which Germany was gradually ousting her, her authors must no longer assume a point of view too strictly or exclusively British, but must “ inter- nationalise’’ themselves move, as precisely the Germans did, ~It is necessary, in other words, that the British books and periodicals, both technical and scientific, should look more frequently than they do now to see what is being done and thought out- side their own country; that due account should be taken of this in order to get out of that isolation from the rest of the world which is such a hindrance to their diffusion in the countries that are not Anglo- .Saxon; that they should take more care to divest themselves of their exotic appearance, which to us Latins is more marked in them than in the béok pro- duction of any other country, derived from archaic systems and methods, such as their systems of measure and the like, which have hitherto disdained. to give NO. 2539, VOL. 101] . | place to systems and methods now becomé inter- national. ere At the same time, British publishers might be asked —_| to give more attention, and on broader lines, to adver- tising their books in the countries rot Anglo-Saxon. Let me be allowed to quote in this connection a typi cal fact, drawn from my personal experience. In the first | years of existence of the international review Scientia, of which I have the honour to be editor, no one would believe the difficulties we met in obtaining gratis from British publishers their books for which we asked in order to review them; while the German publi hastened to send us works costing as much as forty, sixty, or more marks, and after our first request con- tinued sending books of their own accord, many Brit Be publishers answered us, even with regard oe d costing only 5s. or 1os., that the greatest si =e they could make us was to let us have them at half- price. The result was, of course, that in ea a” days of Scientia the German works reviewed in | three or four times as many as the British, a tainly through no fault of ours. ta. a Then courageous publishers, or publishing tr formed for the purpose, ought to put out in Br English translations of Italian technical and sciet works, and in Italy Italian translations of wor English. The British public must, in fact, cease to a preciate only what is British, and become convinced thé in other countries there may be something good whi deserves to, be known. In this connection the fac significant that before the war our review above-r had in Germany a circulation four or A BS than it had in Britain. It was a sign that the Germar public recognised more than the SBritish ‘public the utility and interest there was in following attentively the international movement of ideas, and af ate more the scientific production of other countri But a measure which we consider would be o . avail than any other to effectuate this closer nk ral and intellectual union between Britain and Italy, and each of the principal branches of industry. — periodical, for example, devoted to electrical engineering; - or to certain branches of it, jointly edited by the most eminent British, French, and Italian electricians, pub- lished by three of the principal publishing firms of the three countries, which would publish articles in — language’ of the réspective authors, but accommenying the text, where this is English or Italian, with the French translation: think how efficacious a work could be done in the way of maintaining in continual _ mutual contact our.engineers and our manufacturers, | of making known and introducing in each country the products .of the others, of organising in the three countries all the production in that particular branch of industry, of scttling and forming the due arrange- - ments for facing German competition. Suppose that such ‘‘Ententist” periodicals—perhaps with the financial co-operation of the larger industrial firms in — each line, for whom the sum required for the purpose — would be but a trifle—sprang up in each of the principal _ branches of industry and commerce. Who does not — - Jove 27; 1918] NATURE 7 325 ; ‘see how effective: and close a union between our Re of the Entente would in the end be wrought and ‘consolidated by these organs of high industrial ~ control or co-ordination ? ___ In some of the principal industries, therefore, let this - first step be taken on the long road still to be travelled. To travel it to the end, once this first step is taken, we. shall then be drawn ‘by the shining goal itself that has to be reached: that of the truly intimate union of our two countries, and the federation of the peoples - of the Entente on which depend the liberty of the peaples, and the peaceful and just re-ordering of the nations. EuGenio RiIGNANO, Bie.) Editor of the International Review Scientia, se ak seatit p Sogeke as LSAT The Eétvés Revolving Balance. . . In igsue of Nature for March 21 Prof. Boys — directe attention to a very interesting experiment per- _ formed by Baron Edtvés, in which the oscillations of e" ng balance were shown to be an effect of the rotation of the earth. Precise details of the experiment are lacking, but _ it would appear that the beam of the balance was ; that its centre of mass lay upon its hori- axis. of _ swing, and that the latter was com- 1 to ‘revolve in its own horizontal plane with a 4 te angular velocity. It was observed that oscil- = tations were set up the amplitude of which was limited by the damping resistance of the air. “ats: the referred to Prof. Boys gave reasons . the amplitude in terms of the physical constants in- Was incorrect, and offered another in its stead. I thi nk, however, that there is little doubt that when experiment is performed in the way which the ed aecounts indicate the Eétvés formula is we tale as a system of moving axes of axes of inertia of the beam of one- coincides with the axis about which the ora 2 _Let this be the axis of x, and let it ; o,= = 0 cos'X'sin ot +. @y= — 2 cos d cos of cosy +(2 sin \+@) sin y. oa 2 cos X cos wt sin ¥+(2 sin x-paheos¥ If A, Bye are the corresponding moments of inertia, and if we. represent the resistance of the air by a c -=Nw, we obtain’ as the equation for small oscillations of the beam about the horizontal ~ AP+NW+(C - B)o*y =(A + C— B)wO cos X cos of. Asemmmipe: the beam to be essentially a long, narrow rod, we may put B=o and C=A, and with these simp s we obtain for y the expression 2AQ cos X sin wf/N. It is seen at once that the expression is essentially the same as that és. The terms repre- the free oscillations are omitted, as such oscillations will ultimately be damped out by the resistance of the air. In simplifying the equation, the assumption is made that AQ is small compared. with N. It seems probable that Eétvés used a “small” balance in order to ensure that this condition should for if we compare similar balances NO. 2530, VOL. ror] Ne«L* and AxL*, where L denotes a linear dimension. If this condition were not satisfied, the character of the motion would be considerably modified. J. B. Date. King’s College, June 14. I HAVE to thank Prof. Dale for pointing out the very serious error that I made when I assumed that the variation of centrifugal force was the only action operative in the Eétvis revolving balance, and I must apologise to Mr. Korda for having treated his account of this beautiful device as inaccurate 2 well as in- adequate. . V. Boys. The Discovery of the New Star in Aquila. Capt. E. V. Piper, of Fowey, Cornwall, was observing meteors on the night of June 7-8 between 12h. 3gom. and 13h. om. G.M.T., and saw seven. He recorded a rst mag. one at 12h. 45m., which shot to just below Altair from a little above a bright star to the west which he could not identify. This star had a green tinge, and was equal in lustre to Altair. Though he knew the constellations and all the brighter stars in this region very well, he was struck with the strange object to the right of Altair. Mrs. Piper, who came out on the balcony from which Capt. Piper - was observing, also remarked on the green colour and flashing light of the star. — Capt. Piper saw the star again on the evening ‘of June 8 at 9.18 p.m., and was puzzled at its appear- ance, but considered that it meant some phenomenon already well known to astronomers. On Monday, June to, he saw an announcement in the newspapers | that a new star had been discovered in the position where the strange object had attracted his notice on the morning of June 8. : -The whole of the facts and circumstances of the observation have been investigated by Mr. T. H. Hony, of Fowey, who is an amateur astronomer, and is convinced of the perfect trustworthiness of the details. Capt. Piper has occasionally sent me accounts ‘of meteors, and they have been very gi It seems to mé that the difficult feature to understand in con- nection with the observation of the star on the morn- ing of June 8 is that it was as bright as on the fol-. lowing night. We know that these objects rise very rapidly to a maximum. The Perseid nova of February, 1901, increased from less than t2th magni-. tude on February 20 to 2-7 magnitude on February 2. after an interval of twenty-eight hours! W. F, Dennine. Bristol, June 18. —— The Food of the Rook. THERE is still so much difference of opinion among those who, like the writer of the note in Nature of June 6 (p. 271), have examined the contents of the stomachs of rooks as to the economic position of these birds that the time has come when a com- mittee of scientific men should be invited to sift_ the extensive evidence that is now available and issue a_ report. T am in agreement with Dr. Long that the method of balancing one grain of corn as beneficial against one insect as injurious is most fallacious, The corn found in the stomachs of rooks in the summer months (May and June), and a great deal of the corn gathered — by the rooks on the roadside or after gleaning in the autumn, would never be garnered by the farmer, but an injurious insect that escapes the visitations of the birds is always capable of considerable mischief. 326 wae ey . ape 8288 The case against the rook is not yet proven, but the evidence should be collected together and submitted to the consideration of a scientific jury. SypNEY J. Hickson. The University, Manchester, June 22. Dr. Lone (NATURE, June 20, p. 304) raises a point which I think must appeal to many. The potential damage, represented by the 23-9 per cent. of injurious insects, is surely the one factor upon which every- thing depends; and, difficult though it is to see just how the necessary information is to be acquired, we are scarcely justified, so I am inclined to think, in arriving at any. conclusion without it. Is it not a fact that the Hungarian Central Office for Ornithology reached the conclusion, after careful investigation, that the rook is of service both to agri- culture and to cattle-breeding ? me H. Exior Howarp. Hartlebury, June 22. ‘¢ Harbour Engineering.’ Lest it should be assumed that I tacitly acquiesce in certain sins of omission alleged in the review of the second edition of the above book, which appeared in Nature of June 13, may I point out that the matters in question (slipway construction, durability of con- crete in sea-water,. mechanical handling of material, etc.) are discussed so fully in the companion volume on “Dock Engineering,” to which they are equally, if not more, appropriate, that it seemed undesirable to include any extended notice of them in ‘‘ Harbour Engineering ’’? Reference to this fact is to be found in several places (pp. 147, 265, etc.). BryssOn CUNNINGHAM. June 20. UNITS AND UNITY. Te note that appeared in NaTurE of March 7 _ (p. 14) about the nomenclature of tempera- tures in centigrade degrees measured from a zero 273° below the normal freezing point of water in- vited further contributions on the subject of units, and other circumstances transform the invitation into an imperative demand. The report of Sir J. J. Thomson’s Committee on Science Teaching, without making a definite recommendation for the adoption of metric units, deliberately adjusts its scheme of education in such a way as to make familiarity with.metric units a part of general education. What is the use of doing so if metric units are not to be used for the practical affairs of life? Our present situation is ridiculous. Every boy and girl at school who “does science ’’ now learns that metric units are the universal medium of scientific expression, and is practised in their use. At the same time, we cry out for more science in our practical life. What can we expect from our appeal? A boy goes home at the end of term and tells his father that he has been doing science, weighing in grams, measuring lengths in centimetres, pressures in millimetres of mercury, and temperatures in degrees centigrade. Surely the most natural remark for any naturally minded parent to make is that his boy need not pay any attention to that, because, if it had any NO. 2539, VOL. 101] rai bearing at all upon practical life, he would cer— tainly have been taught to-use pounds or grains, — inches, and Fahrenheit degrees, and not the out~_ landish things that nobody uses after he has left — school. There is a story told of Adams, the astro-- nomer, who, in a Swiss hotel, asked for a bath, and was particular that the water should be at yoo°. After a long time, the maid came and said she had done her best, but she could not get it above 95°; and I doubt if, even at this day, the President of the Royal Society himself uses: the same unit for his bath-water and his water- bath. If science is to be a part of practical life, the units of science and the units of practical life must be the same. One thing or the other: either practical folk must learn to use metricounits, or British men of science must use British units in their laboratory courses. The present divorce. between education and practice is ruinous for both. If we want instruments according to metric measures, we get them from instrument-makers who understand such measures, not from those who do not—that is, we tend to get our scientific instruments mostly from abroad—and so on in Hitherto men of science have everything. ges See ee ee Sd : th ee eee | Hrs 42 aah not cared, because we can use either measure with equal facility, and we take a_ little pedantic pleasure in being bilingual in that sense. It is the same with our language. We take a tiny pride in the small difficulties of pro- nunciation that stand-in the way of its being a_ , lingua franca; we sneer at any attempts to bring spelling into agreement with pronunciation; we. advocate the learning of Esperanto or Ido instead, to avoid international jealousy, forsooth. Shake-— speare wrote “Gloster,’’ but we lose marks if we . do not write ‘Gloucester’’; classical authors wrote “gage,’’ but we must write “gauge,’’ and we chuckle inwardly when our friends - write. “guage.’? There is a ton of “the high life” in knowing that ‘‘C-h-o-l-m-o-n-d-e-l-e-y ’ is pro-- nounced ‘ Marchbanks’’ which we are all proud of; and meanwhile English is set down as impos- sible for the use of the world at large. . The attitude of mild complacency with our own superior knowledge runs through everything. I have heard it said quite recently that meteorology stands in the way of the adoption of metric units. Certainly that is not true-of the Meteorological Office. . Since May 1, 1914, we have gone a step further than most people in using C.G.S. units for pressure, millimetres for rainfall, metres per second for wind velocity in the Daily Weather © Report, and we use absolute temperatures wherever we dare. We have even gone so far as to use milliwatts per square centimetre for solar radiation, instead of the preposterously unscien- tific unit gram-calories-per-square-centimetre-per- minute. But it is difficult to keep these things going without the ‘support of those who could help. The United States Weather Bureau and the French Meteorological Service, others outside, have gone with us. In this country nobody but the Meteorological Office appears to and some — UNE 2 Jos ii a ug78h NATURE me ~ : Peg willing to stand the racket ‘of bringing metric units into practical use. _ Some years ago, before the war, I represented ~ to an authoritative committee that for aeronautical purposes a* dynamical unit of wind velocity was practically essential, and asked for a judgment between metres per second and feet per second, and was told that “feet per second’’ was the more appropriate unit. The reason has been voiced for me by one of my own staff—that he himself could manage metric units well enough, ‘but the weaker brethren would understand feet per second better; and for the same reason I find we are drifting back again to miles per hour out of kindness to the less well-informed. superior person will not look at milliwatts per square centimetre as a unit for solar radiation; people might think he was unacquainted with the literature of the subject. This supposed consideration for the weaker brethren is a mere will-o’-the-wisp. It is: the teacher with years of experience who finds it really hard to change his habit. Well-meaning people tell me that atmospheric pressure expressed in millibars has no meaning for beginners, and there is the same tendency to slip back, into inches, because, forsooth, people will understand them better. The supposed simplicity is quite fallacious. The majority of mankind who use barometers do not understand pressure measured in inches; in fact, they have never thought about pressure at all, but simply about barometric read- ings, which are another matter. From the founda- tion of the Meteorological Department of the Board of Trade in 1854 millions of barometer readings have been reported to the Meteorological Office from the sea, from ships of the Navy and the mercantile marine; but until reports by wire- less were introduced about ten years ago, so far as I know, not a single barometric pressure— only the raw materials for getting it. And the ‘result of requiring pressure instead of readings in the wireless telegrams was as instructive for the observer as it was for the office. Under the old plan the observer read the barometer; it was marked in inches, but did not read in inches, of course; he gave the number of the barometer, so that we might look out its index error, and the reading of the attached thermometer, so that we might get the correction, and some clerk in the office had to make out the pressure. It is to be noted that in meteorology the difference between the first reading and the pressure is not a mere trifle, but sometimes more than the differences of pressure which we map. After these sixty-four years of reading barometers without knowing the mean- ing of what was read, some jolt is necessary to per- suade people to understand what we really mean, not in theory, but in actual working practice, by the pressure of the atmosphere; and the use of a real pressure unit is by far the best form of jolt. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan they were ordered to set up a pillar of stones so that their posterity might ask the question, “What mean ye by these stones?’’ And so the question; NO. 2539, VOL. tor] The. “What mean ye by millibars?’’ is the first aiip in the enlightenment of many practical men about the realities of atmospheric pressure in meteoro- logy. And, strange as it may seem, our marine observers, who are practical meri, are not in the least unwilling to regard the innovation in that light. No objection to the change has come from them. What other and more ordinary educational institutions think about it I have never heard ; they have probably not considered it at all. It is, of course, deplorable that there are so few people within reach of any inquirer who can give him the answer to the question that leads to enlighten- ment; but that is another story. So with temperature: the schools and universi- ties use the Centigrade scale and zero. I defy. anybody who is used to the practical convenience for meteorological purposes of the Fahrenheit scale to face the change to the Centigrade scale and zero, which would flood our tables with nega- tive quantities, without asking himself: “ What means this zero?’’ And if he does ask himself the question he must realise that, besides avoiding for ever negative values in meteorological work of every kind, the adoption of the so-called absolute scale sets up a pillar round which much information of the utmost interest and importance is twined. The expansion of gases, the transformation of heat into work, the radiation into open space, all depend “upon the absolute temperature, which, therefore, has some reality about it: .There may be ‘small discrepancies, as Prof. Marvin has pointed out; but they are not of the first order. In these days, when temperature is of real signifi- cance in all sorts of ways, I cannot imagine how a teacher has the courage to face a pupil with a negative temperature, and to go on doing it seems — to me to be either inveterate habit or simple ob- . scurantism. And yet I find, now that flying men are beginning to record temperatures in the upper air, they are on the way to give us negative tem- peratures on the Fahrenheit scale because (I sup- pose) they understand them! To me the practice appears to be based, not on thought, but on. simple thoughtlessness. ; There is a time for everything, and the present seems to be the time for a change of units. Take, for example, the decimalising of our coinage. ' Let it be granted that we cannot change the pound because that would mean translating all the re- corded values from the time of the introduction of the sovereign. To change the shillings and pence into decimals is, from that point of view, a small matter. The stumbling-block has always been the penny, because there were so many hundreds of millions of things sold for a penny that a change in the penny would ruin either the traders or their customers. But now the penny has lost all its significance; everybody wants it changed. A penny paper is seeking a new price; it costs three halfpence or twopence or threepence; a penny stamp now costs three halfpence. Why does not the Chancellor of the Exchequer put stamps in terms of hundredths of a pound? The opportunity is a golden one for the nation, and 328 NATURE ~ [Jue 27; 1918 incidentally for the Exchequer because any un- considered fractional’ difference might go there. It is time for those who think that a unified | system of measurement is worth having to make a push for it. It is scarcely likely that, to the open mind, there can be any real difference of opinion as to the units which should be chosen. It is one of the truisms of science that the same reasoning always leads to the same conclusion. All the traditional obstacles have disappeared, and, above all things, we want to get on. Another era with the schools using one set of units and all practical people using a different set is almost as deplorable an outlook as peace by negotiation. Napier SHAW. PROF? He 7G: - PLIMMER, F.RS. Bo AL and medical science has sustained a great loss by the passing away of Henry George Plimmer on Saturday last, June 22. Plimmer had contributed much by his writing and influence to comparative pathology during his life, and ‘his last illness interrupted a valuable and strenuous research on trench fever. During his earlier years he prepared himself for a scientific career by visiting and working with the great pioneers of that time, and it was doubtless owing to the influence of men like Pasteur that the direc- tion of much of his subsequent research was due. He always kept up his Continental interests, and often took part in the proceeding's of foreign scientific congresses. For many years Plimmer was connected with the Royal College of Surgeons and with the Zoo- logical Gardens, which afforded him great oppor- tunities for investigating pathological problems. About three years ago he was appointed to the chair of comparative pathology at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, which had been founded by the munificence of an anonymous donor. The scientific, as well as the sterling human, qualities of Plimmer found abundant opportunity in his new post. His lectures were eagerly at- tended by a large body of students, and as this attendance was quite voluntary, it is no -small tribute to his genius that the room was often crowded, even to overflowing. Gifted with an unassuming and sympathetic nature, as well as possessed of a knowledge of the world, his help and advice were often sought by those in trouble or difficulty, and many a young man would readily acknowledge the debt owing to his kindly help and wise counsel, Plimmer was a fellow of the Royal Society, as well as of many other learned societies, both at home and abroad, and his contributions to science are scattered through their Proceedings and Trans- actions. He was an accomplished microscopist, and ‘his presidential address to the Royal Micro- scopical Society is a model of critical and scholarly research. This is, however, neither the time nor the place NO. 2539, VOL. 101] and universities | | a delightful companion. | sophical and discriminating enjoyment of the best | endeared him to a wide circle of devotedly stapes | friends. | having lived in it, and this is emphatically to attémpt'a full Accoutit of his scientific labours. That must come later. But Plimmer’s in- terests were not restricted to the pursuit ’ of science. Endowed with many and varied ¢ (he was, for example, a musician of the very rank), it was often a matter of surprise to m of his friends that he could have possibly £¢ time and opportunity to develop and excel i in as he actually did. oF It is hard to speak of Plimmer as a friend. sufficiently measured terms, and those who knew him best are best able to appreciate the rare quali- ties of the man. Partly Stoic, partly Epicurean, and largely something wholly his own, he was Added to, -a_ philo- that life has to offer, his loyal and unselfish nature Perhaps the most that can be said of any man is that the world is a better place for his Plimmer. J Bodiisy ety Doan —— DR: E. A. NEWELL ARBER. vena, fst iaveciges HE death of Dr. Newell Arber, on June 14, pat in his forty-eighth year, after a long illness, adds another name ‘to the already long list of as palzobotanists whose obituary notices” have = f appeared in these columns during the last two or three years. After taking his degree at Cam- bridge, Arber was appointed tiniversity demon-— strator in palaobotany in 1899, a post which he g held at the time of his death. He devoted himself heart and soul to the study of fossil plants both — by his own researches, extending over a_ and by his ever willing help to the students whom he taught: through his energy alarge number of fossil plants were added to the 4 and the well-arranged and carefully named collec: tions bear witness to his methodical and careful curatorship. In 1909 he married Miss Agnes’ Robertson, .an accomplished botanist, who has recently been re-elected to a clon a -Newn- ham College. chips pt In addition to numerous papers, Arber. fess lished four books: a British Museum Catalogue of the Plants of the Glossopteris Flora 1905) ie work which is much more than a compilation and is indispensable to paleeobotanical and geological students; “Plant Life in Alpine Switzerland” (1910); a volume on the coast scenery.of North Devon (ag11); and a very useful book on coal, one of the “Cambridge Manuals,” which has been translated into Russian. Much of his original work was concerned with British Carboniferous _ plants: he by no means confined himself to col- lecting and describing specimens, but made valu- able contributions to the stratigraphical problems connected with the floras. He was . interested jn the Kent coalfield and added consider- he ably to our knowledge of the floras of the Forest of Wyre, the Forest of Dean, and other coalfields. _ He published papers on the anatomy of Sigillaria, _ in collaboration with Homdhome Thomas, icone : q wane negroes ci he k bs - Juve 27, 1978] a + ‘ —~ = NATURE 329 on the earlier Mesozoic floras of New Zealand, an extension of a shorter paper reaa to the Royal josperms, afford evidence of Arber’s power of re ding in a philosophical spirit difficult and con- versial problems. Among other papers, mention ay be made of one ‘on the past history of ferns, d.af those on Glossopteris, in which the -sporan- are described for the first time, Lagenostoma, ph authority on the economic side of palzobotany, primarily in connection with the Kent coalfield. It 4s impossible, in a short article, to give an adequate aceount of his original work ; his output ‘was much greater than that of most men of his ears, and, in view of the difficulties with which him well felt for him a deep affection and can most sincerely share the grief of his devoted wife, with whom he enjoyed a true companionship of heart and work. K A. C. SEWARD. Say 3 eS 5 ee NOTES. Tue Board of Trade has appointed, with the con- urrence of the Ministry of Reconstruction, a Com- nittee to examine and -report upon the water-power and the exitent to they can be made available for industrial pur- % members of the Committee are :—Sir John F. C. Snell (chairman), Mr. G. S. Albright, Sir Caine Clerk, F.R.S., Dr. J. F. Crowley, Mr. H. F. -Carlill, Mr. P. Dawson, Prof. A. H. Gibson, Mr. V. Hartshorn, J.P., Dr. -H. R. Mill,.Mr. A. Newlands, Mr. G. C. (Ministry of ), and . W hick 1 i 8 J Vvle, Mr. A. J. Walter, Mr. Ralph Walter ion) Mr. D. J. Williams. Mr. R. T. G. French is the secretary, and all com- prudence. munications imtended for the Committee should be addressed to him at ro Princes Street, Westminster, ; S.W.1. ; Tue twenty-ninth annual meeting of the Museums Association will be held at Manchester on July 9-11 the presidency of Mr. E. Rimbault Dibdin. Among the subjects to be discussed are :—‘‘ The Museum in Relation to Art and Industry,” H. Cad- ness; “The Application of Art to Industry and its Relation to Museum Work,” S. E. Harrison; *‘ The Museum and Trade,” T. Midgley; and ‘Arrange- ment of an Ethnographical Collection,’ B. H. Mullen. Ag the annual meeting of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, held last month, Col. J. J. Carty, US. |Si ‘Corps, was presented with the Edison medal of the institute in recognition of his services in developing the science and art of telephone engineering. NO. 2539, VOL. 101 | : E lose, ‘Lyginopteris, Cupressinoxylen, Dadoxylon, . and other genera. A memoir, published this year, _ meteors and of the mechanics -of bird-flight. wae lum, Yuccites, Zamites, and Ptero- | ”Arber had made for himself a name as an | _ service to students of chemistry. pepe : ee | Was sixty-seven years of iety, is an especially valuable addition to our | ie 7 knowledge of a much neglected subject. Two | _ papers written in collaboration with ‘this friend | ~ Major Parkin, on ‘the origin and evolution -of the — We regret to note that the death of Mr. John H. Heck is recerded in Engineering for June 21. Mr. Heck was ‘senior engineering ‘surveyor to ‘Lloyd's Register of Shipping in the Glasgow district, and age. ‘He read many papers on engineering ‘subjects before ‘the Institution .of Naval Architects, the North-East Coast Institution of En- gineers ‘and Shipbuilders, and other technical ‘societies. Tue death is announced in his fortysninth year of _Dr.-C. -C. Trowbridge, assistant professor of physics at Columbia University, New York. Dr. Trowbridge had made notable contributions. to the knowledge of One of his ;principal :services to Columbia University was his development of the E: K. Adams precision Jaboratory, one of the best-planned and best-equipped laboratories in- America. Tue registrar of the Institute of Chemistry has received a letter from the Board of Education stating that the Ministry of National Service has cancelled the arrangements made in connection with military The effect of this cancellation is that any student of chemistry in Cate- gory B (i), C {i), or B ii), or in Grade 2, who has _ hitherto ‘been’ protected under the .arrangements ‘in he chad to contend, the amount he was able to— question will be called up, if otherwise -available for service. | It will, therefore, be offered on the | for medical jurisprudence. We learn from the Lancet that Prof. S. J. Pozzi, professor of clinical gynzecology in the University of Paris, was fatally shot on June 13 in his consulting- room in Paris by a lunatic patient. Prof. Pozzi was born at Bergerac (Dordogne) in 1846. He was educated at the lycées of Pau and Bordeaux, becoming a student of medicine in Paris in 1869, where he was an apt pupil of Paul Broca. Frdm 1885 to 1894 he acted as secretary-general of the French Congress of | Surgery, and in 1895 was elected to the Academy of Medicine. He was an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and an officer of the ‘Legion of Honour. THE council ef the Royal Society of Arts announces that the next award of the Swiney prize will be in January, 1919. Dr. Swiney died in 1844, and in his will he left the sum of so000l. Consols to the society, for the purpose of presenting a prize, on every fifth anniversary of his death, to the author of the best published work on jurisprudence. The prize is a cup, value rool., and money to thé same amount. The award is made jointly by the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal College of Physicians, and is given alternately for works on medical and on general juris- On the last occasion of the award, in 1914, the prize was awarded for general jurisprudence. present occasion One of the tasks of the General Staff at the War Office during the war has been the issue of a Daily Review of the Foreign Press, the scope of which has been extended from time to time by the preparation of supplements dealing with special subjects. A fort- nightly Technical Supplement, compiled with the co- operation of the Institution of Civil Engineers, was added to the list in January last, and since then has been widely circulated through official channels for the assistance of naval and military workers. We are now informed that it has been decided to place the Technical Supplement on sale, and the issues of May 28 and subsequent numbers may be obtained at _ the cost of sixpence through any bookseller or directly from H.M. Stationery Office at Imperial House, ' Kingsway, London, W.C.2. 330 iS NATURE [JUNE 27, 1918 a Tue council of the Institution-of Electrical-Engineers is-prepared to receive papers-on the subject: of: ‘‘ The Co-ordination of Research in Works and Labora- tories,’ with a view to the paper being read and dis- cussed at one of the ordinary meetings of the institu- tion in London, and also before one or more of the local sections. Papers should not exceed 15,000 to 20,000 words in length, and the counci] will award a special premium of 251. to the author of the paper which best fulfils the objects of the discussion, pro- vided such paper reaches the standard aimed at by the council. Papers should be sent to the secretary of the institution not latér than November 4 next. It is the intention of the council to publish the selected paper (which will become the property of the institu- tion) in the Journal, together with the discussion. Competitors intending to submit papers are invited to communicate ‘with the secretary. . Tue latest part of the Geologische Rundschau (April, 1g18) contains mvufth news of geology and _ allied sciences in Germany and Austria. Prof. W..Branca has retired from his professorship in Berlin, and has been succeeded by Prof. J. Pompecki, of Tiibingen. Prof. E. Kayser has similarly retired in Marburg, and his successor is Prof. R. Wedekind.’ Prof. L. Milch, of Greifswald, has followed the..late Prof. Hintze as professor of mineralogy in Breslau, and Prof. E. Hennig, of Berlin, has become professor of geology at Tiibingen. -Prof. O. Abel -has been made ordinary professor of paleeobiology- in ‘Vienna. long list of courses of lectures inthe universities during the winter semester 1917-18 includes not only the usual general subjects, but also many special sub- jects in preparation for research. Among these: may be mentioned the atomic structure of crystals, the science of gem-stones, alpine geology, palzontology of mollusca, of fishes, amphibia, and reptilia, evolu- tion. of the. mammalia, the Ice age and early man, and the principles of paleobotany. There are a few technical lectures. on coal_and petroleum, on the geology of Germany, and also one course at the Colonial Institute at Hamburg on ‘The Geological Conditions of the German Protectorates.”” An ap- preciative. obituary notice of Prof: E.: W. Benecke, who died at Strasburg on March 6, 1917, aged seventy- nine, is accompanied by a fine portrait. ’ Mr. T. T. Waterman gives a full history of the Yana group of Indians in North-eastern California in the University.of California Publications in’ Ameri- can Ethnology and Archeology (vol. xiii.; No. 2, February). They are distinguished from _ their neighbours not so much by physique and culture as by language. They are important because, for cer- tain rather extraordinary reasons, a few members of the group remained conservative much- longer than the other Indians in California, retaining their primi- tive mode of life in a very unusual degree until 1908. . Tue Rev. S. S. Dorman discusses native ideas of cosmology in the South African Journal of Science (vol. xiv., No. 4, November, 1917). The origin of these is obscure, but the writer remarks that the Abenanswa may be a mixed remnant of the old Hamitic stock; Semite’ and Hamite are very closely related both in blood and language, and very probably had the same or similar legends of Creation. If so, the Abenanswa, like the Masai, could have derived their. legends from the north, and the Bantu may have learned them in a more or less complete form. But, on the ‘whole, the writer leans to the conclusion that the Bantu ideas of cosmology are purely their own, and are thus an index of the mentality of that race. NO. 2539, VOL. 10T] The: % DA DEN VEG ee Se i 3 In an-interesting article entitled-‘‘ Some Early Artists of Gloucester,” published in vol. xl. of the-Trans- actions of ‘the Bristol and Gloucestershire Arch logical Society for 1917, Mr. St. Clair Baddeley | cusses the so-called Roman walls of the city. N of the earlier historians—Aithelwerd, Fosbroke, ¢ Atkins—record any tradition’ of such -walls. were not discovered during the. excavations*. of 18 nor during the Shire Hall*extension, in 1909, an seems clear that Romano-British Glevum never anything more substantial than. the powerful fos: and vallum of other’ Roman’ settlements; T! remains shown as ‘‘ Roman” walls‘ are not Roman British; they are entirely medieval, though ‘probably occupying the convenient line of the Romano-British fosse, and it seems clear that the small» Romano- British Glevum, having in its rear the Severn, had no need of elaborate defences. The walls belong to the Norman period when Gloucester became an out- post, like Chester, to guard the country from the incursions of Welsh horsemen. Se ts is Messrs. HEADLEY Bros. have sent us two “Papers _ for the Present,” namely, (1) ‘‘The Modern Midas,” — (2) ‘The Banker’s Part in Reconstruction,” published — by them for the Cities Committee of the Sociological Society. These two papers are the first of a series on economic and social problems intended to educate public opinion in the direction of certain schemes of reconstruction. Their object is to reverse the ten- dency to ‘centralisation and bureaucracy, in which Germany set a bad example to Western civilisation, — ee as eS ee BP and to substitute for it local and spontaneous action in every sphere of life, social, political, and economic. This is combined with an insistence on communal rights, the two objects being reconciled in the maxim, ‘‘ Individualise the State, socialise the Community.” — The two papers under notice cover the financial side of this policy. They advocate the conseription of incomes for the period of the war, the nationalisa- tion of credit and of the credit machinery, and the use of the latter for promoting production after the war on lines profitable to the community and bene- _ ficial to the worker. On the negative side, the two chief objects of attack are the gold standard and the anti-social powers of modern finance in private hands. these questions is traced in later treaties. ze valuable medical studies are in course of publication by the Leland Stanford Junior University, alifornia. f these we have received “Bone and -and -J. F. = 2¢ of Nephritis,"”" by Prof. W. Ophiils. In the latter it is considered that many forms of inflammation of the kidney are due to bac- terial infections, commonly streptococcal. - Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a typhus-like _ disease occurrin _ to the Rocky in limited tracts of country adjacent § ountains. It is conveyed by the bite of a tick (Dermacentor andersoni). Dr. S. B. Wolbach has found present in the endothelium of the blood- vessels a peculiar bacterium which he surmises is the causative organism of the disease (Journ. Medical _ Research, vol. xxiv., 1916, p. 121). found the same organism in infected ticks, but not in oved to be non-infective (ib.; vol. xxv., 1916, 147). Further studies show that the characteristic batate 1s of the disease in man are practically restricted to the blood-vessels ‘of the skin and genitalia (ib., vol. xxvii., 1918, p. 499). _ In the May issue of the Journal of the Board of e Agriculture Mr. R. Robson discusses the probable causes of the poor crops of clover seed obtained in Essex last summer. Popular opinion was inclined to ascribe the seed shortage primarily to the dearth of bees, owing to the ravages of the Isle of Wight disease. This ° his might certainly account for the failure of white clover (Trifolium repens’, since there is a pisosee consensus of opinion that the honey-bee is ( chief pollen-carrier. In the'case of red clover is ple pratense), however, the predominant rdle by humble-bees, and there ‘is no clear evi- dence that their numbers’ had been sensibly reduced by the disease. An alternative explanation of the small crop is the activity of the very destructive weevil, _ Apions apricans (Herbst), which was extremely preva- lent last year. The first-cut clover when stacked was the stacks and proceed for the next generation. Every head of clover in which eggs were laid would produce few or no seeds. The weevils:move preferably along the ground, and: it ‘large numbers by méans- of bands of cloth coated with tar and pitch stretched: round the stacks, or by means of:a trench containing’ water and tar.. The opinion is expressed. that. the was found possible to trap depredations of the weevil were the primary cause of the seed shortage, and farmers are advised to adopt measures to prevent the egress of the second: genera- tion of weevils from their stacks of first-cut ‘clover. Now that the electro-culture of crops has reached a position of. prominence in the public regard, and has even attained the dignity of being invested with a Government Committee, it will probably be a matter of surprise to many that the idea of stimulating plant-growth by. means of electricity is more than a hundred and fifty years old. An interesting article in the April issue of Science Progress contributed by Messrs. I. Jorgensen and W. Stiles commences with the statement (quoted from Priestley) that the first experiment onthe electrification of growing ~ vege- tables was’ made by Mr. Maimbray in 1746. The fact NO. 2539, VOL. 101] _ He’ has also: ts resulting from’ eggs laid. by. |- the weevil in the clover flowers, and within ~a, few: days the résulting weevils emerged‘in myriads from ed to devour the surrounding: clover, and thén passed on into the field to lay eggs’ that our present-day. knowledge of the subject-is-but little greater than that of the middle of the eighteenth century is attributed by the authors to the stagnation of the science of the living plant. The vast majority of the researches on electro-culture made since Maim- bray’s original experiment are on the same lines as the’ older ones, and give similar results—i.e. most show. the beneficial influence of electrification, whilst a minority show no such improvement. The physio- ‘logical investigations in reference to the subject have! dealt with the process of assimilation, transpiration,, respiration, irritability, and protoplasmic movement in plants, but in no case have the experiments been con:: ducted in such a way as to furnish any information as to the influence of definite electrical conditions on any one of these processes at any definite stage in the history of the plant. The most important work on’ electro-culture is that of Lemstrém, who was the first to treat comparatively large areas of land under crops,’ His work- made it clear that the overhead electri¢ discharge will affect the life of the plant in all its’ phases, and he coricluded that the best results are obtained (1) with the network positively -charged, (2) by applying the discharge morning and evening, and (3) by having the general conditions favourable -to plant-growth. The authors urge that all the in- vestigators have failed to realise (i) the necessity for measuring the discharge, and (ii) that the stimulating effect depending on its intensity and time of application’ may differ for different stages of the plant’s life, and may appear long after it is applied. Tue Bulletin of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory for February last is noteworthy for two’ ‘exceptionally impressive illustrations of the surge of lava in the crater of Halémaumau against central crags rising some 7o ft. above it. a7 Tue glacier that occupied the Irish Sea during the maximum extension of Quaternary ice in the British Isles has played a large part in the distribution of superficial materials, and Mr. J. de W. Hinch (Irish Naturalist, vol. .xxvii., p. 53) gives an excellent review of recent work in the area, and of the;evidence which has rendered the hypothesis of an interglacial submergence both .untenable and. unnecessary. . A. NUMBER of substances. crystallise from solutions, taking. .up water: of crystallisation. This “water is absorbed. in molecular .quantities, -and is .generally given. up again. easily with gentle heating. Little is known .as to how. the water is bound in the crystal. Investigations.on this, question are outlined in the Annalen der ..Physik. fot February 15.. A number of different forms. of. alum are examined, and, conclusions are. drawn, from spectrum methods, of the structure of the. crystals. ; 1, %5 5°? 2 asc: rt 5) ee A German firm advertises (Stahl und Eisen, February 28) a new air-filter, which is said to be made entirely of iron. The special advantages claimed are :—Great durability and- perfect freedom from fire risk; constant resistance (equivalent to from 3 to 4 mm. of water); no oil, grease, or water is employed, the filter being quite dry. There are no running costs for power or attendance, and no spare parts are néces- sary. Cleaning can be done-easily by unskilled work- men. The filter is small in bulk, and can be adapted to the space available. The total capacity of this type delivered or under construction is said to exceed one million cubic metres per hour. ° P. Saxt, in the Gesundheitsingenieur, describes his investigations on the effect of silver in destroying bac. teria in water. It has for a long time been recognise that water that has passed through copper tubes has - 99 ay ae [June 275. 1918 é : certain antiseptic properties, and also. that metallic silver immersed in the water has an antiseptic action. On this action the author has based the operation of a drinking-water sterilising station. By filling a glass bottle to the brim with water, immersing a silver wire in the bottle so as to reach right down the neck, allowing the bottle to stand for fourteen days, and then pouring owt the water, the bottle is found to be left.in such a condition that if fresh water is poured in and a silver wire again inserted, the water is rendered -germ-free for eight hours. Tests showed that typhoid, cholera, and dysentery bacteria could be destroyed in this way. In Science for April 26 Prof, 5. W.. Parr, writing upon developments in the chemical industries of the United States resulting from war conditions, refers to the question of potassium supplies, and indicates the progress. which has been made towards rendering the States independent of German sources. At present there is much leeway to make up. Whilst more than 40,000 tons of potassium salts will be produced this year, the pre-war imports were nearly seven times this quantity. Nevertheless, recent developments are both interesting and encouraging. The brines of Nebraska and California are just now by far the . largest source of available potassium compounds. Next comes the kelp of the Pacific Coast, the utilisa- tion of which is still in the developing stage, but progressing rapidly. More important still are the alunite deposits in Utah, which likewise are’ being worked, as yet, on a relatively limited scale. ‘We are also,” says Prof. Parr, “just beginning to get glimpses of the possibilities of potassium salts from cement furnaces, from the greensand of the Eastern States, and from the felspars in various localities. At the present rate the potash problem seems in a fair way of solution.” A VERY interesting lecture dclivtnseh before the Chemical Society on February 21 by the Strutt on “ Active Nitrogen” is reported in the April issue of the Journal of the society.. If a stream of rarefied nitrogen passes through a tube in which a vigorous jar discharge is maintained, and then into a second vessel in which there is no discharge, it ex- hibits a brilliant yellow light in the second vessel. This ‘‘after-glow”’ persists in favourable circum- stances for several minutes after the discharge has been shut off. The fact that the luminosity can be maintained only by the passage of the nitrogen from a state of higher to one of lower potential energy would alone suggest the presence of a_ special. foc orm of nitrogen, but this became a certainty when it was found that the gas reacts with gaseous hydrocarbons forming hydrogen cyanide and with metallic vapours giving nitrides. The existence of this ‘‘active” nitrogen does not depend on indirect evidence or on obscure spectroscopic phenomena; the hydrogen cyanide can be isolated nit identified in the ordinary chemical way. When nitrogen purified by prolonged heating at 300° over sodium is employed the glow is invisible through blue glass, but if oxygen or one of its gaseous compounds (e.g. carbonic oxide or dioxide) is introduced into the glowing gas a_bluish-violet light is exhibited at the confluence of the two gases. Active nitrogen does not react with hydrogen or- oxygen, and the best conditions for its production are a low-pressure and a Leyden jar discharge. Tiede and Domcke were right in asserting that pure nitrogen does not give the phenomenon, but wrong in stating that oxvgen is necessary. Other impurities, such’ as carbonic - oxide or . dioxide, methane, ethylene, hy Ps sulphide, or mercury vapour, will act equally we NO. 2539, VOL. 10] Hon. R. J. 1542. In reality, there is no resemblance bet eo 4 the contrivance of Nunez and that of ee p 4 lished in 1631. Nunez proposed inside th u a arc of a quadrant to draw concentric 3 if | divide them respectively into 89, 88, 87 . ae parts, so that the mlidads would always s. by G. Ina paper: published in. the Monthly Weather Revie for December last Prof. R. DeCourcy Ward di: cusses the subject of “ Meteorology and War Flyin The paper is..on the usual lines, and: points out. important some knowledge of meteorology is to airman, and how the various elements—pressure, perature, etc.—influence flying. Perhaps the — interesting part is that relating to clouds and # storms. Prof. Ward states that it is much se to fly in a thunderstorm, and then goes on to instructions as to the best course to pursue whe aviator finds himself hemmed in between country and an advancing storm. Tue April part of the Proceedings of the n contains two pa angle refractometers of the Pulfrich type by Guild, of the National Physical preci Mr. F. Simeon, of Messrs. Hilger, respectively serve as a good illustration of the way ins v hi provements in instruments can be efi by a operation between the makers and the users instruments. The critical angle refractometer most convenient instrument to use in the de tion of the ‘refractive indices of glasses of compositions, and it has been used at the Physical Laboratory in the examination of 1 nan two thousand specimens. The experience of the strument gained in the course of this work is | bodied in Mr. Guild’s paper, and there see doubt that in the near future an instrum constructed which will give the absolute index and the dispersion of a specimen ¢ the fifth figure after the decimal place. AN article on the nonius, its origin, theo use, by Senhor A. R. Machado, has been in the Revista de Quimica pura e aplicada II. Série, Ano iii., 1918). Being a count Pedro Nunez, the author calls a vernier a n proceeds to trace the history of this instru the book ‘*De crepusculis” by Nunez, Qe accurately) touch a division-mark on cone of the f - as six circles. Though ——— mies | Was thing but a practical one on account of dividing a quadrant into stirrer. x ae “Sev parts. It was improved, though not made . am practical, fifty years later by Curtius, Pabonitaens- published by fe Pla There is nothing new this; see, for example, Delambre’s S Miswire de Vastronomie moderne,” i., Ps 2535 or Cantor’s . “Geschichte der Mathematik,” ii., p. sto, But no” one put a small auxiliary are on the movable feapacoertle before Vernier. The author of the paper next : describes the various uses of the vernier, doorway jh Mannheim’s double one (vernier de vernier), : in the Journal de Physique, 1873, to- meet the case © where none of the divisions of a vernier coincide We exactly with a division on the principal scale. Messrs. J. and A. Churchill announce a translation, W. Robinson, of Dr. M. Gina’s ' “ Chemical _ Combination among Metals.” In it the: relation — between chemical composition and ey sical properties _ is discussed. The main portion of the book consists i of an account of all intermetallic systems in in which I compounds occur. Messrs. C. Griffin and Co., Lida, will shortly publish “Simple Experimental — ene, Physiology, and Infant Management for a bai NATURE 333 © _ fest 27, 1918] ers," by K. M. Curwen, with af’ ‘introduction Messrs. ngmans and Co, will issue shortly ‘‘Canning and & ing Fruit and Vegetables,’ by Mrs. Goodrich, with a preface by Prof. F. W. Keeble. The work deals with simple methods of - preserving, such as ods of preserving fruit without sugar. OUR ASTRONOMICAL: COLUMN. : _. THE New Srar 1n Aguita.—The new star in Aquila has continued to decrease in brightness at about the . le rate as Nova Persei of 1901. On June 21 and 22 observed to be about 3rd magnitude, and its net had become quite pronounced. Prof. Hi ton. , and that the most remarkable _ change since was the appearance of a broad _ bright band in blue, about 4464. The enhanced the iron in the green were visible, and also the f bright and dark lines about the position of D. as also a:dark line near (615, which had not ad in the earlier observations, and the con- i 2, 2% a] s é oe features while, suggest that an explanation may be found in an instrumental displacement. Apart from this, however, the photograph is a valuable record of the spectrum on the date in question. The bright hydrogen lines consist of three or more components, and there are numerous ill-defined fainter lines, besides several apparent dark lines. The chief features appear to be generally similar to those of Nova Persei at a corresponding phase. DiscOveRY OF A Comet.—The first cometary dis- covery of the year was made by Mr. Reid at the Cape of Good Hope. It appears as a faint round nebulosity, and is moving south 48’ daily. Its position, June 12-25 G.M.T., was R.A. gh. 16m. 36s., S. decl. 8° 10’. It is invisible in northern latitudes, setting shortly after sunset. BULLETINS OF THE Hector OssEeRvatory, N.Z.— From recent bulletins of the Hector Observatory, Wel- lington, N.Z., it would appear that the Government astronomer, Mr. ©, E. Adams, is endeavouring ‘to _ make the institution as useful as possible to the general _ public. in No. to ‘gives tables of the rising, meridian passage, and setting of the moon during the present vear at ‘places on the standard meridian _ (12h. east of Greenwich) in south latitudes 35°, 40°, F NO. 2539, VOL. 1or]’ bottling in jam-jars, drying and salting, and with all , up-to-date )- that the hydrogen lines were’ still very | | Kingdom is only about four millions. not what they should be. _ments for youth to make use of them. and 45°, and it is’ shown by examples how the times for other places may be obtained by interpolation. The latest arrangements adopted for the time servicé are explained in Bulletin No, 11. The standard mean- time clock has been fitted with contacts, by which | signals are given at the beginning of every hour of G.M.T., and repeated after the lapse of 1, 2, 4, and 5 minutes in each case. A similar system is adopted in connection with the wireless signal sent out at | 22h. G.M.T. Another bulletin, issued in February, _ gives particulars of the occultation of a 6th magnitude star by Venus on March 3, according to calculations made by Pte. Arthur Burnet, secretary of the Leeds Astronomical ‘Society. THE BRITISH SCIENCE GUILD. 8 twelfth annual meeting of the British Science Guild was held at the Mansion House on June 19, the Lord Mayor presiding. The adoption of _ the annual report was moved by Prof. R. A. Gregory, _ and seconded by Sir Edward Brabrook. After alluding to the loss sustained by the guild in the death of Sir | Alexander Pedler, for many years hon. secretary, Prof. _ Gregory gave a summary of the work of the various _ committees on education, the metric system, ‘and the _ dyes industry. The last-named emphasised the strong financial support given to the German dye industry, aggregating more than 50,000,000l., whereas the total capital of the colour-producing firms in the United In this country the chief need is to survey the great variety of pro- _ ducts under manufacture, allocating the work in such a way as to avoid duplication of plant and effort. | Reference is made in the report to the British Scientific Products Exhibition to be held at King’s College, London, for four weeks during August-September. It is hoped that the exhibition will be helpful in iflus- trating the need for scientific research in relation to various arts and industries, and the results already achieved in this country in this direction since the | War. After the adoption of the report, an address was given by Lord Sydenham, the president of the guild, on “‘Education, Science, and Leadership.” Our projects of national reconstruction, it was remarked, tend to accentuate industrial and com- mercial efficiency. But there are other problems the solution of which will require an enlightened democracy and instructed leadership. Our education, ~ besides aiming at material efficiency, must inspire _ ideals. Lord Sydenham showed, from data relating to universities in this country, in Germany, and in America, that facilities for ‘higher education are still At present only one child in a thousand from the elementary schools reaches a university. National education should provide equal chances for natural-talent wherever found. A paper by Sir Algernon Firth was read, in the absence of the author, by Sir Ronald Ross. The _ author sought to dispel the impression that manufac- _ turers were not sufficiently alive to the need for re- search work in their industries, and quoted from the reports of a Board of Trade Sub-Committee to show _ the efforts being made to bring this matter before the notice of the authorities. Industries were not infre- quently hampered owing to tack of knowledge in Government departments. For example, the growth _ of the dye industry was checked at the start by the _ refusal of duty-free alcohol. Besides developing ‘facili- ties for research, it was ‘necessary ‘to provide induce- In this respect we might learn from the enlightened attitude towards college education prevalent in the United States. 334 NATURE [June 27, 1918 eeenweniat Sir Henry Newbolt, who followed, likewise em- phasised the vital importance of true education, both of the mind and of character, to the future of this country.. It might be true that science had not yet received the centuries of devoted effort bestowed on the humanistic studies, and was in process of develop- ment. But- ultimately. the impression that there was any antagonism between humanistic and scientific study would disappear. In both cases there was a search after truth and a similarity in general aims, and both demanded gifts in the teacher not only of intellect, but also of character. A vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor and speakers was moved by Sir William Beale, and this terminated the proceedings. THE. IMPORTANCE OF THE NON- METALLIC INCLUSIONS IN STEEL. Tt is impossible to manufacture steel which does not contain non-metallic inclusions to a greater or less extent.. These have an important effect on its properties, particularly in producing defects and causing failures to a degree which is not sufficiently realised. Mr. A. McCance, who presented a most able study of this subject at the May meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute, states that much defective steel is bad solely. because of the number: of non- metallic particles which it contains, and that fully go per cent. of the failures due to faulty material which have come under his notice are traceable to this cause alone. He states further that when material has cracked under a stress which experience shows it should safely have carried. it is advisable to examine the crack along its whole length, and when this is done, in. many cases it will be found that the crack passes through groups of inclusions, while in cases.in which it can be traced to its origin it is not unusual to find that it has started from a segregation of non-metallic particles. He treated a piece of steel in such a way as to produce slight intercrystalline brittleness, and then stressed it above the elastic limit. A number of small cracks appeared, and in nearly every case they. started from one or more non-metallic inclusions. He next heat-treated a heavy slab known to con- tain inclusions, and carried out tensile tests on pieces machined along the length in the direction of rolling, and also at right angles to this direction through the thickness of the slab. The length-test was in the same plane as the centre portion of the thickness-test, so that they were in every way comparable... The results obtained were as follows :— : gs a Percentage Percent2 e : ‘ - Tons per Tons per elongation counracvien sq. in. sq. in. os Length (A) ees} | 43:2 27:0 658 Thickness (B) ... 18 34:5 4:0 16-8 | These remarkable differences in properties, par- ticularly as regards the ductibility of the steel, are due solely to the presence of the non-metallic in- clusions, which in the fractured tensile surfaces of (B) appear as thin circular discs. McCance goes on to point out that these have acted as small areas of zero strength which have lowered the effective area of the test piece, though this is not the only effect they have, and he considers the distribution of stress in such a composite material. experimentally by two different methods that the stress at the edge of a circular’hole is three times that of the average. In the case of inclusions the elastic pro- NO. 2539, VOL. 101] ° It has been proved perties of which differ from those of the surrotindi steel, the differences in stress at ‘the edges will be so great as for holes, but the edge-stress will be greater than the average. ‘‘In steel, there! which possesses even slight brittleness the presence inclusions may give rise to cracks when such ma is stressed, though in steel which has received p thermal treatment during rolling, forging, ete. clusions, so long as they are evenly distributed small, will have an effect which is quite negli It is only when they begin to form groups that they have a detrimental -effect, and this power which they have to segregate is, unfortunately, without control — in the existing state of our knowledge, so tt only. way to minimise the chance of segregation lessen the number of inclusions present.” Fags: Sete A In his paper McCance considers the method of occurrence and composition of the various non-metallic inclusions and how they are formed. A | to him, there is no evidence that any, of them are solut in molten steel. In other words} they exist as pensions, and therefore do not obey the lay governing the segregation of elements soluble. in liquid steel. Being lighter, they tend to rise to the surface. Assuming, as he does, that the particles — exist as spherical globules (density=4), and that the — viscosity of liquid steel is about the same as that of — mercury, he calculates their velocity of rising (undis- turbed) as follows :— oi obteed tege pe eine Aint & D‘ameter of particles Velocity of rising, 10-0 X Io~* cm. 80 cm. per minute Lo Fe 08 1! yy pears Ol Lr 0:008 ee puek d the solid metal thus — j Diameter of particles Per cent. entrapped oS a All over 3-0 x 107° Sree Bilas See 99) 89 pe Oia? pee 4 f ” ” TO 4, ts Saat bathe. », under o'5 . ,, p00 Sop 2 Convection currents play an important, though’ un- controllable, part in determining both the position and — size of the inclusions in every steel ingot. Inasmuch — as the viscosity of the steel diminishes as the tem- perature rises, the metal should be cast as high above _ that of the liquidus as is practicable. — ee tate ute: The greater part of the paper contains a detailed study of the identification and mode of occurrence of the inclusions commonly met with, e.g. manganese sulphide and its oxidation products, manganese sili- cates, iron oxide scales and silicates, acid open-hearth — slags and their reduction products, fluxed refractory — materials, and oxide inclusions. Iron sulphide, which — is scarcely ever encountered, and the action of — aluminium on the sulphides of iron: and manganese are also dealt with. By means of various rae re- agents any inclusion can be classified as a sulphide, a silicate, or an oxide, though research is required for the working out of more suitable reagents than at — present exist. ; yan vue In his final section the author discussés the equili-_ brium conditions in liquid steel. He considers that ferrous oxide plays a most important réle*in deter- mining the origin and occurrence of inclusions, and — that all the evidence favours the view that this sub- — stance is present in the liquid. The addition of man- ganese in the form of ferro-manganese causes the re- ~The i ea is ; ~INCE the lies and the extent and nature of our needs. : LBTOL Eee 5. ig oe as nee Se a : action Mn+FeO=Fe+MnO to take place, and the sides so formed, if uncombined, further form in- . The reduction, however, is never complete. nclusions of this type contain invariably between 60 and 7o per cent. of MnO and from 21 to 28 per cent. of FeO, and this is an expression of the equili- _brium relations between the two oxides. Silicon and: . ini also act strongly on ferrous oxide, and to an enhanced degree as compared with manganese. The ferrous manganous oxide complex. passes, if - sufficient:silica is present, into a silicate, and ultimately _ into manganese silicate only. _ therefore, ferrous oxide “is an influence for evil in _ every class of steel, for when it is not removed it is the cause of blow-hole formation, and when it is In the author’s. words, from solution it leaves as a non-metallic inclusion a record of its previous existence.”’ _ It would , therefore, that in the manufac- ture of steel the chief desideratum, if inclusions are to _ be kept down to a minimum, is to finish with a bath containing the minimum of ferrous oxide. This is practice by working at as high a tem- as possible, which produces not merely less achieved in oxide in the steel, but also less iron in the slag, i.e. a _more silicious slag, and the theoretical ee for it is clearly shown in the paper. H.C. H _ EDUCATION, SCIENCE, AND "LEADERSHIP. last annual meeting of the guild all of education have been under discus- sion, and we now know better where our adr sap n the number of our institutions providing higher education America alone stands ahead of us. Sir Robert Had- field has pointed out that Great Britain and Ireland have one university per 2} millions of population as compared with one million in America. In the Dominions, on the other hand, where the population is relatively Sparse and the distances great, the pro- [ is one university to two-thirds of a million of le. This numerical comparison is, however, mis- ng, t that it indicates educational centres capable of extending their activities. The true criticism is the number of students who undergo a complete course of training. Of full-time students only 4400 entered our universities in 1913-14, and of them several hundred were foreigners who would later leave this country. Putting the output of university and technically trained men and women in another way, it appears that per -10,000 of popula- tion there were sixteen full-time students in Scot- land, thirteen in Germany, ten in the United States, six in Ireland, five in England, and five in Wales. The figure given for the United States includes only students at universities and technical schools of recog- nised standing. If all students taking four-year courses at these institutions were included, the rate per 10,000 of population would be doubled. It is impossible not to believe that these figures help to account for the high standard of intelligence in Scot- land and America, and for the success of the Scottish and American peoples in many spheres of activity, while the relative backwardness of England, Ireland, and Wales must exercise an influence in public life. The financial test shows a deplorable inferiority to ' the United States and Germany, and must indicate roughly the relative importance attached to higher - education in these countries and our own. Thus the 1 From the presidential address delivered at the annual meeting of the ritish ee Guild, June ro, by the Right Hon. Lord Sydenham, | GCS mR Ee. NO. 2539, VOL. ror] 'now moderate total income of State-aided modern universities and. university colleges in England and Wales is about 700,0001., of which 34 per cent. is derived from Parlia- mentary grants. The corresponding figures for Ger- many are nearly 2,000,000l1. and 8o per cent., and the University of Berlin alone receives from the State an annual grant nearly equal to that given to all our universities and university colleges. The annual income of the American universities and colleges is 20,000,000l., of which 7,000,000l. is at the dispasal of the colleges of agriculture and mechanical arts. Private benefactions towards higher education in the United States amount to more than 5,000,000l. a year. With us they do not reach one-twentieth part of this sum, The only possible inference from these figures is that, as compared with the United States and Ger- many, our higher education is lamentably inferior in quantity. We are not producing trained leadership sufficient for our needs, and the diffusion of know- ledge is pitifully inadequate to the requirements of a modern State. If an analysis of the kind of training received by our governing classes were possible, it would be found that scientific knowledge was exceed- ingly rare and even non-existent in some quarters where it is essential. Sir Robert Hadfield states that in one important Government institution devoted to educational work about go per cent. of the principal officials have received a classical training, and only 5 per. cent. have been educated in science. Mistakes and inertia in the direction of public policy and in administration are thus explained. There is not enough knowledge of the right kind in Governments, departments of State, or Parliaments, while, in the world of industry, a sufficient supply of trained re- search workers cannot at present be obtained. Until this requirement is fulfilled the development of new industries on a large scale must be impracticable. The excellent report of Sir Joseph Thomson’s Com- mittee on the position of natural science in education throws a flood of light on our national deficiencies, and points the way to educational reconstruction. The Committee justly claims for sound science teach- ing that “it quickens and cultivates directly the faculty of observation. It teaches the learner to reason from facts which come to his notice. By it the power of rapid and accurate generalisation is strengthened.’ Without it there is real danger of the mental habit of method and arrangement being never acquired.” All thoughtful students of our public affairs must admit that, alike in peace and in war, our leaders in’ all classes have shown a certain lack of the qualities which science training can impart, and that national interests have suffered grievously for this reason. The power of reasoning from ‘facts and of “rapid and accurate generalisation,” combined with the habit of ‘‘method and arrangement,” is the best possible qualification for Cabinet Ministers as well as for all leadership on lower planes; and the British Science Guild has persistently urged that science should take a prominent place in the education of our public servants. The Committee recalls the fact that the neglect of science was noted by a Royal Commission on the public schools more than half a century ago. ‘The position of. scientific instruction in the United Kingdom was also surveyed in: detail in 1870-75 by a Royal Commission, of which the seventh Duke of Devonshire was president and Sir Norman Lockyer, the founder ° of this guild, secretary. But although there has’ been advance in recent years, it has required the shoclo of a world-war to make us. wide awake to our short- comings. The champions of classical learning are in their~claims. The Council for- 336 NATURE [June 273 1918, Humanistic Studies declares that the future citizen should possess knowledge, not only of the physical structure of the world, but also of ‘“‘ the deeper interests and problems of politics, thought, and human life,” and that he needs ‘‘ scientific method and a belief in knowledge even more than physical ‘science.’ ‘This marks a change of attitude, and the advocates of ‘the dominance of science “in education would agree with the proviso that applications of science unknown to the ancients. determine’ the conditions of health and of economic stability in modern life, and that a “ belief in knowledge’? and method in pursuing it are best ineuleated by the study of law in the natural world. The great merit of Sir Joseph Thomson’s report is that it discloses the present causes of the weakness of science in. our education. The universities as a whole now show a bias in favour of science teaching, but there is a deplorable lack of students, due partly to” weakness in the schools, and partly to the influence of scholarship examinations in which classics predominate. Thus the old universities, by theit scholarship systems, tend to discourage science teaching in the public schools, and the public schools react upon the preparatory shools. many of the most intelligent boys are deterred from entering upon a’ scientific career. It is also possible that some class prejudice, based upon long tradition, dating back to the Renaissance, may still operate against science training. The recommendations ‘of the’ Committee are wise and far-reaching, but I can ‘give only the barest indication of their objects and scope. Nature-study ‘in primary schools up to the age of twelve is to be the foundation, and instruction in science up to the age of sixteen is enjoined upon all secondary schools, physics and chemistry to be taught, because all other sciences, to which they should be treated as passports, require some knowledge of them. Mathematics should be connected with science at an early period. The general aims of a science course at school age are defined with the view of securing two educational objects of primary importance :— (1) To train the mind to reason about things the boy observes himself, and to develop powers ‘of weigh-- ing and interpreting evidence. (2) To develop: acquaintance with broad scientific principles and their application in the lives of men anid women. No better foundation for the training alike of the statesman, the leader of commerce and industry, and the manual worker ean be laid down.. The Com- mittee was strongly impressed with the importance of manual work at school-age, and, speaking from per- sonal experience, I am certain that TIT owe much to the handling of the file and the lathe before I entered © the Army, although mechanical: pursuits at one time I believe that if> caused me to neglect other studies. all classes underwent some manual training there would be a better understanding of the dignity of labour. Rightly distrusting examination tests of the conventional tvpe, the Committee recommends the inspection of all schools. Higher standards of teaching power, co-ordinated training from the primary school to the university and to the post-graduate stage, with a lowering of fees and a liberal allocation of scholarships to be awarded for ‘‘intellectual merit and promise,” and not in accordance with the results’ of set examinations—such are the educational ideals which are set. before the country. By- these means we may hope in time to develop intelligence now wasted, as the Committee points out, to supply our present deficiency of experts in all branches of scienee, and to secure more orderly methods of administration and a higher average’ of leadership. NO. 2539, VOL. 101] ch A am pleased to support the work which has It follows that SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INDUSTRI DEVELOPMENT.) the request of my friend, Lord Sydenh so ably carried on by the British Science Guild, under his leadership. 1 do so principally for. reasons: First, because of the importance work ; secondly, because | believe that an e impression exists in many quarters as to the of the producing interests of this country work, and I wish to endeavour to emc impression. ' There has been, I fear, a tendency. quarters to misjudge the attitude of man upon this subject. The imp-ession a that they are not fully alive to the research work in connection with their i This may be true in some quarters, but, generally, I think there is no body of pigrwier: ‘ alive to the necessity for a very great de the a of science to industry. — Among employers there are compel ye have studied science or’ taken degrees in science entering a business career, but the brews who have done so has been st srOw of industry. Further, there is a large numb of the smaller manufacturers, who have to the practice of “rule of thumb” methods, and 7 probably never depart from them. ee There is, however, a large number, chiefly of the most enterprising and intel who have a keen appreciation of what s¢ done, and may yet do, for their industries alive to the necessity of employi attainments, and of encouraging others to training in science. In my industry are very few firms which do not employ the purpose of their business. Mine hi without them for many years, and has f of their services. I think we cannot absolve Parliamen r —and that a large one—of the reseeriona deficiency in scientific research as comparé other countries. Not only has it been mi in the provision that it has made for science: it has persistently ignored, tim the claims of business men for legisla enable the application of scientific di place, and encourage the application coveries for business purposes. The most illustration of this is the trade in aniline Fe ie 2 the Pes hig the : he of this industry at the ginning o chiefly upon Erie get Many times was made by the dye producers that alk allowed free of duty for dye-making ; but refused, and the advantage of free alcohol y by the German producers, which re production here, in competition with t Further, year after year we went to t Trade to anes us a patent law that wo: reasonable, nd not protect the reer 1 ventions without i. treatment in his coun but until Mr. Lloyd George became President nothing was done. These, in my two chief causes why the poe dye trade virtually lost to this country, and the blame rests upon the Government and upon Parliamen f not upon the business man. tS The principle that trade must be left seve 1 From an address by Sir Algernon F. Firth, Bart., read at aon meeting of the British Science Guild held at the Mansion Sime o a 3 _ June 27, 191 8] NATURE 337 iat nothing be done to stimulate production at home, and that the only thing that counted was to buy in the cheapest market, prevailed here for, far too long a _ period. This war has shattered our ‘self-complacency in the application of this principle. People have learnt a great deal more about business and understand _ better what is in the national interest, and I hope a system is going to prevail in ‘the future. In order to give you evidence of the interest that F iciksinancial bodies are taking, and have taken, in this - subject, 1 want to put before you a few facts. ’ During _ the last six months of 1915 I was chairman of the _ Sub-Committee appointed by the Board of Trade to _ take evidence from twelve minor industries which had _aill been developed in this country in competition with German supplies. This report was issued to >arliament and published in January, 1916. The first nm tions that we made were :—‘That the - thought that larger sums should be placed posal of the new Committee of the Privy Fa and also with the Board of Education, for ; the Pronotion of scientific and industrial research and bs “That the behdieéisities {the old universities as well "as the new universities) should be encouraged to main- and « _research work devoted to the needs of the main er or industries located in their and that the manufacturers en- respective districts, gaged in those industries should be encouraged to ; Fr daca with the universities in such work, either . igh their existing trade associations or through specially formed for the purpose. Such | rome arte ‘should bring to the knowledge of the - umiversities the difficulties and needs of the industries, and give financial and other assistance in addition to re opr ge by ithe city. search Bs tance rae the Advisory Council of the of the Privy Council for Scientific Re- ‘we referred to evidence that was put efore us to ah effect that certain universities are ig up “specific forms of research work. For ce, Sheffield University has taken up _ the porcelain, china, and earthenware ; ar anchester University is, I believe, equipping itself for studies in connection with the paper trade. universities in research work which is interesting to the trade in their localities, and prevent a great deal _ of the overlapping which now exists. We followed this up at a meeting of the Associated delegates were present from all parts of the country. We considered the development of industry after the war, and 1 unanimously this resolution.:— et is Majesty’s Government be urged to _ inquire into the desirability of fostering and safeguard- ing those industries in this country which have since the commencement of the war been engaged in the extent, in enemy countries, or any industries which have in the past suffered. seriously from German and Austrian competition; and further, for the develop- ment of industries generally, His Majesty’s Govern- ment be urged to provide larger funds for the promo- tion of scientific research and training.” In June of the same year the Imperial Council of Commerce, representing the Chambers of Commerce of the whole Empire, held meetings in London and passed the followin’ resolution :—‘‘ This .conference "urges that throughout the Empire larger funds shall rf NO. 2539, VOL. 107] pee ‘of glass; at Stoke-on-Trent they are dealing | I believe that we have got to specialise in the different Chambers of Chamene when more than five hundred | manufacture — of articles formerly made, to a large be provided -by the respective Governments in. order that the fullest facilities may be given for the promo- tion of scientific research and training in their relation to our commercial and industrial development.” Before these meetings I went to Sir Alfred Keogh, the head of the Imperial College of Science and Technology in South Kensington, and suggested that, seeing these matters of applied science and scientific research were so prominently in men’s minds in chambers of commerce, not only in.Great Britain, but also throughout the Empire, he should arrange for the delegates to pay a visit to the Imperial College in - order to enable them to realise what is actually being done there. He immediately agreed, and showed us such of the work as was possible in a two hours’ visit, when we could have profitably spent two days informing ourselves of the activities of this magnificent college of science. I. believe that out of those who went, only three had ever been there before. A fact that Sir Alfred Keogh stated to us made a great impression; it was that before. the war there were only a thousand students at this college, and it could quite easily hold two thousand. We ought to be sending on students to a place like this from the whole country, so long as there is an opening for them. We should send them when they have specialised in industrial subjects in order to broaden their minds and increase their knowledge. Sir Alfred stated :—‘ You will recognise, gentlemen, that the industries of this country are not fully alive to the importance of science, nor are the academies suffi- ciently aware of the importance of industries in the educational programme.”’ This, we were bound to admit, was an accurate statement of the position. _ We are not the only nation that is taking steps in the direction of promoting scientific research. The United States are fully alive to the importance of the matter, and are keeping thoroughly posted on. all steps taken here. My experience there—and it is a long one, being a manufacturer in America myself— is that men who are looking to be heads of businesses in the future spend far longer at universities and technical colleges before going to their business than we have been in the habit of doing in this country. . We have undoubtedly been remiss in this respect, but I think that general sentiment is changing. We must realise that scientific research is one of the most important questions that are coming before us in the industrial reorganisation that will follow this war. We must all be impressed by this great factor : that business conditions are not going to be the same | in this country or in the world when this great war is over. The war will have to be paid for, and to do | so the production of everything, agricultural as well as industrial, has got to be stimulated through | all agencies and by improved methods generally. Labour will have to alter and relax all footish and uneconomic restrictions on output,. and I believe in most cases is prepared to do so; but at the same time employers will have to scrap antiquated methods. They have got to root out many old prejudices, and must realise both the possibilities and responsibilities of their posi-. tion. Our methods have been wasteful in the past; there will be no room for waste in the future. Every. thing must be turned to account and made the best use of. The old idea that business consists only of buying and selling to the best advantage. or in pro- ducing by known methods only. is exploded. A know- ledge of world-markets and of opportunities must be more widely diffused and appreciated. Industrial organisation will probably exist in larger units, afford. ing greater opportunities for ability and the application of scientific know ledge. The attainment of the maximum production in industry pons be the great object. of ee ae , ae” ae Gee ed UNE 27, I 8 338 RACE __HYSE 2 39! us all. ‘To secure this, scientific handling of materials | in the ‘several departments have been work on “the e and processes is necessary. Constant research, both on general and on particular or individual lines, is essential. This is becoming recognised by producers throughout : the whole country. For these reasons I consider that the British Science Guild has a great field for its activities, and if it con- tinues to press for the attainment of these objects 1 am sure that it deserves the cordial and hearty sup- port of all who are interested in the safety and ex- pansion of all those industries upon which the future of this nation so largely depends. UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL ; INTELLIGENCE. CamBripGe.—Mr. C. R. A. Thacker, late scholar of Downing College, has been elected to a fellowship at Sidney Sussex College. Mr. Thacker was placed in the first class of the Natural Sciences Tripos, part i., in 1911, and part ii. (physiology) in 1912. He is attached to the Special Medical Board of the Ministry of Pensions. LEEDS. Capt. M. I. Stewart es been elected pro- fessor of pathology and bacteriology in the University. He received his commission in the R.A.M.C. (Térri- torial Force) in May, 1915, and has served as patho- logist. to the East Leeds War Hospital, similar capacity in France. A few months ago he was recalled to Leeds, and, at the request of the University Council, undertook the acting headship of the depart- ment of pathology and bacteriology. In addition to his hospital and teaching work Capt. Stewart has devoted much time to original research on pathological gues sons, and has a long list of publications to his credit _ Lonpon.—The Senate announces a bequest of 2000. for the engineering faculty of King’s College under the will of Lieut. R. C. Hodson, a former student in the engineering department of the college, who was killed in France last year; also a donation of sil. from Miss Gertrude Jones for the purposes of the -Galton Laboratory at University College. Grants have been made by the Senate out of the Dixon Fund for the year 1918-19 as follows :—rool., Mr.. Birbal Sahni, to enable him to continue last year’s research on Indian fossil plants at Cambridge ; " 6ol., Mr. James Morrison, to enable him to continue re- search on the igneous rocks of the Lake District; 15/., Dr,.H. B,. Cronshaw, for expenses in connection with research on: the Connemara serpentine rocks. -#& resolution was adopted by the Senate on June 19 expressing gratification that the King’s College Hos- pital had “decided to open its medical school to women students“ a. step which is in entire conformity both with the wishes and the policy of the University.” ' The fellowing doctorate has been conferred :—D.Sc. in Geology, Mr. A. E. Trueman, an éxternal student, for,.a_thesis entitled ‘The Evolution of the Liparo- ceratidz,’’ and other papers. -OxrorD:—-The lately published report of the Dele- gates: of the ‘University Museum directs attention to the: yery large-number of members of the teaching staff, research, workers, ‘and service staff of the museum and departments who are now serving in the Navy or Army, or are ,otherwise engaged in work directly: connected with the war. .A large part of the museum: ‘is: still occupied by the school of. military aeronautics: _A new: dissecting-room. for women medical: studénts: has: been provided ‘by the liberality of: the Clothworkers’. Company, a deficit over. the sum .allotted being generously met by Sir William Osler. Amore the special’ nbs, cafried on NO. 2439 PVOra FOE}! 169 oqo: Italy, the British Institute in Florence would and in.a | agglutination curve in relation to typhoid and para- — crphoid fevers, , tetanus, “mustard gas,” the com- mercial production of toluene from petroleum, the sulphonation of benzene and the manufacture ee gh i thetic phenol, and the preparation of new — rOo- amides for use as antiseptics. A considerable am of research work has also been published on s e not directly connected, with the war. The the Pitt-Rivers Museum reports a very large accession i of specimens by donation, chief among which are the ; examples presented by Lady Tylor from the collection - of her late husband. Other important accessions have — been received from Mr. J. H. Hutton, Very fe waite Batty, Mr. A. S. Kenyon,” and Maj Gaver Anderson. Tus Hon. Sir C. A. Parsons iS consented the office of president of the Polytechnic $ 2 2g Engineering, Regent Street, in succession to the Tate M ce r. C. Hawksley. . WE learn from a eck from the Rom spondent’ of the Times that the British Insti ‘ute Florence was formally opened on June- 21 by — Rennell Rodd, Ambassador to the Court of I “er said that as Florence was the intellectual “centré of ) facilities for the study of English by. et scientific methods, the courses inclt isses i English history, geography, and literature. An ¢ sit would also be made to explain and ilustrate the chief problems of the British Empire. It was hoped that in lt ae | the future the institute might become a Po : tact between the principal British and versities. i J TEER ¥$ At a series of. iontemsieee: held during: the year representatives of the non-professori, staffs of the universities and university colleges. England, Ireland, and Wales decided to take join action for the purpose of. securing an Improvement 3 in status, tenure, and salary. A memore um > been prepared setting forth the present con : service and remuneration, which are admitt to be — unsatisfactory by all conversant with. she ects, ope suggesting various remedies. Of these he most im- portant is that the lecturing staff. Soma be divided — into three grades. The lowest grade would comprise appointments of a probationary character to last- not more than three years. At the end of that time the junior lecturer or demonstrator should cease to hold | the appointment. or, if it is -desired to retain his. services, he should. be promoted to the next pone ‘that of lecturer on the permanent staff. The h grade would be composed of senior. lecturers pes lecturers — in charge of departments. It is suggested as essential that there should be a definite minimum commencing - salary in each grade, with substantial annual incre-— ments, and that lecturers should have a greater security of tenure, more time for study and research, and more adequate representation on bodies, that control the teaching in each university or college than pre under existing arrangements. The memorandum is being presented to the governing bodies of each uni- versity or university college’ concerned, and there is reason to believe that the recommendations contained in it will receive favourable consideration. No im- provement of salaries, however, can be expected. with- out substantial aid. from increased Treasury grants, and the promoters of the movement intend to ma representations to the Government that such. in- creases of grant should be giveg as would. make it possible for governing bodies to meet. the not unreason-— | aut claicm late have been put forward. nih snd iz? 1 % 4 2b at ‘eh ; wisttteetts APRESS “OR eee Gi Fe ? “4 | oS Sea ] a 4 5 4 3 i) + of filming in enclosed optical instruments. ey : _ {2) the film itself is always allzaline; (3) it is progres- E periments on the effect of the vibration of a stretched _ wire forming part of a closed electric circuit. A , 2 June 27, 1918] _ telephones. pore an important part. = & NATURE 339... vied roa . AND ACADEMIES. mA LonpDon, Royal Society, June 13.—Sir J. J. Thomson, presi- dent, in the chair.—Admiral Sir Henry Jackson: Ex- _SOCIETIES large thermo-microphone consisting of a long loop of wire warmed by an electric current, subjected to vibra- tion produced by sound-waves, continued to respond , to and record the effect of the vibration in suitable _ receiving apparatus after the electric battery had been cut out of its circuit, and when the wire was at the same temperature as the air. This result of the wire’s vibration could not, therefore, be solely attributed to the wire being maintained at a different temperature from that of the surrounding air by an electric current in it. The response to the sound and other vibrations was generally recorded by means’ of an amplifier and Experiments were carried out to elucidate the cause of the phenomenon. It is shown that resonance _ No definite conclusions, wever, can yet be drawn as to the quantitative effect of altering tension or length of wires, or their dis- placement, on current generated, nor does the energy expended in producing vibration appear to be pro- portional to the effect produced, unless resonance is present.—A. Mallock: Note on the effect of wind- e on the pitch-of organ-pipes. The fact that the pitch of an organ-pipe is to some extent dependent m the pressure of the wind supply is well known, but no satisfactory explanation of this dependence has hitherto been offered. In the present note some ex- _ periments on the subject are described in which water instead of air was used as the oscillating fluid. It is shown by photography that the lateral motion of the fluid jet or lamina which maintains the oscillation is always in the direction of the oscillating flow, and also that the oscillation is not (or only very feebly) main- tained unless the jet breaks up into eddies before striking the “lip” of the pipe. It is suggested that the rise of pitch which occurs when the jet velocity is increased depends on the jet acting as an injector. Part of the fluid belonging to the oscillating flow becomes involved in the eddies of the jet, and is accelerated by energy drawn from this source, thus diminishing the amount of energy which would other- wise have to be taken from the oscillating system. In effect, this action reduces the oscillating mass, and ype! increases the frequency. The results ob- tained with the water oscillator are compared with Lord Rayleigh’s experiments on organ-pipes, and it appears that the variation of frequency with the pres- sure of the fluid supply is similar in type in both cases—Dr. A. E. Oxley: The diamagnetism of hydrogen and the value of the magneton. Optical Society, June 13.—Prof. F. J. Cheshire, presi- dent, in the chair.—H. Lee: A chart for finding the number of lenses in, and size of, a block. The chart _ shows by two series of intersecting curves the number _ of lenses it is possible to place in any ring of a block (up to ten rings) when the maximum diameter of the block, the diameter of the lens, and the radius of curvature to which the lenses to be worked are given. Any case likely to arise in the workshop can be at _ once determined by interpolation between the curves shown. The diagrams exhibited afe for the two cases when the first ring contains one lens and three lenses respectively. The formulz from which the charts were calculated are given.—H. S. Ryland: The prevention i 1 (1) The filming is indenendent of the nature of the glass; NO. 2539, VOL. 1oT] sive; (4) it is avoided by absolute cleanliness during the assembling of the instrument, by taking care that no soap or animal matter is left upon the glass sur- faces, and that no volatile as water-bearing material is used inside an enclosed instrument.—T. Smith: Charts for assisting in the selection of suitable glasses for cemented doublets. Use is made of two charts. sliding one over another in the manner in which a slide-rule is used, one of the charts being transparent. A single variable suffices to determine very approxi- mately the numerical. relation between, the various spherical aberrations for all cemented doublets made from two given glasses. Chart No. 1 contains curves corresponding with constant values of this variable, the independent variables being the difference in the refrac- tive indices of the two glasses and the logarithmic difference of their powers. The second chart consists of points defining the available types of glass, the scale in one direction varying with the type of chromatic correction desired. The glasses are selected by superposing one chart on the other and finding two representative points on No. 2 which satisfy the condi- tion that one point lies on the curve of No. 1 corre- sponding with the required type of spherical correction when the other point is on the origin of chart No. 1. Paris. Academy of Sciences, June 3:—M. P. Painlevé in the chair.—G. Humbert: The number of classes of in- definite forms of Hermite.—G. Bigourdan: The ob- servatory of the Louis-le-Grand College (last period) and the astronomical work of the French expedition to Pekin, Historical account of work. done during the period 1753 to 1782.—M. Hamy: The diffraction of the solar images.—Y. Delage: Lymphatic bleeding as a means of deintoxication. In cases where there is a limited amount of a toxin-in the system, and where bleeding followed bv transfusion is too dangerous, the possibility of a lymphatic bleeding is suggested, with a subsequent introduction of. a sufficient quantity of artificial blood serum. The operation would ad-. mittedly be difficult, on account of the smallness of the lymphatic vessels and the nature of their ‘walls.— —Ch. Depéret: An attempt at the general chrono- logical co-ordination of Quaternary times.—G. ~ A, Boulenger : The Helodermatid lizards of the Upper Eocene in France.—G. Giraud: A partial differential equation, not linear, of the second order, connected with the theory of hyperfuchsian functions.—A. Buhl; The volumes swept out by the rotation of a spherical contour.—E. Belot: The great velocities in nove and the vortex theory of cosmogonv.—A. Véronnet: The contraction of stars and equilibrium of -nebulzi— E. Léger : g-Oxycinchonine. The compound previously described as oxycinchonine is shown to be a-oxy- dihvdrocinchonine, and is formed by the addition of'a molecule of water to cinchonine.—J: Peyriguey: A waterspout in the Gharb.—D. Berthelot and R. Trannoy: The evolution of the saccharine’ principles of the sorghum and the influence of castration. In normal times sorghum cannot compete with beetroot or sugar-cane as a source of sugar. Owing to the presence of levulose, glucose, and gums, the sorghum juices crystallise badly. Moreover, after the plant: is cut the saccharose reverts, and this phenomenon: is even shown by the growing plant after a certain date. As the plant is easily grown, the juices expressed: in a domestic fruit-press may be used in syrup: form with advantage under present conditions.—L. Lindet: The influence that the vegetable function’ of yeast exerts on the yield of alcohol ;,'a new interpretation of the fermenting power.—J. Nageotte: The value ofthe ultramicroscope ‘in histological investigation. \The ultramicroscope can render great services. to histology, 340 NATURE but reasons are given to show that negative results’ must not be taken as proving absence of structure.— J. Amar: The psychograph and its applications. Description and photograph of an apparatus for graphically recording reaction times.—F. Maignon : Researches on the toxicity of egg-albumin. The influence of the season on the sensibility of the organism to nitrogenous intoxication. A diet of white of egg alone is incapable of supporting life or main- taining weight in the white rat. The rats on this diet die rapidly in May and October of an acute intoxica- tion of the central nervous system, whilst they die slowly by starvation in August and January.—M. Lécaillon: The action of the ‘venomous bites of Ammophila hirsuta on the caterpillars of Agrotis ripae. June to.—M. P. Painlevé in the chair.—G, Humbert ; The representation of an integer by indefinite, ternary quadratic forms.—J. Boussinesq: The graphical in- tegration of the problem of sandy flow in the case of a terre-plein with free undulating ‘surface maintained in front by a curved wall.—E. Ariés: Saturated vapour- pressures of pentatomic bodies. The only conclusion which can be drawn from the existing experimental data is that stannic chloride, methyl fluoride, and chloroform in a state of purity ought to have saturated vapour-pressures which satisfy the law of correspond- ing states.—J. Pérés: Certain functional transforma- tions.—M. de Pulligny: ‘The approximate quadrature of the circle-—H. Bourget : The intrinsic brightness of the starry sky.—Sir F. W. Dysom, MM. Luizet, Moye, and C. Sola: Telegrams announcing the appear- ance of Nova Aquilze.—M. Brillouin: Biaxial media.— P. L. Mercanton: The magnetic istate of some prehis- toric pottery. The examination of five further: examples confirms the results given in an earlier note that the terrestrial magnetic. inclination in the bronze in Switzerland was nearly zero.—M. Francois: A new method for the determination of mercury with zinc.— J. Martinet : The isatic acids. Details are given of the: preparation of 5-methylisatic acid, 5 : 7-dimethylisatic acid, and a-naphthisatic acid. These acids dissolve immediately to a yellow sohition in alkalis without passing through the intermediate violet colour of the. corresponding isatins.—J. Bouwgault: The amide func- tion. The author’s work on. the acidylsemicarbazides: and the acidylhydroxamides leads him’ to -the con-’ clusion that the acid amides are normally of the con- stitution R,C(OH),NH instead of the usually accepted R.CO.NH,.—A. Guilliermond : Metachromatin and the phenolic compounds of the plart-cell-—C. Janet - Botrydium granulatum.—H. Bierry and P. Portier : Vitamines and symbiotes. The bacteria isolated from the tissues of normal animals (symbiotes); like the vitamines, are abundant in the teguments of seeds and in many animal fats, and their temperature of destruc- tion, about 120% C., is also near the temperature of the alteration of vitamines, and it is suggested that there is a relation between the symbiotes and the vita- mines. Preliminary experiments showed that sym- biotes are perfectly tolerated when imtroduced into vertebrates. Animals (rats, pigeons) fed on a diet deprived of vitamines were reduced to the pathological state described by various workers. The injection of cultures’ of living symbiotes under the skin or in the peritoneum produced a rapid recovery in twenty-four to forty-eight hours. ‘These results were repeated and confirmed “by experiments tasting several rnonths.— Y. Delage: Remarks on the preceding paper. . Atten- tion is directed to the fact that the animals in the pathological state described. still contain symbtotes in their tissues, and it is difficult to see how the intro- duction of more of the same bacteria could be respon- sible for the effects obServed.—Mlle. Marie Goldsmith : Sensorial. perceptions in. Eupagurtis :Bernkardus. NO. 2539, VOL. I0T] BOOKS RECEIVED. \i ’ Forestry Work. By.W. H. Whellens. Pp. 2 (London: ‘1. Fisher Unwin, Ltd.) 8s. 6d. met. — Chemistry for Beginners and School Use. pice Kingzett. Third edition. Pp. 151-211. (L Bailliére, Tindall, and Cox.) 2s. 6d. net. ef HEE A Primer of Engineering Science. Andrews. Part ii. First Steps in Heat Engines. Pp. ix+67. (London: J. Selwyn | "el to TAGRSDAY, one-a7.7 Gh Roya, Society, at 4.30.—Periodic Irrotational Waves UI Prof. T. a ock.—The Diffraction of Elect Heart : Prof. J. A. MacWilliam.—Fhe Development o Actinoloba dianthus and zidamsia palliata: Dr. J. rrence of Multinucleate Cells in Vegetative ‘Tissue Agnes Arber.—The Epithelial Sheath of Hertwig in t with Notes on the Follicle and Nasmyth’s Memt Mummery. —Aznd other Papers. ; ; ‘ FRIDAY, Junr 28. PrysicaL Socrety, at 5.—A New Method of M Currents and Electric Oscillatiors: I.. Williams.—Deme Coupled Vibrations: Prof. E. H. Barton &nd Miss H. M _E ; ee CONTENTS. A Compendium of Pharmacy : Recent Chemical Antiseptics. Mask Hivgiene ss or. Whe Fa yas Our Bookshelf : Letters to the Editor :— es. The Promotion of a Closer Union between _ and Italy.—Prof. Eugenio REY The Eétvos Revolving Balance.—F Prof. C. V. Boys, F.R/S. . . .) The Discovery of the New Star in Aqu The Food of the Rook.—Prof. Sydn F.R.S. ; H. Eliot Howard ~ .— ‘* Harbour Engineering.” —Dr. Bry, Units and Unity. By Sir Napier Shaw Prof. H. G. Plimmer, F.R.S. By J. B. ‘ Dr. E. A. Newell Arber. By Prof. A s 3 F.R.S. . “ ee a ee ak . . cites a ah 5 ‘ e Notes _— Mees ay athe oe te wae yee ar rr Our Astronomical Column :— The New Star m Aquila . . . Discoveryof'a Comet 235" Wi Sapna Bulletins of the Hector Observatory, N.Z.° The Britism Science Guild . 2... | The Importance of the Non-metallic I “Steel: By H.C. H.C... ; Education, Science, ' Sydenham, G.C.S.1, F.R.S... . Sole Scientific Research and Industrial Develc - By Sir Algernon F. Firth, Bart. . . ._ University and Educational Intellige: Societies and Academies... .. . Books Received. (.'.. . . va ee ee Diary of Societies 3 er er ete 8 8 ee oe Editorial and Publishing Offices: © MACMILLAN AND .CO., Lrp.,) Fat aye Sl —_——~— oi a Advertisements and business letters to be addressed. to. the PK gia Publishers. = ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, sone h fe aiid Sty eaetes ia eae Editorial Communications to the Editor, > = 2 a 4 ¢ . « aay ~ e “a Telegraphic Address: Puusis, LoNDON. | _ Breas _. Telephone Number : Gerrarp 8830.0 5 | The Science and Practice of Photography:. __ The first par —— sa se i “See NATURE 341 _ THURSDAY, JULY 4 1918. a oo i te oy _ ~ 4 ~ PHOTOGR APHY: PRACTICAL as . THEORETICAL. AND An Elementary Text-book on the Scientific Theory | and a Laboratory Manual. By Dr. J. R. Roe- - buck. Pp. xiv+298. (New York and London: ries Appleton and Co., 1918.) Price 2 dollars net. + preface, though the paging is continuous. ‘The second part consists of the laboratory instrac- tions . that the author issues to his students as ey work through the prescribed course. These ‘instructions are not modified to render them suit- able for others than those for whom they were lly intended, and so we are told that “the staf E reserves the right to impose fines ’’ for break- : ages, that that the work ‘confers two credits,’’ and so on. This i is a trivial matter, but when we are < repeatedly told to consult the bulletin board, or ‘the instructor, the difficulty is reat: to. apply. te es a: ‘seeing that the bulletin board and the in- uctor. are in Wisconsin, and we are in London, se sources of information are impossible for us. The course prescribed is an excellent series of twenty-four. experiments in the making of nega- 3 hes printing by various processes, spectrum , phot ge eee pe ERR curve. of a plate by means of the photomicrography, enlarging, the utochrome plates, and, finally, getting the ‘Chapman Jones plate tester. t of the volume is of the nature of en © text-book, though after a few pages isedly in dealing with students who have oe hucied chemistry and physics, with the | ee perties of gelatine dry plates as demonstrated 5; th j pets hie 3 some. ‘of these chapters that matters are mentioned “tions and corrections. ~statements that need correction. or qualification. » Taking the first few pages : rlueneatntate tte oe e work of Hurter and Driffield and some of those who haye followed them. Then \come chapters on _colour sensitiveness, latent. image theories, .negative defects, positive. processes, bags the photography - -of colour, and a chapter “ good. ictures ” that deals with. pictorial re is a constant feeling in reading rather, than dealt with—perhaps intentionally so, seeing. the circumstances; in which the book was, originally. intended to be used. Still, we think that, having taken the trouble to give a diagram to illustrate the production of halation and two pages _of text to the consideration. of it, the author might have explained the production of the definite ring of light round a small illuminated area, which, indeed, is excellently shown. in some. actual -examples given. We are told in the preface that the substance of the book. has been in use for seven years, and has received innumerable addi- But there still remain some “Toward. the end of the eighteenth century chlorine, bromine, and iodine had all been discovered and studied ’’ should NO. 2540, VOL. 101 | ‘HIS is really two bbaks, each with its own. | | have “‘ bromine and iodine ’’ deleted, as these were not known until 1826 and 1812 respectively. In the next line, the statement that Davy and Wedg- wood “coated plates,’’ and with, among other salts of silver, “silver bromide and silver iodide,’’ _is obviously incorrect, as the results of these ex- periments were published in 1802. On the next page we read that Daguerreotypes were fixed “ by boiling in strong sodium chloride solution”’ until “when the solvent action of sodium hyposulphite solution on the salts of silver was pointed out to him, he changed over to it’’; and a few pages further on, that French chalk is “finely divided calcium carbonate’’: these are examples of the statements that call for more attention. We think ‘it a pity, too, that the author should have adopted for his book the exact title of a text-book that has been before the public, both in this country and in America, in its various editions, for the last thirty years. Still, in spite of its drawbacks, there is a ‘refresh ing originality about the volume. ° We appreciate to the full the author’s advocacy of the importance of the study of photography from both the practical and scientific points of view. But when: he says. that “there is no reason why the methods of _ modern science, as well as its attitude, cannot be taught by a course in photography, as well as by a course in quantitative chemistry, or in the theory | (3) The Chemistry of Linseed Oil. _ the various parts of the whole. of seme matter the author begins, perhaps | of electricity,’’ he doubtless means what is true, but will probably be misunderstood. We want the chemistry, and the electricity, as :well as~ the photography, and all the other branches of science, for though there is a measure of overlap at every division, there is no interchangeability between Cf: TEXT-BOOKS OF CHEMISTRY. (1) A Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry. By Prof. A. F. Holleman. Issued in English in co- operation with H. C. Cooper.’ Fifth English edition, completely revised. Pp. vilit+507. (New York :, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; London: Chapman and Hali, Ltd., 1916.) Price ros. 6d. net. Si (2) Principles of Quantitative Analysis: An Intro- ductory Course. By Dr. W.--Cy Blasdale. Second edition, revised and enlarged. | Pp. xii+ 402. (London :: ‘Constable and Co., _Ltd., 1917.) Price tos. 6d. net. ‘By Dr.. J. Newton Friend. Pp. vii+g96. (“Chemical Mono- graphs.) (London : Gurney and Jackson, 1917.) Price 2s. 6d. net. (1) ap Re English edition of Prof. Hollemann’s “Inorganic Chemistry ” has become so widely adopted as a text-book, especially in the States, that any lengthy notice of the fifth edition seems almost superfluous. There are, however, one or two criticisms to which attention may be usefully directed. It seems undesirable in a text- book which is obviously intended for more ad- vanced students to devote valuable space. to elementary getails at the expense of more im- T 342 NATURE rtant information. Whilst such elementary : ; : a Y Last ab as the difference between chemical and THE FUNCTION OF THE SPLEEN, — physical changes, and the operations of filtration, distillation, etc., are minutely described and may well be omitted, we have failed to find any refer- ence to Dalton’s law of partial pressures, and such processes as the liquefaction of air, the production of nitric acid from ammonia, and of hydrogen from water-gas, which are at the present time of some importance, are either not mentioned or are very inadequately described—in short, the limited reference to industrial operations gives the book, rightly or wrongly, a pronounced academic bias. The arrangement is not, perhaps, in all respects the best that could be devised. The eleetro- chemical series, and, indeed, the whole process arid theory of electrolysis, are so fundamental in explaining. chemical reactions that’ one naturally expects some reference to them in the earlier portions of a text-book of this character. Turning to the index, we find a reference is given to p. 428, where even the term “electro- chemical series ’’ does not occur; but on p. 436— that is, near the end of the book—the subject is described: as of “great practical value,’’ but is discussed. only in its relation to electrolytic reactions. : A On the other hand, some of the sections on physical chemistry are written in a terse and lucid fashion; these are wholly excellent and con- stitute the most valuable part of the book. (2) This is an ideal little book on analysis. Its object, as the title indicates, is not so much the practice as the.principles of analysis. Whilst the descriptions jof detailed analyses are comparatively few and are sélected as typical illustrations of a variety of, methods, the general theory of these methods..is carefully kept in view. The.. first. seventy-four pages are exclusively devoted to theory on such subjects as the nature of solution, on equilibrium, and on electrolysis. The practical part is divided into sections, éach section illustrating a particular kind of analysis. _Thus,. the first has reference to processes involvy- ing the evolution of gas; the second, to ‘precipita- tion methods; the third, to methods of extraction, and so forth. Several sections are given to volu- metric analysis, and the last to physico-chemical methods. The book is adequately illustrated with a few simple outline drawings of apparatus, and ques- tions and-problems are intercalated at intervals. (3) This little volume on linseed oil, which forms one of a series of chemical monographs, contains in a small compass a compilation of the better-known chemical facts regarding linseed oil and an account of its evafuation for’ technical pur- poses, but has no reference to its ‘industrial’ appli- cations. “It is provided with a very full’ biblio- graphy of references which should prove useful to the chemist.” As the author states in the preface, it is a subject which has not received the attention it merits, and opens a wide field, shared by many other vegetable oils, for more extended chemical investigation. J. Bae, NO. 2540, VOL. TOT] The Spleen and Anaemia: Experimental and Clinical Studies. [Jury 4, 1918 By Prof. R. M. Pearce, with the assistance of Dr. E. B. Krumbhaar and Prof. C. H. Frazier. Pp. x+419. (Philadelphia ~ 1918.) Price 3 and London: J. B. Lippincott Co., 21s. net. this pleasant volume on the results of remov- — N I ing the spleen Prof. Pearce has put together fhe various experimental studies carried out with — a number of collaborators in the department of re- search medicine of the University of Pennsylvania during the past five or six.years. Most of the data — have’ been already published in periodicals, but it — is convenient to have them in a revised and con- nected form and to read the author’s general dis- cussion of. his results taken as a whole. Removal of the spleen in dogs, leads to (1) an anwemia of moderate severity, lasting in all from two to six "sabe pein Me sea thtedanE Ae atte at sed months; (2) an increased resistance of the red-— blood corpuscles to destruction by hypotonic salt — solution, saponin, and other hemolytic agents; | (3) a diminished susceptibility to hemouebeaaas and jaundice induced by the injection of hzemolytic serum. The mere absence of spleen is never fatal, never, indeed, induces anything that could be called severe illness, and in six or twelve months the animals are normal again, except, perhaps, in respect of the resistance of their red corpuscles NS SES Se, to laking. A number of paths have been pursued > B in search of some general explanation of these phenomena, and it must have to find them mostly: fruitless. Neate eee A good deal of the general discussion is neces- sarily barren because the authors have never in- quired whether the anemia:is due to a deficiency of hemoglobin or to a relative increase in the plasma, a point which is quite fundamental in considering the nature and effects of any anemic. process. Reever eet Sn Most noteworthy are the observations that liga- ture of the splenic vein or its implantation into the inferior vena cava leads in some respects to much the same results as complete excision of the spleen, and that ultimately there is Collsiderattesh yoo trophy of the bone marrow, not apparently to form been disappointing blood-cells, but to act, as does the normal spleen, . as a reservoir of iron. A long section, in which the well-known work of Dr. Sam Goldschmidt is in- corporated, on metabolism in dogs and men before and after splenectomy leads to no definite aberra-_ tion being found. —~ About a fifth of the whole book is occupied with = a straightforward account of the “ splenic anemias ’’ by Dr. -E. B. Krumbhaar, in which the modern methods of clinical examination are giver in detail. Evidence seems fairly conclusive that — Banti’s disease, Gaucher’s disease, and acholuric — jaundice are best treated by removing the spleen, and there must by now be a good number of people in the world who might be used to test the belief 3 of antiquity that one could run faster if one -had H no spleen. Finally, there is a short chapter om — ‘ . - S e Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society. ' sense—or lem of realism. a7: ¢ Jou 4, 1918] NATURE Giieical technique by Prof. C. H. Frade a full 3 bibliography, and a splendid index; One point remains for criticism. The work pre- _ sented is a typicai example of that association of animal experimentation with practical medicine and _ surgery which has made such definite headway in récent years, especially in America. It is perhaps beside the point that in this particular case the con- tribution made by the experimentalist is rather meagre of practical indications. There can, how- ever, be little doubt that the practice of restricting x experimentation to one species of animal, generally, as in the present instance, the dog, is a dangerous technique if it is proposed to apply the results in detail to man. The truth of the matter seems to be that while the end which different animals: wiil _ attain is the same (i.e. they will so far as may be restore themselves to the normal state or some- how or other get round their difficulties), the means -and detailed mechanism of restoration and compen- sation will likely vary widely in various species; they are, of course, relatively immaterial to the individual concerned. A: E: B. 4 OUR BOOKSHELF. New (London : Williams Price 12s. 6d. net. Series. Vol. xvii. Pp. 497. and Norgate, 1917.) Re NorwitHstTaNDING the war, the Proceedings of the Aristotelian Scciety suffer no diminution in bulk. During the thirty-eighth session thirteen papers have been given, and two symposia have taken place. One of the latter, on the ethical principles _ of social reconstruction, deals directly with the war and some of its issues. In the other symposium the question is discussed whether the materials of “presented sensatjons,”” as G. E. Moore getters to phrase it—are. affections of the mind. The Dean of St. Paul’s writes suggestively of some phases of the philosophy of Plotinus. M. Ginsberg gives a critical account of Malebranche’s theory of knowledge. C. Lloyd Morgan, discussing fact and truth, and distinguishing facts of appear- - ance from facts of knowledge, points out that the former are facts for knowledge. The static nature of truth-structure and of fact is repudiated. C. E. M. Joad deals with the onslaughts of the ptagmatists and the new idealists on the theory of monism. Relations are real, external, and experi- enced. The fundamental objections to monism are logical. Bernard Bosanquet discusses the function -of the State in furthering the unity of mankind, but it may be questioned whether a “communal ” mind actually exists. A. N. Whitehead emphasises the idea that logic i is the organising principle by which observation is elaborated into science. C. Broad criticises Hume’s handling of miracle, and concludes that miracles might, but do not, happen. W. A. Pickard-Cambridge writes of the relation of value to our consciousness. The various sub- jective criteria offered us are inadequate or erroneous. Matter and mind are disparate NO. 2540, VOL. 101 | We have innate, direct, unique know-. ledge of value. G. Dawes Hicks attacks the prob- 343 entities. The esse of sensible objects is not merely percipi. There is no distinction between the mind and its states. The mind is its states. J. S. Mackenzie emphasises the dynamic value of the view that the universe is an intelligible whole. Miss L. S. Stebbing also contends that the conception of concrete unity is valid and stimulating. H. Wildon Carr’s presidential address inquires into the nature of recognition as a modified cog- nition, and also discusses racial or’ instinctive recognition. The volume is suggestive and stimu- lating, and we regret that space does not allow of more extended notice. W.-E SS Aids to Rational Therapeutics with U.S.A. Pharmacopoeia Equivalents. By Dr. R. W. Leftwich. Pp. x+233. (London: Bailliére, Tindall, and Cox, 1918.) Price 3s. 6d. net. In many books on the treatment of disease the plan adopted is to discuss each disease and to indicate its treatment. This leads to much need- less repetition, for in many instances the same general treatment may be applied to many dif- ferent diseases. If, for example, we take the case of the infectious fevers, almost the sarne line of treatment may be adopted for all, with -here and there a slight modification or addition. The author of this book has acted upon this principle : he divides diseases into some forty. groups, dis- cussing the general treatment applicable to each group, and then adding any special method indi- . cated for any particular case. Thus, selecting: at random, we have such groups as the catarrhal, the anzemic, the abscess, the malarial, the rheu- matic, the cardiac, the vitamine insufficience, etc. The grouping seems to have been particularly well done, and the information given in almost all cases is accurate and sufficient. Thus ‘that rare disease, rat-bite fever, and its treatment with salvarsan are mentioned. Throughout, typical prescriptions are given, and, in addition, dietetic, electrical, and other forms of treatment are described as required. By adopting this plan the author has: succeeded in compiling in a comparatively small space a com- plete gystem of treatment, and we believe that the book will be of considerable service to the young practitioner. In ‘an appendix some useful hints are given on dealing with patients’ in private eee ste Ba: 2 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible or opinions expressed by his correspondents.. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] © The Profits of Research. A NOTIFICATION. issued by the Department. of Scientific and Industrial Research, entitled ‘* Notes on the Conditions under which Grants are made to Students-in-Training and to Individual Workers,” states that the Department, with the object of en- couraging research into fundamental problems of pure science, is prepared to make grants to workers: in educational institutions and elsewhere... I -think- the NATURE condition imposed in paragraph (14), which 1 quote, de serves a W ider publicity. (14) It should be noted that grants to research workers will be subject to the following conditions [atnong others] :— The results of the investigation as obtained from the middle. of the eighteenth » century, that. the Be particular kind of. sugar—sucrose—with which w ; time to time shall, in the first place, be communicated | to the Committee of Council, who, after consultation with the bodies and persons who have co-operated in the conduct and maintenance of the research, shall determine in the national interest whether, and if so to what extent and under what conditions, the results shall be made available. ‘The Committee of Council reserve the right to determine, after consultation with the bodies and persons who haye co-operated in the conduct and main- tenance of. the research, extent and in what proportions, Council «and those bodies and persons shall secure to themselves by patent, designs or otherwise, the ownership of the results of the research and any benefits and profits arising therefrom. “It is not expected that results of direct téchnical value will often be obtained from research undertaken - by a student in training, and the conditions stated above are not, therefore, attached to a grant to:a student. But the professor and student will be asked, should results apparently of commercial value be pro- duced, to consult. the Department before taking any action to make the results public, or to communicate them to an industrial firm or other body for exploita- tion.” I sincerely trust that scientific investigators, whether professors or students, will read, mark, and inwardly digest paragraph (14), and think twice before they _ accept any grant from the Department of Scientific and ~ [ndustr ial. Research. They have the right to know who } is responsible: for the imposition of this condition. FREDERICK SODDY. THE SUGAR INDUSTRY AFTER THE WAR. NDER the above title, Mr. T. H. P. ede the lecturer on sugar manufacture at. the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, has communi- cated a paper to the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow which has recently been published in. Since its appearance the, sub-— its Proceedings. ject -has occupied the attention of the Royal Society of Arts, and the issue of the journal of the society for June 14 contains an interesting paper by Mr. George Martineau, which traverses much the same ground as that of Mr. Heriot and arrives independently at the same conclusions. The subject is.so important at. the -present juncture, and our position with respect to it, in view of our prospective relations with our enemies, so serious, that.no excuse is needed for referring to it. The general course of the development of the sugar industry is too. well known to require any detailed description. Both’ authors deal: with it in the introduction to their papers at just sufficient length to render the nature of their arguments and the conclusions to which they arrive intelli- gible and obvious to their readers. _ Originally, all the sugar consumed in this country, and in Europe generally, was made from the sugar- cane, and most of it was imported from the West Indies. ..It was known, however, so far back as NO. 2540, VOL. 101 | whether, and if so .to what - the Committee of | Prussia, in 1801, to supply funds for the of beetroot-sugar factories. _ said, therefore, to take its rise from a b _ Silesia as a forage crop, and his pupil, Achard, “Indian possessions was, as Naples ‘and intelligent investigation they. ante ‘enor. mously. ‘improved the methods of sugar extraction and, are now concerned existed in other plants than 4 | the sugar-cane. In 1747 the chemist Marggraf. pointed out that it was present in the beetroot, then being cultivated on an extensive scale in. Frenchman who had settled in Germany, BAeW AE: root on his estate, and set up a small manuf for extracting sugar from it. The success of this. = enterprise induced King . Frederick William | of a The industry may b Re rea ie ning of the nineteenth century. = O festsis The Continental disturbances of that Py bined with our maritime supremacy and tiveness. of our blockade, especially French ports, gave a great impetus to the de ment of beetroot-sugar manufacture. _ po- leon, with characteristic sagacity, quickly — “a the beetroot a method of countering our re at least so far as regarded the import of. suge By his orders tens of thousands of acres of. soil were planted with beetroot, . and ols. instruction in the art of cultivating it and. in th 1e methods of sugar-making were f ° direction. Before Waterloo ended his’ career the beetroot-sugar industry of the Continent had — firmly established both in France and in Gern and to that extent the future welfare of. our, saw, seriously jeopardised. Ai The creation of the beetroot-sugar ind due entirely, in the first instance, to the « sr of men of science-who had no peace a development has been largely owing ( labours. They have studied the mode of ate the root and the. conditions under. reas s is secreted, and they have thereby - ceedec greatly i increasing the sugar content. : subsequent treatment. They have brought chem cal knowledge and skill fo bear on the improvement of the analysis of saccharine materials "td othe 2 elucidation of many problems of a chemical n : connected with the industry., There is probabl. branch of technology that could be named i in whi science has been more successfully applied than. in the creation and development of the beetroot-si industry. On the other hand, science, in umes, past, had little to do with the sugar-cane indu and so long as the West Indian planters coul count upon the enormous profits that they forges ns enjoyed, they had little or no inducement 10, thi of science in connection with it. ; But it-would be untrue to allege that the planters of these latter days have been wholly oblivious Noe the bearing of science upon their industry. _ a Ait could not be altogether unmindful of what: it: 9 had done for their rivals, nor without hope its it might be serviceable in. their own case, and, as. a matter of» fact, various: - » Jory 4, 1918] WAYNE SS 3a 4 a oR been made by them. to help | them- _ elves by the aid of science. But they suffered - wnder one great disadvantage as compared with _ European producers. Whereas Continental Govern- _- ments, and especially that:of Germany, fostered p the: industry and afforded it financial support, _ favouring it in a variety of ways by legislative action, ‘the West Indian planters were left, to a large extent, to shift for themselves. Few Colonial Ministers have had the wisdom and foresight of Mr. Joseph Chamberlain. In the face of a bounty- fed system, the West Indian planters naturally lost heart, and many sugar estates went out of cultiva- tion; "other planters, owing to lack of capital and 4 consequent inability to provide themselves with modern machinery, were brought almost to the werge of ruin. Parliament, under the influence of on a fiscal policy which had no real appreciation of erial needs, turned a deaf ear to their com- _ plaints. It was cold comfort to be told that they were the victims of economic and industrial pro- gress, and of the changing conditions of social development. The masses were so enamoured of the idea of a free breakfast table that they continu- ally, returned to power the agp who misled them: with that specious cry _In the meantime, Bameay- was steadily maturing 4 esis to secure world-wide power. Her manu- _ facturers were paid a bounty by their Govern- _ ment to enable them to export sugar at a lower _ priee than the cost of production in the hope of finally. ruining the Colonial planter. In . 1884 _ German beet-sugar was first “dumped ”’ in this =: country. It was useless to point out the. real ae of this action and what the inevitable -gonsequence would be. As Mr. Heriot says, “Great Britain looked only at the immediate 4 sr Seg of oP sugar, and cared nothing about i er have now had a rude awakening. It is true : that the Brussels Convention of 1901—2 abolished __ bounties on beet-sugar by international agreement. But by that time the mischief had been done, and we had become practically dependent on Continen- tal sugar. Germany could well afford to sign the “agreement. She had largely achieved her purpose. In the year before the outbreak of the war we imported nearly two million tons of sugar, of which : less than 4 per cent. was British cane-sugar. Vested interests had meanwhile grown up in this country and had acquired a certain amount of political influence, which a democratic Government was powerless to withstand. What we have suf- fered from this condition of things scarcely needs to be stated. We have been compelled to transfer our custom, and still to assist, at a-heavy cost to ourselves, in the production of sugar elsewhere than within the British Empire. The Colonial industry has, no doubt, slightly increased its pro- duction during the war, in spite of many difficulties, and we have rewarded its efforts by taxing it on excess profits. ~ The whole position in regard to the future of British sugar production needs to be reviewed. The Empire_is certainly’ capable of making all, and NO. 2540, VOL. 101] more than all, the sugar it requires. Sugar is, and must continue to be, partly a tropical production and partly home-grown. The sugar-cane can only be grown in the tropics and with the aid of coloured labour. . In 1915 the West India Committee ascer- tained that certain of our Colonies and Dependen- cies, which now collectively produce about 880,000 tons of cane-sugar annually, could produce 4,000,000 tons if all the land ‘suitable for the growth of the sugar-cane were cultivated. And this estimate did not include India, Egypt, and the captured German colonies. Be ‘The sugar-beet succeeds best in temperate climates, where white labour is available. But - Canada is, at present, the only portion of the Empire where the beet-sugar industry has been established, although it has been conclusively demonstrated that the sugar-beet will flourish in Great Britain, in Ireland, in South Africa, and in certain districts of Australia. Up to the present no very serious attempt has been made to introduce its cultivation into England. The Cantley scheme was a financial. failure, as it depended on local farmers. Another attempt is now being made at Kel- ham, in Nottinghamshire, under other conditions, and the Government has advanced money for the’ purchase of 5600 acres of land, which seems almost insignificant when compared with the 70,000 acres which Napoleon, in 1811, ordered to be planted. But everything has a beginning and we must “wait and -see. ae It is abundantly clear that diet is ah ample sufficiency of land within the Empire to supply the world with sugar if the industry were properly organised, and reasonable steps taken to ensure the supply of labour and to attract capital. As regards the tropical production of sugar, more might be done to tap the immense reservoir. of labour. which exists in India.. Home-grown sugar can, probably, only be produced at a higher cost, but the community would gain in other ways by the establishment of a large and important industry producing many valuable by-products, and requiring much machinery and agricultural implements. Toa large extent the problem is a question of tariffs, and its satisfactory solution can be settled only by boldly facing this issue. The country must make up its mind that the era of the cheap - sugar of pre-war days is at an end. People who have found it no great hardship to pay 54d. per lb. for their sugar can surely be induced to pay at least half that sum, exclusive of duty, if they and their successors are assured of a continuous supply produced within the Empire. The British Empire Producers’ | Organisation: “which was founded in 1915 to encourage the pro- | diction of foodstuffs, raw materials, and manu- factured articles within the Empire, and for the welfare of the Empire as a whole, has dealt with this matter of tariffs, and its proposals include the following :— ‘(1) That Empire sugar ‘be granted preferential treatment to the extent of 50 per cent. of any tariff that may be in force. This means a reduction, of the duty by $d. per lb. 346 NATURE [Jury 4, 1918 : (2) That sugar produced by our Allies be granted | pre Sraneotil treatment to the extent of 124 per cent. on the. tariff in force. This corresponds with a reduction of the duty by $d. per Ib. (3) That sugar produced by neutral countries should pay the full tariff without any reduction. As regards, home-grown sugar the Organisation recognises that some degree of protection will be absolutely necessary if capital is to be attracted to the new industry, and it suggests that difference between excise on home-grown beet- _ at the pit’s mouth ” within the bowels of the earth. The value of tos. “the | sugar and the duty on Empire-grown cane-sugar — shall be 21. 6s. 8d. per ton until the crop of home- grown sugar reaches 50,000stons per annum, after which such advantage would cease. These proposals will doubtless be fiercely opposed by all to, whom the word “Protection ”’ is anathema. But the events of the time, and the chastening influence of the conditions which have | been forced upon us by the Central Powers in the effort by the most powerful of them to secure the — domination of the world, have profoundly modified our views on many matters. The Government has now agreed to the principles of Imperial prefer- | ence, and the policy. of preferential treatment of our Allies has been embodied in the resolutions of the Paris Economic Conference. In regard to tariffs the matter now resolves itself into a question of details, and if the nation is deter- mined, as it no doubt is, that the disadvantage under which it has suffered shall never again arise, but that the machinations of our arch-enemy shall be effectually checkmated, once and for ever, there should be little or no difficulty in arriving at a satisfactory adjustment. T. E. THorPE. THE MINERAL WEALTH OF GERMANY, 6 Bien Fortnightly Review for June contains an interesting article by “ Politicus ”’ Natural Wealth of Germany,” in which parti- cular stress is laid upon the immense value of the asset represented by that country’s mineral possessions. These are tolerably accurately known, because in Germany the State owns the minerals and has therefore taken good care to have a complete and scientific inventory made of its mineral resources. The facts as to Germany’s mineral riches are thus readily accessible, ample statistical information is available on the subject. Taking the three undoubtedly. most important of Germany’s mineral products, namely, coal, iron-ore, and potash salts, the author of the article in question. arrives at the startling conclu- sion that the value of these is close upon 240,000 - millions sterling, out of which coal alone represents 89 per cent. A German poet has long ago warned the world that no prudent fighter underrates his foe, but it is perhaps almost-as grave a blunder to overestimate his powers, and there ‘is no difficulty in showing that this is what ‘ Politicus ” has done to an enormous extent. It will be easiest to commence with coal,. this being, as stated, by far the most important factor, whilst abundant statistics are available for discuss- NO. 2540, VOL. 101 | on ‘The © and. _ that “at the very low average price of 10s. RE oh = ‘balance of 6d. - omitted from the calculation. ing the question. “Politicus ” takes the report “Si submitted to the International Geological Congress in 1913, which gave the coal resources of Germany at about 400,000 million tons. He says sim this coal is worth more than — 200,000 millions sterling. He forgets, apparently, a that this coal is not at the pit’s mouth—it is deep — per ton at the pit’s mouth may be readily accepted as a fair figure, but this is assuredly not the value of the coal in its unsevered condition. In a recent paper on the subject the writer of the present “4 article showed that the value of coal at the pit’s — mouth in Great Britain amounted to about Ios. per ton in 1913, and that this price was made up of :— — Royalty 5°35 per cent., wages 62°55 per cent., materials 16°45 per cent., administration 7 per cent., and interest and profit 8:65 per cent. Itis — surely obvious that it is only the first item which ie represents the value of the coal as it lies in the — ground, and that out of the value of 10s. at the — pit’s mouth gs. 6d. represents the cost of getting saa and raising it, so that its real value is only the _ Certain American figures also © quoted by the author of the article show that the royalty value of the coal—that is, the value of the coal as it lies in the seam—is less than 4 per cent. of its cost at the pit’s mouth in the United States, _ so that the figure of 5 per cent. of the value at the surface here adopted may be considered to. represent 4 very closely the general value and éan be applied to the German conditions without much risk of error. Hence, so far, the figure given by “Politicus ” would appear to be twenty times too great, and his 200,000 millions would: be: — | to 10,000 millions. if Even this latter figure i is, howevees a erent over- estimate, and that for a reason that “ Politicus ”: has also overlooked. It has been seen that coal in the unsevered condition is worth-6d. per ton, but this 6d. is realisable only as and when the coal is won. A ton of coal that is to be won a century from now is worth to-day, not 6d., but only 0°0456d., or less than the twentieth part of a penny, allowing interest at 5 per cent. This quite’ obvious consideration, that a sum’ of money, receivable at a distant date, is worth to-day only the amount which, if allowed to accumulate at interest, would produce the sum in question, must _ profoundly influence the present value of coal to — be won at a remote date, but it has been entirely = It is true that itis — only possible to compute the present value of Ger- many’s coal reserves by making’a series of assump- tions, yet by means of these we are able to determine, at any rate, the order of magnitude of the figures involved. In 1913, the coal production of Germany was about 150 million tons; if it be ~ assumed that this increases by 50 million tons _ annually, the production in a century would be at — the rate of 5150 million tons per year, and the total quantity worked during the century would be | 265,000 million tons, or more than half the known coal resources of the country. ee one can pos- ee ~ j = Jury 4, 1918] NATURE oo _ sibly predict what the ‘coal production of any _ country will be a century hence, but, so far as _ anyone can see, this rate of increase of production is much greater than what the actual increase can teasonably be expected to be; it follows that the present value of the coal résources is greater the value of all the production after the first cen- tury be neglected. The value of the coal produced during the century at 6d. per ton, allowing money to earn interest at the rate of 5 per cent., is only about 550 millions sterling to-day, and though it is impossible to assert that the coal resources of Germany are really worth this amount, it is toler- ably evident that they cannot be worth'more. In other words, the estimate of “ Politicus ” is nearly _ 400 times too great. Turning next to the iron-ores, the author puts the quantity at 4000 million tons, and he values _. these at 5s. per ton, apparently also at the mouth _ Of the mine, and thus gets at a value of 1000 millions sterling. Fully 80 per. cent. of Germany’s iron-ore production comes from the minette ore- field of Lorraine and Luxemburg, and as this field is tolerably well known and much infor- mation has been published about it, it will suffice _ to confine the discussion to this field alone. + “Politicus ” has taken his figures from those pub- lished at the International Geological Congress in 1910, but these are now out of date, and more _ accurate data are to-day available. According to __.the most recent estimates by the leading German authority, the available minette ore in the Luxem- _burg-Lorraine ore-field amounts to about 2090 million tons. In 1913, the output was approxi- mately twenty million tons, and it has been increas- ing at the rate of about two million tons per * annum. Assuming a uniform rate of increase up to the exhaustion of the field, which, though tech- nically impossible, is a convenient hypothesis for the purposes of calculation, and will assign to the ore-field a value in excess of the facts, the field would be worked out in about thirty-seven years, the output in the last of these years being calculated at ninety-two million tons. The esti- mate of value given by “Politicus” is certainly wrong; these ores cost at the mine about 2s. 6d. to 3S., 3s. 6d. being considered a high figure. The value of the ore in situ must accordingly be low, though there are no data at hand for accurately determining this; a valuation based on English conditions would assign to it a value of 3d. to 4d. Taking the higher figure, and again capitalising at 5 per cent., the present value of this iron-ore field on the above assumptions comes to rather more than 124 million pounds. If the discount on the value of the ore to be won in later years had not close upon thirty-five million pounds would have been arrived at. Taking 3} millions sterling as the value of the other iron-ores of Germany, a total of sixteen million pounds is arrived at, and the figure ‘given by “Politicus ” is thus sixty times _ too great; the error is less in this case than in that of coal, because the period of exhaustion has NO. 2540, VOL. 101]. on this hypothesis than it is in reality, even though. been taken into account, an erroneous value of: been assumed to be much shorter, and the present value, corresponding with the production atthe end of the term, is correspondingly higher. The third material discussed as a source of mineral wealth is the series of potassium salts derived from the vast deposits of which Germany owns the practical monopoly. Here there are no safe data available for determining the value. The writer in the Fortnightly Review assumes: that the supplies amount to 50,000 million tons and that they are worth tos. per ton; as before, he has . confused value at the mouth of the mine with value in situ, and has made no allowance for dis- counting the sums realisable only at a distant date. It is therefore probable that his figures. are several hundred—say, at least 2@0—times too high, and that 125 million pounds is a more pro- bable estimate of the true present value than the figure given by him. Thus a correct method of appraising mineral values shows that the figure of nearly 240,000 million pounds sterling, given by ‘“ Politicus ” as the actual value of the three most important items of the mineral wealth of Germany, must be reduced to under 700 millions, so that the former figure is roughly 300 times too great. It need scarcely be repeated that the numbers here arrived at make no pretence to accuracy, but they do prob- ably indicate the correct order of magnitude of the present value of these minerals, and, in any case, they serve to show the correct method of valuing minerals in their unsevered condition. | H; Lens: ANTHRAX AND ITS PREVENTION.1 AXES is an acute, infective disease of man and animals and is caused by the anthrax bacillus, which becomes disseminated ‘throughout the body so that every part is infectious. The many animal products used in commerce may thus be a grave source of danger if they emanate from animals which have succumbed to the disease. Although in this country anthrax is not to be regarded as a frequent cause of death, it is never- theless of great importance on account of the increase which has taken place, and ‘especially in virtue of the very large amount of: material imported from countries where anthrax is rife. In order to prevent the disease in dangerous trades working with possibly infected animal material it would, at first sight, appear to be a simple thing to disinfect the infected material: In practice, however, this is found to be exceedingly difficult on account of the truly enormous powers of resistance of the spore of the anthrax bacillus, which is among the most remarkable of living things. A method to be efficient. and practicable (1) must aim at the complete destruction of the infectivity of the material; (2) must not damage ‘the material; (3) must be practicable on a large commercial scale; and (4) its cost must be reasonable. 1 Report of the Departmental Committee Appointed to Inquire as to the Precautions for Preventing Danger of Infection by Anthrax in the Manipu- lation of Woo!, Goat Hair, and Camel Hair. Vol. i., Report of the Disin- fection Sub-committee. (London: Published -by His’ Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1918.) Price rs. net. 348, . NATORE : - 2 uLy 4 1918 Hitherto all methods have failed in one or other of these essentials. The report before us, however, contains a large body of accurate experimental evidence which goes to show that complete success can now be attained without risk to the workers and without damage to the material disinfected. The main feature of the process is a _ pre- liminary treatment in which material is submitted to the action of a warm solution of soap and water containing alkali, followed by squeezing through _rollers. This causes softening and disintegration of any infected blood-clots, and the spores are laid bare for the subsequent destroying process, which is carried out by a warm solution of formic alde- hyde. The material, after being again squeezed through rollers, is then dried and kept for a short time as an extra safeguard. According to. the testimony of practical people the hair and wool are not injured by the process, and it is computed that ten million pounds of infected wool can be effec- tively disinfected for something less than 0824 penny per pound weight. The report is a brilliant instance of how: preven- tive measures in medicine must be based on scientific inquiries, and it is not too much to expect that “wool-sorter’s disease” may soon disappear from the list of the fatal maladies of man. i NOTES. Tue Bellahouston gold medal has been awarded by the University of Glasgow to Dr. R. T. Leiper, of the London School of Tropical Medicine, whose researches on Bilharzia disease in Egypt are well known. Tue David Syme research prize for 1918, consisting of a medal and tool. for any scientific research in Australia during the last five years,.has been awarded to Dr. T. Griffith Taylor for a thesis based on the cor- relation of Australian physiography, meteorology, and climatology, with special reference to the control of its settlement and industrial development. Mr. Wittiam. Perren Maycocx, who. died on June 29, was the author of many text-books and popular works on electrotechnics. Some of his works, as, for instance, his treatise on “‘ Electric Lighting and Power Distribution,” ran through many editions. Mr. Maycock took endless pains to present the subject clearly and correctly, and always welcomed criticism. He practised as a consulting engineer, and had been technical .editor to the Westinghouse Companies’ publishing department in Europe. Canon Rawwnstry, in a letter to the Times for June 28, stated that the War Office contemplated the draining of Wolmer Pond, near Liss, Hampshire, “in order to grow wheat on its sandy bottom.” The pond is a natural feature of great interest, and it is closely associated with the natural history observa- tion of Gilbert White of Selborne. We are glad to learn, therefore, in reply to an inquiry at the War Office, that it has been decided not to proceed with the draining of the pond. The Selborne Society has received the same intimation from the Secretary of State for War in reply to a petition submitted by the council of the society. abe Sm J.-J. Tuomson, Prof. W..H. Bragg, and. Dr. W. Coolidge have been: elected honorary members of the” Réatgen Society. . The following officers of the society have been elected for the ensuing | year :— NO. 2540, VOL. 101] President: Dr. G. B. Batten. Vice-Presidents J. Hall Edwards,:Prof..A. W. Porter, and Dr. D Turner. Members of Council: Mr. C. A. Clarke N.S. Finzi, Mr. W. Hampson, Mr. C. Howard EF Mr, €. R.iC.- Dysters Dr... J. Metcalfe, Prof. J. Nicholson, Dr. G. H. Rodman, Mr. W. E. Sc Mr. E. S. Worrall, Mr. E. P. Cumberbatch, an¢ V. E. A. Pullen” Honorary Treasurer: Mr. Ge Pearce. Honorary Secretaries: Dr. Robert K Dr. Sidney Russ. Editor of the Journal: Mr. Higgins. : ae Lorp Hytron announced in the House of July 2 that it-is proposed to recommend to that a Royal Commission should be appointed early date, consisting of members of both Hot Parliament and other persons with special qu tions, to consider the question of the ¢ >’ otherwise of making a change in our coi The terms of reference will be to cons posal embodied in the Bill which was recer duced by Lord Southwark in. the House «+ The Commission, if it decides in favour of a el may either adopt the proposals contained in the B or make any other proposals. It will be 1 iors its recommendations in the ,form ill. «ae IN connection with the Food Economy (I hibit at the Natural History Museum, South ton, an explanatory leaflet has been p : an outline of the basal principles of nu characteristics of the common foodstu formation is conveyed in simple terms to thé general public, and should add g educational value of the exhibit.. In a .popul tion of scientific knowledge on this subject i possible to avoid a certain degree of loos expression, which the physiologist or chemist might feel disposed to criticise. It i correct, for instance, to describe malt as barley.” On the whole, however, the inf correct and in accordance with current teaching, and in no case can it be-described misleading. ; DIE eae | * *e I FON DASE AR 5 Tue list of pensions granted during th March 31, 1918, and payable under the the Civil List Act, includes the followi q Mrs. Mann, in consideration of the valuable servi - of her late husband, Mr..R. F. Mann, to science and medicine in the development of radiography, course of which he received injuries which r his death, 120l.; Mrs. Judd, in considera services of her late husband, Prof. J. W. geological science, 75!.; Mrs. Rippon,, in consideration of the valuable services rendered by her late husband, — Mr. R. F. H. Rippon, to natural history and science, © 5ol.; Miss Bertha Couch, in considérati scientific eminence of her late father, Dr Couch, naturalist, ichthyologist, and auth Mrs. Vaughan, in consideration of the sci eminence of her late husband, Dr. Arthur Vau geologist, 4ol.; Mrs. Coffey, in consideration _ r value of the researches and writings of her late band, Mr. George Coffey, curator of the — Museum on Irish archzology,. 30l. af Tee A Group of botanists in the United States arranged for the publication of a monthly journal of botanical abstracts, botany to be interpreted in its broadest sense. The prime purpose of Botanical Abstracts is to supply prompt’ citations and abst of all papers dealing with botanical subjects, w her published, as soon as possible after they appear. 1 editor-in-chief is Dr. B, E. Livingston, Johns Hopki = << ns ~ ‘nec "gle NS A ENR Ale aa ts al ne haces Tl PAE cys Oats ih cern GNON MTS pig te) Pat : Pena Sete PUNE, Ee een Nea Oe ae ae ee ee es eae eee OL vee eS ss " i a os cy SR ae | Jury As 1918] a NATURE 349 University, Baltimore, and‘ there are fifteen associate botanical science. «Sectional editors are being ap- yointed for other countries, and Dr. Marie Stopes has accepted the British editorship. in palaobotany for the new journal. Dr. Stopes will be glad if all British (including the Colonies and Dominions) authors of papers dealing with paleobotanical sub- _ jects will send her on publication the titles, volumes, and exact page and plate references of their publica- tions, followed by reprints as soon as they are avail- able. Work from January, 1918, is wanted at once. Address to Dr. Stopes at University College, London, WC. . _ Tue Norwegian North Polar Expedition under the ‘leadership of Capt. Roald Amundsen was to leave _ Christiania last week, and is expected to be absent for about five years. According to the Times, the Maud, the vessel of the expedition, will call at Bergen and - Troms6, and will proceed thence to Novaya Zemlya. The Kara Sea will be crossed, and the Maud will call at Dickson Island, at the mouth of the River Yenesei, to take on board 225 gallons of oil. From the wireless station at Dickson Island the latest news of the ex- _ pedition may be expected. Skirting the north coast of Asia, the Maud will turn northward on the east of the New Siberia Islands and enter the polar pack about September. In 1893 the Fram entered the pack _ west of the New Siberia Islands. Amundsen, by start- ing from further east; hopes to drift parallel to the Fram across the North Polar Basin, but further north. He does not expect to touch continental land during _ the drift of the Maud, although he believes in the existence of a considerable amount of land north-east of Alaska. There is little news so far of ice conditions in polar seas this year, but they were reported to be - favourable in Spitsbergen waters in June, and it is - hoped that the crossing of the Barents Sea will present no difficulties. July is an early month for navigation $n the Kara Sea, and the Maud will doubtless en- counter difficulties there, but Amundsen’s early start is a wise choice, since August and September are good months for the navigation along the north coast of Asia. am We learn from Science that President Wilson has issued a proclamation establishing three new national forests in the East Urited States—the White Moun- tain, in Maine and New Hampshire, the Shenandoah, in Virginia and West Virginia, and the Natural Bridge, in Virginia. Proclaiming the forests is the final step in carrying out the law for building up eastern national forests through the purchase of lands in the moun- tains. The Pisgah National Forest, in North Caro- lina, and the Alabama National Forest, in Alabama,. are the only eastern areas which had received this status before the new proclamations were issued. The White Mountain National Forest is located in Grafton, Carroll, and Coos Counties, N.H., and Oxford County, Me. There is now a total of about 391,000 acres under Federal sD hen This forest rotects in part the watersheds of the Androscoggin, Saea, Connecticut, and Ammonoosuc rivers. The Shenandoah National Forest is situated in Rocking- ham, sr a Bath, and Highland Counties, Va., and Pendleton County, W. Va. of approximately 165,000 acres under Federal protec- tion. The forest is for the most part on the water- shed of the Shenandoah River, and it also protects a portion of the watersheds of the Potomac and the James. 102,000 acres is. situated in Rockingham, Nelson, -Ambherst, Botetourt, and Bedford Counties, Va. The NO. 2540, VOL. 101 | editors in the United States for particular sections of. Here there.is a total. The Natural Bridge. National . Forest of. forest, which protects a portion of the watérshed ‘of the James River, does not include the Natural Bridge, but this scenic feature is within three or four miles of the boundary. With the double object of encouraging the Irish agriculturist to greater effort, and of making the facts better known in Great Britain, the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Lreland has issued a short leaflet giving a concise exposition of the part played by Ireland.as a food supplier of Great Britain. For many years prior to the war the supply of food from Ireland to Great Britain steadily increased, until by 1913 it was exceeded only by that from the: United States. Since the war the Irish supply has continued to increase, and, taking into account quan- tity, character, and proximity, must now be régarded ' aS our most important supply. Comparison of the exports of foodstuffs from Ireland to Great Britain for the years 1912-13 and ig16-17 shows a decrease only in pig-products, dairy produce, and poultry, all- items which have been detrimentally affected *by the: reduction of the import into Ireland of feeding-stuffs from abroad. The export of livestock to Great Britain. has been more than-maintained despite this reduction: .of imported feeding-stuffs and the breaking. up of extensive areas of grass; while, in addition, Ireland has supplied very large quantities of potatoes, oats, hay, and straw to Great Britain and to the Army. Ireland produces 40 per cent. of the cattle and 30 per cent. of the pigs of the United King- dom. She consumes only one-fourth of her own cattle. She is thus, in an increasing degree, Great Britain’s nearest and greatest food base. An explana- tion is given of the meaning of certain Orders regu- lating exports from Ireland which have aroused adverse comment in Great Britain. It is maintained that these Orders were designed’ for the common interest of the United Kingdom, and were necessary to secure that the best possible use should be made of Irish resources. WE regret to announce the death, after a long illness, of Prof. K. Toyama, professor of zoology in the University of Tokyo. Born in 1867, Prof, Toyama graduated from the College of Agriculture, Tokyo’ University, in 1892. After graduation he devoted him- self to the study of the silkworm, the foundation of a most important Japanese industry. His earlier work dealt chiefly with the spermatogenesis and embryology of these insects, though he also published papers on their habits and the parasites attacking them. With the re-discovery of Mendel’s work he commenced a series of experiments designed to elucidate the various chatacters distinctive of different breeds. During the progress of this research he spent several years work- ing in the laboratory of: the Royal Siamese Sericul- tural Department in. Bangkok. The first instalment of his results appeared as a long and important paper in 1906—a paper which was the first of a series devoted to the unravelling of the genetic constitution of the various races of the silkworm. Later on he ‘succeeded in clearing up the apparent inconsistencies> ~ in the hereditary behaviour of white and yellow colour in the. silk which had puzzled other observers. He was able to prove the existence of two different kinds of white, one dominant and the other recessive to colour, a point of scientific interest as well as of con- siderable practical importance. One of his last pieces of work was the elucidation of certain peculiar, pheno- mena in the transmission of egg-colours in the silk- moth,:and he was able to show that. these are com- parable with those observed in connection with the seed’ characters of many plants. To zoologists, perhaps, his name is best known in association with some . nerve axis. Soe NATURE remarkable gynandromorphs of the silkworm and moth which were bred and described by him, for,’ owing to their important bearing on. the problem of sex-determination, as classical cases. AN interesting account of the. luminous moss Schistostega osmundacea, Mohr, is given by Mr..G. T. Harris in the Journal of the ‘Quekett Microscopical Club (vol. xiii., April, 1918). The luminosity is due to certain -cells of ‘the protonema, which, as pointed out by Noll in 1887, are so constructed that the light rays. falling upon them are refracted through . the transparent. sap and concentrated upon the chloro- phyll grains. which are grouped at the base of the tell. Owing to the shape of the cell; the light rays are totally internally’ reflected from the basal walls’ and’ again emitted, which gives the luminous appearance. The moss appears to be widely distributed in the British Isles. It seems to prefer a habitat with a northerly aspect, and apparently thrives best in granitic areas. but when it occurs it may be abundant. The distribu- tion of the plant is aided by the deciduous spore- capsules and by an abundance of gemmz formed on the protonema, especially when barren conditions of, the plant prevail. RusEarétizs carried out by -Dr. versity have thrown a flood of light on the origin and nature of the fluid system which surrounds the central nervous system of vertebrate animals.’ Dr. Weed was successful in replacing ‘the cerebro-spinal’ fluid in living pig embryos by a ferrocyanide solution, and was thus able by the deposition of Prussian blue to. discover a -séries of unknown stages in the elaboration of the space in which this fluid is contained. In the first month of development, up to the stage in which. the pig: embryo has attained a trunk-length of 14 mm., thin and ‘membranous; of the. fluid become developed, and fluid begins to - appear in the tissue spaces outside the roof of the fourth ventricle. That accumulation over the roof of the fourth yentricle represents the first stage in. the. From. the: ’ roof. of the fourth ventricle the sub-arachnoid system’. - development of the sub-arachnoid spaces. gradually spreads out, and by the time the pig embryo has attained a trunk- length of 26 mm. the system has . reached the limits of the extensive ramifications to be » seen in the adult animal, in which the spaces sur- -round both spinal cord and brain.: It et o1 9 Oe band about 600, and a narrower The relative brightening of 502 ma: the incoming of the adjacent nebular i | A 464. | Other bright bands are also p - Father Cortie informs us that furth of the spectrum were obtained at June 29 and 30. The chief features on the broad bright bands of hydrogen and pressure—and ss Joy 4, 1918] — NATURE ~~ 353 ~ dark lines were apparent. in ‘the preliminary examina- 4 tion. The band at A 464 appears double, and is fringed “by a band of lower intensity on its less réfrangible side. June 30 the nova was considered to be visually equal to BScuti, which is of magnitude 4-5. The F igahows of the star was brick-red. THE METEOROLOGICAL UNIT OF PRESSURE. “MEMORANDUM recently circulated by Prof. . F. Marvin, Chief of the U.S. Weather faeeakt raises the question: of an appropriate unit _of pressure, especially for meteorological usage. The measure of pressure by a barometric height, in milli- _ metres, or inches of mercury, even when reduced to standard temperature, is not an absolute statement at 3 for its meaning depends on the local value of ’ gravity. On the other hand, the C.G.S. measure of one megadyne per square centimetre, besides being absolute, happens to express quite closely’ the mean atmospheric pressure at about 100 metres above sea-level. The advantage that could be taken of this fact-has long _been— ous; it is referred to in early editions of Eves “C.G.S. Units,” and so long ago as 1888 the adoption of the unit of pressure as one dyne per square cramiihonstoegeiy ‘under the name of a-barad, was ended by a committee of the British Associa- mary nothing very definite followed; and Prof. vo the history, which is not ’ without. its ¥ the way in which the natural appropriate- me utility of this unit re-noticed, reported upon, Fe bro into_ artial use upon inconsistent systems by ume, Bjerknes, and various others, including Hie aon committees. £ lis most people will be content to forget, if ible, but two or three simple cardinal points . -and an appeal is made that we should assess tes down to uniformity of practice for The first of these is: Can one unit be or the whole range of physical, including gical, pressures, from high vacua to extreme npression, with the help only of the familiar C.G.S. ses of mega-, milli-, micro-, and convenient i ance factors? Secondly: What is this unit? Is it a dyne or a megadyne per square centimetre ? _ Thirdly : How far, up to the present, has actual prac- tice gone to fix and ratify the answers to these two questions? Finally: What-is the name to be? On these points. meteorologists, at any rate, may be said to. have made up their minds. The bar, of 10° dynes per square centimetre, is to be the unit. One millibar is approximately equal to the, pressure of o75 mm. of mercury, and the mean atmospheric pressure is roximately 1000 mb. or 1 bar. One- tenth of a millibar is not far from the accuracy with which the barometer can be read. The range of the barometer is included within too mb. In increasing degree in recent years the unit has been brought into use in the publications of the British, French, and United States meteorological services. One may say that it would now be very difficult to dislodge the millibar from meteorological use. In supplement, Prof. Marvin 1 prepared a table that shows that it is entirely convenient for expressing the range of physical pressures from very high vacua at o-o1 microbar to pressures of a ie aaer at, say, the bottom of the ocean; while the dyne per square centimetre, which the Cae system first offers, entails a much more cumbrous set of factors. If there are any substantial objections to the bar of one megesyae det square centimetre as the unit of re do not appear to be any—the wide acceptance it has already won in use should go NO. 2540, VOL. 10r] , ie far to outweigh them. If physicists could resolve. to adopt it, it would seem pretty sure of general and complete acceptance, and therefore offer one more piece of the difficult and contentious ‘“‘No Man’s Land” of conflicting units won over for the right side. ; R. A, Sampson. DEEP-SEA NEMERTINES. ENG the forty years which have elapsed since © the first two deep-sea nemertines were taken by the Challenger Expedition, a few examples have been — collected by various other expeditions, but deep-sea nemertines have never been other than rare: Prof. Brinkmann, whose monograph on pelagic nemertines has recently been issued (Bergens Museums Skrifter, Bd. iii., No. 1, 1917, 194 pp., 16 plates), has, how- ever, had a rich collection at his disposal, chiefly from the Michael Sars Expedition, so that he has been able. to investigate the structure of most of the species described. He has also subjected the previously. known species to careful revision, and concludes that five of them are so imperfectly "described that they. must be labelled as ‘‘uncertain.””. The rule that the single type specimen of a species should be kept intact. is, in the opinion of the author, unsound, for the external features often give little help to the sys- tematist, and therefore investigation by means of serial sections is indispensable. The known pelagic nemertines, all of which heladg to the order Hoplonemertini, are referred to eighteen genera and thirty-seven species. Bathynemertes is the most primitive genus, and in its external features resembles the bottom-living forms. Among the pelagic nemertines two types have been evolved :— (1) By an increase in the size of the gut diverticula, and therefore of the ‘body surface—without a corre- sponding increase of tissue—some became _ specially adapted to a floating life, and in these a marked reduction of the musculature of the body-wall took place; (2) from the floating forms arose the swimmers, in which a tail-fin was formed, with strengthening of the parts of the musculature necessary for swimming. Two ‘specimens of Nectonemertes mirabilis were _ observed swimming by means of undulations of the body and energetic strokes of the tail. These aré the first recorded observations on the swimming of pelagic nemertines, We have not space to give an adequate summary of the account of the structure of these animals, but reference may be made to the general reduction of sense-organs, to the presence of penés in Phallo- nemertes, to the reduction in the number of eggs to three or four in each ovary, or in the more modified genera to two, or evel one, and to the presence of cephalic tentacles in Balznanemertes in both sexes, and in Nectonemertes in the male only, in which they probably act as claspers. The: author discusses the horizontal and weitizal distribution of pelagic nemertines, some of which cer- tainly, and the rest probably, are bathypelagic. Most of the species will probably be found to have a wide distribution, e.g. Nectonemertes mirabilis occurs in the tropical parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and in Davis Strait, the conditions as to temperature, etc., being uniform over a wide area in deep water. In spite of the enormous mass of water transported by - the Gulf Stream into the North Sea, no example of , any Atlantic species of pelagic nemertines has been. ‘taken in the North Sea. There is also a total absence of records from the Mediterranean, explicable by the fact that the pelagic nemertines in the. Atlantic: live in deep water, while the entrance to the Mediterranean at Gibraltar is comparatively shallow. 354 CATTLE-POISONING BY WATER DROP- ' WORT. ae E have received from Mr. C, B. Moffat, of Ennis- corthy, a note written at the suggestion of Mr. R. J. Moss, registrar of the Royal Dublin Society, in which the question is asked, ‘‘Is Oenanthe crocata wholesome food?” The question is put owing to the fact that about a month ago Mr. Moffat had occasion to observe a herd: of cows browsing on this plant, and had been able to satisfy himself that no injurious effects resulted: As he justly remarks, the records of death from eating this plant leave no. doubt as to its usually poisonous character. He cites a case, investi- gated by Mr. Moss in 1917, in which roots of this plant were .found among the stomachic contents of four cows found dead on land that had been flooded. He is, therefore, led to inquire whether the poison is confined to the roots or if at particular seasons or in particular localities the green parts of the water drop- wort are innocuous. Cornevin (‘‘ Plantes Vénéneuses ’’) has stated that this plant, on which animals readily browse, leads to cases of poisoning every year; that all parts of the plant are toxic, the root being par- ticularly so; and that drying does not destroy -the noxious principle. Holmes (Pharm. Journ., 1902, p. 431) refers. to Oenanthe crocata as perhaps the most dangerous and virulently poisonous of our native plants. ‘Long (‘‘Plants Poisonous to Live Stock,” p- 37) has more recently cited a formidable number of specific English instances confirming the judgment of Cornevin and Holmes. Nevertheless, notwithstanding the silence of these distinguished authorities on the point, the question raised by Mr. Moffat is not new. So long ago as -1845 an authority so erhinent as the late Sir Robert Christison (‘‘ Poisons,” p. 860) ex- plained that while this plant has usually been held to be one of the most virulent of ‘European vegetables, and seems well entitled to this character in general, yet climate or some other more obscure cause renders it inert in some situations. As Christison pointed out, the plant has>.been. the subject of an uninterrupted series of observations since 1570, when Lobel directed attention to its poisonous properties. tions show that in France, Germany, Holland, Spain, and various parts of England so far north as Liver- pool it is actively poisonous at all seasons of the year. Yet the careful experiments undertaken by Christison, while proving the virulence of the plant as grown near Woolwich and near Liverpool, showed that the same species as grown near Edinburgh is devoid of toxic properties. It is singular that little more is known now than Christison knew, and it is to be hoped that those competent to deal with the matter may be in- duced to undertake the research which is required to settle the questions raised by Mr. Moffat’s confirma- tion from County Wexford of ‘Sir Robert Christison’s experience of three-quarters of a century ago as regards Midlothian. AERONAUTICAL INVENTIONS. ae Air Ministry wishes it to be known that the Air Inventions Committee, which was formed about nine months: ago, has now received and examined upwards of 5000 inventions and suggestions relating to the Air Service. It is regretted that, owing to war conditions, a detailed account of the investiga- tions cannot be published, but the experience of the Committee indicates that it may be possible to publish certain information which will facilitate the work both of the inventors and of the Committee. : The following statement has been drawn up with this object in view, but it is realised that it is incom- NO. 2540, VOL. 101] NATURE These observa- | "hy ae eet Seater [JuLy 4, 1918 plete for the reason just given. It is appreciated also that inventors are placed at great disadvantages in — present circumstances, for, unless immediately con- — nected either with the Air Services or with aircraft manufacture, it is almost impossible that they should — be acquainted with the most recent developments; — so rapid has been the tate of progress that it is difficult, even for those in close contact with the Royal Air Force, to keep abreast of all the latest im- — provements. Again, it is practically useless for in- — _ventors at the present time to submit inventions which — would necessarily take a long time to develop, the requirements of war and the conditions of labour and _ material making it impossible for the Committee to support proposals of this nature. Bien Bee Generally speaking, and so far as the period of the war is concerned, no very startling change in the present type of aircraft is anticipated, although im- — provements in parts and also in details are always possible, and may produce very important results. The stage of development in construction which has now been reached is such that’ major improvements can be expected only from those possessing the requisite ‘scientific and mechanical knowledge, skill, and experience. Thus radical changes in the shape ror 2! the wings of aeroplanes, the body, and the propellers are possible only after long and patient research carried out in aeronautical laboratories. = Again, many inventors have forwarded proposals for =, helicopters and aircraft of this nature, which, if an efficient design can be produced, would possess certain advantages (but probably not so great as was once _ imagined); others have suggested flapping wings and rotatory planes.’ Such schemes do not give any pro-- mise of being developed for use during this war, and _ in any case would require some years of experiment before they could be regarded as practical proposals. _As regards minor improvements, inventors should bear in mind that many details, such as turnbuckles, — clips, etc., are now standardised, and a change would be justified only by some very marked superiority. — Safety devices for preventing crashing of the machine and the pilot form a numerous class. The _ chief of these is the parachute, either applied by a ~ harness to the pilot or directly attached to the machine. Those who have seen a passenger dropped _ by a parachute from an aeroplane for exhibition pur- poses often fail to realise the conditions under which — a parachute may have to be used as a safety appliance. Then the machine may be out of control, dropping at a velocity of 150 to 200 miles per hour, or spinning downwards in flames. Many other safety devices, — such as automatic stabilisers, wind-brakes, etc., have been proposed at various times. The additional weight entailed by the use of any of the suggested safety appliances must remain a very serious factor for so long as war conditions prevail, © . = The engine is the heart of the aeroplane, and on its trustworthiness depends the safety of the pilot. Persons acquainted only with motor-car engine prac- — tice sometimes do not realise the exacting conditions _ under which an aeroplane engine must work. The engine must be capable of running for the whole of the time of flight at its maximum power. The lubrica- tion and ignition must be perfect, and the engine must not become overheated. The rating applied to aero-— plane engines is the weight per horse-power, and engines are now being produced which show surprising _ results in this respect. Inventions which differ _ radically from present-day practice (such as the internal-combustion turbine) have small possibilities — of being adopted, for successive design and recon- — struction, entailing probably several years’ work, are necessary before satisfactory results can be hoped for. 4 a _ power plant is its noise. investigation of this nature. 0 a en eee eee ee ee ee “4 : ‘ cS - ’ great advantage. tion from inventors. the war-.and at various times since, but has been Jory 4, 1918] NATURE 355 : In view of the shortages of materials and labour at the present: time, no new type can be embarked on unless it is demonstrably superior to existing types and possessed of definite and immediate advantages over them. _A subject which is intimately connected with the This constitutes one of the disadvantages of an aeroplane. For night-flying a method by which it would be possible to hear from one aeroplane the approach of another would be of The engine can be silenced without serious disadvantages, but the noise of the propeller and the hum of the wires are so great that silencing the engine is not sufficient. Many proposals for the projection of bombs and grenades of flame and of poisonous gases have been received. The trailing bomb or grapnel for attacking enemy aircraft and submarines is a favourite sugges- This device was tested before abandoned in favour of more effective methods. Many hundreds of inventions and suggestions for inelinometers and instruments for straight flying and accurate homb-dropping have been _ investigated. Efficient and well-designed instruments for these pur- _ poses have been available for some time past, but it is quite possible that improved forms may be pro- duced, though it is scarcely likely that this can be done Rn! Saga who does not possess the necessary scientific and mechanical knowledge required for an Some inventors entirely disregard the action of centrifugal force upon pendulum id spirit-level devices. A large number of gyroscopic instruments have been proposed which show insufficient knowledge of the correct application and limitations of a gyroscope. Anti-aircraft devices of various kinds are constantly suggested, but now contain very little new matter for consideration, as such proposals have received the care- ful attention of the authorities for a long time past, and have been the subject of much trial and experi- ment. | The Committee fully appreciates the genuinely patriotic motives which inspire most of the communica- tions which they have received, and it is with the object of encouraging the submission of useful and well-considered proposals that this statement is issued, Inventors should, however, bear in mind that the somewhat obvious proposals which might have been useful in an earlier stage of the war are now no longer serviceable. Se aes FOOD CONSERVATION BY REDUCTION OF RATIONS. T° is perhaps remarkable that, with all the current _ discussion regarding food conservation, so little emphasis has been laid upon the possibility of con- serving food by reducing the diet. When one recalls the agitation of enthusiasts for reduced diets during the past thirty years, and recognises the fact that all special pet theories. can at this psychological moment obtain a better hearing than at any previous time, it is surprising that the advocates of reduced diet have ceased their propaganda. - The popular conception that we eat too much is usually quantitatively expressed by the statement that we eat “twice as much as we ought.” The nutrition laboratory has for years been endeavouring to discover 1 Abridged from an address on ‘ Physiological Effects pf a Prolonged Reduction in Diet on Twenty-four Men,” a to the American Philosophical Society on eg 20 by Prof. Francis Benedict. (From the Nutrition omacat of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Boston, Massa- chusetts. NO. 2540, VOL. 101] } if there exist any special groups of individuals: who live regularly upon a diet that would be commen- | surately low. For this purpese it was assumed that | the minimum or basal metabolism must be taken as | the index of food requirement. Differences in muscular activity are so great that no two individuals / can be compared save on an absolutely quiescent, | resting basis. After the metabolism of two hundred or more individuals had been carefully measured, it was seen that, although we were dealing with people of varying ages and dietetic habits, and of supposedly very low metabolism, no.such individuals were easily recognised in our measurements. It would thus appear offhand that if there are no individuals other than pathological which present abnormally low basal meta bolism, and if the law of conservation of ‘energy in _the human body obtains, as we know it does, then there is nO a priori reason for expecting that a reduced diet can be permanently adhered to. A’ reduction in diet will simply mean that-body reserves will be drawn upon until death from starvation occurs, Through the kind offices of Profs. J. H. McCurdy and Elmer Berry, of the International Y.M.C.A. Col- lege at Springfield, Massachusetts, both unusually interested in metabolism problems, arrangements were _ made to select twelve men out of a group of volun- , teers from the student body. The men entered heartily into the spirit of the whole research, and readily con- _ sented to all the strict requirements of the test. | for about fourteen or fifteen days. The general plan was to curtail the diet sufficiently to reduce the weight approximately 10 per cent. This could have been done by a complete withdrawal of food ; It was recognised that these men were, first, college students with _ obligations for educational advancement, and, secondly, _ volunteers for scientific research. A complete fast for fourteen days would, in all probability, have caused most of them considerable discomfort, if not distress. The alternative was to curtail the dietetic intake so that the weight-loss would take place, not in fourteen days, but in four to six weeks. This was done by ' serving the men approximately one-half to two-thirds — _of the caloric requirements prior to the dietetic con- - trol, making absolutely no change in the kinds of foods eaten. The young men were cautioned not to lessen their mental or physical activities. . Obviously if the activity of a group of men were lessened, as,. for example, by putting them to bed, to use an extreme illustration, their dietetic requirements would be very much less. Suffice it to say that these men carried out all the requirements of collegiate activity, both physical and intellectual, throughout the entire period. As soon as the reduction in weight had reached 10 per cent. or thereabouts, the calories in the intake were_ increased to such an extent as to hold the weight at a constant level. The number of calories required to hold this weight constant over a considerable period of time could be taken as a fair representation of the actual caloric requirement for this group of men. To ensure a suitable base-line, therefore, a second group of twelve men from the large number of volun- | teers originally presenting themselves was selected to ' act as a control squad. These men were in every particular studied with the same degree of care as _ squad No. 1, except that there was no dietetic control. . . made so little progress, and, indeed, have apparently ' the same collegiate conditions. While body-weight can be taken as an approximate index of the metabolic level, further checks were abso- lutely necessary to rule out the inevitable differences in muscular activity that would be found with groups of individuals, even when they were subsisting under The gaseous’ meta- bolism was therefore measured practically every morning for each one of the first squad. These / Measurements were made by collecting the expired air ~ and analysing it. From the amounts of oxygen con- 356 NATURE - \ =e a * _ [orn 4, 1918, sumed and carbon dioxide produced, the basal heat output could be computed by indirect calorimetry, thus furnishing the second index of metabolic level. The pulse-rate was recorded simultaneously every morning. Every other Saturday night the entire group-of men was taken to Boston and placed inside a large respira- tion chamber, where the men could sleep comfortably. The carbon dioxide excretion of the twelve men was thus determined simultaneously during deep sleep. This furnished a third criterion for judging the meta- bolic. level. The: control squad showed no seasonal variation, and their basal metabolism, as measured in the large respiration chamber in Boston, was found to be abso- lutely identical with that of the first group of twelve men prior to the restriction in diet. To check the important findings with the first squad during the. early period of the investigation, ‘the second squad was later placed upon a very restricted diet for a period of three weeks, the ‘diet given being less than one-half of their normal requirements. S125) Fisgsgts ‘For. both squads, when on diet, the food for each day was carefully weighed, sampled, and analysed for the individual men. It is thus possible for us to measure the complete intake of protein and’ calories. The most important scientific findings may be summed up as follows :— ry ; (7) A hee reduction in weight to a point 12: per cent. below the initial weight took place during a period of from three to ten weeks, with low calories and a moderate amount of protein in the food intake. The normal demand of the men prior to the dietetic alteration ranged from 3200 to 3600 net calories. One squad of twelve men subsisted for three weeks on 1400 net calories without special disturbance. (2) After the loss in weight of 12 per cent. had been reached, the net calories required to maintain this - weight averaged about 2300, or approximately one- third less than the original amount required. (3) ‘At the end of the reduction in weight the actual heat output during the hours of sleep, as computed by indirect calorimetry, was appftoximately one-fourth less than normal, thus giving a rough confirmation of the lowered. number of calories found by actual measurement of the food intake. ‘That there was no seasonal variation in ‘metabolism was shown by -the constancy in the metabolic level of the control squad. et PTS Simard (4) The heat output by indirect calorimetry per kilo- gram of body-weight and per square metre of body- surface was essentially 18 per cent. lower than at the beginning of the study. at Lae (5) Throughout the period of loss in weight, and for some time afterwards, there was a marked loss.-of nitrogen to the body. In round numbers ‘these men each lost approximately 150 grams of nitrogen. There is an ‘intimate relationship between this “surplus nitrogen and the metabolic level. Removing the “‘ surplus nitrogen,” distinctly lowers the stimulus to cellular activity. (6) The nitrogen output per day at the maintenance diet of 2300 net calories was about 9 grams. The con- trol group of twelve men, living substantially the same life and eating in the same dining-room, but with un- restricted diet, shewed a nitrogen output of 16 to 17 grams per day. (7) The pulse-rate was astonishingly lowered. Many of the men showed morning pulse-rates as low as 33, and daily counts of 32, 31, and 30 were obtained; at least one subject gave six definite counts on™ one morning of 29. spine tesa (8) The blood-pressure, both systolic and diastolic, was distinctly lowered. Brio {9) The skin temperature, as measured on the sur- face of the hands and forehead, was with some sub: NO. 2540, VOL. I0T| we believe, © jects considerably lower than normal. With m the men normal temperatures prevailed. ~~ (10) The rectal temperature was practically _ My colleague, Dr. Walter R. Miles, found as result of numerous tests of the neuro-museular cesses that there was no material change as a of the reduced diet. There was a very slight in the strength tests with the hand dynamo As one of the best indices of muscular perfor my associate, Dr. H. Monmouth Smith, mea energy required by each man to walk one about twenty minutes. Wéith a reduced diet quirement was found to be lower with all than.with a normal diet, this being due, i the fact that the reduced weight meant a | to transport.’ In other words, these men w. with noticeably less energy consumption th not subsisting on a reduced diet.: = = The subjective impressions were almost that the muscles in the thigh were distinctly w The men complained of difficulty in wallki but our personal observations go a long wa refuting this, for all the men seemed -stairs two steps at a jump on several « 1 February 1, 1918, at Springfield, after four mie on diet, eleven of the diet squad were pitted agains’ eleven men from the college body in an arm-holdir contest for endurance. The arms were held palms down, at the level of the shoulder. T! of men falling out was practically the sam squads; as a matter of fet, seven in the and éight in the uncontrolled squad hel out for one fuli hour. Sie ae ee The most noticeable discomfort e subjects was a feeling of cold, which | to say might be due in large part to. the past winter. In general, notwithstan great reduction in the metabolism, which was due to the removal from the body of | to cellular activity of approximately ‘surplus nitrogen,’ the whole period « intake had no untoward effect upon mental activities, and the men were able tc successfully their college duties. less emphasised. ee At the conclusion of the entire research th presented an appearance not unlike the ; lege student; it would have been difficult to pi out from the rest of the sath body on the On close inspection the members of the diet would perhaps have appeared somewhat particularly in the face, but they were performi duties as college students, both physically lectually, with no obvious Papen ice mir The great Objection to making practical ded from idporatont experiments is Sealy. "ae ane Bo Ne searches are carried out on the lower animals, or if men are studied, but one, or at the most tw aré used. With a group of twenty-four men, such ; studied in this research, one is justified, if e drawing deductions or making recommenda cannot then be’ charged with faddism or propaganda if we are led to make certain recommeéndations—recommendations that a 'we would never make in peace times, and t mittedly may have serious faults. These recon tions are primarily a war measure. I find myself in a novel situation as a public advo- ‘cate of far-reaching dietetic alterations. Recalling my — eee eee eo ee eee ee 1 = Jury 4, 1918) _ civilian body - “yy ra bd oe materi _in tim & @ xt NATURE 357. 3 earlier objections to Prof. Chittenden’s inferences from his experiments, I realise that; although abstract ‘science and propaganda are more or less incompatible, in time of stress old beliefs may well be challenged, _ earlier concepts discarded, and conservatism permitted to exercise a less restraining influence ; hence a public _ ayowal of change in point of view and an admission _ of the errors of earlier judgment are not only desirable, but also absolutely necessary. While still maintain- ing that the published records of Prof. Chittenden’s experiments left the desirability of a propaganda for lower protein and energy open to serious fundamental criticism, 1 am now convinced that his data on protein _ intake justified many of his public statements and ) eee ae ce hons:. His conjectures regarding calorie needs seem in no small part substantiated by the win uh s of this new research. Although some of our men were under twenty-one back ‘of age, the data obtained in our experiments ve no bearing on the period of growth; the diet of the g wine uild should in no circumstances be . Neither are the results applicable to the c ditions of severe muscular work, as, for example, in the Army. They may, however, legitimately sug- “practices for patriotic civilians not performing svere muscular work; that these standards represent the optimum needs for peace times requires further nce for substantiation. It is quite clear that a vilian body of men could readily withstand a siege on half-rations without difficulty for several months, Ee, ie hes moe wy and, since danger seems remote, that reduced rations for all adult civilians may be justifiable as a war sure for a relatively long period of months. Prof. “hit en’s conclusions from his experiments that a low protein diet is practicable seem fully substantiated ; this expensive source of food material may thus be y lowered. ‘The calories may also, without be lowered. ‘Indeed, it may become a serious ym as to whether a patriot should. be permitted es of.stress to carry excess body-weight, for the mse of carrying it around calls for calories that “peo le need. Of special significance is the importance of not eating between meals and of omitting the eating of extras. It has surprised us to find how large a pro- portion of the total diet is made up of these extras. Capt. Gephart, in -his study of the food intake of St. Paul’s School, Concord, New Hampshire, found that out of a total daily intake of 5000 calories per boy, 647 ealories were derived from extras in the form of sweet chocolate, candy, coffee-buns, etc. With our control squad at Springfield, when on normal diet, approximately 4000 calories were consumed daily by each individual. . Of this amount about 400 calories __ were obtained from extras not served at the table. I cannot feel that an alteration in the Army diet is _ justifiable at present. It is bad policy ‘to swap horses in the middle of the stream.” The fighting unit may _ well be exempted from innovations, but let the civilian _ population give this whole project a thorou ion ; , honest tést, recognising ‘that while there may be, in certain cases,-an element of hazard, and in many cases an _ element of discomfort, the possibilities for danger in _ atccomplishin a weight reduction of 10 per cent, are negligible. “The calories thereby saved are by no means negligible; but ‘with the’ sum-total of our population _ would feed an enormous Army. NO. 2540, VOL. 101 | UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. Lorp DurwHam has been elected Chancellor of Durham University in succession to the late Duke of Northumberland. THE residue of the estate of the late Mr. T. P.. Sims, of Swansea, has been left to the Swansea Technical School for the: foundation of three two-year scholarships in the subjects respectively of chemistry,’ metallurgy, and modern languages for commercia purposes. Tue Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has awarded » the Fream memorial prize for 1918 to Mr. Leonard C.. Robinson, a student of the Harper Adams Agricul- tural College, Newport, Salop, who took the highest, marks at this year’s examination for the National. diploma in agriculture. : WE have received a copy of the calendar of the Kyushu Imperial University. The University was established at Fukuoka by Imperial ordinance in. December, 1910, the first article of which lays it down that “ Imperial universities shall have for their objects the teaching of such arts and sciences as are required for the purpose of the State and the prosecution of original research in said arts and sciences.”’ Among ~ other interesting developments recorded in the calendar may be mentioned’ the establishment in 1914 of a marine biological station in connection with the insti- ‘tute of anatomy in the University. The regulations show that real efforts are being made to encourage research in the University; a certain number of students, who are possessed of high academic attain- ments and good character and wish to devote them- selves to scientific research, are selected and appointed to research scholarships, exempting theni from inves- tigation fees, and providing a monthly allowance to enable them to pursue their study and research. THERE was a discussion in Committee of the House of Commons. on July 2 upon clause 22 of the Educa- tion. Bill, which provides for the abolition of -fees in: all public elementary schools. Mr. Fisher, President. of the Board of Education, replying to the arguments put forward in: favour of the continued recognition of fee-paying elementary schools now existing, pointed, out that the Bill retains fees in secondary schools and. abolishes them in elementary schools, and provides for free education in continuation schools. . In. other words, it applies the principle that where education is compulsory it is to be given without charge to the: parents, but where the parent has an option whether or not to send his child to a particuler type of school there he should be at liberty to pay fees. It is the opinion of the inspectors‘of the Board that the exist- ence of fee-paying schools militates against the proper. organisation of higher-grade education in an area. The case for fee-paying schools is the provision of exceptional opportunities, but if the opportunities are no longer exceptional, the special case for those schools is greatly weakened. The clause was eventually, agreed to without amendment, as were also the re- maining clauses of the Bill. at}. Science for May to publishes a report of the Mellon Institute in the University of Pittsburgh, in which, Prof. Kennedy Duncan’s scheme. for industrial re- search fellowships is in operation. | Particulars © of this scheme were published by the Board of Education ° “some time ago in a patnphlet written by Mr. T.-Li.. Humberstone. The progress made by’ the institute . is indicated by the increase in the number of fellows from twenty-four in 1911-12 to sixty-four in 1917-18, the amounts contributed by the subsidising firms hav-. ing increased in the same period from 39,700 dollars to 358 NATURE : [Jury 4, 1918 172,000 dollars. The subjects of research, a list of which: is given in Science, indicate a wide range both in inorganic and organic chemistry. Dr. Raymond F. Bacon, who succeeded the late Prof. Duncan as director, has been commissioned in the American Army in command of the Chemical Service Section. A considerable number of the research fellows are working on war problems assigned to the institute by the National Research Committee, and others have entered military service. .The shortage of research men of the type demanded by the fellowship system has forced the institute to hold.in abeyance a number of desirable research problems. “It required the cataclysm of the great war,’ the report observes, *‘ to bring men to realise fully the part which applied science is- playing, and, more particularly, will play, in the life of nations”’; and the Mellon Institute is proud that it has been a pioneer in this field, and set an example to other institutions. The report is signed by Dr. E. R. Weidlein, the acting director. Tue Education (Scotland) Bill was read a second time in the House of Commons on June 26. The Bill. is divided into two parts—administrative and educational. The educational area will be the county. The authority will be what is commonly known as an.ad hoc authority, or an authority specially elected for the purposes of education. The members of the authority will be all directly elected. As the simple majority vote does not afford reasonable protection to existing minorities, or give them the opportunity of making their voices heard in the councils of the community, it has been decided to introduce the prin- ciple of proportional representation. The main object of the Bill is the better education of the whole of the people of Scotland, irrespective of social class, age, sex, or place of residence. The effect of the two main proposals of the measure is that when the Act comes. into full operation the education of, practically every young person will be continued, in one form or another, until he or she reaches the age of eighteen. There is also ample provision to prevent the exploita- tion of child-labour by parents or employers. It is not proposed at first to raise the age for compulsory attendance at continuation schools beyond sixteen. But power is taken in the Bill to raise the age further by instalments to seventeen and eighteen as circumstances permit. It is proposed to make a special grant in aid towards the local expenditure of those authorities who in the discharge of a national duty find them- selves obliged to impose upon their constituents a burden higher than that which is the average in the country. Tue Library Association (Caxton Hall, Westmin- ster) has issued a Class List of Current Serial Digests and Indexes of the Literature of Science, Technology, and Commerce,” publishéd as Appendix A to the final report of the Library Association Technical and, Commercial Libraries Committee. The list is intended to show the minimum bibliographical equip- ment of a library professing to specialise in certain departments of knowledge, and is issued for the guid- ance of librarians.- For. example, we are told that a library that specialises in chemistry should include the abstracts published by the American Chemical Society and by ‘the Chemical Society of London. information is given with regard to some fifty other subjects in pure and applied science, manufactures, law, and economics: tions as to the choice of publications containing ab- stracts of the literature of the different subjects con- sidered, the Compilers of this list have ignored German | serial digests except when no suitable substitute -in another language could be found. It is not explained NO. 2540, VOL. I10T| tenance of libraries, we would lay stress on the state- Similar — In making. their recommerida- why this course is ‘taken, but probably it is thoug that libraries should not be encouraged to*buy German books at the present time, even if they are able to do so. At all events, the list will direct special tion to English and American bibliographies an abstracts, which may be used instead of the Germ publications, to which, perhaps, in the past undue — preference has been given. In recommending this list — to all who are interested in the formation and main- — ment that it represents a minimum equipment 0 periodical works of reference. There are, of course many similar works, not included in ‘the list, © good library should possess. In the Revue Scientifique for April 20-24 M.~ P. Otlet has an article on “Transformations po ig Vappareil bibliographique des Classification, Office de Documentation.” term “ répertoire ” or ‘‘repertory”’ ; catalogue or a loose-leaf catalogue in which eee | can be quickly inserted in its proper place t disturbing any other part of the catalogue. M: Otlet Z| urges that all catalogues of books and papers” ee cet : be arranged in this way. As to the details of tion, M. Otlet is, as is well known, a strong \dvoca of the decimal system. As this system is by a ea ie piven ~ By generally understood, we may quote an ex é in this articde The number 31 stands for. statistic: 331-2 for salaries, (44) for. France, ‘‘ 17" for the se en- teenth century. ‘The full expression 31 : 331.2 (44) oh means : " Statistics of salaries in France in on- teenth century.’’ But these four numbers may. be ye Te- arranged on the index-card in all possible pert nuta- tions. For example, (44) 31: 3312 tea translated: ‘‘France:, statistics of Bese es. seventeenth century” while “* 31 ‘| would mean: ‘The seventeenth conti , "Eranc, . statistics of salaries.” It is to be *obser ie the colon, brackets, and quotation ‘integral parts of the decimal system as 4 oe 3! M. Otlet. In the third section of M. Otlet’s carcle y it is explained that an office of documente on is a - library in which all books, and even parts Giro r have been indexed -on cards | in nl mor the t isc the books in the library rervie ona parca s in which he may be interested. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES, LONDON: = >: cee Zoological Society, June 11.—Mr. A. Pak! “vice- president, in the chair.—Lt.-Col. S. Monckton | _ Cope- man; OQObservations'’on a colony of burrowing | ‘bees (Andrena fulva)—Dr. A. Smith Woodward: Two new — Elasmobranch fishes from the Upper Jurassic litho- graphic stone of Bavaria.—Morley Roberts : ee - tion of pathological states in evolution. ui Mineralogical Society, 18.—M. We ‘Below. June president, in the chair.—W. A. Richardson ; The origin of septarian nodules. Septarian structure consists not — of -a simple combination of radial and concentric — circles, but of irregular _polygons closely - sim 3 mud-cracking. By. experiments with clay balls | t films, and comparison with timber cracks, it. was ‘ shown that radial cracks widening inwards are pro-— duced - by» internal circumferential contraction, : cracks widening outwards by internal expansion, con- centric cracks. by contraction towards the Onnleey, ‘and ee 7 Leyes . % Dl ari, beside but hitherto without success. | fouy 4, 1918] NATURE | | 359 polygonal cracks by either free or chemical desicca- _ tion. are more aluminous towards the centre than the out- Moreover, analysis shows that septarian nodules side, and are therefore capable of contraction. The _ evidence disproved the expansion theories, and showed that contraction on numerous centres in a colloidal - medium caused the cracking, and desiccation by chemical agents the contraction. The central portions are not merely enclosed clay, but clay that has under- gone considerable chemical modification, and the iginal colloidal nature of the medium is so changed that closing of the cracks by absorption when placed in water cannot occur. Finally, the occurrence of the nodules suggests their origination by rhythmic itation according to the laws of Liesegang from - solutions of bicarbonates diffusing through’ a colloidal ec —Dr.-C. T. Prior: The composition of the nickeliferous iron of the meteorites of Powder Mill Creek, Lodran, and Holbrook. A simple and ex- _ peditious methog of determining the amount and chemical composition’ of the nickeliferous iron of a meteorite was described. The method depends upon the use of dimethyl glyoxime for the separation of nickel. Its application to the meteorites Powder Mill Sreek, Lodran, and Holbrook gave percentages respec- tively of about 42, 30, and 63 of nickeliferous iron, in which the corresponding ratios of iron to nickel were about 13, 113, and 5. ‘Royal Meteorological Society, June 19.—Sir Napier ‘Shaw, president, in the chair.—Dr. S. Chapman: The lunar atmospheric tide at Greenwich, 1854-1917. The tidal forces due to the moon affect the aerial as well as tke fluid ocean, and the lunar atmospheric tide is _ the barometer having _ (high and low tide) in the course of a lunar day. This variation ited by the periodic variation in the height of two maxima and two minima jation is much smaller than the solar semi- al barometric variation, which is not a simple solar tidal effect; the minute lunar variation, however, can be detected with ease in the records of tropical © _ observatories, where the irregular fluctuations of pres- ‘sure are small. Attempts to determine it in the cords of European observatories have been made, but h : By treating hourly observations of ‘‘ quiet’’ days only, on which the baro- metric range did not exceed o-1 in., and by abstract- ing the solar variation, the lunar atmospheric tide at Greenwich’ has now been ascertained. Its total ampli- tude is less than o-oor in., the harmonic formula being 0-00036 sin (2t+ 114°) in., where t represents lunar time measured, at the rate of 360° per lunar day, from the epoch of upper transit. comparison with the varia- tion at Batavia (lat. 6° S.), viz. 0-00256 sin (2t+ 65°) in., suggests that the amplitude varies as the fourth power of the cosine of latitude, and that the phase also varies with latitude.—Miller Christy: The audibility of the gunfire on the Continent at Chignal St. James, near Chelmsford, during 1917. In this paper the author continues his series of observations of the sound of gunfire commenced in 1915, and published by the society in 1916. Mr. Christy considers that the most interesting point in connection with his observations is the fact that there is apparently (1) a regular and well-defined season or’ period during which the gun- fire is usually audible with ease, and that this is fol- lowed by (2) a_longer season or period during which the gunfire is seldom or never. heard. The following are the earliest and latest dates of the sound of. the gunfire on the Continent as heard at Chignal St. James during the three years 1915-17 :—1915: From about May 1 to about August 31=17 weeks 3 days. cig a From about May 1 to about August 15=15 weeks 1 day. NO. 2540, VOL. 101] ‘sounds are heard only during the winter. 1917: From:about April 22 to about Septem- — ber 6=19 weeks 4 days.—F. J. W. Whipple: Seasonal variation in the audibility of gunfire. Mr. Miller Christy’s observations indicate that in Essex Con- tinental gunfire is heard only during the summer months. On the other hand, evidence collected by W. Brand, and ‘published in the Meteorologische Zeit- schrift in February, 1917, indicates that in Germany at places 100 km. or more from the firing-line such Thus it appears that in summer the outer zone of audibility lies to the west of the source of sound, in winter to the east. No theory hitherto put forward-in explana- tion of the existence of: the outer zone of audibility is in accord with this generalisation. Royal . Microscopical Society, June 19.—Mr. J. E. Barnard, president, in the chair.—Prof, Benjamin, Moofe: Studies of activity of light in inorganic and organic, systems. The chief points dealt with were, (1) the natural modes of production of reduced organic compounds with uptake of energy, (2) the synthesis of formaldehyde from carbon dioxide and water by the action of light, (3) condensation of formaldehyde in light to form reducing substances such as sugars, (4) reduction of nitrates by sunlight, accompanied by energy absorption, (5) growths of organisms in nitrate and nitrite-free media in presence and absence of air, showing that nitrites in air are essential, and that nitrogen fixation in soil is probably due to nitrite fixation from the atmosphere.—Dr. E. Penard; A new type of Infusorian, Arachnidiopsis paradoxa. The organism’ described, egg-shaped and about. 1/500 in. in length, has neither cilia nor seta, but its locomotive organs consist of two flexible tentacula, which beat the water with great rapidity. The forms described under the genus Arachnidium by Saville Kent were possibly of the same type. Linnean Society, June 20.—Sir David Prain, presi- dent, in the chair—Prof. H. Coutiére: Les espéces d’Alpheidz rapportées de l’océan indien par M. J. Stanley Gardiner.—Sir N. Yermoloff : A series of inter- mediate forms of the Diatom genera Navicula and Cymbella. An examination of the series suggests the hypothesis that the large, simple, and homogeneous ancestral form Navicula monmouthiana was a primor- dial species adapted to the more uniform. conditions of life on the planet during the pre-Glacial epochs, and that the Cymbellz which afterwards evolved from. it are. smaller, more complex heterogeneous forms, gradually derived from Navicula monmouthiana under the influence of quite different and more varied condi- . tions of life and climate, which established themselves on the earth after the Glacial epochs, at least under the latitudes between 40° and 60° N. A similar trend of changes from larger and less varied forms to smaller heterogeneous ones, has affected the whole of organic life after the Glacial extensions towards the south.— E. J. Collins: Sex-segregation in the Bryophyta. Three cultures of Funaria hy grometrica were made in Marchals’s nutrient fluid as follows :—A, protonemata grown from the antheridia of a male “ flower’; B, protonemata grown from the perigonial leaves of the same male ‘‘ flower ’’; C, spores from a ripened cap- sule. Submitted to the same cultural conditions, A and B produced a sward of plants with large discoid male “ flowers” only, no sporogonia being produced ° at any time; C produced plants bearing male and female organs, resulting in a dense crop of sporogonia. It appears possible that vegetative development from structures borne on male and female branches respec- tively may, if a sex-segregation has actually occurred somatically, lead to the production of distinct male and female plants. pat , NATURE DUBLIN. Royal Irish Academy, June penter, vice-president, in the chair.-T, Certain Actiniaria collected in Jrish waters during the vears 1899-1914. The paper dealt with part of the collections of sea-anemones made by the scientific staff of the Irish Fisheries Branch. ‘Twenty-one species are enumerated, mostly from deep water off the west coast. of Ireland: Of these seven have not previously been described, viz. Actinostola atrostoma, Cymbactis gosset, Actinernus aurelia, Chondractis coccinea, C. pulchra, C, duplicata, and Carlgrenia desiderata. The last species is the type of a very interesting new genus, related to Halcurias, McMurrich. 10,—-Prof. G. H. Car- A.. Stephenson ; Panis. _ Academy of Sciences, June 17.—M. Léon Guignard in the chair.—J. Boussinesq: Uniformity of flow in hour-glasses. “The amount passed appears to be in- dependent of the height of the sand.—G. Neumann was elected a correspondant for the section of rural economy in succession to the late M. Heckel, and A. Lameere a vorrespondant for the section of anatomy and zoology in succession to the late Prof. Yung.— | H, Villat; Certain singular Fredholm equations of the first species.—P. E, B. Jourdain: Demonstration of a theorem of ensembles.—E. Cahen: The series of Dirichlet.—-_M. Poincet:: Theoretical and experimental study of “steam turbines.-C. Flammarion ; “Observa- tions of the new star in: Aquila.—M.. Luizet ; observations of the new star. The nova was. seen’ on June 8 at 8.41 G.M.T. Measures of magnitude are given to June 14.—R. Griveau : tion of the anhydrous calcium borates.—A. Maibhe ; “The direct transformation of the secondary and_ ter- tiary amines into nitriles. In a preceding communica- tion it has been shown that it is possible to transform di-isoamylamine and tri-isoamylamine into isoamyl nitrile by passing the vapours over finely divided nickel | at 350° to 380° C.. The. generality of the method is now proved :by the preparation of the correspondin nitriles from dicaproylamine, tricaproylamine, qamye amine, triamylamine, bibutylamine, -tributy lamine, dipropylamine, and. PMPLORY Amine, The general re- action is (CHa NH=2H, hs Bik Hoy ee -J. Martinet /- The isatines which contain a quinoline Kuclens: =e? Frasicois - A method for the estimation of the halogens, ‘s sulphur, and nitrogen in’ presence’ of mercury. The mercury is removed as metal by ‘the action of zine, and the above-mentioned elements are then determined in the usual manner.——L. Gentil : The ‘existence of large ‘‘nappes de recouvremént” in’ the province of Cadiz, Spain.—H. Coupin : action ‘of magnesium carbonate on plants. ful action of magnesium carbonate was proved for éight species of plants.—F. Maignon: Comparative "Study of the ‘proteins employed in a pure state: Experiments on white rats with diets of either white of egg, fibrin, casein, or meat-powder. For the three last foods “the cause of death was exhaustion of the reserves; and ‘not chronic intoxication. The toxic action of albumen has been described in an earlier paper. - BOOKS RECEIVED. The Action of Muscles, including Muscle Rest and Muscle Re-education. By Dr. "W: Pp. xvi+267.° (London: H: K. Lewis and Co., Peru Bolivia Boundary Commission, 1911-13. ports of the British Officers Ce sion, . Diplomatic Ltd. ) Re- Memoranda, and ‘the NO. 2540, VOL. 101] _Maps. of First . ideraeee Society, at 2. 30:—Special ee The heat of forma-. _The New Star in Aquila » The harmful The harm-. Aeronautical Inventions . . Food Conservation by Reduction ‘of Rations, toxicity and’ nutritive’ power of food: : C. Mackenzie. of the Peruvian ‘Commis- Boundary Zone. Edited’ for the ‘Giveditieal of ‘Pert by the Royal Geographical Society of London: Pp. xi+242. (London’:, Cambridge’ Jniversity” Printers.) British Museum (Natural History). A Map shad : the known Distribution in engine and Rib i oasis by Dr. i Son Rae Q i Macmillan and ‘Co, xlviii+ 1488. (London: 18s. net. Memoir of John Michell, Sir A. Geikie. Pp. 108. versity Press.) _ ; DIARY OF SOCIETIES. f FRIDAY, Jury 5." : ARISTOTELIAN. Society, at g.—Space—Time: Profs Assad & SATURDAY, Juty 6.) 2 Anikposmuiam SociEry, at. 10 a.m.—Symiposiist > ae and pie gh Categories Irreducible? Dr, “se 2 S, Ha _W. Thompson, Dr. Stas Mitchell, ; ¢ At 2. seid: Why is the “ “Unconscions ” Jones, 1 Dr. W. H.R. Rivers, and Dr. M. Nicoll. | SUNDAY, Juy.7 ata ARISTOTELIAN Society, at 2.30. —Syine RATE 1 Possess a Substantive or an Adjectival Mode of Bei Prof. A. S. Pringle-Pattison, Prof. G. F. St MONDAY, Jury 8 ore 7 ‘Philo, sophy.of Proclus : Prof. A. E. Taylor. : ati CONTENTS. Photography : Practical and Theoretical. Text-books of Chemistry. ByJ.B.C. . .- The Function of the Spleen, By A. EL B. er Our Bookshelf .. . ‘ Pepe is. 24 Letters to the Editor:— ~The Profits of Research. UP rof, Frederick § FE Ree: The Sugar Industry after the War. Thorpe, C.B., F.R.S. wie oe The Mineral Wealth of Gefimany. by, Prof 1 ‘Seat ao ae peeey = , Louis ,.;.. £1707 ye Anthrax and its Prevention | BS Sed puea ee Notes. ..... eas eee Our Astronomical. Column :- — A New Asteroid of the Trojan Gigap A Faint Star with Large Proper Motion The Young Moon seen asa Circle. . .. . Parallax of the Barnard Star . . 2 6 ©. . A Japanese Meteorite - 24... bow . aes, _The Meteorological Unit of Pressure.” By. R.A}: Sampson, F.RiSe 35 ))2 fees at Deep-sea Nemertines . . <— Cattle-poisoning by Water teapwe: t. 4.2 5! Prof. Francis G. Benedict. ._— University and Educational Intelligence Societies and Academies:. Z ‘Books Received 3: seri of. Societies: Y Hise tice oe “Editorial and Publishing Offices: a _. MACMILLAN AND CO.,’ Leos a ST. _MARTIN’S” ‘STREET, LONDON, | Advertisements and Biisiness letters’ to be addressed eae 598 _ Publishers. es e Be ” Raitorial i laure awe 16 the Baitor. Telegraphic: Address : Piss, Loxpvon.. ; Telephone Number': ‘GERRARD 8830: © >) 5 4 NATURE 361 "THURSDAY, JULY 11, 1918. Bee SIR WILLIAM RAMSAY. Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S. Memorials of his Life and Work, By Sir W._A. Tilden. Pp. xvit+311. (London: Macmillan and Co., ‘Ltd., 1918.) Price ros. net. I- has been said that every man has in his own history the making of at least one romance. fiction, but also a story which is both true and marvellous, this may certainly be asserted of the life-histories of many men of science. _ illustrations might be cited, if necessary, in proof of it. But it needs no proof to those who are in the least degree familiar with the personal history of science. The life-story of the subject of this memoir, as developed by Sir William Tilden, is further evidence of it. His biography of his eminent friend is one more addition to the already _ extensive literature of the romance of science. Ramsay’s relation to his epoch and his position | in the chronicles of science are established for all _ time by his share in the discovery of the’ inert _ gases of the atmosphere, and by his recognition of 43 helium as a terrestrial element. Most discoveries _are based, in greater or less degree, upon «:nte- _ cedent knowledge, and the discoveries upon which -Ramsay’s fame chiefly rests are no exception to this eral rule. Their wonderful succession tnay __ be said to take rise from Lord Rayleigh’s memor- able letter of September 29, 1892, in these columns, _ in which he first directed public attention to the difference in density between atmospheric and . factitious nitrogen, and invited chemists to offer suggestions as to the cause. _ was soon at work on the mystery. - How he came _ to associate himself with Lord Rayleigh in attempt- ing to solve it, and how, by independent steps, ‘Ramsay’s alert mind idating it, constitute not the least interesting, and certainly the most historically valuable, chap- ter in Sir William Tilden’s book. Although nearly a quarter of a century has elapsed since the British Association meeting at Oxford at which the epoch-making announcement of the _ discovery of argon was made, to be followed, a _ few months later, by the remarkable gathering in _ the theatre of the University of London in Bur- lington Gardens, at which a detailed account of the investigation was presented to the Royal Society, the memory of it all is still fresh to those now living who were fortunate enough to be pre- sent on those historic occasions. The story is again told in this book, simply and directly, and to a great extent by excerpts from Ramsay’s correspondence with his wife and with his co- worker. Indeed, it tells itself by its intrinsic interest and power, and the author, like a true artist, shows a wise restraint in not over- elaborating it. The formal announcement of the isolation of argon was followed, with an almost dramatic NO. 2541, VOL. 101] EE re eal wil If by romance is implied not merely a work of | A score of | the two investigators succeeded in completely , quickness, by Ramsay’s detection >of helium among the gases which Hillebrand had found to _ be evolved from the mineral cleveite, and to which Ramsay’s attention had been directed by Sir Henry Miers, at that time keeper of the Mineral Depart- _ ment of the British Museum. The identity of the new gas with the solar helium of Lockyer, who | first discovered it ‘spectroscopically, was estab- lished by Sir William Crookes, to whom Ramsay had sent a sample of the gas. | In June, 1898, Ramsay and Travers announced | the existence of krypton in the least volatile por- tions of liquid air, and a fortnight later they | detected the presence of another new gas, neon, | followed some little time afterwards by _ the | recognition of a third hitherto unknown substance, xenon—all of them companions of argon and resembling it in chemical inertness. They are, in- deed, as an American chemist wittily termed them, the “tramps” among the chemical elements— “useless things which never did an honest day’s work in their lives.” An examination of the lighter portions and of the residues obtained from, the less volatile fractions of about 120 tons of liquid air revealed no other new constituent of the atmosphere. It is the detection, in such rapid succession, of these extraordinary ‘substances which constitutes the element of romance in Ramsay’s career. The gases are not only remarkable in themselves : they open up an entirely new and wholly unlooked-for. development in the philosophy of chemistry. Although a.score of years have passed since their existence was made known, the mystery of their origin, past history, and functions still remains one of the unsolved riddles of the universe. This epoch-making work was all compressed within less than half a dozen strenuous years. There has been nothing like it in the history of science since Davy’s time, now more than a century ago. On Ramsay’s earlier and subsequent scientific work—mainly in inorganic and physical chemistry, for the most part done in collaboration with his demonstrators and students, to whom, like the born leader he was, he sought to impart some of his own unselfish and eager enthusiasm for investiga- tion—there is the less necessity to dilate since it is all admirably summarised in the book under review, In the space thatremains we may indicate some of Ramsay’s more obvious personal attributes. He was certainly a very complex character, and probably few outside the family circle could justly claim to know him thoroughly. Not that he was in the least degree unapproachable or retiring. On the contrary, a man of many social gifts and accomplishments, he was invariably at ease and happy in the society of his fellows and capable of strong and enduring friendships, as his biographer abundantly proves from the many letters which have been placed at his disposal. He was, more- over, an excellent conversationalist, with more of the saving grace of humour than we envious Southrons commonly attribute to the generality of | his countrymen. An admirable -raconteur, he had | almost as big a fund of good stories as his name- U 362 NATURE [Jury 11, 1918 a. sake the Dean. He shared with his friend Fitz- gerald an. Irishman’s love of the whimsical and his fondness for paradox. Imagination is an excellent quality in a man of science, but it needs to be disciplined, and it must be admitted that Ramsay's, like the Laird of Dumbiedike’s “ will- yard powny,” occasionally ran away with him. But men of his temperament are to be judged not so much by what they.say as by what they print, and although there are, no doubt, occasional lapses, there is but little in Ramsay’ s published scientific work that will not stand the test of time. It is perhaps useless to speculate on the influ- ences which led Ramsay to adopt a career in science. He himself was inclined to attribute his calling to heredity; many of his forbears for generations on his father’s side had been dyers, whilst on his mother’s side they were physicians. It must have needed some strong predisposing cause of this kind, as there was little or nothing in the circumstances of his school or college life to determine it. The teaching of chemistry was on a low plane in Glasgow in those days, and mainly as part of the medical curriculum. The University as a school of research lived on the traditions created by Thomas Thomson. Ramsay received little regular instruction in theoretical chemistry in his youth, but he learned to use his fingers tn Mr. Tatlock’s laboratory. It was only when he went to Tiibingen to study under Fittig that he gained some insight into systematic chemistry. Not that Fittig was a _ particularly inspiring teacher. At all events he seems to have exercised no permanent influence on Ramsay, for the disser- tation on toluic and nitrotoluic acids which he presented for his degree is one of his very few papers on organic chemistry. Nor was he more fortunate in his first appoint- ment as assistant in the newly created department of chemical technology in Anderson’s College, where he had few opportunities for research and none for being generally useful. On his removal to the university, as a demonstrator ‘under the late Prof. Ferguson, he had more scope, and availing -himself -of a collection of Anderson’s preparations of bone-oil products, he attacked the chemistry of the pyridine series. As in the case of other chemists who, in the past, have risen to eminence, it,thus happened that Ramsay was largely self-taught. What he became was due almost wholly to his own exertions. The habit of self-reliance thus engendered served to strengthen his independent character and to develop his mental vigour. That with such a training he should have reached the position in the world of science to which he ultimately attained is perhaps the strongest testimony that could be adduced to his innate power and capacity. On his appointment to University College, Bristol, and especially after his election to the principalship, Ramsay began to take an active part in the educational movements of the time, and he was concerned, with* others, in securing some measure of State aid for the poorly endowed and struggling provincial colleges. He held very NO. 2541, VOL. 101] strong views on university policy and on relations to original inquiry, and his contem the examination system, which a certain of the governing body in the University London seems to worship like a fetish, becar length almost an obsession, and occasion brought him into collision with colleagues who, whatever their private opinions might be, felt themselves bound in loyalty to make the best of — a system which had been deliberately sanctioned by those who were ultimately responsible. Sir William Tilden, with the aid of tay Re 1- say and of many friends, to whom he makes — graceful acknowledgment, has put together | an eminently readable book, in which he handled his material with tact and discretion. has evidently been in thorough sympathy with subject, and has thus succeeded in presenting a particularly pleasing pen-portrait of hig friend, — for which those who knew and admired Ramsay will be grateful to him. We trace in his book the lineaments of one who has shed lustre on British science, whose happy life was rich in achievements _ which will hand down his name to remotest time, : who was wholly unspoiled by success, but con-— tinued to the end to be the same generous, active- — minded man which those who knew him best knew — him to be. Fak: bieciey ARTIFICIAL SEASONING OF WOOD. The Kiln-drying of Lumber. A Practical ‘and Theoretical Treatise. By H. D. bore Pp. ix+316. (Philadelphia and London: ij. B | Lippincott Co., 1917.) Price 18s. net. 2 Slag as true technique of the artificial seasoning | of timber will depend upon a number of factors, as yet unknown, concerning the rate of passage of water in the ‘walls of the constituents in different directions and under various condi- tions of dryness, also concerning the influence of stresses and rate of drying upon the shrinkage of | the constituents and the wood itself. Our know-_ ledge of these fundamental facts is, however, in | an embryonic stage, and up to the present — only certain elementary facts bearing on these — problems have been discovered and partially — elucidated. To their discovery Mr. Tiemann has — contributed by years of research. bey: In the work under review, by reference to modern practice in kiln- -drying and by discussions — of the defects induced by inappropriate methods, — ‘conclusions are drawn as to the immediate causes of - such defects as case-hardening (in which the ex-_ ternal wood, shrinking under tension exerted by. the internal wood, acquires a permanent set), lack — of strength, brittleness, longitudinal furrowing and — collapse, and splits induced by differential shrink- age or “explosion.’?’ These phenomena at the same time serve as means of partially gauging the efficiency of the precise treatment adopted. The differences in the treatments to be adopted in con- nection with various kinds of timber are in some cases correlated with marked structural features, as in the case of the oak, but in other cases are e Jury Lt, 1918| NATURE 363 oe —age— associated with no. such anatomical peculiarities “e.g. Taxodium distichum—which opposes great | resistance to rapid depletion of water. The result of our ignorance of the basic principles in play is | that the modern technique of artificial seasoning is partly empirical. _ Timber-drying kilns in which the necessary _ regulation of the temperature, relative humidity, and movements of the air can be secured belong - to two main types. One type is the tunnel-like “progressive ’’ _ kiln, in which the timber enters at the moist end - and leaves at, the drier exit end, so that it en- counters different conditions of temperature and moisture as it is moved along the tunnel. The other main type is the ‘“compartment’’ or _“chamber’’ kiln, in which the _ timber . is Stationary; but the conditions are periodically changed. By the use of such kilns, and with the aid of wet-bulb and dry-bulb thermometers and _ humidity charts, it is possible to discover and _ standardise methods of rapid seasoning that suff- ciently conserve the desired properties of the _ timber treated, and also to vary the methods in accordance with the use to which the wood will finally be put. Mr. Tiemann gives a ‘general account of various kilns belonging fo these main “types, but devotes most of his attention to the _water-spray kiln with which his own name is _ associated. . Mr. Tiemann’s book is a happy combination of the technico-scientific with the practical. For in- stance, in dealing with the most economic . method of supplying the minimum amount of heat, a scientific discussion of the quantity of heat required is accompanied by practical in- formation as to the methods to be adopted of obtaining, distributing, and conserving the heat required. Accordingly, instructions are given as to the architecture of the kiln, the laying out of several kilns in juxtaposition, the use of exhaust _ and “live’’ and superheated steam, the distribu- _ tion and dimensions of the heating pipes, the aerating devices, and the nature, structure, and thickness of doors, walls, and roof. In conclusion, this work may be recommended not only as the sole authoritative book of its kind, but alsq as summarising the author’s extensive original scientific and practical investigations on the subject. : Gt TWO CATALOGUES OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS. (1) University of Chicago. Publications of the _ Members of the University. .1902~1916. Pp. — x+518. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press; London: Cambridge Univ. Press, n.d.) (2) The “Athenaeum” Subject Index to Periodi- cals, 1916. Science and Technology, including Hygiene and Sport. Pp. 162. (London: The Athenaeum, 1918.) Price tos. net. ; 1B deh the last twenty years there has been Mt an extraordinary increase in the annual _ output of books and papers on scientific subjects. NO» 2541, VOL. I0T| —— . In the olden time many a quiet student would be content to spend his life upon one piece of work, producing at last one opus magnum in the hope that it might remain a’ permanent addition to human knowledge. Now that schools, colleges, and universities have spread a knowledge of science abroad among the people, our men of science are no longer allowed to confine their publications to a record of their own researches, but are called upon to write text-books, articles in popular magazines, reviews, lectures, and addresses given at institu- tions, congresses, and receptions. : Knowing that all this scientific literature exists, anyone wishing to learn the present state of our knowledge on any given subject or of the theo- retical views generally ‘held upon it might well despair of ever discovering all. that has recently been written on these subjects, if he could not rely upon the labours of bibliographers and com- pilers of indexes and catalogues to aid him in his search. (1) A complete catalogue of all scientific publica- tions throughout the world would be, unfor- tunately, very bulky. Some idea of its size may be gathered from an examination of the Catalogue of ‘Publications of the Members of the Uni- versity, 19021916, published by the University of Chicago, compiled on the twenty-fifth anni- versary of the foundation of the University.’’ This catalogue is very inclusive, giving the titles of all books, articles, reviews, and theses published by members of the Chicago University during these fourteen years. The catalogue runs to. 500 pages, and is remarkable as showing how prolific in published work a single university may be. It is scarcely possible or even desirable to index the world’s scientific literature on this scale, so that in any comprehensive catalogue some means must be found by which papers .of minor im- portance may be eliminated. No doubt a counsel of perfection would be that competent critics should read everything that is published and decide in regard to each book, pamphlet, or article whether it brought to light any new facts or fresh theories. Upon this decision the inclusion of the book or paper among those to be indexed would depend. This is the method attempted by the Inter- national Catalogue of Scientific Literature. It must be confessed that the result depends very largely upon the judgment of the experts engaged upon the work. (2) An alternative method is to draw up a list of journals of acknowledged character and to confine the catalogue to papers published in these journals. When this plan is adopted it is hoped that. authors, finding that certain periodicals are always indexed by bibliographers, will gradually acquire the habit of sending any original paper they wish to publish to one of these periodicals. For the success of this plan it is necessary to publish a list of the periodicals indexed. Unfor- tunately, in the Athenaeum subject index of periodicals the high cost of composition and paper 364 NATURE a has compelled the publishers to omit, for the present, the list of periodicals cited. In the section “Science and Technology, including Hygiene and Sport,’”’ published in April as part of the Athenaeum subject index for 1916, we are told that 311 periodicals are cited. The editors state that more than 500 periodicals have been indexed in their class lists for 1915-16. The section “Science and Technology” of the “ Athenaeum Subject Index to Periodicals ” should have a wide circulation at the present time, when a knowledge of the best and most economical methods of carrying out a great variety of tech- nical processes is of such importance to the country. The Council of the Library Association is to be congratulated on having brought this index into existence, and it is to be’ hoped that it will receive such support as will enable the work to be continued. OUR BOOKSHELF. Essentials of Practical Geography. By B. C. Wallis. Pp. xv+213. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 4s. 6d. net. Tus volume, which contains a great deal of original research work, is a valuable contribution to the practical side of the science of geography. It furnishes the teacher of the subject with a representative collection of practical exercises on the essential principles usually included in a four years’ course of geography in an average secondary school. The 104 pages of part i. con- tain what may be regarded as a minimum course of practical geography. Part ii. (50 pages) is devoted to supplementary exercises which may be worked in the geography lessons or in the periods assigned to arithmetic, mathematics, physics, handwork, and drawing. The remainder of the book deals with outdoor work and advanced map- reading, revision exercises, etc. The work is skilfully planned, there being varied exercises for the beginner as well as for the advanced student. The principle of contour lines leads to isotherms, isobars, isohyets, etc. The diagrams showing isopleths for Java and Kew are particularly in- structive. The treatment of raininess is very full, several of the author’s sets of monthly raininess maps being reproduced from the Scottish Geographical Magazine and from the Monthly Weather Review of the United States Weather Bureau. The ex- ample on p. 142 shows clearly the method of ob- taining the ‘“‘raininess numbers’’; but since the actual monthly rainfall of Algiers for each month is given correct only to the nearest inch, it seems scarcely logical to calculate the theoretically evenly distributed rainfall in inches to two decimal places and to infer from the numbers so obtained that February is the rainiest of four months, each of which is credited with 4 in. of rain. If the figures for the monthly rainfall of Bombay had been given to a closer degree of accuracy, the corresponding raininess numbers given on p. 143 NO. 2541, VOL. 101] could have been made to agree with those assi to Bombay on p. 43. On p. 143 (sixth line the bottom) the word “‘quarter’’ should “third.”’ ee At the end of the book is a useful glossary, a collection of examples of subjects for debates, and a set of indexes. W. Mae 9 Practical Organic and Bio-chemistry. By R. H- AS Plimmer. New and revised edition. Pp. x+ 636. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1918.) Price 18s. net. ea THE speedy appearance of a new edition of this. work indicates that it has established itself as a trustworthy and useful aid to practical bio-— chemistry. The chief characteristics of the pre- vious edition, to which attention was directed in- Nature of January 13, 1916 (vol. xevis, ps 532), remain quite unaltered, and only slight changes in detail. have been introduced. paratively few in number, and take the form of modifications of methods of analysis and prepara- tion rendered necessary by new publications. Thus the new methods of preparation of the bile acids, [Jury It, 1918 . 7 These are com-_ due to Schryver and to Mair, and the latest method — of estimating glucose in blood (MacLean), are fully given. A new plate of absorption spectra forms the frontispiece, and includes the spectra of. chlorophyll and other leaf pigments, as well as those of the colouring matters of the blood and urine. Appropriately for the times the remarks on diet have been recast, but the few lines devoted to “‘vitamines ”’ scarcely do justice to the present — state of our information with regard to those im- portant dietary constituents. fe le A welcome addition to the new edition would have been some account of the methods employed in the estimation of the products of bacterial fer- mentation, a branch of bio-chemistry which has recently become of considerable importance, both from the scientific and the technical point of view. In particular a description of the processes pro- posed for the determination of mixtures of the t lower fatty acids would have been of great value — to many workers, although the problem has not yet been satisfactorily solved. A. HARDEN. Yorkshire Type Ammonites. Edited by S. S. Buckman. The original descriptions reprinted, and illustrated by figures of the types repro- — duced from photographs mainly by J. Tutcher. Parts ix. toxv. (London: W. Wesley — and Son, 1913-18.) Wea Price 3s. 6d. net each. y 4 3 Att students of ammonites will welcome this — latest addition to Mr. Buckman’s work. It con-_ ; tains nearly fifty excellently reproduced figures of as many different species, accompanied by the ~ original as well as detailed modern descriptions. The whole provides as good a substitute for the actual specimens as can be desired. Gis Seventeen new genera ‘are instituted, the fate of which may be left to the future. It is unfortu- nate that no guiding principle has been followed consistently in devising new names. In accordance with common practice the majority end in “‘iceras ” _ Jou II, 1918] NATURE 365 “oceras”; but Geyerina i is s left as a mystifying % ception, . which is just as likely to refer to a brachiopod as to a cephalopod. Seven are modifi- _ cations of the name of the species chosen as the “type; thus Bifericeras has biferus for its type? The remainder are not so happily devised. Euhoplo- eras has A. acanthodes for its type. Would not Acanthodiceras have conveyed practically the same meaning, (What isthe A. luridus is the type for Beaniceras. hat is the objection to Luridiceras ? * Among the morphological terms E stiaué ‘relating to homeomorphy crystallise our i knowledge of this phenomenon and will be valuable for the discussion of other groups of fossils >» but -series of terms of which “angustumbilicate ” vis a sample is more cumbersome and confusing ‘than the descriptive phrases it displaces. The use of a formula to express the relative dimensions of | the ammonite and its whorls cannot be excelled for _ conciseness | ‘and accuracy,; but the omnibus ‘terms devised’ to convey the same information have an ao range of error of 8 per cent., and their use will render ammonite literature still more | psiateiiges to the average worker. Taken as a whole, this work is a most valuable mtabution ae the science of paleontology.’ st he He: BS: ~ Naturforskeren Pehr Forsskdl. sen. Pp. 172. (Kébenhavn: H. Hagerup’s Forlag, 1918.) Price 8.00 krone=gs. Tue author of this interesting volume is well known to botanists by his valuable bibliographic work, especially his work on ferns. We have now to thank him for a welcome sketch of the naturalist of the ill-fated expedition to Arabia in 1761 to 1767, which was conducted at the expense of Frederick V. of Denmark. The volume begins with an account of the expedition and the story of the gradual reduction _ of the six members to one, Christen Niebuhr being _the only survivor. Pehr Forssk&l was a Swede, born at Helsingfors in 1732. He was _ in- scribed as a student at Upsala University, where he attended the lectures of Linnzus, but showed so strong a bent towards Oriental lan- guages that in 1753 he migrated to Géttingen, where the celebrated J. D. Michaelis was profes- sor. He was thus equipped both as naturalist and _ interpreter. The results of his labours in this capacity are well known, as they were published by Niebuhr on his return to Copenhagen, practically unaltered from the original Pp We have accounts of plants observed in he S South of France, Malta, Constantinople, Egypt, and Arabia Felix, until Forsskal’s death at Jerim-on- July 11,1763, in the thirty-second year of his age. 5 The text of the present volume is in Danish, but the Appendix of letters from the State Archives ‘is more accessible to most readers because thirty- six letters are in German and the remaining four _in French. NO. 2541, VOL. Ior] Af Carl Christen- - and been much more easily | introduced : the “habitat ’ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions erpressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications. | ‘ Weeping Forms of Elm. A REMARKABLE elm of the variety known as Ulmus serpentina, apparently about sixty years old, is now vigorously growing in a Croydon garden. It has this peculiarity, that all its permanent branches are curiously contorted and reflexed, while all the shoots from one to three years old are pendulous rods, which, with the beautiful foliage, form an exterior covering reaching to the ground... To my knowledge no pruning has been done for ; the last four years by human agency, and it is highly probable that the tree from its: beginning as a graft ‘on a stock of Ulmus montana has been allowed always | to: develop. itself without human guidance. Will someone kindly explain how this tree has been — able for many years to maintain its contorted charac- | ter, seeing that all its young shoots, year after year, | are not crooked? I may add that much dead wood of recent growth falls from the tree every winter, and I have seen that | more of the same kind remains entangled in the con- . volutions. of the upper branches. W. H. SHRUBSOLE. 15 Chatsworth Road, Croydon. WE are informed that there is an interesting re- ference by the late Prof. Meehan, of Philadelphia, to a weeping form of Ulmus americana in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., tgo1, p. 356. Like Mr. Shrubsole, however, Prof. Meehan confines himself to describing facts; he does not give any explanation of them.— Ep., ‘Nature. “HABITAT GROUPS ” IN AMERICAN MUSEUMS. R. B. W. EVERMANN, Director of the Museum of the California Academy of Sciences, gives an account, in the Scientific Monthly (New York) for January last, of some of ’ 6r ecological exhibits of mammals and birds which have recently been installed in the museum under his charge, and explains his views with regard to the educational functions of museums. With the latter part of his subject we are not at the moment concerned; but as it is pos- sible, owing to the kindness of the publishers of the Scientific Monthly, to reproduce here several of the illustrations which accompany Dr. Ever- mann’s paper, advantage may be taken of this . Opportunity to direct attention to some of the beautiful results which have been achieved in the United States in exhibiting animals in their natural surroundings. [Each illustration has had inspection of the illustrations in question is suffi- cient to induce a feeling of unqualified admiration for these efforts; and, from my own personal ex- periences in the United States, I am able to go ‘ | to- have its width cut-away by. about-an inch in | _order to bring it within the width of a page of Nature, but even with this reduction the mere 366 - NATURE (JuLy 11, 1918 further and say that the habitat groups in | structed a large exhibition hall measuring 180 ft. some of the American museums are fully deserv- | by 60 ft. This is subdivided into two galleries, ing of the high praise Dr. Evermann claims for | devoted respectively to mammals and birds. The them. . ' regulation size for a large case is,25 ft. in width, Fic, r.—San Joaquin Valley ‘ Elk” (Cervus nanxo“es). Museum of the California Academy of Sciences, The system adopted is to illustrate a particular | 12 ft. in depth, and 18 ft. in height, the plate- species of animal, or a selection of species living | glass front measuring 15 ft. by 10 ft. The mam- together in the same environment, in a case of | mal hall contains eleven of these large cases, and Fic. 2.—Steller's Sea Lion (Eumetofias steller?). Museum of the California Academy of Sciences. sufficient size to include a complete landscape, in | the bird hall possesses six, in addition to a series which the animals are seen as they actually occur | of smaller cases for exhibits on a less ambitious in the field. With this object in view, the museum | scale. of the California Academy of Sciences has con- In most museums the visibility of the objects 1s NO. 2541, VOL. IOr| JULY 11, 1918] NATURE 367 interfered with by reflections from the glass fronts | cases for the habitat groups are arranged against | of the cases. A window, or a light floor, or a| the walls and are lighted by large skylights, “while | white dress may be reflected so distinctly that | the central part of ‘the hall is provided with sky- these objects appear superposed on the exhibit, | lights of a smaller size, so calculated as to reduce Fic. 3.—Californian Desert Bird Group. - Museum 6f the California Academy of Sciences. and it is often’ difficult, or even impossible, to | the illumination ‘of objects’in the space frequented obtain a ‘satisfactory. view of the specimens in the | ‘by visitors to*an amount ‘which will give’ rise: to, case owing’ to‘this cause, particularly when the | no reflections strong enough to obscure *the ob-' Fic. 4.—black! Bear (Ursus americanus albi/vontalis), Museum of the California Academy of Sciences. ) object inspected has a black surface, which emits | jects in the exhibition cases. This is substan- so few light-rays that it is overpowered by the | tially the method which has long been in use for stronger reflections seen in, the mirror-like front | the exhibition of living animals in aquaria. Suit- of the case, To avoid these inconveniences, the | able arrangements are provided for reducing the NO. 2541, VOL. IOT | 368 _NATURE [JuLy 11, 1918 light in the central space on bright.days, and for illuminating the cases at night or on dark days. The general results of the system thus employed may be judged from the photographs here repro- duced. The animals occupy the foreground of the case, and are grouped among the “shrubs, trees, flowers, rocks and other objects such as make up a bit of the scenery which surrounds them in the .region where they are found in Nature.’’ Some of these. surroundirftgs are specimens of actual vege- tation, which has been arranged as the result of a careful study of a definite place, and the picture is completed by means of a curved, painted back- . Nestlingss Female. Fic. 5.—Kentish Plover (Aegialitis alexandrina). ground, “which connects so perfectly with the real objects in front as to make it difficult, if not im- possible, to tell where the ‘real ends and the painted begins.”’ The best artists are employed for the preparation of these backgrounds, which are so effective as to complete the illusion that a piece of actual country, with its animal population, has been transferred to the museum. Among the objects shown in the Californian museum attention may be directed to the group (Fig. 1) of the San Joaquin Valley “elk’’ (Cervus nannodes), a species which formerly occurred in vast numbers in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Valley, California. After having been reduced to NO. 2541, VOL. 101] | | female. | though it no longer breeds there. a few individuals only, the species was saved from extinction by the enlightened action of the late Henry’ Miller, who in the early ’seventies took measures for protecting the remnant of the herds, © which have since increased to such an extent that they now flourish in a dozen or more reservations — in California. In the actual exhibit several indi-~ viduals of this deer are seen’ standing or crouch-_ ing in the grass at the margin of a piece of water surrounded by small trees, with low hills in the distance. s Another group (Fig. 2) illustrates Steller’s sea — lion (Eumetopias stelleri), a species which still visits the famous seal-rocks off San Francisco, al-— _ a jee Les ¥ a ie eee ppe and pe entiinenn, lieben! at ‘Eggs. Male. British Museum (Natural History). The animals | are mounted on a ledge of rocks just emerging from the sea, which is represented with a fidelity making it appear like an actual coast-scene. ' The great difference in size of the two sexes is well brought out by the individuals selected, the adult male being at least twice as large as the adult A bird-group (Fig. 3) representing a - scene in a desert region of southern California is _ particularly effective in bringing out the general _ features of the birds frequenting this region, as well as the aspect of the desert itself. It may be inferred from the descriptive label of the exhibit that the photograph fails to do justice to what is ; , : > JULY 11, 1918] a NATURE 369 shown in the museum, since stress is laid on the magnificent colours of the birds themselves and of the flowers which blossom in the desert after the spring rains. The last case (Fig. 4) which can be noticed contains a group of black bears (Ursus americanus), represented by a rocky scene, con- taining the entrance to a den occupied by an adult and its cubs, mounted in singularly life-like atti- tudes. Without in the least seeking to take away from the American museums the credit which belongs to them for their successful representations of Nature, it may not be out of place to point out that the system adopted by them is merely the amplification of one which has for many years illustration of the nesting habits of a species of bird. The essential features of the natural history of a species are really as well brought out in the rela- tively small cases employed at the Natural History Museum as in the larger exhibits of the American museums, although they do not aim at represent- ing an entire landscape, It may readily be con- ceded that both systems have their advantages. But while the selection of a smaller case permits of the illustration of the natural history of a large number of species, it is obvious that the limit in number must soon be reached in a museum, even one of the largest size, which mounts its exhibits on the scale adopted in the American museums. Fic. 6.—Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). been in use in this country, particularly in the Natural History Branch of the British Museum. By permission of the trustees of the museum, two figures illustrating the nesting groups so familiar to visitors to the bird gallery in the museum at Seuth Kensington are here reproduced, for com- parison with the American exhibits. The group of Kentish plovers (Aegialitis alexandrina) (Fig. 5) shows adults, nestlings, and eggs among the stones where the species breeds. It requires some care to discover the nestlings (to the left of the case) or the eggs (on the right side), so closely do they resemble the stones among which they were found. The case of the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) (Fig. 6) is another very successful NO. 2541, VOL. ror] British Museum (Natural History). The question of cost is, moreover, one which cannot be ignored by any institution which is. not provided with the most ample funds, and one would like to have been informed what has been spent in the production of the beautiful exhibits described by Dr. Evermann. It is unfortunately probable that economy in administration will be imposed on museums even after the conclusion of the war. Should it be suggested that it is the duty of museums in this country to imitate the American example, it must be remembered that the expenditure of large sums of money in this way would divert funds from other purposes which might be of more pressing importance. S. F. HARMER. 370 “NATURE [Jury Ii, 1918 / .THE CEREAL BALANCE. AS the harvest year of 1917—18 approaches its . end the question of the relation between supplies and rate of consumption of bread-corn assumes increased interest and importance. Europe and North America are breaking into their last reserves of home-produced cereals of the 1917 crop. , If these prove inadequate to meet require- ments from the present time until August next, what is the world reserve available to bridge the gap between the old and the new crop? The reply is given by the International Institute of Agri- culture in a valuable analysis of supplies and requirements recently issued.!_ The analysis covers the agricultural season beginning with August, 1917, and ending with July, 1918, and is based upon returns as to production and estimated con- sumption of cereals jn all. important. countries where international trade has been. maintained, | including, therefore, all Entente~ and neutral. countries, but excluding Russia’ and Roumania.. . As regards | supplies, the relative. yields of: cereals in 1917 {northern hemisphere) and 1917-18 | (southern. hemisphere) as compared with the previous season (a), and with the average of the. three preceding seasons, . gs (b), are shown; by the Sco star summary :— se (a) Hoc per.cent. per cent Wheat 103'2 90°4 Rye 94:2 . QI7 ' . Barley. 1038 1013 SAAS Sea es). VERGO, 1106 | : Maize -... pions 1210: 113°3 In the aggregate the ‘careat cep of 1917 show} an increase of 223 million quintals over 1916, or 72 million quintals over the average of the three. years 1914-16, the iricreases being mainly due to - last summer’s abundant .crops of oats and maize inthe ;United States. Wheat alone shows. an° increase of 19 million quintals over 1916, .andia decrease of 644 million quintals as compared. with the three-year average. . To. these. supplies. the carry-over from. previous crops needs to be added, but very few countries have been able to. show any such reserves in excess..of the usual carry-over, Australia being the outstanding exception. When these estimates of supplies are compared with the estimates of requirements up. to. next harvest supplied to the institute by the various Governments, the following margins of assets over liabilities (in millions of quintals) are shown for the different crops :— Wheat 443 ‘Oats ei 623 LS aot ae aaaerr ss 2: Maize set 157 Barley 12% or a total reserve of assets beyond requirements of 279 million quintals. .The preponderance of oats and maize in this surplus is a factor to be considered. in determining its real value. The light natural weight of the oat grain interferes with transport under conditions of shortage of 1 “Statistical. Notes on the Cereals,” No Inst. Agric., 1918.) NO. 2541, VOL. 101 | 0. 7, pp» 136. (Rome: Internat. _requirements, tonnage, and consequently in many. countries the. — consumption must be limited to the home-growth, within a very small margin. The handsome sur plus of maize is the result of the very large crop of the United States, but so far it has unfortunately been. most difficult to transport owing to the risk of heating consequent on an abnormally het moisture-content. a Earlier forecasts of the situation suggested — the probability of an actual deficit of supplies, and — it is all the more welcome, therefore, to find, now that more trustworthy data are available, that so” far from this being the case the world, taken asa — whole, shas iample supplies to meee. all its” 3 The real gravity of the situation lies 3 in the fact that the large reserves are in a few countries, such as Australia, Argentina, British India, and North ‘America, while there is a large deficiency — in. j i Europe. Transportation is notoriously surrounded with .difficulties owing to the scarcity of tonna en and the enormous rise in rates of ocean freight. The cost of carrying, a quarter of wheat from Argentina to Great Britain is twenty times what it was before the war, and other freights have a advanced in like manner. . It is clear, therefore, that the disclosure of. a. | substantial - world reserve of cereals. in no. way ‘diminishes the need for the utmost effort toe c enk cereal | production and to economise in- consumption, in the countries where a defici« exists and in countries nearest to- them. - The. greater. the success of. this effort the more effective will the world reserve be in augmenting ‘supplies and reducing prices in. the future when a greatly increased tonnage: becomes ea Lidalay able for the gra trade. . DR," Gis Re GILBERT. Qe"; May ‘1:a*very-notable figure passed away . from the ;fiéld of geological discovery and research. Dr. Grove Karl Gilbert was born in Rochester, N.Y., .in 1843, and had thus almost _ completed his seventy-fifth year. In-his_ “Report ‘- on the Geology of the.Henry Mountains,’’ issued by the-U.S. Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain region ‘in’ 1877, _ he de- veloped. the theory of the . expansion of intrusive igneous sheets into the great cauldron-like masses a that he conveniently styled “laccolites’’ (stone cisterns), and the rapid recognition of laccolites _ throughout the world bore witness to the cogency of his exposition. From 1879 onwards he was at- — tached to the staff of the U.S. Geological Survey, — and it is not too much to say that his reports helped considerably to direct general scientific attention to the earlier publications of that body. His “Con-_ tributions to the History of Lake Bonneville ”’ in 1882, and his monograph on “Lake Bonneville ”’ ‘in 1890, became classics for the treatment of van- ished lakes in other areas, and also raised import- ant questions as to crustal yielding under load. An excellent example of Dr. Gilbert’s approach to difficult problems may be found in his study of y | Jury 11, 1918] + NATURE 371 / 7 the origin of the features of “The Moon’s Face,” in a presidential address to the Philosophical Society of Washington in 1892. In 1890 he had described the history of the Niagara River for the Commis- ‘sioners of the State Reservation, and in 1907, when schemes for utilising the water-power of ‘the falls threatened the normal continuation of their erosive action, he reported on their rate of re- _ cession both on the Canadian and on the American side. Almost simultaneously his unfailing judg- ment was called on to investigate the disastrous earthquake of 1906 at San Francisco. Among his later work may be cited an experimental study on ‘river-transport (U.S. Geol. Surv., Professional Paper 86, 1914). Dr. Gilbert was a man of strong build and fine presence, equally considerate to his colleagues and to the younger workers whom his methods and personality inspired. Those who were privileged to meet him in various lands will readily acknow- ledge that he was and remains one of those who have well deserved the title “great.” . GRENVILLE A. J. Cote. NOTES. THE report of. the council of the British Association was received and adopted at the statutory meeting of the eral committee held on Friday last, July 5. Much disappointment was expressed that no ordinary meeting had been held for the second year in suc- cession, and a resolution was adopted unanimously asking the council to arrange for a meeting in London next year if it should not be possible to meet at Bournemouth. It was left to the council to decide whether the meeting should be of the usual kind, with the various sections of the Association in session, or should take the form of a conference at which some of the national aspects of, scientific work would be presented. We urged the desirability of a London meeting several months ago, and are glad, therefore, ‘that the general committee has expressed itself so decidedly in favour of it. . Sim Epwarp Scnarer, professor of physiology in -the University of Edinburgh, wishes it to be known ‘that he is adopting the name of Sharpey before the, surname of Schafer. WE regret to see the announcement of the death, on June 20, at sixty-five years of age, of Prof. Alfred Senier, professor of chemistry and lecturer in medical jurisprudence and hygiene in University College, Galway. Pror. J. N. LanGey, professor of physiology in the University of Cambridge; Sir EF. W. Dyson, Astronomer Royal; Prof. Horace Lamb, professor of mathematics in the University of Manchester; and Sir E. Rutherford, Langworthy professor of physics in the University of Manchester, have been elected foreign members of the Reale Accademia dei Lincei, Rome. WE regret to record the death on June 24 of Prof. F. P. Treadwell, professor of analytical chemistry at the Polytechnic Institute, Zurich. Prof. Treadwell was a native of the United States, where he was born in 1857. He came early to Europe, and entered the University of Heidelberg in 1875, graduating three years later. For some time he acted as lecture as- sistant to Bunsen, and then proceeded to Zurich, where NO. 2541, VOL. 107] he served in a similar capacity under Victor Meyer. Eventually, in 1894, he received the appointment to a professorship, which he retained until his death. Dur- ing his long stay of more than thirty years at Zurich Prof. Treadwell became a well-known and respected figure in the town. His name is familiar in this country and abroad by reason of his two-volume treatise on analytical chemistry, of which eight editions have appeared. That he retained an active interest in the branch of! chemistry to which he had devoted himself is shown by the fact that not long ago, with a collaborator, he worked out a new method for estimating thiocyanic acid and hydrogen sulphide iodometrically. AmonG the points discussed by Lord Moulton in his -presidential address to the Institute of Gas Engineers on June 4 was the question of replacing the existing statutory illumination standards for coal-gas_ by standards based upon calorific value. With the use of the incandescent mantle now almost universal, it has become immaterial whether gas possesses illumin- ating power or not. The effect of the mantle depends on the calorific value of the gas, not on its light- giving properties. Provided that the gas will give out the requisite heat to raise the mantle to its proper. degree of incandescence, the illumination obtained is from six to eight times that given by gas of statutory quality when used without the mantle. The illumin- ating properties, moreover, are conferred upon gas by the heavy hydrocarbons (olefines and benzene), which could be better used in other ways—partly as fuels, partly as a source of the important hydrocarbons which yield us our dyes, explosives, and other chemical products. That a large portion of these valuable sub-. stances should be sacrificed in imparting to coal-gas a property which has ceased to be of value is a loss to the community which should not be’ allowed to continue. AT a symposium of the Zoological Society of America . two addresses (reported in Science, May 17, pp. 473- 81) were delivered on the value of zoology. In one of these Prof. M. F. Guyer, of Wisconsin University, deals with the utilitarian value, shrewdly premising (1) that widening the intellectual horizon and. casting ‘out the twin devils of superstition and ignorance aré. more useful gains than those which make for material well-being; and (2) that nowhere outside zoology ‘““are there greater opportunities for developing that questioning, impartial, problem-solving attitude of mind which must obtain, if truth and sanity are to: rule the world.’’ He then proceeds to give vivid illustrations of the contributions zoology has made to. the problems of health and disease, agriculture and animal husbandry, the conservation of natural re- sources, the utilisation of fisheries, and human eugenics. The other address, by Prof. H. B. Torrey, of Reed College, deals with the value of zoological science to the individual—the mythical average man—as organ- ism, as citizen, and as personality. He justly sets great store on the educative value of getting, or trying to get, a clear view of distinctively biological concepts, such as organism, growth, development, behaviour, adaptability, evolution. These are all vivid, dynamic conceptions, the lack of which has often been a handi- cap, even to minds of the first rank. He indicates that amelioration of human life must have a scientific foundation (though other than cognitive factors may also be fundamental), and that zoology includes a vast realm of important facts bearing on or directly touch- ing this complex life of ours. On another tack he points out that zoology is rapidly progressive, with problems for all comers to work at, a wholesome stimulation to all intellectual combatants. In_ bio- 43 37? ‘NATURE [JuLty 11, 1918 logical science, in part because of its youthfulness, there are great possibilities of a return to “‘a whole- some apprenticeship as in the days when students were the assistants of their masters, shared their hopes and ambitions, and felt the stimulus of their creative activity.’”’ There is here the touch of ‘‘ The Third Floor Back’’—for students as well as for - teachers. ‘ In the Bankfield Museum Notes, second series, No. 10, Mr. H. Ling Roth continues his studies in primitive looms by an account of those of Indonesia. The loom of this region belongs to the Pacific type, of which the most important are the American and the Ainu. Taking the area in a wide sense, there appear to be three forms of loom in Indonesia—the Dusun and Iban (Sea Dayak) looms, the Ilanun and Igorob transition loom, and the Cambodia and Malay loom. Of these the Dusun and Iban loom is the most primi- tive, consisting of a warp beam attached to. two up- right posts, a breast beam attached to a back strap, several laze rods, a shed stick, one ‘‘single’’ heddle, a beater-in, a temple, and a spool. The warp is con- tinuous, and the weaver sits on the floor. The mono- graph is, as with others in the series, provided with several excellent illustrations from drawings. In a-paper republished from the Proceedings of the British Academy (vol. viii.) under the title of ‘‘ Cosmic Law in Ancient Thought,’’ Prof. T. W. Rhys-Davids discusses the question of animism as defined by the late Sir E. Tylor. This is merely another name for the soul-theory, but it was a great advance to replace the ambiguous expression ‘‘soul”’ by a new scientific word which could be used in a definite sense. | There is, however, a group of facts ‘which cannot be included in this definition—those behind which is a single under- lying principle, the belief in a certain rule, order, or law. Thus, among the Chinese, the fact of a boy having a hare-lip- was explained to Prof, de Groot as resulting from the child’s mother having during her pregnancy accidentally made a cut in an old coat of the father’s she was mending. This is a definite law of causation, however absurd it may appear. For cases of this kind ‘Prof. Rhys-Davids proposes the term ‘ normalism,” which is convenient, and will probably be included in _ the nomenclature of comparative religion. Mr. WaIno PEKKOLA, who during the last four years has been engaged in the study of the fish fauna of the Nile, publishes in Sudan Notes and Records, No. 2, April, 1918, a report on the ‘‘ Seasonal Occurrence and Edibility of Fish at Khartoum.’ At present nearly 200 species are known to exist in the Nile system, but only a small number of these occur in the rivers near Khartoum, and still fewer are constantly present throughout the year. The most abundant are the Siluridz or cat-fishes, of which the commonest is Synodontis, Schall. Almost as abundantly represented is the family Mormyridz, all the members of which are African fish. Of the Cyprinidz there are four species of Labeo. Of the Cichlidz Tilapia nilotica has a wide ‘ distribution from the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan all over the Nile system. The salting of fish is at present carried out only to a small extent in the Sudan, ‘but many of, the small species of the genera Barbus and Alestes would be valuable as food if salted ‘in a proper manner. Tue British Museum (Natural History) has just issued the report on the Arachnida collected during the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910. The few speci- mens collected were obtained during the voyage out, from a rocky island off South Trinidad, and on the return journey from New Zealand. Mr. H. R, Hogg, NO. 2541, VOL. I0T] to whom the specimens were submitted, remarks that, — unfortunately, nearly one-half of the South Trinidad — specimens have not reached maturity. This renders ~ their determination uncertain, and consequently pre- — cludes any clear indication of the source from which — the fauna had its origin. The island is situated in ~ the belt traversed by the south-east trade winds, and — | the families represented are mostly those the members — of which are carried long distances by the wind. Two — new species were included in this collection.- © Two papers of considerable interest to ornitholo- — gists appear in the American Museum Journal for — April. In the first of these Messrs. Herbert Lang and — James P. Chapin describe the nesting habits of the — African hornbills. While confirming much that has already been recorded on this theme, the authors have — been enabled to add further details as to the extra- — ordinary nesting habits of these birds. The most strik- — ing of these is contained in ‘their assurance that the incarcerated female adds to the thickness of the mud wall used to diminish the entrance to the nesting hole by plastering the inner walls with excrement, contain- ing the chitinous parts of insects.and the seeds of forest trees. They also show that the female does not undergo a complete moult during her imprisonment, though this has been generally supposed to be the case. In the second paper Mr. Edward Forbush describes the courtship dances of the heath~ hen (Tympanuchus cupida). The curious sounds emitted by the bird during the display cannot be satisfactorily accounted for, but they are evidently due, in part at any rate, to the inflation of the cervical air-sacs, since ‘no sound is emitted when these are punctured. Some remarkable photographs add considerably to the value of this very careful record. BP a ce Tue British Museum (Natural History) has recently issued the fifth report on Cetacea stranded on the British coasts. The report, compiled by Dr. S. F. Harmer, keeper of the department of zoology, records the whales stranded during 1917. The most interesting” specimens were a white-sided whale, from Lincoln-- shire, believed to be the first specimen recorded from the English coast; a large sperm whale from Caith- ness; a Cuvier’s whale (Ziphius cavirostris) from Co. Clare; and a Risso’s Grampus from the south coast. of Devon. Examples of the bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon rostratus) were recorded from Caithness, from: Cork, and from Dorset, and Dr. Harmer dis- © cusses in some detail the occurrence of this whale on the British coasts, which generally takes place during late summer and autumn, the specimens being usually adult females .accompanied by a calf.. Most of the records have been obtained from information provided by the coastguards, but it is hoped that amateur naturalists will take an interest in this question and see that information as to any Cetacea stranded on the coast is sent to the Natural History Museum. The interesting record of Risso’s Grampus on the Devonshire coast would have been lost but for the vigilance and careful examination of Mr. F. Beynon, of Torquay. fe ah a WE have recently received the first number of a new periodical, the South African Journal of Natural History, which is the official organ of the South African Biological Society. This society was formed in the latter part of 1916, and with it were amalga-. mated the South African Ornithologists’ Union and the Transvaal Biological Society, with the object of — making a strong body to advance the study of bio- logical questions in the Union of South Africa. The South African Ornithologists’ Union was started in 1904, and has issued twenty-two numbers of its rope | palais ij oe r _ JuLy 11, 1918] NATURE 373 - — journal, which contain much valuable information in _ regard to the avifauna of South Africa; the Transvaal Biological Society, which was founded in 1907, has held a number of meetings in Pretoria, to which many pers and demonstrations have been submitted, but it has not issued any publication of its own. The new journal,. which is edited by Messrs. A. K. Haagner, I. B. Pole Evans, and Claude Fuller, con- tains a number of useful papers, chiefly on ornitho- logical and entomological subjects. Lieut. G. C. Finch- Davies writes on the birds of the districts of Okan- jande and Outjo, in the South-West African Protec- torate, formerly German South-West Africa; a region much ieglectes, since the days of C. J. Andersson and F. Eriksson, who collected in the sixties and seventies of the last century. Other bird papers are contributed Messrs. C. F. M. Swynnerton and R. Godfrey. Mr. Haagner describes a new baboon (Choiropithecus ehidanings based on an animal living in the Zoo- logical Gardens at Pretoria, and illustrated by a photo- graph—a rather hazardous proceeding, perhaps, while the animal is still alive. Among the entomological papers are one by Mr. R. W. Jack on the larve of some Rhodesian Tenebiionidw, and one by Mr. C. N. Barker, in which attempts are made to explain some irregularities in the phenomenon of seasonal dimorphism among butterflies. Altogether the part, which consists of 122 pages of well-printed text, is a welcome addition to the list of zoological publications, and, we hope, will continue to appear and to maintain the high standard it has set itself. In view of the increasing restrictions upon the im- pertation of wheat, the Department of Agriculture for rinidad and Tobago has issued a leaflet entitled ‘‘ Our Local Foods and How to Use Them,” which urges economy in the use of wheat-flour and the more ex- tensive use of native plants—sweet potatoes, yams, cassavas, dasheens, and others—as human food. The leaflet embodies many of the recommendations of the British Guiana Flour Substitutes Committee, which was. inted in 1917 to investigate the possibility of procuring locally grown products as substitutes for wheat-flour. The report of this Committee, -which was published in the Bulletin of the Department of ~ Agriculture for Trinidad and Tobago (vol. xvi., part 2), states that the products of tropical origin which most nearly approach wheat-flour in food value are rice, guinea-corn, and maize, but it is not possible to make bread of these alone; they can be employed only in the preparation of cakes. On the other hand, these products, and, in addition, cassavas, sweet potatoes, and tannias, are useful adjuncts to imported flour, and by their general use in bread-making it was cal- culated that the amount of wheat-flour imported in 1916-17 might be reduced to half in 1918. The economical feeding of stock is also strongly urged by the Department of Agriculture, as in 1914 oats and cattle-food to the value of 70,o00l. were imported. As a substitute for oats, farmers are recommended to grind unshelled corn and to supplement it with locally grown peas and beans, as this practice should reduce the imported cattle-fodder to about one-fifth of its present amount. The high price of food has largely _ increased the area of land under cultivation in Trinidad, and the Government has recently offered rice lands at a nominal rental, so that the colony should become in the future largely self-supporting. A SEVERE earthquake, of which very few details have as yet reached this country, occurred at about 6 a.m. (G.M.T.) on February 13 in Swatow, on the southern coast of China, by which several hundred persons were killed and more than a thousand injured. An account of the earthquake, written for the most NO. 2541, VOL. 101] | part in Japanese, is given by Mr. K. Hasegawa in'a recent issue (March, 1918) of the Journal of. the Meteorological Society of Japan. The position of the. epicentre, as determined from records obtained in . Japanese observatories, is in lat. 24° N., long. 116° E. Tuat the duration,of the preliminary tremor of. an earthquake varies with the distance of- the epicentre has long been known, though, for earthquakes with neighbouring origins, no simple formula has been devised for estimating the distance of the epicentre from the duration of the tremor. From a discussion of forty-one recent earthquakes in Japan, Prof. Omori shows (Bulletin of the Imperial Earthquake Investiga- tion Committee, vol. ix., 1918, pp. 33-39), that; when the distance does not greatly exceed 1000 kilometres, the distance of the epicentre in kilometres is very nearly 7-42 times the number of seconds in the dura- tion of the preliminary tremor. The only exception within the limit mentioned is-that if the duration is less than one second the coefficient should be 6-0. Mr. J. B. Tyrrett (Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada, vol. xi., Pp. 39, 1917) concludes that the’ deep vegetable deposits known as ‘muck,’ resting on permanently frozen gravels in the Klondike district, began to accumulate at the very opening of the Glacial epoch. The supply of gravel through river action was then cut off, and conditions were established which have lasted down to the present day. The permanently frozen substratum furnished an impervious founda- tion, on which sufficient water gathered in spring to allow of the growth of Sphagnum and Hypnum, while the streams from the hill-slopes washed down into the flats representatives of the forest flora of the district. Mr. P. W. Sruart-MonteatH (Comptes rendus,. January 7, 1918) gives reasons for assigning a_ Cretaceous age to a large extent of limestone, once. regarded as Carboniferous, in the ‘‘ Détroit de la Navarre,” a transverse band of sediments separating the Pyrenees from the Basque ranges. He concludes. that a great series of intrusive ophites and lherzolites. is responsible for the local silicification of various. rocks, and that the intrusions are posterior to the Hippurite-limestone and to an overlying conglomerate. The conglomerate contains blocks of ophite, which are ‘interestingly regarded as due to volcanic explosions prior to the veins that were finally injected in the mass from the same subterranean cauldron. ALTHOUGH a number of weakly magnetic minerals: such as zinc-blende are known to be attracted by strong magnetic fields, but little is known as to the degree of magnetisation obtainable. Three investiga. - tors describe in Metall und Erz for January 8 a method of measuring the susceptibility of such minerals. Zinc-blendes of different varieties were found to have widely varying susceptibilities, some being below 1o-* and some as high as 500~x 107°. In the Revue générale de l’Electricité for May 18 methods are described to enable electric generating stations to transmit signals over their systems. These. signals could be used for such purposes as tirne-. signals, synchronising clocks, or giving any other pre-. arranged signal, such as air-raid warnings, etc. The. signals consist of a series of periodic variations of voltage, the magnitude being small compared with the line voltage. At the present time, when oils and grease are of so much importance economically and industrially, a writer in La Nature for April 27 describes a new process, invented by an Italian (Prof. Lotrionte), that has proved most successful in exterminating the olive- Verschaffelt . mentally that the oscillations require at least three 374 Ay, which vnddaaté demtrovel mbdut 80 per cent. of the crop. Small wooden boxes are fastened to the tree, _and beneath the cover of each box is fixed a bunch of straw. The straw is spread with an insecticide, of which the formula is given. The result has been to reduce the losses to 10 per cent. For the past few years Swedish seaweed has been coveted by the Germans, who, by chemical treatment, made it into fodder, and also extracted valuable chemical products from it. A number of experiments have been made at Stockholm, according to the Svenska Dagbladet for May 12, and it has been found that by dry distillation of 1 kg. of dried seaweed the following substances. can be extracted :—30 to 32 litres of illuminating gas, 43 per cent. of carbon, 45 per cent. of distillates (acetic acid, methylated spirit, formic acid, acetone, etc.), 14 per cent. of salt (sodium’ sulphate, potassium sulphate, potassium chloride), also iodine, bromine, a very aromatic tar product, and carbolic tar (creosote ?), an excellent preservative of timber. A factory is about to be started by the Focus Co. to take up the conversion of seaweed on a large scale. WHEN a sphere or other solid symmetrical about an axis performs torsional oscillations about that axis in a viscous liquid it is found that the logarithmic decre-. ment of the oscillation is not constant until the oscil- lation has died down to less than o-o1 radian, and becomes difficult to measure with the necessary accuracy. Determinations of the viscosity of the _ liquid from the value of the decrement on the assump- tion that the oscillations died away according to the simple exponential law have generally given too high results. In Communications from the Physical Laboratory of the University of Leyden, No. 151, Dr. shows both theoretically and experi- terms of the form e-"kt, where e is 2-718, t is the time, n has the values 1, 3, 55 ete., and k is a complex quantity involving the viscosity of the liquid. With this theory as a basis he is’ able to show that the viscosity of liquid hydrogen at 20° Absolute is 0-oo011— that is, about one-hundredth part ed that of water at 15° Up to ten years ago our knowledge of the distribu- tion of the electric potential in a vacuum tube through _ which a discharge was passing was derived from ob- servations with an exploring electrode, but in 1909 Sir Joseph Thomson introduced the more trustworthy method of determining the electric field in a tube by discharging cathode rays across it and measuring the deflection of the rays produced by the field. Using this method, Aston in 1910. found the field in the cathode dark space proportional to the distance from the edge of the negative glow, while Harris in 1915 found it increased much more rapidly as_ the cathode was approached. Messrs. T. Takamine and U. Yoshida, in the October issue of the Science Memoirs of Kyoto University, give the results of their measurements of the field in narrow tubes’ by the widening or separation of spectral lines photographed across the field, a method due to Lo Surdo. They find that the field at a point distant d from the end of the dark space exceeds the field at the end by a quantity proportional to d?. The curves given in the paper show that this law is a close approximation to the facts. THE May issue of the Lyonian (the magazine of the Lower School of John Lyon, Harrow) contains the report of a lecture on ‘‘ Chemical Change’ delivered by Mr. O. A. Le Beau at a meeting of the school scientific society. NO. 2541, VOL. 101 | NATURE _ The lecturer commenced by pointing | [Jory 11, “1918 out that eainical change is of universal and ‘never- ending occurrence, physical change. The five different types of chemical change, direct union, decomposition, polymerisation, single replacement. and double replacement, were defined, and so far as possible illustrated by experi- ment, chemical change. nitrogen" was illustrated by a_ repetition of Prof. Strutt’s original experiment. We think it com- mendable -that the school possesses a science master who evidently keeps abreast of modern research, and that such a lecture, involving much work in its pre- paration, should be so enthusiastically received. - c ‘ We have received a reprint from the: Journal. of the West of Scotland Iron and .Steel Institute of a recently read by Dr: Desch on * Attempted Improve- ments in the Puddling Process.’’ As Dr: Desch points. out; the process of manufacturing malleable iron by: means of puddling, invented by Henry Cort in 1784,° has undergone surprisingly little alteration in. the course of its history. It is still performed in units of small size owing to the fact that manual labour is’ employed for the manipulation of the metal, and the quantity dealt: with cannot exceed that ‘which a. man can handle without the aid of machinery. Certain: details of Cort’s original process have been modified, and have produced an important. effect on the develop- ment and manufacture, but the principle has remained unchanged. The present report does not deal with such improvements as those which have led to the — puddling furnace of the present day, but is an attempt to collect information concerning proposals which have. aimed at altering the character of the process, either’ by lessening the manual labour involved or in- | creasing the thermal efficiency of the furnace. Few of these suggested improvements, however, have been adopted permanently even on a limited scale, and the type.of furnace in universal use differs less from that used at the beginning of the nineteenth century than. Un- from most of the proposed substitutes for it. doubtedly the most important ‘of these modifications — was the Danks furnace, which was a practical suc- - cess, and its failure to maintain its ground was due, not to any inherent defects, but chiefly to the abandon- ment of iron-making in favour of steel by those firms which had formerly shown the greatest interest in the problem, and had come nearest to solving it. Desch’s paper is an interesting summary of ithe sub- ject, and should be of great service. ‘THE assistance which America is rendering to the Allies in the matter of shipbuilding is illustrated by articles in the Engineer and Engineering for June 28, descriptive of the world’s largest shipyard at Hog Island, on the Delaware. The land on which this shipyard stands was virgin on September 20, 19175 the twenty-first slipway is now in use, and twenty- nine other slipways are in course of construction. A shipyard capable of having fifty ships on the stocks at one time was a thing quite ‘undreamt-of until last year, and suggested the visions of Jules Verne rather than the plans ot sane business men. in.a fair way of accomplishment, and the estimate may be accepted of fifty ships being built simul- taneously, while twenty-eight others are being fitted out at seven piers each of a length of 1000 ft. day, either of a 7500-ton cargo ship or of an 8000-ton combined troop and cargo boat. 846 acres, and extends over two miles of river front. The various parts of the vessels are being “ fabri. and then differentiated it from — The phenomenon of catalytic action was shown > experimentally, and also the action of light upon Such a recent development of the — action of electricity as the production of ‘active Dr. | TGP Phil a tet cn Yet it is now. When | that stage is reached there will be a launch every other The site covers — P a hy & 5 ;: _ Jury 11, 1918] NATURE 375 = cated*’ all over the States at 3500 different works, some of them so remote that the average journey takes | as many as twenty days. Within five months of commencing operations 26,000 men were employed on the construction of the vard. The site is well inland, away from possible enemy attack. of OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. Tue New Star in Aguita.—Further particulars of the observatioh of Nova Aquilz by Prof. Laskovski at Geneva on June 7 have been given in Circular No. 25 of the Marseilles Observatory. The star was observed at 9.45 p.m. mid-European time, and was described as Dae white, and of a brightness greater / | | THe New System or Time at Sea.—Mr. F. Jacob suggests the term ‘‘Intermeridian Time” for the new system, with the abbreviation I.M.T., so that 4h. 7m. 1.M.(+3)T. would be equivalent to 7h. 7m. subject. G.M.T. The suggestion has met with favourable consideration from the Admiralty Committee on the The term ‘‘ Intermeridian ” is unobjectionable _ for denoting the regions that keep the same time, but than that of @ Ophiuchi (mag. 2-1), but less than that. of Altair (0-9). This would appear to be the earliest ' observation so far reported. Subsequent observations -in brightness to mag. 3-5 on July r. 4 star was brighter than Vega on June 9, and had dwindled to about 2nd magnitude by June 18. It is added that the region was under observation by M. Dumastberay at Nyon on Junie 3 and 4, and that nothing abnormal — the various scientific societies in Great Britain, show There ss pe ees slight Rp catserne ye ' the part they were playing in the adult education of the was then note brightness of the nova at the beginning of the present month. Mr. Denning found that after reaching mag. 3-75 on June 29 there was a decided increase : r With possibly slight variations the star remained at about this brightness up to July 8. The check in the decline of _the nova occurred at about the same interval after maximum as in the case of Nova Persei, and it will be interesting to see if Nova Aquilz will now similarly assume the characteristics of a variable star. The bright lines of hydrogen have continued to dominate the visible spectrum, and no striking changes in detail were noted by Prof. Fowler between June 29 and July 8 except that the reversal of the hydrogen lines was no longer clearly visible. The band in the blue near he hy remained a conspicuous feature during this period, and was possibly increasing in relative bright- ness. The relative brightness of the line 502, how- ever, did not appear to have notably increased. Photographs of the spectrum obtained by the Rev. T. E. R. Phillips have shown remarkable changes in the structure a the bright bands of hydrogen. On June 13 and 15 the bands had a bright central stripe, with bright companion lines on both sides; on June 22 they were single, but broad; on June 26, 27, and 29 they were double, as if centrally reversed, and the less refrangible components were the brighter; and on July 2 they were again single, but broad. The band about A 464 appeared as early as June 13, and has continued to brighten; it passed through changes | Chartes Bathurst and many of the delegates taking | part in the discussion. of structure similar to those exhibited by the hydrogen bands. A new bright band appeared on July 4 on the ‘more refrangible edge of a broad, dark space on the violet side of Hy. EPHEMERIS OF WOLF’s PERIODIC Comet,—Attempts to find this comet have hitherto been unsuccessful, agree with those made elsewhere in showing that the | seers Shursday, July 4. its length will probably hinder its general adoption for this purpose. , CONFERENCE OF CORRESPONDING “SOCIETIES OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. HE annual conference of Delegates of Corre- sponding Societies of the British Association was held in the Geological Society’s rooms, Burlington At the morning session Dr. F. A. Bather gave his presidential address en- titled **The Contribution of Local Societies to Adult Education.”” In this Dr. Bather endeavoured to sum- marise the membership and estimate the strength of country, and make suggestions for the further useful- ness of these societies. His statistics had been diffi- cult to compile and were admittedly incomplete, but it was demonstrated that while some centres were well provided for in the way of natural history and allied science societies, there were many large areas which | appeared not to be served by any societies of the kind. Discussion was invited, which lasted for the remainder of the morning. The general feeling was that, desir- able as it is that everything should be done to increase the popularity and work of our scientific societies, the present time was inopportune, seeing that so many of the young and vigorous men were occupied with more important duties. In his reply to the discussion the. president attached particular importance to the remarks made by the delegate from Hull, in reference to the excellent work being accomplished in Yorkshire, where there are far more important societies than in any other county. It was pointed out that, notwithstand- ing the elaborate and systematic instruction in Nature- study in the schools, and the formation of Nature-study societies for teachers, the result -was unquestionably that there was less apparent interest taken in natural history by young men and women after leaving school, and even before the war the membership of the socie- ties had shown an apvarent decrease. The conference decided to endeavour to prepare a list of all the scientific societies in the country. At the afternoon session Mr. Martin C. Duchesne read an admirable paper on ‘Afforestation,’ Sir The lecturer dealt at length with the urgent question of the increase of our home forests, and made many excellent suggestions towards the accomplishment of this. It was felt that the dele- gates could get the societies they represented to use | their influence to further the growth of timber through- but as its distance from the sun and earth is steadily | diminishing, the comet is likely to be found before long. The following ephemeris is from Mr. Kamen- sky’s elements :— “G.M.T. : R.A. N. Decl Log r Log 4 m. §, - ‘ July 12-46 20 32 52 24 50 0-3368 0:1376 2464 2026 3 492628 03217. o-1017 Aug. 5:49 20 17 1 26. 45 0°3073 00724 > 17-01 20 8 27 25 50 0:2936 0:0499 28:17 20 227 23 §2 0:2803 0:0338 NO. 2541, VOL. 101] out the country, and one practical proposition was. made, namely, to form an Arbor Day throughout the country. Such a suggestion, made on July 4, was also complimentary to our American friends, who have had an Arbor Day for many years. A short note from Mr- P. Westall, who was not present, was read, the ‘gist of which seemed to be that some authority should make grants to local museums, but how and by whom these grants should be made the author did not seem to know, and the delegates did not appear to be able to help him. On behalf of Mr. B. B. Woodward a . “typomap” of the British Isles was exhibited, upon 376 NATURE [Jury EI, 1918 which naturalists may record the distribution of species. This will probably be circulated among the various societies. More than one member commented on.the fact that this year, when the necessity for directing attention to the national value of science seemed so great, the British Association for the advancement of science had decided to have no general meeting. THE FUTURE OF THE ENGINEERING TRADES. TA Report of the Departmental Committee ap- pointed by the Board of Trade to consider the position of the engineering trades after the war has recently been issued (Cd. 9073, price 6d. net). The report relates to one of the largest and most important of the national activities. It is chiefly concerned with fiscal, commercial, and labour ques- tions. The Committee estimates the annual net value of the output of the engineering trades, excluding the cost of materials, at 84,000,000l., at 144,000,000l. ~ The Committee remarks on the smallness of many | individual firms, in consequence of which they manu- | facture at a cost which could be greatly reduced if they were on a larger scale, well planned and well equipped ; also, that adequate departments for research are necessary, but that small firms cannot bear their cost. The Committee regrets the spirit of exclusive- ness which has marked the engineering trade, each manufacturer keeping his own secrets and desiring to retain the knowledge of any special processes and methods for himself. It is urged that standardisation must be extended. For instance, locomotive manufacturers exist almost entirely on foreign trade, the great railways construct- ing those they require. But, except in the case of India, locomotives are not standardised, and British engineers employed by foreign railways require modi- fications of their own. German and American manu- facturers build to stock with economy of drawings, patterns, templates, etc. The case of imports of watches is curious. The average value of imported watches from Switzerland is 6s. each, and the total value more than a million pounds. The British manu- facturer does not seem prepared to supply a good, cheap watch. — The Committee decides against the compulsory adop- tion of the metric system on the grounds that the expense would be great, and that any change should be effected after agreement with the Dominions and the United States. But it recommends that sub- divisions of the inch should be decimalised, and the hundredweight and ton replaced by the cental and short ton. The recommendation that school education between the ages of fifteen and seventeen should be confined to selected boys does not go so far as Mr. Fisher’s Educa- tion Bill. As to higher education, the views of the Committee are more advanced. But it is pointed out that the monetary results which can be achieved by a graduate of the technical or scientific side of a uni- versity are incommensurate with the expense incurred, and that the rewards for higher technical education are still far too small. As to the much-discussed question of dumping, the Committee expresses a decided view. It thinks that all necessary steps should be taken to prevent dump- ing wherever practised, and refers with approval to the legislation in the United States and Canada. An account is given of the German system of cartels, under which a manufacturer is able to maintain a reasonable output in bad times, and in- the case of articles for export receives a rebate in price on raw NO. 2541, VOL. Ior| \ and the real value | and semi-manufactured materials. Also, in Germany _ | there are reduced railway rates on goods for export. — It is urged that the Government should. supervise, — | encourage, and assist the development of the supply — | of raw materials within the Empire. -On the other _ _hand, it is suggested that Government control of in- war; also that labour must withdraw all restriction _of output and hampering definitions of skilled work. of trade available in this country as imperfect. a GENETICS AND EVOLUTION, ~~ THE problems connected with genetics and * spécies- making ”’ continue to attract the attention, both in the United Kingdom and in America, of many bio- logists, whose papers should not be neglected by students of heredity and evolution. In the American Naturalist fot October last (vol. li., No. 610) Dr. R. R. Gates discusses the mutation theory and the species concept. With the help of many illustrative examples he tries _ to show that “ there are two distinct types of variability having different geographical relations.’’ The discon- tinuous type, “independent of environmental or func- _ tional influence, has given rise to many specific and generic characters, notably‘ in plants, but also in higher animals.’? The continuous type “apparently represents the stress of the environment on the species in its dispersal,” and “is notably exemplified in birds and mammals.’’ “is Rpepars, An exceptionally valuable study on variation in a group of mammals is furnished by A. C. and A. L. Hagedoorn, who write on ‘‘ Rats and Evolution” in the American Naturalist for July, 1917 (vol. li., No. 607). These authors, who have worked from the economic and systematic point of view on “the rat | population of the Dutch East Indies,” contend that assemblages definable as “ species’’ or ‘‘ varieties ”? can be appreciated only through breeding experiments and | field work, the results of which must constantly be _invoked to check the. descriptive activities of the “ull specialist, who deals with dead skins and skulls. In their breeding experiments the authors found no new dominant characters, but ‘tin every | instance there appeared new recessive characters,’’ for . every one of which, they believe, ‘crossing, recom- bination of genes was the cause, not loss-mutation.”’ In connection with these questions, Prof. T. H. Nat., vol. li., No. 609) is noteworthy; in the course _ of his argument he refers to Prof. Jennings’s important address summarised in NaturE of November 8 and 15, 1917. Prof. Morgan contends for the stability of the gene; if it vary, the variation falls around a mode. | This question is further elucidated by Dr. R. Gold- _schmidt, who describes ‘“‘Genetic Experiments. con- cerning Evolution” (Amer. Nat., vol. lii., No. 613), carried out on the gipsy moth (Porthetria dispar) and other species; from the crossing of races the cater- pillars of which show varying amounts of dark Pig- ment Dr. Goldschmidt concludes that the multiple _allelomorphs for pigmentation ‘are different quantities of ‘the substance which we call a gene, which act _ according to the mass-law of chemical reactions, i.e. produce a reaction or accelerate it to a velocity in pro- portion to their quantity.”’ Insects from various European and Asiatic localities have been used in these experiments, and the author states that ‘‘the first step in the differentiation of species which occurs in Nature _ seems to be the formation of geographic races.”’ With this paper may be compared the second instal- aA ment of J. W. H. Harrison’s ‘‘ Studies in the Hybrid _ Bistoninz *’ (Journal of Genetics, vol. vi., No. 4), in | which details of the results of crossing several species _ dustries .should end as soon as possible after the a It is clear that the Committee regards the statistics Morgan’s discussion on ‘the theory of the gene (Amer. ee. a, ai i Jory II, 1918] P NATURE 377 of Poccilopsis with wingless females are given. Mr. Harrison lays stress on the importance of these results | as affording evidence of the relationships between the | Another paper on hybrid Lepidoptera worthy. | species. _ of attention is that by Mrs. Merritt Hawkes (Journal of Genetics, vol. vii., No. 2) on inheritance in the cross of two Saturniid moths, Philosamia ricini and P. cynthia, in which special attention is paid to larval characters, such as spots and tubercles; the appearance of abnormal larve with reduced tubercles (a recessive character) in the F, generation is especially interesting in relation to the existence of a few Saturniid species the larva of which are always without tubercles. Among papers dealing particularly with problems of Mendelian analysis, R Nabours and A. W. Bel- lamy’s ‘Studies of Inheritance and Evolution in Orthoptera”’ (Journal of Genetics, vol. vii., No. 1) give a vast amount of detail of experimental work on asshoppers of the Tettix group. The most important tical result is the apparent demonstration that while some patterns are allelomorphic to each of a number of others, a certain melanic pattern may be allelomorphic only to its absence. In connection with this subject attention must be directed to H. Terao’s short but important paper on ‘“‘ Reversible Transform- ability of Allelomorphs’’ (Amer. Nat., vol. li., No. 610), in which he describes cases of the occasional presence of a dominant character in the corresponding recessive homozygote in cultures of the rice plant. The frequency of this abnormal phenomenon is studied, and the author states that “‘ the dominant and recessive types concerned are assumed to be transformed b certain unknown causes into the other allelomorph.”’ He then proceeds to argue that on this view it is impossible to accepty the theory that ‘‘the dominant allelomorph is due to the real presence of a hereditary mate unit which is absent in the recessive allelo- morph,” and that the two ‘“‘may be supposed to repre- sent two alternative conditions or phases of a single hereditary substance, somewhat resembling the chem- ical conception of polymerisation.’’ In a controversial and stimulating ‘ anti-vitalistic” discussion of biological enigmas, Dr. L. T. Troland (Amer. Nat., vol. li., No. 606) carries the concepts of the chemist far more intimately into life-problems, and es bold to write: ‘‘On the supposition that the actual Mendelian factors are enzymes nearly all... general difficulties instantly vanish, and I am_ not acquainted with any evidence which is inconsistent with this supposition.”’ _The claims of some extreme “geneticists” that no discussions on evolutionary problems not founded on imental evidence ’’ can be profitable are trench- antly dealt with by Dr. W. K. Gregory in an article entitled “Genetics versus Paleontology” (Amer. Nat., vol. li., No. 610). To many who believe that much may still be done in the elucidation of phylogenetic problems on a large scale from the study of classifica- tion and morphology, Dr. wey: illustrations and arguments, drawn mainly from the wonderful series of American fossil mammals, furnish a_ bracing reminiscence of youthful days of controversy. eS At Oe THE FUTURE OF PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY.} FOR three years past pure chemical research has been dormant the whole world over, and it would be difficult for the most accomplished essayist to arrest your attention for an hour by an address on a subject of purely academic interest. Our mental point of view 1 Abridged from the presidential address delivered at the annual general meeting of the Chemical Society on March 21 by Prof. W. J. Pope, F.R.S. NO. 2541, VOL. 101] ' and our outlook upon both present and future are entirely different from those of four years ago; although the present is obscure and painful, the future gives promise of brilliant and rapid developments in natural science in general and in chemistry. in’ par- ticular. In this belief 1 venture to lay before you some reflections upon the growing recognition of the importance of our science and upon the responsibilities with which, owing to this change in public opinion, our shoulders are laden. : I have often heard the statement made by men who have grown old in the service of science that chemistry, and particularly applied organic chemistry, is a subject in which the British nation can never excel: that minute attention to detail, coupled with the power of organisation and co-operation, entails something antipathetic to the British character; the Germans, we know, have often expressed this view. The events of the last three years have sufficed to dissipate this fallacy for ever. The manner in which Great Britain, caught in the autumn of 1914 with scarcely any resources in the shape of equipment for the manufacture of fine organic chemicals, has rapidly become a larger producer of explosive, pharmaceutical, photographic, and other essential chemicals than Germany will remain an enigma to the historian of these present times. The obscurity which surrounds this rapidly executed operation is not diminished by the existence of difficulties which have naturally acted as inhibiting agents. This country enjoys in a greater measure than any other State a representative Govern- ment; in spite of the many advantages of such a form of Government, the fact remains that it necessarily admits of no representation of any phase of public opinion which is not loudly and insistently expressed. Science has always been in this latter position; it has been unvocative. During the first few years of the nineteenth century Dalton enunciated the atomic theory, Thomas Young stated the undulatory theory of light, and James Watt’s steam engine came into general use. By these events all the amenities of human life have been revolutionised; indeed, they have exercised vastly more influence on the well-being of our race than did the Napoleonic wars. So accus- tomed are we, however, to routine habits of thought that most of us would probably answer, in reply to a suddenly posed question, that the battle of Trafalgar was the most pregnant event of the first quarter of the nineteenth century. A brief moment of reflection would lead us to correct this hasty statement. Sodium was discovered by Davy in 1807, and benzene by Faraday in 1823. From sodium we obtain sodamide, the prime. agent in making artificial indigo an economic possibility ; the separation of benzene from coal-tar led by logical sequence to the production of Perkin’s mauve and of thousands of other synthetic colouring matters, and to the manufacture from coal-tar anthracene of syn- | thetic alizarin, the first heavy blow aimed at the posi- . tion of the Turkish Empire, involving as it did the » ruin of the Turkey-red or madder industry. The first practical process for making aluminium depended on the use of Davy’s sodium, and with the aid of Davy’s. safety lamp 250,000,000 tons of coal are mined annu- ally in this country with comparatively slight risk. Faraday’s early investigations on the chemical aspects of electrolysis and his studies on magnetic induction led immediately to the invention of the dynamo, and, through Clerk Maxwell. to the introduction of wireless, telegraphy; this one branch of Faraday’s investiga- tions, in point of fact, constitutes the ground-work of the whole stupendous vista of results of the general introduction of the electric current into modern life which is so familiar to us all. Cavendish’s early pro- “NATURE [JuLy 12, 1918 duction of nitric acid by the passage of an electric spark through air, reproduced on an enormously larger scale, is now furnishing Central Europe with the nitric acid. without which, no explosives could be manu- factured. ‘The above-mentioned and multitudes of other funda- mental discoveries in physical and chemical science were made almost within a;stone’s-throw of this room ; most of them were made in the Royal Institution, and all of them by an expenditure of money infinitely small as compared with their present-day effects. Anyone who is in the habit of reading modern his- torical writers—and they have become quite illuminat- ing since a scientific mode of writing history has been substituted for the older fictional style—knows how political changes, national reforms arising from an effort of the collective conscience, the magnetic influ- ence of some popular demagogue, and the like, are invariably invoked as explanatory of all the vicissitudes of our planet. The modern historian is here taking a false point ot view, and since he is, in general, quite unacquainted with physical science, his«methods are inadequate. The whole history of Europe for the last century has been made within a few hundred yards of Burlington House in our scientific laboratories. One of the most potent incentives to political changes resides in the desire to increase the amenities of life, and research in pure science has had for a hundred years past the greatest influence in facilitating the realisation of that desire. Co-operative effort, one of the most striking aspects of “modern life, became possible only when science pro- vided the facilities for municipal power schemes, for telegraphic connection over the whole world, and for the concentration of production in definite centres. Chemical science is still furnishing the means for further revolutionary changes; during the last few years we have seen great technical developments of purely scientific discoveries—the work of Dewar on the liquefaction of gases, and that of Cross and Bevan on “viscose .and artificial silk, both of which have led to the profitable utilisation of vast amounts of capital— and it is as yet impossible to indicate the ameliorations _of the conditions of human life which will inevitably result from contemporary chemical investigation. In a time of crisis like the present, British custom tends towards the replacement of unreal conventions by what is really vital; we have been engaged upon this operation for several years. Whilst previously un- heard-of changes have succeeded each other kaleido- scopically in the national constitution, in the political parties in power, in the freedom of the subject, and in hosts of other ways, the nation has recognised that science is the only real maker of history. The whole Empire is now one vast chemical and _ engineering laboratory, and we even live on a scientific ration of so many calorific units. It is obvious that chemistry, with physics, engineering, preventive medicine, and ‘others of the natural sciences, which previously had no imperialistic position, because powerless to make or break a Government, have become the pivot on which turn all our hopes of retaining an independent national existence ; it has been suddenly realised that supremacy in these branches of knowledge is vital to our country. The time is approaching when this state of affairs will change; neglect of the natural sciences will then no longer put us in danger’ of sudden extinction, but, as was taking place years ago, will lead to our slow, certain downfall as a nation. The responsibility is placed upon our men of science of taking such measures as will ensure that the old order is not re- established, that Science makes her voice heard in our national councils, and that policies of drift are for ever abandoned. NO. 2541, VOL. 10T| We have in this country three large and long-estab- lished organisations devoted to various phases of chem. ical science: the Chemical Society, the Society Chemical Industry, and the Institute of Chemistry. — it too much to ask that these three representati bodies, with perhaps the newly founded Assocfation British Chemical Manufacturers, and ultimately all the other cognate but more specialised interésts, should set up a watchful and alert joint council with — directions to consider national questions in which any of the varied interests of chemistry are concerned, and to make such representations to our administrators as would voice the corporate view of the joint body? I am inclined to think that, had such a body been in existence several years ago, much that has been accomplished in the interval by somewhat devi methods would have been better done. will occur to everyone: that of the much-debatec question of the re-establishment of the coal-tar colour industry in Great Britain. The scheme adopted by the Government for reSuscitating this industry in out country, after its past thirty years of profligate pro- ductivity on the Continent, was launched without scientific advice; the Cabinet mouthpiece, indeed, declared that. the directorate of the company was not to include men of scientific knowledge, on the ground that a director who knew something about the busi- ness of the company would have an advantage over his less well-informed colleagues. Wea a Owing largely to the fact that we possess no strong collective council, representing the combined academic, scientific, and industrial aspects of our science and capable of representing them before a representative Government, it may be. argued that we chemists are not altogether blameless for the particu- larly blundering way in which particular errors have been perpetrated by the responsible officials.’ Whilst we should be thankful that our blunders have not led to our destruction, we should proceed without further delay so to organise the resources of peer make it possible to enforce the adoption of methods and modes of thought -by authorities to whom these are yet strange. ih tee te The serious character of the British position in connection with the coal-tar colour industry becomes more evident when one considers that this is a key ~ industry; upon it depend the textile, paper, photo- graphic, and pharmaceutical industries, The total capital employed in the organic dye industry in Great Britain is between four and five million pounds, whilst the capitalisation of the German coal-tar colour firms is of the order of fifty million -pounds. The need for greater and more intelligent activity in this direction is obvious; unless national enterprise can be stimulated into providing adequately for the . manifold requirements of Great. Britain and her Colonies in all those industries which depend on coal- tar colour manufacture, we shall be again in the hands of the foreign producer. Siege The control of a national dye scheme by. business men with no real feeling for the enterprise on which they are engaged renders it fairly certain that the wider aspects of coal-tar colour manufacture will be neglected. The interweaving of the colour interests with those of synthetic pharmaceutical, photographic, - and other chemical industries is essential to success. The utilisation and development of the resources of the Empire in natural colouring matters such as in- | digo are necessary from a national point of view. The ~ careful study of our own and other codes of Patent | Law in their bearings upon the fine chemical industry | These weighty questions cannot | receive adequate consideration from. any purely lay is also important. body. ous One instance ry as to. ientific | i tk # a ee ay JULy 11,'1918] and a decided taste for A NATURE 379 _ It is mournful, but instructive, to compare our present position in the coal-tar colour) industry with the pro- spects which that branch of applied chemistry exhibited to Great Britain in early days. The first coal-tar colour was made by Perkin in 1856, and in 1862 Prof. A. W. von Hofmann, one of the foremost chemists of the day, a German domiciled in this country, painted an alluring picture of the future in store for us. Said he:—England will, beyond question, at no distant day, become herself the greatest colour-producing country in the world—nay, by the strangest of revolu. tions, she may, ere long, send her coal-derived blues to indigo-growing India, her tar-distilled crimsons -to cochineal-producing Mexico, etc.” When we contrast this dazzling prospect, made by one of the most far- sighted of contemporary German ‘chemists, with the actual situation, we cannot but ask why the event fell so miserably behind the forecast. ‘he reason, in my inion, lies in the fact that opulent, indolent Great itain has for the past century permitted all its educational interests to pass into the hands of a particular caste which despises all knowledge difficult to attain, and, to camouflage its own idleness, has always tigi the notion that a first-hand knowledge of the facts of natural science and the conclusions to be drawn therefrom is unimportant, and that the young man or young woman does his or her best in the world if thrown into it entirely destitute of anything but an evanescent acquaintance with certain classics so-called learned leisure. The greater among the ancients were creators of new owledge as well as masters of the whole accumulated world’s st of information; their successors, ‘unpro- ductive of positive knowledge and very ignorant of the great changes taking place around them, can but wonder at and comment vaguely on the genius of Archimedes and Aristotle, and nécessarily despise the nts of Newton and Kelvin, their modern prototypes. »# . JI have alieady directed attention ‘to the frequently _ expressed opinion that, as a nation, we are incapable of excelling in the fine organic chemical industry; let me quote one instance, small in itself, but large in its consequences, in disproof of this view The ordinary photographic plate is sensitive only to a region in the blue of the spectrum, but by incor- porating certain rather fugitive organic dyes with the sensitive film, the latter may be rendered. sensitive to the green, yellow, and red parts of the spectrum ; photographic plates so treated are described as pan- chromatic. The quantities of the sensitising dyes required for the whole world’s consumption in normal times is minute, beins. indeed, of the order of a few pounds per annum. Until rors these substances had never been made outside Central Europe, and little was known by us of their compositions or of the methods of preparing them, as they were all sold under trade names. The manufacture of these materials, small as was the whole business, had been industriously cultivated by the German colour-works. and, as these colour sensitisers are essential in aerial photography, their scarcity became of serious import quite early in the war. € experimental investigation of the whole subject was quickly put in hand in this country, and within a few months ample supplies of the usual sensitisers were produced. Further, ‘the newly established De- partment of Scientific and Industrial Research financed the deyelopment of the study of photographic sensi- tisers; as a result of this action, new sensitising dyes have been produced which are far superior to the older ones. It is safe to assert that the manufacture of panchromatic plates has now attained a degree of per- fection in this country such as will long defy com- petition. ; NO. 2541, VOL. 1or] This is but one case that may be quoted from among a host of others, all of which prove conclusively that, given a little encouragement ‘and assistance, British chemistry is capable not only of giving much-needed relief in this time of strain, but also of meeting every demand; which can be made on it when the period of reconstruction commences. UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. BrrmincHamM.—Dr. G. N. Watson has been ap- pointed to the chair of mathematics, which is being vacated by Dr. R. S. Heath at the close of the current session. At a degree congregation held on July 6 the degree of M.Sc. was conferred on the following candidates :— Ernest Coupland, Junquei Su-Kwang Lee, William John Owen, Jui Hui Teng, Sih Ling Ting, and Nai Yone. In the latest instalment of the 1916 series of ‘‘ The Athenaeum Subject Index to Periodicals,” issued at the request of the Council of the Library Association, the subjects of education and child-welfare are dealt with. Among the periodicals the articles of which are indexed we notice Nature, the Times Educational Supplement, the School World, and the Journal of Education. This issue of the ‘‘ Index’ makes a special appeal to all persons interested in educational ques- tions; its price is 1s. net, and copies may be obtained from the Athenaeum, Bream’s Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.C.4. Tue Secretary of State for the Royal Air Korce announces that the sum of 25,0001. has been placed at the disposal of the Government by Sir Basil Zaharoff, G.B.E., for the purpose of endowing a professorship of aviation. This munificent donation is in continua- tion of donations previously made by Sir Basil Zaharoff for the foundation of chairs of aviation at the Uni- versities of Paris and Petrograd, in order to assist in the progress of aviation among the Allies, and it is his hope that the occupants of the chairs will con- tinuously exchange views. It is proposed that the professorship shall be called the Zaharoff professorship of aviation, and that it shall be a chair of the Uni-— versity of London attached to the Imperial College of Science and Technology. Scientia for March last contains an interesting paper on “ Le Nouvel Humanisme,’”’ by Prof. George Sarton, of Harvard University, U.S.A., who points out that the war has shown that science must be given a much more important place in- schools and colleges than it has hitherto occupied. In the past, systems of education have been drawn up by classical scholars, who have considered that the study of languages, his- tory, and literature is more likely to train youths to become good citizens than the study of science. Prof. Sarton holds that teachers of science are partly respon- sible for this opinion. Too often has science been taught as a jumble of isolated facts and theories. Prof. Sarton proposes to introduce, as a _ reform, instruction upon the history of the development of science in all countries from the earliest time. The more important facts and theories of science would be unfolded to the student in the historical order of actual discovery. He would then find that advances were due not so much to some transcendent genius as to the general state of human knowledge when they were made. The next step forward being fairly obvious, any intelligent and well-educated man might have made the advance. It is believed that instruction on these lines could not fail- to stir the minds of the | f 380 \ “NATURE | [Juty 11, 1918 learners to fruitful activity. Prof. Sarton would have history taught as a story not of the vicissitudes. of kings and their wars, but of the growth and organisa- tion of positive knowledge and of its application to the material advancement of the peoples. Such descriptions would be completed by the history of civilisation, including law, religion, fine arts, social economy, and politics. History taught in this way is called ‘‘the new humanities.’’ To supply teachers it is proposed to found in the United States an insti- tute for the history of science and civilisation. An account of the proposed institute will be found in Science for March 23 and October 26, 1917.: SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. : LONDON. Challenger Society, June 26.—Dr. G. H. Fowler in the chair.—S. F. Harmer; Whaling in the Far South. The species hunted and the methods of capture .were described ; attention was directed to the large numbers killed annually and to the necessity for protective measures; statistical evidence was given to show that the fin whale, the blue whale, and the humpback have definite breeding periods. Paris. Academy of Sciences, June 24.—M. Léon Guignard in the chair.—A. Lacroix: The constitution of a salt from plants grown in the Cameroons. The salt is extracted by the natives from the ashes of a plant, \ probably Panicum crus Galli. It is rich in potash salts, containing 83-5 per cent. of potassium chloride, 71. per cent. of calcium potassium sulphate (syn- genite), 3-9 per cent. of potassium sulphate, with some common salt, magnesium: chloride, and silica. The absence of carbonates is remarkable. —J. Boussinesg : General equations governing the slow flow of semi- fluid materials, either plastic or pulverulent.—G. ‘Bigourdan ; The observatories at Paris known as ‘‘de la rue des Postes.” There were two early observa- tories. bearing this name, which are sometimes con- fused: that of Picard (1673), and that of Godin, de Fouchy, and Bouguer (1731). The positions of these two observatories are deduced from data in various documents.—C. Richet: General anzsthesia © by _chloralose in cases of traumatic shock and hzemor- rhage. The advantages and inconveniences of chloralose as an anesthetic are summarised. The main advantage is the absence of toxic action on the heart, as there is no lowering of the arterial pressure. —P. ‘Sabatier and G. Gaudion: The decomposition of glycerol in presence of various catalysts: . the forma- tion of ethyl and allyl alcohols. The catalysts studied were alumina, copper powder; and uranous oxide. Alumina. gave carbon monoxide, methane, acrolein, and higher aldehydes. With copper the gases evolved contained a high proportion of hydrogen; the liquid products included ethyl and allyl alcohols, propalde- hyde and _ other aldehydes.—M. Balland : _ Bread- making from wheat without previous grinding. An account of various attempts from 1789 to 1916 to make bread from unground wheat... No satisfactory bread has hitherto been made by this method.— J. Bosler ; The spectrum of the new star in Aquila.— F. de Roy: Discovery and observations. of Nova Aquilze.—P. Briick and P. Chofardet : Observations of the new. star.—J. A.. Le Bel: Catathermic phenomena at 1000°. C.—M,. Guerbet; Bornylenecamphor ‘and a new dicamphor isodicamphor. By the action of sodium methylate upon camphor at temperatures between 100° C. and 180° C., the main product of the reaction is a new isodicamphor, C,,H,,0;; a small quantity of bornylenecamphor is also obtained.— NO. 2541, VOL. ror] 'P.. Portier : stituents of fats. J. Amar: Psychographic observations.—H. into ‘acetone and acetaldehyde, and butyric acid into acetone.—A. Gauduchcan; Food preparations: Leprat : The blood in exophthalmic goitre.. The white and red blood corpuscles in this disease are DORREE as regards number and vegies BOOKS RECEIVED. Rural Water Supplies and their Purification. Dr, ‘A. C.. Houston. Pp. xv +136. (London :) Bale, Ltd.) 7s. 6d. net. A "Complete Course of Volumetric Analysis for Middle and Higher Forms of Schools. By W. T. Boone. Pp. viiit+164. (London: Blackie. and fon, Ltd.) 3s. 6d. net. A Memoir on British Resources of Sands pe Rocks used in Glass-making, with Notes on Certain Crushed Rocks and Refractory Materials. .By Prof. P. G. H. Boswell. With Chemical Analysis by Dr. H. F. Harwood and A. A. Eldridge. Second edition com- plete in one volume. - Pp. xi+183. (Londos: Long- mans and Co.) - High Explosives. By Capt. E. de w. S. Colver. Pp.. xxix+830. (London: Crosby Son.) 31. 3s. net. s6th Annual Report of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture of the State of Michigan, and 3oth Annual Report of the By Js ohn Pp. 749. (Lansing, Mich.) _ CONTENTS. PAGE Sir William Ramsay, By Sir T. E. Miser Cc.B., ERS. 5 cele ats eats sip eet Artificial Seasoning of Wood. ” By BP. Giicd eee ~ 362, Two Catalogues of Scientific Publications vhs ete Our Bookshelf Mies ae hy BT «gob e5 a Letters to the Editor:— Weeping Forms of Elm.—W. H: Shrubsole beet BOS, ‘Habitat Groups” in American Museums. (///us- } trated.) By Dr. S. F. Harmer, F.R.S. 2... .. 3 The Cereal Balance . Dr. G. K. Gilbert. By Prof. Grenville A. “J, Cole, F, R, S. & er) ee 6)’ 00 (eRe ee . . Ye 370 Notes . cia SES “391 Our. Astronomical Column :— ris The New Star in Aquila ese eat te A 5 Ree SAS Ephemeris of Wolf’s Periodic Couitt 1 oP 8 ee OED The New System of Time at Sea . 375 Conference of Corresponding: Societies. of - ‘the. y British Association®;: .5:.':.. 0: 0° eee wEW375 The Future of the Engineering Trades. 52. . As 376 Genetics and Evolution. By G. H. C. - The Future of Pure and Applied Chemistry. _ Prof. W. J. Pope, F.R.S. a Nis sd University and Educational Intelligence chk ae Societies and Academies oes Books Received Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Etp., San ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2, Advertisements and business letters ‘3 be gidmuces to the Publishers. Editorial Communications to the. Editor. - Telegraphic Address: Puusis, Lonpon. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. - Bierry and The action of symbiotes upon the con- It is shown that symbiotes can convert glycerol into dioxyacetone, -oxybutyric acid from. a blood and meat by the aid of yeast——MM. Folley and Lockwood and Experiment Station. Se bie ie hese ee ee eee a Oe ee bay sory th ~aeg NATURE 381 +) 9" THURSDAY, JULY 18, ro78. MALARIA AND ITS TREATMENT. {1) Malaria in Macedonia: Clinical and Haemato- logical Features and Principles of Treatment. _ By P. Armand-Delille and others. Preface by Prof. Laveran. Translated by Dr. J. D. Rolles- ton. Edited, with a preface, by Sir Ronald ‘Pp. xxx+115. (London: University | ee : of London Press, Ltd., 1918.) Price 6s. net. 2) Anti-Malaria Work in Macedonia among _ British Troops. By Dr. W. G. Willoughby and _L. Cassidy. Pp. x+68. (London: H.:K. Lewis and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 4s. 6d. net. a Rodsdas sing deals with the parasitology of ip malaria, the associated clinical manifes- tations and the treatment, the main and more im- portant part being the clinical. In the section on parasitology the authors enlarge on the importance _of parthenogenesis of the gametes as the cause of the persistence of the infection and of the relapses. As J. D. Thomson has pointed out, the so-called parthenogenesis of the malarial parasite is based on a misconception of Schaudinn’s of what the term “parthenogenesis’’ is, and on an error in interpreting the facts observed by him. The greater prevalence of subtertian infections during the summer, and of benign 'tertian during the autumn and winter months, is in accordance with the findings of British workers on the Struma and Doiran fronts, and seems to bear some rela- tion to the seasonal preponderance of different species of anophelines. . _ Ass stated, the chief portion of the work is de- voted to the clinical aspects of the disease. Judg- ing from the number of symptoms and complica- tions described, it would appear that a considerable “amount of work has been devoted to these points. Unfortunately, the authors give us no information of the number of malaria cases observed by them, or of the number of cases of the various clinical types they describe. They divide malaria clinically into two categories, primary’ and secondary palu- dism, with an intervening apyrexial period asso- ‘ciated with relapse and complications. - Primary paludism may manifest itself as a slight febrile attack, or as a febrile gastric derangement, and it may also simulate typhoid, paratyphoid, or what is désigmated “Mediterranean dengue.’’ Associated with this stage may be anemia, varying in -severity from a barely perceptible pallor to _pronounced anemia, with wasting and jaundice, and, perhaps, complicated with cedema or hemor- thages, especially epistaxis, which is described as being fairly common. Petichiz have also been ob- -served. Whereas hemorrhagic symptoms .im- proved under quinine administration, cedema seemed, to’ be unaffected by the drug. A great number of symptoms and complications -are described as being associated with primary. paludism. These are arfanged in order according .to ‘the. organs involved. ‘he. o ved. A condition called “in- fective icterus,’’ bearing a close resemblance ‘to NO. 2542, VOL. 101 | -Weil’s disease, but being less fatal than the latter, is described. > ‘*Suprarenal insufficiency ’’ appears to have been! encountered several times. Acute cachexia was found only in connection with sub- tertian infections. Albuminuria was present, only in a few cases; a definite acute nephritis was rarely seen. Although a few patients developed “hamo- globinuric fever ’’ early in the disease, this con- dition generally became manifest during the course of secondary paludism. The authors state that they have not observed a true amaurosis in connection with malaria or its treatment with quinine; they consider the con- dition so exceptional as to be no contra-indication to treatment with large doses of quinine. They are also sceptical as to quinine deafness, but they have noted disturbance of the equilibrium, with excitability of the vestibular nerve, in two cases. Pernicious attacks of malaria are attributed to invasion by large numbers of parasites in indi- viduals whose resistance is:diminished. They were met with only in Plasmodium falciparum infec- tions, and generally in men suffering from great fatigue following overwork. The term “defaced paludism’’ is given to various atypical forms of malaria. ‘‘ Masked paludism’’ includes cases in which the visceral manifestations are» unaccom- panied by febrile phenomena. ; Secondary paludism, characterised by “‘disci- plined ” attacks, occurs in patients not exposed to reinfection by mosquito bites, and is that clinical form met with in cases which have returned to non-malarial countries. Under this heading are described all the ague attacks and their associated clinical phenomena.. A short account of hemo- globinuric fever is given.. The diseases most commonly found complicating malaria were typhoid, dysentery, and “recurrent fever.” For the treatment of paludism, .quinine hydrochloride is recommended as the most efficient salt. ‘It should be given in 3-gram doses, and may be combined with urethane or antipyrin. The best method of administration, according to the authors, is by intramuscular or subcutaneous in- jection. Oral quinine is rarely considered advisable owiag to the gastric disturbances generally present. Intravenous quinine should be given only as an extreme measure and where there are suitable con- ditions, as in-large hospitals. The drug should be given daily during the febrile attack, six to eight hours before the attack is expected. In mild-re- lapses 2-gram doses are advised, and in ‘bad relapses 3-gram doses. In ‘pernicious attacks great reliance is placed on adrenalin—2 milli- grams in 500 to 1000 normal saline. Quinine in relapsing cases should be suspended between the attacks. During treatment absolute rest in bed, substantial diet, and the administration of iron and \arsenic are recommended. The authors do not say how Jong quinine should be continued after the last febrile attack. The impression left on the reader by this work . is one of some. confusion, but possibly this may be partly due to the difficulties of translating technical scientific points. Such expressions as “infective >< 382 NATURE [JuLty 18, 1918 a icterus,” primary and secondary paludism, the fre- quent repetition of imposing words like “syn- drome,’’ the mistake about the parthenogenicity, do not tend to lucidity. ; One good result of studying this book may be to impress medical men with the necessity for sus- pecting malaria either as cause or as complication in all cases of disease, no matter what, occurring in intensely endemic districts or in patients return- ing from such. In his preface Prof. Laveran criticises some points in the treatment of malaria. Many of the points mentioned above are dealt with in greater detail in a preface which Sir Ronald Ross has contributed to the English edition. | + (2) The purpose of this little book, as explained in the preface, is to help future workers in anti- malarial measures by an account of the author’s own experiences in Macedonia. In the first chap- ter the three parasites causing malaria are men- tioned, and a brief account is given of the ano- pheles prevalent in Macedonia and acting there as hosts for the extra-corporeal phase of the plas- modium. A review of the prevalence of the disease according to the weekly notifications follows. The incidence appears to be at its lowest in January, after which it rises. gradually until the latter part of May, when a slight remission takes place until the end of June; a rapid rise then occurs, and the elevation continues until the third week of July. A decline again takes place for a short time, followed by another rise, which reaches its maximum at the end of October. It is gratifying to read that there has been a decrease in the number of cases re- ported in 1917 as compared with 1916, although it is pointed out that owing to the continuance of relapses and. carriers from the latter year it is difficult to guarantee the accuracy of the figures. Malaria in Macedonia has been responsible for a much higher degree of invaliding than wounds have. The infection is so widespread that even units at the base and on the lines of communication are liable to the disease. The difficulty in dealing with the breeding-grounds of anopheles in “ No Man’s Land” at the front is responsible for the greater prevalence of malaria amongst the troops in that area. The description of the topography of the coun- try, with its swamps, rivers, streams, and wells, and the deserted villages, together with the account of the inhabitants, who seem to be almost univer- sally infected with the parasite, renders obvious the magnitude of the task with which the medical authorities are faced. An outline of the general system observed by them in dealing with the problem shows that the measures adopted are both systematic and thorough. The various means of combating the disease are described in detail. They are too numerous even for enumeration in a short review, but officers engaged in anti-malarial work will find a perusal of this section of valuable assistance. Stress is laid on the necessity for destruction of adult anophe- lines, which is regarded as being of even more NO. 2542,, VOL. 101] -is endeavouring to combat a big problem. — importance than efforts. to suppress the breeding- places of the insect. The methods in use for protecting men f mosquito attack are carefully described, and t mechanism of using and keeping the new and im- proved mosquito-proof bivouacs and tents is given at length. The importance of educating officers and men in anti-malarial measures is strongly ad- vised. Routine gas-mask drills are carried out, and the authors insist that if this is necessary, then — anti-mosquito training is much more so on account — of the very much higher percentage of invaliding © from malaria. | saa The authors are guarded on the subject of quinine — prophylaxis, but, on the whole, one infers that the — administration of quinine (in the doses usually given as a prophylactic) has not been attended with — success in the Salonika area. Prophylactic qui- — nine, however, is not believed by them to inter- fere with the curative value of the drug if given © afterwards. eens Ls 3 . The contents of thie book are summed up in the — last chapter, and many suggestions-are made for — the future, including propaganda amongst officers _ and men by posters and pamphlets as in use amongst our French Allies. Closer co-operation between executive and medical officers and the more rigid enforcement of precautions already ordered are advised. aeta Peas de The whole book provides very interesting read- ing, and it should be of valuable assistance to com- batant officers and laymen as well as to medical officers. It contains evidence of the endurance and courage of our troops in a most difficult coun- try under very trying conditions, and it shows the skill and determination with which the R.A.M.C. _F. W. O’Connor. — FRENCH WORKS ON RADIOGRAPHY. (1) Localisation et Extraction des Projectiles, — Par L. Ombrédanne et R. Ledoux-Leband. Second edition. Pp. iv+305. _ (Paris: Masson et Cie, 1918.) Price 4 frances. — a (2) Précis de Radiodiagnostic Clinique. Par Dr. Jaugeas. Préface de Dr. Béilére. Second edition. Pp. xxviiit+563. (Paris: Masson et Cie, 1918.) Price 20 francs. (1) [® this excellent volume—one of the “Collec- tion de Précis de Médecine et de Chirurgie de Guerre ”—the authors set forth the most recent — methods employed in the localisation and extrac- — tion of foreign bodies. The appearance’ of a — second edition so soon after the first is testimony to the need for such information on the part of the medical profession and also to the high value which the work has attained since its appearance. _ The appreciation of the work of our Allies in all fields connected with the war is always a pleasure — to workers in this country. The estimation in which this book is held is evidenced by the recent appearance of the first volume translated into — English. We hope the editor of the first English Technique : et pee aes SAM i MGS use i Juty 18, 1918] NATURE 383 edition will soon be engaged on a translation of the second. In no sphere of war work have our French Allies done better than in that for the relief of suffering caused in the war. The volume before us gives ample evidence of the advances that have been made in surgery and its essential accompani- ment, radiography. The fact that the surgeon and the radiographer must work hand in hand is demonstrated ina perusal of the pages of the book. The letterpress is extremely clear, the descrip- tions of apparatus and methods being very lucid. The illustrations amply figure the conditions referred to in the text; several are of particular interest, notably two plates of the thorax showing a bullet in the heart. The particular interest lies in the rapidity of the exposure, which must have been instantaneous, if one can judge from the ex- treme sharpness of the pictures. The value of radio- grams of this quality is self-evident. The subject is dealt with widely from all points of view, particularly from the surgical, and all, or practically all, methods of localisation are described. The description of the principles under- lying the practice of localisation is very clear, and cannot fail to be instructive and helpful to all. The useful methods of localisation are well dealt with, and attention must be directed to the com- bined method which is referred to as “extraction 4 lVaide de contréle intermittent.’’ The method so named is carefully described and must be of great value to surgeons at the present'time. Sur- geons and radiographers are recommended to read these chapters carefully, particularly those dealing with the dangers accompanying the method. An interesting feature of the book is the descrip- tion of radioscopic stereoscopy, which has been perfected in France by Dr. Livre. This is a most important advance in technique, and if the method is accurate and protective measures are assured, it should enable the operator to remove foreign bodies under screen observation in the minimum time, thus saving his time and_ ensuring the safety of the radiologist, who may have to do screening for a large number of operations. (2) The title of this book admirably covers the full subject-matter of the volume, which is an excellent précis of the technical and clinical side of radiography. An interesting historical résumé of the discovery of the X-rays, and the subsequent development of the technique resulting from their use in medicine, ‘forms the opening chapter of the work. Instrumentation is well described, and detailed descriptions are given of the most impor- tant pieces of apparatus. We note with approval a good description of the Coolidge tube. The question of protection against the injurious effects of X-rays is entered into fully. There is an excel- lent discourse on the physics of radiography—the physical facts underlying the use of the rays are fully considered. It will well repay the advanced radiologist to.read these chapters carefully, The chapter dealing with “application A homme normal” is particularly good. It NO. 2542, VOL. 101] deals successively with the technique of examina- tion of the normal parts, and gives good descriptions of the composition of each picture. The whole is a very complete account of what the radiographer must be familiar with before he pro- ceeds to an investigation of the abnormal. The third section of the work deals exhaustively with “le radiodiagnostic en clinique.” Many valu- able plates illustrate this section, which will prove to be a most useful guide to the many workers in radiography at the present time. Radioscopy is dealt with thoroughly. ' The almost strict adhesion to French types of apparatus will strike the British reader forcibly. It would have been a useful addition to the value of the book if a number of American and British models had been described; but this is almost exclusively a French book, and from a perusal of its pages readers here will be able to under- stand what our Allies are doing in this important branch of science, and to appraise the value of their war effort in the field of radiography. Naturally, at the present time our energy on both sides of the Channel is devoted to the dis- covery of the damage done by projectiles, their localisation and removal from the body, and the diagnosis and treatment of injuries to bone and the vital organs. It is with pleasure that we recog- nise that our French confréres are in this, as in all other branches of medicine, occupying a posi- tion which is worthy of their great past and pro- mises a still greater future. — Normal radiography is gone into fully, and a number of good plates illustrate this section. Various abnormalities are described. The diagnosis of gastro-intestinal diseases, diseases of the thorax and of the urinary system, and the diseases and injuries of bones receive adequate description. The book, as a whole, is a good one, and can confidently be recommended to British readers as a first-class production and a trustworthy guide to the practitioner and specialist—embodying in its pages the best work of a distinguished French radiologist. THE EDUCATION OF ENGINEERS. The Education of Engineers. By H. G. Taylor. Pp. viv+64. (London: G, Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1917.) Price 2s. net. HE author of this little book endeavours to maintain the thesis that engineering is an art and not a science, and that since mechanical arts cannot be taught at a university, courses in engineering in universities are, in consequence, futile, and fail to contribute to the training of an engineer. This point of view is not novel, but it is surprising to find it supported by a university lec- turer in civil and mechanical engineering. The author’s criticisms of university engineer- ing training revolve around its academic character and lack of relation with practice. While, in a large measure, this view is correct, it is not neces- sary to return to the primitive methods of train- ing engineers in order to find a remedy. Such J 334 - NATURE | [Jury 18, 1918 3 methods, in which knowledge was: acquired. by experience, were admirably suited to the days when engineering practice was: largely empirical. To- day, however, a lengthy: period of’ technical train- ing is essential, but itishould preferably: be preceded by at least one year in the works, and followed bya two or three years’ apprenticeship. Technical! training’ will) never make indifferent students into good engineers, and able students may) succeed without it, but the average man finds it a necessity. The remark that a man must first be an engineer by nature applies equally effectively to all walks of life. The: author’s gravest error, however, is the in- excusable manner in which the requirements for and characteristics of. engineers and artisans and of engineers and inventors are confused, Industry _ has long since lost that individual craftsmanship which: distinguishes art; and the parallel drawn between: artists» and. engineers no longer holds good. In: the case of dentists—to which special reference: is made—the field of work is so broad that a distinction is now being: made between the dental: mechanic, who learns his: trade: much as’ . does the engineering artisan, and. the: dentist proper, who:is frequently university-trained, as is the-engineer. Clearly, the author has not. fully comprehended the difference now existing between trade. education and: technical . education: for: manual workers and. for professional: engineers - respectively. . The book is written ina very attractive manner, although it is marred by several examples of slip- shod:phraseology. We are unable to seein it any adequate> result for the four’ years’. research admitted by the author, or the call which prompted him to write it. * OUR BOOKSHELF. Field Book of Insects. By Dr. F, E. Lutz. Pp. ix +509, (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1918+) Price 12s. 6d. net. THE author of this handy little volume offers some- thing of an apology for adding to the large number of books—“ popular, semi-popular, and unpopu- lar ’’—on insects, but’ he has produced a general guide to entomology. which will prove uniquely valuable to the amateur collector and observer. “T have been governed in.the choice of subject- matter,’’ he writes, “not so much by. what I think ought to be in a book on insects as by what the - public seems to. want'to know.” He. gives summar- ised characters for the discrimination of the various insectan orders, diagnostic tables for the principal. families, and in some cases also for: the genera, and mentions a number of species—14oo in: all —which may be found. commonly. in the northern. United States, naturally paying. especial attention to those of economic importance: On the hundred small plates—many of which are effectively coloured—a* good selection of these species — is clearly figured. The result is that.the student can. scarcely, fail to identify, approximately at least, the insects which he captures during an ordinary NO. 2542, VOL. 107] arrangements were made for exchanges whereby dealt. with. are represented. from ‘deserve the highest praise. country ramble, while he finds in. this volume (which would slip easily into a side-pocket) n> — teresting information about .their habits and portance. ; ‘Although the book. deals specially. with ,1 North American;fauna, it will prove of service British and European collectors, as so many of © the species and :nearly all the genera. are common — to the Eastern and Western. continental, lands. — Nevertheless, a work somewhat on these lines, — compiled for the benefit of our own people, would — be a most desirable addition to our entomological — literature, for it certainly contains ‘‘ what the public seems: to: want: to know,” and “the public” the is mildly interested in.entomology has a particular — desire for coloured figures which render. | ara- tively easy the identification of conspicuous insects, like the popular Lepidoptera, to which Dr. Lutz devotes more than 100 pages. A special apter. on galls, with four plates of outline drawings, fur- nishes.an introduction toa highly hihi Se 98 of insect bionomics. The. Grapsoid: Crabs. of America. By 4 Institution, — ‘Rathbun. (Smithsonian National Museum, Bulletin 97.) Pp. xxii+ 461. (Washington :. Government Printing” 1917.) eS Mer eros Tuis volume, by an author who has earned a high reputation by previous work on Decapod Crusta-_ ceans, is part/of a systematic treatise dealing with ~ the crabs of the whole of the New World, to be completed in four parts, the mainpurpose being to give a brief description, with figures, of each. species, together with a detailed catalogue of: the specimens in the United States National Museum. The work has evidently. been’ prepared. with great care. When. the author took up the subject. the collection under her charge had) been partly worked. out, but the nomenclature. stood in need) of revision, and in order, to overcome the diffi-: culties. connected with a correct interpretation of. the types of so many species deScribed. by Fabricius, Herbst, de Saussure; the two Milne. Edwards, Miers, and others, she spent. much time. in the museums. of Copenhagen, Kiel, Berlin, Geneva, Paris, and London, where not only fresh descriptions and photographs were taken, but: ah “ re ae AT +f) aes many. co-types and specimens directly compared. with types were secured for the American museum. The classification adopted is that: of. Borradaile. for the higher groups; the definitions of families and sub-families are copied or adapted from those. given by Alcock. 4 Tay eg aaa ee eae Illustrations, add greatly to the value of a work. of this kind; the numerous: text figures and 161 _ plates,.on which examples of nearly all the species" photographs, , a i Now that such an excellent guide is available, it.is to be hoped that. attention will be directed to. the life-histories,. which, the author tells us, have — not been. worked out in more than a dozen American. species. G. A.B. Pia! ae eee ‘ r Te i ayn blk EA SES ee TS ee, ee Z ae NATURE Jury 18, 1918] 385 | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.. A nation has two characteristics. In the first place, it must be considered practically immortal. In ‘the {The ‘Editor: does ‘not hold himself responsible for _ Opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither _ can he undertake to return, or to correspond with _ the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is _ taken of anonymous communications.] Weening Forms of Trees. _ In Nature for July 11, on ‘Weeping Forms of Elm,” Mr. W. H. Shrubsole refers to two distinct factors : (1) the “weeping” of the shoots, and (2) the peculiar contorted appearance of the older branch- > is. A fine specimen of the weeping ash, grafted, as usual, standard high on a common ash Stock, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, shows a clear ‘umbrella’? of weeping branches, while the head of _ the tree is a similarly twisted and contorted mass of large boughs. _ The weeping effect is due to weak geotropic sensi- tivity, but to a greater extent to congenital enfeebled response to the action of light. The weeping shoots on bending branches grow out in the direction im- pressed on them in the bud, without any attempt at correction, and thus pass out;and.down, almost ver- tically, as sub-etiolated shoots with very long inter- nodes (a foot or more), the shoot of the current year eing as much as 6 ft. long. It is obvious that they cannot go on for ever, as they soon touch the ground, while they receive the less illumination as they pass down “from: the crown of: the tree. But not all the branches are of this type, as in other freak-for: 1s the normal type of strongly positively heliotropic shoot with erect habit and short. inter- nodes (6 ; | is still freely produced. Since these get into the m ore illuminated regions they progress, after others; and as they twist round viving bra ches of the tree ultimately consist only of such “contorted *’ shoots, and the central trunk-system mn the. liarly twisted mass: of poughs. effect is, however, only.an.exaggerated expres- sion of the same causes which produce the erecting curvatures in a tree formed of branch-systems bending down under the weight of their foliage; and all “weeping ‘trees tend to show it more or less, the weeping ash, with decussate foliage and long annual sHoots, perhaps «most clearly. To make a more shapely ‘“‘umbrella,’’ the non-weeping shoots: may) be cut out, but the tree continues the .space-form . by “natural causes.” _ : A... HH. . CHURCH. .; Botanical Laboratory, Oxford, July rs. _ -The Mineral Wealth. of Germany. In Nature of July 4~ Prof. Louis criticises my paper, ‘“‘Germany’s Natural Wealth,” which appeared in the Fortnightly Review of June. (In that paper I pointed out that the wealth of Germany in :coal, iron-ore, and potash amounts to at least 240,000,000,0001., taking the value of coal and of potash at tos. per ton and that of iron-ore at 5s. per ton. ‘Prof. Louis, on the other hand, tries to show that the value of Germany’s three principal minerals comes only to 700,000,0001., and asserts that I have overstated Germany’s mineral wealth more than three hundred times.. ‘With all respect to the scientific eminence of Prof. Louis, I am afraid that he has made a great mistake. The value of a nation’s natural resources can be estimated either from the point of view of the capitalist, who wishes to:exploit mines, etc., for his personal profit, or from: that of the nation as a whole. NO. 2542, VOL. tor] ¢ branches to straighten up, the sur-. second place, it consists not merely of a few capitalists, but of the whole population. From the point of view of the company promoter, the capitalist, or the share- holder the value of a ton of coal in situ is; of course, not ios., but only ja few pence which: form ;the capitalist’s margin of profit, provided the coal be immediately available, and merely a small’ fraction: of a penny if it be available fifty years hence. Every child knows that. On the other hand, from the point of view of an: undying nation the value of a.ton of coal in situ is, of course, 1os., or whatever is a’ fair average price at the pit’s mouth; for although -gs.-6d: may be required in wages and expenses to extract that ton of coal, this gs., 6d. goes to the) nation. Therefore. a ton of commercially exploitable coal in situ is worth tos, from the national point of. view, whether it will be extracted in the present year or a century hence. ‘The same reasoning applies, of course, _ to iron-ore and potash. My article dealt exclusively with Germany’s national wealth from the national point of view. I did not even mention the profit of capital, which is a minor consideration. While Prof, Louis’s estimate capi- talises and sums up the immediate value of the profits of capital, my estimate of the value of Germany’s mineral resources is taken from the point of view of the nation. Of course, it is absolutely non-per- missible to say, as Prof. Louis does, that the value of a ton of coal is 6d. because that is the capitalist’s profit. If coal-mining in Great Britain would return only sufficient to. pay expenses, cost of management, etc., the British coalfields, the basis of the country’s wealth, would, according to Prof. Louis, be worth exactly nothing, while by my calculation they would be worth 100,000,000,000l. rg hit In view of the probable increase in the price of coal, iron-ore, and potash in the future, my estimate of the value of Germany’s minerals was probably a. great understatement. ‘PoLiticus, | July 6... — sigh ‘THE above comments of * Politicus ’.are-marred. by two. notable fallacies. In the first place, he holds that. my valuation of the. minerals is -based upon the profit to be derived from mining them. This is, quite *, . wrong; my \valuation of the .coal, étc., in -sitw)is based upon the only true criterion of value, nely, the price which it will fetch in the ordinary. open market, the sum .which. those: who wish to. mine the coal.are prepared to pay for that coal. in its.unsevered condition, 1.e. in this .country the average royalty which the coalowner can get for.it. The profit which those who mine it can. make out of it has nothing whatever to.do with the valuation, except indirectly, in the sense that coal: which cannot be mined at a profit is.unsaleable, and therefore has no.value. The other fallacy is, perhaps, best shown by pointing out that, according to ‘‘ Politicus,’”’ the unsevered coal in the bowels of the earth is worth as much as the same coal at bank, so that in his view the nation gets the labour and materials expended: on, raising the coal for nothing! It is surely obvious that if coal at bank, after 9s. 6d. per ton has been spent upon getting it, is worth ros. per ton, it cannot be worth tos. before anything has been spent upon it, and that this is equally true whether such expenditure be looked upon .as national or as individual. The further contention that money trealisable in fifty years is worth as much as money realisable to- day is surely not worth discussion; nations as well as individuals have to pay interest on their loans. According to ‘“ Politicus,” the 15s. 6d. war savings 386 NATURE [JuLy 18, 1918 certificate. would be to-day worth rl. because the nation will pay 1. for it in five years’ time. I fear that he stands alone in this valuation. H. Louts. \ Man’s Ancestry. ‘ In relation to your. reviewer’s interesting notice in Nature for June 27 of Prof. Wood-Jones’s booklet, ‘‘The Problem of Man’s Ancestry,” it is appropriate to remember that the ‘‘blood- reaction test’’ shows the relationship of man _ to the ape to stand exactly as that of the horse to the donkey; the latter have had a common ancestor. Taking man-as equalling 100, the ape comes at 70; the numbers for the horse and the donkey are the same. But this test shows no blood relationship whatever between man and the lower animals, thus confirming Klaatsch’s ,view that the» human line became separated very far down at the basis of the vertebrate phylum. W. Woops SMYTH. Maidstone, July 3. Tue similarity in the reaction of human and anthropoid blood is the most convincing evidence we have of man’s close relationship to the gorilla, chim- panzee, and orang. The classical experiments .on blood immunity and blood relationships carried out by Prof. Nuttall, of Cambridge, in the opening years of the present century assured him that those anatomists were right who brought man and anthro- poid apes from a common stock. All the biological evidence collected since 1904 has supported Prof. Nuttall’s conclusion. When attempts have keen made to transmit diseases which are peculiar to man, such as syphilis and typhoid, it has always been found that the great anthropoid apes are more susceptible than any other primate, and much more than any other mammal. When physiologists wish to discover the action of any particular_part of the human brain they invariably select an anthropoid ape as the sub- ject most likely to yield the information which is ‘being searched for. But I do not know of any anatomist who has claimed that the relationship between man and the gorilla or between man and the chimpanzee is as close as that which exists between the horse and ass. The structural difference between the gorilla and chimpanzee is greater than that which differentiates the horse from the ass; the structural difference between man and the gorilla i is still greater. It is for those who hold that man has arisen by an independent line from a primitive mammalian stock to explain why man’s blood gives no reaction with the blood of lower animals. If it is true that man ‘is a primitive form and retains primitive characters, then we should expect his blood to yield such. reactions. The fact that it does not supports the usually accepted hypothesis that man has arisen from an anthropoid stock. THE REVIEWER. POSITION. AND PROSPECTS OF THE HOME TIMBER SUPPLY. HE utility of forests to a nation is one of the economic factors to its well-being which have been brought to an unforeseen prominence during the world-war; and perhaps to no other European nation has this unlooked-for develop- ment proved so startling, because so totally un- suspected, as to ourselves. Our woods were not grown from the commercial aspect—sport, amenity, and shelter to crops. and stock were their main raison d’étre. We did not NO. 2542, VOL. 101 | consider it necessary to grow woods for pura commercial reasons—that is, for the sake of the timber and pit wood and paper pulp, etc., they We obtained our requirements in~ these commodities by importing them from abroad, — and relied on the Navy being able to safeguard We have now discovered,our mis- — The timber purchased ~ in 1915 and 1916 cost 37,000,000l. more than it ~ would yield. these imports. take and are paying for it. would have done in 1909-13. On the Continent it was thought that the utility | of the forest to a nation was thoroughly under- — stood, but a study of Continental text-books — discloses the fact that, so far as modern warfare — is concerned, even there the value of the forest and © its close connection with the operations of the — contending armies were but dimly foreseen. It © may be on record, perhaps, in the archives.of the — German War Office that an exceptionally large — demand for timber might prove one of the essen-_ tial factors to the successful waging of a great — But it is doubtful whether the Germans even _ foresaw the magnitude of the demands; and, in — war. any event, they would have calculated on obtain- ing their requirements in this respect from the countries they overran—as, in fact, has been the case in France, Belgium, Poland, and elsewhere. © Nor was it anticipated that the destruction of forests would be so heavy in the fighting zones. In the western provinces of Russia, for instance, from which the Baltic ports were mainly supplied, — some 16,000,000 acres of forest have been de- This in itself will limit the amount - we are likely to receive from the Baltic in stroyed ! the future. Destruction and heayy fellings are, then, taking place throughout Europe, and, with — our timber imports reduced to a negligible amount, we have now been felling heavily for some time past in our own small area of 3,000,000 acres of woodlands, of which probably not much more than half will be commercially exploitable. It will be alike useful and of.interest to consider briefly the present position and future prospects of this timber question. Almost from the outbreak of war we have been living a hand-to-mouth existence so far as timber supplies areconcerned. The first troubles arose with the pit-wood requirements of the collieries, and the matter has remained a difficult one throughout. Our position as the coal producer and coal mer- — chant of the Allies has rendered it essential to — keep the collieries working at full pressure. — Previous to the war three-quarters of our pit-wood supplies came from Russia and France; this amount was cut off at a moment’s notice with the © closure of the Baltic ports and the calling to the colours of the French woodcutters. The price at — once rose, and though, the imports continued for _ some time, the increasing demands made upon — tonnage for other purposes, coupled with the | German submarine campaign, gradually reduced them to a very small figure. We had to fall back upon our home woods for this product. also quickly arose for ash with which to fashion the handles of entrenching tools; but the use of A demand see Pw A ee Jury 18, 1918] NATURE 387 “this wood for the purpose was afterwards alto- gether eclipsed by its introduction into the con- _ struction of aeroplanes. .The country is now being ransacked for ash of high quality, and the price has greatly increased. During the first eighteen months of the war . the hutting of the New Armies absorbed. large amounts of soft timber, the material consisting Meco _ mostly of imports. With the improvement in trench construction, dug-outs, lines of communi- _ cation, and so forth, large orders for sleeper material, planks, etc., had -to be fulfilled, and _ considerable areas of old forest and young pole _ forests were felled (the pole woods at a sacrifice). - The latter were used for wire-entanglement posts, _ field telephones, corduroy roads, and gun-pits, of _ which numerous illustrations have appeared in the rely on our own home _ woods, and poorly grown as they were, pictorial Press. Packing cases for stores also ab- sorbed large amounts of wood. Later on a new demand arose: for the building of the net- work of light railways behind the front sleepers were required in enormous numbers, and by then we had been driven almost entirely to inadequate and such areas of forest in France as our Ally made over to us. In Great Britain we have become acquainted with Canadian and Newfoundland _lumbermen and their methods, with Portuguese, Se ae ill _ German prisoners, and others, companies of whom _ are at work throughout the length and breadth of ‘the country. ie Many ask, What is to be the end of it all? The answer is not, difficult. We shall have to be pre- pared te sacrifice all the woods in this country which are commercially exploitable. This is the present position. .If the war lasts long enough they will go into the war furnace and the material be lost to us so far as any future.utility is obtain- able from it. If the war comes to an end in the latter part of this year or early next year, still the balance will have to go in the course of a few years. .For the demand for timber after the war will be as great for some years, so far as can be foreseen, as it is at present, and the supplies,. owing to tonnage difficulties, short of the demand. Practically all our timber-using industries, where not employed on war work, are non-existent, of which house-building occupies a prominent posi- tion. We are all aware of the difficulties with which the paper trade, publishers, and the Press have.to contend. These troubles have become chronic. It will be necessary to restart all these industries after the war. Timber prices will remain high, and fellings.in our home woods will have to continue to help supplies. This is the present position so far as it can be foreseen. ‘ Now as to future prospects. From what has been already said it.is obvious that British woods will only be able-to supplement the supplies which will be required during the period immediately following the peace. Even if we undertake, as it is to be hoped we shall, a large afforestation scheme in these islands when the war is over, the woods will not yield pit wood before twenty NO. 2542, VOL. I0T] to thirty years after.formation, and timber in fifty to sixty years. We require, therefore, to make some arrangement to ensure adequate supplies during the next forty to fifty years. The old con- ditions in the North European timber markets, in which we reigned supreme at the outbreak of war, will not.return. Some of our’ present Allies, previously nearly self-supporting, will be our com- petitors in these markets in the future. What arrangement is, then, necessary to ensure supplies for the above period at a reasonable figure? The . problem requires to be faced and settled at~an early date. It is one of the urgent problems in connection with reconstruction,work. our imports of soft woods, pine, spruce, and larch, Russia being. the chief supplier. It is known that Norway and Sweden are nearly cut out. A few years will see their exports dwindle to a figure far below. the pre-war one. We shall have to face competition in markets which will be shrinking. It is therefore imperative that new sources of supply should be tapped. So far as Great Britain is concerned the two countries where such new sources exist are Canada and Russia. . Canada.—Canada has long been looked upon by Great Britain as a timber El Dorado. We know for a fact that she has a gigantic reserve of untapped timber. All agree that the Douglas fir forests of British Columbia are magnificent. It may therefore be admitted at once that we can reasonably hope to obtain a certain portion of our requirements from Canada during the period under consideration. But there are certain factors in this matter which should not be overlooked. The chief are, first, the extent to which the forests accessible to us—i.e. accessible from the point of view of the price to be paid for the material—have been cut out; and, secondly, the manner in which the future great competition by America, who has mostly cut out her gigantic forests and is an enor- mous consumer of timber, will be likely to affect the Canadian market and its prices. Canada and Newfoundland together sent us only about one- tenth of our coniferous timber and pit wood before the war. In the future these imports may be increased, but any increase must inevitably be guided by the ordinary laws of supply and demand. Canada, we may infer, will sell her. material, or the greater bulk of it, in the best market. This market, because the closest, will be the American. The timber imported from Canada in the past was practically all water-borne, cut on th2 banks of the rivers and floated out, this being the cheapest form of carriage. The .freights on long railway and road carriage would kill Canadian timber exports to this country, since we could . not afford,to pay the price. Opinions differ a good deal as to the amount of Canadian timber which remains accessible to us—t.e. accessible at a price we can afford economically.to pay. The other point, the competition with America, is a more difficult and delicate one. In the early years of this. century America endeavoured to negotiate with Canada a preferential tariff on In the past, Russia, Norway, and Sweden sent us the bulk of. 388 NATURE [Juny: 18, | 1918 | This question may be. expected £: crop up again. America‘must in the future be a very large importer of Canadian timber; and although we may hope to obtain a certain pro- portion of our requirements from Canada during the next forty years, it would» not be: a good policy, or even economically sound if another way out can be found, to stand in Canada’s way by asking her to forgo a certain part of a large and .profitable market at her door in order to bolster up a more distant one at a financial loss to herself. On the other hand, our timber indus- tries could: not afford to pay the same price as American ones plus the additional transit charges to this country. The question of tonnage does not affect the matter save in so far as the shorter the distance. the material has to be carried, the simpler the tonnage arrangements. Russia.—I have given some study to the Russian forests for the past decade and more, and had. an opportunity last year of discussing the wood pulp. problem of their exploitation with'several members . of the Russian Provisional .Government and: assist- ant’ Ministers. Russia has: an enormous area of undeveloped forests. Those of interest to us are situated in the Archangel, Vologda, and Olenets _Governments, Archangel and Alexandrovsk being: the ports of shipment, the chief species being pine, spruce, and larch. Before the war our chief: im- ports from Russia came from the Baltic ports. I have already given the reasons for regarding the revival of these imports after the war as improb- able. What remains of those forests, I was credibly informed, Russia will require. to keep for herself. I have long held the opinion that, with the inevitable decrease of the exports from: some» of the countries supplying Great Britain, which were all felling primeval forest, we should have to go to Russia for an increasing amount of our requirements. The war has brought’ about this condition and rendered our: position’ more diffi- cult owing to the fact that we shall now have to face competition to a degree previously non- . existent: It has become an economic necessity for us to obtain a proportion, the larger. propor- tion, of our requirements in soft woods from: the Russian forests during the next’ forty to. fifty years. The only point for consideration is, Are we going to make arrangements to obtain them direct, or are we going to: obtain them from middlemen and pay. the middlemen’s profits ? In March, 1916, I put forward the sugges- tion that we should come to an arrangement with the Russian Government whereby areas of a suffi- cient size to furnish us with a definite proportion of our requirements should be leased to us. With this end in view I’ went to Russia last year. I visited portions of the forests in the Archangel and Vologda Governments, and’ discussed’ the matter thoroughly with members of the Govern- ment. This Government’ had decided upon an arrangement under which it was prepared to favour the Allies as against the Central Powers with reference to granting facilities to capital for the development of the valuable unexploited NO. 2542, VOL. 101] resources of Russia, of which her forests will prove the easiest to commence with: The Governme was proposing to grant concessions in) the b forests of'the north-east in blocks of 500,000 ac each concession to be for a. period of thirty to” thirty-five years. The working of these blocks would be granted to foreigners who were prepared” to provide the necessary capital and would under= take to fashion the material in Russia before ex= port—i.e. convert it into sawn material, wood pulp, etc. I was informed. that the Provisional — Government was prepared to come to an agree-. ment with the British Government on these lines; — that, in fact, we could acquire an area or areas — of Russian forest which would enable'us to assure — a proportion: of our future requirements, our neces= — sities, in the soft woods which are of! sucht great” importance to our industries. This was the position when the Provisional: q Government was swept away and the Bolsheviks — came into power. The present phase in Russian — politics may be regarded as a transition stage. When a stable Government supervenes we should — be ready to take advantage of this opport tOr“g remove all anxiety on the score of the future f timber supplies of: this country. If we do not: — seize the opportunity we may be certain that: others will do so, in which case, since the material is essential to our wood-using industries, and, therefore, must. be obtained, we shall have: to pay middlemen’s profits to the foreigner, the’ Swede, Norwegian, and so forth, who, haying ex- ‘ ploited ‘their own forests, would wish ‘to maintain their exports to Great: Britain. Py, felling in mer Russian forests. P. pao ine ef 5 na Cyt 5 » INDIGO, IN BIHAR.. ie 2 age present position and future prospects of the natural indigo industry in India have of ' late been the subject of renewed and intensive study. Two interesting articles, in which the actual situation is partly summarised, have re-— cently appeared.!. These papers supply: a concise . review of the growth of the synthetic indigo in- dustry and of the displacement since 1897 of: natural indigo by the synthetic product. By 1910. the cultivation of indigo ‘in Java had’ almost be-. come extinct, the crop there being largely replaced’ by sugar. By 1914 the manufacture of indigo had- practically ceased in all the provinces of India except Bihar, where alone the industry was in’ European hands. and was’ conducted’ in. well- equipped ‘establishments. The area under indigo, which in 1895 was: nearly 1,700,000 acres, magi 3 shrunk to less than 150,000 acres. The price per Ib., which in 1897 was. still from 7s. to 8s,, had fallen, in the early part of 1914, to 3s. With the cessation of the supplies of Geenkeiate synthetic indigo which accompaniéd the Reeser of hostilities, the prices. of Indian indigo were 3 nearly quadrupled, and this high figure was main- By rodent aoa Soe ond nite Pree ee of India. evicubaant Journal of India, vol. xiii., parts i, (January) and ii. (April), 1918. oe ORT OP TD << Z : iththed: throughout 1914-15. » Jory 18; 1918] NATURE 389 There was a slight fall during 1915-16, but 1916-17 saw areyersion to the 1914—-15 standard, which has continued. There Was a corresponding increase in the area under the crop; this, during 1916-17, was three and a half times as great as the average for the. pre- ceding five years. There has been a similar rise in the quantity of indigo exported from India; four times as much was dispatched abroad in 15—16 as had been shipped during 1913-14. But fe total area under the crop in 1916-17, which exceeded 756,000 acres, still remained less. than half what it had been in 1895, while the total pro- duction in 1916-17; which amounted to 95,500 cwt., was little more than half the output of 1896, which had been 187,000 cwt. The view held in circles well qualified to judge is that this marked increase in the production of the natural dye since the war. began can be regarded. only as temporary, the synthetic dye being now too well established ever to be displaced. There is much to be said for this view. Since the war began, the actual output of the dye from the vari- dus Indian provinces in which by 1914 the industry, had- practically become extinct: has exceeded that from Bihar. Yet im these provinces the industry: had been in the past, and is now being, conducted in a somewhat primitive fashion by methods that result in a relatively poor yield of a product of low quality. The author of the papers before us nevertheless hazards the suggestion that, provided certain improvements in actual practice. can be effected, the natural product may “ be able to put: up an- un sabtees fight’ with the synthetic dye.’’ It is, however, admitted that the possibility of maintaining that contest must depend upon the retention or the capture of an Eastern market. An equally lucid and well-illustrated review of. the methods of manufacture which obtain in. Bihar is given in the second of the articles. under notice. The indigo plants there cultivated. are two in, number : Indigofera swmatrana, an Asiatic form; which is still the chief source of the dye in Bihar, first introduced to north-eastern India as a crop in the later years of the eighteenth century; and I. arrecta, an African species, first brought to India from Java ‘so recently as 1899. The latter species as a rule yields more green plant per acre than the former, and always produces far more dye per 100 maunds of plant. different treatment, for J. arrecta may be. sown in October and is ready: for a first cutting in. late May or early June: following, whereas..[. suma- trana cannot be profitably sown until’ February, and as a rule is not cut until. mid-July. Another advantage in the case of, I. arrecta is that this species suffers less from flooding and: water-log- ging than I. sumatrana does. One of the most important considerations connected with the future prospects of natural indigo in India -therefore is an increase in the cultivation of I. arrecta in prefer- ence to J. sumatrana, so as to cheapen the pro- duction of the dye. Unfortunately certain serious difficulties, chiefly of a botanical nature, are met with in the management of what. is still a com- NO. 2542, VOL. IOT| The two demand paratively new and correspondingly unfamiliar plant in Bihar. The most fundamental of these difficulties, which relates to the identity and the original home and habitat of the plant itself, was definitely settled on behalf of the indigo industry by the officers of the Indian Botanical Department in 1902. | The remaining difficulties, which are of a physiological ; and pathological nature, have been the subject: of study. by the Indian Agricultural Department dur- ing the past ten years. The author of the papers now under notice has promised to deal with these difficulties and to indicate the means by which they may be overcome; also to consider how: far existing methods of manufacture in Bihar are im- perfect and to explain how these may be improved. His further contribution to the general subject will therefore be looked forward to with interest. PROF. ALFRED SENIER. Pee ALFRED SENIER, who died on June 29 at Galway, was born at Burnley on. January 24, 1853. His parents, about two years after his birth, emigrated to’ Wisconsin, where he received his’ early education. In due course he attended the Universities of Wisconsin and Michi- gan, and graduated as doctor of medicine of.the. latter in.1873. But his-interest:lay principally. in- the subject of; chemistry, and, returning: to Eng- land, he filled; under Prof, Attfield’s. direction, the posts of assistant and demonstrator in chemis- try to the Pharmaceutical Society in London from 1874 to 1882, and, afterwards, for about. three: years, that of. lecturer in chemistry in St. John’s College, Battersea, of which the Rev. Canon: Daniel was. at that time: principal. He then be-. came a research student with Prof. von Hofmann, and after a period of three years received the degree of Ph.D. from the University of Berlin. His inaugural dissertation, “ Ueber Cyanursdure, ihre. Isomeren und Derivate,’’ on receiving this. degree, was, published. In. 1890 he became locum tenens. for, Prof: Maxwell Simpson in: Cork; and tin 1891’ he. was: appointed professor of chemistry and: lecturer in’ medical jurisprudence in Queen’s College, now University College, Galway. Prof. Senier’s researches in organic chemistry were devoted mainly, to the cyanuric acids, to the acridines, and.to phototropic and thermotropie phenomena. He proved the non-existence of a- and B-cyanuric acids, and his discovery of Sickad methylacridine and a-naphthacridine led to the in- vestigation of new acridine derivatives, to new methods of inquiry, and to. the discovery of, new types of acridine compounds. In his presidential: address to Section B of the British Association, in. 1912, he dealt with the salient features. of his-work: on phototropy and thermotropy. He was always greatly interested in philosophical subjects, and was familiar with the topics and controversies of philosophy and logic. With Dr.. W. R. Dunstan, he was instrumental in founding the Aristotelian Society in 1880. He was hon. secretary and treasurer of this society from its 390 NATURE : [Jury 18, 1918 foundation until 1884, and was made an hon. member in 1902. Prof. Senier took an active part in all matters connected with the government of Galway College and of the National University of Ireland. He was a member of the governing body of the, college and a member of senate of the university, and possessed in a high degree the qualities that are essential for securing efficiency ina position of responsibility in the administrative work of a university. He was a fellow of the Chemical Societies of London and Berlin, a fellow of the’ Institute of Chemistry,°a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and an honorary doctor of science of the late Royal University of Ireland. NOTES. THE French National Féte Day is July 14, but as , the date fell on a Sunday this year it was celebrated with much enthusiasm in London on Friday and Satur- _.day. Last year the sum of 200,0001. was raised on ‘“France’s Day’ for the French Red Cross, and this ’ year itis expected that a total of a quarter of a million pounds will have been reached. ‘The festival ‘was made particularly noteworthy by messages which were dispatched to France by many leading societies and institutions in Great Britain, among them being the following :—Royal Society: The Royal Society . of London sends greetings to the French nation, and more especially to its scientific men. It recalls the intimate friendship which since their foundation has bound together the Académie des Sciences. with its own body. Always united in their endeavour to pro- mote the advance of science, they are now joined in their efforts to defend the cause of civilisation and freedom. “British Association: Nineteen years ago the Dover meeting of the British Association was ‘so arranged that two great nations which had heen, a century earlier. grappling in a fierce struggle should ‘in the persons of their men of science draw as near together as they could.’ Another joint meeting with France was on the point of taking place when ‘our high hopes of lasting general peace were so. cruelly destroyed. But out of the destruction has arisen a far closer union of our two peoples, and an even brighter prospect of ‘our future co-operation for the good of humanity and of science. Royal College of Surgeons of England: Brothers-in-arms, we greet you. Bound by ancient ties of blood and by the memories of many a gallant contest in the past, to-day we stand as one nation united in a sacred cause. We have before us a happy presage from the past. As the united efforts of Pasteur and Lister have laid low the tyranny of disease, so shall France and Britain conquer a tyranny still more. remorseless. Our future brightens, and shall endow Gaul and Briton with a common birth- right to remain a splendid heritage for all time. British Academy: To France, who has so often in- spired and led civilisation in Europe: to France, who upholds the banner of intellectual freedom and un- fettered thought; to France, who for nearly four years has endured brutal outrage and the violation of all decencies of humanity and civilisation, the British Academy, in the name of British scholarship, sends on this great anniversary a renewed assurance of loyal fraternity and of unshaken determination to continue the conflict until liberty is secured and French soil delivered from the desecration of the invader. THE prevailing epidemic of so-called influenza is widespread both in this country and on the Continent. NO. 2542, VOL; Tor] . and unattended with complications. It differs from The most striking symptoms are sudden onset with chills, headache, and pain in the neck, back, loins, and limbs, with general malaise. Fever i present, ranging from 102° to 104°, or even 105° F., but generally disappears almost suddenly on the third or fourth day of attack, and the individual rapidly — convalesces. On the whole, the disease is quite mild — the true influenza, which was so prevalent in 1889 and the early ’nineties, by being milder and_of shorter duration, and by the rapid convalescence. The true in-_ fluenza is caused by Pfeiffer’s bacillus, a minute rod-— shaped microbe abundant in the bronchi es q As regards the present disease, Capts. T, R. Little,” — C. J. Garofalo, and P. A. Williams state that they — have investigated a number of cases and entirely) — failed to find the Bacillus influenzae, but a gram-posi- tive diplococcus appears to be constantly present in, the naso-pharynx, throat, ang, sputum, which they tentatively regard as being the causative organ oe (Lancet, ule ee 1918, p. 34). The ‘Lancet suggests a that the disease would be better named “ catarrhal ' fever.” P , Rigapnae ret 1 Tue following grants of money for research com-_ mittees were voted by the General Committee Of the British Association at the meeting in London on> July 5:—Section A.—Mathematical and Physical ~— Science: Seismological investigations, rool.; discus- | sion of geophysical subjects, tol. B.—Chemistry: Colloid chemistry and its industrial applications, 51.5 — non-aromatic diazonium salts, 7l. 7s. 8d. D.—Zoo-- logy: Inheritance in silkworms, 171. F.—Economic Science and Statistics: Women in industry, tol.; effects of the war on credit, etc., 1ol. H.—Anthropo- logy: Paleolithic site in Jersey, 5!.; archaeological in-~ vestigations in Malta, 1ol.; distribution of Bronze-» age implements, 1l.; age of stone circles, 151.3) anthropological photographs, il. I.—Phystology: _ The ductless glands, ol. K.—Botany: Heredity, 15l.;— Australian Cycadacee, 7l. 17s.; Australian _ fossil _ plants, 151. L.—Educational Science: The “free- place’ system, 5l. Corresponding Societies Com-— mittee: For preparation of report, 251. Total, - 2681. 4s. 8d. He aA A Tue death’ of Mr. Isaac Beardmore is recorded in. the Engineer for July 12. Mr. Beardmore, who was . eighty-two years of age, was joint proprietor, and ° was: associated. with the management, of Parkhead» Forge, Glasgow, for about twenty years. Under his’ — -control the Parkhead Forge was converted from an’ ‘iron to a steel works in 1878-80. ; ; Tue death is announced, on July 14, at seventy-— seven years of age, of Dr. R. O. Cunningham, » emeritus professor of natural history and geology, Queen’s College, Belfast. Dr. Cunningham was_ naturalist to the survey of the Straits of Magellan and ~ author of ‘‘ Notes on the Natural History. of the Straits — of Magellan’? and ‘‘On Reptiles, Amphibia, Fishes, Mollusca, and Crustacea obtained during the Voyage of H.M.S. Nassau.” 39) nee Two Chadwick public lectures were delivered by Prof. D’Arcy Thompson last month at the Mansion House, London, and the Surveyors’ Institution, West- minster, respectively. Abstracts of these lectures have _ been published in the Fish Trades Gazette of June 29 and July 6. The first dealt, in general, with the fish-. | ing industry of Europe, and in particular with the ~ line and trawl fisheries of Great Britain. The second — | had for subjects the great herring fishery of the Scottish and English east coasts, the growth of the — industry and its administration, and the origin of the fishing population. ~~ Sees ag Se ; 4 Jury 18, 1918] | - spector _ siderable foreign and_ colonial _ several years with the East London Railway, he went _ out, in 1869, to Hungary, to engage in railway de- _ velopment in that country, and, in 1880, he was in _ South Africa, constructing waterworks in Natal and Se A NATURE 391 _— _ .A SEPTUAGENARIAN engineer of distinction, with’ a long record of useful public and private service, has passed away in the person of Mr. George Waller Willcocks, C.B., whose death occurred on July 7. His most prominent work in this’ country was in connection with the Local Government Board, ‘which appointed him its chief engineering in- in 1902. Some time previously he had been, first chief assistant, and then chief, hydraulic engineer for Ireland, until the office was abolished in _ 1890, when he received the thanks of the Irish Execu- tive for his services. Mr. Willcocks had also con- experience. After ¢ ,Cape Colony. His private practice included much _ Parliamentary work on ‘railway Bills, and he also _ reported to the Thames Conservancy on the condition _ of the river from Purfleet to the sea. _ member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, having He was a been elected in 1873. Tue Electrical Research Committee, which was _ appointed last autumn, under the auspices of the Z insulating materials _ Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, is _at present engaged in superintending a research on (fibrous materials, porcelain, ebonite, mica, composite materials) and the water- proofing treatment of insulating windings of electrical machines, in respect of which grants have been made _to the Committee by the Research Department, the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers’ Associa- tion, and the Institution of Electrical Engineers. _ The Committee consists of three members nominated t by the institution, and three members nominated by - Mr. C the B.E.A.M.A., the nominees of the former being Pep se Wordingham (chairman of the Committee), Mr. C. C. Paterson, and Mr. C. P. Sparks, and those of the latter Mr. F. R. Davenport, Mr. D. N. Dunlop, and Mr. A. R. Everest. The temporary address of _ the Committee is r Albemarle Street, London, W.1, _ and the secretary is Mr. P. F. Rowell. _ June this year was generally cold and dry over the _ United Kingdom, and for the first month of summer ~ normal. ee was far from seasonable. temperature for the four weeks ending June 29, as shown by the weekly weather reports of the Meteoro- logical Office, was 57-3° F., which is 2° below the greatest deficiency of temperature oc- curred in the closing week, when the mean was 56-7° and 4° below the normal.. The maximum shade tem- perature in each of the last two weeks, ending June 22 and 29, was 73°, and for the week ending June 15 was only 74°. For one-half of the days in June the London temperatures failed to touch 70°. It is, how- ever, not necessary to go further back than two years for an equally unsatisfactory record, the weather being decidedly colder in June, 1916, when the mean temperature for the month at Greenwich was 2° lower, and there was a greater absence of warm days. The month this year was drier.’ The total rainfall for the four weeks ending June 29 at Greenwich was 0-75 in., which is 1-06 in. below the normal, and 41 per cent. of the average. There was no rain in the week ending _ June 8, and only 0-06 in. for the week ending June 29. In the Midland counties the total rainfall for the four _ weeks ending June 29 was o-g1 in., and in the south- east of England tor in. The report for’ the week ending June 29 states that the deficiency of rainfall in the South of England has been almost continuous since the week ending May 11, the deficiency for that NO. 2542, VOL. ror] At Greenwich the mean. ‘period being 38 mm. or 1-50 in., and the total measure- } ment in seven weeks is only 51 per cent. of the. average. WE have received from Miss M. M. Brinkworth, 3 Mount Beacon, Bath, an example of a peloriate Viola flower. Pelorisation with or without spurs has been observed in various species of this genus, but the case illustrated by Miss Brinkworth’s speci- men differs in showing a concomitant increase in the number of sepals and petals. Some interesting explorations were made in Spits- bergen last year by M. Adolf Hoel and Capt. S. Révig, of the Norwegian Navy. A short paper in La Géographie (vol. xxxii., No. 2, 1918) gives the chief results. The territory examined was in the south, chiefly between Bell Sound and Horn “Sound. M. Hoel denies the distinction generally made between the Archean and Hecla Hook formations on the west coast. He claims to have discovered in the Hecla Hook beds north of Horn Sound rocks characteristic of the so-called Archean formation of Spitsbergen. these rocks, at least in the south of Spitsbergen, he ‘attributes to pre-Devonian, probably Silurian, times. M. Hoel further claims to have discovered Tertiary rocks on the west coast between Horn Sound and South Cape. The paper also contains some informa- tion about the Horn Sound glaciers. Finally, there is news of increased mining activity, including new claims and the encroachment of certain Scandinavian claims on British estates. A report (vol. ii., A.5) on the Danish Oceano- graphical Expeditions of 1908-10 to the Mediterranean and adjacent seas deals with the distribution and life- histories of the fishes belonging to the families Argentinide, Microstomidz, Opisthoproctide, and Mediterranean Odontostomida. The report, written by Dr. Joh. Schmidt, refers almost entirely to the collections made by the author himself on board the Danish Fishery Research steamer Thor during the years 1903-10 in the north-eastern Atlantic, and later on in the Mediterranean. It is entirely systematic. There are very clear charts showing the distribution of the fishes collected, and special attention is devoted to larval and post-larval forms, a large number of these being described and figured. BULLETIN No. 11 of the’ Department of Fisheries. for the Province of Bengal’ and Bihar and Orissa (Cal- cutta: Bengal Secretariat,. 1918) consists of an account of investigations on the Hilsa undertaken during 1917, and also of a summary of previous work. The Hilsa is a very highly esteemed Indian food-fish. It is a Clupeoid (Clupea or Hilsa ilisha), and, like the salmon, it is an anadromous fish ascending rivers from the sea in order to spawn. From the time of Francis Day (1873) it has been the subject of more or less unsuccessful investigation. Day, recognising that the existence of weirs or anicuts presented great diffi- culties to the upward passage of the fish, advised a kind of under-water fish-pass, which does not seem to have been successful. The Madras Fisheries De- partment instituted research into methods of artificial culture in 1909, but this was apparently dropped. The present (Bengal) Department began again about ‘the same time, and, after sending a superintendent to America to study methods of shad-culture, tried to propagate Hilsa on the same lines, but without suc- cess. In this paper Messrs. T. Southwell and B. Prashav examine the methods, discuss the: reasons for failure, and suggest further investigation. THE May issue of the Veterinary Review (vol. ii., No. 2) contains, in addition to the reviews and ab- stracts of veterinary literature, a useful article by All: * 392 . WATER E | [Jury 18; 1918 Prof. Railliet on oxyurosis.in the horse. After giving an account of the history and characters of the genus Oxyuris, the author describes the cosmopolitan species, O. equi (curvula). He holds that there is no warrant for referring to different species, as: Jerke has done, the short-tailed and. long-tailed females, for these gradually merge, and they agree in all other essential characters, and the males are identical. In Prof. Railliet’s opinion the correct view is that O. equi has | polymorphic females. A summary of the pathogenic effects of these worms is given, and observations on the life-history cited, which indicate that the species has a direct development. Dr. J. ScHwerz contributes to the Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology (vol. xi., No. 4) observations on the habits of three species of tsetse- flies—Glossina brevipalpis, fusca, and pallidipes—in the Belgian Congo. These three and two other im- portant species—palpalis. and morsitans—select as resting-places the trunks and larger branches of trees. ‘In regions where they exist brevipalpis and pallidipes are not restricted to limited belts, but, like morsitans, are found uninterruptedly over large stretches of country. Brevipalpis accommodates itself to forest, park land, and wooded savannah, but pallidipes (like morsitans) does not inhabit the forest, whereas fusca occurs only in the forest, and, in fact, only in moder- ately dense forest belts. Where it does occur fusca is not uncommon and is’ sometimes even abundant; Dr. Schwetz states that his two trained native boys collected more than 500 specimens in a few weeks. This species does not fly during. the day, like mor- sitans, and. palpalis; but, remains motionless on. tree trunks, being only occasionally stimulated into flight by the passing of men and animals. Its definite period of activity is an hour or two after. sunset, and anyone. passing then through a haunt of this fly is sure to be attacked by numerous specimens. The haunts of brevipalpis, pallidipes, and fusca are almost exclusively. along roads and paths. WE have received a pamphlet on the Rockefeller Foundation compiled by its president, Mr. George E. Vincent, being a review of its war-work, public health activities, and projects. for medical education in 1917. The war-work includes a military base hospital of seventy beds erected in the grounds of the Rocke- feller. Institute in New York City, which embodies features which French ‘and. British practice has proved essential in a base hospital; here military. and naval medical. officers are. sent for. study. and. experi- ence, A tuberculosis.campaign has been instituted. in France. The training of sanitary. medical. officers is: being promoted by the foundation and. maintenance of a school of hygiene at.the Johns Hopkins University, Public health work is-being carried out in many lands. The control, of hookworm disease (anchylostomiasis) is being studied in. several States of the Union, in Brazil, Siam, Fiji, and China. Malaria is being dealt with in some of the southern States, yellow fever. in South America, medical education. is. being aided: in China, and contributions of funds and material have been given to the American Red Cross. ‘Truly a fine record, which has been rendered. possible mainly by. the princely. donations of the founder, Mr. John D. Rockefeller. ~ ‘ THE phenomena, of coneretionary growth. receive discussion in two recent. memoirs of the Canadian Geological Survey. In Memoir 1o1.Mr. W. A. John- ston refers to the importance of elevation above the local water-table in promoting. the formation of) con- cretions. in certain marine Pleistocene clays: In Memoir 102: Mr. T. T. Quirke! discusses clay-balls in NO. 2542, VOL. 10T| fluvioglacial clays in the Espanola district of Ontario, giving useful references to the analogous ‘ marlekor’ or Imatra stones of Fennoscandia. “aie Wuen Dr, L. L. Fermor showed, in. 1906, that a_ crystalline form of psilomelane existed in Central India, he was without evidence of the system to which — it should be referred. He now (Records Geol. Survey — _ of India, vol. xlviii., p. 103, 1917) shows from a care- — ful investigation that hollandite crystallises in the — scheelite class of the tetragonal system, a bipyramidal — class without vertical planes of symmetry, here styled — ‘‘pyramidal” without. further” qualification. Dr. Fermor regards romanéchite, which was named but_ not described. by Lacroix in 1900, as a hollandite with more water and less ferric oxide. Since the — accents vary in the paper, it may be remarked that the grave accent is correct, as in the villas > name of Romanéche. Sep aye ome Mr. P. W. Bripcman (Amer. Journ. Science, — vol. xlv., p. 243, 1918) has prepared a number of — cylinders of rocks and crystals with central’ cavities — drilled in them. These have been subjected in a — jacketing. cylinder of chrome-nickel steel to pressures — up, to. 12,000 kg./cm.*. | Disintegration takes. place — from the walls of the cavity, and it gradually becomes filled with flakes and sand. In the case of. crystal the splinters have. no obvious connection with t crystalline symmetry. - Even the. flaws in the origin specimens appear. to flay no part in this seconda fracturing; they are probably already closed tight by natural pressure. The author concludes that. ‘‘minute crevices, at least large enough for the per- colation of liquids, exist in hs canons i Sgt depths: corresponding to 6000 or 7ooo kg,/em.?, and possibly more.’ ayes whe i 2 “A CONTRIBUTION to the question of the origin of. ‘kaolin in deeply seated rock-masses is made by — Messrs. S. Paige and George Steiger of the U.S. Geological Survey (Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., vol. viii., p. 234, 1918). In connection with the chal- cosine deposits. of Tyrone,, New. Mexico, even quartz — has become replaced by kaolin. It is suggested that — sericite, which occurs abundantly as an alteration- — product of felspar:in the local porphyries, has become — decomposed by solutions containing sulphuric acid © from: the copper ores. Fluorine, which is shown to exist in the sericite, is thus set free, and this has. enabled the quartz to disappear in solution. Kaolin, — resulting from the attack made upon the sericite, takes the place of the quartz in the final mass. The effect of descending solutions: from sulphide ores: — in. promoting the kaolinisation of sericite’ is: also — referred! to. by Mr. J. Coggin Brown in his recent — description of the mines of galena and zinc-blende at Bawdwin in the North Shan States (Records Geol. — Survey: of Indias voli xlvili.,.p. 171)p er are Ve A iJ Tue French are turning their attention just. now to — the Pyrenean region, where considerable: water-power is available for industrial purposes: A number of chemical factories have been, or will be, installed in ~ the region. Of special importance (according to an — | article in La Nature for June 29) is the manufacture, of calcium carbide, artificial fertilisers, and cyanates,. while it is also hoped to develop the mineral deposits _and ‘treat them cheaply in the. large factories, which’ _ will give ample power for, the purpose. The bauxite- | déposits. will) be exploited for the production of | aluminium, andthe artificial fertiliser industry is sure to receive an impetus when the water-power still avail- _able is harnessed. At present only about one-fifth of | that which: can be produced is- utilised. The article y | 7 ‘ _ Jury 18, 1918] = a suitable colour-filters, the negatives. bein t | NATURE 393 gives brief particulars of a number: of installations. which are already working, and of others which it is: hoped to erect when capital and labour are available for the purpose. : _ THe amplitude of the oscillations produced in a Singing arc depends on the curvature of the current- voltage characteristic curve. If i, is the constant cur- rent upon which the variable current of effective value i, is superposed, it is shown (Revue générale de ‘Electricité, April 20) that i,=kpi,/r, in which k is a coefficient, p*the curvature of the characteristic curve at the region over which the oscillations are taking wan ‘r the resistance of the oscillatory circuit. h this equation i, depends on i,, and also on p and r, but if 7, is not very large, i, may be considered as nearly equal to the current that would be obtained vith 7,=o0, and the equation would give to a first approximation the effective value of the oscillating current in the singing arc. Ina lecture at the Technical College, Munich, Dr. A. Traube read a. paper on the production of ‘Uvachromie.”’ Three photographs are taken through coloured photographs by a. process which he calls uitable copied on ordinary. kinematograph films. After films are treated in.a.bath so.as to form a chemical compound that readily absorbs: colour material. The three component pictures can be coloured and dried ‘in about twenty minutes, and they are then placed in register upom one another, and the coloured photo- . aria pomeient, The) new: process has. the advan- the process. many copies may: be made as are required, sss being rapid and simple. ‘The photograph retains its sharpness of definition, and corrections in ur can easily be. made by replacing one or other the co nent films.in-the colour solution for the ate length of. time. paganda dell’ Associazione Nazionale del Congressi di Navigazione) gives particulars of: the work of the Hydre ic Office of the Po during the period Igi4-17. In spite of the war, much useful work has been done by the institution with: regard to rainfall observation (the number of observation stations both in the mountains and plains has been increased and new ads of observation. have been initiated), inydro- graphy, levelling surveys, measurement’ of flow. of streams, forecasting of floods and dry periods, the measurement of the: turbidity of streams, temperature _ measurements on the waters of the Po, investigation of: subterranean streams, etc. and ‘investigation, in particular, have received a great deal of attention. It: is: proposed to study Swiss methods of rainfall and snowfall: observation, using various: modern: types of recording instrument, and to correlate and co-ordinate results. Glacier study has also had the attention of the authorities, and results of considerable importance as to the formation of | glaciers and their influence on rainfall and tempera- | ture’ in valley regions should be anticipated when this work has been placed on its final basis. ATTENTION may be directed to a Bulletin just issued by the Engineering Experiment Station of the Uni- versity of Illinois, entitled ‘Percentage of Extrac- tion of Bituminous Coal, with Special Reference to Illinois Conditions.” It is well known that in coal- mining it is never possible practically to extract the whole of the coal from any given seam, and-that a certain percentage is always left behind and lost; fur- thermore, such loss is admittedly greater on the aver- age in the United States than it is in Great Britain, one of the main reasons being the low price of coal in the United States; ‘the coal-mining engineer of NO. 2542, VOL. I0T] . xing, these (1918) issue of Navigazione interna (Pro-. Rainfall observation America accordingly has not had as his problem the development of methods of extraction which would result in the largest percentage of ultimate recovery, but rather the development of methods which would result in the lowest cost of production.”” From a table given in the present Bulletin it appears that the per- centage of recovery of the entire seam ranges from. as much as 97 per cent. in the George’s Creek Field of Maryland to as low as 50 per cent. in Central Illinois. . The subject necessarily requires discussion in detail, since the amount of coal left behind depends in each case upon a large number of conditions, the nature of the seam, its thickness, depth from surface, inclina- tion, character of roof and floor all having to be taken into account, whilst the amount of damage done to the surface and the monetary value of such.damage> have also to be considered) Although American con- ditions of coal-mining are very different from. those prevailing in this country, the Bulletin will well repay perusal by British coal-miners, especially if it arouses sufficient interest to cause a similar investigation to be undertaken in this country. AccoRDING to a note in the Chemical Trade Journal for June 29, a new radio-active element of consider- able emissive power has been detected in the residue from pitchblende, which forms the raw material em- ployed’as a source of radium. This residue was sub- jected to treatment which finally left undissolved only the members of the tantalum group; and this in- soluble remainder showed a radiation, at first- slight, but gradually increasing largely, which proceeded mainly from the evolution of actinium, and indicated the presence of the new element ‘ “ protactinium.” Experiments for the separation of the element are to be undertaken, The period of semi-disintegration probably fluctuates between 1200 and 18,000: years. The information is based on statements published in the Miinchner Neueste Nachrichten. OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. Discovery OF WOLF’s’ PERIODIC CometT.—M.. Jonckheere, who has been searching for the return of Wolf’s periodic comet since May 4, discovered it on July 9 at toh. 45m. G.M.T. with the 28-in. equa- torial at Greenwich. The comet was at the time of discovery between the 15th and 16th magnitude, and about 9” in diameter. It is about +5o0s. in’ RiA. and ‘ 15’ north of the place given by M. Kamensky’s orbit (A.J. 729). On July 10 the magnitude was estimated as 15th, and on July 12.as 14th. The comet was -dis- covered in 1884, when it was of 8th magnitude, and’ was observed in the returns of 1891, 1898, and 1911, but not in. 19¢5. THe New Star 1x Aouira.—The new star has varied but little in brightness during the past week, and, was of approximately the 4th magnitude on July 14. The spectrum, however, has shown a further approach to the nebular stage. On July 13 Prof. Fowler observed that in the visible spectrum the en- hanced lines of iron were represented only by very feeble lines at 517 and 532, while the line about 501, which would appear to be the chief nebular line, was scarcely inferior in brightness to Hg- The.line about Hy, also appeared to have gained in relative bright- ness, as if the nebular line 4363 had made its appear- ance. The band at 464 was bright and broad, and a faint band on its less refrangible side was: probably 4686. There was also a faint band about the position of the helium line 4471.. The group of three bright lines. in the region of D was reduced in intensity. It would seem that the loss in magnitude due to the fading out of the enhanced lines and the reduced 394 NATURE [JuLy 18, 1918 intensity of the hydrogen lines has been partially com- pensated by increased intensity of the nebular lines. An account of photographs taken at Meudon on June 12 and 15 has been given by Mr. J. Bosler (Comptes rendus, June 24). In addition to the whole series of hydrogen lines, there were bright lineseat 592, 588, 569, 532, 518, 502, 493, and 465, and fainter lines at 648, 638, 555, and 454. The bright lines varied in breadth from 30 to 60 A., and were accom- panied by the usual dark lines on their more re- frangible sides; if interpreted in terms of motion, the displacements would indicate a relative velocity of 2300 km. per second, or about 23 times that observed in any previous nova. Dark lines, apparently with- out bright companions, occurred at "461, 421, 389, and 3934 (K). The new line noted by Mr. Phillips on July 4 was about 407, as in Nova Persei on March 21 te 24 1go1; the position previously given was erroneous. Photographs obtained by Mr. Phillips on July 12 and 13 show a well-defined line on the red side of Hy, which is doubtless the above-mentioned nebular line 4363. The band at 468 has also been noted in recent plates. Father Cortie sends the following notes on recent photographs :—‘‘ On July 13 a photograph of the spec trum showed that each ot the hydrogen bands Hg to H¢ contained a central brighter region in which were two bright lines. Each band was about 50 Angstrom units in breadth. The bright region at wave-length 4640, extended altogether over 160 angstroms, and consisted of two broad bright bands, in continuous spectrum. On June 30. this bright region had a breadth of 90 Angstr6m units, and on July 8 of 110 units. There was a’second bright band beginning at 44523, and extending over more than 50 units. The visual spectrum showed H, very bright, and probably just doubled, D bright, and a continuous patch of colour in the green. “In the photographs of June 29 and 30 the 4640 ‘band was doubled, the more refrangible component being the brighter. The same is true of H,. On July 13, in the 4-in. finder, for a few moments the star itself seemed to be double, the companion just preceding the brighter star in right ascension. This may be an illusion, but is noted in case any other observer has seen the star double.” A NEw VarIABLE STaR IN AuRIGA.—By comparison of photographs taken with a 4-4-in. portrait lens towards the end of 1905, Mr. A.. Stanley Williams detected a star of varying magnitude situated in Auriga, and he has since then accumulated sufficient visual observations to establish the character of the _light-curve (Monthly Notices, R.A.S., vol. Ixxviii., p-. 483). The position of the star for 1900 is R.A. 5h. 8m. 27s., decl. +39° 57-5’. The discussion of the ‘observations shows that the variation is of the Cepheid type, and the period 18-3563 days. The magnitude ranges from 10-04 at maximum to 10-79 at minimum, and the interval from minimum to. maxi- mum is 7:0 days. FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE. a beatae session of the Aristotelian Society, the British Psychological Society, and the Mind Association was held in London on July 5-8. The aim of this session, which has now been held for several years, is to endeavour to bring together the actual workers in mental and neurological science and those engaged in purely philosophical research tor the discussion of fundamental’ problems. The subjects discussed included problems of mathematics and NO. 2542, VOL. 10T| physics, of physiology and Pe of practical psychon A logy, and of pure metaphysics. Ly Lord Haldane presided at the opening meeting, < when Prof. Alexander expounded a_ new phe a sophical theory of space and time. “His theory is— that there is one primitive entity, the matrix or Stuff — of existence, space-time, and that all forms of mind and matter are complications of it. In the discussion — Prof. Whitehead criticised it from the point of view of mathematical physics, and Prof. Phage ae from that of philosophy. Prof. Wildon Carr presided at the discussion: of the symposium “Are Physical, Biological, and Psycho- — logical Categories Irreducible?’’ The ‘contributors q were Dr. J. S. Haldane, Prof. D’Arc Tee Dr. Chalmers Mitchell, and Prof. L. TH Hobhouse. The discussion proved ‘of exceptional interest in the. number of illustrations from applied science” which were brought to bear on the question.. The main problem was the adequacy of mechanistic interpre ta- tion as used in physics when applied to the higher — spheres of life and mind. The opposing views were represented by Dr. Haldane and Prof. D’Arcy Thompson. Prof. Whitehead, Prof. Nicholson, and Mr. Brierley contributed valuable accounts of ex f ments in their respective sciences, and Dr. S val: Lord Haldane, and others discussed the relation “ot the problem to philosophy. Dr. C. S. Myers presided at the symposium “Why ’ ‘the Unconscious’ Unconscious?” by Dr. Maurice Nicoll, Dr. W. H. R.’Rivers, and Dr. Ernest, Jones. The disctission was notable as emphasising a distinct change which seems to be manifesting itself in the theory and practice of psychoanalysis. Many of the distinctive. features of Freud’s original statement, e.g. the endo-psychic censor, seem to be vanishing into the background. There was remarkable unanimity in most of the speakers in regarding ** the unconscious’”’ as not simply a force resistir F rimeaieg tion and baneful in its effect, but as esse and primarily a force to be identified with. the: pe of . life itself. Besides the three contributors to the svm- posium, the chairman and Dr. ‘McDougall, Dr. Mitchell, Dr. Crighton Miller, Dr. Constance Long, — Dr. Goldsbrough, Mr. Flugel, and Prof. Wildon Carr. took part. The largest attendance was at the meeting on. Sunday afternoon, when Mr. A. J. Balfour presided at the discussion of the symposium ‘Do Finite Indi-. viduals Possess a Substantive or an Adjectival Mode of Being?’’ The contributors were. Prof. Bernard 4 Bosanquet, Prof. Pringle-Pattison, Prof. G. F. Stout, and Lord Haldane. In the discussion Prof. Bosanquet | defended with noticeable earnestness the view "which is identified with the philosophy of Mr. Bradley and : himself, the view that the ultimate subject of ] a dication is one and universal, that igs ag is the . lute. He was opposed by Prof. Pringle-Pattison, he F acknowledged, however, a wide ground of common ~ agreement. A more decided opposition came from Prof. Alexander. Lord Haldane, in a very clear sum- mary of the two views, held that the real crux of the \ problem lay in the antithesis between the concepts of ‘substance and subject, and suggested that the solution is the doctrine of degrees of truth and reality. Prof. Whitehead expressed the point in dispute with — mathematical precision in his question addressed to all the disputants, ‘‘Is there any substantive existence of a vee relatum which is independent of all or any relation?” The final meeting was presided over by Prof. Wildon Carr.. Two short communications, the first on “The © Philosophical Importance of the Verb ‘To Be,’” by Miss L. S. Stebbing, the second on ‘‘The Summation . of Pleasures,” by Miss Dorothy Wrinch, both called forth an animated and interesting. discussion. | 5 —= ee lectures to pupils in museums and art galleries. ae ah Jury 18, 1918] ., NATURE 395 THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION. ges evidence of the desirability of our educational institutions “carrying on" in war-time is afforded by the excellent results achieved at the annual con- ference of the Museums Association, held at the Town Hall, Manchester, on July 9-11. In view of the difficulty of entertainment, etc., the conference Was curtailed to three days, but as a result of the lengthy sessions each morning and afternoon, and on one evening, probably more actual work was crowded in the three days than during any previous conference. It was remarkably well attended, there being about eighty delegates from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. To the great regret of the members, the president, Mr. E. Rimbault Dibdin, _ Was prevented through illness from attending and giving his address. This was particularly unfortunate in view of the recent efforts of the association to give more prominence to matters connected with the art side of museum work, an aspect which was possibly rtly neglected by the association in years gone by. owever, by the efforts of the local secretary, Mr. Haward, and the general secretary, Mr. J. Grant Murray, this aspect of the association’s work was well to the fore. _ The members had the usual experience of hearing a few papers on elementary museum matters, mostly by local authors, but one result of the association’s propaganda during the last quarter of a century was amusing. For years the association has endeavoured to make the education committees interested in the museums, and has advocated the appointment of special teachers to devote their time entirely to giving This has at last been accomplished at Manchester, and, possibly through being unaware of the association’s , the various teachers concerned gave details of the nature of their work. The value of museums in war-time was brought prominently forward, and no doubt impressed the various chairmen and members of com- mittees who were present. Bearing more particularly upon the war were:—‘The Aims and Objects of the Imperial War Museum,” by Lieut. Charles ffoulkes, and ** Local War Museums,” by Mr. Charles Madeley.- Dealing with educational aspects of museums were :— _ “The Art Museum and the School,” by Mr. J. Ernest ‘Phythian; ‘‘The Museum in Relation to the School,” by (a) Mr. R. Saunsbury, (b) Mrs, B. Bell, and (c) Miss B. Hindshaw; the art side of museum work being represented by ‘The Preservation, Cataloguing, and Educational Value of Print Collections,” by Mr. Isaac J. Williams; ‘‘The Museum in Relation to Art and Industry,’ by (a) Mr. Henry Cadness, (b) Mr. _H. Barrett Carpenter; ‘‘The Application of Art to Industry and its Re!ation to Museum Work,” by Mr. S. E. Harrison; ‘Art Museums,” by Mr. Fitzgerald | Falkner; and ‘‘ Material and Design in Relation to Craftsmanship,” by Mr. Joseph Purton. The more general subjects dealt with were :—‘‘ The, Museum and Trade,” by Mr. Thos. Midgley; ‘‘A Plea for the District Federation of Museums and Art Gal- leries.” by Mr. Robert Bateman; ‘‘ Arrangement of an Ethnographical Collection,’ by Mr. Ben H. Mullen; ‘“‘ Local Museums and their Réle in National Life,” by Mr. Louis P. W. Renouf; and ‘‘ Museum and Art Gallery Finances,” by Mr. E. E. Lowe; a little relief being given to the somewhat serious proceedings by a humorous paper on “Packing and Removing a Museum of Geology and Antiquities in War-time,”’ by Mr. Thos. Sheppard. Before and after the meetings many members visited the museums and art galleries for which the Man- chester district is so famous. There was an informal NO. 2542, VOL. 107] dinner at the conference headquarters, the Grand Hotel, on July ro, under the chairmanship of Dr. W. E. Hoyle, and the Lord Mayor of Manchester provided tea for the members at the Town Hall each day. The president for next year is Sir Henry H. Howarth, and the hon. secretary Mr. W. Grant Murray, of Swansea. At the council meeting, held at the close of the conference, it was agreed that the association should meet again next year. ECONOMIC RESOURCES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. i ees report of the curator, Mr. R. T. Baker, of the New South Wales Technological Museums for the year 1916 shows that these museums are accomplish- ing much useful work in adding to our knowledge of the economic resources of New South Wales and in securing the better utilisation of these resources. In- creased attention is being given to the native timbers of the Colony, especially for the manufacture of furni- ture, and the museums staff has been able to assist in this direction by supplying technical information regarding the timbers and by adding to the exhibits numerous examples of Australian workmanship in home-grown timber. An elaborate illustrated mono- graph on the fishes of Australia and their technology was published during the year by Mr. T. C. Roughley. This is designed to meet the large demand that has arisen with the development of Australian fisheries for accurate information regarding the’ edible fishes of the country. The book also describes the methods in use in the New South Wales fishing industry. A good deal of research work has been accomplished in spite of the difficulties caused by the war, and the staff has taken part, either in an advisory or execu- tive capacity, in several investigations arranged by the - Various committees that have been formed in Australia for the promotion of munition manufacture or the development of industrial and_ scientific research. These include an investigation of the use of grass-tree resins as a source of picric acid (New South Wales Munitions Committee) and an inquiry into the economic ~ possibilities of posidonia fibre (Execu- tive Committee of Science and Industry), two subjects which have long attracted attention both in this country and Australia. Perhaps the best known | work of the museums is that on the eucalypts, and it is interesting to note that among the papers pub- lished during the year two more on this subject were included, the first on the eucalypts of South Australia and their essential oils, and the other on the essential oil of E. Macarthuri. THE TORNADOES OF THE UNITED STATES,} AJATURE of a Tornado.—The relation of a tornado to human life and property depends upon its nature. What it does is determined by what it is. Briefly stated, a tornado is a very intense, progressive whirl, of small diameter, with inflowing winds which increase tremendously in velocity as they near the centre, developing there a counter-clockwise, vorticular, ascensional movement the violence of which exceeds that of any other known storm. From the violently agitated main-cloud mass above there usually hangs — a writhing, funnel-shaped cloud, swinging to and fro, rising and descending. With a frightful roar comes the whirl, advancing almost always towards the north- 1 By Prof. Robert DeC, Ward, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.. U.S.A. Abridged by the author from the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, vol. xliii., No. 183, July, 1917. e 396 NATURE east with the speed of .a fast train ,(twenty to forty miles an hour or more), its wind velocities exceeding 100, 200, and probably sometimes 300 or more miles an hour; its path. of destruction usually less than a quarter of a. mile wide; its total life a matter of perhaps an hour or so. It is as ephemeral as it is intense, Fortunately for man, tornadoes ‘are _ short-lived, have a very narrow path of destruction, and are by no means equally intense throughout their course. Their funnel cloud, which indicates the region of maximum .velocity. of the whirling. winds, ascends. and descends irregularly. Where it descends, the destruc- tion is greatest; where it rises, there are zones of greater safety. . The whirl may be so far above the ground that it does no injury whatever. It may descend low enough to tear roofs and. chimneys to pieces. It may come down to the ground and leave nothing standing. oe [Jury 18, 1918 attested explosive effect accounts for many tornado ‘‘ freaks’? which cannot be explained by any~ controls, either of radially or spirally inflowing winds, whatever their velocity, The damage done by tornadoes may be. roughly classified as follows:—(1) That resulting from. the violence of the surface winds, blowing over. buildings and other exposed objects, crushing them, dashing them against each. other, etc.; (2) that caused by the explosive. action; and (3) that resulting. from the up- rushing air movement close around the central vortex. Carts, barn-doors, ‘cattle, iron. chains, human beings are carried. through the. air, whirled aloft, and dashed to the ground, or they. may be dropped ‘gently at con- siderable distances from the places where they were picked up. Iron bridges have been removed from their foundations; beams are driven into the ground ; nails are forced. head-first into boards; cornstalks are sil x eS eS See ae Fic. 1.—St. Louis, Mo., tornado, May 27, 1896. Damage and Loss of. Life in .Tornadoes.—The cen- tral low-pressure core of the tornado is surrounded by radially inflowing winds of moderate strength, and then, closer to the centre, by spiralling and ascending winds of terrific violence; strong enough to crush and wreck the strongest’ buildings; ascending with suffi- cient velocity to carry aloft objects ‘so heavy ‘that’ for wind to lift them: seems. almost impossible. face winds which take part in the vorticular inflow and ascent seem to be ‘chiefly responsible for the damage and loss of life. ‘There is, however, :an: addi- tional factor. The central “core,” surrounded py its whirling winds, has its pressure greatly reduced “by the centrifugal force of the;whirl. It therefore exerts a powerful explosive effect upon near-by:air at ordinary pressures, within buildings or.in other.more.or ess well-enclosed ‘spaces. ' This curious ‘but very widely NO. 2542, VOL. 107 | Wreck of Car Barn. The*sur- From the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. driven partly through doors; harness is stripped froin horses; clothing is torn from human beings and stripped into rags. The damage.is greater and ex- -tends farther from the centre on the right of the track than on, the left, for the wind velocities are greater on the right, as in the “dangerous semi- circle ’’ on the right of the track of tropical cyclones. The explosive effects are many and curious. The walls of buildings fall out, sometimes letting the roof collapse on to. the foundations; or the roof may be blown off, leaving ‘the walls standing. The accom- panying photograph (Fig. 1) illustrates some of the damage which was done by the St. Louis, Mo., tor- nado of May 27, 1896. ‘The surface of the ground may be swept clean, as if with a broom. blown out of houses and carried to great distances. Empty ‘bottles are uncorked; feathers plucked from Articles may be. .. A ‘NATURE © 397 ‘Jury 18, 1918] - ¥ises from chimneys; mud penetrates clothing. . _ Property damage in the United States due to tor- nadoes varies. greatly from year to year, depending, _ @$ it does, upon the “ accidental’’ passage of tornadoes _ through well-populated or through sparsely settled _ districts. %In half. an hour the St. Louis tornado (May 27, 1896) destroyed property to the amount of 10,000,000 dollars in St: Louis alone. In some years the damage for the whole United States falls to but a few hundred thousand dollars. _ Fig. .2 illustrates the tragic fate of one family in a tornado (May 30, 1879).?, A house was moved entirely from its foundation to the south-east, then broken to ee ae ae eae =~ pieces and scattered along the tornado trac to’ the north-east for more than a-mile. The members of the household, consisting of father, mother, and’ four children, ran outdoors as the storm:came. ‘They first turned north-west, but, thinking that the tornado was coming towards them, they turned towards the east. One by one they were caught up and carried by the wind: The father and baby were carried 150 yards into a field to the north-east, and found in the agonies of death: The mother was carried eastward seventy- five yards, and dashed against’ a tree; around which she Le aleis 1 WORRY. SR et arti e ; N FATHER ANO 2 BABY ‘ BOY 4 IRL : c 4 Led AAOTHER ais i SA er de FG. S 8 one geet eee ite 2 et: Me, i ere ea? WM] Ss Fig ye Teraads, Pes S ’ ty 1879. From the Quarterly Journal of e Meteorological Society. . Hes, Hee ee ; a) was ally twisted; her skull was crushed, and her clothing was stripped from her body. A girl was found dead, fifty yards north-east of the house, in the direct of the storm. A’ boy was blown into a haystack forty-five yards to the north-east, and a girl was found eighty yards to the north-east lying in the tornado track. Neither of these two children was seriously injured. Disasters similar to this one come ! too frequently in the American tornado belt. Finley listed some 600 tornadoes, of which forty _ were fatal to human life, causing a loss of 466 lives _ and injuring 687 persons. In the case of the St. _ Louis tornado. (May 27, 1896) the loss of life was 306. In fact; in this one storm the fatalities and the damage to property were greater than in any other single tornado on record. Prof. Mark W. Harrington, formerly Chief of the U.S: Weather Bureau, estimated _ that the chance that a tornado may, in any year, _ cross the particular locality where any individual may _ happen to be is 1 in 625,000, and ‘“‘not worth worry- , 2 rs + 6 Lad ? S bot anads: Missoni, Nebraska, aid Towa,” Protnsoost Papers, U.S Signal Service, No. iv. (Washington, D.C., 1881. ) % J.P. Finley, ‘Report on the Character of Six Hundred Tornadoes,” Professional Papers;. U.S. Signal Service, Nov vii: (Washington, D.C., thet - 1884.) NO. 2542, VOL. 101] barnyard poultry; doors and windows blown out; soot attained for developing the dreaded tornado. ing about.’’* The late Prof. Cleveland Abbe concluded that even in the so-called ‘‘‘ tornado States ’’ the prob- ability of tornado destruction is less than’ that of lightning or fire.® Distribution of Tornadoes in Place and Time.—The real home of the tornado is over the great lowlands east and west of the Central ‘and Upper Mississippi and of the Lower Missouri valleys, and, to a less marked degree, over some of the southern States. ‘Tornadoes are rare west of the rooth meridian, and very rare or unknown in the mountain areas. They have been” reported from all States east of the plains, but de- crease markedly in frequency towards the north. They are rare in the Appalachian Mountains, and also in- frequent along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The’ widespread impression that tornadoes are increasing in number in the United States is without foundation of fact. ‘Tornadoes are reported with greater accuracy than formerly, and they are likely to do more damage than they used to do because the country is more densely populated. Tornadoes may appear in any month, and at almost any hour of the day or night. Like thunderstorms, however, they distinctly prefer the warmer months, and the, hours closely 5 plan 3 the warmest part of the day. Thus spring and early summer (April-July) and 3-5 p.m. are their favourite times. Tornado Weather Types.—Tornadoes have much in common with thunderstorms. In fact, they are, in reality, special local developments, of greater violence, in connection with severe thunderstorms. _The general conditions which produce these two phenomena are, to a large extent, identical.. The essential difference comes in the formation of the vorticular whirl in the tornado. Thus, like the largest and most severe American thunderstorms, tornadoes occur as attendants of the parent cyclones of which they are the offspring. They are born, in the large majority of cases, in the area of warm, damp southerly winds flowing north- ‘ward from-the Gulf.of Mexico in front of a general. cyclonic storm. This storm is. usually; more or less elliptical or V-shaped, its major axis extending north to south or north-east ‘to. south-west from the Great Lakes, across the central. lowlands well into the southern States. The ‘‘wind-shift. line’’ or. ‘critical axis” is usually well marked. North-and west of the wind-shift line northerly to westerly winds are blow- ing, with relatively low temperatures, and not infre- quently with rain or snow. South and east of the critical axis there is a great flow of southerly or south- westerly winds with higher temperatures, usually sultry and oppressive weather, and often with rain squalls. When conditions are favourable, tornadoes are likely to occur in a district some 300, 400, 500, or more miles to the south-east, south, or south-west of the cyclonic centre, near, but usually to the east of, the wind-shift line. Here the contrast between , the warm, damp southerly and the cool, dry northerly and westerly winds is sharp. Here is inevitably a zone of great disturbance; of over-running, under-running, and mixing; of turbulence; of. instability; of local whirls. Here, aided by the local warming due to sun- shine, are favourable conditions for breeding thunder- storms and, fortunately much less often, for develop- ing tornadoes. The parent cyclone may travel many thousands. of miles, a good part of the way round the world, vet in only one portion of its long course, in the Mississippi valley region of the United States, and. usually only at one tirae of the year, in spring and summer, is just the right combination of conditions . The 4M. W. Harrineton. ‘‘ About the Weather,’ p. 164. (New York. 1890.) 5 Cleveland. Abbe, ‘‘ Tornado Frenuency per Unit Area,” Monthly Weather Review, vol. xxv., p. 250. (Washington, D.C., June, 1897.) 398 NATURE [Jury 18, 1918 accompanying figure (Fig. 3) is a freehand composite illustration, showing in a broadly generalised way a weather map characteristic of tornado occurrence in the Central Mississippi valley region of the United States. Tornadoes also spring up under conditions which differ considerably from those here illustrated. It is, therefore, impossible to select or to draw any fixed ‘‘ tornado-type’’ map. Protection of Life.—The possible protection and pre- servation of human life in tornadoes are very real and vital questions over large areas of the United States. From a long and intimate study of tornadoes Finley deduced certain rules for the protection of life which have over and over again. proved their accuracy and value. If a tornado is approaching, from west or south-west, and the observer is on or very near its probable path, the best thing to do, if there is time, is to run north,. ‘‘Dug-outs”’ or tornado-cellars should | _ fairly clear. Tornadoes cannot possibly be prevented ;_ and no building, certainly none of any practical use, can be built to withstand the violence of the wind in Hence the only resource left is to protect life and property to- the best of our ability and with a knowledge of the facts which have been brought to light by a Sane, phenomena. © the vortex of a well-developed tornado. unprejudiced, scientific study of the Owing to the varying intensity of tornado violence and of the velocity of the surface winds, the damage done to different sorts of buildings varies greatly. if the intensity of the storm is not sufficiently great to destroy everything in its path, the damage done by _the less violent winds will obviously depend largely — _ upon the strength of construction and upon the build-— It was Finley’s advice to build “as — * you would without the knowledge of a tornado.” found, however, that, other things being equal, a ing materials. frame building seems to _ resist or stone. frame structures more stable and solid ones of stone makes little or no difference in the or on a hill. In view of the property loss occa- ' sioned by tornadoes it is natural that tornado insurance has become a widespread and popular method of financial protection. So far, carried’ on scientific ‘basis. upon *a millions of dollars is carried, largely ‘by general fire insurance companies and partly by local mutual insur- ance companies. a tornado is usually crude and un- scientific, and there is much un- necessary confusion. It is true that prohibit some ‘‘risks,” such as windmills, old and frail buildings, large plate-glass windows,’ and the like. It is interesting to note the marked rise and fall of the amount Fic.3.—Composite weather map, showing conditions favourable for tornadoes R. DeC. Ward). rom the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. be provided near the house. The safety secured by means of ‘‘dug-outs”’ is that they remove persons who seek refuge in them from risk of injury from fiying débris, also from the danger of being picked up by the winds. fs If there is no time to escape, or if escape is im- possible, the safest place is to stand, face forward, against the west or south wall of the cellar, as near the south-west corner as possible. The reason for these precautions is this: that the débris of the house will, if the building is destroyed, be most likely to be carried towards the. north-east. Hence north-east or east rooms and walls are least safe. If caught. out- doors, and otherwise unable to escape, the best thing to do, as a last resort, is to lie flat on the ground in an open space, face downwards, the head to the east, and the arms placed over the head for protection. Protection of Property: Tornado Insurance.—In regard to the protection of property certain things are NO. 2542, VOL. roT| | May, of tornado insurance with the oc- currence in any year of severe or destructive tornadoes. Closely fol- lowing the St. Louis tornado of 1896, there was an increase of tornado insurance of nearly 10,000,000 dollars, and after the Omaha (Nebraska) tornado of Easter Sunday, 1913, several million dollars’ worth of tornado insurance was written rounding districts, which were at once thoroughly canvassed by insurance agents. Many new ‘“dug- outs”? and cellar caves were built at the same time. © destruction better than one of brick © The modern steel-con- © struction buildings have some of — the ‘‘elastic’’ quality which renders — safer than the — end whether a building is in a valley” however, the business has not been. thoroughly Tornado insurance to the amount of several hundred . The definition of . the more conservative companies do in Omaha and the, sur-. or brick of the older style. It — ; 4 ia “a 4 4 As Prof. H. E. Simpson * has pointed out, tornado insurance risks differ from others in several ways, — notably in the fact that there is no criminal hazard present. destroy their buildings for the sake of the insurance on the plea that the damage was done by a tornado, It is obviously wise to scatter tornado risks across, ~ not along, the usual path followed by tornadoes. 6 H. E. Simpson, ‘‘ Tornado Insurance.” Monthly Weather Review, vol. XXxili.. Pp. '534-39- _ graphy is appended. (Washington, D.C., December, 190s.) (A short biblio- ) ey For people cannot remove, or explode, or | j ) i — William S. McCormick ee A: ‘where the loss occasioned by one tornado may the company. On the whole, general tornado insur- Jury 18, 1918] A NATURE S99 _ The complete destruction often caused by a single _ tornado makes it extremely unsafe for any local mutual insurance company to insure over a small area only, ruin ance in the ‘tornado belt,’’ and buildings erected without regard to the possibility of tornado occurrence, seems to be the best policy. The present status of tornado insurance in the United States is an excellent illustration of the mistakes which are made when thoroughly well established scientific facts, which are easily accessible to the public, are disregarded. UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL Sib de INTELLIGENCE. : Tue Education Bill was read for a third time in _ the House of Commons on July 16, and will be con- sidered at once in the House of Lords. It is expected that the Bill will be passed into law before the Par- liamentary recess. _ By the will of the late Lord Rhondda the governing body of Gonville ani Caius College, Cambridge, will receive out of the residue of his estate the sum of 20,0001., to be applied at its discretion for the benefit of the college, but preferably in the establishment and maintenance of six to ten scholarships tenable at the college for mathematics, natural science, or moral science (including economics), preference being given, ceteris paribus, in the awarding of such scholarships to residents or sons of residents in Wales or Mon- mouthshire, Tue Industrial Reconstruction Council has arranged a series of lectures to be given at the Saddlers’ Hall, Cheapside, October to December next. The lectures will be as follows :—‘‘Commerce and Industry after the War,” Sir Albert Stanley (President of the-Board of Trade); ‘Principles of Reconstruction,” Dr. Christopher Addison (Minister of Reconstruction) ; “Functions of the Government in Relation to In- dustry,” Mr. W. L. Hichens (managing director, Cammell, Laird, and Co.); ‘International Trade,” Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland (Department of Overseas Trade); ‘Labour and Industrial Development,” Mr. Ernest J. P. Benn (chairman, Industrial Reeonstruc- tion Council); and “Science and Industry,” (Department of Industrial and Scientific Research). ___ THE report of the librarian of the Congress of the United States for 1917 gives a full account of the progress of this great library. A grant of no less than 676,714 dollars was provided for the institution by Congress. The library now contains more than 2} million volumes, besides manuscripts, maps and charts, music, and prints. Among other valuable acquisitions it contains the largest, most readily accessible, best catalogued, and most used col- lection in America of Chinese books. Large addi- tions have been made to the valuable library of music. Great stores of materials for the study of social his- tory have been brought together, including both ancient and modern political documents, such as those of Mr. Bancroft Davis, Israel Washburn, and others. The collections are splendidly housed, and the work of arrangement and cataloguing is in active progress. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LONDON. | Geological Society, June 19.—Mr. G. W. Lamplugh, president, in the chair.—Sir Douglas Mawson: Some features of the Antarctic ice-cap. The ice-mantle of the south formerly involved the sub-Antarctic Islands, Patagonia, southern New Zealand, and the higher NO. 2542, VOL. I0T] Sir. mountains of Tasmania and of the neighbouring por- tions of Australia, but it retreated to its present con- fines—a circumpolar continent—at a time apparently concurrent with the disappearancé of the extensive Pleistocene ice-sheets of the northern hemisphere. The existence of a great land mass situated on the face of the globe just where the sun’s rays fall most obliquely has the effect of intensifying the polar condi- tions. This result is achieved by reason of the elimination of the ameliorating influence of the ocean and as a result of the acceleration of the circulation of the moist atmosphere from the surrounding sea to the land, owing to the wide difference in temperature pertaining over the one and the other. Thus the presence of extensive land at the Pole, in contra- distinction to ocean, results, under present cosmical conditions, in increased refrigeration, and consequently in greater extension of the polar ice-cap. ‘This, in turn, reflects on the average temperature of other regions of the globe, for an ice surface’ absorbs. but a relatively small proportion of the sun’s radiant heat. The existence of the Antarctic continent must there- fore have some bearing on the climate of the northern hemisphere, and be reckoned with as a factor con- tributing to the refrigeration thereof. -The shelf-ice formations, including the Ross Barrier and_ the Shackleton Shelf, were specially referred to; mention was made of their growth and decline, of a method of determining their depth below water, and of the probability of specialised life existing beneath such formations. Physical Society, June 28.—Prof. C. H. Lees, presi- dent, in the chair—I. Williams: A new method of measuring alternating currents and electric oscilla- tions. The method consists of the application of the Crookes and Osborne Reynolds radiometers to the measurement of the R.M.S. values of electric cur- rents. Two types of apparatus are described. In the first- of these the heat. generated by the passage of the current through .a microhm resistance causes the deflection of a light mica vane attached to the extremity of a suspended beam. In the second type the deflection of a fine fibre is employed. Tables and curves are given connecting the indications of the instruments with the current and with the degree of evacuation.—Prof. H. Barton and Miss H. M. Browning: Demonstration of coupled vibrations. The apparatus shown consisted of a pair of pendulums, each of which was suspended from the mid-point of a sagging string, the direction: of which was transverse to the direction of oscillation of the’ pendulums. The two sagging strings were connected by a light wooden rod at the points from which the bobs were suspended. Each bob consisted of a metal funnel, from the apex of which a’ fine stream of sand fell during an experiment. A _hori- zontal board could be moved slowly on rails just below the oscillating bobs, and the fine sand falling on this gave curves showing their motion. When one bob is set in oscillation, the other being initially at rest, the latter, as is well known, starts to vibrate with gradually increasing amplitude until the first boh has been brought to a standstill, when the process is reversed. From an examination of the equations of motion it is found that the amount of sag in the transverse strings governs the degree of “coupling” of the oscillators, and by varying this, and also the relative mass and periods of the pendulums, curves can be obtained illustrating all the phenomena of coupled electrical oscillations, By stopping one of the bobs when it has just been reduced to rest, thereby preventing the energy from being re-absorbed by it, the conditions of the quenched spark can be imitated. 400 NATURE [Juny 18, 1918 PARIS. Academy of Sciences, July 1.—M. Léon Guignard in ihe chair.—G, \Bigourdan ; The observatory of Godin, Fouchy, and de*.Bouguer: . its co-ordinates.—=M. Hamy: The determination of radial velocities with the objective prism.—G. Charpy: The influence of forging .and rolling (corroyage) on the mechanical properties of steel. It is generally accepted that cast- steel ingots must be forged or rolled hot until the final section is reduced to, between one-third and one- fourth the original section. This involves a;consider- able expenditure of fuel and labour, and: experiments are given by the author which suggest that this hot working does not ‘really improve’ the »metal; the strength is increased in one direction, but reduced in another.—-M. Trabut was elected a correspondant for the section. of rural seconomy in succession to the late M. Yermoloff.—J. Amdrade; A family of dis- placements and a generalisation of the dihedron.— P. Humbert : Two polynomes associated with the poly- nomes of _Legendre.—C. Raveau ; Thermodynamics based entirely on Carnot’s»principle. A. second» abso- lute temperature.—-Ed. Chauvenet and Mile. H. Gueylard : phate with some alkaline sulphates. chemical measurements the existence is of the © double salts {(ZrO)SO,],:2(NH,),SO,, together with the corresponding ‘containing 7H,O.—A. Valeur: ‘The presence of a non-volatile alkaloid in the broom (Sarothamnus scoparius). This new alkaloid .was isolated from the last mother liquors obtained in the successive crystallisations of commercial sparteine. sul- phate, and the name sarothamnine is suggested. Its formula is given provisionally as C,,H,,N,, isomeric with the base spartyrine resulting from the gentle oxidation of. sparteine.—-Mlle. Yvonne Dehorne and indicated [(ZrO)SO,],.2Na,;SO, and L. Lutaud: Tectonic observations on the neighbour- hood of Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhéne).—F.. X. Skupienski: Sexuality in the Myxomycetes.—R. Souéges: The embryogeny of the Liliaceze. Develop- ment, of the embryo in Anthericum ramosum.—M. Folley: Technique of blood .transfusion.—P. L. du Noiiy: A’ general equation for the law of normal cicatrisation in, surface wounds. Carpe Town. Royal Society of South Africa, ‘May 15. Liisa. | J Gilchrist, president, in the chair.—Ethel "M. Doidge : South African ‘Perisporiaceze. III. “Notes on ‘four species of Meliola hitherto unrecorded from ‘South. Africa. The fungi considered in the paper are all from Natal and the eastern part of the Cape ei gene and have been identified from recent collections.—J. D. F. Gilchrist; Reproduction of fishes in Table Bay. The ‘eggs and young of twenty-one species of fishes were procured in about sixty tow-nettings made at more or less regular intervals’ throughout the year. Fourteen of these were referred to known species. * The eggs ‘procured and larve hatched from them are described and figured. The eggs of the sardine (Sardina sagax) and of the anchovy (Engraulis capensis) indicate that. these fish are present in abundance, though as yet not utilised’ for economic purposes. LW: A. Jolly : Note .on the electrogram of the medulla oblongata. BOOKS -RECEIVED. Chemical Combination among . Metals. By M. Giua and Dr..C. Giua-Lollini, G. Wooding. Robinson, .Pp. J..and A. Churchill.), 21s. net: | Papers for the Present. Second series, No. 4. ‘The Re-education of the Adult. The Neurasthenic in War NO. cain VOL. 101] Prof. _ Translated by .Xiv+341. (London: arranged by Lady Hooker, The combiaations of neutral zirconyl sul-° ‘From thermo- - .Malaria and its Treatment, “French Works on Wediberamenc ats. ss Ai : aes ; | The Education of sseenioses thee Reg 5 tg “Notes ‘The Museums Association “Economic Resources of New South Wales” ~University and Educational Intelligence . at pen ‘Societies and Academies. ..... oy gee ee eee ~Books Received - . a : and -Peace, ‘The Convalescent as Artist-Craftsmam Pp. iv+ig. (London: Headgy Bros., Ltd.) 6d. Telegraphy, Aeronautics, and War. By) C. ‘Bri Pp. xvii+497. (London: Constable and Co.8 > ety 16s. net. a Life and Letters of Sir Joseph Dalton Howlen 4 O.M., G.C.S.I. Based on materials. collected and ~ By -L. Huxley. | 2wols. Vol. i., pp. x+546:. Vol. ii., pp. vi+569. (London : 7 J. (Murray:) 36s. net, ea eH To The Recovery and Re-manufacture of: Waste Paper. . A Practical Treatise. .Printed on paper made entirely from regenerated waste paper. By Strachan. — is vi+i58. (Aberdeen : The Albany Press.) Fas. Od. © net. es Report on the Danish Oceanographical Expeditions, ; 1908-10, to the Mediterranean and Adjacent as. Published ‘under the superintendence of ~ 4 Schmidt. Vol. ii. Biology. No. 4. Pps Pisgt . 1-28 +1-40+ 1-15. ‘No. 5. ‘Pp. 1-154 Hao Tet 4 1-20. (Copenhagen: A. F. Host and ‘Son.) | : The Zinc Industry. -By E. A. Smith, graphs on Industrial Chemistry.) Pp. _ (London: Longmans, Green, and Co.) ‘IOS. | ‘The Commonwealth Book of Cookery. By MM Vv. . Palmer. Pp. 124. (London: Longmiaggi aoventiond Co.) 2s. 6d; *net. The Modern Treatment. of Mental . mae Nervous Disorders, A lecture. delivered at the Mi i 3 OF P Manchester on March 25, 1918. By Dr. art. Pp. 28. (Manchester :. At the Unica ic )- IS. net. fist hear O’Connor. Our Bookshelf .. ... ; Letters to the Editor :— i) ce! “Weeping Forms of Trees. —A. H. loniifen 385 The Mineral Wealth of Germany. ait polities?” Prof..H. Louis . ee 385 Man’s Ancestry. —Col. Ww. Woods. Smyth ; ‘The © Reviewer... . B had - 386 Position .and Prospects ‘of the - Home, Ti Supply. By E. P. JisI <1) Lepr eks ha See REESE 386 Indigoin Bihar. . . 5 aig Prof. Alfred Senier Sk ret a 138 (3 Pe ie ie te Pelee oe ae Srl Ye ee ok Wadi re en Our Astronomical: Column :— i Discovery of Wolf’s Periodic Comet... . . . . The New Starin Aquila... 1 ep ee ee es ‘A New Variable Star in Auriga . 394 Fundamental Problems of. Philosophy and eee 394 Li 4 oijgtiee” See 4 pte Pre” os Utustrdet) * By Prof. Robert DeC. Ward... . 0... The Tornadoes of the United States. Editorial and Publishing Offices? MACMILLAN AND CO., .Lrp., _ ) ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON, W.Ca. Advertisements and business letters to re addressed to the 3 _ Publishers. : vate a ‘ Editorial Communications to the “Bditor. - Telegraphic Address: Pitusis, LONDON. Telephone. Number: GERRARD 8830. oe a eee ae 4 x NATURE 401 = - THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1918. SCHOOL AND COLLEGE MATHEMATICS. (1) Mathematical Papers for Admission into the Royal Military Academy and the Royal Military College, for the Years 1908-17. Edited by ~R. M. Milne. . (London: Macmillan and Co., . ALtd.; 1918.).. Price 7s. (2) A Short Course in. Elementary Mathematics and their Application to..Wireless Telegraphy. _ By S, J. Willis. Pp. 173. (London: The Wire- less Press, Ltd., 1917.) Price 3s. 6d. net. (3) Infinitesimal Calculus.. By Prof. F. S. Carey. _ Section i. Pp. xiii+144+Answers v. Price 6s. net. Section ii. Pp. x+145-352+ Answers iv. _ Price ros. 6d. net. (London : Longmans, Green, _ and Co., 1918.) ee cniection of examination papers will (4 be found useful by many teachers and students, even if their work is not immediately associated with the requirements of the military authorities. The papers for the Army Qualifying Certificate include questions on more advanced arithmetic, elementary algebra and geometry, mechanics, and a little trigonometry; special at- tention is paid to practical methods and applica- tions. The papers for admission are wider in scope and more difficult in character. The mathe- matics is divided into three parts. The elementary papers are of a practical nature, involving princi- pally drawing and mensuration. The intermediate papers are also practical, and include mechanics, | hares algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. “he higher papers introduce in addition easy differentiation and integration. The questions are very skilfully devised, and many teachers and ex- aminers would benefit by a perusal of this volume. _ (2) Mr. Willis has written an eminently useful exposition of the mathematics required by the student of wireless telegraphy. To use the lan- guage of the accompanying advertisement, the book does not presume that the student is un- able to add two and two together, nor does it plunge into advanced work for which the ‘student is quite imadequately prepared. There are chapters on logarithms and the slide rule, practical geometry and mensuration, including a little on conic sections, equations and progressions, the fundamental ideas and formule of trigonometry, vectors with examples from statics and dynamiics, and an excellent chapter on the “use of squared RaPEr with the beginnings of differentiation. Many examples are worked in full, others are set as exercises. The volume concludes with some useful tables. The author’s style is very pleasant and _ per- ssuasive, and the book is one that can be safely . recommended for the purpose for which it was written. A few typographical criticisms must, however, be offered. The base of Napierian logarithms is written differently in different places, and dashed letters are sometimes written a}, b!; this is quite inexcusable when dashes are used in’ NO. 2543, VOL. ror] the figure and “ones’’ in the accompanying text. Some of the conics are badly drawn. The notation used is sometimes confusing; surely no student should be encouraged to write: “Thus the series is a G.P. in which a=a/2x. ...” With regard to the mode of treatment, we would like to suggest that the elaborate investigations on the factors of quite simple quadratic expres- sions are unnecessary, and that the order of treat- ‘ment is a little unsound pedagogically. (3) Prof. Carey’s book can be heartily approved as a compact and clear statement of practically all that the ordinary student of the infinitesimal calculus “as an instrument in the attainment of further knowledge”’ is likely to require. Section i. deals with the more elementary parts of the subject, including the theory of limits, easy differentiation and integration, and applications to curves, areas, volumes, etc. Section ii. proceeds to the advanced parts of the subject, and dis- cusses, inter alia, definite integrals, polar and. other properties of curves, and the important types of differential equations. The author has evidently kept in mind all through the practical application of the methods and results, as is indicated by the references to problems in mechanics and physics. A short chapter on graphical methods includes a brief account of nomography, a graphical process which is gaining currency in this country owing partly to the intimate relations now existing be- tween our engineers and their French and American brethren. — Whilst we welcome the commendable brevity of the book, we cannot but express the fear that the author has attempted to cater for too wide a rangé of students. The first section is far too difficult to be accepted as corresponding with “the syllabus of some.examinations for higher school certificates.’? Much of the contents of the chapters dealing with the notion of a function, limits, and continuity should come at the end of a first course on the subject, rather than at the beginning. The main ideas of the calculus must be ‘based at first on geometrical intuition, and this is recog- nised by the author, who has given many illustra- tions of the processes by means of curve plottings. We should have welcomed a similar treatment of differential equations. Instead of this we have the traditional series of tricks for the solution of © selected types. It is to be hoped that before long the student of mathematics will be taught this branch of the subject by methods more in accord with recent developments. Perhaps it was also” lack of space that caused excessive compres- sion of the treatment of this and other branches. The references to nomography, for example, would have been far more valuable if space had been spared for a fuller discussion of the underlying principles. ’ The book is well printed and neatly produced. An exception to the general excellence is to be found in the diagrams, many of which are not well drawn. We hope that in a future edition care will be taken to remedy this and some other minor defects. Y 402 NATURE [JuLy 25, 1918 There is one statement that we feel cannot be accepted without some consideration: “If a man ever scales 9 stone there must have been a time at which he weighed 41/5 stone.’’ Is this necessarily so? = * Fg SB ‘LECITHIN AND ALLIED SUBSTANCES. Lecithin and Allied Substances: The Lipins. By Dr. H. MacLean. (‘Monographs on Bio- chemistry.’’) Pp. vii+206. (London: Long- mans, Green, and Co., 1918.) Price 7s. 6d. net. HE time had come when an account of the chemistry of lecithin and allied substances should be written and must be. read by everyone interested in bio-chemistry. Ten years ago it had not. At that time the subject could only have been presented as an unprofitabie series of dis- putes on insecure premises. Now there must be many for whom this monograph will be a revela- tion, many who, though they may have read, have not collated the important contributions to the elucidation of this most difficult subject that have appeared in the last few years, and who, when they see this done admirably, as it is done here, will realise that a new epoch in the history of bio-chemistry is being marked out. It is just ten years since Dr. MacLean published the first of a series of.papers in which, starting from the fact that the amount of choline obtained in the hydrolysis of lecithin was always less than the supposed structure of this substance required, he established good ground for his belief that this is due to the fact that lecithin, as ordinarily obtained, is mixed with kephaline, in which, as we know now from the work of Parnas and his associates, the basic group is aminoethanol. Dr. MacLean has described a method of purifying lecithin, so that it gives the theoretical yield of choline, and, therefore, is free from kephaline. Other impurities that are associated with lecithin which he can by his method remove may, indeed,. so disguise it as to make it appear as some one or other of those vague phosphatides of which too many have been described, and of which we are told little but that they are soluble in this and insoluble in that solvent, and contain nitrogen and phosphorus in a certain proportion. Lecithin and kephaline now mean something more than this. Then from the limbo of protagone there have emerged sphingomyelin and the cerebrosides, with * their common basic component sphingosine, sub- stances that forty years ago Thudicham had seen before their day had come. In the last few years the work of Thierfelder, of Rosenheim, of Lap- worth, and, above all, of Levene, who, to the advantages of a richly endowed institution, has added the enthusiasm and the patience of a great . investigator—work that has finality—has given to these somewhat ghostly shapes reality and pre- cision of outline. This work on the constitution of sphingosine and on the strange fatty acids of sphingomyelin and the cerebrosides confers on these substances a living interest, now that their NO. 2543, VOL. 1oT| chemical structure is acquiring definition, as great as that which has been focussed, for instance, on In all there are the same elements of novelty, mystery, and wealth — Dr. MacLean is to be congratulated on his opportunity no less than on ~ the nucleic acids or on hematine. of biological significance. the use he has made of it. It was no doubt unavoidable coming just when it has, should still contain, in addition to the chapters describing the advances — of recent years, whole sections devoted to the unwelcome task of pronouncing judgment on so many substances, named and unnamed, the dis- — covery of which has not been established. Dr. MacLean would probably, too, have preferred not to have had to commit himself in the matter of — The things that count have good ~ nomenclature. enough names. Lecithin, sphingosine, and sphingomyelin are appropriately and successfully named, though it is true as much cannot be said for kephaline, phrenosine, or kerasine. Schematic nomenclature matters less, and it is in this that agreement has not been attained. When the subject reaches the schools to it. A FAUNISTIC SURVEY. The Invertebrate Fauna of Nottinghamshire. By Prof. J. W. Carr. Pp. viii+618. (Nottingham : J. and H. Bell, Ltd., 1916.) tats Le Bi Nottingham Naturalists’ Society is to be. congratulated on having produced a finely executed survey of the invertebrate fauna of the county. It is part of a survey; which was resolved upon when the society completed its fiftieth year, the task being placed in the competent hands of Prof. J. W. Carr. He has been efficiently helped by collectors and by specialists, and it is satis- factory to read that “practically every species recorded has been submitted to‘and named by a leading authority in the group to which it be- longs.’’ The whole work shows a high standard of carefulness, and it will be of great service to active local naturalists, who have now an authori- tative list to which they may add. That there are many additions to be made is plain when we look at the sparseness of the records as regards Nematodes, Rotifers, Leeches, and some other — classes. . Among the excellent features of this “Fauna ”’ we may mention (1) the precision which so often -marks the record of the particular kind of environ- ment frequented by a particular species, and (2) — the insertion of introductory descriptions of phyla, © and sometimes even families. — classes, orders, that this book, — this will be added — They are tersely and clearly phrased, and greatly — increase the value of the lists. The consistent use of different type-founts for the various grades of classification from phylum to species is another in-_ stance of carefulness, and the whole typography is excellent. As data accumulate, the indefatigable editor proposes to append | already there are nearly 300 additional species. of Diptera waiting for admission. The Vertebrate supplements, and — Pe a ee et, Oe ee ee ee * Jury 25, 1918] NATURE 403 Fauna and the Flora will be dealt with in separate volumes. We are glad to know that along with the published records there is growing up a local collection of actual specimens—in short, a regional survey museum. For these ‘Faunas’’ and -“Floras”’’ are not appreciated at their highest value when considered by themselves; their larger importance is as components of an integrated -survey; and those who may think that we are saying too much about a book consisting mainly of careful records of the finding of hundreds of spiders, insects, molluscs, and worms have yet to understand that one of the factors in secure progress must be—more than heretofore—an inti- mate and scrupulously accurate survey of all the _ facts of every region. errraw : OUR BOOKSHELF. A Handbook of Briquetting. By Prof. G. Franke. _ Translated by F. C. A. H. Lantsberry. Vol. ii., Briquetting of Ores, Metallurgical Products, Metal Swarf, and Similar Materials, including Agglomeration. With Appendices. Pp. xit214. (London: C. Griffin and Co. Ltd., 1918.) Price 15s. net. THE promised second volume of the translation of Prof. G. Franke’s work on briquetting has now appeared, dealing with the briquetting of materials other than fuels. These materials are, first and foremost, iron-ore, to which the greater part of the work is necessarily devoted; next flue- dust and certain other metaliurgical by-products ; and, finally, metallic borings and turnings, which the translator is pleased to designate ‘“‘swarf.’’ The work is distinguished by the same amount of careful detail, particularly in the description of the mechanical appliances, that characterised the first part, but it is evident that the author has not the same practical familiarity with this portion of his subject as he displayed in dealing with fuel in his former volume. Much of his information is derived from current literature, and is neither so complete nor so accurate as it was in the case of coal. His handling of the important subject of the briquetting of iron-ores is far inferior, for example, to the paper on the same subject read before the Iron and Steel Institute last autumn by Messrs. Barrett and Rogerson. For instance, the list of Swedish briquetting works given by the author refers only to the year 1906, and is now hopelessly out of date. Still worse is the total omission of the entire group of modern sintering processes, such as the Dwight-Lloyd, Huntington-Heberlein, Greenawalt, etc., which are generally looked upon as the most promising of any of the methods hitherto devised for treating iron-ores. It cannot be denied that these defects rob the work of much of its value, though anyone desiring detailed accounts of the older methods will find them given very fully. : As regards the translation, it is possibly an improvement on that of the first volume, but still leaves very much to be desired. NO. 2543, VOL. 101] State Geological and Natural History Survey. (State of Connecticut. Public Document No. 47.) Vol. v., Bulletin 22. Guide to the Insects of Connecticut. Part ili. The Hymenoptera or Wasp-like Insects of Connecticut. By H. L. Viereck, with the collaboration of A. D. MacGillivray, C. T. Brues, W. M. Wheeler, and S. A. Rohmer. Pp. 824+plates x. (Hart- ford: Printed for the State Geological and Natural History Survey, 1916.) CoLtLectors and observers of insects in New England are fortunate in having at their disposal such a “guide” as this to lead them in the dis- crimination of genera and species in that most fascinating, but systematically most difficult, order, the Hymenoptera. Some of the most eminent of American entomologists have collaborated in the production of this volume, and their careful diagnoses and analytical tables are rendered the more comprehensible to the beginner by clear structural text-figures. As very many genera are common to both the western and eastern conti- nents, this -book will be of value to European workers, who will be interested to find that not a few of the Connecticut species of ants, wasps, and bees are identical with familiar British insects. Although the treatment is predominantly system- atic, information on the habits of many of the families is furnished, and the plates illustrating gall-forming and nesting activities are instructive. Good line-drawings would have been preferable to the photographic reproductions of museum speci- mens of insects, many of which are badly set and some mutilated. The great merit of the book consists in its presentation of the modern classifi- cation of all the families and the more important genera of Hymenoptera in a single, if somewhat bulky, volume. G. H..C. The Baby. (“Manuals of Health,”’ ii.) By Dr. S. Seekings. Pp. 63. (London: Society for Pro- moting Christian Knowledge, 1918.) Price 9d. net. We do not find anything particularly novel in this little book on baby management, nor does it seem to present anything that cannot be found in several other books of a similar type. It is written clearly and simply, and the directions can be easily fol- lowed. For artificial feeding it is recommended that the milk be always scalded, but no direction is given on the importance of cooling in hot weather. In the chapter on common ailments (or elsewhere) we find no mention of vaccination and the treatment of the arm, while, though compara- tively infrequent in the infant, measles and whoop- ing-cough are discussed. It is stated that measles causes more deaths among children under a year old than at any other age. This is incorrect: almost twice as many children die in their second year from this cause as in the first year, and the measles death-rate in the second year is nearly eight times that in the first year. Some useful directions are given in an appendix for the preparation of barley and albumin water, etc., and | for knitting infants’ garments. 1 aes BRP SB 404 NATURE [Juny 25, 1918 LETTERS: TO: THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents: Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers. of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of NaturE.. No. notice is taken of anonymous communications. | Discovery of Neanderthal Man in Malta. Or the various problems relating to extinct forms of man, none is of greater interest than that which concerns. Homo neanderthalensis, extinct species of man appeared in Europe about the commencement. of the Mousterian cultural period, and all traces of him vanish towards the close of that period. Where he came from and where he finally disappeared we do not know, hence every additional fact we can collect about him is of value. So far his remains: have been. found at Gibraltar (1848), the Rhine valley. (1857), Belgium, the, Dordogne, and Croatia, The. peculiar teeth of this. race were reported. from.the Mousterian strata of a cave in Jersey by Dr. R. R. Marett in 1911.. Excavations in the cave of Ghar Dalam, in the south-eastern corner of Malta, carried out by Dr. Giuseppe Despott, curator of the Natural History Museum: of the Uni- versity of Malta, working for a research. committee of the British. Association, has brought to, light the remains of Neanderthal man. in that island, thus extending the distribution of this, species. to another continent; for, in a zoological sense, Malta is African rather than European. It is, true that so far only two teeth have been found—a first’ upper molar and a milk molar—but those who. are familiar with the characteristic form. of the molar teeth of Neanderthal man will have no hesitation in, assenting to the truth of Dr. Despott’s. discovery. I append. Dr. Despott’s photograph of the two. Neanderthal teeth, giving for comparison photographs of the teeth of a modern. type’ of man found in the Neolithic strata of Ghar Dalam, overlying the strata from which the Neanderthal teeth were derived (Fig. 1). Fig. r.—Teeth from Ghar Dalam. (1) Upper Neanderthal molar; (2): upper Neanderthal milk molar; (3) milk motar from Neolithic strata ; (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) other teeth from Neolithic strata. A brief history of the discovery is as follows :—In 1914 Section H (Anthropology) of the British Associa- tion appointed. a research committee to carry out archeological investigations in Malta, Prof. J. L. Myres being chairman, and Dr. T. Ashby, of the British School of Rome, secretary. NO. 2543, VOL. Ior] This peculiar and: | Dr. Ashby, in partnership with Dr. Zammit and Dr. Despott, cam- menced to investigate Ghar Dalam, a cave more than © zoo ft. in length, with a width of 26 ft. to 60 ft., and strata in its floor running down to a depth of 12 ft. or © more. In 1917 Dr. Despott, with the aid of'a further ~ sum of tol. granted by the British Association, con- — tinued the investigations for the committee in July — and August, 1917. Two trenches were dug across the — floor of the cave—-one 50 ft. from the mouth, the other 60 ft. further along. The strata. encountered — will. be seen. from a drawing given by Dr. Despott in his report for 1916, The upper two layers indicated Feet 9 132 39 + § 6 7 6 9 10 Large Stalagmi 1 we) ae 2 erate, 3 Two large broken Stalactites.. Fic, 2,—Section of the strata of the floor of Ghar Dalam. — in the plan yielded remains of animals and pottery of the Neolithic period. The third layer yielded remains of the stag, a vole, a variety of snail (Helix vermi- culata, var. despottii), and human remains—the first upper molar of Homo neanderthalensis; the other — human: bones have not yet been studied. In the same stratum and at the same, level as the human remains were found a flint scraper, three obsidian. scrapers, a chert knife, and a piece of apparently worked chert. At another site in the same stratum was found part of a fine flint knife, which Sir Hercules Read regards as of late Cave period in workmanship. PER | The milk molar of Neanderthal man came from the next layer—the fourth in the appended section (Fig. 2). In this stratum were found the remains of stag (ap- parently two species), plentiful remains of the extinct elephant (Elephas mnaidrensis), the fossil tooth of a- shark, worn and chipped at the point by being used as a tool, and mollusc shells which had apparently been opened and their contents extracted by ancient man. Still deeper strata yielded numerous remains of three extinct elephants (£. mnaidrensis, E. melitensis, and E. falconeri), two species of hippopotamus and of the stag. So far traces. of man have not been observed in these deeper and older strata. When the committee of Section H came to con- sider the report transmitted to it by Dr. Ashby from Malta, it at once recognised the value of Dr. Despott’s discovery and the importance of Ghar Dalam as a repository of Pleistocene history. When one con- siders the extent of the cave, the thickness of its. — floor; and the fact that every trench so far made has vielded traces of man, it is not too much to. hope that we have here a Pleistocene palace of Knossos—a site which is likely to throw the same light on early man in the Mediterranean as was thrown on the Bronze period of that area by the discoveries made by Sir Arthur Evans in Crete. The committee, in recom- mending the renewal of a grant of tol. for the in- vestigations carried on by Dr. Despott, was well aware of its total inadequacy, but it had to remember that in these times the finances of the British Association > a a i i i ee ee ed ee 4 Jory 25, 1918] NATURE 405 have been crippled; the Association has now to draw on its very limited capital. The committee took the view that, as an Imperial people, it is our duty to shoulder our responsibilities and develop the resources of the Empire—resources of knowledge as well as resources of material—in time of war as well as in time of peace. We are too apt to make war an excuse for postponing our immediate duty. Sir Thomas Wright- 1, Bart., has given 5o0l., but it does not seem too much to expect that three other subscriptions of equal amount may be placed at the disposal ‘of the Research Committee for Archzological Investigation in Malta, in addition to the grant from the British Association. The labour ‘conditions in Malta are at present favourable for ‘the continuance of this kind of Imperial undertaking, and the men who are in charge have the skill and experience to employ to the best advantage the modest sum here asked for. STR ry ARTHUR KEITH, _ ‘President, Section H (Anthropology) of the = esp a oh ce British Association. “2 1255 TP cs's —ooe rst ae cee phe hig : A Successful Method of Obtaining Amebz for Glass uth eek . Purnoses. Zoo.ocicaL departments in all parts of the British Isles have experienced, during the last few years, con- siderable difficulty in obtaining a good supply of Amoeba proteus for class purposes at the proper time, the usual hunting-grounds for this organism failing, for some reason or other, to yield their former abundant supply. © The difficulty was overcome in this department during the present session by making use of amoebx obtair hen soil by a suitable culture method, the oute of the writer’: work on soil protozoa. This eer method has proved so ‘successful ‘that it has been thought desirable to give a brief account of it, especially as it has come to my knowledge that other pee ay departments are desirous of trying it. A somewhat similar method of obtaining amoebz for class purposes has been in use for some years in the University of California, and has been described by Kofoid in the Trans. Amer. Micro. Soc., vol. xxxiv:, October, r915- For the cultivation of amcebe from soil a liquid medium is preferable to a solid one, such as nutrient- bouillon agar, frequently used for amoeba cultivation, ‘owing to the fact that one frequently finds on a solid medium amoebz with two or more nuclei and various other abnormalities not found in amcebe from a liquid- culture medium. ; One per cent. hay-infusion is a very useful medium, and is constantly used there. It is prepared as follows :—Ten grams of chopped hay are put into a beaker or flask with one litre of distilled water, and steamed for about three-quarters of an hour; filter, and then make the filtrate just alkaline by the addi- tion of a sufficient quantity of caustic-soda solution (N.NaOH solution is quite suitable) to make a strip of red litmus paper turn a bluish tint when immersed in the liquid. Sterilise in the autoclave, and, when cold, pour a small quantity ‘into ‘three or four Petri dishes until the liquid is a few millimetres in depth, and inoculate each with soil; about -half a gram is sufficient soil for each plate. Almost any kind of soil will serve—garden or field soil. . Put the dishes aside for a.day or two, either in an incubator at 20°-25° C., or on the laboratory-table, away from direct sunlight, and then examine under the microscope for amcebze. The latter are, as a rule, of the limax type, and are generally to be found on the surface or at the bottom of the culture. Ciliates and flagellates will also be found in con- NO. 2543, VOL. 101] siderable numbers; in fact, the ciliates frequently pre- dominate in. the early days ‘of the culture, and only when. they become less numerous do the amcebz increase in numbers. For the purposes of examination clean cover- slips may ‘be dropped on to the ‘surface of the culture- liquid, and then removed to slides and examined under the microscope; or a platinum loopful or two of the surface layers may be taken and put on a slide and then covered with a clean coverslip. When most of the amoebz are at the bottom of the culture, as some- times happens, they are more difficult to remove to slides, but they may be sucked up by means of a capillary pipette gently moved over the bottom of the dish and then ‘transferred to the slide. The coverslips should ‘be sealed ‘with vaseline or wax to ‘prevent evaporation. The amoebz vary in size from very .small forms, which are not of much service for class purposes, to fairly large forms, which are quite admirable, showing great amosboid activity and revealing clearly under the higher powers of a junior-class microscope the differen- tiation between ectoplasm and endoplasm, the nucleus, and the streaming of the protoplasm during the pro- gression of the amoeba. Such forms may measure any- thing from 20y-6om in ‘length, according to: the degree of extension of the body, and even larger forms may be met with. The organism. which has been obtained in practically pure mixed culture here, and has proved so. useful, measures. between 30 and 50 4 when extended. The cyst has a diameter of 16-17 m. Having obtained a gecd-sized form, one should allow it to multiply, and finally to encyst. The cysts may then be picked up by means of a capillary pipette and transferred to fresh culture medium, when -one is almost certain to obtain a practically pure mixed culture. Further subcultures can be made by inocu- lating the cysts into fresh dishes of hay-infusion, and by this means the race may be kept going for months, or even years. Even if the cultures dry up, and remain dry for a month or two, it will still be found possible ‘to obtain a supply of organisms by scraping some of the brown deposit from the inside of the dish and placing this in fresh sterile hay infusion. After a few days amcebze will be plentiful, having hatched out of the cysts ‘contained in the deposit from the old culture. — Such a cyst-containing deposit or ‘old culture ton- taining cysts can be kept as_a ‘stock, and when active amoebz are required all that is necessary -is..to. seed a dish or two of hay-infusion with cysts two. or three days before the organisms are wanted, and one can be certain of obtaining a good supply of active forms. I shall be pleased to supply. any zoological depart- ment with a small quantity of cyst-containing deposit or old culture liquid containing cysts of the ‘form cultivated here in case no success is obtained with the method described above: T. Goopey. Department. of. Zoology, The: University, Birmingham, July 16. O much attention has been directed to the purely scientific advance that has followed the birth of Genetics as a new branch of science that little regard has been paid to the very remarkable results already reached by the application of Men- delian methods to the problems of economic plant production. It is necessary to distinguish some- what sharply between the facts. which Mendel was the first to discover, and the hypotheses which 406 have been put forward to explain these facts. The practical plant breeder is not primarily concerned with the theory of the subject; the Mendelian fact of grand importance to him is.that unit characters do segregate, and that new combinations of these characters can be made. It may be of interest, therefore, to consider some of the more important results obtained in regard to food-producing plants, and to indicate some of the difficulties which may impede future progress. Of food grains none is more important than wheat.. The most. marked achievement in wheat breeding is the production of a variety resistant, if not entirely immune, to the fungous disease known as Yellow Rust (Puccinia gluma- rum), as a result of the discovery that resistance to this disease obeys the Mendelian law of segre- gation. Once this was established it became a comparatively simple matter to transfer this char- acter as an independent unit from the poor yielding Russian wheat, ‘“Ghirka,’’ in which it was found, to a wheat suitable to the conditions of England. The variety “Little Joss,’’ which was ““made’”’ in this way some ten years ago, is now well established in the Eastern Counties. The possible.economic value of this achievement becomes apparent if the enormous yearly losses caused by rust—perhaps not far short of 10 per cent. of the yield ‘ annually—are Another economic character that can be con- trolled in the same way is stiffness of straw, a matter ,of importance in those parts of the country, such as the Fens, where a weak-strawed wheat becomes “laid’’ in wet seasons. It is interesting to learn that a short, stiff-strawed variety known as “Fenman’’ has recently been produced which is likely to be largely adopted in the Fen country. But the possibility of greater additions to the food supply of the country is now in sight. It is well known that wheat is commonly a slow-growing plant; sown in late autumn or winter, it is harvested in August. Barley and oats, on the other hand, come to maturity more rapidly, and need not be sown until spring. There are, however, certain varieties of wheat which can be sown in spring, ably less than that given by winter wheats. The result has been that under the ordinary conditions of farming in this country the area that can be sown with wheat is limited to that not occupied by a crop.during winter.. Barley and oats must be grown after “roots’’ because the latter are not completely off the ground until early spring. If, then, it were possible to make a spring wheat combining the character of early maturity with a yield approaching that given by winter wheat, the economic gain might be enormous, for, obyi- ously, it would be in the interest of home food production to curtail the area occupied annually by barley. If, then, we could add to the existing acreage sown annually with wheat only one- quarter of the normal acreage under barley and oats, we should add probably 20 per cent. to the home-grown cereals available for hunian food. NO. 2543, VOL. ror] considered. NATURE { ently, there are indications that the former does, — from qualitative characters, | grain, of a plant or animal. _number of possible combinations of unit characters becomes generally too large to handle. The possibility of making an improved spring _ difficulty. does not end there, for, owing to en- — vironmental fluctuation, the comparative genetic | behaviour of individuals cannot be disentangled, and the plant breeder is consequently. driven : [JuLy 25, 1918 wheat depends upon how far early maturity and yielding capacity are found to segregate. Appar-— but the problem in regard to the latter is complex, — depending for its solution on the clearing up of © the difficulties that are encountered in dealing with quantitative characters, such as yield, as distinct — such as colour of The questions involved are obviously of great economic importance, for it. is the quantitative characters that often determine thé economic value But it is not simply a question of the universality of the Mendelian law. — If, as some geneticists hold, the inheritance of — quantitative characters is regulated by.a complex of unit characters, the practical application of Mendelian principles becomes exceedingly difficult, for with any number of characters. over three the And the to resort to purely. empirical methods of selection. Nevertheless, the fact that the exact nature of the laws regulating the in- heritance of quantitative characters is still obscure may not seriously impede the work of the prac- tical breeder. In fact, it has beén found in prac- — tice that, provided desirable qualitative characters can be built up in the desired complex, the quanti- tative characters may be susceptible of improve- ment by selective methods of a more or less empirical nature. Dip But when all is said, scientific plant improve- ment in Great Britain has made only a small begin- ning, due, no doubt, in part to the general excel- lence of the varieties of economic plants now estab- lished in this country. The “Improvers”’ of agri- culture and horticulture in the nineteenth century revolutionised the industry, and, as an outcome of their activities and influence, British seedsmen, largely by selective methods, effected very great but, unfortunately, their yield of grain is consider- | improvements in economic plants. It is only com- paratively recently that this country has fallen behind. Allusion may be made to the great ad- vances achieved in. Sweden as a result of the work of the Svalof plant-breeding station. Denmark also is forging ahead, but, curiously enough, pro- gress has not been remarkable in Germany, owing, _ perhaps, to the extraordinary cult of Darwinism which prevails there, and the consequent belief in the effectiveness. of mass selection. In America considerable progress has been made from a scien- tific as well as from an economic point of view— notably in producing a cotton immune to the destructive Wilt disease. But if a striking object-lesson of the successful application of new methods to plant production is needed we must turn to India.1 Dating from” 1 Report on the Progress of Agriculture in India for 1916-17. (Calcutta — ‘. Supt. Govt. Printing, 1978.) ee Es eee JULY 25, 1918] = NATURE 407 the foundation of the Pusa Research Institute about the beginning of the present century, great developments in the scientific exploitation of Indian agriculture have taken place. Much credit is due to Lord Curzon, who, aided, it is now curious to recall, by the munificent bequest of ,an American (Mr. Phipps), founded a department which it is no exaggeration to say has added thousands, and-will add millions, to the wealth of the country. India undoubtedly’ presented a fine field for the modern plant breeder. If we consider the immense variety of her plant products, their value either as food or in the arts and industries, and. then ob- serve that, owing to the absence of any ,skilled seed production industry, there is an uncounted number of identifiable races within each distinctive variety of economic plant, we can form some con- ception of the possibilities which even selection presents : superadding hybridisation, it is difficult to assign any limits to the field that is opening out. . It would be impossible in. the ordinary limits of space to give a detailed account of what has already been achieved, but some indication may be given of proved successes in relation to wae more important economic plants. Mention may first be made of Wheat, ge ‘which upwards of .30 million acres are grown, and which was naturally one of the first crops to receive attention. Both selection and hybridisation have been brought into action, and several new varieties are now firmly established. In the United Provinces’ in 1917 alone “Pusa No. 12”’ occupied 100,000 acres, and was extensively grown in the Punjab as well. This wheat gives a cultivator an increased yield of 25 per cent. over the varieties formerly grown by him, as well as nearly one shilling per quarter more on the market, owing to its improwed quality. Another and later production of Pusa has on occasions given a yield of nearly fifty-five bushels per acre, which for India is an unheard-of re, and may be compared with thirty-two bushels, the British average yield of wheat. In the Punjab another new variety occupied 97,000 acres, and it is estimated that the growers of this wheat were presented with an additional income of nearly 15,0001. In the Central Provinces im- proved varieties, returning to the cultivators con- siderably increased profits, occupied 200,000 acres. Remarkable progress is also being made in the production of.improved varieties of Rice, the most pea cereal crop in India. A variety known “Indrasail,’’ isolated by pure lime selection, prin 20,000 acres in Bengal. In the Central Provinces it has been necessary to establish thirty seed farms for the production of other new varieties. Turning ,to non-food products, we find that extraordinary advances have been made in regard to cotton (of which 20 million acres are grown in India). In Surat an improved cotton has been produced giving a premium value of 13 per cent.; in Sind new varieties are giving a premium of 23 per cent. In the Central Provinces a new introduc- NO. 2543, VOL. 101] | tion is estimated to occupy no less than 800,000 acres, and to have brought the cultivators in- creased profits of nearly goo0,oool. After this we may pass over such relatively inconsiderable figures as 215,000 acres under a new variety in the Punjab, but, for its human interest, mention may be made of one incident in a campaign directed to the eradication from a certain district of an inferior indigenous variety. It is a good example of the methods adopted to impress the Oriental imagination. ‘In the Tinnevelly district the department had to resort to drastic action for the control of seed in the case of some ninety acres of pulichai [the inferior cotton] . . . the seed. from this cotton was publicly burnt . . . before a large gathering of ryots.’’ In the improvement of Jute (of which India ex- ports annually products worth 40,000,000l.) some notable advances have been made. It is expected that in the present year more than 30,000 acres will be sown with a new selected variety as a result of the distribution by the department of 500,000 packets of seed. In this connection a valuable scientific discovery may be mentioned. The pernicious weed, water hyacinth, which infests the waterways of Bengal, has _ been found to have a high potash content, and is con- sequently a valuable manure for jute, the use of which not only directly stimulates yield, but also protects the plant against a Rhizoctonia disease which attacks it. It will be readily admitted that this tale of economic progress is astonishing. No mention has been made of the purely scientific results achieved, and they are very considerable. The workers no doubt feel well rewarded by the satis- faction with which they must regard the additions to knowledge which they have made, but they may also feel some pride in the remarkable economic advances which their labours have brought about, especially in regard to the food- producing: plants. THE VALUE OF INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. Ls digg bssichae seated the country at the present time farmers, fruit-growers, allotment- holders, and owners of gardens are faced with a plague of insects such as has not been experienced in the United Kingdom for many years past. True it is that we have had more or less local outbreaks of the winter moth, the cabbage butter- fly, apple and plum aphids, wireworms, leather jackets, and numerous other pests of great severity, but not, in the present writer’s opinion, to such a general extent as, at the present time. ' The reason for this very Serious state of affairs is not difficult to discover, and although the truth may not be palatable, it is, nevertheless, true that it is largely due to neglect and to an absence of a State Department with a thoroughly practical and scientific staff. It would be futile and unprofitable to dwell uvon either of these two causes. Rather let us turn to another phase of the matter not altogether foreign to the subject, viz. the value 408 NATURE _ [Juty 25, 1918 of our insectivorous birds in controlling insect life. ~ Whilst no one possessing a knowledge of the | food habits of wild birds will for a moment contend that any species will ever exterminate any species of injurious insect, it is equally clear that if present in sufficient numbers our insectivorous birds do- _ throughout the year a heavy toll has been taken. materially help to maintain the balance of Nature, and so prevent certain species of insects from be-— coming sO numerous as to assume the dimensions of a plague. There is now ample evidence to prove this, both in our own country and elsewhere. Unfortunately, in this country, the species of | wild birds that are truly insectivorous in_ their habits are not plentiful. During the past few years two causes have materially tended to bring about a great reduction in their numbers, viz. the severity of the winters of 1916-17 and 1917-18, particularly the former, and the misguided enthusiasm of certain individuals who, in and out of season, claim protection {for practically every species of wild bird. This latter cause, in our opinion, has been as fully disastrous as the severity of our climate. When a certain section of the educated public shuts its eyes to the enormous depredations that a comparatively few injurious species of wild birds commit, and is so prejudiced as tq misrepresent facts, one result is inevitable, viz. those who aré the sufferers and losers wrongly take matters into their own hands and proclaim a ruthless war on all species of wild birds. This is what has taken‘and is taking place in the country at the present time, much to the detriment of the agriculturist, fruit- grower, etc. Moreover, this is likely to continue so long as the biased view of uniform protection is advocated, with the result that year by year we shall see great plagues of caterpillars making their appearance and devastating the countryside. Crops will be lost, the supply of our home-grown food materially lessened, and the numbers of our insect-eating wild birds must continue to grow less. The outlook is not a cheerful one, and it is fraught with exceedingly grave possibilities, much graver and more far-reaching than most. people realise, With the first cause we are, at present, unable to deal, although it is exercising the minds of many as to the best manner in which to counteract or checkmate this misguided and pernicious zeal. For the second, however, we believe there is a remedy, if not wholly, at least in part, viz. the enlighten- ment of the agricultural community as to the part these birds play in the economy of Nature; and this is the immediate object we have in view. For we believe that if, without bias or prejudice, the facts are truthfully and carefully laid before those in- terested, this terrible destruction will be arrested to an appreciable extent. The thoughtful reader will no doubt inquire, “Do not the Wild Birds’ Protection Acts afford complete protection to these species of birds and an effective means of preservation? ’’ Ouransweris “No.’’ To a very large extent the Act of 1880 and its four NO. 2543, VOL. 101 | particular species of. insects eaten, 174, supplementary Acts are practically dead letters. 4 From 1880 to the present time they have proved largely ineffective. The actual number of species of insectivorous wild birds we have in this country is compara= — tively small, and many visit us for only a brief — Of the few that Pasion, season of the year. Let us consider briefly the nature of the food and: the feeding habits of some of these. The fieldfare, water ouzel, wheatear, whisdbati stonechat, redstart, and robin are all above sus- | picion. The warblers and wrens (excepting the whitethroat and blackcap)' belong to a like cate-— gory, as also the hedge accentor, dipper, tits, wagtails, pipits, flycatchers, swallow, martins, — and tree creeper. finch, the two. latter being wholly injurious. So far as their food habits are known, none of the | buntings are injurious. In some districts the corn bunting is rather plentiful and has been accused of damaging grain and ricks, but much | more careful investigation is necessary before con-— demning it. All the larks do far more good than ~ harm, whilst the swift, nightjar, woodpeckers, wry- neck, kingfisher, cuckoo, and owls are all most beneficial, Thus, of the 280 species of British birds, excepting those aquatic or littoral in their habits and. the game birds, we have ‘somewhat fewer than a hundred insectivorous _species, many of which are quite rare. Surely it is to the inter- est of the agriculturist and fruit-grower to do all in their power to help td protect and increase these beneficial species, which constitute a realty: important factor in crop production. = Some during the whole of the year, andi othites- during the period they are in this country, are feeding almost entirely upon insects and the seeds of weeds. It is difficult to estimate the enormous bulk of food that they consume, but we can form some idea when it is stated that a bird about the size of a skylark consumes about 6 Ib. of food per year, so that 10,00 birds would require about 27 tons of food in a year, of which fully half or more consists of insects. and caterpillars. = Taking a miscellaneous lot of insects and ecater- pillars from the stomachs of ten skylarks, we find that in the different individuals, according to the 160,. 162, 162, 177, 182, 156, 138, 154, and 156 weigh exactly one ounce, or an average of 162, so that 10,000 birds would consume 78,382,080 insects. in a year, whilst every 1000 birds would account for nearly 8,000,000, and each bird an average of 8000 per year. species of insect-eating birds consume a number of insects far in excess of these figures. Bird counts, such as have been carried ‘out in the United States of America, do not exist in this | Of the finches we must except — the greenfinch, chaffinch, house sparrow, and bull- — r 9 fe ty id i In all probability our smaller — ae: country, so we cannot state even approximately — 4 the number of insect-eating birds we have in the United Kingdom, but assuming that there are 32,000,000 acres of land under cultivation and that we have a pair of birds to every four acres, . g a Ore ae 4 Juty 25, 1918| NATURE 409 these 16,000,000 would consume annually 135,411,328,000 insects. Such figures require some thinking about before we can realise or form any true conception of the vast quantities that are. included. in such measures. It is impos- sible fully to realise the millions of insects and caterpillars that birds destroy just at the season of the greatest agricultural activity. Wherever insectivorous birds have been destroyed there has followed an increase or plague of injurious insects. Scores of cases are on re- cord, such as the destruction of woodpeckers and tits in the forests of Saxony and Brandenburg prior to the year 1798, im France in 1859-60, in Nebraska between 1865—77, and in Russian Siberia in 1893-94. An anonymous writer stated a short time ago: “Some of the very. greatest friends that our nation has are being destroyed without mercy. If the British: Navy were threatened with destruc- tion, a great cry would rise from the people, but only whispers are heard now and then about the slow destruction of a defensive. force upon which most of our prosperity depends.” Surely we shall not appeal in vain to the various agricultural and horticultural organisations of this country to bring the weight of their influence to bear on a matter so vital to the country’s interests. If the cultivation of the land has to prove profitable, it can do so only by preserving and every factor that is favourable to crop: production, and so long’as economic entomo- logy and ornithology remain neglected or only of academic interest in the United Kingdom, it be- hoves us to awaken and to take heed where we stand, or for some years to come our land. will groan with the ery of desolation, due to our apathy. and. the ignorance and: neglect of the ways and habits of our insectivorous birds, and the wanton destruction of what has ever been Nature’s means, of adjusting the complications of animal » wh man: in his ignorance. is seeking to pervert: WALTER: E. COLLINGE. INDIAN INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS. b kul publications! have recently been received: which would indicate that decided progress is now being made in industry in India, owing to the stress involved under war conditions. Indian Munitions Board undertook its formal duties.as a Department of the Government of. India in April, 1917, its: primary. function being the utilisation to the utmost extent of Indian resources in materials of all kinds required for the prosecu- tion of the war. When considered from a broad aspect, the munitions for a modern army cover practically all the wants of a civil community, with the addition of the special’ weapons, the armies’ munitions, ete., which are employed by the soldier or sailor in actual fighting operations. With the enormous 1 “Indian Munitions Board Handbook” and “ Proceedings of a Con- ference for the Consideration of the Organisation of Chemical Research = a held at Lahore, January 8, 1918." (Simla: Government Monotype ress - NO. 2543, VOL. 101] The armies. which are now used in warfare, the scale of operations is such that the wants of these fighting men necessarily compete with the re- quirements of civil life; hence the necessity for departments which will be able to cover the whole aspect of the economic and other life of a country. India has hitherto been mainly an agricultural country, but with. the operations of war prevent~- ing supplies reaching India from England and other countries, it has: become essential that many manufactured articles, which were formerly solely imported into India, must now, or, at all. events, so long as the war lasts, be largely manufactured in. India. itself. It is probably: not too: much to say that, owing to. the influence of the war, India has already made: progress: which would: otherwise have occupied almost ai generation, and the Report on the Indiam Munitions: Board now available shows that: its: activities have beem manifold. The Indian Munitions: Board was fortunate in, being able to: secure as its President: Sir Thomas, Holland, who was formerly for some _ years, Director of the Geological, Survey of: India, and happened to be in India: as head of. an Indus- trial. Commission: which was engaged: in: develop- ing India’s industrial resources. The Board con- sists of the President, Sir Thomas Holland, assisted and advised by four members; and it is attached to the ‘headquarters of the Government of India. At headquarters the work is divided into a. number of well-defined. branches, each branch: being under the administration. of a: Controller. There are also provincial organisations in: the: different parts: of India; and: nine Controllers; of! the principal provinces, provided with proper deputies and assistants, have been appointed. The provincial Controllers are responsible for utilising local industries which are not. within. the. sphere of. the special’ branches at. headquarters. The organisation; therefore, appears to be: fairly. complete. The subjects dealt’ with under the control and supervision of’ Government are very varied, but the main object of these changes appears to be the utilisation of all indigenous materials and their exploitation. so far. as pos- sible. As. indicating, the diverse activities now being carried, on-by the Indian Munitions Board, it may be mentioned that: *such special: subjects: as the following are now being worked’ at':— Timber supplies and resources, hides, tanning, and leather, the chemical and metallurgical indus- tries of India, the potash salts in. India suitable for ‘chemical manufactures, manufacture of. organic chemicals, essential’ oils, and perfumes, glycerine manufacture, wood distillation, indigen- ous dyes, etc. It would hence appear that great developments may be expected.in future in. the industries. of India. In connection also with the Indian Munitions Board, a conference was called’ by it for the consideration of the reorganisation of chemical re- search in India, the meeting being held at Lahore on January 8 last. This. was. attended by the. majority of qualified and skilled chemists. im 410 NATURE [ JuLy 25, 1918 India, and, appears to have been a great success. At the present time, what is under consideration is the form of reorganisation which would be best; but it would. appear that it is possible that economic research departments may be recognised under a director-general of chemistry with deputy directors for various special branches of economic science, and that all chemists in Govern- ment employ should be included in the service, the reorganisation being intended, of course, to increase the output of work and to pre- vent overlapping. Thus, if there were a director-general of chemistry in India, the deputy directors working under him would include a deputy director for agriculture and a deputy director for forest products, while the provincial agricultural and forest men of science would work in co-ordination with their brethren in other pro- vinces under instruction from, and in general con- sultation with, their particular deputy director. Apparently, there would also have to be separate, directors, say, for organic chemistry and also in charge of mineral chemistry, etc. If this were carried out properly India might make extremely rapid progress in industry and commerce, and in such a way that its future may. be revolutionised. NOTES. From a White Paper published on July to we learn that among the Supplementary Estimates for the year ending March 31, 1919, is the sum of 1,000,000l. which is to be devoted through the Board of Trade to the purpose of assisting the dye-making industry. This is the first instalment of a total sum of 2,000,000]. to be provided in the shape of loans and grants to be spread over three years, and divided as follows :— 1,250,000l. in loans at not less than 1 per cent. above the Bank rate, with a minimum of 5 per cent., repay- able in twenty years or earlier if the profits of the manufacturer are more than g per cent.; 600,000l. in aid of extensions of plant and buildings ; and 1 50,0001, in grants in aid of research. It will be remembered that early in 1915 a grant of 1,000,000l1. was made to one firm at Huddersfeld, out of which was created the company known as British Dyes, Ltd. This, not unnaturally, created a feeling of dissatisfaction on the part of those dye-making firms which received nothing. The sum mentioned is to be distributed among these firms, besides the substantial amount allocated to the purposes of research. Presumably the 100,000l. given for this purpose in 1915 has been spent, but it would. be interesting to know how and by whom the money has been used and with what results, in view of the fact that the central research laboratory originally contemplated has never been erected, nor the Technical Committee announced in July, 1915, called into existence. WE publish this wus an article dealing with recent advances in scientific plant-breeding, in which the remarkable progress made in recent years, especially in India, is described. As a pendant to this article we may invite attention to the announcement made in Parliament by the President of the Board of Agricul- ture on July 18 that active steps have been taken with a view to the establishment at Cambridge of an Institute of Agricultural Botany, the primary function of which’ will be the breeding and distributing of im- proved varieties of agricultural crops. The. scheme in question was very fully described by Mr. Lawrence NO. 2543, VOL. 101] f Weaver, of the Board, of Agriculture, at a meeting of the Agricultural Seed Association held on July 15. It appears that the new institute will be modelled on the famous Swedish plant-breeding station at Svalof, and that its activities will be to follow two distinct lines, one of which will be purely scientific, while t other will have a commercial outlook. More pre-— cisely, the scientific wing will be concerned with the © producing of pure cultures of new varieties on the ~ field-plot scale; the economic wing will deal with the © growing and distribution on a large scale of these varieties. Presumably, on the Svalof model, the scientific side will oversee the operations of ‘the com-. mercial to the extent of guaranteeing the purity of the © stocks distributed by the latter. It has been an- © nounced that subscriptions towards the establishment of the new institute. amounting in the aggregate to upwards of 30,o00l., have already been received, in- cluding a sum of 10,oool. down and 20001. a year for — five years from the firm of Sir Robert McAjy ine and Sons. It has also been announced that the Board of Agriculture will provide the necessary buildings and equipment. It is most gratifying to have this evi- dence of the growing appreciation by the public of the value of scientific work .in economic directions. The new institute may be confidently expected to have a profound influence on the future bia of British agriculture. THE question of the payment for the ‘services Et scientific men working in connection with the indus- trial research associations being formed on the lines suggested by the Department of Scientific and Indus- trial Research has been raised in the House of: Commons by Sir William Beale. Though the asso- ciations could make remuneration to scientific men appointed to serve on advisory committees, or to. specific posts constituted by them, they were not authorised to pay them for services as members of councils or boards of management. It has now been decided by the Board of Trade that this condition may be abrogated, and payment can be.made. after ap- proval by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Sir William Beale’s question, asked on July 18, and Sir Albert Stanley’s answer, are as follows :--Sir William Beale: To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the conditions under which scientific men are asked to serve on the councils or boards: of management of industrial research associations formed under the diréction or with the approval of the Boatd to carry out or promote scientific and industrial research, in consequence of the rules and practice prescribed by the Board of Trade to discourage payment for such services rendered by scientific men other than reim- bursement for out-of-pocket expenses; and whether the Board has taken or will take steps to enable such further reasonable remuneration to be paid as will at- tract to or at least make possible for such research com- mittees as are being formed in connection with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research the _ co-operation, advice, and assistance of scientific men of _ undoubted capacity to render valuable services whose ' . a ae position and means do not enable them to do so on mere compensation for out-of-pocket expenses. Sir Albert Stanley: In dealing with applications for licences under the provisions of section 20 of the Companies Consolidation Act, 1908, due provision is. made for the payment of reasonable remuneration to members of the council of management of such indus-. trial research associations with the approval of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. THERE is a strongly expressed opinion among aan engaged in the fisheries industries that the time has - Roy - could not be dealt with in a Bill of a few clauses. Jury 25, 1918] NATURE 411 now come for the establishment of a separate Ministry or Board of Fisheries. The National Sea Fisheries’ Protection Association carried a motion, at its annual meeting at Fishmongers’ Hall last week, pressing for such reconstruction and appointing a deputation to wait upon the President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. In other quarters the same attitude is now being generally taken up. The needs of the immediate future—that is, unification of control, better local administration, scientific research in relation to fish as food, the better training and education of boys passing into the deep-sea fishing industry, and in- cre facility of distribution—do not seem iikely to be satisfactorily dealt with under the present system of local and imperfect central control. The question of reconstruction of the present depleted fishing marine is also regarded as one of great importance, and it is felt that postponement of this until after the war may be prejudicial to the future of the industry, and that it can be adequately considered only by a strongly organised Department of Fisheries. Tue establishment of a Ministry of Health has attracted considerable public attention, and a widely signed national memorial in support of this has been forwarded to the Prime Minister by Sir Kingsley Wood. In the House of Lords on July 17 Lord Willoughby de. Broke directed attention to the desirability of estab- Hanes a Ministry of Health without undue delay, and a resolution to that effect, which was carried. He pointed out that we are faced with the lowest birth- rate on record, and that the Registrar-General had estimated that but for the war there probably would have been 650,000 more babies born in England and Wales since 1914 than there had been. The motion was supported by Viscount Haldane, who said that far the greatest loss of population was ante-natal rather than post-natal, and urged that the matter required careful scientific investigation. There ought to be an authority like the Board of Education working through borough and county councils, the affect of which would be that the Local Government Board would become what it primarily ought to be—a ministry of public health, and only secondarily a ministry of local government. Viscount Peel, who replied sympathetically on behalf of the Government, said that there was no suggestion that the Maternity Bill was to be substituted for a measure co-ordinating all the powers of the central authorities. There were. considerable difficulties to be overcome, and the mae ) attempt to separate the administration of local govern- ment from health questions would be deplorable, and there would be great difficulty in separating the health functions of the administration of the Poor Law. from functions connected with public assistance. Tue death is announced, on July 18, of Dr. F. Hodson, for several years science master at Bedales _ School, Petersfield, and the author of ‘ Broad Lines in Science Teaching.” WE regret to note that the death of Mr. John Frederick Robinson is announced in Engineering for July 19. Mr. Robinson’ was born in May, 1853, and was a director of the North British Locomotive Co., Ltd. He was educated at Owens College, Man- chester, and served an apprenticeship with Messrs. Sharp, Stewart, and Co., Ltd. He was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and served on the council of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers during the period 1902-9. Dr. W. J. M. Etties, whose death on July tg, at fifty years of age, as the result of an operation, we record with much regret, was distinguished not only. NO. 2543, VOL. ior] by his work as,a consulting oculist and ophthalmic surgeon, ‘but also by his knowledge of the principles of physical optics, as evidenced by the fact that he had been president of the Optical Society, as well as of the Hunterian Society. Dr. Etties qualified as M.B.,C.M., at Aberdeen in 1890, and after a few years’ practice in London he returned and graduated with highest honours as M.D. in 1896. He gave the Hun- terian oration in 1908 upon the subject of ‘‘The Re- naissance of Ophthalmology during the Hunterian Era,’ and he contributed to the Transactions’ of the Optical Convention in 1905 a paper on ‘‘ Optical Prin- ciples of the Ophthalmometer, with Descriptions of New Instruments.” Dr. Ettles was particularly in- terested in colour-vision tests, and played an important part in the “Trattles”’ case of about ten years ago, -which led to a revision of the methods adopted by the Board of Trade in examining in colour-vision candi- dates for certificates as master or mate in the mer- cantile marine. His death while in the prime of life will be deplored by many friends, as well as by / numerous patients who have had the advantage of his professional knowledge and skill. ATTENTION having been directed in Kentish papers to the desirability of establishing the new marine grass, Spartina townsendii, in the extensive mud- banks of the Medway between Chatham and Sheer- ness, the owner of some “‘saltings’’ has decided to act on the suggestion, and, having through Mr. W. H. Shrubsole secured the co-operation of South Coast naturalists, arrangements are now in progress for collecting and transferring plants to the Medway. On the Essex coast there are large marshy areas suitable for the growth of Spartina; and if it were planted there and in similar districts around our shores it is highly probable that before many years our supply of home-grown material for paper-making would be considerably increased. Ar the invitation of the council of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, a conference of representatives of the Associated Municipal Electrical Engineers of Greater London, the Chief Technical Assistants’ Association, and the Electrical Power Engineers’ Association was held at the temporary offices of the institution on July 9. The chair was taken by Mr. C. H. Wording- ham, C.B.E., president of the institution. At the close of the proceedings it was resolved that one single combined protective association be formed for the whole electric supply industry. Chief engineers will be in- cluded in the membership provided they are not’ em- ployers or employers’ representatives on an industrial council or similar body dealing with technical staffs. The qualifications for membership of the association will be those of the Electrical Power Engineers’ Asso- ciation, but all new members elected after December 31, 1921, shall be required to have passed the A.M.I.E.E. examination or an equivalent examination. Dr. R. R. Marett, who has held the office of president of the Folklore Society for the unusually long period of five years, devoted his final presidential address to a discussion of the transvaluation of cul- ture. He protested against the description of the science of folklore as the study of survivals. It would be better, he believes, to reject the fossil metaphor altogether. Inasmuch as survivals survive, they are not quite dead after all, but in some humble and surreptitious way of their own help to constitute and condition the living present, whether it be for worse , or better. It is of chief importance to inquire what survival is as a process, and how this particular pro- cess is related to the ‘other processes that go with it to make up the general movement of history. In short, \ 412 NATURE [Juny 25, 1918 ~ . a dynamic study of the facts relating to survival keeps in touch with’ reality as manifested in the life-force. In the South. African: Journal of Science (vol. xiv., No. 4) for November, 1917, Prof. J. W. Bews discusses the plant-succession in, the thorn veld: The acacias, especially Acacia horrida. and A. arabica, are the pioneers, as, they are able. to establish themselves with no shade, shelter, or protection: against grass-fires. After they are established many other species, ger- minating. in the-seed-bed prepared for them, by the activity of earthworms, termites, and ants beneath, the thorn-tree, grow up in the shade. | Various stages have been traced, and. ultimately the subsequent species may kill. the pioneer. As a rule, however, the thorn- trees. remain. dominant in. what is, at present, over the. largest areas, the final stage. Seed-dispersal is little due to wind, the. chief agents being birds, but for species with capsular fruits and small seeds, ants, which are. very abundant, play an important part. Termites: also exert) important influence on. the. plant- succession. \ THE various forms of “scab”? found on potato-tubers have for long been more or less puzzling to plant pathologists. The investigations of recent: years: have considerably. enlarged our knowledge. of: parasitic organisms such as Synchytrium endobtoticum, Spongo- spora: subterranea, Act:nomyces chromogenus, etc., and of their. effects upon the tuber. Workers: in: this domain of: research: will ke interested; therefore, in a paper published in the Journal of Agricultural: Re- | search for May 27 by Mr: J. J. Taubenhaus, who describes: a form: of scab of the sweet potato which he calls ‘Pox,’ and which also occurs: on the ordinary potato. (Solanum tuberosum). According to this author, the causative parasite in this case is’ a myxomycete’ named Cystospora batata, Ell., which probably hibernates as. cysts in the soil: It would: be interesting to. know whether. this organism occurs in the Old World as well as in the New, and, doubtless, the publication of the paper referred to will stimulate search for it. Tue damage to tomatoes. and other valuable glass-. house crops due to the root-nematode or eelworm (Heterodera radicicola) is| widespread’ and consider- able, and, so far, no economical’ and’ effective: measures of control have been devised: Some experimental work. on this. subject is described’ in an article by Mr. Willis P: Durz in Soil Science (vok iv:, No. 6), in which the application of sodium cyanide to’ infested greenhouse soil was tested, and under certain condi- tions gave satisfactory results. The cyanide dissolved in water was applied’ in the proportion of’ 200 Ib. per acre,.one-third gallon per square foot of soil, as weaker solutions were found to be ineffectual; one week after the first treatment a second similar treatment was given. In order to bring out the larve from their cysts. the soil was kept moist and warm for about five days before each application. All plants should be. removed. from. the soil before applications of: sodium cyanide at this rate, and the soil should. be aerated and leached to remove any traces of. cyanide gas before replanting. Other methods. of control recommended are the application to the soil.of formaldehyde and of sphagnum-moss extract and the raising of the tem- perature of greenhouses to 101° F Tue latest addition to Messrs. E. Stanford’s series of war-maps is a map of Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein, etc., published at the price of half a crown, The scale is approximately 1:1,140,000. No relief is shown, but water under ten fathoms is coloured lighter blue than water of greater depth. International NO. 2543, VOL.’ 101 | tion lake at Perigar, in the boundaries on land are shown in red. It would have: — been useful to mark the boundary of the Danish Archi+ _ pelago towards Sweden and Germany by a dotted line. — The map has plenty of names, and railways are clearly — marked. The courses of the British and German fleets — at the Battle of Jutland are shown in red. ven WE have received from the Commonwealth Meteoro- logist a copy. of the rain-map of Australia for 1917. — Besides the chief map showing the details. of the — annual rainfall, the sheet has. smaller maps giving. the: rainfall for each month during the year. The small maps are clear, but the principal one-is. very, obseure in places. Previous editions. had not this defect, and it is to be hoped that it represents.merely a passing phase of difficulty. in. printing. The abnormal conditions of rainfall were even more pronounced in 1917 tham in 1916, and 75 per cent. of the area of the country had) — a rainfall above the average. Some parts of Western — Australia had, the wettest year on record, Throughout the wheat belt rains in. general were much above, the ‘normal, especially during August, September, and October. In parts of Victoria, New. South Wales, and Western Australia too much rain injured the wheat harvest, the returns of which were considerably below the average. The unusual conditions are attributed by Mr. H. A. Hunt partly to the strong monsoonal in- fluences in summer and partly to the exceptional’ development of southern low pressure in winter. Wery similar conditions prevailed in 1916. In the Journal’ of the Royal, Society of Arts. (No. 3417;. May 17) Mr. Alfred Dickinson discusses. ‘‘Waterspower in India.’’ As an example he quotes the dam across a valley in the Western Ghats: con- structed: by Messrs, Tata, Sons, and Co,, which pro- vides 300,000 h.p: continuously. Mr. Dickinson. is now investigating the possibility of: utilising. the irriga- Madras Presidency, for power: purposes; and numerous other schemes of the same kind are possible, With its enormous: supply of minerals for metallurgical development, materials. like cotton, flax, and jute; and abundant and cheap labour, a great commercial and: industrial development may be expected. ‘Although much has been done; _ her industrial possibilities, to use a vulgarism, have~ scarcely been ‘ scratched.’’” pat eee fo Tue Engineering Experiment Station ‘of the Uni- versity of Illinois has published Circular. No. 6, March, 1918, by Prof. H. Stock, upon the storage of bituminous coal. This. subject has attracted con- siderable attention within the last few months on both sides of the Atlantic, papers having appeared on the subject in the publications of the Canadian Depart- ment of Mines and.in the Transactions of two English engineering societies, whilst the theory of the’ spon- taneous. combustion of coal, which, forms, or should form, the basis upon which all methods. of coal storage: are based, has been worked out at the Doncaster Coalowners’ Laboratory. The present. circular prac-. tically disregards the theoretical side of the subject, but concerns itself more particularly with the en- gineering features of coal storage. The various methods. of storing coal are described in much detail, — and, amongst others, the method’ of storing under — water is fully considered. ‘The various precautions in — the way of thorough ventilation of the pile, restricting its height and subdividing it suitably, as well as the proper grading of coal intended to be stored, are all discussed, and stress is laid upon the importance of ‘regular inspection and determination of the tempera-~ ture of the pile; the author holds. that:-when the tem- perature reaches. 150° F. the pile needs: to be_care- fully watched, and if it rises to 175° or 180° F. the *coal should be removed. as promptly as possible. — —.- °°... i ie oo ee ore o, Jury 25, 1918] NATURE 413 __To which country is the advance of seismology chiefly indebted? M. de Montessus de Ballore en- deavours to answer this question in an interesting yaper published in the last Bollettino of the Italian Se ical, Society (vol. xx., 1916, pp. 263-72). His estimate is based on a bibliography of seismo- logical memoirs now being published by the Sociedad chilena de historia y geografia. This bibliography contains the titles of about 9000 articles, of which 2002 are written in Italian, 1768 in French, and 1185*in German. Great Britain is credited with gii articles, the United States with 636, and Japan with 352. The number of papers per million in- habitants since the year 1840 is 40 in Italy, 303 in France, 123 in Germany and Austria, and 103 in Great Britain. These figures take no account of the value of the individual works. Omitting purely descriptive ho sa the author estimates that of papers eneral nature 12-9 per cent, are contributed by of a French oes 10-6 per cent. by German, 10-2 per cent. by English, and 7-7 per cent. by Italian writers. A more satisfactory conception of the relative value of national contributions would perhaps be furnished pw number of references in some standard treatise - seismc - Taking, for instance, M. de Mon- tessus de Ballore’s “‘La Science Séismologique,” and including only those authors quoted more than five times, WE Bae that there are 103 references to Eng- lish-writers, 65 to Italian, 61 to German and Austrian, | to Japanese, 35 to French, and 21 to American (nited “§ i tes). ‘A notice in Metall und Erz for May 8 states that the i rtant Bavarian establishments for the produc- tion of nitric acid from the air are to undergo con- siderable extension, in which some 200,000 h.p. of water-power will be used. bankers and others has been formed to carry out the scheme, which will involve a capital of 150 million FOLLOWING upon the establishment of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Research on [ron and Iron-ores comes*the news from the German daily Press of some preliminary steps that have been taken to found a similar institution for researches on all other generally useful metals. A committee composed of eminent engineers and university professors has been formed to consider the establishment of a metal research institute for the benefit of the German metallurgical NEW sources of mineral wealth are to be found in European Turkey. According to Metall und Erz for May §& last, copper-ore exists in great quantities in Turkish Rhodope, in the neighbourhood of Yardimli. In the Turkish Balkans ores of nearly all the metals oceur, while gold occurs in Markova Reka, south of Uskub. In the neighbourhood of Kratova gold and galena containing a fairly high percentage of gold have been discovered. Chromium-ore in abundancé has been found near Niausta, on the Salonika-Monastir railway. The mountain range of southern Macedonia is especially rich in chromium-ore, and there are iron, antimony, and lead ores. Ix the Schweizerische Elektrotechnische Zeitschrift for pues 5 last. is given a summary of the results obtained from tests of various lamps with ortho- chromatic plates and silver-eosin plates prepared by two German firms. The tables show wattage and candle-power of various lamps and their actinic values, absolute and per watt and per Hefner candle-power for both kinds of plates with and without yellow filters. The lamps tested in this way were the Hefner lamp, NO. 2543, VOL. 101] (Bureau of Standards, A strong syndicate of vacuum and gas-filled tungsten-wire lamps, are lamps with solid carbons and yellow and white flame-carbons, enclosed ares, and: quartz-enclosed mercury ares, WE note in the Chemical News of June 21 an account of the preparation and properties of fibres made from fused: steatite or soapstone (a magnesium silicate), which resemble fused quartz in their elastic properties. It was desired to obtain threads of o-1 to 0-2 mm. in diameter and a metre long; such threads are somewhat difficult to prepare from fused quartz on account of the presence of air-bubbles. The material in question was found by Prof. Guthe Washington, Bulletin i., No. 1) to answer admirably; it had all the charac- teristic properties of fused quartz with the additional advantage that thick fibres do not break so readily. In the oxyhydrogen flame the substance fuses to a clear glass, and can be formed into threads of the requisite dimensions. The elastic fatigue of such fibres is very small—about one-third that of steel or phosphor-bronze. The linear coefficient of expansion was found to be —0-0000045. , AN article on coal-saving by the scientific control of steam-boiler plants appears in Engineering for July 12. The author, Mr. D. Brownlie, gives average figures for 250 typical steam-boiler plants, covering the period from 1gio to the present time. It is estimated that 58,500,000 tons of coal per annum are used in this country for steam-raising purposes (in normal times), exclusive of 15,000,000 tons used in railways. The 250 plants had a total of tooo boilers, principally of the Lancashire type. With hand-firing the average net working efficiency, is 57-8 per cent., as against mechanical firing with an average net working effi- ciency of 61-4 per cent. Both varieties receive very little scientific attention and supervision; efficiencies from 75 to 823 per cent. can be maintained with both types. The author’s experience is that in normal times the average firm could save 7 to 1o per cent. in the fuel bill alone by buying on scientific lines. The author estimates that there are 45,000 to 60,000 steam boilers at work in Great Britain, calculated in terms of average-sized Lancashire boilers, and considers that all the steam produced in the country to-day could be - obtained much more economically with 25 per cent. fewer boilers. Messrs. Crosby Lockwood and Son announce “Plane Surveying,” by Prof. J. K. Finch, and ‘‘ How to Become a Wireless Operator: A Practical Pre- sentation of the ‘Theory of Electrical Waves, their Propagation, and their Adaptation to Wireless Com- munication,” by C. B. Hayward. Messrs. Longmans and Co. have in preparation a new edition—the second —of Sir R Redmayne’s “The Ventilation of Mines,” containing additional notes relating to the Coal Mines Act of t911. The fifth volume of the same author’s ‘“‘Modern Practice in Mining”’’ is also in preparation. Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd., will issue shortly ‘‘A Small Book on Electric Motors for Continuous’ and Alternating Currents,” by the late W. Perren Maycock, Messrs. J. WHELDON AND Co., 38 Great Queen Street, W.C.2, have just issued, at the price of 2d., a very full and well-arranged Botanical Catalogue (new series, No. 83), which should be of interest and value to many. of our readers. It is conveniently divided into eight sections, dealing respectively with general botany, geographical botany, and the floras. of Britain, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Aus- tralasia. Many first and rare editions are included; ~ 414 also sets of. botanical serials. Among the latter we notice Curtis’s Botanical Magazine from 1787 to 1906; Edwards’s Botanical Register, a complete — set; Maund’s ‘‘ Botanic Garden,” large-paper edition; the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, com- plete. to 1916; the Orchid Album; the Orchid Review; the Phytologist, by Luxford, Newman, and Irvine, all published. Messrs. Wheldon also have for disposal a large-paper copy of Loddige’s *‘ Botanical Cabinet,’’ complete in 20 vols. OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. Prrtopic Comets.—Wolf’s comet was detected by Prof. Barnard at Yerkes Observatory on July. 12, three days later than M. Jonckheere’s first observa- tion. M. Kamensky’s predicted date of perihelion, 1918 December 13-3899, appears to be too early by 0-0531d., which is nota large error, and the ephemeris given in Nature for July 11 will suffice for finding the comet. Borrelly’s periodic comet will pass perihelion a month earlier than Wolf’s, and the conditions will be - favourable for observation. Mr. L. v. Tolnay gives the following ephemeris in Ast. Nach., No. 4948; it is for Greenwich midnight :— “i R.A. S. Decl. Log r Log A bing 85 2 July 29 3 19 0 17 1 0:2653 0:2107 Aug... 2°.,3).28..5 16 41 0:2591 0:1972 6 3.37 10 16 21 02529 0:1835 to. 3 46.15 16 1 0-2467 0: 1696 14. 3 55 18 15 41 0°2405 0:1554 18 4 4 19 15 20 0:2343 +. OrI4II 22. 4.13 17 14 59 0-2282 0-1265 26, 4 22 12 14 37 02222 O-1116 30). 4.31. -4 14.13 0-2162 00964 | The perihelion passage is about November 16-65, log a=0-5598, €=0-6153, log q=0-1450. THE PERIOD oF Sirius.—The companion to Sirius has lately been more easily observable than during the previous forty years, and has completed rather more than a revolution since its discovery in 1862. Mr. R. Jonckheere has obtained measures with the 28-in. refrac- tor at Greenwich in the course of the last four winters, and has taken the opportunity of making a revised estimate of the period (Monthly Notices, R.A.S., vol. Ixxviii., p. 480). The mean result is 50-02 years, which is 1-78 years shorter than that given by Burn- ham. The shortest period ever given was that of 48-84 years, arrived at by Zwiers, and the longest that of 58:47 years given by Gore. Mr. Jonckheere recalls that nearly eleven years before the visual discovery Peters made an investigation of the orbit from transit ob- servations, and although the maximum displacement was only 0-152s., he obtained the closely accurate period of 50-01 years. Adopting the parallax 0-38” and a semi-major axis of 7-5”, the -corrected mass of the system is 3-07 times the mass of the sun. : Two Spectroscopic Binaries or LonG PERIOD.— The spectroscopic binary 320, Cygni has been under observation at the Dominion Observatory, Ottawa, by Mr. J. B. Cannon since 1914, and a preliminary orbit has now been’ determined (Astrophys. Journ., vol. xlvii., p. 193). The period of this star is more than three years, and the eccentricity of the orbit 0-182, but there are irregularities which suggest the presence of a third body. The velocity-curve may be explained by considering the system as consisting of a luminous star revolving about another body in a circular orbit in 390 days, and the pair revolving in NO. 2543, VOL. ror] NATURE .governing the supply and distribution of é ‘the consumer. - [Juny 25, 1918 an elliptic orbit about a third body in 1170 days. star is of spectral type G5 and magnitude been under investigation at the Cape Observatory Dr. J. Lunt since 1903... The star in question” a Phoenicis, and the period has been found to be — The eccentricity of the — orbit is 0-32, and the system is receding with a velocity — of 75:76 km. As regards length of period, the star — is second only to Polaris, which has a period of | Ig. years. 'type K. 10-62 years, or 3880 days. The star is of magnitude 2-44 and of f D Beate STONYHURST COLLEGE OBSERVATORY.—The annual — report of this observatory for 1917 includes a yalu- able ,record of the state of the $un’s surface on 210 days of observation. ne thousandth of the visible surface the mean ¢ of the spots was 12:1, which is about three times — greater than that of the previous year, end twice as great as at the previous maximum. The increased activity commenced early‘in February and tdached its greatest intensity in August, the greatest area on any one day being 50 units on August 11. The February and August groups were of exceptional size, and second to none that have appeared during the last thirty- eight years. As regards the ranges of magnetic declination and horizontal force, the year was _rela- tively quiet and out of accord with the solar activity. — A comparison of the Stonyhurst drawings with spectro- heliograms taken at the Yerkes Observatory has shown an almost perfect agreement between the faculze and the calcium flocculi, but no similarity with the | hvdrogen flocculi. The report also includes particulars aoe SE of meteorolegical and magnetical observations. P z pte» Yul este f THE FUTURE OF THE ELECTRICAL TRADES. gohan ate THE Departmental Committee appointed by the Board of Trade to consider the position of the — electrical trades after the war, with special reference to international competition, has now issued a Rep (Cd. 9072, price 2d.). Like other similar Committees, this urges that ‘‘remedial and unifying legislation aoa} energy should be introduced forthwith.’ A historical résumé of electrical enterprise in this country is given, and it is pointed out that, like the automobile in- dustry, it has been hampered all through by the lack of a scientific outlook on the part of the officials of our Government Departments. Acting according to their lights, they encouraged competing companies using different types of plant and different systems to set up in the same area, the reason given being that the healthy competition would cheapen the supply to of Trade in 1916 calling on the supply companies to link up with one another in the. national ‘interests so— as to reduce the consumption of coal and economise — labour. That is, after making it practically impossible | for the companies to link up, the Board calls on them to do so. Ee aeke ' Looking to the future, the Committee points out that as the supply of electrical energy is a ‘“‘key industry,” it is imperative that questions concerning it should be prevented from becoming party questions. They should be considered solely on their merits from — the point of view of national requirements. We quite agree, but we are afraid that this is a counsel of perfection. The ah ae ee A spectroscopic binary of still: longer period has In units of one five- The mischievous effect of this policy is well. illustrated by the circular issued by the Board Few questions are of greater urgency than that of standardising some system for electrifying © ,. Juty 25, 1918] NATURE 415 all our railways. The power stations need to be placed _ im the best positions for civil and military needs, and all main and local lines should be properly co-ordinated. At present our railways are being electrified in a piece- meal and desultory way. comparison is made be- tween manufacturing conditions in this country and in Germany. The conclusions, with some of which we do not agree, are altogéther in favour of the German methods. The Committee was impressed by the fact that the balance-sheets of the Allgemeine Elektricitats Gesellschaft showed a cash’ balance of more than six million pounds in 1915. Another flourishing firm, the Siemens-Schiickert Co., has stated that its large cash balance will shortly be depleted by the manufacture of “peace products’’ for stock for disposal at the end of the war. _ At least, up to the present time, German manufac- turing firms have had little to pay in the way of extra _ taxation or excess profits duty, and so English firms _ are naturally getting anxious. The Committee recom- mends that the import of enemy goods should be pro- hibited for three years after the conclusion of peace. Other rec dations are the imposition of import _duties (in other words, Protection), . combination between manufacturers, the provision of extended banking facilities, and, most important of all, the pro- motion of a better understanding between employers - and employed and the provision of better housing and working conditions. A supplementary report is pro- mised which will deal, inter alia, with education, re- search, the decimal system, and the consular service. As Sir Charles Parsons and Sir John Snell are on the Committee, their educational proposals will be looked forward to with keen interest. _ ITALIAN METEOROLOGY. A NUMBER of interesting papers dealing with various aspects of meteorology in Italy, includ- ing results from a new station in the colony of Gebel Bengasi, have recently been issued by Prof. Eredia, director of the service. The first (1) contains the results of observations made at Nalut during the two years ending May, 1915. The co-ordinates of the station are lat. 31° 53’ 'N., long. 8° 45’ E., and the height 600 m. The mean temperature is 65:7° F.; that of the warmest month, July, 84-6°, and of January, the coldest month, 44-4°; showing the large variation of more than 40°. The mean daily maxima vary from 98° in July to 525° in January. The corresponding mean minima are 706° and 36°, so that the amplitude in the day values is 10° in excess of the night values. The mean daily range is 21-5°, and the absolute ex- tremes of temperature are 111° and 23°. Compared with Tripoli, on the coast, the mean temperature is 1-6° lower. In summer (May to August) Nalut is 5° warmer than Tripoli, in winter 10° colder, the extreme differences being +6° in June and —11° in January. The annual rainfall is ig4 mm. (7-63 in.), which almost all falls between December and April. The average number of days with rain in the year is nineteen. The rain falls in heavy. showers of short duration, which, as a rule, do not exceed thirty minutes. Only on three occasions did the duration of a shower exceed five hours, although one rainstorm lasted two days. The heaviest fall was 134 in. in two and a half hours, n April 4, 1915. December, 1914, was the wettest cious with en in., falling on four days during an aggregate of twelve hours, although in the same month 1 (x) Prof. F. Eredia, ‘* Contributo alla Climatologia del Gebel,” Biblioteca Agraria Coloniale. (2) Prof. F. Eredia, ‘‘La Frequenza dei Temporali in Val Padana,” Rend. della R. Acad. dei Lincei. (3) Prof. F. ia, ‘* Le Piene dell’ Uadi di Derna” (Ministero. delle Colonie). (4) “ L’Officio Centrale Italiano di Meteorologia e Geodinamica,” Estra'to da La Scienza per Tutti, No. 1, 1° Genraio, 1918. (5) Prof. F. Eredia, **Tavole ad Uso degli Osservatorii Meteorologici Italiani.” NO. 2543, VOL. ror] of the previous year only 0-03 in. fell. There are 237 cloudless and 36 overcast days annually. The predominant wind is N. at all seasons, accounting for about half of all the observed winds, while winds from the E. and S.E. rarely occur. ; The second paper (2) is a discussion of thunderstorm frequency over the north plains of Italy, with special reference to the barometric pressure at the time of the occurrence. Data from ten observatories are examined for the months April to October for the ten years ending 1916, with the general result that thunder- storms are most frequent with pressure under 755 mm. (29-73 in.), while a secondary maximum occurs between 759 mm. and 762 mm. Only in 5 per cent. of the cases was pressure more than 765 mm. The fre- quency is also discussed with reference to the relative humidity at the time of the thunderstorm. In summer the air was dry (under 60 per cent.) in one-third of the cases, but in early autumn only one thunderstorm in ten occurs with .so dry an atmosphere. The pressure conditions associated with two floods on the River Uadi, at Derna, on the coast of Bengasi, are discussed in (3), from which it is shown that in the flood of November 30, 1913, there was an anti- cyclone over Western, and a low-pressure area over Central, Europe. The wind at Derna, and, indeed, throughout Bengasi, changed from S. to N., indicating the passage of a depression to the north. In the flood of April 12, 1916, pressure was low to the north of Scotland and high in Portugal, with a subsidiary area. of low pressure over Algeria. Details of some other rains associated with flooding in various parts of Tripoli and Bengasi are also given. . The last paper (4) summarises the work of the Italian Meteorological Office since its initiation in 1879. The geophysical branch dates from 1887, and’ upper-air research from 1902. In October, 1917, there were 181 stations provided with direct-reading and automatic registers, and other 341 stations observing rainfall, temperature, wind, and cloud. Of extra rain- fall stations there were 161. Full particulars are given of the special researches carried out by the various sections, A new edition of useful tables, such as are available in our own ‘Computers’ Handbook,” is given in (5), which include tables for the conversion of millimetres into the new pressure units. R. GEOLOGY OF THE. BARBERTON GOLD- MINING DISTRICT. (PRE Geological Survey of the Union of South Africa © has issued an important memoir on the geology of the Barberton gold-mining district. This district is made up essentially of the Older Granite and the | Swaziland System, probably of pre-Cambrian age, and underlying the Transvaal System, the latter being of importance mainly as determining the great escarp- ment of the Drakensberg; it may be noted that the latter contains auriferous deposits, both reef and alluvial, that have been worked for some thirty-five years. The tectonics of the Barberton district are very complex, intense folding in various regions, such as the Sheba Hills, having been brought about by the intrusion of the great masses of granite. One of the most interesting features of this report lies in the conclusions reached respecting the genesis of the auriferous deposits of the Barberton district. Apart from the alluvials, auriferous deposits of two types are recognised, namely, pyritic quartz reefs and zones of impregnation. The former occur mainly in e granite of the De Kaap valley, and in some of the older rocks, and in many cases the results obtained from their exploitation have been, upon the whole, . 416 ' NATURE [ JuLy 28, 1918 disappointing. -The latter include some of the ‘best- known. deposits, such as the famous Sheba Mine; the deposits do not show definite walls, and the auriferous rock does not differ from the surrounding country except by its impregnation with iron pyrites and with gold, often very finely disseminated, so that the work- able limits of the deposits can be established only by continual assays. It is pointed out that the zone of contact between the granite and the adjoining stratified rocks is the area within which most of the important gold-bearing deposits are situated, and it is suggested that ‘“‘gold occurrences are far more likely to be ex- pected within the sphere of influence of the intrusive granite,” this forming a ‘belt. of country averaging about three miles in width. Furthermore, in prospect- ing, it should not be forgotten that many of the pay- able deposits of the Barberton district take the form, not of the well-defined quartz reef, with which most rospectors are familiar, but of ‘‘mineralised zones of impregnation, sometimes almost indistinguishable from country ‘rock. THE SPINNING-TOP IN HARNESS? aotat gyroscopic theory of the lecture and its applications was illustrated by experiments with apparatus designed to show the chiet principles of gyroscopic motion on a large scale, so as to be visible to an audience; some bicycle-wheels and 'a Maxwell dynamical top were used. The lecture began with a quotation of the initial sentence of Maxwell’s own description of his top, as ‘given to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, April, 1857, and the phrase “the perplexities of men who had successfully threaded the mazes of the planetary motions’? was interpreted as a y malicious dig at Newton and his struggle in the ‘* Principia ”’ with the gyroscopic theory of precession. Twirled by the left hand, the dynamical top gives the appropriate precession in direction; called preces- sion because the seasons come up in consequence of it twenty minutes earlier each year than otherwise, and ‘twenty minutes a year gives the twenty-six thousand years required for a complete revolution among the stars. Two large 52-in. bicycle-wheels were einployed as spinning-tops on the floor, made originally by Prof. C. V. Boys for his Otto bicycle. A hub was fitted with ball-bearings, carrying a spike and a long stalk. Spun by hand, with the spike resting in a small cup raised about 3 ft. from the floor, the evolutions of the wheel could be watched as they became more violent, and finally extinguished when. the rim reached the floor. When the stalk was grasped and raised horizontal and the wheel spun, the gyroscopic effect was very marked if the wheel was allowed to drop or the stalk was brandished. Letting the spike rest in the ‘hand, the wheel moved round in precession, and, Kelvin’s rule could be shown off in the alteration of the inclina- tion of the axle. According to this rule, “Hurry the precession, and the axle rises against gravity.’’ This is observed instinctively in riding a bicycle on the road. To avoid an object the bicycle must be steered towards it in a smaller circle, so as to rise and swerve away. the vital importance of this matter, and has the training and knowledge which will enable him to appreciate the prcblems which must be faced, and complete the work of which the founda- tions have now been laid.”’ _ Tue University of London proposes to establish a degree in commerce. The scheme, to be really effec- tive, must be worked out as a whole with an inde- pendent organisation, not as a mosaic of fragments built up from various faculties. The needs, of the teaching depend on the aim of the degree course and the type of student for which it is intended. Finance and commerce in the broadest sense are the main interests of London, and likely to provide the mass of the students. The training should be correlated to the main interests of the individual, though in no sense a substitute for actual experience of business. Elementary economics, geography, and accounting, together with a thorough knowledge of a modern commercial language. with the addition of certain optional subjects, such as a science, or mathematics, or history, would provide a broad basis for more specialised work. The broad facts of commercial and financial organisation, recent histcrical development of the great commercial Powers, and the main prin- ciples of commercial law are of importance to all. Beyond these are two groups of subjects: on one hand, business organisation, the banking and financ- ing of production and trade, and the movements of NO. 2543, VOL. ror] ‘of circulating * excitations. capital; on the other, the industrial and commercial conditions of the great markets of the world. Mr. A. J. Balfour, on July 18, spoke at a meeting at the Mansion House called to support the scheme of the University. He pointed out the two main criticisms that would be brought against degrees in commerce, one by those who. argue that academic training is of little value in the actual practice of life, and the other by those who argue that vocational education is narrowing, and, indeed, may be so narrow as not to be education at all. He remarked that few subjects have so many aspects and so much human interest as the many-sided life of commerce. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LonpDon. Royal Society, June 27.—Sir J. J. Thomson, presi- dent, in the chair.—Prof. T. H. Havelock : Periodic irrotational waves of finite height. It is shown that an extension of Michell’s analysis for the highest wave gives a method which includes waves of any permissible height.—Dr. G. N. Watson: The diffrac- tion of electric waves by the earth. Approximate for- mulz have been obtained by Poincaré, Macdonald, Nicholson, and others, which express the disturbance due to a Hertzian oscillator at a distant point of the earth’s surface. This paper contains a transforma- tion of the series for the magnetic force into a series which converges very rapidly except in the immediate neighbourhood of the oscillator.—Dr. A. D. Waller : Concerning emotive phenomena. Part ii. Periodic variations of conductance of the palm of the, human hand. This paper gives an account of further ob- servations of changes of electrical resistance asso- ciated with emotive phenomena. Their physiological lost time is between two and three seconds, and occurs principally in the skin (palm of hand). With higher and lower conductivity the effects are greater and smaller. The electrical conductivity (palm of hand) exhibits a diurnal periodicity concurrent with the waxing and waning .of physiological activity during the twenty-four hours.—Prof. J. A. MacWilliam : The mechanism and control of fibrillation in the mam- malian heart. An essential condition in fibrillation is an altered (fascicular) mode of conduction. T his may characterise even single beats as “‘ fibrillar.” The pro- duction of a rapid, continuous series of contractions in typical fibrillation depends on a disturbance in the normal relations of conduction time and refractory period, leading to the establishment of a mechanism Gradations are traced between fibrillar beats and rapid fibrillation. The chief protective and remedial agents described are urethane, adrenaline, strontium chloride, hirudine, and pilocar- pine. The action of the last» may reproduce the different actions of the vagus in auricles and ventricles respectively, promoting fibrillation in the former and restraining it in the latter—Dr. J. F. Gemmill: The development of the sea anemones, Actinoloba dianthus and Adamsia palliata. An account is given of the development of these anemones from fertilisa- tion to the eight-mesenteried stage. In both species the eggs are relatively small, those of Actinoloba con- taining so little food-yolk that the free-swimming planula feeds by the action of cilia on two precociously formed mesenteries (the future sulco-laterals), and afterwards crawls mouth-downwards with stomodeum everted, presumably obtaining food from the sub- stratum, This is the only known instance of a feed- ing Actinian planula, and, indeed, the only previous detailed account of anemone .development is that of Appelléf for Urticina, which has large volky’ eggs.— 420 NATURE [Jury 255 1918 R. Beer and Agnes Arber: The occurrence of multinu- cleate cells in vegetative tissues. Binucleate or multi- nucleate cells have been observed by the authors in 174 plant species belonging to fifty-nine families. They have been found in each of the five classes. of living Pteridophyta, in Gymnosperms, and in Angio- sperms. They occur in a wide range of tissues be- longing to stem, root, and leaf. The multinucleate condition has, ‘in all cases, been found to arise by mitotic division of the nucleus, and in no instance have amitotic divisions been seen to play a_part.— Dr. J. H. Mummery’; ‘The epithelial sheath of Hertwig in the teeth of man, with notes on the follicle and Na smyth’s membrane. The author shows that the ‘‘epithelial sheath of Hertwig”’ is present as a com- plete organ in human teeth, and, as shown by von Brunn in many mammalia, is the moulding or limit- ing organ of the dentine of the root, being constantly present where dentine is ‘being deposited. —H. H. Jeffcott: The periods of lateral vibration of loaded shafts. pirical rule for determining whirling speeds. This paper deals with the periods of lateral vibration of loaded shafts, kerley’s empirical method for determining the first whirling speed of a shaft carrying a number ‘of loads. Results obtained by the Dunkerley formula are com- pared with ‘the exact ‘solutions in a few ‘simple ‘cases. The method employed is of general application, and leads to a theorem connecting the several speeds of vibration of a system of masses elastically connected | with the speeds of vibration of the partial systems obtained by reducing to zero a. given number of the — masses in turn in all possible “combinations.—Prof. Norman Collie and Dr. H. E. Watson; The ‘spectrum | of cadmium in the inactive gases.—C. F. Brush, Sir Robert Hadfield, and S. A. Main; Further experiments on spontaneous generation of heat in recently hardened | steel—_T.. Matsushita: The slow contraction of hardened carbon steels. DUBLIN. : Royal Dublin Society, June 25.—Dr. G. H. Pethy- bridge in the chair.—Dr. F. E. Hackett: The twist and ‘magnetisation of a steel tube th a spiral magnetic field. This paper deals with ‘the verification of a formula given by Knott in 1888 relating \the Wiede- ° mann effect to’ the Joule effect, viz. twist=length (radius)-*sin 2a(e,+e,), where e, and e, are the longitudinal elongation and transverse contraction in a given magnetic field. The theory was tested by keeping the spiral field constant and varying the pitch-angle @. Examination of the longitudinal Magnetisation under the same conditions shows that the slight deviations observed from ° the expected linear relation of the twist to sin2q@ are due mainly to the demagnetising effects at the ends. —R. G.' Allen: The absorption of water by ‘vulcanised fibre and erinoid on exposure to moist air, and the consequent change of electrical resistanee. saturated air for measured intervals of time. The quantity of water absorbed was found to be approxi-_ mately related to the time of immersion by ‘a simple. equation, and fibre was demonstrated to be much. more hygroscopic than erinoid. Other results were | given for these materials, showing the change of | electrical resistance with quantity of water absorbed | from moist air and the rapidity of decrease in resist-| ance, especially in the case of fibre, with increase af this quantity. It was also shown that, whatever the quantitv of absorbed water in fibre and erinoid, the: same simple relation between temperature and resist- NO. 2543, VOL. rot] The rational derivation of Dunkerley’s em- | and gives the rational basis of Dun- | | Walker-Tisdale and T. R. Robinson. Results | were given for thoroughly dried samples of vulcanised | fibre . ‘and erinoid which were immersed in’ nearly | ance, common to sect materials, including water, e was followed in every case. The latter result wa pointed out as giving strong support to ‘the | that electricity is conducted through the materia of | , an insulator by the vehicle of water-films. . BOOKS RECEIVED. AF i ple Colour. in Relation to. Chemical Constitution. By ; Dr. .E. R. Watson. (Monographs on Industrial Chemistry.) Pp. xii+197. (London: Longman? Green, and Co.) 12s. 6d. net. t Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony: A H book of Formule, Data, and Information. “ By Prof. W. Eccles. Second edition, revised and enlarged. Bp xxiv+514. (London: Benn Bros. oy. Laleg ; War Nursing: What Every Woman Should Know. Red Cross lectures by Prof. C. Richet. bees by H. de Vere Beauclerk. Pp. arian (London : W Heinemann.) 3s. 6d. net. Natural Science and the Classical System in Educa tion. Essays New and Old. Edited for the Com- mittee on the Neglect of Science by Sir Ray Lankester. Pp. ix+268. (London: W. Heinemann.) 2s. The Practice of Soft Cheesemaking: A Guide to | the Manufacture of Soft Cheese and the rican gst of Cream for Market. Fourth revision "Bos! pet a (London: J. North:) 3s. net. eae; The War and the Coming Peace: The Moral Issue. By Prof. M. Jastrow, jun. Pp. 1 and London : J. P. Lippincott Co.) — TGs: A Short Handbook of Oil pene 7 Dr. Av H. Editorial and Publishing Offices: ‘MACMILLAN AND CO., Lrtp., ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W. Cua. * a ‘(Philadelphia ; ae ee ean a a q | Gill. Revised, eighth edition. Pp. (Phila- delphia and London : y Ps es bine ‘Tos. 6d. — nét. is ete Foes eS anes ee Ht CONTENTS. Pose ‘School and College Mathematics. By S. BL “401 Lecithin and Allied Substances. . . 2 eee TS, Sage A Faunistic Survey. ..... - Ae 304 TINE OR. Our Bookshelf ee | Letters to the Editor:— Sitioeht- Discovery ‘of Neanderthal Man in Malta. | (Ulbas fe trated.) —Prof. Arthur Keith, F.R.S. . _ 1) 404 A Successful Method of Obtaining Amoebee for Class. Purposes. —Dr. T. Goodey 2. sis) Hevesi 405 Scientific Plant Breeding ‘ The Value of Insectivorous Birds! ‘By Dr. Walter” Fo; Golfin ger ee eee ee ee area ae ~ 407 Indian Industrial Progress SEY Rants aes kapha . 409 Notes |. . ore [ie eet) ete edie Our Astronomical Column :— 2 i, Periodic Comets (°°... Js. oh eiavase ee ee ee 414 The Period of Sirlus. . . . .- . 414 Two Spectroscopic Binaries of Lay Period | 414 ' Stonyhurst College Observatory. . .... .. . +. 414 The Future of the Electrical Trades , a iat Italian Meteorology. By R.C.M. ..... 415 Geology of the erbertod Gold-mining Biniees ‘415 The Spinning-top in Harness. By Sir "George Greenhill, 'F/R.S. wit oc 3 MATORE 421 “THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1918. ARTIFICIAL LIMBS AND WAR INJURIES. (2) La Prothése du Membre Inférieur. Par Dr. F. ‘ Martin. Pp. viiit107. (Ambulance de 1’Océan, La Panne.) (Paris: Masson et Cie, 1918.) _ Price 5 francs. (2) Troubles locomoteurs consécutifs aux Plaies de : (2) IN | wre. Par Prof. Aug. Broca. Pp. 155. (Paris: Masson et Cie, 1918.) _ Price 4 francs. the autumn of 1914, La Panne, the last village on the Belgian coast as one passes towards the French frontier and Dunkirk, con- sisted of a large hotel—H6tel de 1’Océan—and a number of lodging-houses, then crowded with refugees. It was to this site that the Queen of the Belgians summoned Prof. A. Depage, who, in peace time, was the distinguished occupant of the chair of surgery in the University of Brussels, but in the autumn of 1914, when summoned by his Queen, was busy establishing a military hospital in Calais. At the Queen’s request Prof. Depage undértook to organise a field hospital in La Panne. He took over the hotel with its 150 bed- rooms and surrounding villas; in a year’s time he had’ more than a thousand beds at his disposal with laboratories and work-rooms attached. Under Prof. Depage La Panne became not only . a beneficent institution for the relief of wounded Belgian soldiers, but also one of the great centres of surgical progress. In 1917 there began to be issued from the ‘“‘ Ambulance de |’Océan’’ a series of scientific publications, of which the excellent treatise here noticed is the latest number. Prof. Depage confided the difficult task of inventing, improving, and providing artificial limbs for muti- lated ers to Dr. F. Martin. That he was for- tunate in his choice there can be no doubt, for in his: treatise on the “Prosthesis of the Lower Limb” Dr. Martin has produced a most useful and scientific contribution to a subject which medical men have hitherto totally neglected. ' Up to the outbreak of war the United States was the only country in which the manufacture of artificial limbs had been seriously studied. _When Dr. Martin commenced his investigations at La Panne he recognised the merits of the American models. But they were expensive, and had mani- fest defects in functional qualities and in adapt- ability. He saw that it was necessary to use a substance with all the qualities of seasoned wood, but one which could be moulded so as* to form an exact socket or “bucket’’ for the stump of the amputated limb. He found the ideal sub- stance in wood shavings cemented together by a particular form of glue. He saw that it was neces- sary that the artificial limb, so far as length of segments’ and axes of joints were concerned, must be a counterpart of the-patient’s sound limb. He invented a simple apparatus for obtaining the exact measurements required for the modelling of the artificial limb; he used the kinematograph to analyse the movements of the lower limbs in walk- NO. 2544, VOL. 101] | of real ones. _American models and to produce a more efficient | is over. ing, and did not rest content until he found that his artificial limbs could simulate the movements Thus he was able to improve on article at a much lower price. At La Panne certain useful principles have been laid down for the guidance of the surgeon when amputating and when treating the stump prepara- tory to the fitting of an artificial limb. At amputa- tion the surgeon must leave as long a lever of bone as is possible; he must see that the muscles which are to move that lever are. rightly placed and rightly fixed; he must see that the joint from which the bony lever is to act is free and movable. As the stump is shaped, the surgeon must foresee how the bucket of the artificial limb is to be given _ a sure support. At La Panne crutches are for- bidden ; their use is found to impair the mechanism of the body needed for the right use of an artificial limb. At the earliest date possible—in eight to twenty-four days, according to the nature of the amputation—the soldier is given a provisional limb—a “bucket ’? which is moulded to the stump, and remoulded as the stump atrophies—fitted to a wooden peg or stump. We have no doubt that the practice at’ La Panne—the practice of fitting out the maimed at once with provisional limbs instead of crutches—is right. We have, from reasons of space, had to omit any mention of Dr. Martin’s original observations: on the movements of the lower limbs in: walking, but for those who are interested in the mechanism of walking, and wish to help in relieving maimed soldiers, we warmly commend this clearly and crisply written treatise from: the “Ambulance de! l’Océan.”’ (2) A British surgeon may well feel somewhat envious of the many excellent medical: manuals which have appeared recently in France: to meet the needs of the Army surgeon. The leaders of the French medical profession have placed their special experience; in the:form of clearly and con- cisely written booklets, at the disposal of their colleagues in the field. In the booklet here re- viewed Prof. Broca gives his experience and advice in the treatment of the various disablements which follow gunshot injuries of the limbs. These are of many kinds and degrees—partial er complete fixation of joints, or disablements which follow injuries to muscles, nerves, or bones. In some respects the treatment adopted or recom- mended by Prof. Broca differs from that practised by the majority of British surgeons, but the under- lying principles of treatment in both countries are the same. It is recognised that if permanent fixation or anchylosis of a joint is unavoidable, then the limb: must be placed and kept in a posi- tion which will secure a maximum utility so far as the livelihood of the patient is concerned. In both countries it is recognised also—perhaps more so in Britain than in France—that the principles -of treatment vary with the stage of recovery, com- plete rest by means of splints being the best treat- ment in the acute stages of the injury, and free movement the best medicine when the acute stage Many’ French surgeons have a fear of Z 422 NATURE [AucusT I, 1918 producing permanent stiffness, even in a healthy joint, by immobilising a limb. Indeed, Prof. Broca shares this fear to some degree, and re- commends that complete immobilisation of limbs should be practised only during transport of the wounded. For the recovery of stiffened joints voluntary movements are recommended in preference to passive movements. Indeed, Prof. Broca is of opinion that in many slight cases of stiffness of joints a ten hours’ day at manual labour is the very best treatment possible, so long as such exercise is. not attended by positive pain. We note, too, that the author, in his introduction, gives the following quotation from Ecclesiastes as being true of orthopedic practice in France: -“There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.’”’ We in England are making similar discoveries ; we find that many of our discoveries are really re- discoveries. THE PARASITIC HYPOTHESIS OF . TUMOURS. Tumours: Their Nature and Causation. By Dr. W. D’Este Emery. Pp. xx+146. (London: H. K. Lewis and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 5s. net. i be og EMERY ’S book is remarkable in two ways. In the first place, it is a’clear and concise statement of the parasitic hypothesis of the causa- tion of new growths—a welcome innovation in a subject around which more dubious writing has been perpetrated than any other in medicine. In the second, it does not contain any original ob- servations. After summarising and discarding the current definitions of ‘tumour,’’ the author sets up three postulates to which the required parasite should conform—viz. | ultramicroscopic size, intracellular or intranuclear habitat, and pro- duction of a toxin capable of stimulating growth in the invaded cells. The remainder of the work is devoted to a rapid review of the more prominent features of tumours, showing how they fit in with these assumptions. Benign growths are those with few parasites in each cell, giving weak action of the toxin; in malignant growths the cells are heavily loaded, much toxin is produced, and growth is energetically stimulated. At once we come in contact with the subsidiary assumption that the cells of the body grow only when stimulated. It is at least arguable and probably true that, on the contrary, growth goes on so long as life lasts. The contrast to the form of growth-presented by the limited reactions to known toxins is got over by assuming a nicely balanced symbiosis of host- cell and parasite, the parasite not getting out of bounds and killing the cell, and the cell not being sufficiently irritated to kill the parasite. Sarcoma development in the stroma of carcino- mata (spontaneous or propagated) is regarded as a transference of the virus from the carcinoma cells to the connective tissue cells. The stroma of tumours is not, as the author says, merely granu- NO. 2544, VOL. ror] ~Cancer of the stomach also is rare in mice, but lation tissue, unless we admit also that the stroma of the *pancreas, the liver, the lung, and the kid- ney is also granulation tissue. Although derivéd from the homogeneous, ubiquitous mesenchyme of the embryo, each of these organs has a character-— istic stroma, and the same has been demonstrated for quite a number of carcinomata of the mouse and rat. In both cases they appear to be specific reactions of a single tissue to different paren- chymata. The peculiarities of the process of sar- coma development, the long contact which is necessary, and the ultimate loss of the property are not touched upon. Perhaps they would involve — too many and too intricate subsidiary assumptions. — The chapter dealing with the evidence from the — organ-incidence of cancer shows the weakest side. of the hypothesis. If we restrict our survey to — cancer in man, as Dr. Emery does, the distribu- tion appears rational, but it is otherwise when the — tumours of animals are taken into account. — Cancer of the mamma and of the uterus are com- — mon in man; cancer of the mamma is nearly as. — common in mice, but carcinoma uteri is very rare. ™ common in the cow, while in this animal cancer of — the mamma and of the uterus are both rare, Can- cer of the liver is the commonest new growth in the cow and other herbivora. Next in frequency are new growth of the adrenal and carcinoma of the stomach. In the horse carcinoma of the liveris rare, while growths of the adrenal are common. The mouse and rat are closely related animals in | structure, habits, and diet. Their new growths have a totally distinct organ and tissue incidence. To harmonise these well-known facts of the natu- ral history of cancer with the hypothesis would — require, not three fundamental assumptions, but nearer three hundred. To be of value a hypothesis must fulfil two conditions. It must embrace without violence the facts of the subject and require a minimum of sub- sidiary assumptions. It must stimulate inquiry and lead to the extension of knowledge. Whatever shortcomings Dr. Emery’s essay may have in the first direction are made up for in the second. It is safe to say that there is scarcely an assumption made of which it is only necessary to ask oneself, “Ts this true, and how would you prove it?’’ to provide a subject for an interesting inquiry. Dr. Emery has rendered a great service to those en- gaged in the study of cancer. He has put into ~ succinct and intelligible form the vague general impression which hitherto has hovered around — the subject under the name of the parasitic — hypothesis. J. A. Murray. ‘ Ce THE WAR AND THE BAGDAD RAILWAY. — The War and the Bagdad Railway. The Story of Asia Minor and its Relation to the Present Conflict. By Prof. Morris Jastrow, jun. Pp. 160+1 map. (Philadelphia and London: J. B. © Lippincott Co., 1917.) Price 6s. net. rey EVERYONE has heard of the Bagdad Rail- way, and that its project for capturing the trade of the East was one: of the chief Aucust 1, 1918] A. NATURE 4 o 42 _ causes which led Germany to contrive the _ present war; but few know the inner history of this project. This want is now well sup- boca ‘by Prof. M. Jastrow, the well-known professor of Semitic languages in the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, and his exposures fully justify President Wilson’s informed state- ment that this railway was “the heart of the matter’’ in the long-planned German arrangements for this war, and that “it is the bulk of German power inserted into the heart of the world.” The railway, intended to connect Constantinople and Bagdad, stretches across Asia Minor along one of the most historical highways of the ancient world. The scope of the story told by Prof. Jas- trow and his interesting style are well seen in the following extract, which also summarises the sco of the book :— “The purpose of this volume is to elucidate an aspect of the war which, although overshadowed at present by the paramount issue—the menace of a militarism in league with autocracy—was the most significant factor contributing to the outbreak of the long-foreseen war in 1914, and will form one of the most momentous problems when the time of the peace negotiations arrives. Ever since the an- nouncement was made towards the close of the year 1899 that the Turkish Government had conceded to a German syndicate the privilege of building a railway to connect Constantinople with Bagdad through a transverse route across Asia Minor the _ Bagdad Railway has been the core of the Eastern question. There were, to be sure, other aspects of that question, which led to the two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913, but the addition of the Bagdad Railway Was an aggravating factor to an already sufficiently complicated situation, that involved the great European Powers—England, France, Ger- many, and Russia—in a network of diplomatic negotiations the meshes of which became closer as the years rolled on. Thé railway became the spectre of the twentieth century. that always appeared armed ‘from tip to toe,’ and when occasionally he ‘ wore his beaver up ’ the face was that of a grim, determined warrior.’ ‘Numerous excellent photographic Tues give vivid glimpses of the scenery along the line of the railway and several of its bridges and mountain tunnels; and there are historical and archeological notes by the way, from classic down to Crusading times, with a good, useful, and up- ip guar map. L. A. Wappett. ‘OUR BOOKSHELF. How to Enlighten our Children: A Book for Parents. _By Dr. Mary Scharlieb. Pp. v.+ 202. (London: Williams and Norgate, 1918.) Price 3s. 6d. net. We welcome this very useful little book on the vexed question of how to educate children in regard to their physical nature and its develop- ment. As Dr. Scharlieb says, the difficulty lies It was a spectre. not so much in the shy reluctance of parents ag in , NO. 2544, VOL. 107] their absolute ignorance of what they ought to teach, and she here sets forth simply and straight- forwardly the main facts the parent must know in order to guide the child aright. A brief chapter on the child in the specapatieiical stage is followed by an account of the reproduc- tive organs and their functions in girls, the changes that take place at puberty, and the com- moner physiological difficulties that may arise. Much wise advice is given to mothers on the need for sympathetic watchfulness during this period of physical transition, with its influence on the moral and spiritual nature. In the succeeding | section the boy with his particular difficulties is dealt with in the same way, and a chapter is devoted to the special instruction he needs at the . onset of puberty. “How Life is Transmitted’’ gives an account of the beginnings of life in the plant and animal world. This is necessarily slight, but it is sufficient to indicate the way in which teaching of the bio- logical facts of sex at a stage when they are still external to the child’s mind may be used as a safe foundation for personal’ sex instruction when that comes to be necessary. The last section of the book is devoted to the social aspect of the sex question—the dangers to which young adults of both sexes are exposed under modern industrial conditions, the “social evil’’ and how to combat it, and the yalue as a safeguard of continual insistence on the eugenic point of view. Acoustics for Musicians. By Prof. P. C. Buck. Pp. 152. (Oxford: At the Clarendon ‘Press, 1918.) Price 7s. 6d. net. Tus text-book is intended to present to music students the scientific basis of their subject, and to many such students probably any ‘science is somewhat difficult, even that with which they are | most concerned proving no exception. Accord-’ ingly, the author of such a work undertakes a hard task; but in the present case its difficulties have been tackled with sympathy, insight, and skill. The result is a work which should prove welcome to those who, though their chief interest lies in the music itself, must acquire some know- ledge of the scientific principles underlying it. The book is divided into six parts, dealing respectively with production of sound, pitch, intensity, quality, temperament, jand_transmis- sion. The sixth part includes chapters on com- bination tones, consonance and dissonanee, and the human ear. The fifth part has a chapter on the equal and mean-tone temperaments. This sub- ject is treated from the musician’s point of view, and its inevitable mathematical difficulties are re- duced to a minimum. In a work otherwise so excellent it is regret- table that, in the diagrams of wave curves, circular arcs usually occur instead of true sine graphs. But this is practically the only blemish in a book which is to be heartily commended for its accuracy and lucidity. E. HH. B. ' made, 424 NATURE [AuausT 1, i918 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] The Problem of Man’s Ancestry. HavinG read Prof. Wood-Jones’s booklet, ‘‘ The Problem of Man’s Ancestry,” reviewed in Nature of June 27, p. 322, it seems to me that Prof. Wood- Jones’s assertion. that man, instead of being the descendant of the apes, may be looked on as their ancestor contrasts with what the author himself writes on the premaxillary bone (p. 36). If man, who is the forerunner, has lost the individuality of the premaxil- lary element (which is not present in the human embryo, according to the author), how is it that it is found in the apes? It cannot be a new acquisition, because the premaxillary bone is already found in primitive mammals, Therefore apes have this primi- tive characteristic instead of man. As to the judgment of the late Hermann Klaatsch that ‘“‘man and his ancestors were never quadrupeds as the dog or the elephant or the horse,” I think it was superfluous already when written by ’Klaatsch, as no one then accepted such a view; it is, therefore, ‘not worth Prof. Wood-Jones’s while to repeat it, especially as this judgment does not at all say that man was not. an ape. Klaatsch only said that the anthropoids were at- tempts which had failed, and that man was the ‘suc- cessful attempt (this, too, is a fairly banal idea); but he never denied the affinity between man and the Simiidz. On the contrary, his last scientific opinion was an exaggeration of such an affinity, the so-called ‘‘pan-anthropoid theory,”’ already criticised ° by Prof. Arthur Keith and myself. V. Gauprarbd/Rvcéunt Istituto di Antropologia, R. Ralvareita, Napoli, July 14. I: THINK that Prof. Giufirida-Ruggeri has somewhat misunderstood my meaning, for naturally I have never asserted that the premaxillary element is not | present in the human embryo. All I, have ever ventured to state is that ‘tit has ceased to exist as a separate entity on the human ‘face,’ and that this state of affairs is brought about remarkably early in the embryo. This I have alluded to as ‘‘a human specific charac- ter," a specialisation from that primitive mammalian condition which is still retained in all the rest of the Simiidz, and_I see nothing illogical in assuming that the mammal which possesses this specialisation is yet more akin to the primitive mammalian. condition than are those animals which, lacking this particular character, exhibit a host of other features which we know to be departures from the primitive mammalian plan. It is:upon a summation of characters ‘that we must judge of the animal’s zoological position, and my point is ‘that, when .such ‘a complete survey is the balance of primitive mammalian : features is found in the body of man, and not in the body of the monkey. . I need scarcely say that I have never ‘denied the affinity between man and the Simiide,”’ but I have insisted upon a proper recognition of the differ- ences between the anatomical structure of man and the ‘Simiide. Two classes of criticism have been levelled against my very humble pamphlet. The one, typified by the review in NatuRE, names it and condemns it as NO. 2544, VOL. 1oT| ‘a new hypothesis as to man’s origin’’; the other, on the lines of Prof, Giuffrida~-Ruggeri’s last pa graph, assumes that it has all been so long genera accepted that it.is ‘‘not worth while to repeat i Since these two types of criticism tend to neutra each other, I have hitherto refrained: from discussion; but if Prof. Giuffrida-Ruggeri imagines that no one believed, even when Klaatsch wrote, that man’s” ancestors were pronogrades, he should read the review | in Man (No. 71, 1916), written by a well-known com- parative anatomist, who “‘is, and has long been, con- vinced of the pronograde ancestry of man.’ F, Woop-foxts. LICE AND DISEASE. ot Moe sll MD ee fever and the relapsing fever of © North Africa) are now both known to be — transmitted from man to man _ by _Pediculus: 4 humanus, and for this reason have been in past — centuries perhaps the two most characteristic : epidemic diseases of overcrowding and poverty, — and during wars have attacked — beleaguered — @ cities in particular. A third disease, known in the British Army as trench fever, has wecently been definitely proved to be conveyed by lice. In_ Germany this same disease is called Febris vol- hynica or Febris quintana. The. especial associa- tion of the disease with life in the trenches was early noticed, and helped to bring lice | "under suspicion. The German Army first recog pimed| the. Sage in Volhynia, a region of South-West Russia; but it is said to have been previously known to Polish, doctors. Cases of the disease: were not noted in Mesopotamia, Egypt, or » the Mediterra- nean area until the close of 1916.. The disease is thought to have been introduced into Greece by - chronic cases which arrived at- Salonika from. France in the winter of 1916—17. The first published clinical . account - ‘of. the disease was by Major J. H. P.. Graham in September, 1915, and since then much ‘has been written on the subject. The first published \at- tempt to investigate the. pathology of trench fever was that by McNee, Renshaw, and Brunt. Two varieties of the . disease were described’ by these authors, who showed, by a series of ‘obser-. vations on volunteers, that it could be trans- © mitted from man to man by taking blood from.a. patient during, or immediately after, an attack. of the fever, and injecting it into a healthy man.. The red-blood corpuscles especially were suspected: of ‘harbouring a causative micro-organism, but. microscopical examination did not result in the | discovery of a parasite. The virus “was net con- veyed by filtered serum or plasma. : Trench fever is:still responsible for a Cantons ; share of the sickness in the Expeditionary Forces in France. Our knowledge of this disease has — been summed up in a paper read before the Society — Ca tn mttos ee | of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene on May 17 last by Major Byam, who has had exceptional oppor-_ tunities of studying cases at the New End Military Hospital, Hampstead. a Three chief obstacles to the investigation of the \ 5 -AvucustT 1, 1918] A NATURE 425 disease are (1) its frequently mild, indefinite, and _ irregular clinical course, with the consequent diffi- culty in diagnosis; (2) ‘our lack of knowledge as _ to the nature of the infecting virus; and (3) the ’ culty, if not impossibility, of infecting: experi- mental animals. When the two cardinal features of the disease - are present—i.e. the characteristic relapses of _ fever, occurring at fairly regular intervals of four, _ six, seven, or ten days, and severe pain in. the _ lower part of the shins—its recognition is fairly - easy, but in numerous cases only one or neither of _ these symptoms is present, and diagnosis has to _ depend on a general: survey of the clinical symp- toms. The causal micro-organism is un- _ known; though a spirochete, a hemogregarine, i ’ bacterium, or a Rickettsia body similar to that described as the cause of typhus fever has each its advocates. A few experiments on the transmission of trench fewer: by the louse were made before 1918, but _ the evidence published is scanty. Weldon and Davis allowed two lice to bite each of them after first starving the insects, and then feeding them on a trench-fever patient. Weldon developed the _ disease after eighteen days. The evidence for the _ transmission by these lice is, however, not quite ' convincing. Nankivell and Sundell failed to _ transmit by feeding lice and doubted the hypothesis of transmission by, these insects. In. October, 1917, the American Red Cross Society, in conjunction with representatives of the British Expeditionary Force, formed a committee _ to. investigate trench fever. This bedy has carried out much very, valuable work, but its full report has not yet been made. About the same time a War Office Committee, under the chairmanship of Major-General Sir id Bruce, was formed in England, in order to vance the knowledge of trench fever with a view’ to its prevention, and the research in progress at _Hampstead was merged in that of the Committee, of hich, ‘Major Byam became a member. to the close of the year the work. was con- fined to the study of clinical evidence, the exami- nation of the blood and urine of patients, together with the feeding of lice on them during their febrile iods, followed, by the subsequent micro- scopical examination of the insects with a view to the discovery of the infecting organism. _ With the commencement of 1918, thanks to the ' financial assistance of the Lister Lnatiiate and the courageous and patriotic action of a number of ' volunteers, it became possible to widen the scope of the research, and very valuable results speedily. _ followed. A confirmation was obtained of McNee’s _ main results of direct inoculation from patient to patient by blood, and the problem. of transmission by the louse was seriously attacked. The Committee was fortunate in having at. its disposal ample stocks of lice, free from. suspicion of previous infection, which had, been reared under the direct. supervision. of Mr. Bacot, entomologist to the Lister Institute. The first experiments in which the insect vector. NO. 2544, VOL. 101] A was concerned consisted in two of the volunteers submitting themselves to the bites of several hundted lice daily, the insects having been pre- viously fed on patients during febrile periods both before and during the month of experiment. The lice, therefore, had many opportunities of becom- ing infected, and the men received the bites of these lice three times each day for thirty days. Neither showed any of the symptoms of trench fever. Next, following the analogies of relapsing and_ typhus fevers, two volunteers were inoculated from lice which had fed repeatedly on trench-fever patients. In both the inoculation was made by scratching the skin and rubbing in, eleven crushed lice in one case, and excreta voided by the lice in the other. Both men developed typical symptoms of the disease, with a relapse in six to eight days. The inoculation of louse excreta into seratches has been repeated a number of times, and in every case an attack of the disease has resulted. It was found that the incubation in man, when infected by scarification, was remarkably constant, i.e. six to eight days, and the ease and certainty with which infection could be produced pointed to the inoculation of the contents of crushed lice or louse excreta as in all probability the common, if not the invariable, method of transmission. The excreta obtained by shaking through the gauze cover of the boxes in which the lice were confined were used in the form of a dry powder, which remained infective for at least sixteen days. In parallel experiments with the excreta of normal - lice which had not been fed on_ trench-fever patients no symptoms of the disease were produced. That a very small amount of blood, such as: might be contained in ten lice, does not directly con- _vey the disease through an excoriation of the skin, is indicated by the negative result obtained by rub- bing 5 c.mm. of infective blood into scratches on the skin of a volunteer. Moreover, the following series of experiments points to the fact that the louse, after a meal of infected blood, does not void infective excreta for some days. Lice: were fed on a -trench-fever patient on one day only, and'then on healthy men. Excreta collected on the first, third, fifth, and eighth days after infection gave negative results, while those collected on the twelfth and. twenty- third days proved virulent. The virus, therefore, would appear to undergo some preparation in the insect before it becomes infective. Whether this change in the louse is due to a simple multipli- cation on the part of the hypothetical micro- organism, or to a cycle in its development, is as yet undetermined. Further, it was shown that the ingestion of louse excreta did not produce trench fever in two men who daily swallowed a dose for seven and fourteen days respectively. Incidentally, the transmission experiments, by McNee and at Hampstead have proved that the different clinical types of the disease are really due to the same infective virus. The disease may. per- sist in man for a very long period. A case is 426 NATURE i ‘ ! . . . recorded by Hurst lasting about six months, and The impregnation of undergarments with relapses have occurred in men who have been more | than eight months in England, while the infecti- | front fine and ‘spacial posts, ‘Vhich (FORA ae vity of the blood of a patient has been proved as late as the seventy-ninth day from the _ initial attack. ‘ With the certainty of the transmission of trench fever by lice the problem of how to check lousiness in the Army becomes urgent. What was pre- viously a question of the comfort of our troops now becomes a matter of curtailing a heavy wastage of man-power. from a preventable cause. It is to be hoped, therefore, that adequate steps to deal with body vermin will be instituted. ADDENDUM. Three varieties of ‘lice attack man; two of these, Phthirus pubis and Pediculus humanus | (capitis), are associated with hair, and the third, Pediculus corporis, with clothing, the body hairs serving as an occasional and final stronghold for the species. | By close clipping of all hair at regular intervals the two first- named species may be finally disposed of, but the more difficult problem of dealing with clothing and bedding infected with Pediculus corporis remains to be dealt with. Heat is still by far the most effectual and economical method of ridding infected fabrics of lice. An ex- posure for twenty minutes to 55° C. (131° F.) is - sufficient. under practical. conditions, provided bundling is not resorted to. Three methods of utilising heat are applicable :— Dry . heat is economical. Steam requires amore elaborate and expensive equipment with a higher working cost; it is imprac- ticable to work with it at temperatures below 65°—70° C. In the case of bundled articles the temperature for both methods should exceed 100° C. Hot water is applicable to undergarments only, and does not require any chemical addition provided its quantity and temperature are adequate to the bulk of the garments dipped. Vapour.—Sulphur dioxide (SO,), as supplied by the Clayton gas apparatus, is expensive, both as regards plant and working cost, slow in action, and needs skilled management to maintain the necessary concentration, while even in experienced hands it may allow of the survival of a small percentage of nits. Hydrocyanic acid gas is dangerous to generate, and its use, except with skilled management, is to be _ deprecated; its effect on lice and nits appears to be slow, but has not been adequately determined. The vapours of volatile fluids or substances, such as benzene,.xylol, petrol, etc., may be employed if air- tight containers’ are available; that of naphthalene is also applicable for use by this method. . Fluids.—Light oils, such as kerosene, give fairly trustworthy results if the period of immersion is long enough, and if their efficacy against nits is aided by the addition of a smali percentage of some essential oil, such as oil of sassafras. More volatile fluids are effective against active lice, but may fail against. nits if the period of immersion i§ short. _ The most trustworthy and generally serviceable fluids. to use for the destruction of nits in clothing the easiest, simplest, and most would seem to be emulsions in water of soap and | crude carbolic acid, cresol, tar or wood oils, which readily destroy both active lice and their nits. The strength of the solution and period of exposure are interrelated factors—five minutes’ immersion in 2 per cent. lysol being adequate, provided the temperature of the solution is above 5° NO. 2544, VOL. tor] o ) to the _ present, however, the experiments in the field, which _are necessary before a final decision on the value of _ out of the question. Crude ‘‘ unwhizzed ” naphthalene, — _out by the authorities. solutions offers a hopeful chance of aiding any general scheme by coping with the difficulty of dealing with | he. U sources of the infection of clean troops. this process can be arrived at, have not been carried — Finally, there is the personal use parations as aids to the primitive method of getting rid of these pests—now referred to as *‘ chat "’-hunting. ick © action and easy of application to clothing, and itis taoue ‘. To be of service the preparation should be of should be as general and comprehensive as that of food. Preparations in the form of pastes are more economical and convenient than powders; fluids are’ produced by coke-oven plants, affords the most effec- _ tive base, and may be conveniently mixed into paste form by the addition of soft soap or some grease, such as vaseline, in the proportion of 10 to 20 per — cent. It is suitable only for clothing, and should not be employed on the skin. When it is necessary to use an anti-lice preparation on a hair-clad surface the use of vaseline, to which has been added 4 per — 5 per cent. of benzene, cent. of veratrine dissolved in may be recommended. - AGRICULTURAL RECONSTRUCTION AFTER THE WAR. . . fa August, 1916, Mr. Asquith appointed a Sub- Committee of the Reconstruction Committee, under the chairmanship of Lord Selborne, to in- quire into the subject of agricultural development. after the war, and this body, having heard a considerable amount of evidence, has now issued its Report (Cd. 9079, price 1s. 3d. net). The re- commendations cover practically the whole field of agriculture, and they have the double merit of boldness and consistency. , te kenga In a historical introduction it is shown. that agriculture was very prosperous during the Napoleonic wars, but suffered a period of depres- sion afterwards. Between 1832, when the Reform Act was passed, and 1846, when the Corn Laws were repealed, the political advantages of landed property were steadily being abolished, but on the other hand some of the farmers’ grievances—the old Poor Laws, the tithes, statute labour for minor roads, bad markets and means of communication —were also dealt with. Still more important, from the year 1843 Science began to lend her aid and to teach the use of artificial fertilisers, more — efficient implements, and better varieties of crops. — From 1837 onwards came a period of rising pros- — Nes \ ie perity, culminating in the ’sixties and early ’seventies, which are generally regarded as the golden age of agriculture in this country. [AucusT 1, 1918 _ 7 of insecticidal pre- : 4 _ y *r : : ] ’ | é In 1875, however, a period of depression set in which was acute until 1884 and again be- came serious in 1893. Several factors operated. Speculation had taken some of the’ farmers’ and landowners’ reserves of money; there was a series — of bad seasons, culminating in the disastrous year 1879; American wheat and meat began to arrive — in quantities, driven here by the financial troubles of the West and transported in the new cargo ¢ AucusT 1, 1918] NATURE 427 3 fleets then being constructed. The. Government _ ordered inquiries, but did nothing; the political philosophy of the day was laissez faire—so long as food was cheap it mattered nothing if farmers went bankrupt and agriculture were ruined. Farmers and landowners struggled manfully against adver- sity, but many went under; the period was one of the saddest and most tragic in our rural history. It was soon realised that grass farming was cheaper and less risky than arable farming. Be- tween 1870 and 1900 the area of arable land in the United Kingdom fell from 24 to 19°5 million acres, and the pasture land rose from 22 to 28 million acres. At the beginning of the present century prices began to rise and farming to mend, but the farmer had learnt that he must depend on himself alone, and so he followed a system of husbandry which involved the minimum of risk and gave the maximum of return for the capital e : When war broke out it became apparent (as, indeed, experts had long realised) that grass farm- ing, while beneficial to the individual, is not specially beneficial to the State. It does not pro- _ duce anything like so much food per acre as arable land, and in particular it does not yield the bulk of cheap carbohydrate and protein that the nation needs. To the laissez-faire politician this did not matter; to a nation at war, however, it was vital. The Committee draws from this historical review the general conclusion that the British farmer will not grow corn to any large extent unless he has some confidence that prices will be sufficient to repay expenditure. Agriculture is a business run for profit like any other business. On the political system in vogue at the end of last century the farmer gave up grain production because he had no guarantee that prices would remain at a re- munerative level: they might always fall below the 34s. or thereabouts which it then cost to grow “wheat. If the nation requires wheat to be grown here (and if it does not, “our reference is mislead- ing, Our opinions are erroreous, and this Report is waste paper’’), the Committee insists that this risk of unremunerative prices must be borne by the community. Of course the farmer must in return accept certain responsibilities; he cannot guaran- tee delivery of so much wheat, because of the dominating influence of the seasons, but he can at any rate be compelled to raise his standard of farming and to pay decent wages. This recom- mendation has already been adopted and passed into law; unfortunately, the Committee states, the Act is a war-time measure only, and cannot have its full effect unless it becomes a permanent statute. s This is the central feature of the Report. Assuming it is carried out, the Committee makes further important recommendations. First, it asks for a survey of the condition of agricultural land throughout the kingdom from the point of view of its utilisation for food production, and it recommends that the Board of Agriculture shall have the power of temporarily superseding _ landowners or dispossessing tenants in case of bad NO. 2544, VOL. IoT] management. More cottages should be erected; and more definite steps taken to encourage the growth of sugar-beet. The Development Com- mission should no longer be barred, as at present, from making advances to associations trading for profit. Alongside all this must go greater pro- vision for agricultural education and research work. The United States spends above 4,000,000l. -annually on agricultural education and research; France more than 1,000,000l. ; Canada, 840,000. ; Prussia (in 1910), 490,000l.; but the United Kingdom only about 310,000. The Committee was very sympathetic to research work and agricultural education, as was only to be expected from its personnel. ‘‘The research work already being done,’’ it says, “is quite admirable, but it needs stronger support yet from public funds. We reiterate that this is public expenditure which will bring in to the State a manifold return.” “The evidence that has been laid before us has amply shown the ultimate value of pure scientific research and the dependence of the development of the industry upon investiga- tion that is independent of any apparently immedi- ate practical end.” It is further clearly recognised that. the old policy of underpaying the workers is futile and uneconomical. Some of the _ best workers are attracted to the Colonies and Depen- dencies. With refreshing vigour the Committée insists on the absolute necessity for ample provision for education. The. system of agricultural education in England and Wales is found to differ from the Irish or Scottish, and in the judgment of the Committee is less effective. The scheme itself is sound and provides a thoroughly good ground- work for expansion, but the execution is faulty. Too much is left to the discretion of the county councils, which can carry out or shirk their responsibilities as they please. Rates and votes are the main excuses for in- action, and these can be very potent. The Com- mittee urges that the respons:bility for agricultural education in England and Wales should be defi- nitely placed on the Board of Agriculture, which should take over existing staffs, colleges, and in- stitutes from the county councils and run them out of Imperial funds and not out of the rates. If this were done much of the prejudice against agricultural education would undoubtedly dis- appear. Further, the Committee recommends that an improved ruralised curriculum for elementary and secondary schools should be laid down, and better prospects provided for rural teachers. Existing farm institutes and colleges should be developed so as to afford adequate opportunities for higher education to all who desired it. The present system of small demonstration plots should be extended; there should be demonstration and illustration farms where new and improved methods of farming could be shown as part and parcel of the actual system of farming. The method is found useful in Canada and might well be tried here. A certain number of large farms should be established on purely business lines, 428 NATURE [AucusT 1, 1918 but. open to inspection, and giving publicity to their methods and accounts. In the opinion of the Development Commissioners the influence of these farms on agriculture (always supposing them to be financially successful) would be remarkable. The Report is comprehensive and singularly opportune. Never before in our time has there been so grand an opportunity for laying the foundation of a noble rural civilisation. The touch of sadness brought into most homes by the war has done much to broaden.our outlook and to level old prejudices. The problem must be approached in an enlightened but sympathetic spirit, looking only to the welfare of our children and our chil- dren’s children; it can be solved, and the Report before us furnishes suggestive lines on which a solution can be found. E. J. RUSSELL. PLATINUM. A FEW months,ago we noticed (vol. c., p. 486, February 21) the chapter on ‘“ Plati- num in 1916”’ which Dr. G. F. Kunz contributed to the current volume of ‘‘The Mineral Industry,” and now we have before us in pamphlet form the illustrated article on the same subject, though studied from a somewhat different point of view, which the same writer penned for the issue of the Bulletin of the Pan-American Union for November, 1917. On the last page—and, there- fore, there being no cover, the back of the pamphlet—we are told that this union is an inter- national organisation, which is housed at. Wash- ington in a beautiful building provided by the munificence of Mr. Andrew Carnegie, and is maintained by the republics, twenty-one in number, in both the Americas, the necessary funds being provided by the several countries in propor- tion to their population. ,The administration is in the hands of two executive officers—Director- General and Assistant-Director—who are ap- pointed by, and are responsible to, the Board of Governors, which comprises the United States Secretary of State and the diplomatic representa- tives at Washington of. the other American Governments, and they have the assistance of an ample staff of experts in various subjects, . statis- ticians, translators, librarians, ,clerks, etc. The purpose of the union is to develop commerce and to promote friendly intercourse and good understanding between the several, States—an ad- mirable object that might with advantage be ex- tended when opportunity occurs at the close of this tragic war. | The extraordinary rise that has during recent years taken place in the value of platinum is too well known to need emphasising, but it may not be without interest to note that in 1828 so little was it valued that the Russian Government com- menced to coin of it 3-, 6-, and 12-rouble pieces. These coins would, according to present prices, be worth intrinsically about twenty times their. nominal value. Although minted for seventeen years, ,they have become exceedingly rare, most . of them having long since been melted down for | NO. 2544, VOL. 101] their value as metal. America about the middle of the eighteer century under the name Platina (the diminuti of plata, the Spanish for ‘“‘silver’’) del Pinto, and the first scientific description, was published by an Sir William Watson, who made the discovery that it was a new metal. Although first found in Colombia, then known as English physicist, New Grenada, practically the whole of the world’s supply has come from the Urals, the principal — districts being Nizhne Tagilsk and Goroblago-— datsk, where it is found in shallow drifts with > pebbles of serpentine, which represent the original matrix. The working of the mines has been seriously interrupted by the war, and still more by the disintegration of society following on the revolution in Russia. of platinum in workable quantities elsewhere is much to be desired, so important and necessary is — this metal for many industrial and scientific opera- tions.. Although so rare, it appears to be widely, if sparsely, distributed, occurrences having been — reported in British Columbia, Alaska, Oregon, and — California, in Borneo, New South Wales, and — New Zealand, and even in County Wicklow. Dr. Kunz describes some curious happenings at Quibdo, the capital of the Choco district in Colombia, in consequence of the. great rise in the price of platinum. This metal was originally separated as waste in the refining of gold by the dry, or ‘“‘blower,’’ system, and thrown into the street. Later, when platinum became even, more valuable than gold, the entire town of some 1500 inhabitants was turned into a mine, natives work- ing .the streets for the Government, and many property-owners mining under their houses. It is said that one man pulled his store down and recovered enough platinum to build a larger one, and yet net a balance of about 800]. => The total world’s supply of platinum to be.about 120 metric tons. Its principal pur- poses are in catalysing processes, for chemical, physical, and electrical apparatus, and for use in dentistry and jewelry. THE BRITISH SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTS EXHIBITION. Ea has been our privilege during the four years of war to publish many articles upon scientific aspects of industrial developments in various © directions. When supplies from enemy countries were cut off, it was necessary to establish here — the manufacture of products and instruments for which we had previously been dependent almost The sudden stoppage of entirely upon Germany. the supply of optical glass required for. the manu- facture of sighting telescopes for guns, field- glasses, range-finders, and other service instru- ments was for a time the cause of national anxiety, Platinum appears to have’ been first introduced into Europe from South Consequently the discovery — appears ° but the situation was saved by the work of the Institute of Chemistry and Sir Herbert Jackson, — which enabled manufacturers to produce the glasses required, not only for optical instruments, RT Gra eB BO eae scare aid = ais AucustT 1, 1918] NATURE ~ 429 _ but also for laboratory purposes. The pure potash ‘required for certain glasses is obtained by an elec- trolytic process, and we need never again go to Germany for it or for the glass itself. We are meeting all demands for such synthetic anic drugs as salicylic acid and aspirin, phena- _ eetin, salvarsan, and many others, photographic chemicals, synthetic dyes and associated products, as well as hundreds of similar substances of which Germany had the monopoly. The magneto in- dustry has established itself in a sound position, and the German instrument has been displaced for good. Hard porcelain for electrical fittings and laboratory ware is now British-made, thanks to scientific work and industrial enterprise. ' We pro- duce all the tungsten required for special steels and metallic filament lamps, and can supply the world if necessary; we make aluminium alloys superior to any of the German pre-war products, and like success has been attained in other direc- _ While our military, naval, and air services have been actively engaged in battle, the allied forces of science and industry have been making advances no less noteworthy, though their conquests do not eceupy much public attention. What has been achieved in scientific industry during the last four years is most creditable both to scientific workers and te manufacturers, and we are glad that steps have been taken to enlighten the public upon this matter by the organisation of a British Scientific Products Exhibition, which will be opened on August 12 at King’s College, London. _ The British Science Guild, with the assent of the Ministry of Munitions and the approval of the Board of Trade, has arranged for this exhibition to be held for four weeks during August and September. The exhibition will include products and appliances of scientific and industrial interest which prior to the war were obtained chiefly from enemy countries, but are now produced in the United Kingdom. The chief purpose of the ex- hibition is to make clear the necessity of scientific research with respect to the application of its results in the arts and industries; and, further, to display to the public and to those intimately concerned how much has been = successfully achieved in this regard since the advent of the war in the production of articles of prime import- ance, not only for the home, but also for. foreign markets, hitherto manufactured in or imported from other countries. Such an exhibition at the présent time will have a most stimulating influence upon scientific and industrial research and upon manufactures, and the highest permanent interests of the nation will be promoted thereby. His Majesty the King has shown his interest in the exhibition by becoming - the Patron; while the Marquess of Crewe is presi- dent, and the vice-presidents include the Prime Minister and other leading members of the Govern- ment as well as distinguished representatives of scientific, educational, and industrial institutions. More than 250 manufacturers are sending exhibits ; and the Air Ministry is arranging a large display NO. 2544, VOL. 101| of its scientific activities, as well as the Food Pro- duction Department. It is understood, of course, that some manufacturers—for example, , opticians and scientific instrument makers—are unable to~ send exhibits on account of their reduced staffs and the insistent demands made for immediate delivery of all instruments or appliances produced by them; nevertheless, there is no doubt that the exhibition will afford an impressive object-lesson of British scientific activity and industrial enterprise. The manufacturers who are participating in the exhibition are doing so largely from patriotic motives, as no goods will be sold, and any advan- tage they may derive from their display will be indirect. What is desired chiefly is to educate the public to know that British science and British industry can, when conditions are favourable, excel in manufactures which were popularly sup- posed to be essentially German. We have re- covered lost ground, and we need ‘never lose it again if the development of industry through science is made a national aim. It might have’ been supposed that the Depart- ment of Scientific and Industrial Research would have been able to afford financial aid to such am exhibition as that shortly to be opened, but we understand that neither it nor any other Govern- ment Department has yet contributed a grant towards the heavy expenses involved. The whole cost will have to be met by voluntary contribu- tions, and it is to be hoped that the -patriotic efforts of the British Science Guild to give con- .fidence in our scientific strength and encourage- ment to its industrial application will receive generous support from all who are in the position to give it. Donations should be sent to the Treasurer, British Scientific Products Exhibition, British Science ‘Guild, 199 Piccadilly, Lon- don, W. 1. NOTES. ATTENTION has \been directed several times in these columns to the progress of the dyes industry in this country, and last week a brief statement was given of the proposals. of the Government in the direction of giving further assistance to the firms engaged in the manufacture. The Supplementary - Estimate referred to was discussed in the House of Commons on Thursday, July 25. Some opposition was raised to the scheme mainly on the ground that there was a lack of information before the House as to what had been done with the money already advanced, and how the present proposed grant of 600,000l. towards extensions and plant was going to be utilised. It would undoubtedly be interesting to have a clear statement as to the disposal of the funds already allocated to ‘‘ British Dyes, Limited,’ but most of the speakers on Thursday last failed to appreciate ‘the fact that the dyes industry is not only of the first importance to the country, ‘but also a manufacture of a peculiar character, dependent as it is on the con- stant association of research in the laboratory with processes in the works. The amount of capital in- vested in the manufacture in Germany may be roughly” estimated at about ten times that which is’ at the disposal of firms in this country, and during the first few years they will require all the encouragement and 430 ~ NATURE if [Aucust 1, 1918 assistance of everv kind—financial and protective— which can be afforded. — : THE progress made inthis country in the produc- * tion’ of laboratory requirements formerly imported has been referred to frequently in these columns. We learn that arrangements have been made at the National, Physical Laboratory for the testing of scientific glass- ware and porcelain and of filter-paper.- For the present, while the organisation is in course of development, _ firms sending vessels for examination will be required to give notice (on forms provided for the purpose) of their wish to have apparatus examined. not less than a week before dispatching the goods. The tests will include volumetric tests of graduated vessels and tests on the resistance of vessels to chemical action and their suitability for use in chemical operations. In the latter case the tests to be applied have been dis- cussed with the Glass Research Committee of the Institute of Chemistry. With regard to the volumetric accuracy of glassware the tests will be divided into {1) vessels of the highest scientific accuracy, and (2) vessels intended to possess only commercial accuracy. It is intended that those in the first cate- gory shall be examined at Teddington, and that those in the second shall eventually be tested locally when centres for the work have been established. Information with regard to the scheme is_ obtainable from the director. WE regret to announce the death on July 28, in his seventy-ninth year, of Dr. F. T. Roberts, University College, London. and author of a ‘‘Handbook of the Theory and Practice of Medicine’ and many pro- fessional papers, as well as of articles in Quain’s ‘Dictionary of Medicine,” of which he was formerly the assistant editor. ‘ ar Mr. Frank N. MEyER, a botanical expert on the. staff of the American Department of Agriculture, was recently found drowned in the Yangtse River. — For nearly ten’ years he had travelled as an explorer through China, Turkestan, and Siberia, and had intro- duced into the United States hundreds of species and varieties of Eastern plants. Tue death is announced, in his eightieth year, of Dr. George M. Searle, of Washington, D.C. Dr. Searle graduated at Harvard in 1857, and_shortly afterwards entered the service of the U.S. Coast Survey. . He next became assistant professor of mathematics in the U.S. Naval Academy. ’ In later life he devoted himself especially to astronomy. He established the observatory in the Catholic’ University at Washing- ton, where for several years he held the chair of mathematics. rath, bas WE regret to note that the. Engineer for July 26 records the death on July 18 of Mr.. Edmund Herbert Stevenson. Mr. Stevenson, who was. sixty-five: years of age, was responsible for the design and’ execution of many gas, water, and drainage works, and was: joint author of books dealing with legislation affect- ing gas and water undertakings and with the water supply of the metropolis. _ He was a well-known expert witness, and a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Tue death occurred’ on July 26, in his. sixty- fourth year, of Mr. Henry R. Knipe, who: produced a sumptuous volume about twelve years ago entitled ‘‘Nebula to Man.” ‘The work was an attempt to sketch in’ rhyme the evolution of the earth on the nebular hypothesis, the subsequent sea. and land movements, and successive appearances of life, as revealed by the geological strata. 1t- was NO. 2544, VOL. I0T] embellished by a remarkable series of illustrations of — prehistoric scenes and creatures, fourteen reproduced Y in colour and seventy-seven by the half-tone process, — and all of them by artists distinguished for their skill — in portraying such subjects. eo We have just learned that ‘Prof. Vladimir Amalitsky, of Warsaw, died suddenly at Kislovodsk, in the Caucasus, on December 28, 1917. Born in Volhynia in 1860, Prof. Amalitsky completed his educa- tion at the University of Petrograd, where he made a special study of geology under Prof. Inostransey. Early in his career he was appointed professor of geology and paleontology in the University of Warsaw, and he eventually became director of the Polytechnic Institute in the same city. With the aid of his accomplished wife, he-devoted himself to the study of the Permian rocks of Russia, and will always be remembered by his discovery of the great deposits of fossil reptiles in the cliffs of the northern Dvina. During 1899 and 1900 he excavated from these deposits — numerous skeletons of Pariasaurus, Dicynodonts, and Theriodonts, closely resembling those from the Karoo formation of South Africa; and with them he found abundant remains of. the typical Glossopteris flora. For several years Prof. Amalitsky superintended the — preparation of the fossil skeletons in the museum of the University of Warsaw, but, unfortunately, they still remain undescribed. With Mme. Amalitsky he. paid repeated visits to the British Museum, where he ~ spent many months in special studies, but his only detailed publications. were on the Permian fresh-. water bivalved shells. These small fossils, : however, proved to be of exceptional interest, and in a er read before the Geological Society of London in 1895 Prof. Amalitsky showed the close correspondence between the Permian species of Russia and the Karoo species of South Africa. Just before the outbreak of war he had arranged for one of his students to visit the British Museum to prepare himself for mono- graphing the Russian Permian reptiles, but in the circumstances the work had to be postponed. Dr. A. D. Bevan in his presidential address to the | American Medical Association (see Science, June 21, — p. 597) gives a good account of the organisation of the American medical profession for purposes of war. Surg.-Gen. Gorgas, who did such splendid work in Panama, is the chief of the American Army Medical Service, and he has enlisted to help him those who in civil life are recognised leaders in ‘their special fields © of work—men like Profs. Welch: and Vaughan, Dr. de Schweinitz, and -scores of others. There are in the United. States more than.145,000.men and women practitioners, so that there is ample personnel to draw from... For an army,in the field. 10 per cent. of its numbers will be in the medical department. Thus for an army of 3,000,000 some 300,000 officers and men are required for medical and sanitary work, of — whom 25,000 will be qualified physicians and surgeons. — Already 25,000 medical practitioners have gone into the — medical departments of the American Army and Navy, — and it is proposed to raise the number to 30,000 this ~ year. Pror. Henry Louis stated in his presidential — address to the Society of Chemical Industry, at the — recent meeting in Bristol, that the chemical industry | in this country has been in some respects practically stationary during late years, and that this pha | most noticeable in the failure to take advantage of modern mechanical methods of handling large bodies — of material; that, in other words, not sufficient has been made of the application of modern engineering methods to the chemical industries. As he points out, “ Aucust 1, 1918] NATURE 431 . the difficulty lies in finding men who are equally con- -versant with the chemical problems to be solved and _ the engineering facilities available for their solution. A man with an adequate training both in chemistry and engineering is required. Such a man, and no other, has the right to call himself a chemical engineer. These men do exist in this country to-day, notably Sir George Beilby and Sir Dugald Clerk, but there are very few of them, and undoubtedly one of the most pressing problems which will have to be solved is the securing of an adequate supply of chemical engineers to maintain and develop the great industries of the . country. Prof. Louis—who, by virtue of- his position and his work, is associated more with the mining and metallurgical than with the chemical industries— devoted his address mainly to a consideration of the nature of the principal problems that a chemical engineer is called upon to conduct, 2nd illustrated it by reference to a process which, though metallurgical in name, is chemical engineering in fact, namely, the hydrometallurgical extraction of gold by the cyanide process. The magnitude of this industry may be gauged from the fact that the Witwatersrand alone cyanides more than two and a quarter million tons of ore month. This process has developed slowly from quite modest beginnings a quarter of a century ago. It has now reached a very high pitch of per- fection. _ - Tue report of the council of the Association of British Chemical Manufacturers was presented at the second annual general meeting of the association, held on July rr. Dr. C. Carpenter, who was in the chair, referred to several matters of public interest in the course of his remarks in moving the adoption of the report. Progress has been made with the Directory, the bulk of which is now in the printers’ hands. The Directory will be printed in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Japanese, and will thus provide for a very comprehensive circulation throughout the markets of the world of information relating to British manufacture in connection with chemical products. A very useful system has been put into operation for placing at the disposal of members of the association a good deal of informa- tion available at the Department of Overseas Trade and the Foreign Office. In dealing with the question _ of industrial alcohol the association has been very helpful. When it is remembered how long it has taken to educate the Government on the technical questions connected with the use of alcohol in chemical manufacture, it wi'l be realised that a great advance has been made in the acceptance of the recommenda- tions of the alcohol committee of the association. An information and statistical bureau has been estab- lished with the view of avoiding overlapping and waste of time and energy in research and manufacture. The council has supported the efforts of the Chemical Society in establishing a comprehensive library of chemical technology. With regard to the difficult problem of the dyes industry, Dr. Carpenter thinks that the course followed in t915 in developing the explosive manufactures of the country, viz. to use all and everybody, great and small, in order to get all working in the direction of making up the shortage, is the right one; and that the concentration of the work in the hands of only a few firms, as appears to be the present policy in dealing with the dye situation, will not produce such a measure of national success as if all the resources of the country are utilised. Lord Moulton has accépted the position of president of the association. Mr. R. G. Perry, C.B.E., has been elected chairman, in succession to Dr. C. Carpenter, and the Rt. Hon. J. W. Wilson has been elected vice-chairman. NO. 2544, VOL. 101] Ir was recommended by the Imperial War Con- ference held in London last summer::—*‘‘ That’ it is desirable to establish in London an Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau, upon which should be represented Great Britain, the Dominions, India, and other parts of the Empire.’’ The importance of the matter has been urged on several occasions in the columns of NaTurRE (see, for example,,the issues for October 5, 1916, and September 13, 1917). By direction of the War Cabinet, the Minister of Munitions, in May, 1917, appointed an Inter-Departmental Committee to prepared a scheme for the establishment of the pro- posed Bureau. After consideration of the report of this Committee the Government instructed the Minister of Reconstruction, in consultation with the Secretaries of State for the Colonies and India, to give effect to the recommendations of the Imperial Conference and the findings of the Committee. It is now announced that the Bureau will be incorporated by Royal charter, and the governing body, which will be under the pre- sidency of the Lord President of the Council, will consist of the following :—Chai:man, Sir Richard Red- mayne, K.C.B.; nominated by the Canadian Govern- ment, Dr. W..G. Miller; Commonwealth of Aus- tralia, Mr. W. S. Robins; New Zealandy Mr. T. H.. Hamer, of the High Commissioner’s Office; Union of South Africa, the Rt. Hon. W. P. Schreiner, C.M.G.; Newfoundland, the Rt. Hon. Lord Morris, K.C.M.G., ; India, Mr. R. D. Oldham, F.R.S.; nominated by the Secretary for the Colonies, Dr. J. W. Evans; nominated by the Minister of Reconstruction (in con- sultation with the Institution of Mining and Metal- lurgy, the Institute of Metals, the Iron and_ Steel Institute, and the Institution of Mining Engineers), Mr. W. Forster Brown (Mineral Adviser to H.M. Woods and Forests), Prof. H. C. H. Carpenter (president of the Institute of Metals), Dr. F. H. Hatch (member. _of the Mineral Resources Advisory Committee of the Imperial Institute), Sir Lionel Phillips (lately Director of the Mineral Resources Development Department, Ministry of Munitions), Mr. Edgar Taylor (ex-presi- dent of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy), and Mr. Wallace Thorneycroft (president of the Institu- tion of Mining Engineers). Mr. Arnold D. McNair has been appointed secretary. All communications regarding the Bureau should be addressed to the Secretary, Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau, Hol- born Viaduct Hotel, E.C.r. ‘AMONG the recent additions to the Municipal Museums, Hull, we notice the collection of birds’ eggs, land, fresh-water, and marine shells, ali from. Lincoln- shire, formed by the late John Beaulah, of Ravens- thorpe; also two very large narwhal tusks, and an excellent model of the railway engine Victoria and tender, dated 1859, which was shown at the Great Exhibition in 1861, bequeathed by the late H. Astropp. Mr. A. J. Losesy, the veteran Registrar of the _ Market Bosworth County Court, has sent us a copy of his work entitled ‘‘The Great Hereafter and the Road to Perfection’’ (London: A. H. Stockwell, price 1s.). Though the subject lies outside the usual range of this journal, we cannot help remarking on the manner in which the elemental aspirations of humanity are dealt with in these blank-verse narratives, which maintain a high level by their dignified simplicity. The story of the triumph of motherhood in the midst of horrors that creep upon a flaming world is Dantesque without being imitative. THe Museum Journal of the University of Penn- sylvania (vol. viii., No. 4, December, 1917) is devoted to an account by Mr. C. S. Fisher of the work done by the Egyptian expedition at Memphis financed by 432 NATURE — ™ -[Aucusr 1,-1918 Mr. Eckley .B. Coxe, jun. Meremptah have been excavated with important results. On the dais where the king’s throne stood were found four large panels, each containing a bound captive—a negro, a Libyan, a Sardinian, and a fourth not yet identified. In. the stratum assigned to Ahmose II. there was found a cache of gold and silver jewelry. At Dendereh was discovered a neck- lace composed of selected amethysts and carnelians, the large beads bearing the name of Sesostris I. (B.C. 1980-35) inscribed upon them. Portions of the palace of In Folklore (vol. xxix., No. 1) Mrs. M. A. Holland, in a paper entitled ‘‘ The Influence of Burial Customs on the Belief in a Future State,’’ examines Sir James Frazer’s well-known paper, ‘‘On Certain Burial Customs as Illustrating the Primitive Theory of the Soul” (Journal of the Anthropological Institute, 1885). The author examines this theory from the pre- animistic point of view, and discusses certain customs associated with burial and the modes adopted by early man for the disposal of the corpse. As an _ illus- tration of the method of inquiry, she inquires why, according to Plutarch, an exile, reported to be dead, for whom funeral ceremonies have been per- formed, may not re-enter his house through the door, but must find a way through the roof. The hitherto accepted explanation is that he is still officially dead, must be considered a ghost, and as such it is phy- sically impossible for him to cross the threshoid, which has been rendered ghost-proof by a mystic barrier of fire and water. But the more primitive motive may have been that he was regarded as uncanny ‘because, officially speaking, he had been once dead, and so must not be given the chance of contaminating a holv place like the threshold. The paper gives a good résumé of the more recent views on animism, and ‘deserves study. Since the house-fly has been clearly recognised as a great danger to the health of the community much attention has been paid to a study of its habits, and particularly to the conditions which are favourable for breeding. One aspect of the \subject--the over- wintering of the house-fly—is dealt with in an article by Mr. R. H. Hutchison in the Journal of Agricul- tural Research (vol. xiii., No. 3). The conclusion of the author, after about three years’ experimental work on the subject, is that there is no evidence to show that house-flies persist as adults in houses or stables from November to April, for a temperature lower than 32° F. is fatal if continued for any length of time. On the other hand, if flies find access in the autumn to buildings such as restaurants, where insufficient attention is given to the disposal of kitchen waste, they will continue breeding throughout ‘the winter. In such cases the flies present in March or April, which are the offspring and not the survivors of those which found their way into such places in the preceding autumn, will escape on warm days and produce the hordes which appear late in May. From experiments with larve and pup, and from the fact that house- flies do not. appear in large number until late in May, the author concludes that only a small percentage of the larve present in manure-heaps in the autumn live through the winter to give rise to adults in the spring. These conclusions emphasise once more that the proper disposal of kitchen waste is the only effectual method of attacking the house-fly. Mr. -R. S. Lure (Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. . xlv., P- 337, 1918) describes under the new name \Laoporus a number of quadrupedal tracks from Carboniferous strata in. the Grand Cafion of the Colorado River. In NO. 2544, VOL. 101] referring some smaller. impressions to Exocampe, a@ genus known in the Trias of Connecticut, the author remarks that these tracks are surely not reptilian, nor are they proved to be amphibian. He places them in Williston’s Protopoda, a group so far known only by — its footprints. ‘ft ua Sa THE subject of the deposition of flint is further — pursued by Mr. R. S. Dean in reference to the Mis- souri cherts (Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. xly., p. 411, — 1918). It is urged that the association of pc a “ dioxide with the silica hydrosol in the presence of — calcium carbonate leads to the formation of an acid carbonate that becomes readily .dissociated. Calcium ions thus arise and precipitate colloidal silica, with greater effect than the hydrogen ions of less valency that are formed from the dissociation of carbonic acid. Experiment shows that without carbon dioxide a col- loidal silica solution may remain stable in the presence of ground calcite for more than a year, while the presence of carbon dioxide promotes precipitation in an hour. In Mr. Dean’s experiments actual silicifica- tion of the calcite did not occur, but in this matter the author regards time as an important factor, Tue Agricultural Statistivs of India (vol. i.) for 1915-16 were published early this year by the Govern- ment Printing Office, Calcutta. Considerable progress has been made since 1906-7; the total number of bovine livestock has increased by 60 per cent., and is now © 149 millions; the totals for “cultivable area” and ‘‘net area cropped’’ show a steady increase. The areas devoted to cotton and jute suffered a decline (exceeding 25 per cent.) from the previous year, prob- ably caused by a fall in price due to the war. On the other hand, the area under indigo (chiefly in Madras Province) was more than doubled. It is re-. ported that the official trials of the yield of the ‘| various crops indicate a general increase in the yield per acre since 1911-12; in the case of sugar-cane in Bengal the increase excee 16 per cent. The in- creased cotton yield in Sind (more primer! Ys cent.) is ascribed to the use of Egyptian cotton-seed. = Iron, though a common component of thermo- couples, has the disadvantage of oxidising rapidly when exposed ‘to temperatures beyond 500° C, It would be possible (according to O. L. Ike, in American Electro-chemical Society Proceedings, October, 1917) greatly to extend the use of iron jin thermo-couples if a method could be devised of pro- tecting it from oxidisation by a covering Sante would not appreciably affect the e.m-f. is result is achieved by ‘‘calorising ” the iron, i.e. forming on its surface a coating of a rich alloy of aluminium. Iron so treated can be exposed to temperatures as high as 1o00° C. without oxidising. Tests show that calorised iron when used with constantan gives the same thermo-e.m.f. as ordinary iron, and has a longer life. tis ALIN ae Pe oa In the Cairo Scientific Journal (vol. ix., No. tot, 1917) is a paper by the late Sir Armand Ruffer on the use of natron.and salt by the ancient Egyptians. a Natron is a natural soda deposit consisting of impure — sodium carbonate and bicarbonate, and the question — of its use for the embalming of mummies by immer- ~ sion in a natron bath, as indicated by Herodotus, has been investigated by chemical .and microscopical methods. In the result it is agreed that salt and natron were used by embalmers, but no evidence was found that the bodies were placed in a natron bath or a salt bath. It is not intended to deny that the accounts given by Herodotus are correct; i yr they are corroborated in some of the ofher details, a id : 4 en s % } _ » -Aucust 1, 1918] Pao | NATURE 433 _ bear the stamp of truth, but it appears certain that no bodies:prepared by the method Herodotus describes have been found so far. ACCORDING to the Scientific American for June 22, the American Government has received thousands of suggestions for the protection of sea-going vessels from attack by submarine. Often the same suggestion is made by many different inventors, the great majority of whom show a lamentable ignorance of the condi- tions which prevail at sea. Seven devices are illus- trated, four of which consist of padding for the hull, which would either increase the resistance of the ship and diminish its speed greatly, or would be carried away by thé first heavy sea. Another device deflects the torpedo below the keel, the inventor not appearing to know that it would be fired by the deflection. The other devices are for preventing the sinking of the vessel after she has been struck, and involve either an inner hull or a series of air-bags which can be pumped up and pulled under the side of the vessel struck. Would-be inventors of devices for this purpose might save themselves and_ the Government Departments much trouble by consulting ATTENTION may be directed to a very useful article by Dr. P. E. Spielmann in the Chemical Trade Journal for July 6 and the three previous issues, giving a summary description of the constituents of coal-tar and their properties. A large number of substances has been.found in coal-tar—from three hundred to four hundred, of which about one. hundred and. fifty have been determined quantitatively and ninety de- finitely isolated. On a large scale only four are separated as the pure individual substances, namely, benzene, toluene, naphthalene, and phenol, though others, such as xylenes, cresols, and the hydrocarbons of solvent naphtha, -are used in considerable quantities in the form of mixtures of their homologues. The 2, which is based upon a German account with additions and modifications, is designed to give a general survey of the lesser-known as well as the more valuable substances obtainable. By reason of the exploitation of the coal-tar industry in Germany the minute examination of the constituents of tar has so far been due largely to German chemists. The results obtained are of great value, and it is hoped that detailed and difficult work of this kind will in the immediate future be carried on in this country,. since our chemists are fully capable of doing it. In roe case, the information collected will prove service- a , ‘ ‘Tue first of a series of articles on time studies for rate setting on machine tools appears in Industrial Management (The Engineering Magazine) for June. The author, Mr. Dwight V. Merrick, has had excep- tional opportunities of studying this important sub- ject. ‘Some nineteen years ago he became associated with Dr. Taylor, and for the last fifteen years has specialised on the taking of time studies and the setting of tasks and rates. He also possesses the faculty of setting down in clear, concise style the pretebie. he has gained during lengthy investiga- tions, and his articles can be recommended confidently to any who wish to become further acquainted or to make personal experiments with Dr. Taylor’s efficiency methods. Full instructions are given for the practical carrying out of time studies and for the analysis of the results. The matters dealt with include :— (a) Study of the work and conditions that influence its performance; (b) analysis of the work into its elements; (c) observing and recording the elapsed time for the performance of each of the elements; NO. 2544, VOL. I01| (d) study and analysis of the records obtained in (c); (e) determining a just time for the performance of each of ‘the elements; (f) preparing from the time- study records an instruction card, including the determining of an allowance for fatigue and unavoid- able delays. The first article includes formule and a set of interesting graphs giving the “variation allow- ance,’’ i.e. the additions that must be made to the actual sum of the unit times in order to take care of the factors that slow down work. Fatigue is one of the major factors, and its influence is relatively diminished as the percentage of handling time is les- sened for the complete cycle of operations. Those interested will find a great deal of valuable practical information in these articles. ? Sik Witt1am Ramsay before his death had compiled a biography of Dr. Joseph Black, whose fundamental ex- periments on chemical combination and on heat made a lasting impression on science. This volume, with an introduction by Prof. F. G. Donnan on Sir William Ramsay himself, illustrated by sundry reproductions and portraits, is now in the press, and will be pub- lished by Messrs, Constable. Besides an account of Dr. Black’s life and work, there are some of his letters and descriptions of academic life in Glasgow and Edin- burgh of the eighteenth century. . Messrs. J.| WHELDON AND Co,, 38 Great Queen Street, W.C.2, have shown enterprise in issuing a catalogue, called by them a “‘War Economy” cata- logue, of books relating to botany likely to be of especial interest and service at the present time. It contains some 2000 items, arranged conveniently under the headings of Ag: = EAB Ae ) t Sedma gt Neither the columns nor the rows need stop just: where they do in this table, for the subject extends further in each direction. Moreover, each column and row admits of further subdivision, so that the ramifica- tions of the subject are almost beyond enumeration. But, as it is, it serves to locate the portions to which chief attention was directed. These were examples of two or more associated: vibrations, whether forced, ' coupled, or compound. ep BARR Il.—Forced and Coupled Vibrations. —_— Forced and coupled vibrations must be distinguished from each other and from the simplest class of all, © called free vibrations. To do this, pass” row in Table I., there shown. If a pendulum-bob is pulled aside and let go, it returns towards its zero position under the combined’ effect of gravity and its slant suspension. On reaching ‘the zero position with a certain velocity, it overshoots the mark because the bob has inertia. Thus a free vibration is set up. This may continue until slowly extinguished by friction, which is opera all the time to diminish the swings. Next, let the point of suspension of a pendulum be moved slightly to and fro by periodic forces. Then the pendulum would be set in vibration and kept going: Further, the motions would settle down to a quite definite amplitude and phase. These are forced vibrations. Their am- plitude would depend upon that of ‘the point of sus-. pension, and also on the tuning. By tuning is meant the degree of agreement between the period natural’ to the pendulum and that of the forces applied to it: The closer the tuning between them, the better the response. Upon the ge the forced vibrations. ‘hen the forces. alternate appreciably more slowly than the vibrations natural to. the pendulum the two are almost in like phases. But when the forces alternate more quickly than the pen- - dulum the latter swings almost in opposite phase. This change of phase of forced vibrations’ was illus-— Secondly, since ‘these. os motions are executed by same physical systems, the — eee. along the first _ taking the cases of the pendulums depends also the phase of — er a ene Be tel: ee sate ee orn IIS. 2 indie . moved with a pz _AvuGUST I, 1918} NATURE 437 trated by three pendulums, all hanging from the same tightly stretched horizontal cord. -One pendulum had a heavy bob, and by its swings moved the stretched cord, It thus acted as driver, and applied forces to the other two pendulums, which had light bobs, and so were easily driven. Of these pendulums one was shorter and one longer than the driver. They soon settled to opposite phases after the heavy bob was set in motion. Resonance curves showing the varied responses of such driven pendulums as the tuning is altered were then thrown on the screen. At In the cases just dealt with the light bob is set in motion at the expense of energy taken from the heavy one. But on account of the great disparity of the bobs, this loss entailed no appreciable diminution in. the vibrations of the heavy bob or driver. _ Consideration was next given to the case where equal bobs hang from a tight cord. While both pen- dulums are hanging at rest one bob, is struck. Its vibrations disturb. the other pendulum and set it in motion. But, obviously, while the driven pendulum gains an amplitude equal to that first possessed by the driver, the driver itself would have lost all its motion. The other then becomes the driver in turn, and transfers its energy back to what was originally the driver. This palpable surging of the energy to and fro between the two pendulums marks them as showing what may be called coupled vibrations. In both cases the action of the driver on the driven is recog- nised. But in the case of coupled vibrations the reaction of the driven on the driver is palpable and recognised also, whereas in what are called forced vibrations this reaction is undiscernible or ignored. In the case of coupled vibrations just shown the vibrations of .each pendulum seem quite simple, but slowly and alternately wax and wane in amplitude— that is, they exhibit what are termed ‘“‘beats.”’ But it ‘that beats may be heard when two is well known musical tones of slightly differing pitch are sounded together. Further, the number of beats per second is the difference of the frequencies of the two tones. and wani vibrations of either or twitch instead of in simple fashion. , neither pendulum showed the waxing and waning of amplitude which was so marked in the other case where both hung from a stretched cord. Ssciaae: - The questions which now naturally arise are :— (a) Why this contrast? and (b) Can the gap be The solution bridged? The : is simple. The difference in appearance is only a matter of different ratios of gsi of the superposed vibrations, and this, again, is due to ferent values of the coupling, to borrow a term from electrical’ theory. We have changed sud- denly from ia very loose to a tight coupling. We consequently passed at a SeBan's from periods nearly equal (giving a. slow waxing and waning) to periods the ratio of which exceeds 2: 1 (involving the pause or twitch); for the th shows that as the coupling increases the ratio of the periods increases also. It is accordingly of interest to change the coupling gradually and so bridge the gap between’ the two motions which seemed so unlike. This was done by the cord-and-lath pendulum, in which the cord pen- dulum is suspended from an adjustable stud on the lath pendulum. When the two suspensions are near together, the value of the coupling is almost equal to NO. 2544, VOL. I0T| the fraction of the lath-length at which the cord is attached. When this fraction is unity, as in the case of one pendulum hanging from the bob of the other, the coupling has the value 1/3, or 58 per cent: nearly. (These simple relations are for equal bobs and equal pendulum lengths.) III.—Electrical Vibrations, Forced and Coupled. On passing along the second line of Table I. it was noted how the various types of electric vibrations may be obtained and the striking analogy to them pre- sented by the mechanical cases already considered. Any electrical circuit containing a capacity and an inductance may exhibit electrical vibrations. For the. fundamental electrical conditions are there present, just as the mechanical ones were in the case of a simple pen- dulum. If the condenser is charged by a suitable means, the quantity of electricity so displaced is urged to flow back again round the circuit by the electromotive force of the charged condenser. If the resistance of the circuit is small enough, the electromagnetic inertia (measured by the inductance) ensures that the current shall still flow after the condenser is discharged. Thus its charge is reversed. So the vibrations con- tinue until the energy is dissipated by the resistance of the circuit. These are free electrical vibrations. As an example of forced electrical vibrations we may think of a circuit with capacity and small, inductance (like that of a Fleming cymometer) placed not too near to a circuit of similar frequency, but with much greater inductance. Then the cymometer will respond to the vibrations of the other—i.e. it will execute forced vibrations. ‘These will not appreciably diminish the vibrations of the main circuit. But let two electrical vibration circuits of comparable inductances and periods be placed together and started, ‘then there is not only the action of the driver, but also a distinct reaction of the driven on the driver. Hence, as the vibrations of one circuit start those of the other, the latter by their growth check the former, causing them to die away. Thus there may be an interchange of energy between them. This, as we have seen with pendulums, corresponds with the superposition of vibra- tions of slightly differing periods, provided the action and reaction are small. and the interchange slow. Further, it is known that if two such circuits are closely coupled, these two periods differ more widely. Hence a third circuit (say a cymometer) responding to either of them may detect these separate periods by giving a resonance curve with two humps instead of one. IV.—Traces from Coupled Pendulums. ‘It has been seen that there is a certain general analogy between mechanical and electrical vibrations, whether free, forced, or coupled. The question now arises as to whether this analogy may reach or ap- proach a quantitative exactness in all or any respects, and whether it can be utilised in any way. Various mechanical vibrating systems differ widely. Some resemble the electrical case very closely, but none appears to be completely and exactly analogous to them in every detail. Indeed, the electrical case seems to be slightly simpler than any mechanical analogy yet put forward. But the differences are small, and the mechanical may be highly useful as affording visible and le illustrations of those subtle elec- trical vibrations which can be neither seen nor - handled. Especially is this the case if the model is readily adjustable to represent the various relations of the constants concerned and can be used for any initial conditions. Thus from such analogies some benefit may accrue to the non-mathematical student. But perhaps the highest advantage is realised only by those who combine the mathematical with the 438 NATURE [|AuGusT 1, 1918 experimental study, and grope after the ideal model which ‘shall: represent exactly the electrical or other phenomena in question. But, whatever the uses of Fic. 1.—Coupled pendulums. such models, certain it is that their design and study have appealed to many eminent men of science. In this connection it may suffice to mention Faraday, Maxwell, Lord Kelvin, Lord Rayleigh, Sir Oliver & 476% Masses 20 Lerglisd 34% Masses aa Leagth< 3 the usefulness of such a model is much enhanced if its vibrations leave traces. This is easily arranged by letting the bobs carry funnels of sand under which a blackboard moves uniformly at right angles to the direction of vibration. In the portable apparatus shown in Fig. 1 the pendulums are of the double- cord type, and allow both traces to be obtained simul- taneously and thus record the ‘relation of amplitude and phase for each pendulum. ; With this apparatus the coupling can be varied at will, and easily adjusted to any desired value from 1 per cent. to 60'per cent. or more. .The greater the droop of the bridles, the greater the coupling, the quantitative relation being simple. It is noteworthy that for equal bobs and pendulum lengths a 60 per cent. coupling gives superposed periods as 2:1, just as in the electrical case for equal periods. Indeed, with any specified coupling the ratio of period is the same for this mechanical case and for the electrical one. The masses of the bobs and the lengths of the pen- dulums are adjusted at pleasure, and the initial conditions may be anything that is desired. (Simul- taneous traces with this apparatus were then obtained, others exhibited, and photographs of a number thrown on the screen. One set of traces illustrated the rapidly damped vibrations of the quenched spark, and the corresponding almost undamped vibrations on the antenna in this system of wireless telegraphy.) —. With equal bobs and equal lengths, the coupling being small, each pendulum exhibits in turn the same maximum and the same minimum as the other. With small couplings, equal lengths, but bobs as 20:1, the case of forced vibrations is approached. That is to say, the heavy bob loses but little ampli- O54 Masses “0 Leagths 3. S aot ~~ C3 % Mir S€S ge Lengi * Fic. 2.—Vibration traces of coupled pen tulums. Lodge, Sir Joseph Thomson, Profs. J. A. Fleming, R. Lyle, of Australia, and W. .S.. Franklin, . of America. For either quantitative work or mere illustration NO. 2544, VOL. 10T| tude, while that of the light bob grows from zero to its maximum. appreciably, maximum. With bobs as 5:1, the heavy bob loses while the light one proceeds to its nt m+ xy thing Giga hemes iy ay Ce eee i a i II tir FS Merny - “Aveust 1, 1918] . NATURE 439 As the coupling increases from zero, the ratio of the periods of the superposed vibrations of the coupled pendulums usually increases continuously until it equals or exceeds 2:1. When, however, both lengths and masses are unequal, the short length having the heavy bob, a new feature appears. gradually increases from zero, the ratio of the periods at first diminishes, reaches a minimum, and then increases. Thus the number of vibrations in a beat cycle at first increases, reaches a maximum, and then ecreases. ‘These special effects are shown in Fig. 2. They were theoretically predicted and then experi- mentally confirmed. The maximum number of vibra- tions in the beat cycle occurs for the highest coupling shown in the figure, viz. 6-3 per cent. The details as to bobs, lengths, and couplings are all indicated in the figure. The able collaboration of Miss H. M. Browning in this work was gratefully acknowledged. (To be continued.) UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. GiasGow.—The Ferguson fellowship in applied chemistry, founded this year, is in the gift of the trustees of the Ferguson Bequest Fund, and is of the annual value of 2o0o0l.; it is ordinarily tenable for two years, subject to the fulfilment of the prescribed conditions. Candidates must be graduates in science of the University of Glasgow who have completed the curriculum for a degree in applied chemistry, or have taken ‘chemistry as a principal subject in the Final Science Examination for a degree in pure science. The fellow is required to devote himself, during the tenure of his fellowship, to research in relation to some branch or branches of applied chemistry approved by the fellowship committee. His work may be carried out at the University, the Royal Technical - College, or elsewhere, as the fellowship committee may direct. Candidates for, the Ferguson fellowship for 1918 should, in the first instance, send their names to the registrar of the University early in the first term of the session 1918-19. vot; Hae, Science announces, that gifts to Yale University in the past year and credited as endowment made a total of 256,o001.. From time to. time gifts lave been announced, but the new items included 20,000l. as the Earl Williams Fund from Mrs. J. H. Williams for the benefit of the University Press, and 80,o00l. from William L. Harkness as a building fund. — Pror. T.. Brattsrorp’ Rosertson, professor of biochemistry and pharmacology in the University of California, has been appointed professor of bio- chemistry in the University of Toronto. Prof. J.J: R. Macleod, professor of physiology and biochemistry in the Western. Reserve University, has been appointed professor of physiology in the same University. In view of the practical impossibility while the war continues of holding. the A.M.I.E.E. examination and of candidates having the requisite time to prepare for or undergo examination, the council of the Institu- tion of Electrical Engineers has decided to suspend temporarily the institution rules in regard to examina- tion. The ‘greatest care will, nevertheless, be exer- cised by the council to ensure that only candidates possessing the qualifications laid down in the articles in respect of training and experience are admitted to associate membershin. On Speech Day at King’s School, Canterbury, on July 24, Mr. A. Latter, the headmaster, announced that as a permanent memorial to their son, William NO. 2544, VOL. 101] As the coupling Frederick Drughorn, an old King’s scholar, killed in action, Mr. and Mrs, J. F. Drughorn proposed to endow the school with laboratories, to’ be known as the Drughorn Science Buildings, at a cost of 25,o000l., subject. to arrangements being made for outside students to have access to them. Mr. Drughorn, ‘he said, wishes ‘‘to encourage scientific education in the country, and hopes that the scheme will be a means to our future defence against a repetition of the peace- ful scientific invasion of our present unscrupulous enemies, to whom these buildings will be closed.” Ar the ninth biennial vacation course, which meets in the Oxford School of Geography on August: 1-16, special attention is being devoted to some geographical aspects of the Empire, while both in the lectures and in the practical geography classes: (for the study of climate, land-forms, the home region, and exploration) various general problems are to be discussed. Excur- sions to places of geographical interest in the vicinity of Oxford have been arranged. The course is specially designed to be of service to teachers both in secondary and in elementary schools. Earl Denbigh is to lecture on “‘German Aims and the Causes of the War.” In addition to the members of the staff. of the Oxford School of Geography the lecturers will also include the Master of Balliol, Prof. F. Haverfield, Prof. C. Grant Robertson, Prof. Grenville A. J. Cole, and Prof. P. M. Roxby. Particulars of the course may be obtained from the Secretary, School of Geo- graphy, University of Oxford. A COMMITTEE entitled the Officers University and Technical Training Committee has been appointed “to advise the Board of Agriculture, the Board of Educa- tion, the Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of Pensions upon. such courses of education and training as it may be desirable to arrange for the benefit of officers and ex-officers of H.M. Forces and men of like standing, particularly with the view of fitting them for suitable employment after the war; to consider any general questions arising in connection with such education and training, and when necessary to advise individual -officers: as. to suitable courses of training.” Among. the members of the committee are :—Capt. W. D.. Ross, University of Oxford; Mr. H. A. Roberts, _ University .of Cambridge; Sir William Collins, University’ of London; Sir William Ashley and Prof. W. Ripper, Universities of Birmingham, Durham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield ; Principal E. H. Griffiths, Universities of Wales and Bristol;. Mr. F. Wilkinson,. Association of Technical Institutions; Mr. W. A. Nicholls, Workers’ Educa- tional Association; Mr. C. B., L..Tennyson, Federa- tion of British Industries; Mr. Howard Martin, Sur- vevors’ Institution; Sir Charles Bathurst, M.P., Cen- tral Chamber of Agriculture; and Mr. A.M. Samuel, Association of Chambers of Commerce. L+t.-Gen. Sir Alfred Keogh is the chairman of the committee, and the secretaries are Mr. G. H. V. Sutherland, of the Board of Education, and Mr. °F. J. Bullen, of the Appointments. Department, Ministry of Labour. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. , - Paris. Academy of. Sciences, July 8.—M. P. Painlevé in the chair.—The president announced the death of Charles Wolf.—G. Bigourdan: Notice on the life and work of Charles Wolf.—G. Humbert: The representations of an integer by indefinite, ternary, quadratic forms.— C. Richet, P. Brodin, and Fr. Saint-Girons: The effects of isotonic intravenous iniections in hamorrhage. From experiments on dogs in cases of grave hamor- rhage the authors recommend extensive intravenous 440 NATURE [Aucust 1, 1918 injections. The percentage of red corpuscles is is ea but the mass of the blood is increased.— A. Boulenger: The relations of onto eny. to taxi- nomy in Batrachians.—MM. Dimier and J. Bergonié : The search for the guinea-worm by radicgraphy. This parasite can be detected by the X-rays.—-R. Jonckheere : Observations and. identification of the new star in Aquila. Observations of magnitude..were made on June 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Thenew star has been identified with one recorded on photographs taken at Johannes- burg (August, 1910) and at Algiers (August, 1999, and June, 1895).—A. Véronnet : The maximum temperature | of a star undergoing condensation.—A. Leduc: The | did Henri Storch: belong? II. History of political — economy published in 1836 by Helmuth Winter, pro~ — fessor at Kazan: University.. The conception and the — problem of commercial politics.—A, F. Zaicev: M. N. Katkov’s views on Russia’s commercial policy durtag ae the period 1860-80. BOOKS RECEIVED, The Main Currents of Zoology. By Prof, W.. A. Locy. Pp. viit+216. (New York: H. Holt and Co.) The Theory of the Relativity of Motion. By R. C. Tolman. Pp. ix+225. (Berkeley: University of Cali- density, compressibility, and atomic mass of argon. The numbers for density and atomic mass do not, differ appreciably from those given by Ramsay and Travers. Q. Majorana: Experimental demonstration of the constancy of the velocity of light emitted by a moving source. The source of light was a rotating, mercury arc, with a peripheral velocity of 90 metres per second, and the light was examined by a Michelson, interfero- meter.—P. Weiss: A property of ferro- -magnetism.— P.. Boucherot ; Calculation of the propagation of. alter- nating currents on long lines by the separation of the real and reactive powers.—E. Bélot: The experi- mental. reproduction of mountain folds on. the hypo- thesis of a horizontal displacen.ent of the internal layers.—L.. Gentil: The extension into Andalusia of strata in the province of Cadiz—P. Wintrebert: The disjunction of the nervous and muscular functions at the period of latent automatism in the embryos of Scylliwm canicula.—H, Marichelle: The theory of vowels and its applications to auditive re-education.— E. Maignon : The influence of the species of animal on’ the toxic power and mode of utilisation of the food proteins. The foods employed. were white of egg, casein, and meat-powder; the effects on the dog and white rat are compared.—P. Portier and H. Bierry: The. importance of the ketonic function in metabolism. Ketone formation by symbiotes. ‘The pentoses (ara- binose and xvlose), the hexoses (glucose, levulose,.galac- tose, sorbose), the bioses (saccharose. etc.), and certain. polvalcohols (glycerol, mannite) are, in suitable media, attacked by symbiotes, giving, besides other products,. acetyl - methyl - carbinol, CH,.CO.CH.(OH).CH,.—M. Heitz-Boyer : The mechanical reduction of fractures. — M. Quénu : Remarks on the preceding communication. <6 \<‘PRTROGRAD. Cis ete Academy of Sciences, November, 1917.—V. L. Bianchi: Fundamental conceptions of zoogeographical divisions.—M. N. Rimskij-Korsakov: Note on the aquatic Hymenoptera in the collecticns of the zoological museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences.—A. A. Markov: Generalisation of the ‘problem of the suc- cessive exchange of balls.—O. Kuzeneva: List of the plants collected by the expeditions for exploring the basin of the Zeja, in the Amur province.—V. I Palladin and V. P. Illiuviey: The formation of zymase in plants—K..M. Deringin: Obituary notice of the zoologists V. Ja. Lazdin and N. V. Prosvirov, killed in the Pamirs in 1916.—E. H. Rosenthal: Magnetic observations made in the Baltic governments in the summer of 1914.—N. M. Krylov: Various generalisa- tions of the method of W. Ritz, and certain ques- tions connected therewith.—V. A. Steklov: Remarks on quadratures.—N. I. Andrusov ; The geological struc- ture of the bed of the Straits of Kertch.—L. Ja. Sternberg : The Chinese heavenly twins from the point of view of comparative ethnography. (A reply to the article by V. M. Alekséjev: The immortal doubles of China and the daos with the golden toad.)—P. B. Struve ; Preparatory studies on the history of political economy in Russia. I. To what school of economics NO. 2544, VOL. 101 | -Dr. V. Cornish. Pp. viii+ rr4. fornia Press.) Electrical Experiments. . With 52 Diagrams and Full Details of Apparatus and Method of Procedure in about 80 Exercises. By A, Risdon Palmer.. Pp. xii+115. (London: 'T. Murby and Co,). 4s.. 6d. net. , Magnetic Measurements and Experiments. ‘With 52 Diagrams and Numerous Fully-worked Examples. By A. Risdon Palmer. Pp. 124. (London : ¥. a and Co,) 1s, 6d. net ~ The Statics of the Female Pelvic Viscera. ‘Vol. In which the Evidence of Pathology, Phylogeny, and Ontogeny, and Clinical Loy wipes ne is Sur- veyed. By Dr. R. H.. Paramore. Preis (London: H. K. Lewis and Co., Ltd.) ai net. The Strategic Geography of the ‘Great Powers, Based on a Lecture Delivered during: 1917 to Officers of the Grand Fleet and to the British Armies in’France. By (London: G. ety’ and Son, Ltd.) 2s. net. The Life of Sophia Jex-Blake. Todd. Pp. xviii+574. reper Macmillan’ and: Co., Ltd.) 18s. net. gree CONTENTS. Artificial. Limbs. and War Injuries. . . The. Parasitic Hypothesis of Tumours. By ‘Dr, J. A. Murray The War and the Bagdad Railway. "By ‘Lt. Lot. Tey A. Wha delta a ee eae 4 “422 Our Bookshelf... 00 0.0... a es 'y fio ticgayz Letters to the Editor :— S3q. ht The Problem of Man’s Ancestry.— Prof. V.— ch abo Prof. F. eek pp sc 424 Lice and Disease . . Ht aes Agricultural Reconstruction after the War. “By: Dr. E. J, Russell, 0.B.E., F.R.S. . cca BS @ PEAR “426 Platinam 5 6 Wat ch erp ee a hare 428. The British Scientific Products Bixhibition’ died. [4@a Notes 2230-ch ai lck, Oia aol mike oes r Sere ce wt 429 Our Astronomical Column :— i i); The New Star in Aquila. .....+...-. area fi | The General Magnetic Field of the Sun Agia ous aig kK The Spectroscopic Binary Boss 1082. . . we 434 Marine Biology in the United States. By E. X Aes » 434 Gypsum in South Australia... . . . eHewnags The Claims of German Ironmasters. By H.. Be.s 5569):5438 Vibrations of Tall Chimneys . | 36 Vibrations: Mechanical, Musical, and ‘Electcical, (Illustrated.) By. Prof. Edwin "Barton, F.R.S.. 436 University and Educational Intelligence... .. 439 Societies and Academies... ...- +++ ess 439 Books Received jieiiie je 0.) 1) aia AS 440 Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltp., ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2.. Advertisements and business letters to be addressed. to the Publishers. Editorial Communications to the Editor. Telegraphic Address: Puusis, LONDON. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. By Dr. Margaret . PACE 4 . NATURE 441 THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 10918. AGRICULTURE IN THE WESTER STATES. | (x) Western Live-stock Management. Edited by Prof. Ermine L. Potter and others. Pp. xiv+. 462. (New York: The Macmillan Co.; Lon- den: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1917.) Price 10s. net, (2) Soil Physics and Management. By Profs. J. G. _. Mosier and A. F. Gustafson. (Lippincott’s Col- lege Texts: Agriculture.) Pp. xiii+442. (Philadelphia and London: J. B. Lippincott Co., _ md.) Price 8s. 6d. net. decttacestas in time of trouble, and it has usually found comfort there. famous advice, “Go west, young man,’’ expresses a deep-seated feeling which years of emigration have only served to intensify. Once again the West is looming large in the history of civilisation, and this time the Allies are looking there for food | and men. The books before us deal with the agri- cultural conditions, and are, therefore, assured of a hospitable reception from agricultural students. (1) Prof. Potter, of the Oregon Agricultural College, breaks new ground in his treatment of “Western Live-stock Management,” and gives an | account of what Western stock-keepers are actually doing in the way of raising and feeding their cattle, Real improvement, the author insists, must be based on accurate knowledge of present practices. By the West the author understands the region lying between the one-hundredth meridian and the Pacific Ocean—the western parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, and the eleven States west | thereof. In the main it lies high, most of it above 2000 ft. ; otherwise, However, there are great topo- graphical diversity, immense plains, rolling hills, and the wildest and most rugged mountains. Generally speaking, the soil is good. Climatically, the most notable characteristic is the low rainfall; excepting the western parts of Oregon and Washington, almost the entire region has less than 10 in. of rain per annum. The dry climate and high alti- | tude make the summers cool, particularly at night ; the winters are mild, except in the north, and, as their coolness is mitigated by the dry- ness, they are more comfortable for men and beasts than those in the eastern States. These soil and climatic conditions determine largely the type of husbahdry, and it is not sur- prising that grazing is the main industry. Most of the land still belongs to the United States Government, and is called Federal or Government land; a good deal of this is forest reserve grazed | only by those possessing permits from the forest supervisor. The rates payable for sheep are 15~16 cents per head per annum; for cattle, 60-64 cents; for horses, 75-80 cents; and for pigs, 36-38 cents. In Texas, however, much of the land is “deeded ’”’ in private ownership, whilst elsewhere there is a good deal of unappropriated land not reserved for | but was otherwise untouched; a third was left un- NO. 2545, VOL. 101] E Anglo-Saxon race always tends to look | Horace Greeley’s | | forests and not hitherto thought good enough for homesteading. This “free range’? amounts to 290,000,000 acres, but it is not so helpful as it looks to the fman who wishes to make a living out of nothing, because no one is entitled to take steps to save hay; if anyone does so he cannot prevent _ someone else from making off with it. Most of the ranges are covered with sage brush . _ in the north, and with chaparral and similar shrubs in the south. Scattered throughout is a certain amount of grass, which, however, tends to grow in clumps or bunches, instead of scattering over the surface as a sod: hence the name “bunch grass’? generally given to grasses in the region. As might be expected, the stock-carrying capacity is low. On a good Leicestershire pasture one acre | satisfies one bullock for the season; on a Western “range 30-40 acres would be required in the /summer and an additional area in winter. Im- | provement comes as soon as tillage land is added ; ‘dry farming has already done something in this direction, and may do more. Still greater im- provement can be effected by modifying the graz- ing system. Most of the range grasses reproduce by seed, and if they are eaten down so closely that they never mature seed they are finally killed out; on the other hand, if they are allowed to form seed they can hold their own indefinitely. By arranging to defer the grazing until after seeding time on one-quarter of the range each year, it | is possible to ensure a thorough seeding once in four years, which is found to be sufficient. It is not necessary to follow the author in his details of management. These are set out clearly, and cannot fail to interest the professed agri- cultural student who wishes to learn something | about ranching. | (2) Profs. Mosier and Gustafson work at the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, and while their subject is of general interest, their illustrations are necessarily largely drawn from the great Middle West, and especially from their pabe State and from Kansas. Soil physics has always attracted much attention in the States ever since Kedzie at Michigan and King at Wisconsin brought out the intimate relationship between cultivation and soil moisture—often a limiting factor in American agriculture. The authors devote a large section of the book to’ this relation- ship, and they show that it is much more complex ' than was at first supposed. Repeated cultivation, for example, which was considered to increase soil moisture and crop production by breaking “capil- lary films,’’ and thus stopping the escape of water to the surface, is shown in practice to lead to little or no increase in crop. So subsoiling, which _had been supposed to increase soil moisture, was found to be ineffective in increasing cereal crops; deep ploughing, however, proved much more useful. An interesting experiment is described _that we should like to see repeated in this country. A plot of maize at the Illinois Experimental Station was subdivided; one part was kept well hoed ; a second had all weeds destroyed by the hoe, AA 442 NATURE [AucustT 8, 1918 touched after sowing, so that weeds came up; a fourth was also left untouched, but sufficient water was added to provide for all the needs of crop and weeds, and to allow of full crep growth if the water supply were the limiting factor. The largest yield—q8'9 bushels—was obtained from the plot on which weeds were destroyed; next— with 43°3 bushels—came the well-hoed plot—quite an unexpected result, which, however, leads the authors to an interesting discussion; thirdly came the watered plot with weeds, which yielded ten bushels; and only a little behind—with 7°4 bushels —came the plot that had received no water. It is thus clear that. the effect of weeds is not merely to deprive the crop of water. The authors conclude that it must therefore have deprived the crop of food. We would commend to them the papers of Mr. Spencer Pickering on the effect of one growing plant on another. The chapter on cultivation implements gives illustrations and descriptions of types not gener- ally familiar to English students. Disc ploughs and sulky ploughs are known to some, but listers, spading disc harrows, culti-packers, and weeders will be new to most people here. We should like to have seen this section extended to include a wider discussion of the effect of these implements on the soil—a sub- ject on which the authors could give much valuable information. If need be, space could be found by ‘giving up the sections on fertilisers and some of the geological portions of the opening chapters, which, good as they are, need not necessarily come into a book on soil physics. The authors have done useful service in bringing together so much interesting American material. We may hope one day for a book in which the English and European results will be discussed so that we can compare them with those set out here. Yells SRUSSELL, THE INTERNAL EAR. An Inquiry. into the Analytical Mechanism of the Internal Ear. By Sir T. Wrightson, Bart. With,an Appendix on the Anatomy of the Parts concerned by Prof. A. Keith.’ Pp. xi+254+4 plates ix. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 12s. 6d. net. els volume is a striking example of the co- operative method in scientific research. The problem is the mechanism and functions of the internal ear, especially of the cochlea, a problem the. solution of which has enlisted the attention of physicists, physiologists, and anatomists with more or less success. One asso- ciates with the cochlea the names of Bowman, Corti, and Helmholtz, besides many others, but this is the first occasion when it has been studied by an experienced engineer working alongside a learned anatomist. Sir Thomas Wrightson, since 1876, has been deeply immersed in acoustics, and he has brought to bear on the cochlea much ‘technical knowledge, derived from wide and varied experience as an engineer. “NO. 2545, VOL. 101] He has associated with him Prof. Arthur Keith, — an anatomist, familiar with structure, fertile in imagination, and skilful in interpretation. It would be difficult to conceive a combination of workers . more suitable for the investigation of that remark- able mechanism by which sound-waves act on the ear and affect the terminations, or, rather, the beginnings, of the auditory nerve. The work-consists of: two parts: (1) The first chapters by Sir Thomas Wrightson, dealing with acoustics chiefly from a theoretical point of view, but always linked with our knowledge of the cochlea; and (2) an appendix, subdivided into parts i. and ii., by Prof. Keith (the curator of the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons), dealing with the mechanism of the internal ear, espe- cially of that all-important portion, the organ of | Corti, microscopical in detail, and difficult of inter- pretation. From one point of view, the sense of hearing is a modification of the sense. of touch, which in its turn is a sense of | pressure. Between the pressures of sound-waves and the nerve terminals there is an borate apparatus for receiving these pressures and con- verting them into nervous impulses. Further, sound-waves vary in number, or frequency, in amplitude, and in form, and the intermediate ap- paratus is adapted to the detection of these varia- tions. a ae Sir Thomas Wrightson discusses the nature of simple, compound, and differential tones, illus- trating these graphically by tracings taken by an instrument invented by himself called the ohmo- graph, and from these tracings information is ob- tained as to the variations in wave-form, wave- composition, and velocities at different parts of the tracing. A compound wave is resolved into its constituents, each constituent correspond- ing with a simple tone, or simple pendular move- ment, blending with others to form a resultant tone. The various curves cross each other at certain points. In an air-wave these points or crossings indicate points of pressure on the fluid in the cochlea, and ultimately on the nerve terminals. Pressures are indicated on the “cross’’ and the “trough,” and thus a wave form, in a simple pendular movement, shows phases. Each complete sound-movement consists of four phases, and each phase acts against resistance more or less elastic. These views are illustrated by elaborate diagrams, and they may be said to lie at the foundation of the author’s theory of the cochlea. There is no neces- sity for calling into play the principle of resonance, and consequently the author entirely abandons the theory of Helmholtz, which was founded on the Pi conception of resonance. It is not in resonance that there is an explanation, but in the detection of variations of pressure. By means of Seebeck’s siren it is demonstrated _ that several musical tones may be heard without confusion. principle to the phenomena of beats, and to dif- ferential and summation tones. It is doubtful, however, whether the ear can distinguish between a push and a pull. The author then proceeds to a consideration of the inner ear, especially as to Sir Thomas Wrightson applies this. RN eS a -Aucust 8, 1918] . NATURE : 443 changes in the velocity of particles of the peri- lymph in different parts, depending on the degree of resistance to be overcome. There is an elaborate chapter on the calibration of the cochlea, showing the ratio of the areas of the various membranes concerned, the measure- ments of the cochlea at different portions of its course, and the manner in which these influence the hairlets in their bendings. In simple and compound tones, the movements of the hairlets ‘correspond in time with the crests, crossing points and troughs of the waves. Considering the me- chanism as an engine, the piston is really the basilar membrane, and the movements are. com- municated to the membrana tectoria, and through it to the hairlets connected with the hair-cells. At p. 153 the interesting suggestion is made that if it could be proved that a nerve current passed continuously through the points at which the tips of the hairlets impinge on the membrana tectoria, a kind of microphonic action might take place which would modify the conversion of mechanical im- pulses into nervous irritation—that is, the con- version of mechanical into nervous impulses. The second part consists of an appendix, in which Prof. Keith gives an historical and critical account of the structure of the ear. The historical portion is especially valuable, showing the develop- ment of knowledge from the time of the anatomists John and Charles Bell onwards. Special mention is made of the contributions of Bowman, who was one of the pioneers in describing the structure of the spiral laminze and basilar membrane and the so-called muscle or ligament. Then followed Corti, KGlliker, Deiters, and Henle, who all investigated Corti’s ergan and prepared the way for Helmholtz. That German physiologist, taking the cue from Hensen, formulated the view that the function of the organ was to convert compound into simple pendular vibrations. The organ, according to Helmholtz, was analytic in its function. Although it was difficult, almost impossible, for the anato- mists, from the small dimensions of its parts, to accept this explanation, it was generally admitted by physicists, as it seemed to meet the difficulties of the case. Prof. Keith submits the matter to a rigorous analysis, and draws the conclusion that there are no anatomical structures which serve as resonators in the cochlea. Generally, he applies Sir Thomas Wrightson’s explanation with some modi- fications and refinements, and he is unable to follow Helmholtz. In particular, he attaches importance to the connection between the hairs or hairlets of the cells and the tectorial membrane. Each small group of hairs, surrounded by the fibres of the membrana reticularis, fits into a depression on the under surface of the mem- brana tectoria. The basilar membrane, although consisting of fibres arranged in parallel lines, can- not differentiate for separate tones, as the fibres are united side by side and cemented together. It cannot, therefore, be the analytic organ, and the anatomist is obliged to pass upwards to the hair- lets and the membrana tectoria. The impression one has, after perusing this NO. 2545, VOL. Ior] book, is that this study of the cochlea makes the organ complicated and less easy to understand. If analysis takes place in the cochlea, suitable struc- tures must be met with there which physically would suit the purpose; if analysis does not occur in the cochlea, why. should there be such differ- entiation of structure? In other words, how can we account for the elaboration of the basilar membrane, hair-cells, hairlets, and reti- cular and tectorial membranes, when a direct stimulation of nerve-endings would have served the purpose? Then the principle of resonance, in its real application, would still be serviceable, although the structures were of almost inconceiv- ably minute size. The theory of Helmholtz, although it bristles with obvious difficulties, has at all events the merit of simplicity. We must not forget, also, that minute differences in structure may be morphological other than physiological. This, no doubt, cuts both ways, but it does away with the necessity for having a physiological ex- planation of every structure, however minute. The~ Helmholtz theory does not explain, for example, the cochlea in the bird, and it is not the last word in the discussion. It may be contended, however, that it serves a purpose that is under- - standable.. The alternative is to relegate the whole matter. to a wilderness of anatomical facts, and we may give up all attempts at explanation by the hypothesis that analysis of compound tones—in short, musical analysis—is a function of nerve- cells in the grey matter of the cerebrum, of which we know next to nothing. Both authors deserve great credit for a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the subject. The illustrations are admirable, and. there are many new sections prepared by Prof. Keith. |The reasoning is lucid and suggestive. J. G. M. OUR BOOKSHELF. L’Evolution des Plantes. Par Prof. N. Bernard. Préface de J. Costantin. Pp. xxxii+314. (Paris: Librairie Félix Alcan, 1916.) Price 4.55 francs. Noét BERNARD was elected professor of botany at Poitiers in 1908 and died, at the age of thirty-six, in 1911. Prof. Costantin, in a preface written at the request of Madame Bernard, gives an interest- ing account of the life and work of his old pupil. Bernard was a man of wide culture and consider- able ability, who devoted most of his scientific life to the experimental investigation of the germina- tion of orchids, with special reference to their symbiotic association with fungi. The concluding chapter of this posthumous volume is a reprint of the introduction to his important paper on “L’Evolution dans la symbtose ”’ published in the Annales des sciences naturelles in 1909. The book is characterised by conciseness and clearness, qualities which one expects in the writ- ings of French authors. The first part treats of the general laws of evolution, the evolution of the individuaj,soma and of sexual reproduction, the idea of Whecies, the inheritance of characters, NATURE : [Aucust 8, 1918 species and varieties, Mendelism, and other sub- jects inseparable from the main thesis. Part ii. consists of concise summaries of the morphology and reproduction of the higher plants, and in part ill, some hypotheses. are briefly considered and summed up, in the following words :—‘ Les problémes sur Il’évolution que souléve 1’étude | morphologique. des végétaux resteraient de creuses et inutiles discussions verbales si elles ne devaient pas conduire & des expériences qui per- mettront sans; doute un jour de comprendre cette évolution assez précisément pour la diriger.’’ “The Evolution of Plants ’’ is a familiar title, allowing free play to an author’s imagination: to the layman it suggests a clear picture of the gra- dual development of plant-life from a speck of living protoplasm to an oak tree. The nearer a book approaches to this standard of precision the less value it has for the biologist. Bernard’s book is not. of this class; it is a serious contribution which should at least bring home to the layman not only the difficulties of the problems discussed, but also the extent of our ignorance of the lines along which the development of the plant kingdom has: proceeded. ; A. CoS; Ambulance de “ L’ Océars, ” La Panne. Tome i., » fase. ii. Travaux publiés sous ta direction du -Dr.. A. Depage. Secrétaires de la Rédaction : Dr. A. P. Dustin, Dr. G. Debaisieux. | ii{Pasiee » Masson et Cie, 1917.) ° Tae editor ‘and publishers may be congratulated on the attractive way in which this second number of the “Travaux’’ of.’ the “L’Océan ’’’ at La Panne makes its appearance. The papers are’ copiously ° illustrated © with beautifully executed figures. The researches are naturally devoted to questions concerning the. pathology and treatment of wounds | and contain many valuable - results, which do not admit of a brief account. « The following may be referred to as of more. general -scientific interest. Depage and Mdloens show that wounds naturally tend to become sterile ; the process, never- theless, may be aided ‘by the brief action of a strong antiseptic. But prolonged action is injuri- ous: to the growing cells. The’ good effect of Dakin’s solution is said .to: be due chiefly to its solvent action on exudations and dead tissue. .Dustin gives a valuable and complete account of the histo- logical changes in injured nerves. \De Harven concludes that the choroid plexuses have a secre- tory function. Sand brings evidence to show that toxic products are produced by the disinte- gration of injured muscular tissue, whether due to mechanical action or to, bacterial infection. Levaditi and Debrez give a detailed investigation of the flora of wounds and of the physico-patho- logical properties of exudations. Zunz was unable to find “acidosis ”” (diminution of alkaline reserve) in the blood of wounded men, unless bacterial in- fection or ‘respiratory obstruction was present. Govaerts points out ‘the importance of transfusion of blood at an early stage after ‘hemorrhage. Saline solutions were found useless, an in effect’ of the addition:of gum was not tested. NO. 2545, VOL. 1or| Pp. 381. “Ambulance dé vacuoles in a continuous. mass of “matically conformed by some physical” LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible | opinions expressed by his correspondents. Né can he undertake to return, or to correspond rey the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Naturt. No Minit: i taken of anonymous communications. ] Medusoid Bells. ; P eee Git Just now the sea is full of little tiny | pelisstiaad: what is more, they are all a-ringing. A few ory ago I watched some of them developing. Precise , ets apparently (to use Adam Suigehin rere more than thirty years ago), whatever cellular elements they contain ‘must be regarded as a multi- plication of nuclei and a specialisation of tracts and this be so, we may throw con ul € og aside, and conceive of the little bell as” ut sei tes Ii to the many beautiful phenomena of ordinary drops. But let us pass this problem by for. she eee merely inquire what modifications of structure be likely to ensue if the little bell, once partly formed, were to be in’a state "of vibra tion ; if at the same time its semi-fluid or c é heterogeneous substance were such po to i: 1 transference from place to place of its bale lighter particles.. $3 AO er or. Pits aea Suppose the little bell to vibrate. as “other, bells do,. then its fundamental note will give us. odal i une nodes and four corresponding radial nod ‘ Ke see the latter marked out in our me a te form of four equidistant and exquisitely ym: ‘‘radial canals”; while at the mar nodes appear little aggregations, sometimes of pi nba, sometimes of calcareous matter, which we call ‘- spots’ or ‘‘ otoliths.’’ The margin of the bell, if it be free and thin,’/will tend to be thrown into | ry vibrations, overtones of the fundamental te and these, as the substance firms, are rendered visible as- little rounded lobes and notches ‘set ‘round the bell with perfect symmetrv. At the nodal points we “may next anticipate that little portions or drops of ie superfluous fluid might accumulate, ‘and’ these” would’ gradually elongate into streamers or ‘liquid jets,”’ and: would. vary in form, remaining single’ or becoming: branched, remaining smooth or becoming annulated or beaded, according, to the surface-tensions between their substance and the surrounding medium. In. anv. case, they would’agree in number and position | with the nodes, and where these were mimerous’ and o successive orders, so also would the tentacles tend to correspond in order and magnitude. In short, several of the most. important and most conspicuous features. of the little ‘bell’ would follow from the simple hypo-. thesis of its: intrinsic vibration. Fitzgerald and others. have suggested that we may, in like manner, ascribe to vibration the minute and exquisite patterns of many diatoms; Dendy and Nicholson have made use of the same hypothesis to explain the characteristic form of certain sponge-spicules. I have a strong ‘idea that the principle is very far-reaching indeed. and that its bearing on morphological problems will be founy to, be.of great importance. ' Our little medusoid is but a single instance, a abi. ‘type, out of very many. All through the Coelenterata, in polypes and corals of all sorts, we are confronted Ee Fie . oe ea ——- a a 8’s, 12’s, and so on. . Avcust 8, 1918] NATURE 445 _ by the phenomenon of saiaulinest symmetry, and cor- ding numerical symmetry of parts in 4’s, 6’s, We are dealing with what look like. Mibration-phenomena, with their nodes and inter- x }; and that is just what I think they really are. omanes, when he was studying the Medusze, re- marked that’ ‘‘ the organism is corstructed on what we _ may metaphorically [?] term a very definite plan” that its organs had “a very precise geometrical nt tion” to one another, and that its radial canals were “disposed with perfect symmetry.’ These are indeed ‘remarkable features, and the vibration hypothesis seems fitted to account for them all. What the motions are which the vibrations of the sd é ‘bell set up in the surrounding fluid, and how se current or vortex movements may react upon the shape of the bel] itself, is (I think) another chapter of the same story. D’Arcy W. THompson. Lei University, St. Andrews, July 31. ‘The Oro a eRe of Invention. Wansr everyone, including our Government, ex- presses anxiety. to encourage invention in this country, this same rnment does what it can to stifle it by taxing royalties on patents as unearned income. If any income i is earned, and dearly earned, I should — cs ac is ot derived from patents. SPENCER PICKERING. THE EDUCATION BILL. DHE shin third reading of the Education Bill was tee by the House of Lords on Monday, Amaaatiae is 5, and it is expected that the measure will receive the Royal assent during this week. The Bill passed through its second reading and Com- mittee stages in the House of Lords without note- worthy somes: Lord Lytton moved the second rea July 23, and represented the Board of Ed during the Committee stage. horde @aicaharh made a praiseworthy effort to secure the insertion of the words “including in- struction in’ science ’’ in sub-section 1 of the Bill, but unsuccessfully. He pointed out that it is re- markable that the word “science ’ does not appear in the Bill, and he rightly urged that in the twentieth century no educational measure is com- plete which overlooks the power of science and the influence of the scientific spirit. Cookery is men- tioned in the Bill, yet Lord Lytton objected to the insertion of the words suggested by Lord Syden- ham on the ground that reference should not be made to specific subjects of instruction. It was misleading” for Lord Lytton to refer to science as an item in the curriculum, and to object to the in- clusion of the word in the Bill on that account; for Lord Sydenham’s amendment had as its intention not so much the prescription of a particular subject of study as the recognition of a pias factor of modern life. Lord Crewe, leader of the Opposition, paid a high tribute to Mr. Fisher for the masterly way in which he had been able to satisfy so many of the educational needs of the country, and at the same time to commend his reforms both to the House of Commons and to the country. He regarded the concession of the postponement of compulsory con- tinuation education in the case of children between sixteen and eighteen as mainly justified by the NO. 2545, VOL. 101] | ' | 36,000,000, _ spends 10,000,000l., in 1g16. impossibility of obtaining the requisite supply of teachers, but was somewhat more doubtful about the reduction of the hours of attendance in con- tinuation schools from 320 to 280. In reply to some critical observations on the financial aspects of the Bill, Lord Lytton said it was not possible to give an accurate estimate of what the Bill would cost, but the largest item would be the expenditure on continuation schools. In England and Wales, with a population of the expenditure on secondary and higher education is 6,500,000l. For the same pur- poses Prussia, with a population of 40,000,000, and in the United States, with a population of 91,000,000, the expenditure has risen from nearly 38,000,000. in 1913 to 44,000,000. In view of these comparisons, Lord Lytton asked : Could we afford to neglect further provision for higher education? We- spend 30,000,000!1. on elementary education, and do not get the full benefit of the expenditure. These comments by the Government spokesman for the Bill seem to be somewhat disingenuous, seeing that the Bill provides no guarantee of any sort of the much-needed development of higher education in the only real sense—that is, of ; persons above the age of eighteen. This is dis- tinctly a blot on the Bill, the more noticeable because no undertaking has been given by Mr. Fisher that adequate provision will be made for the development of university’ education and the encouragement of scientific research. One result of the Bill is sure to be that rate-aid for education and the attention of local education authorities will _be fully mortgaged for elementary and ‘secondary education. It ‘will, therefore, be incumbent upon the Government to provide a large part of the funds required for university education. During the discussion of the Bill in the House of Lords, Lord Bryce expressed the view of an ancient corporation that the Board of Education should hold its hand before creating any more universities in this country. A. more helpful sug- gestion would have been for the appointment of some impartial authority to examine the whole question of the provision of education of university type, and the facilities available to enable men and women to obtain a university education. On one hand, the war has shown that the country needs a much larger supply of highly trained men and women, and, on the other, it is common know- ledge that thousands of qualified students are unable to afford a_ university’ education, the financial incidents of which will become much more difficult after the war. If the soldier in the trenches, who, by the qualities of courage and cheerful fortitude he has shown during the war, has satisfied the highest tests of education, is found to require further instruction, what would be the verdict in the case of our diplomats, Civil Servants, and Staff officers? It is to be hoped that Mr. Fisher, having achieved a_ great personal triumph in the passing into law of his Education Bill, will attack the problem of higher education with equal fervour and success. 446 NATURE [Aucust 8, 1918 SCIENCE AND THE CIVIL SERVICE. Gas. great technical devetopments of the nine- teenth century, which were due in a large measure to the influence and progress of science, have undoubtedly introduced not only a great transformation in the internal affairs of the country, but also an altered outlook in the external relations of the State. In consequence, many and extensive have been the changes gradually brought about, during the past century, in the duties and responsibilities of the Civil Service. Every Govern- ment Department has been affected to some ex- tent; in some of them there have come into exist- ence innovations which are of a very far-reaching character. The outstanding feature of this evolu- tion is that the work of Government Departments has to-day entirely ceased to be of a purely ad- ministrative order, whether it be in relation to legislative measures referred thereto for prepara- tion, revision, or criticism, or to the operations conducted therein, or to the sphere of human activity superintended, controlled, or managed thereby. The business of every Government De- partment is to-day to some extent technical or scientific; in the case of some Departments the ‘administrative aspect predominates; in others it is the technical or scientific aspect that plays the more important dle. What, then, has the State done to ensure that the personnel ‘of the Civil Service, through whom its responsibilities must be largely exercised, shall be properly qualified and equipped for dealing, under present-day conditions, with the.social, in- dustrial, and commercial problems which must come before it for legislative, executive, or other action ? One important step certainly has been taken in relation to this matter: it has been definitely laid down that candidates for the Civil Service shall, before appointment, be required to undergo some test as to their knowledge and capacity. To give effect to this decision the Civil Service Commission was, by an Order in Council dated May ai, 1855, ; appointed to organise a system of examination; the Commission continues to be charged to the present day with the duty of providing suitable candidates for the public services. In 1870 the principle of open competition was introduced for the purpose of filling certain specified situations in the Civil Service, without, however, entirely abolishing “patronage’’ appointments. After- wards, in 1876, the clerical establishment of the Civil Service was divided’ into a higher and a lower division; in 1890 the name ‘lower division ’’ was altered to “second division,’’ and a provision introduced making it possible for 4 “second division’’ clerk to be promoted to a higher division clerkship. It is the clerical establishments of the Civil Service which have alone received attention in the foregoing legislation. Obviously, it is on the coriplete success of the competitive examination scheme in force that the welfare of the Civil Service, and, therefore, the NO. 2545, VOL. 101 | protection of the public interest, must depend. It is here that a serious failure has occurred ; the open competitive scheme has not been an entire success; it has been productive of a very unfor- tunate result. The system of marking adopted in the examination favoured candidates whose educa- tion consisted largely in the learning of ancient Greece and Rome, and hoodies Beets those whose forte was science. — Furthermore, in practically every case the officials who have in recent years received ‘patronage ’’ appointments in the higher division of the Civil Service are men whose education and training have been identical in character with those of Civil Servants entering the Service by open competition. In consequence, at the present day the highest administrative posts in nearly every Department are monopolised by men whose learning is entirely literary. Further, the tech- nical officers—that is, those in whose education science has played the preponderating réle, and on whose skill and knowledge the welfare of many of the public services very largely depends—are almost entirely excluded from a share in the im- portant administrative posts; needless to. ay much to the injury of the public services. Could it be shown that a purely classical or literary education really tends to develop or to produce administrative talent in an individual — superior to that which can be obtained by means_ of a scientific education and technical training, as is sometimes claimed, there might indeed be some excuse for the retention of the principle of selection adopted; but there is none in actual fact. There exists, on the contrary, abundant eyidence to prove conclusively that administrative talent is no exclusive privilege or quality of those who have received a purely classical or literary educa- tion: the names are familiar, in wide circles, to high and low, of men who have proved them- selves capable administrators of the highest order ; men, possessing the capacity of a Cromer or of a Kitchener, in whose education instruction in science also occupied a very prominent place; _ men whose early years were, too, spent in tech- nical spheres. | The opinion has been gaining ground for some time past that the administrative system of Government Departments is unsatisfactory. The extracts from the reports of the Exchequer and Audit Department published from time to time, wherein publicity is given to the defects in the administrative arrangements in connection with the public services, have provided, in relation to. such matters, authentic evidence tending to con-, firm, in the public mind, the unfavourable opinions that prevail so widely. as to the unbusinesslike methods of the Civil Service and the general lack of capacity shown by a large majority of ‘its members. Other authentic evidence is available —some recorded, some not; some public property, some not—which provides an indication that scien- tific knowledge and technical experience are held in disrepute in many, happily not in all, Govern- ment Departments; and, further, that the profes- ‘: . Aucust 8, 1918] NATURE 447 sional opinions of technic&l officers too frequently are not given the due weight which they deserve. ae) -™ Science has done much for the Civil Service; it has not, in return, received the recognition which it merits. eae - The question arises: How -can the defects and _ abuses known to exist in the Civil Service be best - eorrected? Remedies there are, some of which have been made public. _ competitive inter se: they can be applied concur- rently, and are capable-both of promoting the wel- Such remedies are not fare of the Civil Service and at the same time of adequately protecting the public interest. The re- port of Sir J. J. Thomson’s Committee on the posi- tion of natural science in the educational system of . Great Britain (Cd. 9011) contains two important recommendations having these objects in view, viz. (a) that all candidates for the competitive examination for the Home and Indian Civil Services should supply evidence of a continuous ‘aining in science extending over several years; and (b) that many posts in the public services should be filled by men selected, not by the ordinary competitive examination, but, at a riper age, on _ the ground of high scientific qualifications and pro- fessional experience. _ In view of the present organisation of the Civil Service, it is very certain that the adoption of the first of the foregoing recommendations alone, as a solitary and isolated measure of reform, will not cure the defects known to exist in the Service. The scheme will do little to provide the Civil rvice with a sufficient number of men of high scientific attainménts and proficient technical knowledge capable of administering the affairs of a modern State in the spirit of progressive know- ledge; it will not remove the schism between the administrative and technical staffs of the same Department, a schism which, unfortunately, exists in some Departments to-day. . _ As regards the second of the above recommenda- tions, presumably the intention is that the men of riper years selected on the ground of profes- sional experience shall fill some of the high ad- ministrative posts in the higher division. If this is so, the recommendation is an admirable one and worthy of immediate adoption. But the ques- tion arises whether the State will provide remune- ration at a rate high enough to secure for the public services men of sufficiently good abilities. Unless it does so, nothing. will be gained by the adoption of the recommendation. A Government pension under the special pro- visions contained in section iv. of the Superannua- tion Act, 1859 (22 Vict., c. 26)—i.e. one calcu- lated at a higher rate than the ordinary scale— might possibly, in some instances, have been con- sidered by candidates a sufficient compensation for the lower rates of salary prevailing in the Civil _ Service as compared with those paid by private employers and public corporations. But this feature of the Government pension scheme, pro- vided originally to meet the cases of the kind now under consideration, has ceased to exist: the section of the Act of 1859 in question was re- NO. 2545, VOL. I0T] pealed by section v. of the Superannuation Act, 1914 (4 & 5 Geo. V., c. 86). The only effective remedy for curing the ills from which the Civil Service is suffering at the present time consists in a root-and-branch re- form, a reform involving the re-fashioning of its entire framework and fabric. No dangerous or expensive experiments are necessary for the pur- pose of “trying out’”’ and “proving in’’ a new organisation: a model well worthy of imitation — exists in the Swedish Civil Service, with its ad- ministrative boards. This model could easily be adapted to meet the requirements of this country; the system of administrative boards would provide a means for utilising to the best advantage the existing administrative and technical officers in the Civil Service by associating with them men of large business and professional experience drawn from outside the public services. A _ re- organisation on the lines here suggested would naturally bring in its train the recognition of the necessity for a more widespread knowledge of Science in the Civil Service. Simultaneously, effect could be given to the recommendation re- garding the appointment, to permanent posts of the higher division, of men of professional ex- perience as recommended by Sir J. J. Thomson’s Committee. Finally, with the advent of the ad- ministrative boards would disappear the methods of administration based on the despot’s maxim, Divide et impera, methods which continue to have a vogue in certain Departments. Such methods, it is scarcely necessary to point out, are extremely wasteful, and’ can have no place in any régime which relies for its prosperity and efficiency on science. THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. A COMMON feature of the older theories of the origin of the solar system is that they all suppose it to have been derived from a more or less symmetrical rotating nebula in a gaseous or quasi-gaseous state. By some process, the details of which differ in different theories, this mass is supposed to have condensed locally to form the sun and planets. A recent paper by Jeans has indicated a way of examining whether such con- densation is possible. Viscosity is insufficient to cause a mass so large as the primitive nebula to rotate like a rigid body; each part would revolve practically independently around the centre under gravity, and the matter near any point, on account of the differences between the velocities of different parts, would be in a state of rotation with an angular velocity different from that of its revolution as a whole. It is, however, easily shown that the two are of the same order of magnitude. Now a mass cannot condense locally unless the density is so great that mutual gravita- tion is enough to balance the centrifugal force due to the rotation, and this indicates that, before condensation started at distance r from the centre, the density there must have been at least com- 448 NATURE [Aucust 8, 1918 parable with the mean density of a sphere of radius y and mass equal to that of the sun. Planets hay- ing been formed at many different distances from the sun, it follows that the mass must have origin- ally been widely distributed through the system. The distribution of density and velocity being thus known within sufficiently narrow limits, it can be shown by the principle of the constancy ‘of angular — momentum that if planets of the sizes of ours were formed, the resulting central body could not pos- sibly rotate so slowly as the actual sun. There is no agency capable of reducing this rotation, and it seems necessary to abandon completely those hypotheses that require the solar system to have been formed by the gradual condensation of a nebula. We are led to inquire next whether planets could come into being by a more rapid or catastrophic process. Projection from the sun is not a possible origin, for a body started in this way must neces- sarily strike the sun again on its return and be reabsorbed; further, there is no reason why all should revolve in the same direction. The tidal _ theory appears to give a better account of the present state of the system. According to this, a star much more massive than the sun approached it very closely, and raised on opposite sides of it two projections, just as the moon raises tides in the earth; but the scale of the disturbance was in this case so enormous that the sun’s gravitation was unable to prevent a rupture from occurring. Thus either one or two streams of matter were shot out in a time comparable with a few months or years. Being longitudinally unstable, they broke up into a series of detached masses, perhaps before the parts projected later had actually separated from the sun. That such rupture could occur has been proved by Jeans. The attraction of the disturbing body produced the direct revolution (in the same sense as the motion of the star relative to the sun) ; some of the revolving matter returned into the sun | and gave it a direct rotation. The angular momen- tum thus acquired was, of course, derived from the transverse motion of the disturbing body relative to the sun. The size of the deformed body has little influence on its chance of being broken up. Thus the de- tached masses might well have produced systems of satellites amd developed direct rotations in the majority of cases, though complete uniformity could scarcely be expected on account of the num- ber of complicating factors. The fission would cease when the star had receded a sufficient dis- tance ; thus the outer nuclei, being the first ejected, would produce most satellites. It seems possible also that some of these would be formed when the nucleus and the sun were on opposite sides of the star, and that the motion would therefore be retrograde. All the bodies, having recently formed part of the sun, would naturally be very hot. The system after the passage of the star would therefore include a central sun surrounded by a number of heated planets, moving in direct orbits, and attended by satellites; the most re- NO. 2545, VOL. 101 | mote planets would have most satellites. rotation of the sun would be direct; the rotation — of each planet would be in the same sense as the revolution of most of its satellites, and in most cases this also would be direct, though a few ex- ceptions might well occur, especially i in the outer- most sub-systems, In every point this agrees” with the existing solar system. The heated interior of the earth, the building of mountains by compres- sion, and the present heated state of the greater planets are readily accounted for. The oceurrence of three retrograde satellites on the outskirts of otherwise direct sub-systems presents. a cCteay but not, I think, a serious one. In addition to the planets and scitellhgstat pe sical there would be a considerable amount of gaseous matter too light to be condensed into the nuclei, and probably consisting mainly of hydrogen. This would be pushed round by the planets as they moved, but its resistance to oscillatory motions. would steadily reduce the eccentricities of their orbits, which would initially be considerable. At the same time its own viscosity and diffusion would cause it partly to dissipate into outer space and partly to be reabsorbed into the sun. The zodiacal light is probably the last remnant of it. The actual eccentricities of the planetary orbits being now small, but definitely different from zero, it seems that the time the medium took to degene- rate and the time needed to produce a considerable effect on the eccentricities must have been of the same order of magnitude. medium, the first being proportional and the second inversely proportional to it. Thus the con+ dition that they are of the same order of ude makes it possible to estimate very roughly both the density and the time needed for the ‘cliinves,: which is found to be of the order of 3% 10° years, as nearly equal as could be expected to the age of the earth indicated by its radio-active constituents (about 1°6x10° years). At the same time large condensations would form around the larger planets, and the resistances offered by these would be so great, being proportional to the squares of the masses, that their eccentricities would dimin- ish rapidly. Thus it would be expected that, on the whole, the larger planets would have smaller eccentricities than the smaller ones; this is the case, Mercury and Mars having larger eccentri- — cities than Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, and the earth than Neptune. Venus has a somewhat smaller eccentricity than Neptune, but otherwise vi the agreement is. remarkable. It is certain that on the tidal theory the primi- tive nuclei must have been very hot, and probably. fluid. Whether the larger ones were liquid or gaseous is very doubtful, but the smaller ones, including the asteroids and most of the satellites, can be shown to possess too little gravitative _ power to have been able to hold together in the gaseous state, and must therefore have been liquid or solid at the start. ably liquefied almost as soon as they were ex- pelled from their primaries or from the sun, on These are capable of | being estimated in terms of the density of the The satellites prob-. a See tn a ee _ Aucust 8, 1918] NATURE 449 account of the reduction in temperature caused by the release of pressure; solidification would occur more slowly. The origin of the asteroids presents greater difficulties. They may have Started as independent: planets of exceptionally small size; but the fact that none of their mean distances is greater than that of Jupiter, and only one is less than that of Mars, indicates a closer _ ¥élationship between their origins. _ sible explanations can be advanced; the writer in- Several pos- clines to tHe belief that they were formed by the close approach of a primitive planet to Jupiter, leading to tidal disruption. _ The large size of the moon relative to the earth suggests a fundamental difference of origin. be- tween it and the other satellites. It seems likely (indeed, on the theory of a formerly heated earth it is almost certain) that it was once much nearer the earth than it is now, and has receded on ac- count of the friction of the lunar tides. It is natu- ral to think that just before this state of motion with a comparatively small separation between their surfaces the earth and moon formed one. body. The rotation would then be so rapid that the longest free period of the mass was nearly equal to the period of the semi-diurnal solar tide, which was consequently enormously magnified by resonance; and it is highly probable that the de- formation became so great that the mass separated into two: parts. This is not the only conceivable origin of the moon that would be con- sistent with the tidal theory; but several peculiar- ities in our sub-system suggest that it is the most likely. ge th satellite in the system can have been formed in this way. As has just been remarked, lunar tidal friction has poe aw been the predominant cause in the evolution of the earth and moon. No other satel- lite cam raise tides of such importance; but those raised in Mercury by the sun must have been much more effective in reducing the retation of this planet. Now from the fact that Mercury has no satellite we may infer that it never rotated so fast as the earth did before the moon was formed; and therefore the solar tides will have been able to reduce its rotation so as to make it always keep the same face towards the sun, which again agrees with observation. Every satellite except the moon has probably been more influenced in its orbital motion by the ‘resisting medium than by tidal friction. The most striking effect of the medium being to reduce the eccentricities of orbits, this accounts for the almost perfect circularity of the orbits of most satellites, especially those nearest their primaries, where the density of the medium was probably greatest. The effect of tidal friction on the eccentricities is not certain, depending on certain unknown physical quantities. It may be said finally that at every point where the tidal hypothesis has been tested it agrees with dynamical theory and with observation. Several facts otherwise unaccounted for are explained by it, and nothing has yet been discovered to be definitely opposed to it, though a few difficulties, NO. 2545, VOL. 101] such as the origin of comets and meteor swarms, still remain. REFERENCES. J. H. Jeans: ‘‘The Part Played by Rotation in Cosmie Evolution,” Monthly Notices of Royal Astro- nomical Society, vol. Ixxvii., 1917, pp. 186-99; ‘“Note on the Action of Viscosity in Gaseous and Nebular Masses,’’ loc. cit., pp. 200-4; ‘‘The Motion of Tidally Distorted Masses, with Special Reference to Theories of Cosmogony,” Memoirs of R.A.S., vol. Ixii., 1917, pp. 148. Harold Jeffreys: ‘The Resonance Theory of the Origin of the Moon,” Monthly Notices, vol. Ixxviii., 1917, pp- 116-31; ‘‘Onm the Early History of the Solar System,”’ loc. cit., pp. 424-41. HarRO.p JEFFREYS. GRASSLAND AND FOOD SUPPLIES. § Bess persistent criticism with which the “ ploughing-out policy’’ of the Board of Agriculture has been assailed has been intensified of late with the evidence of failure, total or partial, of some of the crops grown this year on newly ploughed grass land. The columns of the daily Press have been freely used, and have revealed much division of opinion amongst practical -agri- culturists as to the measure of success or failure in different areas. A new note has been intro- duced into the discussion by a letter from the Duke of Marlborough in the Times of July 30, in which he endeavours to demonstrate from the publica- tions of the Board that the policy is fundamentally unsound. ‘ Basing his criticism upon a leaflet issued by the Board in the spring of last year, his Grace argues that, so far from the data there given proving that am increase of food suppl} can be expected from the ploughing-up of grass and growing corn, they demonstrate rather that the chances of securing such an increase are very speculative and scarcely likely to be realised. The facts are not disclosed that the leaflet in question deals with the produc- tion of winter food for cows, and therefore only indirectly for the human population; and, further, that the dairy farmer is advised that a much greater return of milk-producing food can be ex- | pected from growing root crops rather than corn. The basis of comparison of the feeding values of the crops adopted in the leaflet is quite inap- plicable to the assessment of the relative returns for human feeding, since for the latter purpose grass is worthless until converted into other forms which represent only a fraction of the weight of grass ‘harvested, whereas the corn crops, by the simple and expeditious process of milling, yield anything from 60 per cent. upwards of the weight of the grain in a form directly usable for human consumption, whilst, in addition, the accompany- ing straw, according to its nature, when used for food production purposes, will be roughly equal to one-half its weight of hay. The Duke of Marlborough anticipates this objection by pointing out that, so far as the oat crop, at any rate, is concerned, only a small proportion of it has, in actual fact, been directly utilised for human con- 450 NATURE [Aucust 8, 1918 sumption. That is doubtless true, but the simple fact remains that throughout the anxious days of the food crisis, thanks to the patriotism and courage of the many farmers: who- voluntarily broke up grass last year, the nation possessed in reserve this valuable store of food available, if required, at short notice, and through the ‘enter- prise of the Food Production Department of the Board of Agriculture can face any future emer- gency with still greater confidence. Individual farmers who secure less than an average crop of corn may suffer loss on this year’s crop, but there will be few cases in which subsequent crops, draw- ing upon the fertility. accumulated: in the soil throughout the many years under grass, will not satisfactorily redeem any present loss. NOTES. THE important question of supplementing supplies of mineral oil by the distillation of cannel coal and allied bituminous minerals has been recently investi- gated. by two separate committees. Whilst the possible production from home sources can amount to but:a fraction of the total requirements of motor- spirit, fuel-oil, etc.; yet such quantity as might be furnished by the raw materials which are available would undoubtedly tell appreciably in reduction of the tonnage at present required for the importation of oil. That large quantities of oil can be obtained from such material cannot be questioned, but with the reduction in labour, particularly at the mines, and with other demands for constructive material which would be required for the erection of retorts: and refineries, the problem of utilising these sources must be dependent on the most economical use of available labour and material under existing. conditions. The Government Committee presided over by Lord Crewe considers that a largely increased production cannot be obtained without interfering with other not less im- portant industries (Cd. 9198). The Committee appointed last February by the Institution of Petroleum Techno- logists has considered the question as an immediate war measure, and as a permanent commercial under- taking and a measure of reconstruction, and in an interim report urges the War Cabinet to lay down a definite policy as to the relative national value of coal and oil, and the provision of the necessary labour, raw materials, and transport; to grant facilities for the erection at suitable centres of plant to those who are prepared to find the capital; to establish at once an experimental station where retorts to a design provisionally approved by the institution may be tested, or, failing such a Government station, to grant all necessary and reasonable facilities to the institution for erecting a station of its own. Whilst present conditions may determine that operations ona .com- mercial scale are not immediately justified, there can be little question as to the economic soundness of such experimental investigations as are required to establish an oil industry as a measure of reconstruction which would be wholly beneficial to the nation. In a recent letter to the Times Mr. W. J. Malden raises again the old question whether science has dene or can do anything for the farmer. The occasion of the letter was Mr. Prothero’s speech in the House of Commons containing a tribute to the work of Prof. Biffen on the breeding of wheat—a tribute which most people would think was well deserved. _Mr.. Malden objects on the ground that ‘there is nothing new of far-reaching value that the man of science can place in the hands of the farmer at this moment... . / All NO. 2545, VOL. 10T| that has been done by those practising Mendelism is puny as compared with what Garton and Findlay have — done.” their work, and no honours are bestowed on them. The claim would scarcely be worth rebutting did it not represent the attitude of some of the less istorii farmers, who hold that there is nothing new under the sun, and that science in particular can. teach them nothing. This opinion was at one time tairly common, But, no, Government Department pro ; but it has been steadily dying out during the present generation. In. an ancient and highly individualised industry like farming there has been such an enormous variety of practices that, if one goes far enough back over a-sufficiently- wide field, it is possible to find anticipations of most of the modern improvements. It would ‘be disingenuous to argue, however, that farmers have’ known these things: for generations... It is true that Messrs. Garton and Findlay have improved crops. But they, have made no additions to.our knowledge; they have kept their secrets to themselves, and no one can practise or develop their methods. It is untrue that their work has remained unrecognised; the com- munity ‘has paid’ them handsomely for their products. The man-of science does not keep his seeret to him- self, but gives it to the world so that others may benefit thereby; he makes no fortune, and Mr. Malden and those who think similarly should not begrudge him such meagre recognition as he obtains. In the early days of artificial manures it was not incor certain writers to maintain that these substances, being” new, could not possibly be useful. Yet the scientific investigator persisted, and to-day the use of artificials 1s a regular feature of husbandry. We do not wish to fall into the opposite error and overlook the enormous help’ rendered to agriculture by business men. We must, however, point out that the man of science not only provides a new appliance, but also teaches how and why to use it; all experience shows : that intelligent men claim to know why’ they should do a particular thing in a particular way. This science alone can teach. yee maar’ Tue death is announced, at fifty-two years of age, of Dr. F. E. Batten, physician to the National Hos- pital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, London, and distinguished by his scientific work in neurology. "Tue Conrad falte-Brun prize of the French Geo- logical Society has been awarded to Prof. L. Martin, of the University of Wisconsin, for his researches on the glaciers of Alaska. ie Bid ty Pror. THeopore W. Ricuarps, of the Wolcott Gibbs Memorial. Laboratory at Harvard University, has been elected a foreign member of the Accademia dei Lincei, Rome. ae hile te Tue exploration of the cave known as ‘Ghar / Dalam,” Malta, referred to by Prof. A. Keith in Nature of July 25, p. 404, has been assured for the present year. Besides the sum of Sol. given by Sir Thomas Wrightson, Bart., Dr. Robert Mond has placed sol., and Dr. Charles Singer r1ol., at the dis- posal of the committee in charge of operations. © - Ir is stated in the British Medical Journal that the National Medical Institute of Mexico, which was founded in 1890 for research ‘on the flora, fauna, climatology, and geography of Mexico, and for the exploitation of these resources, has by a, recent decree — been transformed into the Institute of General and _ Medical Biology. ; We learn fromthe Times that’ a’ special ‘general meeting of the Royal Society was called for Wednes- day, July 31, to consider the following motion sub- Se ee Oe TEA | a ee ee, % Avcust 8, 1918] + anes at PS a NATURE 451 ‘ mitted by Sir George Beilby and Dr. M. O. Forster :— “That, in view of the war having continued during nearly four years without any indication that the _ scientific men of Germany are unsympathetic towards the abominable malpractices of their Government and their fellow-countrymen, and having regard to the representative character of the Royal Society among British scientific bodies, as recognised by the patronage of his Majesty the King, the council forthwith take steps necessary for removing all enemy aliens from the foreign membership of the society.’? The council of the society has had the matter under considera- tion, and decided to refer the question of expulsion to a conference of representatives of Allied academies to ‘be held in October next. This decision was approved by the meeting, which adopted the following resolu- tion :—‘‘That the delegates of the Royal Society at the forthcoming conference with the-representatives of | the academies of Allied countries should raise the question of the expulsion of enemy foreign members, with the view of eliciting the opinion of the conference as to the desirability of joint action, and that the subject be reconsidered at a future meeting of the society on the report of the delegates.” Tue Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has ap- ointed a Committee to study the life-habits of the Sona hed: with the object of improving the conditions under which bee-keeping is carried on in England and Wales, and to investigate the epidemic diseases of the bee, more especially the disease or group of diseases which pass under the name of “Isle of Wight dis- ease.” The Committee consists of the Master of Christ’s College, Cambridge University (Dr. A. E. Shipley, F.R.S.), Prof. R. C. Punnett, F.R.S. (pro- fessor of genetics, Cambridge University), Dr. G. S. Graham Smith, Prof. G. C. Bourne, F.R.S. (pro- fessor Of zoology and comparative anatomy, Oxford University), Prof. W. Somerville (professor of rural e y, Oxford University), Mr. T. . Cowan “chairman of the British Bee-keepers’ Association), Mr. G. W. Bullamore, Mr. J. C. Bee Mason, and Mr. A. G. L. Rogers (head of the Horticulture Branch, Board of Agriculture and Fisheries). Mr. R. H. Adie will act as secretary. It is proposed to undertake the ‘study of healthy bees at Cambridge and the investiga- tions on “Isle of Wight disease’’ at Oxford. The Committee will be glad to receive specimens of bees suspected of suffering from ‘Isle of Wight disease”’ for examination and experiment. Communications on this subject should be addressed to Mr. Rogers at 4 Whitehall Place, London, S.W.r. : Juty this year stands out meteorologically as wet and rather cool. The especial feature was the heavy rainfall, which was essentially of a thunderstorm type. At Greenwich the aggregate rainfall for the month was 7:37 in., which, according to the series of ob- servations from 1815, is the wettest July on record, and there has only been one wetter month at any time of the year, October, 1880, with 7-65 in. The excess of rain at Greenwich is 5-32 in. In the week ending July 13 the rainfall was 2-48 in., and on the two days, July 11 and 17, in thunderstorm rains, the total measurement at Greenwich was 3-03 in., whilst at Camden Square the rainfall for the same two daye was 0-99 in. and at Kew 1-07 in. At Tulse Hill the total rain for July was 7-62 in., and at Wandsworth Common 7-16 in., whilst at Kew the fall was only 4°65 in., and at Camden Square 4-92 in. The weekly weather reports published by the Meteorological Office show that July was wet over nearly the whole of the British Isles, there being an excess of rain in all dis- tricts except in Ireland N. The data for the four weeks ending July 27 practically give the rainfall for NO. 2545, VOL. 10T| -laboratories were established in Capetown. the whole of July, as the closing days .of the month were fine. The wettest district was Scotland N., where the measurement was 4°54.in., and it was 4:50 in. in Scotland E.; the wettest district in England was the S.E., with 4-43 in. The driest district was Ireland N., where the measurement was 2-81 in. Very little rain fell during the opening week, and in many parts of England the period was rainless. The mean. tem- perature at Greenwich was 62-4°, which is 0-4° below the normal, and the absolute highest temperature was 82°. Over the British Isles generally the greatest deficiency of temperature occurred in the second week, ending July 13, when in parts the deficiency’ was from 3° to 4° F. Sunshine was not very different from the normal. Pror, P. D. Haun, whose death at the age of sixty- nine occurred on March g, had occupied the chair of chemistry at the South African. College, Capetown, since 1876. He was a South Afrioan by birth, the son of a German missionary stationed in Great Namaqualand. He received his early education in Germany, whither his parents had returned durin his infancy. After graduating at Halle he studied in London and Edinburgh, eventually returning to Capetown in 1875. Throughout his career Prof. Hahn manifested a keén interest in the agricultural progress of South Africa; he helped in the establishment of an Agricultural Department for Cape Colony, and the recent institution of faculties of agriculture at Pretoria .and Stellenbosch Colleges. was an outcome of his advice. He had broad scientific sympathies, however, and urged upon the authorities the need for providing scientific instruction in mining and other subjects, as well as in agriculture. The present School of Mines and Technology at Johannesburg has grown out of the scheme which.was devised as the result of his representations to this end, and it was on his recommendation that Government chemical Prof. Hahn was twice president of the Cape Chemical Society, and was also president in 1911 of the South African Association for the Advancement ‘of Science. He had been a member of the council of the Cape of Good Hope University for forty-two years. M. CuHarRLEs JOSEPH ETIENNE WOLF died at Saint- Servan on July 4 at the age of ninety. He was born at Vorges, near Laon, being an Alsatian by descent. He was appointed professor of physics at. Nimes in 1851, afterwards in succession. at Metz and Mont- pellier; he made pioneer researches at Montpellier, in company with M. Diacon, on the temperature changes in the spectra of metallic vapours. In 1862 he ac- cepted Le Verrier’s offer of an important post at the Paris Observatory; the great meridian circle and other new instruments had just been installed, and he took a large part in superintending the scheme of observations, paying special attention to the personal equation. He designed an instrument for its investiga- tion, which was adopted in many obsérvatories. Later he introduced a system of synchronised clocks, first in the observatory, afterwards throughout Paris. M. Wolf made, in conjunction with M. Rayet, the im- portant discovery of the Wolf-Rayet stars with bright- line spectra, which play a large part in theories of cosmogony, a subject->on which he was himself a fruitful writer. He investigated the proper motions of stars in clusters, especially inthe Pleiades and Presepe. He took a large part in preparing for the transits of Venus, investigating the Black Drop, etc. His old age- was occupied with writing historical memoirs on the former standards of length, on those of the metric system, and on the Paris Observatory. He retired to Vorges, his birthplace, where he de- 452 NATURE : [AucusT 8, 1918 lighted to welcome the descendants of his only daughter. In 1914 the German invasion obliged him to leave his home, and he moved to Saint-Servan, where he died. M. Wolf was elected a member of the Paris Academy of Sciences in 1883, and was its president in 1898. He was elected an associate of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1874. Mr. J. Remp Moir describes in Man for July a floor recently discovered at Ipswich containing some implements of the Early Mousterian period. A full account of the stratification of the site is given, with drawings of the implements discovered in the course of the excavation. It is at present somewhat difficult to correlate this discovery with that of the Aurignacian floors previously examined in the same _ neighbour- hood, but further research may render this possible. | The bones found are identified by Prof. A. Keith as those of an elephant, reindeer, ox (Bos primigenius), and goose, many of them showing splitting for the extraction of the marrow In the current issue of Folklore (vol. xxix., No. 2) Mr. W. Crooke contributes a paper on ‘‘ The Home in India from the Point of View of Sociology and Folklore.’ The evolution of the form of the house, ‘which in Western societies is often obscure, can be effectively examined among the castes and races of the Indian Empire, more or less completely isolated by distinctions of race and belief. ‘The various forms assumed by the houses in India are fully described. One of the most primitive is that of the round house, of which there are some survivals, often in the form of churches in Europe, derived from the habit of bending down the pliant branches of some tree like the bamboo to form a temporary shelter. This also accounts for the curvilinear form of the Buddhist stupa, or receptacle for relics. The great pillared halls of the Mogul palaces are similarly derived from the reception pavilions of Central Asia. The occupa-, tion of a house marking a crisis in social life, a rite de passage, as Continental anthropologists describe it, gives rise to numerous taboos and precautions in order to disperse the evil spirits which occupy the site. The site selection, the laying of the foundation- stone, and the erection of the roof-beams are in the same way regulated by elaborate ceremonies. One curious phase is when a man, acting as a ‘“‘scape- goat,”’ is sent into the house before the owners occupy it, in order to take on himself the dangers to which they would otherwise be exposed. THE quéstion of the preservation of paper in India has recently been discussed at the All-India Confer- ence of Librarians: at Lahore. Mr. W.. Railt, the cellulose expert, who read a paper on the subject, remarked that the problem was not new in England, America, or Germany. But these investigations have little applicability to the problem in tropical climates. Sir Aurel Stein found paper produced from linen or -cotton rags in Central Asia in the fifth or sixth cen- tury A.D. still fresh and crisp. Complaints of the deterioriation of paper in India date from the intro- duction of rag substitutes after 1860. Within the next fifty years most of the reports and documents for which such paper was used will, he believes, be unreadable, while those of an earlier era will be quite sound. This is a very serious statement, and the conference passed a resolution advising the Govern- ment to undertake an inquiry into the whole subject, and impressing on them the urgent necessity of securing a supply of paper capable of permanent pre- servation for all records of permanent value. Mr. Chapman, of the Imperial Library, Calcutta, remarked in the course of the discussion that he had made a list NO. 2545, VOL. ror| of books in that institution published between about 1790 and 1870 the paper of which had perished badly. This list was sent to the British Museum, and the authorities reported that their copies of these books were in perfect condition. printed on paper made of rags and forms of cellulose. In the Revue: Scientifique for June 8 MM. Sartory -and Blaque review the bacteriology of war-wounds. A large proportion of these are infected with various species of bacteria, because the fragments of the pro- jectiles, principally shrapnel, are soiled with earth, and may also carry into the wound fragments-of — clothing likewise soiled with earth. From about the ninth hour: after infliction the microbes that have — Dr. James. RitcHi£, in the FON Naturalist for June, records the occurrence of a giant squi (Architeuthis) stranded in the neighbourhood of Skate- raw, on the eastern coast of Haddingtonshire, on November 2, 1917. The body had suffered mutilation at the hands of the curious before Dr. Ritchie arrived The factor of climate is therefore of great importance in the case of books on the'scene, but he was enabled to obtain important notes and measurements, which he records at length in his communication. The body, from the tip of the tail to the base of the tentacles, measured 5 ft. 9 in.; while the stalked arms measured 14 ft. the beak had been removed, as also had the (i though portions of this were found on the beach. The eyes also were missing, a fact which is the more regret- table, since these afford valuable specific characters. From a careful study of these remains the author is of opinion that this squid may be identified as Archi- teuthis harveyi of Verrill, and marks the only definite occurrence of a giant squid on the coast of Great Britain. hoor ent ips WO? Two valuable papers, on the morphology of the vertebree of the Temnospondyli and Stegocephalia, and on the osteology of some American vertebrates, by Mr. S. Williston appear in Contributions from the Walker Museum, Chicago (vol. ii., No. 4). The author remarks that while no material differences are appa- Unfortunately — rent between the skulls of Edaphosaurus and Nao- | 4 saurus, or between the parts of the appendicular skeleton, yet there exist well-marked differences in the spines of the cervical vertebrae, since in Naosaurus these are broadly dilated and thickened at the ex- tremity, while in Edaphosaurus they are slender and pointed. The author is fortunate in being able, for _ the first time, to describe and figure the complete skull of Naosaurus, inasmuch as this has enabled him - to set at rest some doubtful points in regard to this genus and its allies. Finally, the author describes a ‘ new genus and species of the Diplocaulida. The remains on which the new genus is founded were obtained in the Craddock bone-bed, near Seymour, . Texas. Tue recently issued Bulletin of the Imperial Insti- 4 tute (vol, xv., No. 4) contains several papers. of - economic importance. -_ Aveusr 8, 1918] NATURE 453 Among them’ may be men- tioned a useful article on the peas and beans of com- merce, and another on the various useful fibres of the Beigian Congo. In view, however, of the world’s demand for oils and fats for the manufacture of mar- api Ont article on the oil-seed industry of Rhodesia / worthy of more particular attention. It seems bable that the qultivation of oil-seeds may become an important industry in Rhodesia. Ground-nuts and _ sunflower-seeds are the only oil-seeds produced com- mercially at present, but experiments conducted at the icultural stations indicate that success may attend _ the cultivation of other oil-seeds. Castor-seed, sesame, and linseed have recently been sent from the Govern- ment gardens, North Rhodesia, to the Imperial Insti- tute, as well as sunflower, and have been found to be entirely satisfactory. Before the war sesame-seed was chiefly crushed on the Continent, and the inclusion of its oil in mer earine was compulsory. This, on the outbreak of the war, naturally raised the price of sesame oil considerably, and cheaper and equally good oils were adopted as substitutes. If, however, the Rhodesian sesame-seed can be successfully grown and the oil be procured in this country at a cheap rate, the dustry may well have an important future before it, for sesame-s is now being crushed in_ this country, and the Rhodesian seed will be a valuable addition to the available supply of seed. AccorDING to the Revue générale de 1’Electricité, a Dutch com has taken out French Patent No. 480,857 for a thermic telephone, in which the 1 of reproduction of the voice may be regulated as required. The result is obtained by giving the instrument the form of groups of thermal conductors. superposed or placed side by side in the same box, and mounted on removable supports and conductively joined to each other, so that the number can be chosen according to the requirement of the person using the ‘ 5 MF is 2 os “Frencn Patent No. 483,519 describes an incan- descent hes lamp with pea filament capable cf hae ag ati Aaah beam of light and high candle- power. This is effected (Revue générale de 1’Elec- tricité, April 20) by using a projecting mirror cooled by the continuous circulation of water or air between me walls of which it is formed. The mirror is placed inside the bulb of the lamp. The cooling water may be passed through coils, and it helps at the same time to cool the gas and increase its circulation in the bulb. Thus it is possible to raise the temperature of the ‘filament and so cbtain a greater candle-power and efficiency. OccasIONALLy an alloy of two or more metals which is known to possess good elastic properties will, for some unknown reason, fail under a stress much below its normal breaking stress. The cause of such failures in the case of brasses of the Muntz metal type has been investigated by Messrs. P. D. Merica and L. W. Schad, of the Bureau of Standards, whose work on the subject forms Scientific Paper 321 of the Bureau. As brasses of the type considered consist of solid solu- - tions of a and f brass in each other, the authors have pneasured the rates of expansion with rise of tem- perature of the two constituent brasses. They find that while a brass expands at a nearly uniform rate from 100° C. to 600° C., B brass only expands at the same rate over the range 100° C. to 300° C., then at a considerably greater rate to 500° C., after which it again agrees with the @ brass. From this it follows that when a brass containing both constituents is — rapidly cooled over the range 500° C. to 300° C., stresses will be set up at the surfaces of contact of the two constituents, and in one case the decrease of NO. 2545, VOU. ror] strength of a specimen treated in this way amounted to 2000 Ib. per sq. in. The authors state that other alloys are to be investigated, and the results will be awaited with much interest. At one time there were a good many three-cylinder locomotives in this country, but they were all of the compound type. Mr. H. N. Gresley, of the Great Northern Railway, has brought out a_ three-cylinder high-pressure engine operated by two valve gears, and a description of this locomotive will be found in the Engineer for July 26. The engine, which is an eight- coupled coal locomotive, has been at work for some time, and appears to be fulfilling all expectations. Charts taken on a dynamometer car show that the engine starts much more easily than a corresponding two-cylinder engine, and owing to its more uniform turning moment the draw-bar pull is exceptionally steady. At present this engine forms a class by itself, but after the war is over it is probable that others of the same type will be constructed. SomE methods of reclamation of industrial waste products are described in an article in the Times Engineering Supplement for July. In some cases metal cuttings and scrap from machine tools have been subjected to treatment for the recovery of the oil used in cutting prior to disposal of the scrap to metal refiners. One case is cited of a prominent motor-car manufacturing firm recovering 1200 gallons of cutting oil per week, the oil being used over and over again on similar work, while the fresh oil neces- sary to make up for wastage amounted to only to per cent. of the total required. A turbine-centrifugal separator is used, with steam, for the dual purpose of propellant and liquefier. The oil contained in cotton-waste and cloths used for cleaning machinery, mopping up oil, etc., deserves more consideration than it usually receives. In numerous cases such materials, thrown away after first use, are of greater value than new materials. In an installation of the most com- plete type the dirty material is first passed through a turbine separator in order to extract the oil, which is ready for use again after purification. If the material ‘has been used on comparatively clean work, it is ready for re-use as it comes from the separator ; other- wise it is advisable to wash it in a machine resembling the ordinary laundry machine, and then partially todry it in a hydro-extractor prior to final drying in cabinets or automatic rotary machines. With such a plant, turning out six tons of clean, dry rags per week and involving a capital expenditure of 2200l., a saving of about 4501. has been effected in three months’ working. Sixty-seven tons of rags and 4080 gallons of oil were reclaimed in this period, and the reclaimed oil was used as fuel for Diesel engines. Tue twelfth annual report of the "Executive Com- mittee of the British Science Guild, just issued, con-’ tains a special reference to the aims and objects of the British Scientific Products Exhibition, to be opened next week at King’s College, London. A series of interesting memoranda issued by the Education Com- ‘mittee is also included, dealing respectively with the | Education (No. 2) Bill, scholarships for higher educa- tion, and the teaching of science. In a report on the introduction of the metric system, which was recently brought before the Ministry of Reconstruction, some concrete suggestions to facilitate legislative compul- sion are made: Importance is attached to the adop- tion of metric measures in Government publications inviting tenders. etc., and their general introduction in schools and colleges. A report on the British dves industry directs attention to the very large capital employed for this purpose in Germany and to the need for a complete statistical survey of the present condi- 454 NATURE [Aucust 8, 1918 _——— tion of the industry in this country, with the view of preventing overlapping of effort. A full account is given of the addresses delivered by Lord Sydenham, Sir Algernon Firth, and Sir Henry Newbolt at the annual meeting on June 19. The offices of the Guild are at 199 Piccadilly, London, W.1. Mr. BERNARD QuaritcH, having acquired the stock of ‘ Biologia Centrali-Americana ”’ from Dr, F. Du Cane Godman, is offering the work, either complete or in separate sections, at reduced prices. A_ prospectus explaining the origin and development of the *' Bio- logia Centrali-Americana,” and giving particuiars of the contents -of each of the sixty-three volumes, has been prepared by Mr. Quaritch, and will be sent to readers of NATURE upon application being made for it to 11 Grafton Street, New Bond Street, W.1. OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. Tue PerseipD’ METEORIC SHOWER.—The maximum of this brilliant annual meteoric shower will probably occur on Sunday night, August 11, and the best period for observation may be expected after midnight. The first traces of the shower were recognised on July 8 by Mrs. Fiammetta Wilson at Totteridge and by Miss A. Grace Cook at Stowmarket. A meteor was mutually recorded. by them on that date and found to be a true Perseid, with a radiant point at 8°+49°. Another member of the stream was seen by the same observers on July 12, and the activity of the display has been increasing nightly. On August 5, at 13°54 G.M.T., a splendid Perseid brighter than Venus was seen by Mr. Denning at Bristol traversing a path from 269° +843° to 230°+65°. With suitable .weather there should be a rich display of Perseids this year. RapraL VELocity or 8 Canis Majoris.—In 1908 the star 8 Canis Majoris, of magnitude 2-0 and type Bz, was found by Albrecht to be a spectroscopic binary with the very short period of about six hours. A further study of the star has recently been made by Dr. F. Henroteau, in which special efforts were made “o secure continuous series of plates during the same revolutions (Lick Obs. Bull., No. 311). The mean velocity, of +35 km. per second, appears to be con-— stant, but the range of velocity has been found to vary ~ very considerably fromm one period to another, being sometimes as low as 3 km., and at other times as_ much as 18 km. per second. This variation in range shows no simple periodicity, but does not seem to be a discontinuous function. It is remarkable that while there is no period which connects and represents the different-minima of velocities, a period of 0-25714 dav, starting from a given maximum, always corresponds with either a maximum or a minimum of the velocity curve. It has been further noted that the spectral lines undergo a periodic change in width, the ampli- tude being always approximately the same, and the period 0:25130 day. This variation seems more likely to be due to physical changes in a single bodv than to the combination of two spectra, but no satisfactory explanation of. all the peculiarities of the star has yet been found. Adopting Mitchell’s parallax of +0-009", the, star would be about 1000 times as bright as the sun. Revativiry.—A paper by Jun Ishiwara on relativity (Proceedings of the Tokyo Mathematico-Physical Society, second series. vol. ix., No. 16, May, 1918) is based on the assumption that the gravitation potential is completely represented by a scalar quantity y; the components ¢,, of the fundamental tensor of the time- space ‘transformation and the scalar c (velocity of light in vacuo) are functions of wv. It follows that the field-intensity is given by the gradient of W in space. The expressions for ¢), and.c in-terms of are found with the aid of Poisson’s equation; and the author’ NO. 2545, VOL. 10T| deduces in an iftdependent manner the sare expression — for the advance of the perihelion of a planet during © one revolution as that already given by ‘Gerber and Z Einstein, which is known to agree with the observed value in the case of Mercury. aes 8 Dr. L. Silberstein demonstrates’ in’ Monthly Notices of R.A.S. (May, 1918) that an unexpected consec . of Einstein’s theory is that all homopcnonugliaan es must be spherical; he considered that this was a | strong argument against the truth of Einstein’s views. Prof. Eddington, in the discussion which followed, remarked that the principal bodies known to us in space do, in fact, approach very closely to the spherical form, and, further, that a perfectly homogeneous body is difficult to conceive, since there must be some differences of pressure, and therefore of density, in different portions of ii. ba pa are {sir THE SUPPRESSION OF . BODY-VERMIN. A COMPREHENSIVE paper entitled “Combating Lousiness among Soldiers and Civilians,” by Prof. G H. L. Nuttall, appears in Parasitology for May (vol. x., No. 4). The paper is one of a series which,. when complete, will constitute an exhaustive mono- graph on human lice. It brings together, not only the available published information, but also that re- sulting from hitherto unpublished research work, — partly the author’s own, and partly that of others contained in reportssto the War Office, which he has been permitted to use. Prof. Nuttall has generously presented a special edition of three hundred copies of the paper to the Ailied Armies; and, in view of the récently established fact that trench fever is conveyed — by lice, this should prove a very timely gift. = The paper comprises 176 pages, with four plates and twenty-six figures in the text. Most of the is.,are:| devoted to the practical consideration of louse destruc- _ | tion, a great deal of the experimental evidence being given in detail. The results obtained demonstrate that nits are killed by dry heat at 65°-7o° C. in one. minute, and at 55°-61° C. in ten minutes, the active stages being killed by dry heat at 65°-7o° C. in one minute and at 55° C. in five minutes. After allowing for a margin of safety in practice, immersion in hot water at 70° C. for a minute or two is amply sufficient — to destroy lice, while ~-° C. for ten minutes is equally effective, a point of great importance in relation to the washing of flannel garments. - - Be Singeing, sun-baking, and the use of hot flat-irons are briefly dealt with. for disinfestation by hot air and steam are treated of improvised for war purposes, together with plates de- picting the more elaborate forms of disinfectors de- signed for use in peace-time. We agree with the author that apparatus designed with a view to high © efficiency against the resistive spores of bacteria is The various methods devised | at length, and illustrated by text-figures of disinfestors not adapted for rapid and economical use against lice. It should be replaced by more commodious hot-air and steam huts, or disinfestors planned on the improvised © railway vans said to have been so successful in the East. Designs of this type of chamber should also _ be adapted for steam or motor lorries, as well as, | trailers, which could, if necessary, be horse-drawn. Steam gives results superior to hot air if the destruc- tion of pathogenic bacteria is-an object, but dry heat | possesses many advantages over steam if the destruc- tion of body-vermin is the end in view. The use of sulphur is treated of at some length. We endorse the — author’s remarks as to the failure of sulphur vapour — to destroy all the nits exposed to it, while its relatively high cost, the danger of injurv to clothing, and its — slow action are further disabilities of the method. > OR eal nie _- mental work are tabulated in detail, _Aucust 8, 1918] NATURE 455 _ In the section dealing with insecticides and so-called repellents, the results of the great mass of experi- an unavoidable course owing to the wide diversity of method employed by the various. workers. -In these experiments lice and nits were immersed in, brought into contact with, and submitted to the action of the vapour of various substances and preparations. We heartily congratulate the author on this valu- le and exhaustive paper, and commend its careful study to all those concerned with the suppression of body-vermin. MARINE BIOLOGY AT PLYMOUTH. | THE latest issue (vol. x., No. 4, May, 1918) of the Journal of the Marine Biological Association contains several papers of interest to fisheries inves- igators. Mr. D. Ward Cutler writes on the question of age-determination in fishes by inspection of the growth increments in the scales. The latter are built up of “sclerites,” which are arranged in concentric, or rather confocal, bands, the focus being somewhere near the middle of the scale. Some of the bands of sclerites (those formed during the summer months) are rela- tively wide; the others that are formed during the winter months are relatively narrow. Thus the scale shows “annual rings of growth.” Mr. Cutler graphs his measurements of the sclerites, but gives a very bare account of the construction of the pained so that his charts are not easy to under- stand. Plaice and flounders were kept in tanks arti- ficially heated or cooled or of normal (seasonal) tem- perature. Some of the normal tanks were well sup- lied with food, and others were scantily supplied. hus it became possible to distinguish between the tempera the nutritional factors of growth. The latter do not affect the formation of broad (summer) and narrow (winter) bands. Abundant food leads to the production of many sclerites and meagre nutrition to few, but the relative width of the sclerites and therefore of the confocal bands).is independent of food supply. On the other hand, the temperature of the water in which the fish lives influences directly the size of the sclerites, for those formed during phases of relatively high sea-temperature are large, while those formed during colder periods are small. They are formed in bands, and so the relative width of the latter reflects the annual wave of temperature en, Mr. Cutler suggests, the aperiodic fluctuations of the latter. All this is in line with other work on the metabolism of marine animals; it is really a case of velocity of chemical reaction, being pr tional to some function of the temperature at which the reaction occurs. When the sea is relatively warm assimilation is speeded up, respiratory move- ments in a fish are quickened, and feeding increases. Decrease of temperature reduces tissue waste, and events happen in the opposite direction. But assimila- tion increases absolutely during the warmer phases, and so the marine fish “puts on flesh”? during the summer months. In the same journal Miss Marie Lebour gives exten- sive lists of the nature and relative abundance of the organisms forming the food of small, larval, and post- larval fishes of various species. She confirms, in general, but greatly amplifies, the observations of previous workers on the same subject. Even’ in quite small fish of some species, and with variety of food available, there is selection and quite evident pre- ferences for certain food organisms. The paper is illustrated with some very admirable drawings of the heads of post-larval Pleuronectid fishes. nD s NO. 2545, VOL. 101] SCIENCE IN HORTICULTURE. HE third annual report of the Nursery and Market Gardens Industries Development Society, Turner’s Hill, Cheshunt, shows that continuous pro- gress is being made in the application of science to horticultural practice. The fertiliser experiments are of considerable interest, and bring out the marked effectiveness of nitrogen compounds, especially of stable manure, in the growth of cucumbers, and their relative ineffectiveness in the growth of toma- toes. It is not definitely settled whether this result arises from some fundamental difference in the method of nutrition of the two plants, or simply from the relative drafts they make on the soil. The ineffec- tiveness of phosphates, both on cucumbers and toma- toes, is remarkable, and merits closer attention. An important technical matter is the demonstration that a relatively inexpensive mixture of artificial fertilisers gave larger returns than a mixture made by some of the best growers based on the best practice of the district. Fertiliser trials need considerable time for their execution, and it must be some time still before the experiments have yielded all the information they are capable of giving. They seem to support the old idea of an antagonism between fruiting and vegeta- tive growth, for the methods which would normally produce the largest plants do not necessarily produce the largest amount of fruit. Some interesting observations are recorded on the physiological conditions in cucumber-houses. There was found to be an appreciable correlation between the area of the seed-leaves and of the first rough leaf, and also a small correlation between the size of the seed-leaves and the dry weight after thirty days. Seedlings with the longest stems gave the largest crops. All these points are of great importance; it is remarkable that the later history of the plant should be so intimately bound up with its early properties. The grower has room in his houses only for a very limited number of plants, and he cannot afford to keep unprofitable seedlings. Further experimental work was also undertaken on methods for the partial sterilisation of soil, and a serious combined effort is being made to solve the problems arising when these are applied in practice. THE PALHZOBOTANY OF NEW ZEALAND.! Bi HE late Dr. Arber’s memoir on the earlier Mesozoic floras of New Zealand is a particularly welcome addition to our knowledge of a much-neglected sub- ject. In 1913 Dr. Arber published two papers on fossil plants from New Zealand, but the present paper covers a much wider field and deals very fully with a con- siderable number of species from Triassic-Rheetic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous strata. The specimens are the property of the Geological Survey of New Zealand, the British Museum, and the Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge. The author shows that no Paleozoic plants have so far been discovered, and no undoubted examples of Glossopteris are included in the material examined. The genus which most nearly resembles Glossopteris is Linguifolium, instituted by Arber in 1913, but the author does not believe that the two are closely allied. The arguments in support of his view are, however, not conclusive. It is assumed that New Zealand did not form part of Gondwanaland, this term being used by Arber for a Palwozoic continent only, a more restricted usage than that adopted by Suess.and some other authors, 1 “ The Earlier Mesozoic Floras of New Zealand.” By Dr. E. A. Newell Arber. New Zealand Geological Survey: Palzxontological Bulletin, No. 6, 1917. ~ 456 NATURE [Aucust 8, 1918 Dr. Laurent, of Marseilles, contributes descriptions of a few Angiosperms from Neocomian rocks. The account of the Jurassic flora of Waikawa, Southland, includes an interesting description of a remarkable petrified forest composed chiefly of trees of an Arau- carian type associated with petrified Osmundaceous stems. Forty-eight species are figured; of these at least fourteen are regarded as new, the remainder being widely distributed Mesozoic types. The admir- able drawings and photographs are well reproduced, and there is an excellent bibliography. This latest contribution by a palzobotanist whose untimely death is a serious loss to science is of great value from the point of view of phytogeographical problems; the author has cleared up several difficulties and corrected erroneous statements frequently quoted from ‘the meagre literature on New Zealand plants. It is to be hoped that this thorough piece of work will stimulate New Zealand students to do their best to obtain additional material from the various locali- ties in the islands, and thus provide data for the con- tinuation of Dr, Arber’s memorable work. wigs) VIBRATIONS: MECHANICAL, MUSICAL, AND ELECTRICAL.} V.—Brass Instruments and the Low “ F.” | icra cdeate! the pendulums which have only two vibra- tions at a time, the case of brass instruments with a number of simultaneous vibrations was next con- sidered. It is well known that the vibrations from most musical instruments are what is called compound. They’ consist of a series of tones of commensurate frequencies sounded together. Thus if the pitch of the note is said to be 100 per second, there is not only a prime tone of this frequency, but also a second tone of 200 per second, a third of 300 per second, and so forth. This law applies to strings, to open parallel pipes, and to a complete cone with its base open. It also applies as a close approximation to the brass instruments in general use. This approximation is traceable to the departure from the strictly conical forms as regards the mouthpiece, the bell, and the special shape of the intermediate portion. In these brass instruments the possibility of this compound tone, or multiple resonance, is utilised for the production’ of distinct notes. Thus out of the tones possible to the instrument the player may elicit the set 200, 400, 600, 800, etc.; or the set 300, 6a0, goo, 1200, etc. These would be said to have the pitches of their primes or lowest components, 200 or 300 respectively. Or, to put it musically, they would be the octave or the twelfth of the fundamental (or pedal) possible on the instrument. The pedal of the instrument is not usually employed for musical pur- poses, but can be sounded if specially wished. Now there is a tradition among players of brass instru- ments that. a note called by them a low “‘“F” can be sometimes obtained. This note would have on the foregoing scheme the frequency 133%. At first the possibility of this “‘F” seems scarcely credible to the theoretician. But after hearing and producing the note the necessity of accounting for its possibility was forced home, Really the explanation proves very simple. It usually depends upon two points :—{a) The spread or diffused resonance of the pedal, and (b) its intentional. mistuning with respect to the other notes of the instru- ment. These are taken in order. (a) For theory shows that, other things being equal; 1 Abstract of a discourse delivered at the Royal Institution on Friday, March 8, by Prof, Edwin H. Barton, F.R.S. Continued from Pp. 439. NO. 2545, VOL. 101 | . they the lower the note of such an instrument, the easier it is to force its vibrations out of tune, sharper or — Thus with the pedal the range of resonance flatter. is such that the note may be sounded at any pitch: whatever over a range of five-or six semitones. ~’ (b) Since the law of frequencies 100, 200, 300, 400, etc., is only approximately true for these instruments, in order to secure good relative tuning of the higher notes which are in constant use the pedal (whic not used musically) is purposely mistuned. some instruments it may be, say, D or Ep instead of C. Hence, if the central pitch of the pedal is sharpened two or three semitones—and it is possible to force this note both up and down two or three semitones—. it becomes possible to sound the pedal of true pitch C, to sound the low ‘‘F,” and to sound notes of every — pitch between. (This was demonstrated by Mr. White on a euphonium, kindly lent by Messrs. Boosey and | Co.) The low ‘‘F”’ is also possible on the bombardon Both these instruments are charactoHoal year b large conical tubing, and the low ‘'F” is obtained byt by the spread resonance of the sharpened pedal. In the case of the trumpet, cornet, and French horn with much narrow tubing the pedals are flattened, so BER that a pedal of true pitch can be obtained only by. tai spread resonance, and the “F” is im the trombone, which has much small parallel tubing, the low ‘‘F” may be obtained occasionally by the downward-spread resonance of the second partial note number two), which is an octave above pedal. (Demonstration.) The pitches of the laotes which have been obtained on six types of instruments by four experimenters are shown in Table I]. - sept orzel V1I.—Monochord Vibrations. } OTH Consideration was next given to the nabédisond: of stringed instruments, beginning with the ‘monochord because of its striking simplicity. From the work of mathematicians (with acfittle help from experimen:) the various possible vibrations of strings, whether plucked, struck, or bowed, ‘have long been well known. But a little reflection’ will show that many other problems are still left confronting the — physicist. For identical strings, excited in the same way, but mounted on different instruments, will pro- duce very different effects on the ear. In other words, the worth of a violin does net lie in- its wstige) abut in its sound-box. This leads to the inquiry as to what happens modify the vibrations as, passing from the vei lg reach in turn the bridge, the belly: sored sone board), and the adjacent air. It is easy to see that this problem is sontiaeiiae com- plicated, since it presents so large a number of vari- ables. Thus there lie at the experimenter’s disposal the pitch of the string, its material and dimensions, the place and manner of excitation, the material and disposition of the associated parts of the instrument, the place of observing the belly, the portion of the bridge observed and the directions of its motions, and, lastly, the spot at which the motion of the air is — observed. In this way a scheme for more than a thousand observations could be sketched, even for an instrument with but one string. Hence, no exhaustive treatment of the probleni can | be quickly obtained. But a beginning has been made, and by very simple means. In a series of experiments simultaneous fecords have been photographically obtained of the vibrations’ acacia SU ncnewntuessves fora stnecee -FEG Ab A. Bp Bia (Poke | D. J. Blaikley_ CD)DEPE! F FE..A BB C og (90) (135) | E. H. Barton | EDE: F : FR......Bp Bi °C (ef BED nn Ab A ne, 120. cy BC oF D (Ed)E... ste pe B pote (Ab). 22 oe ‘C Dy D: ED be Be EF PRG (Ap) A... «as CH D a A dison } o _E F FRG (Ah) ........... CCED Ep E Sti Biikley eh BME GS (Ab) ccs... cHD Eh EF if 3 epeeenly od ape as fai poor fair full poor fair! full fair poor = “orizoatal a by Or, ake ‘separately to test if the apparatus worked satisfactorily. The other two curves, slightly different from e other, show the distinction in and J. In 1914 Prof. ie: V. Raman, of Calcutta, by experi- ments som similar to the above, showed that the forward speed of a string where it is bowed is identical with that of the bow itself. VII.—Violin Vibrations. If the problems of the monochcrd were numerous and complicated, those of the violin are still more so, for there are now four strings instead of one; further, NO. 2545; VOL. IOI] ae oe plate. by the Fight appearance ‘records of a bad and those of . a good tone. In this work the assistance of Messrs. CYtAS ‘Penzer was acknowledged. of use in sections of varying length. Again, the sound- Plan of Optical Arrangements. R n Fic. 3.—Monochord apparatus. Finally, The bass box is curved in a variety of ways. . inforcement of the belly is asymmetrical. all are different i in thickness and pitch, and are capable the re-. 458 NATURE [AucusT 8, 1918 bar lies almost under the fourth string, while the | T. F. Ebblewhite, and W. B. Kilby. A number of sound-post stands near that foot of the bridge which | vibration-curves obtained for the violin were shown MIS (20 810 I'1G. 4.—Monochord vibration curves. V.48 87.6 BE Fic. 5.—Violin vibration curves. on the screen. Fig. 5 gives one set of these, showing “ is under the first string. In the work on the violin the vibrations of each string as indicated by the letters assistance was received from Messrs. T.: J. Richmond, NO. 2545, VOL. IoT| ea a ae ce Se Aueust 8, 1918] NATURE 459 G D, A, and E.. The D string was plucked by a sharp point, the other strings were bowed. The white © line shows the longitudinal motions of that corner of the bridge near which the first or E string passes. VIII.—Conclusion. _ With respect to the sympathetic vibrations occurring in stringed instruments, it is obvious that, though ‘some little has been done, much more remains await- ing” attack.. Thus the violoncello, guitar, and harp might be dealt with, but especially, because of. its immense e, the pianoforte needs thorough inves- tigation. A start was made some. time ago by Mr. G. H. Berry, and further researches are now-in pro- ss in London. under the joint direction of men. of science and piano manufacturers, . In the past music-lovers and men of science alike have been deeply indebted to the makers of musical instruments, who have themselves received but little help from science in ‘return. The. lecturer expressed the hope that science might shortly, pay off. part of its debt to the musical craftsmen of the country, and a make the British piano second to none in the wor! * UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL -_INTELLIGENCE.. — : A Commitree has been appointed to inquire and report as to’ any improvements’ which may appear desirable to be made in the conditions of service and in the methods of remuneration of teachers in inter- mediate schools in Ireland, and in the distribution of the grants made from public. funds for ‘intermediate educa- _ tion, and as to the best. means in the public interest of effecting such improvements. -The members of the _ Committee are :—The Rt. Hon. T. F. Molony. (chair- , man), the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, the Rt. Hon. W. J. M. Starkie, Sir J. Larmor, the Rev. P. Canon Marshall, the Rev.- T. Corcoran, the Rev. Brother | Hennessy, Prof: J. M. Henry, Prof. R. M. Henry, Mr. J. Thompson, Miss H. M. White, Miss M. Ryan, Mr. W. J. Williams, Mr.: C. R. Beavan, Miss A. McHugh, Miss E. Steele; Mr: G. Fletcher, Mr.) E. Ensor, and Mr. M. Headlam. - Tue govetning ‘body ‘of Birkbeck College has ap- pointed Dr.’ George Senter: to ‘the office of principal recently vacated by Dr. George Armitage-Smith, who had filled the position for more than twenty years. Dr. Senter, who is well known, for his research and. writings in chemistry, is head of the chemistry depart- ment of the college. Formerly he held the readership in chemistry at: St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, and, in addition to important examining and tutorial posts in London University, held a seat on the Uni-' versity Senate. His election comes at an interesting time in the long and eventful history of the college, which, familiar to many thousands as a pioneer in public education, has continuously developed the scope and nature of its activitiés under Dr. Armitage-Smith, and has been recognised by Royal Commission as the future centre of evening university work in London. ; . NO. 2545, VOL. IoT] | is the most valuable contribution. to “the: subject. | THE report just received of the conference of repre- sentatives of provincial museums held at Sheffield on October 16-17, which dealt with the educational value of museums and the formation of war-museums, contains interesting accounts of what is being done in Manchester and other towns to bring the museums into closer relation with the schools, but beyond affording evidence of a desire on the part of museum authorities to depart from their traditionally passive attitude, the discussion shows little sign of any attempt to grapple. with the principles upon which successful effort in this direction must be based. Neither circulating collections of museum objects nor organised visits to. museums as such ‘solve the educa- tional problem. They often mean nothing better than a more. elaborate form of ‘the old-fashioned object- lesson, which is discredited because it commonly touches .no vital interest.. Reaction against verbalism may easily plunge. us into another kind of abstract teaching, which is none the less. abstract because it is based on things present to the senses. It is only when contact with an object is revealing, when it illuminates a dark place in our minds or opens up an aspect of the world hitherto unrealised, that it is, rightly speak- ing, educative... We may use it to give information, of course, but information has \in itself slight educa- tional value. From this point of view Mr. Haward’s account of his work at the Manchester. Art ings e has’in mind a revelation, and, even though the children may not’ feel the ultimate. message. he would convey to them, it is precisely the ultimate message which should determine the. whole. procedure. -This is true also of similar work:in the museum, and.a future conference might well address itself to the problem of this final | outcome,. for. it is in-the light of that. we may hope to discuss profitably particular proposals and particular practice. AND ACADEMIES. a gaya DUBBING oiekea 2 Royal Irish Academy, June 24.—The Most Rev. J. H. Bernard, D-D., Archbishop of Dublin, president, in the chair.—H. Ryan and’ W. O’Riordan: q-, 8-, and y-trinitrotoluenes. “An attempt was made to ascertain whether differences in the reactivities -of the trinitro- toluenes exist which might explain the instability of trinitrotoluene in some rare cases. The behaviour of the three’ isomers’ towards © alkalis,’ alkyloxides, amines, hydrorarbons, and aldehydes: was examined. ‘All’ thrée isomers “yield: black, amorphous, explosive bodies when heated with alkalis. The f- and y-isomers have each one nitro-group replaced by a hydroxyl, giving dinitrocresols. The a-isomer_ yields hexanitrodibenzyl: “The 8-: and: y-isomers readily ex- change a nitro-group for an amino-group, the B-isomer being apparently the more reactive. The a-isomer forms additive compounds, without substitution, by interaction with amines. The additive compounds ob- tained from the y-isomer and amines readily pass into substitution’ derivatives. - Towards’ hydrocarbons such ‘as: phenanthrene the three isomers: behave similarly. While q-trinitrotoluene interacts readily. with alde- hydes, forming stilbene derivatives, the latter could not be obtained: under similar conditions. from the B- and .. SOCIETIES” ‘y-isomers.. CT Paris. - Academy of Sciences, July 16.—M. Léon Guignard in the chair.—G.’ Bigourdan: The observatory of the Hétel of Taranne: works and co-ordinates. This observatory was founded about 1710 by Louville, who was the first to use a filar micrometer in astronomy, 460 NATURE [Aucust 8, 1918 and measured the variation of the obliquity ‘of Press; London: Cambridge © University — Press.) the ecliptic. The exact position of the observatory is | 1.50 dollars net. viven.—P. Termier: The eruptive rocks interstratified in the Coal Measures of Littry (Calvados): the magni- tude, variety, and duration of the volcanic manifesta. | tions in the Littry region during the Stephanian period. Two borings for coal have been recently made at Saint-Martin-de-Blagny and at ‘Poterie. Although coal was not found, these borings have given valuable information on the constitution of the coal-bearing layers and on the nature of the volcanic eruptions mixed with the sedimentary | deposits'+C. Richet, P. Brodin, and Fr. Saint-Girons: New observations on the effects of intravenous saline transfusions after | grave hemorrhage. A description of experiments on dogs, in continuation of work published in earlier communications. —M. de Sparre: The advantages re- sulting from the use of a contraction at the entrance to reservoirs designed to attenuate’ hammering in pipes.—E. Ariés: The pressures of saturated vapour of octatomic bodies. papers is applied to the experimental data on methyl formate, ethyl bromide, ethyl chloride, acetic acid, and ethane. Modifications in the values for the critical pressures and temperatures. of ethyl chloride are. re- quired to bring the experimental and calculated values into agreement.—E. Vessiot: The trigonometrical developments of celestial mechanics.—Ed. Chauvenet - and Mile. H. Gueylard: The combinations of acid zirconyl sulphate with some alkaline sulphates. The existence of compounds of ammonium and sodium sul- phate with acid zirconyl sulphate has been proved by thermochemical and cryoscopic measurements.—P: Duret:. A new method for the rapid destruction of organic materials. The method is based on the oxida- ‘tion by ammonium persulphate in sulphuric acid solu- tion. The application of the method to the examina- tion of urine for traces of arsenic is given in detail.— G, Nicolas: Anthocyanine and the respiratory gas exchange of leaves. A relation has been proved be- tween the formation of the anthocyanic colouring matter and respiratory oxidation.—F. Ladreyt: The functional evolution of certain conjunctive elements.— C. Cépéde: New means for the prognosis of pul- monary tuberculosis. The method is based on Arneth’s figure from haematological data.—H. Vincent and G. Stedel: A preventive and curative serum for gas gangrene. The serum is obtained by injecting into the horse multiple bacterial races, including the principal anaerobic species causing gas gangrene. The protective action of the serum on guinea-pigs has been proved, and application to man has also been successful. BOOKS RECEIVED. National Reconstruction. By J. J. Robinson. ep: vili+154. (London: Hurst and Blackett, Ltd.) . 6d. net, od Monograph of the Pheasants. By W. Beebe. In four volumes. Vol. Pp. xlix+198+ coloured plates xx + photos reatciage 5. (London: Witherby © and Co.) tal. 10s. An. Elementary Treatise on Curve Tracing. By Dr. P. Frost. Bell. Pp. xvi+210. Ltd.) ras. 6d. net. Canning and Bottling. By H., Pixell Goodrich. Pp. x+70. (London: Longmans and Co.) 2s. net. Plant Genetics. By J.. M..and M. C. Coulter. Pp. ix+214. (Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago NO. 2545, VOL. 101] -(London: Macmillan and Co., ) Vol. it. The formulz developed in earlier — Fourth edition revised bv Dr. R. J. T. The Twin Ideals: By” Dr.’ J. W. Barrett." ‘Vol. 1. Pp.” xxxil-p eyes Vol. ii. Pp. xx+504. (London: H. K. Lewis aie q | Co., Ltd.) 2 vols., 25s. net. Treatise on Acie Analytical Chemistry. Be Prof; V. Villavecchia and others. Translated by T. H. Pope Pp. xv+536. (London: J. and A. Churchill. 25s. ,net. Coal-and its Selentific Uses. By Prof w. Ay Bone. Pp. xv+491. (London: Longmans and Co.) 21s. riety fi *: } 2 Elements of the Electromagnetic Theory of bight. By Dr. L. Silberstein. Pp. vii+48. (ie on: NPE mans and Co.) 3s. 6d. net. _ The Stars and How to Identify Theta. By EW Maunder. Pp. 63. (London: C. H. Kelly... Common British Beetles antl Spiders and How ‘to Identify Them. By S. N. Bere UPR 62. } ake | (London: C. H. Kelly.) * CONTENTS. © Agriculture in the Western States. By Dr. E. I Russell, O.B.E., F.R.S. PAGE 2) eee a “es 4qt The Internal Ear. ByJ.G.M..... KOM Be gaa Our Beekehelf -\'025 °F eh eer hs 2 sss + 443 Letters to the Editor:— Medusoid Bells.—Prof. D’Arcy W. Thompson, Ce. FR Sei ie + + 444 The Pi ccaibiseeledl of incouuind. Spender Picker- HG ing, F.R.S. BF tile LRRTG y e101 BOO Pie enema | The Education Bilhoos 3) thi Qo ei ge aghd, HOI gR Science and the Civil Service... 2...) ..2 cue + 4 The Early History of the Solar delice: Bis Dr Harold Jeffreys .... y bat. alah pel aay Grassland and Food Supplies, ; Sica ae sills oat 4a Notes Chie ie oh elit WLS ie ial bee ie Diet Patani ae pies aE GO Our Astronomical Column :— | Vie Se SRE he The Perseid Meteoric Shower . ....... + + 454 Radial Velocity of 6 Canis a Ye Petes te Sh 454 Relativity ... pou melee! see BEd The Suppression of ody -vertete aia. sore eee” were Oe Marine Biology at Plymouth. By J. Joes is 0 inf tes AS Science in Horticulture... ..... iis The Palzobotany of New Zealand. By A. c.s S. . 455 Vibrations: Mechanical, Musical, and Electrical. (Illustrated.) By Prof. Edwin H. Barton, F.R.S.. University and Educational Intelligence. .... Societies and Academies....... Books Received $2 Op ys Lee Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Lrp., ST. MARTIN’S STREET, maser W.C.2. Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the Publishers. Editorial Communications to the Editor. Telegraphic Address: Puusis, Lonpon. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. An Educated Coie dieala ie - — oT. ® a ,° . MATURE 461 _ ‘THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1918. 5 a — OLD UNIVERSITIES AND NEW NEEDS. The Life of Sophia Jex-Blake. By Dr. Margaret _ _ Todd (‘‘Graham Travers’’). Pp. xviii+ 574. _ (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 18s. net. CQ OPHIA JEX-BLAKE was born in 1§40° and died in 1912. The world, when she entered it, offered to an intellectual woman neither the education nor the openings which her more for- tunate brothers enjoyed as a right and sought to | preserve as a monopoly. It is to her, probably more than to any other individual, and to her long and often bitter fight in the women’s cause, that their right to a liberal education has been ee ea se ' . Tae Fee conceded and the gates of the medical profession opened to them. She was a born chronicler and recorder, as well as a downright and formidable antagonist, and this; which has enabled her “bio- gra her to write a full and accurate account of her career, often stood her in good stead against her opponents. Reproduced as an appendix is the correspondence in the Times in which she replied to the representations of the Principal of _ Edinburgh University—a masterly instance of the power of facts over the most skilful advocacy and embroidery. As her biographer remarks: ‘‘ The two letters. represent two conflicting schools of pe ape the, one sweeping, picturesque, prob- able; the other definite, statistical, true.” on Margaret Todd has worked through and drawn upon an immense accumulation of original material for her biography. Losing herself and her. own personality in her task, her literary gifts severely confined to the sifting and proper presen- tation of voluminous correspondence, diaries, and other records, she succeeds in giving a living, human portrait of the old warrior and of what manner of women they were—how unlike popular -earicature—who broke down the barriers and urst the fetters of the Victorian age. Around ne central figure, her faults and her strength faith- fully and sympathetically rendered, seeming to stand out by themselves without aid, so artisti- cally has the elimination of everything not essential been performed, much of the history of the earlier phases of the women’s moment has been recon- structed and much of permanent interest saved from oblivion. But the book is something more than a bio- graphy of a remarkable personality and history of a period, It presents an epitome of the uni- versal struggle between progress and reaction as it was fought out at one of the ancient seats of learning. That fight is over, the victory has been won, and the issue at stake has ceased to be a living question. Much of what is here recorded it is difficult to believe happened only fifty years ago. Is not this, it may be asked, itself a tribute to the magnitude and rapidity of the progress made? Unfortunately, progress is not to be measured by the magnitude of the opposition sur- NO. 2546, VOL. 101] mounted, nor is victory the term to apply to the forced retirement of the opposing armies from a position rendered untenable. The test of progress and of victory is. the dominant spirit of the ancient universities to-day, and their attitude to the needs of the present rather than the past genera- tion. It is just because, for this one celebrated instance, their devious and familiar methods of obstruction have been remorselessly pilloried by Dr. Todd that her work and the story she tells of the Edinburgh fight deserve a wider and more critical interest than would be aroused were it merely the biography of the protagonist or the record of a conflict long since decided. As it is told here without rancour and with the minimum of the most moderate comment, the story is one that few to-day could read unmoved by indignation.. No more soul-destroying labour can well be imagined than the task that must have been involved in its telling, the task of wading through the interminable insincerities, sophistries, evasions, and legal chicaneries by which an ancient university, having in an un- guarded moment honestly sought the solution of a modern demand, then attempted to draw back and escape the consequences at no matter what cost to its honour and self-respect. Regulations were duly framed by the University of Edinburgh in November, 1869, for the medical education and matriculation of women students, but every conceivable obstacle was then thrown in the path of the handful of young women who presented themselves. The onus of finding teachers willing to instruct them was put upon them, influence being exerted to prevent even those willing from undertaking the work. The medical students, on the outlook for mischief and ready “to follow a beck,” were loosed upon them. “The women students, mere girls for the most part, were pelted in the streets with mud and greeted with filthy epithets. One of them confessed in later life that she would make a detour of miles rather than pass the places where these incidents occurred: Another, who, when the storm first burst, had retired to the country “to listen to the nightin- gales,” returned in earnest with an indignant pro- test at any woman being left to the care of the sort of practitioners these young ruffians would make. But, again, with the common sense and penetration characteristic of these early pioneers, she is found writing: {‘Do-not be hard on the students. They are very bad, but they are not so bad as the professors.’’ Posterity in the enjoy- ment of the fruits of victory is apt to be forgetful of its cost. ; Two days prior to their first professional exam- ination the medical faculty interdicted the issue of papers to the women candidates, and only with- drew under threat of legal proceedings. The Principal attempted to stop them matriculating, though, in the words of a friendly professor, he “had no more authority. to issue this decree than a janitor.’’ Though loyally supported by the then Lord Provost and many of the prominent citizens of Edinburgh, and by the powerful advocacy of BB 462 NATURE [AuGuUsST 15, 1918 the Scotsman, and having in the University many true friends, among whom Prof. Masson shines out conspicuously, the women _ students were finally driven to seek redress in the courts. One is appalled by the lengths to which an in- stitution existing to minister to the desire for education went in its efforts to thwart and repress it. The University defended the suit, ultimately with success, on the ground that it had ex- ceeded its legal powers when in 1869 it framed regulations admitting women! These legal proceedings form not the least instructive chapter. The womeh first won, but by a bare majority in a court of thirteen judges lost on appeal, the University being absolved from all re- sponsibility to its matriculated women students, who were mulcted in the costs. As one of the dissenting judges ruled in his judgment, this puts the onus of defending the laws of the University, when their lawfulness is challenged, on the student who obeys them rather than on _ the authority that framed them. The University Court which framed the regulations it after- wards prayed to have declared illegal contained many learned in the law. To quote the Times letter already referred to: “It is a tolerably strik- ing instance of ‘the glorious uncertainty of the law’ that the two highest judges in the land should concur in an action which is subsequently declared by a majority of their brethren to be illegal.’’ Thus the Edinburgh battle ended. After Parliament had intervened and London University and the Irish Colleges had led the way, the Uni- versity of Edinburgh twenty-five years later, in: 1894, reopened its doors to women without further demur. It would be difficult, after reading these pro- ceedings, to retain much faith in the essential, integrity of our laws and institutions and their suitability for the existing age. Were it not that precisely similar tactics are still available when- ever an ancient university is confronted by a modern need, cne could wish that the author, as she must often have been tempted to do, had given up the task of putting this indictment on ~record. As it is, a perusal of the book will serve to explain to. many how it is that the ancient uni- versities can lag so far behind the spirit of the age, and can drag the country with them even to the brink of national extinction. At a time when it is imperative for a century of arrears to be made up and great numbers of really educated men and women to be turned out to carry on and modernise the State, the old universities remain. much as they were, paralysed by the past, and probably even less well disposed to change than they were fifty years ago. The exuberant, strange, and new vitalities which the growth of human knowledge and power has called into being within the last century hammer away at them from without. ° Monuments of bygone days, they remain change- less and resistant as marble, owning no law other than crystallised convention, no logic save that of the stricken blow. Is it always to remain a dream, - Pygmalion-like, to desire them alive, the brain NO. 2546, VOL. ror] and heart of the age resident within their walls, — and the elements of growth fostered rather than exorcised? The hardihood of the aspiration, rather than any hope of its fulfilment, is the abid- — ing impression left by this record of pioneer achievement, epic of “progress” and “victory ” though it be. FREDERICK SODDY. APPLIED BIOLOGY. (1) Mind and the Nation: A Précis of Applied Psychology. By J. H. Parsons. Pp. 154. (London: J. Bale, Sons, and Danielsson, Ltd., 1918.) Price 7s. 6d. net. . (2) The Third and Fourth Generation: An Intro- duction to Heredity. Pp. xi+164. (Chic., Ill., Univ. of Chicago Press; London: Camb. Univ. Press, 1918.) Price 1 dollar net. amore) (1) Wie special reference to present and im- 2 minent problems, Mr. J. Herbert Parsons makes a plea for the more strenuous and widespread study of psychology—“ the Cinderella of the Sciences’’—as a basis for clear thinking | and progressive action. He sketches the evolution : of behaviour, the ascent of man, the development of the individual mind, the growth of social con- sciousness, and the general trend of human history. With this impressionist survey as a background, he proceeds to show how the results of analytical and genetic psychology may be utilised towards an increasing understanding and — an improved organisation of education, industry, and politics. To control effectively we must first of all understand the facts of the case, and we are handicapping our understanding by paying too little heed to psychology. Between biology on one hand and sociology on the other, psycho- logy has a réle of essential importance. Mr. Parsons states his case témperately and clearly, and we heartily recommend his timely volume to all interested in reconstruction and reorganisation. It is not for learned just persons, who need no repentance, but it will be useful to humbler pope who wish to face the facts. It would be valuable to biologists of the materialistic school, who think that the psychological aspect is an efflorescence that does not count, and also to politicians who, while recognising that ideas have hands and feet, do not think a resolute study of social psychology necessary. Sere ; (2) Mr. Downing’s excellent introduction to the study of heredity is an encouraging sign of the times. It is one of the “constructive studies ”’ included in “The University of Chicago Publica- tions in- Religious Education,’’ the editors of © which are convinced that “faith must not operate apart from knowledge.’’ We read in the editors’ preface that “nothing can be more important in religious education than to train young: people to_ use the careful methods of science in ascertaining ~ the facts upon which their conclusions, not less in morals and religion than in other fields, are always to be based.’’ The book has been prepared for young people’s classes, and it would serve effec- By E. R. Downing. © ’ f 7 ‘ c eae + a-neaed CVE ne ae ee ee ra Ee ee Te ee a 4 AvcusT 15, 1918]~ NATURE 463 tively in the highest form in schools. It is with genuine appreciation of the success Mr. Downing has achieved that we join with the editors in recommending this little book, high-priced for its size, “to the reading of ministers and laymen who are desirous of obtaining in untechnical language _ the results which scholars have arrived at in this modern attack upon the problem of evolution.’’ The author is a competent biologist with a keen educational sense. From data drawn from trot- ting horses and distinguished human families he shows that race counts. Which is the more potent, environmental nurture or hereditary nature? “Such a question is about as sane as whether wind or water is the more important in the production of the waves that surge in along the ocean shore.’’ From mandrake flower and _frog’s spawn the fundamental facts of reproduc- tion and development are illustrated ; the import of Mendelian inheritance and of the selection of muta- tions is made clear; the question of the transmissi- bility of individually acquired somatic modifica- tions is dealt with wisely and practically, and the inheritance of good and evil qualities in mankind ‘is illustrated without exaggeration. The book ‘expresses a clear mind, a well-balanced judgment, a eugenic ideal, and a belief in education. We wish for it a great success, which it well deserves. Be OUR BOOKSHELF. A Map showing the Known Distribuiion in Eng- land and Wales of the Anopheline Mosquitoes, with Explanatory Text and Notes. By W. D. Lang. Pp. 63. (London: British Museum _ Natural History, 1918.) Price 2s. 6d. THe map deals with the distribution of the _anopheline mosquitoes (Anopheles maculipennis, A. bifurcatus, A. plumbeus (nigripes)) previously recorded as indigenous and proved to convey malaria. The text contains records relating to the distribution of these mosquitoes, and, like the map, is modelled on the publications of Nuttall, Cobbett, and Strangeways-Pigg (1901), ‘“ Studies in Relation to Malaria: i., The Geographical Dis- tribution of Anopheles in Relation to the Former Distribution of Ague in England,”. Journal of Hygiene, vol. i. ; and Nuttall (1905), ibid., vol. v., a considerable number of additional data being supplied from records hitherto unpublished. The statement made by the earlier authors that Anopheles are likely to be found in suitable waters | anywhere in this country is confirmed. The fea- tures whereby the species may be identified are described, and a brief account is given of their life- history. Taken in conjunction with the earlier papers cited and those by Nuttall and Shipley (1g01—3), “Studies in Relation to Malaria: ii., The Structure and Biology of Anopheles,” ibid., vols. i.—iii., readers will find in these sources most of the information that is obtainable regarding the insects. Their importance is fully appreciated now that indigenous cases of malaria have arisen more frequently owing to the return to England NO. 2546, VOL. 101] reached, of soldiers with malaria, there being no reason why malaria should not become re-establishéd and more widely distributed in this country if adequate precautions are not taken. Wayfarings: A Record of Adventure and Liberation in the Life of the Spirit. By W. J. Jupp. Pp. 234. (London: Headley Bros., Ltd., n.d.) Price 6s. net. Tuis autobiographical study will interest many who have lived through the period of intellectual transition which had its keynote in the evolution- idea. It tells frankly, sometimes naively, of the author’s “advance from the credulities of Calvinism to that liberty of open-mindedness which permits the continual readjustment of belief to the ever-widening experience of life.” | Greatly influenced by Wordsworth, Emerson, Thoreau, and Walt Whitman, he after many wayfarings and much discipline, a serene faith in the orderliness, rationality, progressiveness, and purposefulness of the cosmic process. “The Universe must needs care for all its creatures.” ‘The Spirit of the whole must surely be present and effective in all its parts.” “The Creative Spirit of Life must be continually present and effective in all forms of its activity, in all creatures through which it lives and has its being.” But what gives the book a special interest: for us here is its disclosure of what the beauty of Nature—even in its most familiar expres- sions—may come to mean to a busy man in the way of “refreshment and inspiration and consol- ing grace.” In the quietness of old age he went to a garden-city and continued to make his soul and to find “this world, with all its strangeness and apparent failure, a very homelike, habitable - place.” In the autumn, though he did not strain to listen, he heard the voice of spring. To many readers, especially of patient years, “ Wayfarings ” will give much pleasure. ) Mathematics for Engineers. Part i., including Elementary and Higher Algebra, Mensuration and Graphs, and Plane Trigonometry. By W.N. Rose. (The Directly Useful Technical Series.) Pp. xiv+s510. (London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1918.) Price 8s. 6d. net. Tuis book contains a course on algebra, mensura- tion, and plane trigonometry for engineering’ students; the calculus, vector analysis, spherical trigonometry, | differential equations, etc., being reserved for part ii., which is to appear shortly., It is to be feared that a beginner may be some- what confused by the arrangement adopted; thus Cardan’s solution of the cubic occurs on p. 67, the rule for finding the area of a triangle on p. 79, and the definition of a circle on p. go. Even the practical portions of the book are in places rather misleading: it must surely be easier to add logarithms vertically than horizontally. But doubt- less the teacher will find the book a valuable mine for examples likely to interest the future engineer, as bearing on problems connected with his prac- tical work. 404 NATURE ~ - [Aucust 15, 1918 : LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions. expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] The Value of Insectivorous Birds. Wutte I cordially agree with Dr. Collinge’s protest in Nature of July 25, p. 407, against the indis- criminate destruction of small birds, I think he over- rates the extent of the mischief that has been and is being done. No doubt the owners or tenants of market-gardens and orchards are not careful to dis- tinguish between hurtful and beneficent species, but there are vast tracts of country where nobody dreams of killing song-birds, though schoolboys have been, are, and, I fear, will continue to be, incorrigible nest- harriers. Dr. Collinge denounces the Wild Birds’ Protection Act of 1880 and the amending Acts as “practically dead letters.’’ Doubtless they share in the imper- fection of all human legislation; but if they are in. operative in any district, the fault lies with the local authority. I had charge of two of the amending Acts _in their passage through the House of Commons, and was strongly urged to prepare a schedule of’ species for universal application. J declined to do so, think- ing tt better to leave county councils to provide pro- tection for such birds as local conditions rendered desirable. A schedule that might be suitable for Sussex would be grotesquely inapplicable to Caithness, and vice versa. I will cite the goldfinch as illustrating good results from the Acts. It is not an insectivorous bird, but, whereas it subsists exclusively’ on the seeds of such weeds as thistle, charlock, coltsfoot, and the like, it must be reckoned among the farmer’s and gardener’s most diligent allies, It is more easily taken by decoy than almost any other song-bird, and is eagerly sought for by bird-catchers because of its popularity as a cage- bird. Owing to the nefarious industry of these gentry goldfinches had practically disappeared from Scotland when Lord Avebury passed his Act in 1880. About the end of last century they began to reappear. Here, in Galloway, the bird-catchers set to work with them at once, but a note to our Chief Constable put the police on the alert, and the mischief was stopped at once. Now we have plenty of these beautiful and beneficent finches, thanks entirely to the county council’s powers under the Acts. While I do not understand why Dr. Collinge describes the kingfisher and the dipper.as ‘ most ‘beneficial,’ I am surprised that he does not mention the lanwing, an insatiable inséct-eater. It is the only one of our wild birds of which both the careass and the eggs are habitually offered for sale and eaten. Little harm is done by taking the early laid eggs, most of which would, if left on the ploughland, be destroyed in the process of sowing and harrowing, but to kill the birds should be constituted an offence. Starlings have increased in numbers a hundredfold in my own recollection, and probably no single species of small bird accounts in this country for insects in the same quantity as they do. It must be owned, _ however, that ripening fruit crops require protection from starlings. While I am very far from differing from Dr. Col-. linge on the importance of the subject of his paper, I venture to think that more good might be done by stimulating the activity of county councils in the NO. 2546, VOL. 107] matter of bird protection than by finding fault with the Acts enabling them to provide it. aie Monreith. HERBERT MaXwEL. Wirn reference to Sir Herbert Maxwell’s comments on my article in Nature of July 25, I think he has overlooked one of the causes I mentioned in con- nection with the present scarcity of our insectivorous birds, viz. the severity of the winter of 1916-1 a like, to a smaller extent, of that of 1917-18. 1 should like, therefore, to direct his attention to a recent and valu- able report on the subject by Messrs. Jourdain a Witherby (British Birds, 1918, vol. xi., pp. 2: vol. xii., pp. 26-35), wherein they point out, as ti result of a very careful and prolonged inquiry, the enormous mortality that has taken place, in some cases to the extent of 80-90 per cent. in certain counties, a a hoagie cnet The kingfisher and the dipper I regard as beneficial because both species consume a large quantity of injurious insects. In the case of the former species, an investigation upon which I am at present engaged shows that much of the food is of a neutral nature, . on the lapwing, and would point out that und name of peewit this bird is included in the s of the Act of 1880. force the amending Act of 1894 (57 & 58 Vict., c. 24), which prohibits the taking or destroying of wild birds’ eggs, only eight Scottish authorities have placed this bird upon their list, and the ten English which protect the eggs of all wild birds (¢ : “Game Laws,” 1912, and Marchant and Watkins, “W.B.P. Acts,” 1897). Why have the remain- ing eighty-eight authorities been waiting nearly a quarter of a century before doing the same? Again, only ‘twenty-three authorities afford protection to the eggs of the skylark, 36-5 per cent. of the food of which is beneficial as against 13 per cent. injurious and 50-5 per cent. neutral. Numerous other instances might be quoted. mee Whether one regards the Act of 1880 from_the point of view of the ornithologist, farmer, -grower, forester, or fisherman, it is unsatisfactory (i) in the number and species it affords protection to, (ii) in the penalties it imposes, (iii) in the absence of any provision for revision at stated periods, and (iv) in its lack of precision. Moreover, in entrusting the addi- tions and general administration of the Act to the county councils it has proved largely ineffective. s WALTER E. COLLINGE. © The University, St. Andrews. TROP PAG eae Preparing ‘‘Palates’’ of Mollusca, iy PROLONGED cooking in a strong solution of soap is a much more satisfactory method of cleaning these interesting objects than the commonly recommended method with caustic potash. The plan which I have tried with success is to place the materials in the soap solution in a small phial, which is enc ; in a sand-bath, and then left on a hot part of the kitchen range. In a few hours all the surrounding tissues, or even the whole of the rest of the animal, is as completely disintegrated as it would be with the liquor potassae method, and the teeth all stand out bright and clear, but there is not the same risk of ts Fs oe * es oT a 22 a, Ty | as the Are I did not mention the starling, _ . n at ; Oke’s fe ue Of the 106 local authorities out * of 120 in England and Scotland that have put into _ 3 the so-called ‘‘ palate” becoming disintegrated or curl-_ 4 ing up and becoming brittle. G. H. Bryan. — Boe ‘i oe ee a Aveust 15, 1918] NATURE 465 STATISTICAL STUDIES OF DIETARIES.1 oye “HE matter which is essentially new in this - interesting and valuable report by Viscount Dunlace and Capt. Greenwood is a. statisfical study of the diet of workers fed in hostels and teens attached to various factories under the Ministry of Munitions. The document also con- tains an independent analysis of available figures relating to working-class dietaries before the war, and it is prefaced by an exceedingly interesting appraisement of the practical significance which is attached to the results of modern experimental work on dietetics. ce _A careful study of food consumption under the conditions of canteen feeding must yield a valu- able document. When, as in the majority of cases dealt with in this report, the whole nourishment of the individual is derived from an official food supply, the data become more trustworthy than those of most statistical studies, and there is the pegeonal merit that individual consumption is not orced or otherwise affected by a predetermined ration such as exists in the Army. A further advantage is that the work done by various sec- tions of the community, though not actually measured, nor perhaps measurable, is at least of a recognisable order of severity. The average daily consumption “per man”’ of some 20,000 munition workers. during the spring and summer of 1917 was found to consist of 115°7 rams of protein, 141°3 of fat, and 408°4 of carbo- Demy average Calorie value of the food 63, a figure very near to the standard so y ted for a nian doing moderately All the figures refer to food “as tamed fea severe work. . ee y PrThe statistical method applied to nutritional studies has obvious limitations as a guide to practice, especially if guidance be sought when, as now, the national conditions are exceptional. es results display the influence of appetite limited hiefly by economic conditions. If the latter are unfavourable, statistics of consumption do not guarantee the measure of an efficient diet. If conditions are favourable, the statistics may offer guidance for economy. In this connection, how- - ever, the above data are perhaps more than usually trustworthy. e munition workers were well paid, but in the earlier months of 1917 there was an atmosphere tending to check extravagance, though as yet there was no feeling that the in- dividual should go actually short. It is interesting to find, therefore, that the energy consumption was so closely similar to that of the working classes before the war. The average figure for the latter, as re-calculated by the authors from the Board of Trade returns, was 3571 Calories. The dietaries of munition workers were, how- ever, in a qualitative sense, abnormal, especially | in the very high proportion of fat eaten. In this respect they cannot serve as a model for ‘the present or for the immediate future. This high 2 “An Inquiry into the Composition of Dietaries, with Special Reference to the Dietaries of Munition Workers.” Medical Research Committee ; Special Report Series No. 13. NO. 2546, VOL. 101] | consumption of fat resulted from the circumstance _ that at the time when the statistics were being collected an acute shortage of potatoes co-existed with a vigorous “eat less bread’’ campaign. In one ,hostel, where the “voluntary ’’ weekly bread ration of 4 lb. was literally accepted, the fat con- sumption rose to 214 grams a day! As the authors remark, this is a sufficiently instructive instance of what happens when the nutritional habits of the population are disturbed by force of circumstances or otherwise. ; | There is great difficulty in choosing a final expression for the results of statistical studies on the diet of a community. The demands of men, women, and children respectively have to be brought to some common denominator. This is usually done by expressing them all in terms of “man value.’’ To take a woman’s demands as eight-tenths of a man seems justified by the best data available. Much less satisfactory, however, are the factors hitherto used when growing boys and girls are concerned. To take the require- ments of boys at thirteen as being o°6, and of boys at fifteen as o°7, of a man’s (Atwater and Bryant) is certainly an error. The measurements of basal metabolism made and collected by Dubois, for instance, show that the requirements are proportionately high at these ages, so that a boy of thirteen wants little less food than his father, if the latter be a moderate worker. F. Gephard found, indeed, that the consumption at a large boys’ school in Concord, New Hamp- shire, was nearly 5000 Calories per head per day. | This question is not fully discussed by the authors of the report, who, following the Food ‘Committee of the Royal Society, used the Atwater factors.. They show, however, in an appendix, to what an important degree the recognition that the demands of children are larger than was thought will affect current statements as to con- sumption “per man’’ when family budgets are dealt with. For example, taking the normal family of man, wife, and four children, the man value usually taken is 1+0844x0°51= 3°84. Taking the factor for children as o°7 instead of o'51, the man value becomes 4°6, and the per caput ‘man consumption is reduced to 83°5 per cent. of its usually tabulated value. At any rate, a proper revognition of the requirements of chil- dren is of immense importance in budgeting for the nation. Unfortunately, statistical studies do not tell us what at the moment it is so desirable to know. How far can the customary diet of a community be reduced without reducing its output of work? If reduction in food merely means inconvenience /or even a degree of suffering, the nation will not | fear it. What it has to fear is a consequentia | diminution in productiveness. Even experimental studies have not yet given _a satisfactory answer to the above important question. We know that if an individual under favourable conditions of nutrition will accept with equanimity a certain loss of body-weight, he may reduce his consumption without | considerably 466 NATURE [AuGusT 15, 1918 obvious loss of health, and, to judge from the work of Graham Lusk, his “efficiency’’ in the technical sense will not be affected. Work actually done will apparently be done at the same cost in Calories. We have, however, no certain knowledge as to how far that reduction can go (if it can occur at all) without affecting his ulti- mate capacity for work. The review of modern experimental investiga- tions with which the report opens well repays perusal as coming from authors highly qualified to appraise it from an independent point of view. In connection with the experimental measure- ment of Calorie requirements, they do well to emphasise the point which Dr. Leonard Hill has recently made so clear—namely, that estima- tions made upon a man in a calorimeter at uni- form temperature and in still air must not be applied in practice without proper qualifications. Vary the conditions, lower the external tempera- ture, and especially increase the movement of air to which a resting man is exposed, and the demand goes up. It may be enormously increased. Our knowledge concerning the energy require- ment for the performance of external work is fully and very ably reviewed and appraised. It is shown that such data as those obtained by Bene- dict and Cathcart enable us to state with fair accuracy the increase in the demand for energy which goes with a given increase in work. This, however, applies only to work done within com- paratively narrow limits. We have, for instance, no satisfactory data bearing on the cost of the more sedentary occupations. In discussing the protein question the authors seem to be less at home. They do wrong, for example (though the point is perhaps of no great importance), in associating our modern conception of the metabolism of protein, involving, as it does, important chemical, as well as energetic, con- siderations, with the name of Rubner, who has given attention only to the all-important details of protein nutrition under compulsion born’ of other people’s work. The authors justly pillory in the course-of their historical discussion the vice of quotation at second hand; but it is just as bad to over-emphasise quotation from one par- ticular original source unless its authority out- weighs all others. On the protein question much more illuminating work and discussion have come from America and this country than from Germany. The work embodied in this important document _ Was carried out under the supervision of the Food Investigation Committee appointed by the Ministry of Munitions. THE AFFORESTATION QUESTION IN BRITAIN. Ed a previous article the present and future positions of the timber supplies of this country were considered. The afforestation question will now be briefly dealt with. House of Lords, recently Lord Selborne, in the asked whether’ the NO. 2546, VOL. 101] Government was in a position to announce its decision on the report of the Forestry Sub-Com- mittee of the Reconstruction Committee, mention- ing the pressing necessity for replanting. which existed throughout the country. Lord Peel re- plied that the Government had accepted the report of the Forestry Sub-Committee, and that a central authority for the United Kingdom would be set up and planting be proceeded with with the least pos- sible delay. This announcement will be greeted with approbation by all acquainted with the urgent importance of the afforestation problem. Differ- ences of opinion on administrative questions exist, but these are trivial compared with the main object in view—the afforestation of the waste lands of the country. Forestry in its general aspects is a branch of economic industry of which the British public has known very “little in the past. It is not surprising that it should have remained in ignorance of its importance. For we have no forests in Britain in the sense in which the word is understood in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Ours are pretty woodlands. In the future it will be necessary to grow commercial woods, for the war has demonstrated unmis- takably that, as a mere. matter of safety in the case of emergency, we must have a reserve supply of timber and pit wood in the country. It has been already shown that we have to face the probability of all our commercially exploitable woodlands being cut out either during the war or in the years immediately following the peace. In 1914 we had 3,000,000 acres of woods in Britain. On a rough estimate half of these will disappear, and the areas occupied by them be replanted. This work is more a matter for the proprietors, who have. received a high price for material which in many cases was almost unsaleable before the war. In some instances Government assistance may prove necessary. These fellings will not be all to the bad, since considerable areas, commercially worthless in pre-war days, owing to the poor methods on which they were grown, will have been cut out. But these 14 million acres do not affect the main afforestation problem before the nation. - Since the outbreak of war, Ministers and others have been wisely preaching thrift and con- servation of the national resources. There are some 163 million acres of mountain and ~ heath land in Great Britain, much of it bringing in a very small return per acre, from 2s. 6d. down to a few pence. Some of this land is above the limit in eleva- tion of tree growth; other parts may prove re- claimable for agriculture. Land which is utilisable for the production of food should not be afforested. But there remains, so far as an estimate can be formed, at least some 3,000,000 to 5,000 acres which’ can be made to produce, in the national interests, a higher return both in“money and general utility when placed under tree crops. Moreover, on these large areas of waste land—_ for, in the sense that they are not being put to_ their best use in the interests of the community, yOOO . ” PO Ee Pee I oh he ts a ta ait ais | Aucust 15, 1918]. NATURE 467 they are waste lands—it will be possible to de- marcate blocks of a size capable of being worked on a commercially profitable scale, with system- atic fellings which will guarantee a continuity in supply of material, reduce the cost of extraction of the material, cover the cost of upkeep, and yield a profit. Such areas of forest will maintain a larger population on the land, since forests require more people to look after them than the _ pasturing of sheep. They will also result in the employment of a considerable head of population in industries which arise in a wooded country— é.g. saw-mills, pulp-mills, furniture and box factories, etc. — eR _ The afforestation of these lands is not going to prove easy. The rich layers of soil they previ- ously possessed have been long since dispersed, and the young plantations, bereft of shelter, will have to stand considerable exposure. We must be ek for small crops during the first rotation. But even these should give a higher return than much of the land is at present yielding. Its afforestation will then be making a better use of the wastes, provide our descendants with a neces- ‘sity for their industries, and give them a reserve for an emergency. The land is at present in private ownership. An Act will doubtless be necessary in order to ive the State the pojvers to acquire, in the public interest and at its marketable value, such land as it may deem necessary for reclamation for agri- culture or for afforestation. But so far as afforestation is concerned it is unlikely that Government would be obliged to have recourse to the Act to effect the purpose in view. The acquisi- tion of land by Government is undesirable if only on account of the friction it might give rise to. The better method of procedure will be by way of leasing areas from proprietors for a rotation {seventy years) or two rotations (140 years). The Development Commissioners have schemes on these lines. They offer to take over land from a proprietor on an ordinary lease and plant it up from their own funds (in conjunction with the Boards of Agriculture), the proprietor being given a small share of the proceeds from the woods, in addition to his annual rental; or, as an alternative, the proprietor to forgo any rental for his land, which will be planted up with money provided by the Commissioners, the two parties dividing the profits on a basis fixed by the amount of outlay incurred by each in the business. advantageous, and should result required being obtained. The selection of the land to commence opera- tions upon can be left to the Forestry Advisers. These officers have the whole country divided up between them; they have been at work several years, and will be acquainted with the most favourable areas in their respective districts. Now as to the cost of the undertaking. All figures have at present a problematical ring. But an all-round sum of 3/. per acre for the planting of the felled-over areas (14 million acres), and NO. 2546, VOL. ror] in the land drawn up. These offers appear to be mutually 4l. for the waste land (rabbit netting is not in- cluded, as rabbits will have to be exterminated in the planting areas), should be near the mark; or 24,000,000l., some 1,500,000l. to 2,000,000l. being provided by the proprietors. The amounts payable on the leases and upkeep, as also the more difficult problem of compensation for the removal of sheep stock in some cases, will be additional. Questions of space render it impossible to go into these matters. But they are details, though important ones, of the broad general scheme. This. area of 6} million acres should give, under skilled management, 455,000,000 cubic feet of all classes of timber, or about three-fourths of the 1913 imports. It will only prove a safety margin, for our pre-war consumption was_ increasing annually, and available imports, at a reasonable price, will decrease in the future. E. P. STEBBING. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA. PRS South African Journal of Science for. December last contains two articles on the organisation of agricultural education in South Africa and Australia respectively which deserve some notice, if only on account of the contrasts which they bring into prominence. Whereas in Australia the organisation seems to be complete from the bottom to the top of the ladder—from the elementary school to the university and re- search station—in South Africa, on the other hand, the conditions approximate to those existing in this country, where we have sporadic agricultural colleges catering more for the teacher of agri- culture than for the farmer, and no effective link with the organisation of education generally. In Australia the provision of what may be de- scribed: as intermediate agricultural education appears to have reached a remarkable pitch of effi- ciency. The “colleges” there, which we should describe as “farm schools,” aim at fully equip- ping the young farmer for the business of his life in a new country. Among the subjects taught are carpentry, saddlery, butchery, engineering, etc., and the writer of the article speaks of inspecting horseshoes, chisels, cultivator tines, complete sets of saddlery, all made by the students themselves. When we learn further that the lands of one of these “colleges” extend to 3500 acres, that up- wards of 2oool. worth of stock is sold annually, and that 130 horses are maintained, we can form some idea of the: seriousness of purpose with which the technical training is pursued. Scientific progress is not neglected. In New South Wales alone there are fifteen State experi- mental farms, where the special problems of Aus- tralian agriculture are being systematically at- tacked. One result of considerable scientific interest may be noticed. It appears to have been established that, generally speaking, Australian conditions do not demand the use of nitrogenous fertilisers, and in a Government publication is found the remarkable statement that the Austra- 468 NATURE [Aucust 15, 1918 lian’ soil is “self-nitrogenating.” Phosphatic manures, on the other hand, appear to be bene- ficial. Another feature of interest in Australian developments is the. growth of farmers’ institutes or bureaux, as they call them. In this country a remarkable and parallel development is now in progress (as an outcome of the war) in the shape of women’s institutes. The guiding motive in both cases is the stimulation of interest in the problems of rural life through the agency of what modern sociologists would call “herd” instincts, for it seems possible to stimulate in a meeting intellectual interests which remain dormant in the home ! But in regard to agricultural science, Australia is, above all, fortunate in the number of special problems which, as a “new” country, it pro- vides; the investigator finds numberless questions awaiting solution; he is not hampered by age- worn traditions and practices and the habit of mind which they engender; and he has not only a virgin field on which to demonstrate the effi- ciency of the new weapons which the scientific method has forged, but also, if we may judge from ‘what is recorded, a population ever willing to hear, and even to adopt, some new thing. — B. NOTES. TuE British Scientific Products Exhibition, organised by the British Science Guild, is being opened by Lord Sydenham at King’s College, London, as we go to press. The exhibition has aroused wide public interest, and there is no doubt that it will be decidedly successful in stimulating that close union between science and industry upon which progressive prosperity depends. intelligent attention has been paid to the co-ordination of these national activities than was given in earlier years. scientific workers and manufacturers has been largely dispelled, and an alliance is being formed which should go on increasing in strength for the benefit of each. The man of science formerly confined himself too closely to an academic atmosphere, and did not trouble to understand the problems of industry; while the manufacturer neglected to avail himself sufficiently. of the potential industrial developments represented by the rich stores of scientific knowledge accumulated in the laboratory. During the last four years, however, science and industry have been brought. into closer relationship, and some of the results of this entente cordiale are shown in the British Scientific Products Exhibition. Much yet remains to be done before we can recover all the ground lost by inactivity and un- wise legislation; but by giving an indication of what has been achieved, a new spirit will be created which should lead to further progress. WE much regret to see the announcement of the death on August 10, at seventy-eight years of age, of Prof. O. Henrici, F.R.S., emeritus professor of mechanics and mathematics in the Central Technical College of the City and Guilds of London Institute. THE Times announces that Mr. W. M. Crowfoot, of Beccles, Suffolk, who died on April 6 at eighty years of age, bequeathed a collection of exotic butterflies and moths to his wife for life and then to the Natural History Museum, University College, Nottingham; a collection of shells from the Paris basin, his crag- NO. 2546, VOL. 101] _ active substances, luminous bodies, or ores wi Since the advent of the war much more The spirit of distrust which existed between shells, and other fossils to the Norwich Museum; a collection of shells from the Italian Pliocene basin and a collection of marine, land, and fresh-water shells to the Ipswich Museum, ; Feira oy 4 Wk SBk An association of chemists engaged in the oil and — colour and allied trades has been formed for the pur- pose of considering and discussing the many comple points which are continually met with in the course of their work. The need for this association has been felt for a long time, and the work undertaken by the chemists of the paint trade on the linséed-oil substitu- tion products has been the foundation on which the association has arisen. The first president is Dr. F- Mollwo Perkin, and the secretaty Mr. H. A. Carwood, 53 Groombridge Road, London, E.g. THE autumn meeting of the Institute of Metals will be held in the rooms of the Chemical Society, Bur- lington House, on September 10 and 11. Among the communications to be submitted are:—The Resist- ance of Metals to Penetration under Impact, including a note on The Hardness of Solid Elements as a Periodic Function of their Atomic Weights, Prof. C. .A. Edwards; Grain Growth in Metals; Dr. Z. Jeffries; Rapid Recrystallisation in Deformed Non- ferrous Metals, Mr. D. Hanson; The Influence of Impurities on the Mechanical Properties of Admiralty. - “4 ey oa “a +e a Gunmetal, Mr. F. Johnson; and A Peculiar Case of .— Disintegration of a Copper-Aluminium Alloy, Dr. R. Seligman and Mr. P. Williams. i gett Tue MINIstER oF Munitions has issued an Order “ 4s prohibiting the purchase, sale, dr delivery of any radio- _ tia permit, and providing that such returns of ‘stocks, etc., | shall be made as are from time to time prescribed. The Order applies to all radio-active substances, in- cluding actinium, radium, uranium, thorium, and their disintegration products and compounds, luminous bodies in the preparation of which any radio-active substance is used, and ores from which any radio- active substance is obtainable, except uranium nitrate and radio-active substances which at the date of the Order form an integral part of any instrument, in- cluding instruments of precision or for time-keeping. Applications in reference to this Order should be ad. dressed to the Controller of Optical Munitions, Minis- try of Munitions, 117 Piccadilly, W.1. _ ENS? Pror. STEPHEN FARNUM Preckuam, who has died at Brooklyn at the age of seventy-nine, was director of the chemical department of the U.S. Army Labora- tory during the Civil War. He held successively the chairs of chemistry in Washington and Jefferson Col- leges, Maine Agricultural College, Buchtel College, and the University of Minnescta. In 1898 he was appointed director of a laboratory of the Commis- sioner of Accounts of New York, and later of the Department of Finance of that city. He had been ‘State assayer to Maine, Minnesota, and Rhode Island. He was the author of an elementary book on chemistry as well as of a report on the production, technology, and uses of petroleum and of a treatise on solid bitumens. < : Tue death is announced, in his sixty-seventh year, of Dr. Richard Rathbun, the acting director of the Smithsonian Institution at Washington. On gradua- ting at Cornell University in 1875, he was appointed assistant geologist to the Geological Commission of Brazil. In 1879 he was for a short time an assistant in zoology at Yale. mn the U.S. Fish Commission from 1878 to 1896, having charge of the scientific inquiries subsequent to 1887, He was scientific assistant on the pe we een & ‘Aucust 15, 1918] ., NATURE |: 469 i from 1892 to 1896 he was the U.S. representative eservation of fisheries in waters contiguous United States and Canada. Dr. Rathbun was nted curator of the U.S. National Museum in 1880, assistant secretary to the Smithsonian Institu- tion in 1897, and had been in charge of the U.S. _ National Museum since 1899. He had written largely )} on palzontology, marine invertebrate zoology, and ) the administration of fisheries and. museums. ) _ Tue death in Paris is announced, of Prof. Richard _ Norton, son of Mr. Charles Eliot Norton, professor : ig fine arts at Harvard. Richard Norton was director of the American School of Classical Studies in Rome from 1 to 1907. He came of good English stock, .and was related, on the English side, to the Sidgwicks and the Darwins. He was at once a trained archzxo- ogist, an excellent classical scholar, a critic of fine art, and an adventurous explorer. He worked in Greece ‘with Waldstein, with Boni in Rome, with Hogarth in Egypt, and on his own account in Cyrene. At the beginning of the war he organised the American Se ates Volunteer Motor Ambulance Corps, and during the shampagne battle in October, 1915, he disclosed the fact that the German gas apparatus captured dated so far back as 1908, thus proving that the barbarous methods of the enemy had been long premeditated. He received the Order of the French Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre for gallantry under fire, and ‘Was awarded the British Mons medal. THE position of this country as regard the supply of optical glass at the outbreak of war is often not clearly understood. We are glad, therefore, to correct ‘misapprehension which may have arisen from an ul reference to the subject in an article on the 1 Scientific Products Exhibition in Nature of re * incidentz2 plied nearly the whole of the optical glass required for instruments used by our Forces during the war, and also much of the requirements of our Allies, without any assistance from the formule determined by the Gus Research Committee of the Institute of Chemis- try. This committee rendered invaluable aid to the manufacture of scientific and heat-resisting glassware, but the needs of optical-instrument makers were met independently by Messrs. Chance, whose output since the outbreak. of hostilities has increased twenty- fold. Without their seventy years’ experience it would have been very difficult to have produced the supply of optical glass imperatively demanded by conditions of war, ' As is well known, the Germans were anticipated by some savage tribes’in the use of poisonous gas for ‘war purposes. Ina paper entitled ‘‘ Palisades and Noxious Gases among the South American Indians,” by Mr. Erland Nordenskidld, in Ur Ymer, Tidskrift utgiven av Svenska séillskapat fdr Anthropologi och Geographi (Arg. 1918, H. 3), he quotes authorities, such as Staden, Oviedo y Valdés, and Thevet, to show that tribes like the Tupinambaé and Guaranis of the Brazil littoral and on the Rio Parana used poisonous gases in attacking fortified villages. Men went in front of the attacking party, each holding a pan with embers in one hand, and ground red pepper in the other; ae yo wind was 2 ger so paniards the inkled the pepper on the embers. The was rake asi in attacks on the Spaniards in -NO. 2546, VOL. ror] é joint commission with Great Britain relative’ Venezuela. In the same way pepper was largely used in exorcising demons and evil spirits. The use of this pepper, known as Aji, would soon be discovered by these Indians, who cultivate the plant extensively. It was only necessary for someone to upset a basin of Aji into the fire, and a hut would soon be cleared of its occupants. The use of the smoke in warfare would be a natural development. THE entrance of the United States of America into the war has prompted Mr. A. Hansen to write to Science pointing out that the States possess no national floral emblem. France has its fleur-de-lis, England the rose, Scotland the thistle, but America has no flower with which it is associated in people’s minds. Mr. Hansen points out the various characteristics required for a national flower, and comes to the conclusion that the columbine, which is in flower from April to July, is probably the most suitable for the purpose. The correspondence of the generic name Aquilegia with the Latin name of the eagle is also considered to be a point in its favour. Colorado has already adopted the columbine, which is native throughout the States; and though the flowers are somewhat fugitive, no cther flower seems to be as suitable. In a later contribution to Science, by Mr. F. L. Sargent, it is pointed out that the national flower question was considered so long ago as 1895, and a history of the matter is given in Trans. Mass. Hort. Soc., part 1, 1898. It was then con- ‘sidered that the columbine was the most suitable flower, and its use for the purpose is strongly advo- cated by Mr. Sargent. Another writer, however, sug- gests the golden rod (Solidago), a common plant in the- States, which has previously been advocated, but does not seem so suitable for national purposes as the more elegant and beautiful columbine. ‘ Tue future of the Hevea rubber industry in the Federated Malay States and the East generally ‘s a matter of serious consideration and some anxiety. Not only is Hevea brasiliensis attacked by various para- sitic fungi, such as Fomes, pink-rot, and Phytophthora, some of which have received careful investigation. from mycologists, but there are also questions con- nected with the soil and other conditions of the plantations which also need careful attention. All who are in any way interested in the future of the rubber industry should make a careful study of Prof. J. B. Farmer’s address on ‘‘Science and the Rubber In- dustry,” delivered before the Royal Society of Arts, and published in the society’s Journal for June 21 last. The picture he draws, though somewhat gloomy, is none the less true. Possibly the hope of the future lies in breeding varieties of rubber immune to disease, but this will scarcely be possible until we have a fuller knowledge of the true function and pre- cise chemical compos‘tion of the latex of Hevea brasiliensis. Moreover, despite the chairman’s (Sir Edward Rosling’s) remark that there was no direct evidence of a great variation of yield of rubber. amongst different trees, there is, as Prof. W. Bateson pointed out, a very large body of evidence that there are wide differences, and of such any breeding experi- ments will have to take due account. It is much to be hoped that there will be no delay in taking steps to safeguard adequately the true interests of the rubber industry and ite future prosperity. Tue British occupation of Jerusalem has already, in one important respect, conferred upon the inhabitants the benefits of sanitation. Within the short space of four months, despite difficulties of transport and un- favourable weather, a scheme of water-supply has been devised, executed, and put into commission. 470 NATURE. The antiquated and germ-infected method of purvey- ing water in leathern bags through the agency of the water-carrier is now superseded by a series of stand- pipes at various points in the city, fed by a main leading from an untainted source in the hills, where there is a group of springs yielding some 14,000 gallons per hour, which was previously running to waste. During the long period of Ottoman misrule, with its characteristic indifference to health and cleanliness, no attempt had been made to deal with this funda- mental question of water-supply. Domestic require- ments were met, in a haphazard fashion, from under- ground cisterns, replenished during the winter rains, most of them polluted and encrusted with dirt, and some even in a ruinous condition. Pending further developments, the British authorities have arranged to refill these domestic reservoirs as often as may be necessary on the preliminary stipulation that they shall be thoroughly cleansed and put in order; a British sanitary officer takes good care to see that this require- ment is rigidly observed. The inhabitants can have as much water as they need, and the consumption is stated to be ten times as great as it was last year: The hospitals receive a supply direct from the main. THE fine series of’ Maori burial-chests in the Auck- land Museum, with a few isolated specimens in other collections, are described in Man. for July by Dr. W. H. R. Rivers and Mr. H. D. Skinner. The chests were used in secondary burial, the bodies being first placed in trees and the desiccated bones collected for re-interment. The custom of placing the dead or _ their bones in caves is widely. spread in Oceania, but neither elsewhere in New Zealand nor in any other part of Polynesia do we know of such chests. Receptacles, often in human form, are, however, used in Melanesia, notably in the Solomon Islands, to pre- serve the skull or skeleton. -In the case of the New Zealand chests, similarity with Melanesian culture comes out in the nature of the chests themselves. In many respects in which the carving departs from the usual characteristics of Maori art it approaches that of Melanesia; and it is noteworthy that the part of the northern island of New Zealand where these chests have been found is characterised by the pro- minence of negroid or Melanesian characters. in the physical features of the inhabitants.. | A vivip description of caribou hunting in New- foundland appears in the Brooklyn Quarterly (vol. v., No. 2). The author, who signs himself ‘‘R. H. R.,” is chief taxidermist to the Brooklyn Museum, and re- counts his experiences during a trip undertaken for the purpose of providing six specimens for the museum. Incidentally, he has some ‘hard things to say of the professional hunter. ‘‘ These men ‘who hunt for meat are a bloodthirsty lot. They do not hesitate to kill in excess of their legal allowance of three caribou. The wholesale butchery . . . in. Newfound- land is a revolting sight.”” This state of affairs calls for immediate measures if the extinction of the herds. is to be prevented. The author féars that they will go the way of the bison if the present rate of destruc- tion is not speedily checked. Mr. R. C. Murpuy, in Sea Power for June, gives ‘a brief but illuminating account of the whale fishery of South Georgia, and the part-it has played in fur- nishing glycerine for the manufacture of high ex- plosives. Even before the outbreak of war the hump- back whale had been dangerously reduced in numbers, and the announcement in this article that the oil of this animal is particularly rich in glycerine gives occa- sion for grave forebodings as to the fate of this par- ticular species. But the exigencies of the times have NO. 2546, VOL. tor] .also demanded a very heavy toll on the rorquals of This much is apparent from the — Antarctic waters. statement that by the beginning of 1917 no fewer than 660,000 barrels of whale-oil had been dispatched to British ports. For the sake of. the future of the whaling industry, not only in these waters, but also at the Cape—for the one depends upon the other—we trust that the issue of whaling licences will be thoroughly revised on the advice of scientific experts, who, until now, have not been consulted in the matter, which has been administered entirely by the Colonial Office. : ene. THE improvement of the natural indigo industry is a subject which is receiving much attention from scientific workers in India, and one aspect of the question is dealt with by Mr. C. H. Hutchinson in. a paper entitled ‘‘ The Importance of Bacterial Action in Indigo Manufacture” (Calcutta; Thacker, Spink, — and Co., 1917, pp. 11). The yield of indigo from a given weight of indigo plant is found to depend upon the intervention. of bacteria during the steeping pro- cess, and while some bacteria .operate benefici. ficially others are detrimental. In the absence of the former the yield is reduced, and the author considers that the. a [Aucust 15, 1918 presence of these beneficial forms could be secured by — artificial inoculation. Some alterations in the shape of the steeping-vats are also suggested in order to bring the bacteria normally present in the walls of the vats into closer connection with the indigo plant. _ Kew Bulletin Nos. 2 and 3 were published together, mainly because they contain a valuable paper by Sir David Prain on the genus Chrozophora (Euphorbiacez), one species of which is a Languedoc plant, the source of one of the litmus dyes known as turnesol. Both the — history of the genus. and careful accounts of all the — species are given. The paper occupies some seventy pages, but is much too technical for a brief review. In the same Bulletin there is an interesting account of experiments which have recently been made in breeding the West African oil-palm Elaeis guineensis, — both on the Gold Coast and in the Seychelles. The object in view in these experiments was to see if the soft-shelled variety of the oil-palm-would breed true, — but it has been. found that this is far from being the case under the conditions of the experiments. Palms grown from soft-shelled seed have yielded both hard- and soft-shelled nuts even in the same bunches of fruit, and it is clear that no decisive results can be obtained until care is taken to hand-pollinate the flowers of a soft-shelled tree with. pollen from a tree of similar character and to: protect the flowers, as cross-fertilisa- tion must be of constant occurrence. Not only is it desirable to produce nuts with thin shells easy to be cracked, but it is also necessary to breed varieties of | palms which shall be proljfic bearers of fruit yielding the finest quality oils. Hitherto the oil-palm has only been a wild crop, but it is of interest to note that recent attempts to cultivate it on the Gold Coast have met with remarkable success, the yield from palms grown in tilled soil at fair distances apart being more than three times as large as that from palms under native conditions. The establishment of plantations in the Federated Malay States and the Seychelles may therefore lead to far-reaching results, and under these more favourable conditions the oil-palm may so flourish that the native industry, unless properly cared for, may collapse and disappear. On October 1, 1917, A disturbance, evidently due to an air-wave, was reported at certain places on the Dutch. coast. Doors. flew open and. shut, pictures swung on the walls, and windows clattered. The = Be explanation of the ‘satisfactory substitute for platinum. even better than nickel. _AveusT 15, 1918]- S NATURE 471 7 => - Meteorological Institute at De Bilt attributed the dis- turbance to an explosion which occurred ata muni- tions factory in the North of England. Accepting this phenomenon, a writer in Oéester- reichische Flug-Zeitschrift for January, 1918, regards it as evidence of a strong current from north-west in upper air. This current is identified with the one _ that carried the German airships over France when rning from a raid in England last October, and __ is referred to as the summer monsoon prolonged into the autumn. Tue Germans are greatly troubled in finding a i Now, however ing to Metall und Erz, May 22), they have nd that for certain purposes an alloy of nickel and iron may replace platinum. The alloy—called *‘platinite""—-may be used in electric lamps. Nickel- chromium is sufficiently resistant to chemical action to make it a fairly good substitute for platinum for laboratory purposes. Cobalt stands up to strong acids The low melting-point of gold makes it unsuitable for some purposes, but the melting-point may be raised by adding palladium. The Bureau of Standards (U.S.) has recently tested this latter alloy (known as “palau’’), and found it to ior to platinum in some respects, though be inferior in others. Tue April Bulletin of the Bureau of Standards contains a study of the electromagnetic moving-coil alvanometer for alternating currents by Mr. E. eibel. After obtaining the equations of motion of _ the coil, he shows that the deflections are proportional to the co ent of the electromotive force applied to the coil in phase with the excitation of the laminated magnet. The period is shortened by induct- ance and lengthened by capacity of the external cir- cuit. The intrinsic constants of the instrument are easily determined by experiment, so that the behaviour of the instrument under specified conditions is readily foretold. The instruments which have been con- structed on the lines laid down in the paper have a sensitivity at low frequencies much greater than the telephone, greater than the vibration galvanometer, and about equal to the best direct-current instruments. At high frequencies of the order 2000 many pre- cautions must be taken to ensure accuracy; amongst others, the moving coil and circuit near it should be i in a metal shield kept at the same potential as the coil. _A TIMELY article on “ Planning a Research Labora- tory for an Industry,” by Dr. C. E. K. Mees, . of Rochester, New York, appears in the July issue of the Scientific Monthly. The research laboratory, for example, of a textile-dyeing business with an annual turnover of 200,000l. per annum should cost. about 2o0ol. and the equipment about toool. It should have, to begin with, a staff of four with salaries totalling 200o0l. per annum. The organisation should be on the departmental system—that is, there should be a head of the laboratory and three heads of departments of hysics, chemistry, and biology respectively. As the boratory justifies itself, additions to the staff of each department will become necessary, and these additions will be responsible to the heads of departments, although with further growth provision should be made for their becoming heads of new departments. The great object of the firm should be to get hold of ‘a capable man for the head of the laboratory, as success or failure depends on him. If such a man is _available it is best to leave the organisation in his hands, for there is no evidence for the belief that an investigator is not a good administrator. NO. 2546, VOL. 10T] To the Biochemical Journal for June Dr. J. C. Drummond contributes an account of further work on what has been called the ‘“‘ water soluble B,’’ or water-soluble accessory growth-promoting substance (compare Nature, March 21, p. 52). The influence of the substance upon the nutrition and nitrogen meta- bolism of the rat was studied. The food consumed by rats fed upon a diet deficient in the water-soluble accessory substance seems to be reduced to that suffi- cient to supply the calorific requirements of mainten- ance, and, although the consumption may be increased by the addition of flavouring agents (e.g. meat ex- tract) to the diet, no growth is -observed unless the egent contains the water-soluble substance. Addition of an extract of the latter to the inadequate diet causes a greatly increased food intake, immediately followed by growth, and the amount of growth is proportional, within certain limits, to the amount of accessory sub- stance added. Evidence was obtained that the length of time a rat can maintain its body-weight upon ‘a diet deficient in the water-soluble substance is directly proportional to the age at which the restriction is imposed. The only apparent deviation from the normal nitrogen metabolism “by rats fed upon the deficient diet was the appearance of creatinuria, accom- panied by a slow wasting of the- skeletal muscles. The cause of the fatal decline which inevitably follows a deficiency of the water-soluble substance was not ‘discovered, but symptoms of nerve disorder were observed before death in three cases. Actively grow- ing animal tissues (embryos, tumours), desiccated pituitary gland, thyroid, thymus, testicle, and ovarian tissues are deficient in the “‘ water soluble B.” Tue New York State Barge Canal, which it was anticipated would be opened to navigation in the early part of this year, is the subject of an interesting article in the Engineer of July 1g. It is the develop- ment of a network of antique waterways dating back, in part, to the beginning of last century. The principal member of the system is the old Erie Canal, linking up Lake Erie with the River Hudson; this was begun in 1817 and completed in 1825. As originally constructed, it had a depth of 4 ft. and a width of about 42 ft. Similar and adjacent enter- prises followed, but the advent of the locomotive and the development of railway construction exercised a deterrent influence, so that ultimately several of them failed and had to be shut down. The canals which survived, although enlarged from time to time to meet the growth in size of vessels, gradually lost influence and declined into relative obscurity. In 1882 the Erie Canal had a depth of only 7 ft., and the largest boat carried was of 240 tons burthen. The scheme just completed provides a minimum depth of 12 ft., and minimum widths of 94 ft. in rock cuttings: and 125 ft. in earth excavation respectively. The project has, in fact, been so designed as to render it possible to accommodate boats up to 3000 tons, though for the present the bulk of the craft using the cana] will scarcely exceed 1500 to 2000 tons. As yet there is a lack of boats of a suitable type, and opinion is much exercised on the matter; possibly the solution of the problem may lie in the adoption of reinforced-concrete construction. There are fifty-seven locks on the new waterway, each 328 ft. long and 45 ft, wide. As the dimensions of a 1090-ton barge recently built—the first of a fleet of such boats for service on the canal—are 152 ft. long and 22 ft. beam, there is evidently ample margin. for future expansion. All the locks are operated electrically. The lock at Little Falls, with a range in level of 40} ft., is notable in that its range is greater than that of any single lock on the Panama Canal. The syphon‘lock at Oswego, with a range } of 25 ft., is the first of its type to be constructed in 472 NATURE [AucusT 15, 1918 the United States, and is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world. WE have received a copy of a paper by Mr. K. J. J. Mackenzie and Dr. F. H. A. Marshall, of Cambridge, on ‘‘The Inheritance of Mutton Points in Sheep.” The paper is published in the ‘Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural . Society, 1917, and consists of ‘an account of Mendelian cross- breeding experiments upon’ merino and _~ Shrop- shire sheep, carried on over a number of years at Cambridge, and involving three generations of animals. The points dealt with (‘‘over the shoulder,”’ “behind the shoulder,” “loin,” and ‘‘top of leg’’) show a marked degree. of segregation among the cross- bred sheep. Tue special feature of the July issue of the ‘Readers’ Guide,’’ just issued by the Norwich Public Library Committee (post free 2d.), is a section devoted to the work of Mr. A. H. Patterson, whose valuable collection was recently presented to the Norwich Public Library. A short account of this well-known naturalist’s life and .writings, by Mr. Geo. A. Stephen, the city librarian, is followed by an anno- tated bibliography (extending to five pages) of -his writings, arranged under the following headings :— Manuscripts, Books and Pamphlets, and Principal Articles. Patterson is a prolific writer, should be of much interest and “use to naturalists. OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. BorrEtiy’s Comet.—This periodic comet, which was observed in 1905 and 1911, has been detected on its return by M. Fayet, director of the Nice Observa- tory, the position on August 7-6205 G.M.T. being R.A. 3h. 39m. 52s., S. decl. 16° 14’. M. Fayet, who obtained a very extensive series of observations in 1911-12, had previously computed the first order per- turbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and obtained the following elements for 1918 (Marseilles Observatory Circular, No. 29) :— Est T=1918 Nov. 16°3484 G.M.T. @ = 352° 23' 29°44" Qs 76: 55 sth: sont £1540 20 29108 b= 37-57 0578: log a=0°5593451 : log g=0°1448107 The observation indicates that the true value of T is near November 16-62. The following ephemeris (for Greenwich midnight) is computed with the uncorrected value of T :— , RA S. Decl. Sept. 3 4 40 36 13 37 7 ae 4 49 20 13 10 II =F 4 57 57 12 41 15 ae 5 6 28 12:9 19 baie 5 14.51 II 33 23 be 522-0 10 54 27 a Ege 33 wii Io II Oct. 1 ee 5 39 10 a3 9 22 Values of logr, log A: September 3, 0-20980, 0:08128; October 1, 0:17291, 9-96205 respectively. THE AuGust Mertrrors.—These phenomena appear to have returned this year under a more brilliant and abundant aspect than usual. Mr. Denning writes from Bristol that he made observations on July 30, August 2, 5, 6, 8, 9g, and 10, and that the number of meteors visible increased with the time. On August 9 forty- NO. 2546, VOL. 101] - extending over a diameter of six or seven ci the The bibliography, which shows that Mr... nine meteors were seen in 23 hours’ watching, and ~ on August 10 forty-eight were observed in 13 hours. On the former date twenty-five Perseids were include in the total, and on the latter thirty-one. The position of the radiant point exhibited the usual displacement from night to night to the north-east. The character of the radiation this year seems to have been more dispersed or diffused than is sometimes the case, and, far from being ‘‘a point,” the radiant formed an area Several fine Perseids were observed, and ‘ir posi- tions, as seen from Bristol, were as under:— Date G.MeBes os !Mage cir mires G Ber fom + ml, 9 0 eae August 5 13 54 ° 269 +844 230 +65 8. 1247. WU 320 +82 256°+70} 9° "10 33-3. XP 332) — 29 Samer 10 56 Q 174+48 5¢+40 Ir 6 °° YU °203° 4) 9 ae es 10 104 BK Q* 35 eee —o. Gr ate? | 20. +20 18442). On August 10 a 2nd mag. meteor was seen at ). which had a very long flight of 75° from 62°+% 257° +28". Ae The night of August 11 was much overcast at Bristol, and all that could be seen was an occasional brilliant-meteor in openings of the clouds. == On August 12 the sky was splendidly clear, and an attentive watch, amounting to 2? hours in-the interyal between gh. 45m. and 13h. 45m. G.M.T., revealed 120 meteors, of which ninety-six were Perseids. The 54> rs: to Oe te ee, On a a a ee Fe a ae” oe es os shower was quite brilliant and abundant, though me the maximum had probably oceurred on the previous night. A magnificent Perseid was seen at 12h. 41m. -G.M.T. shooting ‘from 28°+46° to 183°+35°, a avand leaving a bright streak. These August meteors have furnished an unusually fine display this year, THE FUTURE OF THE IRON AND _ “STEEL TRADES. #00) taae July 31, 1916, Mr. Walter Runciman, the then N O President of the Board of Trade, appointed a — Committee to consider the position of the iron and steel trades after the war, especially in relation to international competition, and to report what measures, if any, are necessary or desirable in order to safeguard that position. The Committee consisted of representatives of employers, employed, and those engaged in technical practice. At its first meeting it decided to address to the manufacturers’ and work- men’s associations in the trades and to the trade Press a circular letter indicating the nature of the inquiry upon which it was engaged, and ae a assistance and co-operation. In reply a number detailed statements were received, which in the great majority of cases were supplemented by oral evidence. The Committee states that it has endeavoured to approach the question of the future of the position of the iron and steel industries with a mind free from | preconceived political views and economic theories, and that its purpose has been, not to test abstract doctrines, but to establish an ordered plan of action. Political existence, it says, must be founded on com- mercial and industrial strength, and the problem to which it has attempted to find a solution is:—‘‘To give to the nation industrial resources which in time _ of peace shall preserve the prosperity of Great Britain, and in time of war shall give her full command of - resources adequate to the defence and safekeeping of ‘the Empire.” We vee The scope of the inquiry was so wide that it was: — decided to treat various subjects separately, and a : _ ‘Aveust 15, 1918] se — A ial fs ua iF z bs ; 5 4 ; | > 4 Wor: (uence ra at 2 ie a | of customs Bf hpaatte oo NATURE 473 _ number of interim: reports dealing with special sub- fra thave been issued. These are incorporated in al report, which was presented to Sir Albert ey in June, 1917. Committee completed its labours in about eleven n¢ , and that a year has elapsed between the sentation and publication of its report. The latter is divided into fourteen sections, in regard to which its of ce permit reference to only two. It sho be stated, however, that, generally speaking, the Committee failed to reach unanimity on most of the” points discussed. Nearly all the interim reports are either signed with very decided reservations certain members, or else acccmpanied by a y report emphasising fundamental disagree- Tei is true that the general summary of recom- tions is signed by each member of the Com- , the numbers of which were reduced to nine by "ment. It will be seen, therefore, that’ of home construction that are being ‘the death of Mr. Colville in December, 1916; but three | of these, in doing so, direct attention to various dis- | senting statements of theirs in the body of the report. Se, Hugh Bell evidently came to very different con- eeeon from those reached by his brother employers, and has expressed them in a series of minority reports. As regards what may be called the future position ‘2 labour in the industry, which is one of the most fundamental aspects of the problem, the sectional _ report is signed by five members, and more or less _ dissented from on three separate grounds by the re- four. _In the succeeding section, dealing with “Protection,” the same five members recommend that the industry should be protected by the imposition duties ‘‘upon all imported iron and steel and and manufactures thereof,” that a specific duty Fence ner peeved: in each class of commodity, and that “maximum, general, and minimum ess Gavin and Hodge, while agreeing der it imperative that safeguards should the Government against the raising pe pot ey against the consumer and to the dis- pte of On the other hand, Sir Hugh ‘Bell and Mr. Davidson in their dissenting statement say :— “We entirely disagree with the foregoing report, which proposes to inflict on the community Protection in its most unmitigated form. Neither the on which this course is recommended nor which it is proposed to adopt to accom- plish it are, in our judgment, justified by the facts of the case... . A country of which the exports of iron and of the ultimate products of the manufac- ture of iron amount to more than one-third of the total value of the iron trade itself, and to something like one-quarter of the total export trade of the country, can by no stretch of language be described as not being self-sufficing.” It will certainly not be easy to legislate on the basis of this — ve NEW. X-RAY TUBES. Tee war has brought about an activity in the production of the “ Crookes” or X-ray tube that has become decidedly to our advantage. At the commencement of hostilities a certain amount of se was felt as to how the great demand that was in y created could be met; not only was the manufacture of these tubes rapidly falling into Ger- man hands, but we were also entirely dependent upon that country fer the supply of the pees glass neces- ‘sary for their construction. aap y the difficulties have gel been overcome. e production of tubes of higher efficiency and excellence than was ever reach at the present time all the demands both for military " NO. 2546, VOL. 101] | series known as the ‘ Zenith” and home needs can be met. This success is not confined to British manufacturers, but is shared’ by both our American and French Allies. The invention by Dr. Coolidge in America of the ionic discharge tube has placed in the hands of: the radiologist a highly efficient tool that will produce a volume’ of X-rays of any desired power of penetra- tion. These a are supplied in England by the British Thomson-Houston Co., Street. Messrs. Watson and Sons, of Great Portland Street, W., are the.sole agents for a very complete series of tubes produced by M. Pilon in France. These. have been specially designed to meet military needs, and are beautifully constructed pieces of apparatus; of Upper Thames some thousands of them have been supplied to the Allied Armies. There are also many excellent tubes produced in London as rapidly as the present restricted labour conditions will allow. Of these we may mention the tubes, manufactured by Messrs. A. E. Dean and Co., of Holborn. In these tubes the new glass devised for the purpose by | Sir Herbert Jackson is used, a they are London- before the war has been achieved, and | ; . made throughout. Many other British-made tubes” are on the market, so that there is thus every hope that another important industry has been saved from becoming a German monopoly. THE POSITION OF UNIVERSITY AND HIGHER TECHNICAL EDUCATION. I.—Suppty aND OvuTpuT oF STUDENTS. WO of the chief subjects dealt with in the report of the Government Committee on the position of natural science in the educational system of Great Britain, of which a summary was given in NATURE of April 18, are (1) the need for concerted efforts to increase the number of students at universities and higher technical institutions with the view of securing a larger supply of trained scientific workers required for industrial and other purposes, and (2) that in- creased grants of public money are required to equip the universities for their work in pure and applied science, and to enable a substantial reduction of fees to be made. Few particulars are givén in the r to show how the position of Great Britain as regards university and higher technical education compares with those of countries like Germany and _ the United States, though the evidence which such a com- parison affords strengthens greatly the case presented. It may be worth while, therefore, to bring together some facts which accentuate the need and urgency of action in the directions indicated by Sir J. J. Thom- son’s Committee. The first report (1915-16) of the Advisory Council for Scientific and Industrial Research pointed out that the prime condition of success for its operations was a largely increased supply of competent researchers, ‘Before the war,” the report remarks, “the output of the universities was altogether insufficient to meet even a moderate expansion in the demand for research. The annual number of students graduating with first- or second-class honours in science and technology (including mathematics) in the universities of England and Wales before the war was only about 530, and of these but a small proportion will have received any serious training in research. We have frequently found on inquiry that the number of workers of any scientific standing on a given subject of industrial im- portance is very limited. “The responsibility for dealing with the grave situa- tion which we anticipate rests with the education 474 NATURE [AucUsT 15, 1918 departments of the United Kingdom. We shall be able to do something to encourage a longer period of train- ing by the offer of research studentships and the like; but that will not suffice. It is useless ito offer scholar- ships if competent candidates are not forthcoming, and they cannot be forthcoming in sufficient numbers until a larger number of well-educated students enter the universities. That is the problem which the educa- tion departmenits have to solve, and on the solution of which the success of the present movement, in our opinion, largely depends.” Sir J. J. Thomson’s Committee confirms the state- ment of the Advisory Council for Scientific and Indus- trial Research that the total annual output of the first- and second-class honours men in science and engineering for all the English universities is little. more than 500. The total number of full-time men students who entered the universities. and university colleges of England and Wales (excluding the medical schools) in the year 1913-14 was no more than 4400, and of these some hundreds were foreign students. It is estimated that nearly half this number were from the public schools, from which about 5200 leave an- nually at sixteen years of age or above, and 25 to 30 per cent. proceed to the universities. In the case of the State-aided secondary schools, the number leav- | ing at sixteen years of age or above is approxiniately 8800; and the Government Committee estimates that from 12 to 15 per cent. pass to a university. This estimate is, however, probably too high, not more than about 10 per cent. of such students proceeding to uni- versities. As a rule, the State-aided secondary schools devote more attention to science and other modern studies than do the public schools; and it is to them that we must chiefly look for an increased supply of university students to be trained as scientific workers. In order to determine the position of the United Kingdom as regards education of a university standard in comparison with ithose of the United States and Germany, the conditions existing in the academic year 1913-14—that is, immediately preceding the opening of the war—have been analy The results show that much remains to be done to increase the number of university students from whom the supply of re- search workers must chiefly be drawn. The number of full-time students at the universities of the United Kingdom in 1913-14 was nearly 27,000, distributed as shown in Table 1. i.—Full-time Students at Universities of the United Kingdom, 1913-14.. Universities Students England ii 10 15,550 Scotland ak dai RE be 7,550 Ireland fia wl vee | 2,470 Wales & ae tie | 1,140 18 . 26,710 In comparing the number of students attending uni- versities and technical institutions of like rank in different countries, it is necessary, of course, to take population into account. Also, in making any exact comparison, the standard of the work at each uni- versity should be known. It is very difficult to derive these particulars from any published reports, but sufficient facts are available to enable a general com- parison to be made. Table 2 shows the number of university students per 10,000 of population in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Students at technical institutions of university rank are included; and in tthe case of the United States only students in the seventy-two universities, colleges, and technical schools on the accepted list. of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teach- NO. 2546, VOL. 101] ing. If all students taking four-year courses at these — institutions in the U.S.A. were included, the number — and rate per 10,000 would be doubled, j 2.—Full-time Students at Universities and Higher Technical Institutions, and Ratio to Population. ss Studentsin + | Universities Rate per : Population and ‘I«chnical 10,009 Institutions United States . 100,000,000 100,000 ~—«I0 Germany ... .» 65,000,000 90,000.13 United Kingdom ... 45,000,000 29,200. 6 England 34,000,000 17,0005 Scotland 4,800,000 8,000 ~=—s«16 Ireland 4,400,000 3,000 = 6 Wales 2,000,000 1,200, 855 _The number of students in universities and technical institutions of like rank may be taken as a rough index of national regard for intellectual equipment and high technical training. . Judged by ‘this standard, England and Wales occupy the lowest position among the countries represented in the foregoing table. Both in the United States and Germany there has been in recent years an increase in the number of university students far in excess of the increase of population, whereas before the war the reverse was the case in England and Wales. While industrial prosperity has been ac- companied by an increase in the proportion of univer- sity students in the United States and Germany, the rate of increase of such students.in England and Wales has diminished. . The number of collegiate and resident graduate i students in universities and other institutions of uni- versity rank in the United States in 210,500, made up of 139,400 men and 71,100 women. 4 : J 4 ot a i rw ~ I9I3-14 was © The number annually completing four-year courses and _ receiving bachelor degrees is about 26,000. In addi- — = tion, in 1913-14 there were conferred 5250 graduate degrees and 520 doctorates of philosophy by examina- tion. are The number of students in the twenty-one universi- . ties of Germany iin 1913-14 was about 68,000, 58,000 — : of whom were matriculated students. The distribu- tion of the students in the different faculties is shown in Table 3. 3.—Number of Students in German Universities, 1913-14. Rae ; No. of Student Faculty of Theology... os 5,840 os 5, Jurisprudence, etc. +++ 10,290 + ,, Medicine : 16,300 | i .» Philosophy 25,780 Total matriculated students . 58,210 Non-matriculated students 9,900 Grand total 68,110 In regard to the number of students receiving technological training of an advanced kind, the posi- tion of England and Wales is even worse than that shown by the proportion of university students. At the Imperial College of Science and Technology there were, in 1913-14, 700 such students; at Cambridge the number of candidates who presented themselves in the Natural Sciences Tripos, the Mechanical Sciences Tripos, and various special examinations in other branches of science was about 500; at Oxford the number of students of Natural Science was about 300; and at the Manchester College of Technology, 285. — Most of the technical colleges in England and Wales are connected with the universities of their respective areas. Others provide technical. institution courses approved by the Board of Education for students above 4 _ Avoust 15, 1918] z ee ee ee ae oe ee ee NATURE 475 seventeen years of age. Such provision for full-time a phe in applied science is, however, as the Board has pointed out, regrettably small in bulk with the needs for the industrial development of the In the year 1913-14 there were, in the _ technical institutions recognised by the init textile, and leather trades, many of which ‘e also attended by some students preparing for ‘ a pow and five scientific courses mainly in provision professional qualifications. The number of students pas: the full courses was 1236, of whom 539 were in rst year, 374 in their second year, 269 in their vere: and 54 in later years of their courses. The aoes of full-time students of science and ttechno- ogy in all these universities and colleges are shown in a 4.—Full-time Students in various Faculties of Science ond Technology lake Medicine) in Universities — ate in Receipt of State Grants ne (1913-14). pe Ortaca : : England Wales : ihe sa 1,620 . 234 eens naval hi ie | 1,085 44 10] gv, including ‘mining, urgy,andarchitecture ... 459 34 ‘horticulture, and ae 221 58 31385 370 * i 2 are fifty-two agricultural and mechanical col- a... for white students in the United States. These regarded as comparable with our technical and most of them are incorporated in In these cases the students are included 7 in the eeshire given for universities. The number te students in four-year college courses i - United States colleges of agriculture and ieeNMNNe Sets i in 1914 was 40,000; and the chief groups are shown in Table 5. 5.—Students in mleges of Agriculture and Mechanic rts, A. No. of Students "Agriculture, horticulture, and nagesalaet 14,250 eral science ‘ 4,360 _ Mechanical engineering 4,100 Civil: - ‘i 3,480 Electrical F 3,280 _ General Ae 2,610 _ Chemical 4 780 “Minin pt ve 680 Chemistry iv eee 610 34,150 The number of degrees conferred in 1914 in agricul- | tural and mechanical sciences were :— Agricultural Mechanical Science Science Bachelor degrees ... 1,900 1,960 Advanced __,, ri 150 150 2,050 2,110 There are eleven technical high schools in Germany | having the power of granting degrees. The number of students in these schools in 1913-14 was nearly 17,000, of whom 11,600 were fully qualified. stitutions or the applied science faculties and depart- ments of British universities. The matriculation for NO. 2546, VOL. I0T] compared | Board, i, fifty-four technological courses in engineering, | ch vida and subjects connected with the tuilding, It is not | possible to make any exact comparison between the | German technical universities and our technical in- | fully qualified students at the German technical high _ schools is the completion of the full nine years’ secondary school course at a classical, semi-classical, or modern secondary school, and is practically equiva- lent in standard to a pass B.A. degree at one of our universities. In our own technical institutions the standard and _ age of admission are much lower, and if we count all | the students at these institutions as well as those in | applied science departments of universities the number _ is less than 5000, to compare with the 17,000 students in German technical high schools. In addition to ' these schools there are four agricultural high schools _ with 1750 students; five veterinary high schools with 1570 students;* four forestry «academies with 300 | students; three mining high schools with 800 students, as well as other special schools; and in all these the educational qualifications for entrance are the same as at the technical and older universities. Dr. F. Rose, a few years ago, made a detailed pees 2 _to ithe London County Council upon technical educa- tion in the United Kingdom and Germany; and he showed ‘that there are few technical -institutions in the _ United Kingdom which can be compared with any of the great German technical universities. Good technical colleges and departments in England appear _to be on a level with the best technical schools in Germany rather than with the technical universities. ‘* Looked at,’’ said Dr. Rose, ‘‘from the basis of the German standard of previous education and practical work, length, extent, and variety of the courses taken, and ‘the number of diplomas granted, it will probably .. be found that there are insufficient students in the whole country to fill one of the large German technical universities ’ I1.—FinanciaL Provision. A comparison of the financial provision made for university and advanced technical training in the United Kingdom with what is available in the United States and Germany reveals our deficiencies just as decidedly as does that of the number of students. With the exception of Oxford and Cambridge, all the uni- versities and university colleges in England and Wales participate in Parliamentary grants, the amounts of which, as well as other sources of income, are shown in Table 6. 6.—Incomes of Universities and University Colleges in Receipt of Exchequer Grants (1913-14). ENGLAND WaALEs (18 Institutions) (4 Institutions) Amount py Amount ron - Fees ...190,300 281 £17,600 27:2 Endowments .. 100,300 14:8 4,200 6:5 Donations and subscriptions 20,700 3:0 2,100 33 Annual grants . from local authorities .. 108,500, 16-0 3,800 59 | Parliamentary grants 230,100 34:0 351700 553 Contr ibutions from hospi- tals, etc., for | services ren- dered 1,500 0-2 — —~ Other income . 26,200 39 1,200 U8 £677,600 £64,600 Grand total £742,200 It will be seen that the income from endowments of the eighteen universities and university colleges of Eng- | land and Wales in receipt of Exchequer grants amounts | to about 100,000l. Manchester receives about 23,0001, 476 NATURE li [AucusT 15, 1918 annually from endowments, or 27:5 per cent. of its total income, whereas King’s College, London, re- ceives only 620l., or 1-6 per cent. of its income. Man- chester University, Liverpool University, and Univer- sity College, London, together have nearly half the total income from the endowments of the universities and university colleges in England which participate in the Exchequer grant. In general, it may be said tthat these institutions derive about one-third of their total incomes from Par-. liamentary grants; the percentage of income from other ‘sources varies so greatly that no general statement other than the averages given in the above ‘table can ‘be made. In addition to ithe universities and university colleges in receipt of Exchequer grant, a number of medical schools and a few other institutions received in 1913-14 Parliamentary grants amounting to about 33,o00l., or one-quarter of the total incomes. annual Parliamentary grants to these universities, colleges, and medical schools in England and Wales is about 300,0001. The grants are made up as shown in Table 7. Twenty-four institutions in all participate in the grant for technological and other professional (including medical) work, and ten of them are also in receipt of portions of the Exchequer grants to ‘universities and colleges. 7.—Heads under which Incomes from Parliamentary Grants are derived by Universities, University Col- leges, and Medical Schools. England” Wales Exchequer is »+« 170,000 431,000 Board of Education, in ; respect of technological and other professional work... bes weg 46,890 430 Board of Education, in : eee respect of training of : teachers see es 19,910 . 4,730 © Board of Education, ; other grants ... > oe 20,440 250 Other Government de- : partments 19,560 4,780 £276,800 £41,190 The financial provision made by the State for uni- versity, medical, and higher technical education in the United Kingdom is about 500,000l. annually. Of this amount England and Wales receive about 300,000l., - Scotland about 84,oool., and Ireland about 100,000l. The total annual income of all the universities and university colleges in the British Isles, including the Universities and Colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, is about 2,000,000l.; that of universities and colleges in the United States is 20,000,000l., and of universi- ties in Germany 1,800,000l. Particulars of. the in- comes of institutions in the United States are given in Tables 8 to 12. : 8.—Income of Universities, Colleges, and Techno- logical Schools of the United States (t913~14). 2 Arsouak Perceritage ae of Total For tuition and other educa- tional services --+ $4,500,000 22:5 From invested funds +» | 3,500,000 17-5 Donations and subscriptions 2,700,000 13:5 Grants from State or city .... 6,000,000 30:0 United States Government A grant vs me 1,000,000 5:0 Other sources 2;300,000 II-5 20,000,000 100-0 NO. 2546, VOL. 101] States are very high in comparison with those of mo The total of the- The incomes of individual universities in the United — of our universities. Seventeen universities have each | an annual income equal to, or in excess of, the total - Parliamentary grants to universities and colleges of — England and Wales, and nine have incomes equal ito, or in excess of, the total Parliamentary grants to uni- versity and higher technical, education in the whole — United Kingdom. The incomes of these United Ss universities are shown in Table o. sie a. ee g.—Annual Incomes of Seventeen Universities in the United States, 1913-14. |) th eps University Cornell Universit ps ck ee 1,300,000 9,000 Columbia __,, dx ee ian bite [,300,000 Harvard he a eer aS Chicago - ,, ie ee ae Minnesota _,, es a a a 30,000 Wisconsin 5, -~ ae o hie rsa : Illinois * ae 382 aay: a California ,, ie oh oe) Cae . Yale cee a te ee Pet 2 J Michigan ,, . +5 Northwestern University Wellesley College, Mass. Missouri University oo ae wa Washington University, Missouri ... 300,00 ~~ Princeton Universit iy Pe, Vitek C Ohio ‘State. .,, a3 «+. 8 7300,00¢ Pennsylvania ,, . ate “+ 300,000 Ph and. Wales. These are shown in Table to. — See : ne, Geese al a 10.—State Grants to Five Universities in the U wa a a5 xi rae States. SGT ets Sane e4 rf Minnesota... s+ 2,000,000 £500,000 Illinois i 5,600,000 400,000. _ Wisconsin 2,300,000 400,000” California ‘ «++ 2,400,000. | ..300,000°.. | Michigan “as as+ 2,800,000.) {© “3OOjOOO 4. The benefactions to universities and colleges in the — United States are similarly far im excess of those — devoted to such institutions in the United Kingdom. — The total amount of gifts and bequests to universities — and colleges in the United States in the year 1913-14, — excluding grants by the Federal Government, di States, and municipalities, was more than 5,000,000l. — Of this amount nearly 4,000,000l. was for endowment, giving in a single year, if invested at 5 per cent., an increased endowment income of 200,000l., or double — the income derived from all the endowment funds of — the whole of the modern universities and university — colleges of England and Wales. The chief gifts in — 1913-14 are shown in Table 11. In pacts Pe . five universities, colleges, and technological schools — each received gifts above 20,000]. Pero . 11.—Private Benefactions to Universities of the Ml United States, 1913-14. cco . Tai University — Benefactions __ Cornell University 800,000 Harvard f 400,000 Chicago a 300,000 ~ Yale a 200,000. Washington ,, 200,000 Columbia es 5 oe v1 260,000 | The gifts and bequests to universities and colleges — in the United Kingdom in the year 1913-14 amounted — to about 200,000l. ett eae tcc: : 4 5 The x Aueust 15, 1918] ~ NATURE 477 incomes of the colleges of agriculture and nic arts in 1913-14, excluding the grants for experiment stations, amounted to 7,000,000l., made up as shown in Table 12. 12.—Incomes of sclieiet i and Technical Colleges, SD) J asl ss de at ia) Sources Amount Per cent. _ From States 43,600,000 52 _ Federal Government a 700,009 10 __ Tuition fees and endowments 2,700,000 38 ae . : ; oe £57,000,000 100 > “See . | The total income of these technical colleges is thus nearly ten times that of the whole of the universities colleges in England and Wales in receipt of grants; and 60 per cent. is derived from or Federal grants in comparison with 40 per cent. from Parliament and local authorities combined n the case of universities and colleges of England. It may be added that the normal State expenditure er annum on hi agricultural education in England nd Wales is about 20,000l., and 35,0001. for agricul- tural research, or not much more than a single State in America receives for similar purposes. ’ The incomes of twenty-one German universities in 3 1913-14, not including the technical high schools, unted to nearly 1,800,000l.; and of this the State ak “ ; 1,500,000l., or mor2 than 80 per cent. of the total. The universities with incomes approaching 100,000!. or more are shown in Table 13. State grants Per cent. #£:205,000 81 190,000 ~~ 82 82,000 73 74,000 67 75,000 75 65,000 66 50,000 53 72,000 80 only 5000 full-time students of science in the United Kingdom in comparison (2) Thereare and technology with nearly 17,000 in Germany and 34,000 in the United States. (3) The total income of universities in the United amounts to about 20,000,000l., and that of Ger- many to nearly 1,800,o00l. The total income of all the universities of the United Kingdom is about J (4) Eighty per cent. of the total income of German universities is derived from State grants, in comparison with 34 per cent. contributed in Parliamentary grants to the modern universities of England and Wales. (5) Thirty per cent. of the income of universities in the United States is derived from invested funds and donations, in comparison with 15 er cent. in the modern universities of England and 6 per cent. in those of Wales. : (6) The tuition fees at universities of the United Kingdom form a much higher percentage of the total income than they do in the United States and Ger- (a) Nine universities in the United States have individual incomes exceeding the total amount granted annually by Parliament to universities and institutions of like standard in the United Kingdom. NO. 2546, VoL. 10T] (8) Five States of the Unitéd States give grants to their universities exceeding the amount of the Parlia- mentary grants to universities and colleges of England and Wales. (9) Private benefactions to universities and colleges in the United States amount ‘to more than. 5,000,000l. annually; in the United Kingdom they do not average one-twentieth that sum. (10) The colleges of agriculture and mechanic arts in the United States have a total income of 7,000,000l., or ten times that of the whole of the modern universi- ties of England and Wales. (11) The University of Berlin receives annually from State funds a grant nearly equal to the total annual. Parliamentary grants to the universities and colleges of England and Wales. It will be evident from these facts that in the domain. of higher education the United Kingdom compares. very unfavourably with the United States and Ger-. many. No doubt one reason for this is that in America and Germany there has been a greater demand for highly trained men than in the British Isles, where posts for such men have been few, salaries low, and prospects poor. Conditions are, however, improving; and the industrial research associations being formed in connection with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, as well as associations established on the lines suggested by the Whitley Report, need for their successful operation the employment of men capable of undertaking research. The conditions of industrial development and the competition of other countries make it essential to secure an adequate ~ supply of trained workers of this type. Increased grants to universities and technical institu- tions are needed to enable the tuition fees to be reduced and to ensure that the staffs are paid salaries com- mensurate with the high qualifications demanded. The present aid given by Parliament is in no way adequate to modern needs, and compares very unfavourably with what is available in the United States and Germany. The grand total of all Parliamentary grants to universi- ties and technical colleges of university rank in the United Kingdom is about 500,000l., whereas the Federal and State grants in the United States amount to 7,000,000l., and in Germany to nearly 2,000,0001, The provision made by Parliament for higher educa- tion is thus obviously not that which should be ex- pected of a State which intends to maintain its posi-. tion among leading Powers. R. A. GREGORY. SCIENTIFIC ORGANISATIONS OF THE ALLIED NATIONS. At the invitation of the Royal Society, a conference between representatives of the Allied nations will be held in London on October 9 to discuss the future conduct of scientific organisations. It is ex- pected that representatives from the academies of Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and Washington, as well as. nominees of the Governments of Belgium, Portugal, and Serbia, will attend. A memorandum proposed by a committee ot the Royal Society points out that international scientific organisations and conventions may be divided into four groups, according to their objects and methods of procedure. A first group.con- sists of those important agreements which fix the standards of measurements, and are essential not only in purely scientific investigations, but also in the de- velopment of many industries. A second group con- tains associations definitely formed for the investigation of scientific problems in which co-ordination of ob- servation is essential. A third group, which hitherto has not been large in numbers, but presents some special features, embodies the efforts to organise undertakings that might be carried out in one locality, 478 NATURE [AucusT 15, 1918 but is more economically dealt with by a division of work. The most prominent example of this type is the arrangement made between eighteen observatories to form a photographic chart of the heavens. The organisation dealing with the ‘International Cata- logue of. Scientific Literature’’ may also _ be included in this group. In the fourth group is placed the large number of congresses called together by workers in some one department of. science, and mainly intended.to foster friendly per- sonal relationships between those who pursue similar aims in different countries. There is, finally, in a group by -itself, the International Association of Academies, which aims at co-ordinating the activities of international undertakings, and organises work for which special permanent bodies do not exist and are not required. The council of the Royal Society will submit the following questions as subjects for discus- sion at the forthcoming conference :—(1) Is it desir- able for the Allied nations to establish organisations for scientific co-operation among themselves? (2) If this be agreed upon, what should be the particular forms of organisation to be aimed at in geodesy, seismology; meteorology, etc.? (3) Should particular academies be asked to submit proposals on_ those undertakings in which they have taken the leading part, such as: (a) The Académie des Sciences on the Commission Métrique and the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures; (b) The Royal Society on the International Catalogue of Scientific _ (4) What representations should be addressed to the Governments with regard to those organisations which have hitherto received their support? The conference - at present is intended to deal only with scientific sub- jects. but similar questions no doubt also arise on the peas side. UNIVERSITY AND “EDUCATIONAL | INTELLIGENCE. WE learn from the Times that Prof. J. J. Findlay, professor of education in the University of Manches- ter, has ,accepted the invitation of the Y.M.C.A. Uni- versities’ Committee to become its director of educa- tion in Salonika, where it is hoped that an extensive system of classes and lectures will be developed during the autumn and winter. Prof. Findlay will leave for Salonika in September. To the work on the lines of communication in France which Sir Henry Hadow has undertaken for the committee will now be added similar service among the British troops in Italy. THE governors of the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, have appointed Dr. C. H. Desch to the chair of metallurgy in the college, rendered vacant by the resignation of Prof. A. Campion. Dr. Desch received his scientific training at the Finsbury Technical College, at Wiirzburg University, and at University College, London, under the late Sir William Ramsay. After eight years’ practical experience as chemist in a chemical works, he was for five years research assistant to the professor of metallurgy in King’s College, London; for the last ten years he has | been Graham Young lecturer in metallurgical chemis- try in Glasgow University. THE Education Act received the Royal Assent on August 8, and is now, therefore, on the Statute-book. The following is a summary. of the main changes in the provision of public education in England and Wales as given in the Times of August 9 :—(1). No exemptions from attendance at school shall he granted to any child between the ages of five and fourteen. (2) Local authorities may increase the age of compul- sion by by-law to fifteen. (3) Compulsory day continua- tion schools shall be established for all young persons, NO. 2546, VOL. 101] Literature ?. unless they are being otherwise educated, up to the age’ of sixteen, and after seven years from "the appointed — day up to the age of eighteen. shall be 280, and after seven years 320. (5) under twelve shall be employed. (6) No chi two hours on any Sunday, or on any school day t the oon of school hours, or on any day before 6 a.m. or atter than one hour before school, and if so empl more than one hour’in the afternoon. (7) authorities may make provision for the maintenance of holiday or school camps, physical training, school baths, swimming atk ages) other facilities for social and physical tr ning. (8) Provision is made for the medical in n and treatment of pupils in secondary and continuation E (9) Local ‘authorities may establish — nur ey - schools. schools for children between the ages of two : (10) Special schools are to be established for phy ic. defective children. (11) Fees in public el er i schools are abolished. wis REPRESENTATIVES of the various Goversmegne Bar ments at Washington have recently held a par 7 : 3 us requests of school officials, what American schools - conferences to consider, in response to the m should do to render the utmost service of they are capable during the war emergency. The con- — clusions and recommendations resulting from these — conferences are now published in the form of a leaflet — Washing- — So far as elementary schools _ are concerned, the representatives decided that there | for distribution to American teachers by the ton Bureau of Education. appears’ to be nothing in the present or prospective war emergency to justify curtailment in any respect of the sessions of these schools, or of the education of boys and girls under fourteen years of age, and nothing which should serve as an excuse for placid with the progressive development of the school “At is suggested, however, that school activities: with, an educational value’ might be introduced, designed — to connect the schools with the ideals of service and self- sacrifice actuating the American people. In the case of — secondary schools it is suggested that much valuable — service could be rendered by selecting and training boys — ur. > It would be helpful in industrial communities if, for | to assist in meeting the need for agricultural | secondary-school pupils above fourteen, definite courses could be introduced looking . towards a co-operative half-time plan of school attendance and employment throughout the year. Boys and girls should be urged, American teachers are being told, to remain in school to the completion of the high-school course, and in increasing ‘numbers to enter upon college and univer- sity courses, especially in technical and scientific Pe to meet the great need for trained men and mepisen. SOCIETIES AND ACA DEMIES. EDINBURGH. Royal Society, July 8.—Dr. J. Horne, president, in | Bs the chair.—Dr. R. Kidston and Prof. W. Lang: Old Red Sandstone plants, showing structure, from the Rhynie chert bed, AberdeensLire. Part ii. ditional notes on Rhynia Gwynne-Vaughani, and Lang; Rhynia major, n.sp.; and Hornea Lig- nieri, n.gen. et sp. In. this paper th Rhynia, which were included under one name.in a former account, are distinguished as R. Gwynne- Vaughani and R. major. The latter plant is jarger (4) The minimum — number of hours of attendance at continuation schools — No child — d between twelve and fourteen shall be employed for more oa 4 re @ q 8 p.m. Excéptions may be made by by- 4 law, provided that no child may be employed for more — for — i el a scpahi Neer Naks Cll le Ad= Kidst. e species of ~ ae to in all its parts, and lacks the adventitious branching — found in R. Gwynne-Vaughani; but its morphology — 4 LA ae Oe - peint.” ‘ : | AvucusT 15, 1918] NATURE 479 «is essentially similar. Both plants are rootless and leafless. _ simple stele, erect branched cylindrical shoots, and _ terminal sporangia. Another plant of similar organisa- _ tion is named Hornea Lignieri, and is united with _ Rhynia in the family Rhynacexw. It also had neither - roots nor leaves. _ protocormus-like, and from it erect dichotonious stems _ arose. At the tips of some of these were developed _ Sporangia, which differed from those of Rhynia in _ having a columella of sterile tissue, making the spore- Sac dome-sha They have a subterranean rhizome with a The subterranean rhizome was —A. G. Ramage: Notes on mirage observed on the Queensferry Road. Under the condi- ‘tions of a strong sun and not too strong a breeze, apparent reflections of grass and passing vehicles were observed in the highly heated surface of the bitu- menised road. It was necessary to stoop so as to bring the mirage phenomenon over the surface into it so as to make it continuous through the galvano- ee oe to remove the calcium which interferes with the end- Experiments show that the end-point is the same in the absence of the oxalate, though perhaps it is not quite so easily fixed. The addition of neutral calcium chloride is found to increase the acidity to a certain definite extent. and this increased acidity is removed by neutral potassium oxalate. It has not vet been ascertained to what constituent of the urine this is due.—R. A. Fisher: The correlation of relatives on the supposition of Mendelian inheritance. The general conclusions of this mathematical investigation are :— (1) The facts of biometry do not contradict, but in manv cases positively support. the theory of cumula- tive Mendelian factors: (2) if the theory is correct, a sufficient knowledge of the correlation coefficients for any one feature, between different pairs of relatives, would enable us to analyse comoletely and estimate numerically the percentage due to heritable factors; NO. 2546, VOL. ror] ‘diameter and of the 15th or 16th magnitude. (3) a provisional examination of the existing data shows it to be quite unlikely that more than 5 per cent. of the variance of the physical measurements of man is due to non-heritable causes, Paris. Academy of Sciences, July 22.—M. P. Painlevé in the chair.—G. Bigourdan ; The observatory of the Luxem- bourg. An account of Delisle’s work and instruments, 1712-15 and 1722-25._-H. Douvillé: Are the foramini- fera unicellular? From the evidence given it appears that certain foraminifera are in the first phases of their quadri- or bi-cellular development.—E. Leclainche : Serotherapy in gas gangrene. Historical account of the use of polyvalent sera against gas gangrene in France.—W. W. Campbell was elected a correspondant for the section of astronomy in succession to the late Dr. Auwers, and G. Lecointe a correspondant for the - section of geography and navigation in succession to the late Dr. Helmert.—R. Jonckheere ; Discovery of the periodic comet of Max Wolf. This was ‘found at Greenwich on July 9 as a small nebulosity pace 4 he difference between the calculated and actual positions of the comet was much greater than was the case with previous appearances.—J. Renaud: Deep ports on French ocean and Channel coasts. Approaches to ports should be at least twelve metres deep at low water. Positions satisfying this condition are rare on the French coasts, but exist at Brest, Pallice, and Cherbourg.—P. Girault: A particular case of distribu- tion of the current between transformer coils coupled in parallel—_L. Tschugaeff: The acid function of osmium tetroxide. Osmium tetroxide gives a series of well-defiied compounds with the hydroxides of potassium, rubidium, and cesium of the general for- mula 2MOH.OsO,. This is in opposition to the cur- rent view that osmium tetroxide is devoid of acid pro- perties.—A. Valeur: A new volatile alkaloid from the broom. This was isolated from the mother-liquors from the recrystallisation of commercial sparteine sul- phate. The name ‘ genisteine"’ is proposed for the new base, and methods of separating it from sparteine are described. Its composition is C,,H,,N., and the properties of its hydrate, picrate, chloroplatinate, and chloroaurate are given.—M. Stéphanidés : Greek fire or the ‘liquid fire” of the Byzantines. The view is put forward that Greek fire was a crude petroleum.— H. Hubert: Geology of the north of the Senegal.—P. Garrigou-Lagrange: The general movements of the atmosphere. An application of the kinematograph to the study. of meteorological charts.—F. Maignon: Comparative study of the influence of carbohydrates and fats on the nutritive power-of alimentary proteids. Experiments on white rats show that albumin is better utilised with fat than with starch. It follows from these experiments that fats play an important part in the utilisation of proteid materials.—TI. Legendre : The biology of Eleotris goboides.—V. Galippe: New researches on the presence of living elements in normal muscular tissue (normal parasitism and microbiosis). Wasuincton, D.C, National Academy of Sciences (Proceedings, vol. iv., No. 1), January, 1918.—H. P. Armsby, J. A. Fries, and Winfred W..Braman: The basal katabolism of cattle and other species. The results show that the basal katabolism of different species is substantially propor- tional to their body-surface.—F. H. Seares, A. van ‘Maanen, and F. Ellerman: The location of the sun’s magnetic axis. In extension of the work of George E. Hale, a large number of observations were undertaken to determine the position of the sun’s magnetic axis, which is found to lie near the axis of rotation at an inclination of about 6°, and to revolve about the axis 480 NATURE | AucusT 15, 1918 of rotation in about thirty-two days.—J. T. Tate and P. D. Foote; Resonance and ionisation potentials for electrons in cadmium, zinc, and potassium ; vapours. The results agree within the limits of experimental error with the values as calculated from the quantum relation hv=eV, where v is the frequency of the single radiation in the case. of resonance potentials or the limiting frequency of the series of radiations in the case of ionisation potentials.—E. H,. Hall: The validity of the equation P=dv/dT in thermo-electricity. The equation is known to be unverified experimentally. The author gives a brief, critical discussion of the validity of some theoretical proofs by which the equa- tion has been deduced.—C,. Barus: The equations of the rectangular interferometer. A discussion under the headings of: Auxiliary Mirror, Rotating Doublet, Ocular Micrometer, and Collimator Micrometer.— . S. Hatai: The brain-weight in relation to the body- length, and also the partition of non-protein nitrogen in the brain of the grey snapper (Neomaenis griseus).— F. G. Pease: The rotation and radial velocity of the central part of the Andromeda nebula. The radial velocity —316 km. is found. The change of rotational ° velocity with distance from the centre seems to be linear. (Proceedings, vol.’ iv., 2), February, 1918.— G. N. Lewis, E. D. Eastman, and W. H. Redebush - The heat capacity of electro-positive metals and the thermal energy of free electrons. The experiments go to indicate that in the metals considered the difference between the heat capacity observed and that calculated may be regarded as representing the actual heat capa- city of the more loosely bound electrons in these metals.—E, H. Hall: Thermo-electric diagrams on the P-V-plane. An analysis of the electromotive force of a thermo-electric circuit on the assumption that the ‘‘ free’? electrons within’ the metals are the only ones moving progressively in the maintenance of a current, and the only ones taking part in thermo-electric action, —G. Stromberg: A determination of the solar motion and the stream motion based on radial velocities and absolute magnitudes. The stream motion is probably a local effect caused by a preferential motion of the stars in both directions around the centre of the stellar system. There appears to be a tendency towards smaller values of the declination of the sun’s apex for the intrinsically faint stars.—L. R. Jones: Disease resistance in cabbage. In every case the selected head- strains transmitted in considerable degree their re- sistant qualities, and certain of them did ‘so in high degree. A discussion of the results in their general significance is also given.—L. Page: Is a moving star retarded by the reaction of its own radiation? An extended analysis of the forces acting upon the electron leads to the conclusion that the moving electron,’ and hence any moving matter, suffers no retardation through its motion.—S. J. Barnett : Electromagnetic induction and relative motion. IJ. The experiments appear to support the hypothesis for the existence of the zther, and to be inconsistent with the principle of relativity. (Proceedings, vol. iv., No. 3), March, 1918.—F: Payne: The. effect of artificial selection on bristle number in Drosophila ampelophila and its interpreta- tion, There are at least two factors for extra bristle number, one of them located in the first and one in the third chromosome.—A,. W. L. Bray: The reactions of the melanophores of Amiurus to light and to adrena- line. The melanophores in the skin of the Amiurus react to direct stimulation by adrenaline, and are sub- ject to nervous control mediated through the eye.— J. Loeb: Further experiments on the sex of partheno- genetic frogs. The frogs produced by artificial parthenogenesis can develop into adults of full size NO. 2546, VOL. tor] and entirely normal character. —E,. Dershem ; The. resolving powers of X-ray spectrometers and the tung- sten X-ray spectrum. The theory of resolving power a is given with the results of experiments on tu 4 in which the endeavour was made to obtain as high a 4 resolving power as possible-—C. Barus and M. Barus: — Note on methods of observing potential differences — induced by the earth’s magnetic field in an insulated moving wire. an elementary estimate first given. The apparatus was then modified, producing intensification, and new ob- Dependence of 3 distance. servations were made.—C., D. Perrine ; the spectral relation of double stars upon There is an indication that some external cause is’ less definite system upon the operating in more or our stellar regions of conditions which — produce spectral class.—C, D. Perrine : Hypothesis to A simple apparatus is described, and — account for the spectral conditions of the stars. The spectral condition of a star depends chiefly upon its 2 size and mass, and the external conditions of densi of cosmical matter and relative Maine oe of being and 4 : matter. BOOKS RECEIVED. Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-14. _ Scien- tific Reports. Series C. Zoology and Botany. Vol. v., Part 2, Brachyura. By M. J. Rathbun. Vol. v., Part 3. Copepoda. By Dr. G. S. Brady. Act “y Part 4. Cladocera and Halocypride. By DrwG: Brady.. (Sydney: W. A. Gullick.) 1s. each. — _ Ingots and Ingot Moulds. By A. W. sani ‘H. Brearley. Pp. xv+218. (London: ena Co.) 16s. net. it eee CONTENTS. «jae PAGE Old Universities and New Needs. By. Prof, — Frederick Soddy, F.R.S. ..... aa aoa rere ‘461 Applied Biology ie Mew iaN ear ere ee . 462 Our. Bookshell .- 6 ee Letters to the Editor:— The Value of Insectivorous Birds.—Rt. Hon. Sir : Herbert Maxwell, Bart., F.R.S.; Dr. ‘Walter ; Bi Collinge 070) 2. eee 464 Preparing ‘‘Palates” of Mollusca. _Prof. G. HL NU ryan; FIR.S20000 0) i eee Prarie Statistical Studies of Dietaries . . +. 465 The Afforestation Sonentiers in Britain. “iy. E. Pp ie Stebbing ..... - 466 Agricultural Education in South ‘Africa Poe aie Australia. By B CP pe ae Ser jae ESS ce eee Fe Sore 467 WOtes 6220 Scieel ech cra hee at hots pecan ae Mer |} Our Astronomical Column’: — #7 Botrelly's Comet oo... 1.; gece sce a ee ih “oft -. 472 The August Meteors... 2. 2. . pee Ee The Future of the Iron and Steel Trades. By 1 BCH Ere Hee le es iy ee ae eee as) 49S New e Ray: Tubes-4.25 5 Give Ree 473 The Position of University and Higher Technical “4 Education. By Prof. R. A. Gregory ..... . 473 Scientific Organisations of the Allied Nations . . . 47 University and Educational Intelligence Pare ae | Societies and Academies... ........+. 478 Books Received és: Wanna ae sec th 1GOO Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltp., ies ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. x > Advertisements aaa business letters to be addressed to a : Publishers. Editorial Communications to the Editor. ‘Telegraphic Address: Puusis, LONDON. — Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. 4 a | NATURE 481 THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, ‘1918. SIR JOSEPH HOOKER. Life and Letters of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, — O.M., G.C.S.I., Based on Materials Collected and Arranged by Lady Hooker. By Leonard ' Huxley. Vol. i., pp. x+546; vol. ii, pp. vit | 569. (London: John Murray, 1918.) 2 vols., j MONG the books whose claim on our _ 4% attention is relatively independent’ of acci- ___ dental considerations like timeliness or style, none ‘surpass in interest those that deal with revolutions - inhuman thought. Among revolutions of this kind - none have been more important than the one which led to the replacement of the dogma of specific immutability by a more satisfying thesis. The doings and sayings of the men whose minds first proyed receptive of this vivifying doctrine inspire Gn scientific circles a akin to those induced _ elsewhere by hagiologic studies. 3 | The story of the life of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, whom Prof. Bower happily designates the “protagonist of evolution,’’ is on this account a contribution of great moment to the history of a . period and a movement already illustrated by those of the lives of Lyell, Huxley, Wallace, and espe- cially of Darwin. It rounds off in many ways in- formation already available with regard to a notable advance in human thought, and supplements the material required for that ordered review of a great scientific achievement much needed by_ the present generation. ‘‘The imperfect conceptions of some of its favourers’’ are as noticeable to-day as they were to Hooker.a generation ago; they are only less inimical to a true understanding than were the conceptions of many of its opponents a generation earlier still. There is a distinction between the situation then and the position now. ‘Sixty years ago imperfection of conception was often the result of inability to appreciate what was then a novel doctrine; to-day this imperfection is _ largely due to neglect to consult the writings in which that doctrine was promulgated. Readers of Nature have already been supplied (December 21, 1911) with a sketch of the leading features of Hooker’s career, and a‘ generation earlier (October 25, 1877) with an appreciation, by a singularly competent judge, of the work already done by Hooker, and of the position he occupied ‘in contemporary opinion at the height of his career. The tale, worthy of recapitulation though it be, it is not necessary to repeat. The story is fully given in two volumes, now published by Mr. Murray, which should be even more interest- ing to readers already acquainted with the leading facts of Hooker’s long and active life than to those as yet unfamiliar with the subject. Among Hooker’s many gifts was the possession of a pleas- ing style, and those to whom his published works are known will find that this style is as effective in the letters now made available and as happy in his correspondence with the young as NO. 2547, VOL. 101] in his } epistles to the mature. All will weleome the in- formed and penetrating estimate by Prof. Bower of the position’ of Hooker as a_ philosophical student. _The work under notice is of further value as a human document. It is no mere chronicle of what Hooker did and how he did it. Thanks to the labours of Lady Hooker and the . craftsmanship of Mr. Huxley, these volumes per- mit the general reader to form some conception of what Hooker was as a man. His innate modesty led Hooker to claim for himself but one natural endowment, “le talent de bien faire.’’ Even to the possession of this spur to sustained effort he did not publicly confess until it fell to him to acknowledge the receipt, in his seventieth year, of the highest honour his scientific fellow-countrymen could bestow. The same sim- plicity marked his expression of the feeling evoked by what he has termed the crowning honour of his long life, “as inestimable as unexpected,”’ con- ferred upon him, twenty years later, in circum- stances of peculiar dignity, by the Swedish Academy of Sciences. . No enumeration of the honours of which Hooker was the recipient—no recital of what he accom- plished to: merit them all—can explain the esteem and respect in which he was held. The simple nature which led him to regard praise with re- pugnance made it impossible for Hooker to become “popular ’’ in the sense in which that term is usually understood. With him, indeed, the intel- lectual aversion induced a physical reflex. The mere anticipation of the ordeal of appearance in y public led in his case to€actual illness, the effects of which sometimes persisted when the ordeal was. over. But it was the mental dislike, not the bodily inconvenience, that rendered so rare the participa- tion by Hooker in. great debates. Where inter- vention was plainly necessary Hooker never failed his friends or their cause; the “talent ” the exist- ence of which he admitted explains why such in- tervention, when it did occur, proved so effective. - We learn from this work how deeply Hooker was indebted to his distinguished father. If not exactly born in the purple, he certainly was made to that purple he wore so worthily. The develop- ment of his natural aptitudes, the early provision of opportunities’ for their independent exercise, keen solicitude for his welfare, and anxious care for his interests—all were matters of paternal con- cern. This regard Hooker repaid by a filial piety as warm at the close of his life as it had been in boyhood, and as it was when he served as his father’s tried coadjutor. Reverence for his father’s memory and regard for his father’s fame gave Hooker inward support during official controversy ; led him to continue, after his own retirement, publications his father had edited;.and prompted him to undertake, at the age of eighty-five, a finished study of his father’s achievements. The capacity for comradeship. and the self- effacing consideration for others which marked this relationship between father and son were natural characteristics. The former was seen in that asso- ciation with T. Thomson, begun at school, which cc 482 NATURE [AuGUST 22, 1918 | Pe led to the production of that noble fragment, their “Flora Indica.’’ It is illustrated again in that co- partnery with Bentham initiated while Hooker was bearing, unaided, the burden of his directorship, which led to the completion before Hooker retired of that masterly work, the “Genera Plantarum.”’ A striking instance of that self-abnegation which induced Hooker to take from the hands of fellow- workers who had fallen by the way tasks left by them unfinished is seen in his compliance, at a time when his hands were full to ovérflowing with duties of his own, with the dying wish of Harvey that he should arrange the materials that distin- guished botanist had prepared for a second edition of the “South African Genera.’’ A generation later, undaunted by the weight of his eighty years, Hooker wrote two volumes needed to complete a “Flora of Ceylon,’’ whereof oniy three had been published when Trimen died. ; Hooker’s distaste for popular applause was untinged by any disinclination for intercourse. However busy he might be, no one, young or old, whose errand was serious, ever was turned away. The soul of hospitality, he was also eminently sociable, though he regarded as essential for social intercourse ‘“‘some place where’ we never should be disappointed of finding something worth going out for.’’ When he felt that by so doing he could render real service, he was ready, in spite of his natural reluctance, to undertake those public duties that public men, situated as he was, are expected to perform. Throughout his life Hooker exercised on con- temporary work and thought an influence that wag wholly good. The diversity of his interests, the extent of his knowledge, the soundness of his judgment, and the singleness of his purpose ex- plain the value of that influence.. Generous of praise where praise was due, he was also, much to the advantage of younger workers, unsparing of blame where blame was deserved. The dis- tinction between Hooker’s commendation and his censure lay in this, that work well done by others was to him an abiding memory, but that when a delinquent had been “faithfully dealt with” the delinquency was consigned to oblivion.. The affec- tionate regard in which he was held by younger men may be understood: The admiration of those nearer him in age is as readily explicable. Second to none in the accuracy of his observation; and endowed as few have ever been with the inborn faculty of co-ordination, Hooker possessed in addi- tion one of the rarest of capacities: he remained, throughout his life, free from the thrall of that barrier to progress and foe to intellectual develop- ment, a craving for formal consistency. But what is perhaps most remarkable in the life of Hooker is the circumstance that his influence, in a country such as ours, should have been as great as it deserved to be. The reason for this is to be found in his magnetic personality. It has been the lot of few men to possess so many friends as Hooker did; fortune has given no man friends more faithful. _These friendships were too numer- ' ous for census here. Their origin may be traced NO. 2547, VOL. IO1| in every case to some community of interest, yet the common interest out of which they grew was — by no means always botanical—one of the warmest. was that between him and Henry Yule, of ‘‘Hobson-Jobson ’’ fame... Some of these associa-— tions, like those with Paget and T. Thomson, dated from boyhood; others, like those with Charles Darwin and Asa Gray, began after his return from the Antarctic; others, again, like — those with Falconer and Hodgson, went back to his days in India. The faculty remained unim- — paired by time; Hooker’s “troops of friends ”’ enrolled recruits to the last. What such friend- ships implied we may measure best by reading the letters exchanged by Hooker with Darwin and Huxley; the genesis of one of the closest is dis- closed in the home letters written by Gray while on his first visit to Europe. “The Life and Letters of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker ”’ is ‘‘ dedicated to the memory of many friendships.” No more fitting superscription could well have been devised for Mr. Huxley’s volumes than that approved by Lady — Hooker. TYCHO BRAHE’S STUDIES OF COMETS. Tychonis Brahe Opera Omnia. Tomi Quarti, Fasciculus Prior. Pp. 376. (Kobenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandel, 1918.) Ae is ; S some documents intended to appear in vol. iv. of the collected works of Tycho Brahe are inaccessible owing to the war, the volume has been divided into two portions, of » which the first has just been published. It con- tains the treatise ‘““‘De Mundi A®therei Recenti- oribus Phzenomenis,’’ which was printed at Uraniborg in 1588; this deals mainly with the — comet of 1577, which was the brightest of the seven comets that appeared during Tycho’s career as an observer; his observations of it sufficed definitely to dispel the Aristotelian doctrine, which Tycho had himself held up to that time. Thus in writing of the nova of 1572, and comparing it with Hipparchus’s nova, Tycho said: “It would be absurd to fancy that a great astronomer like Hipparchus should not have known the difference between a star of the ethereal region and a fiery meteor of the air, which is called a comet.’’ How- ever, his principles were to take nothing on trust — from ancient authorities, but to submit theory to the test of careful observation, excepting the case of the solar parallax, for which he used the re- ceived value of 3’, though his instruments were capable of showing that the true value was much smaller. When a very bright comet appeared in 1577 Tycho naturally took advantage of it to endeavour to determine the nature and orbits of these bodies. © The book describes his first observation of the comet. On the afternoon of November 13 he was. engaged in fishing with some of his assistants. Looking up to the western sky, to see the pro- spects for observation that evening, he saw a bright object, and pointed it out to the assistants, who took it for Venus; but Tycho said that was AuGUST 22, 1918] NATURE $5 _ now a morning star, and that after sunset. they _ would see the difference; in fact, when it became |) dark a tail, 22° in length, was seen stretching across Capricornus, the head being in Sagittarius. -*Tycho was not the first to see it; it had been seen » on November 1 in Peru, and on November 2 in London. the most accurate that were made; he measured s Pe te Oe ee ys ear His observations were, however, much its distance from neighbouring stars with a sex- tant, the arms of which were 4 ft. long, after- wards observing the places of the stars with his fundamental instruments. He followed the comet until January 26, when it was in Pegasus. He examined its diurnal parallax both by his own observations at different hours of the night and by teases 3 his places with those observed at Prague by Hagecius. He was thus enabled to say definitely that the comet was considerably more distant than the moon, and consequently the Aristotelian doctrine that comets are simply atmo- spheric meteors was completely overthrown. Tycho’s endeavours to determine the true orbit were not very successful. He was still under the influence of the old prejudice that all the heavenly movements must necessarily be in circles, and the orbit he assigned to the comet was a circular one, with the sun in the centre, and a radius about six-sevenths of the distance from sun to earth, giving an angle of elongation of 60°. Tycho was unable, however, to represent the observations by uniform motion in this circle. He deduced cor- rectly that the heliocentric motion was in the opposite direction to that of the planets, and sup- posed that comets were short-lived bodies, the movements of which might be subject to greater irregularities than those of the planets. The in- clination of the orbit to the ecliptic he gave as 29%°, about one-third of its true value; it is interesting to quote the parabolic orbit (based on Tycho’s own observations) for comparison with his: Perihelion passage, October 27; long. of _ asc. node, 25°; arc from node to perihelion, 256°; inclination, 105°; perihelion distance, 0-177. It is not surprising to read that many of Tycho’s contemporaries did not perceive the force of his proof that the comet was much more distant than the moon, and continued to assert the Aristotelian doctrine. Among them was a Scotsman named Craig, with whom Tycho had a long controversy. The volume also describes Tycho’s system of the universe, and his reasons for adopting it. He thought the earth was too heavy and sluggish a body to be capable of rapid motion, and he also thought the absence of a lateral drift in falling bodies disproved the theory of its rotation. He therefore supposed it to be at rest in the centre of the universe, and that the sun and moon re- volved round jt, while the planets revolved round the sun. The fixed stars were imagined to be attached to a transparent sphere a short distance beyond the orbit of Saturn; at least, this is sug- gested by his diagram, which pictures them as all lying between two closely adjacent concentric spheres, and by his supposition that they rotate en bloc about the earth in twenty-four sidereal NO. 2547, VOL. Ior] hours. He thought the absence of annual parallax in the stars afforded a decisive proof of the earth’s immobility, and the idea of the immense void of space between the orbit of Saturn and the stars, which would be required on the hypothesis of the earth’s motion, was repugnant to his mind. Also he considered that he had determined the apparent diameters of the brighter stars to be 2! or 3, and he saw that such diameters, in view of the absence of annual parallax, implied dimensions for these orbs that he regarded as inconceivably great. It must be admitted that before the invention of the telescope and the discovery of the laws of motion and gravitation there was a good deal to be said for his point of view, and he did not permit his theory to bias his observations, which enabled Kepler to deduce the true planetary system. These sumptuous volumes, though printed at Copenhagen, are edited by Dr. Dreyer, who now resides at Oxford. They enable us to picture the astronomical conceptions of Tycho’s age, and the enormous progress that has been made in the last three centuries. A. C. D. CROMMELIN. ‘OUR BOOKSHELF. Natural Science and the Classical System in Education. Essays New and Old. Edited for the Committee on the Neglect of Science by Sir Ray Lankester. Pp. ix+268. (London: William Heinefhann, 1918.) Price 2s. 6d. net. Four of this admirable series of nine essays were written fifty years ago, but they are wonderfully fresh and stimulating even now. These include a masterly history of classical education by Charles Stuart Parker, and essays ‘‘ On the Education of the Reasoning Faculties,’’ by William Johnson, the brilliant Eton tutor of the later nineteenth century; “On Teaching by Means of Grammar,’’ by E. E. Bowen, of Harrow, of “Forty Years On’”’ renown; and “On the Present Social Results of Classical’ Education,’’ by Lord Houghton, father of the present Marquess of Crewe. The views of Mr. H. G,. Wells on modern education, as set out in an address to the members of the British Science Guild, are reprinted in this volume; and readers of the Fortnightly Review will recognise the same author’s ‘‘ Case against the Classical Languages,’’ written in reply to Mr. Livingstone’s “Defence of Classical Education.”’ The position of science in educational recon- struction is discussed by Mr. Sanderson, of ' Oundle School, in an essay which will probably meet with criticism from some educationists. . The Master of Balliol has treated the same question in its wider aspects. Sir Ray Lankester concludes with a chapter on “The Aim of Education,”’ throughout which runs the spirit of Huxley. Nowhere is there any suggestion of antagonism towards the study of the classics; indeed, all scientific workers realise to the full the value of classics as a branch of education. The monopoly of the classical system in education, however, is a different matter, and this dominating factor is assailed on all sides. 484 NATURE [AucusT 22, 1918 At Dawn and at Dusk. Poems by Pp. ix+82. (London: Hodder Price 3s. 6d.. net. Horizons : Colin Tolly. and Stoughton, 1918.) Mr. Torry is clearly a scholar who has been thrown, like so many others, into the. brutalities of war, and who heartens himself by writing verses that recall the happier years. But, though he has studied the ancient classics, and also zoo- logy, his manner is not that of a poet, or even of a teacher, seeking in the concise forms of verse the expression of cumulative research. Why, for example, and for what mechanical reason, did the dead Adonis sail “to sea, on springs’’? Does the sun “‘shine’’? a beam? And will the general reader, who has still so much to learn about an- cestral forms of life, really gather anything from the condensed text-book terminology of pp. 49-60? We might, indeed, be pleasantly surprised to “hear the tune ’’ that the Permian reptiles “sang at sundown . . . pregnant with speech and night- ingales’’;. but we cannot believe that, by any process of selection, ““Death . . . endowed with brains the victors’’ in the struggle for existence. The crowded stanzas onthe development of re- ligions are not more satisfactory. It ‘is unfair to suggest what: Swinburne or Flecker might have made of them; but, even between Olympos and Salonika, Mr. Tolly has caught only the spray of the high and rising wave of war-time inspiration, ®' GrAs. Tit Journal of the Institute of Metals. Vol. xix. Pp. x+316. (London: Published by the In- stitute, 1918.) Price 21s. net. Tue latest volume of this useful journal contains several papers of interest. Prof. Carpenter, in addition to his presidential address, in which he deals with the relations between scientific investi- gation and. training and technical practice, con- tributes, with Miss Elam, a paper on the cause of unsoundness in bronze castings. The subject is a difficult one, and the principal conclusion, confirmed by the experience of others who took part in the discussion, is that the most important factor in ensuring soundness is the proper control of the. pouring temperature. The equilibrium between a molten alloy and the gases dissolved in it still remains somewhat mysterious. Die- casting, especially of alloys of high melting-point, has received little attention in technical journals, although it is widely and successfully used in prac- tice, and the paper by is the more welcome on that account. By using an aluminium bronze containing iron, excellent results have been obtained. with complicated cast- ings. The discussion turns largely on the be- haviour of the dies. Aluminium bronze is also studied from the point of view of the hardness of alloys by Mr. Greenwood, and other matters dealt with are the determination of the grain size of metals and the annealing of aluminium. The volume also includes abstracts of metallurgical papers from all sources. NO. 2547, VOL.. IOT| Messrs. Rix and Whitaker . [The Editor does not hold himself responsible fer. opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for - this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] Sf shy Scierce and the Civil Service. In the article on the above subject in Nature of August 8, the unsatisfactory method of selecting candi- dates for Civil Service appointments is very justly emphasised. I desire to make the following sugges- tion, which will obviate the system of patronage and to a great extent that of competitive examination, both of which suffer from serious inherent defects which need not be discussed. My suggestion is that each university of the United Kingdom be granted the right to nominate each year one or more -candidates (according to the number of vacancies) from its most promising honours graduates. A further selection from among the nominees might, | if necessary, be made by seme form of oral or written. examination, Bm ea It is improbable that any une ee abuse this privilege and thereby discredit itself b at a student who is likely to prove a failure. ex. perience in the selection of the 1851 Exhibition scholars’ is a sufficient guarantee of the highly satisfactory: results of such a system. hen ce Pay The most promising arts and science men in the. country would thus become available for Govern- ment appointments, and it is to be hoped that with this choice the science departments of the State will in future be administered by men whose training has’ J. B, Couen. not been exclusively classical. THE ROYAL INSTITUTION: A RETRO- a _ SPECT. eee ea APS A RECENT issue of the Proceedings of the +. Royal Institution contains a reprint of a . lecture delivered in its theatre on March 3, 1810,. by the then professor of chemistry, “H. Davy, . Esq., Sec., R.S.’’ This lecture, as its title-page informs us, was originally published by desire of the managers; it is now reproduced at the sug- gestion of the Fullerian professor of chemistry. It is entitled “A Lecture on the Plan which it is Proposed to Adopt for Improving the Royal In- stitution and Rendering it Permanent.’”” To understand the significance of this wording it is necessary to recall some circumstances connected with the early history of the institution. — As conceived by its founder, Benjamin Thomp- son, a Royalist American who had been, created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire by the Elector Palatine of Bavaria, it was intended to be part of an establishment for the benefit of the poor. In 1796 Rumford, who was a practical philanthropist on a pretty broad gauge, and an early worker in what is now styled ‘domestic science,”’ put forth a 2 ‘ proposal for forming in London by private subscrip- tion an establishment for feeding the poor and giving them useful employment, and also for furnishing foo! at a cheap rate to others who may stand in need of | such assistance, connected with an stitution for intro- \ P LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. y nominating. -AvcusT 22, 1918]~ NATURE 485 a “ducing and bringing forward into general use new _ inventions and improvements, particularly such as _ relate to the management of heat and the saving of _ fuel, and to various other mechanical contrivances by i which domestic comfort and economy may be pro- bear Reamaford. as he says in one of his letters to Thomas Bernard, who was associated with him in this project, was ly impressed with the necessity of rendering it ionable to care for the poor and indigent. ep. “ Society for Bettering the Condition of the a Poor ’” was duly founded, but as regards the asso- - ¢iated institution it was decided that it would be _ too conspicuous, and too interesting and important, to be made an appendix to any other existing estab- lishment, and consequently it must stand alone, and on its own proper basis. In 1799 Rumford again broached the subject of 2: his institution for promoting domestic comfort and _-economy, and conferred with the committee of the “Society for Bettering the Condition of the Poor”’ concerning the steps to be taken in order to establish, ' by private subscription, a public institution for dif- _ fusing the knowledge and facilitating the general and speedy i uction of new and useful mechanical in- ventions: and improvements; and also for teaching, by courses of philosophical lectures and experi- ments, the applications of the new discoveries in to the improvement of arts and manufac- tures, and in facilitating the means of procuring the comforts and conveniences of life. es umnecessary to state the steps by which the sympathies of people of rank and fortune were enlisted in this enterprise. The moral, social, and political conditions of the time were not without their influence. The idea, as Rumford hoped, became fashionable, and, being fashionable, _ became popular. Mr. Mellish’s house in Albe- marle Street was secured as the future home of the institution, and its spacious apartments were uickly transformed into lecture-rooms, museums, tb brary, and offices. Moreover, “a good cook was ‘engaged for the improvement and advancement of the culinary art—one object, and’ not the least important—for the Royal Institution.’’ The presi- dent of, the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Banks, who had taken an active part in promoting its founda- tion, was chosen as the first chairman of its board of managers, Rumford became secretary, and Bernard treasurer. The second volume of the “Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition of the Poor’’ contains a long account of the institution, “so far as it may be expected to affect the poor,’’ from the pen of the treasurer, concerning which Dr. Bence Jones, a former secre- tary and the historian of the foundation, dryly remarks : “It is difficult to believe that the Royal Institution of the present day was ever intended to resemble the picture given of it in this report.” ° Although ushered into the -world under such favourable auspices, the enthusiasm which greeted its birth quickly spent itself, and the infant in- stitution had a struggling and precarious exist- NO. 2547, VOL. 101] ence. The first appointments of the managers were not altogether fortunate. Rumford, by his arbitrary action, soon created difficulties and alienated powerful supporters. But the advent of Humphry Davy, a small, spare Cornish youth of twenty-three, was the turning-point in its career. On Garnett’s resignation in 1801 as lecturer in chemistry, Davy, who had already given proofs of his ability, succeeded to that position. By his extraordinary and rapid success as an in- vestigator, and by a series of discoveries which profoundly impressed the scientific world, com- bined with his eloquence and power as a lecturer and his remarkable gift of lucid exposition, he quickly changed the whole current of its fortunes, and during the twelve years he occupied its chair of chemistry he gradually stamped upon it the main features of its present character. — The theme of the lecture which the managers have now reprinted was not unfamiliar to Davy’s audiences, for, although presented under the guise of a new plan, its general purport had been dealt with by him on several previous occasions. Its leading argument is, in fact, almost identical with that of the no less historic discourses with which he took the fashionable world of London by storm in 1802; and it was repeated in 1809 when he referred to the fund which had been raised to supply him with a powerful voltaic battery, and to which he again alludes with equal pleasure and appreciation in this reprinted address. But in the lecture of 1810 he enters, with his characteristic felicity of phrase, into rather more detail concern- ing what he considers to be the true function of ihe Royal Institution, and, on the basis of his ten years’ experience of its working, indicates the means by which he considers its aims might be secured. Although he is careful to explain, with that tact and “flexibility of adaptation ’’ which were among the secrets of his success in guiding the fortunes of the institution, that he is only to be regarded as an unofficial exponent of what he apprehends to be in the minds of the managers, visitors, and ‘proprietors, his audience could have been in little doubt with whom the principles of the plan originated. In 1810 it was fully realised that the continued existence of the institution depended upon Davy, and he certainly was not unconscious of that fact. © He was then thirty-two years of age and near the summit of his scientific fame. But however proud the patrons of the institution might be of the achievements of their professor, and however grateful they might feel to him for the lustre he had conferred upon it, its financial position afforded no assurance of even a moderate pro- vision for his future. He had become a social force in what he had styled “the great hot-bed of human power,’’ and his society was courted by all. But the roseate vision of affluence which he had conjured up when exchanging the Pneumatic Institution of Beddoes for the Royal Institution of Rumford had been’gradually dissipated in the fuller light of his knowledge of a position which depended upon, the vagaries of fashion and the fickleness of popular favour. At this time he had 486 NATURE serious thoughts.of again turning to a career in medicine, for which, indeed, he was originally intended. It was practically the only career then open to a man of science unless he had the means of a Cavendish,or a Banks. Influential persons, moreover, who thought that Sydney Smith’s lectures on moral philosophy would somehow better the condition of the poor, by dangling promises of preferment before*him had sought to induce him to devote his eloquence and his talents to the service of the Church. But the: little god that so often shapes the destinies of men and women had willed it otherwise. Unmindful of the injunction that a philosopher of another type and of a later age has crystallised in a phrase that has become classical, Davy succumbed to the fascination of a rich and handsome widow, who, as Sir, Joseph Banks wrote to his friend Stanton, “had fallen in love with Science ’’ and had elected to marry one of its votaries “to obtain a footing in the academic groves.”’ . Although now within a social sphere very dif- ferent from that into which he had been born, and to the attractions of which he was by no means insensible, Davy’s heart was still true to the mistress that controlled his strongest inclinations and ,inspired his finest efforts. Science still claimed and secured his allegiance, but, like. his contemporaries, Wollaston and Young, he was not destined to grow old in her service. The con- stant strain of ten years of almost delirious excite- ment, in which he seemed to pass from triumph to triumph, began to tell upon his nervous and impressionable nature. He had already experi- enced more than one serious breakdown. After his great discovery of the alkaline metals he utterly collapsed, and for a time his life hung upon a thread. Accordingly, after his marriage in 1812 he decided to resign his lectureship, and, although in. deference to the wishes of the managers he still remained titular professor and director of the chemical laboratory, after 1813 he took no very active part in the management of the institution. But a beneficent Fortune still seemed to wait upon it. In the very year of his resignation he discovered Faraday—the greatest of all his discoveries—and the continued existence . of the Royal Institution was thereby assured. The lecture of 1810 may, then, be regarded as a sort of testament in which its author lays down his views concerning the true end and aim of the institution which he had laboured so strenuously and so successfully to establish. Stated in their simplest terms and in his own words, these were: “to apply its funds to useful purposes; to promote the diffusion of science; to encourage discovery ; and to exalt the scientific glory of this country.” In reviewing its history during the ten short years | of its adolescence, Davy could at least claim that it had not been useless to the British public. It might, I conceive, be demonstrated (he Says) that it has not only assisted the progress of genuine science, but has likewise diffused ia general know- ledge of the advantages and importance of scientific pursuits, and as far’ as it has been subservient to NO. 2547, VOL. 101] | _ amusement, that amusement has been at least of a rational kind, of a. moral tendency, and connected _ With no improper, no undignified objects. : But he is more concerned to dwell upon the _ promise of its future than upon the performances of its early youth, striking and brilliant though these were, and as his audience knew them to be. The very modesty with which he referred to those achievements must have struck and, indeed, strengthened a sympathetic chord. In a few graphic sentences, with all the charm and ele- gance of diction which astonished and delighted the intellectual world of London, he rapidly sketched the rise of the sciences and traced their ennobling influence upon civilisation and the pro- gress. of the human mind. oa ae The pursuit and cultivation of science and the diffusion of knowledge being then admittedly the primary and fundamental objects of the yal Institution, he next turned to the details of his plan for attaining them. He dealt with the original scheme of the foundation, pointed out its imper- — fections, demonstrated the necessity of modifying — and enlarging its constitution, and, last but not least in importance, showed how its financial posi- tion could be strengthened in view of the exten- sion of its functions that he contemplated. — To the ideals thus developed the institution has — Its history during the . been consistently faithful. 108 years that have elapsed since the delivery of this historic discourse is, in effect, an epitome of contemporary science, and especially of British science. Its professors and lecturers have always | been leaders who have left their impress upon the science and learning of their time; its laboratories have continued to contribute to and augment that renown which the genius of Davy first showered upon it, and its achievements are among the greatest scientific glories of this country. There is one circumstance associated with this lecture which deserves a passing reference. In 1810, as now, we were at a crisis in our national — history, and those who are at all familiar with the conditions of that time will find a hundred analogies in the present happenings. then in the throes of a life-and-death struggle with the greatest military genius of his age, the despot who was practically master of Central Europe, and was bent upon the subjugation and humiliation of this kingdom. prosperity.” peril’ of that time may strengthen us with an equal confidence. is now repeating’ itself. we may find our faith abundantly justified. T. E. THORPE. [AucusT 22, 1918. | We were. But there is © only the slightest possible allusion in the lecture — to the critical conditions of the time—so slight, — indeed, that it might well escape the notice of a _ reader of to-day—merely a half-veiled, contemptu- ous reference to “all the armies and all the edicts — which have lately been so vainly opposed to our — The calm and resolute courage with — which the lecturer and his audience faced the surely inspire and — History — Let us hope that it will continue to repeat itself, and that, taking heart of grace from the example which has been set us, — ee et AucusT 22, 1918] NATURE 487 © THE DRIFT OF THE “ENDURANCE.” - WING to the circumstances of the time, the 3 preparation of the preliminary reports by ' the men of science attached to the Weddell Sea - contingent of the Shackleton Expedition has been unavoidably retarded, that of Lieut. Wordie, deal- _ ing with the oceanography, being the first to _ appear.! It is a report of great interest, and that so much valuable research was accomplished on a vessel specially equipped to meet the require- _ ments of a land expedition reflects much credit on all concerned. : - Sir Ernest Shackleton, meeting with extremely _ unfavourable ice conditions in Weddell Sea during _ the summer of 1914-15, was unable to establish _ trans-Antarctic sledge journey. After a long struggle with pack, the Endurance was beset in _ the middle of January, 1915, when only fifteen ' miles from the land, in lat. 763° S. A strong _ N.E. wind that had blown for several days with _ gale force packed the ice tightly, so that, in spite of every effort, no progress could be made. A month later the young ice was 6 in. thick, and by the end of February, which corresponds with the _ month of August in the northern hemisphere, had _ increased to the thickness of a foot. During the drift of the vessel until she was _ crushed on October 27, the natural history of sea _ ice was studied and other physical observations _ made. These included meteorological observa- _ tions every four hours by Mr. Hussey, absolute ' magnetic determinations at regular intervals by Mr. R. W. James, while frequent soundings and numerous series Of ocean temperatures and densi- _ ties were made by Lieut. Wordie. Systematic col- _ lections of plankton and other biological material _ from the surface to depths of more than 400 _ fathoms were made by Mr. Clark, the biologist, _ but, unfortunately, this rich material so labori- _ ously brought together had to be abandoned when attaches to the soundings, which show that a _ line of relatively deep water runs south from ‘74° _ to 76° S. to the Wilhelm Barrier. Off the Luit- _ pold coast to the east there is shallow water less _ than roo fathoms deep, while in a westerly direc- _ tion the edge of the continental shelf is marked ' by depths under 250 fathoms. The drift of the vessel lay over the continental ' shelf from the end of March until the end of July, _ so that it was possible to investigate it over a _ length of 270 miles from S.E. to N.W. As the ship drifted to and fro the breadth of the shelf was shown to vary from forty miles in the S.E. to seventy miles in the N.W. No idea as to the distance of the coast could be obtained, as the water did not shallow gradually in any direction. _ “The shelf . » . is made up of a group of terrace- like levels the edges of which are steep and _ nearly parallel to each other along a S.W.—N.E. _ line.’” The shallow water ends abruptly a little 1 Lieut. J. M. Wordie, R.F.A., ‘“‘The Drift ot the Andurance Geographical Journal, vol. li., No. 4, April, r918. NO. 2547, VOL. I0T] the contemplated base on Luitpold Land for his | _ the Endurance was crushed. The greatest interest ‘position on July 31. north of lat. 733° S., long. 48° W., the ship’s A sounding made five days later, when a gale from the S. had driven the Endurance into lat. 71° 42’ S., long. 49° 21’ W., gave 1146 fathoms. This sharply defined margin of the so-called “continental’’ shelf seems to be characteristic of Antarctic areas, as shown by pairs of soundings a few miles apart on the Belgica, Gauss, and Scotia operating in widely .separated regions. Until the Endurance sank, six other casts were made in depths between 1500 and 1900 fathoms, so that the land to the east in lat. 68° S., reported by Morrell in 1823, must, if it exists, be an island, and not a part of Antarctica proper. Sir James Ross had reported a “strong appearance of land’”’ some 5° due north of the position given by Morrell for his land, so that it is not improbable that in © the unexplored area 165 miles broad at the nar- rowest point lying between the tracks of Shackle- ton and Filchner there may be a large island or a cluster of small ones, as suggested by Ross. There seems little doubt that Morrell did visit Weddell Sea in 1823, and that the land he saw and coasted along to its north cape was the east coast of Graham Land previously reported by Capt. Johnson and explored by Larsen seventy years after Morrell’s visit. In 1823, as shown by Capt. Weddell’s voyage a few weeks earlier, the sea south of the circle was free of pack, so that an approach from the east to the normally ice- congested waters off the coast of Graham Land was quite a feasible proposition. Morrell’s longi- tudes were, however, some 10° out, owing to an error in his chronometers, so that his most southerly position on March 14, 1823, would co- incide with that of the Endurance on August 25, 1915. The land reported on March 17 was evi- dently the southern point of Féyn coast, as deter- mined by Larsen, while the N. cape of New South Greenland, which Morrell by dead reckoning two days later placed in lat. 62° 41’ S., long. 47° 21! W., was obviously the north point of Joinville Island, 8° of longitude further to the west than the position assigned by him. Lieut. Wordie’s paper contains much interesting matter, to which full justice cannot be done until the physicist and the meteorologist of the expedi- tion have submitted their reports. A special feature of the Weddell Sea winter climate in high lati- tudes seems to be the absence of low tempera- tures. In the winter months of 1912 the absolute minima on the Deutschland were but little lower than those at the S. Orkneys, some 500 miles to the north, and in 1915, the coldest winter of the coldest and calmest year on record at this island station, mercury never froze on the Endur- ance, although the vessel was from 550 to 800 miles farther south. Meanwhile, it is not possible to say why this should be so. Above the cold surface cap, Barkow has shown that a, relatively warm stratum of Wir is usually present in winter, which under certain conditions might replace the film of cold air lying over the pack ice. It is not unlikely that the seasonal march of temperature in 488 NATURE [Aucust 22, 1918 the southern parts of Weddell Sea resembles that of the McMurdo Sound area in having a uniform: winter temperature, instead of a sharp descent to a minimum, A steady Fohn effect of wide radius from the mountains of the Antarctic continent would explain this anomaly, as would also the incursion of relatively warm air from lower lati- tudes associated with incurved cyclonic. N.E. winds in the eastern part of Weddell -Sea. Dynamic heating in the free air, without the intervention of high land, is also within the bounds of possibility. R. C. Mossman. NOTES. WuiLe the British Association has suspended its annual gatherings for the last two years, the Societa italiana per il Progresso delle Scienze, the head offices of which are at 26.Via del Collegio Romano in Rome, sends us a very attractive programme of the tenth meeting, which is to be held in Pisa on October 16-19 under the presidency of Prof. Ferdinando Lori and the secretaryship of the indefatigable Prof. Vincenzo Reina. The success of the meetings at Rome in 1916 and at Milan and Turin in 1917 has convinced the council that it will be interpreting the wishes of the members in continuing even in war-time to maintain its activity in promoting the advancement of knowledge in the country. We notice that such subjects as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and aeronautics do not figure in the proceedings of the sections, which are to be devoted mainly to geological and mineralogical papers in Class A, biological and medical in Class B, and economical in Class C. It is the object of the meeting to pay a large amount of attention to the study of the mineral resources of Italy. At the same time the Italian Thalassographic, Commission is organising a subsection of Class B on fisheries, and is presenting an annual report, while similar reports are being presented by the Glaciological Committee and the National Commission for the Development of Scientific and Industrial Progress. The Italian Asso- ciation for the Study of Building Materials is to meet in Pisa at the time of the congress. The opening meeting of the scientific gathering is to be held on Wednesday, October 16, at 10 a.m., in the Aula Magna of the University, when an inaugural address will be given by Prof. Raffaello Nasini on ‘‘ A Proposal for an Inventory of Italy’s Mineral Wealth.” In addition to the sectional meetings, nine general lectures have been arranged for the mornings of the subsequent days, while the sections will meet in the afternoons, and an excursion will take place on the Sunday. © THE recent flight from England to Egypt, made by two R.A.F. officers and two mechanics, is an excellent example of the possibilities of aircraft with regard to long cross-country flights, and shows in an unmis- takable way that the commercial use of the aeroplane after the war could be very rapidly developed. If a flight of 2000 miles can be satisfactorily made with- out special preparation on an ordinary service machine, it is fairly obvious that there are practically no limits to the possibilities of commercial’ aviation when the whole attention of designers can be given to the sub- ject, and when the excellent research facilities which we possess can be devoted to the elucidation of the new problems involved. The war 7 worked wonders in promoting the development of aeronautical en- gineering, and such feats as the above leave little doubt that one of the good after-effects of the war will be the immediate application of our greatly increased NO. 2547, VOL. 101] knowledge of aviation to the problems of international 2 commerce. The question of long oversea fights i 4 fraught with more difficulties than attend long 2 3 overland, but there are many who think that a cr é; Atlantic ‘flight is already within the bounds er bility. The future of the aeroplane is brig promise, and the declaration of peace will inaugurate a new era in the annals of comme: cial transport. Mr. Cuartes Hergert Scorr, whose death os an- # nounced, was born in 1860 at Lincoln, and ‘was aa member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He was an authority upon linoleum ma ing machinery, and was the patentee of mesty ah the © machines used for this process. . Paar i We regret to note that Engineering for LUgT announces the death of Mr. Daniel Makinson Fox in his eighty-ninth year. After a varied railway | -— ence at home and abroad, Mr. Fox acted as Paine pal i engineer of the Sao Paulo Railway in Brazil. . . a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, | and read a paper in 1870 on the Sao Paulo Railway. ‘ Tue death of Mr. Bramah Joseph Diplock, ‘an-. nounced in the Engineer for August 16, will be — regretted by many who took an interest jn his well- known invention, the pedrail. | Although he had no early technical training, Mr. Diplock’s insight into things mechanical was remarkable, and he held some 100 patents in ‘connection with transport een Tue Mary Kingsley medal of the Li “Séthoo! ! of Tropical Medicine for research in mire diseases has been awarded to Dr. Griffith Evans, the discoverer of the trypanosome of Surra, a disease of horses and camels of India, Burma, and the East. Dr. Evans, who was born in 1835, has been a member of the Veterinary Department of the Army, and made his discovery in 1880. He contributes on the occasion of the award — of the medal an interesting autobiographical note to_ the Annals of Tropical Medicine and mal ik for July (vol. xii., No. 1). Some additional information regarding, the Hog Island shipyard has been obtained by Lloyd’s fhe of Shipping, and appears in an article in the Engineer — for August 16. The methods adopted for training the _ men are of interest. No skilled labour could be’ ob- — tained, and a school was started, which provides daily — from 300 to 400 men for the yard. A section of a ship oy has been built, where men are taught riveting, caull- ing, erecting, ‘bolting up, pipe ped te any trade necessary. It is marvellous to see how quickly and how well they learn. The first ship was launched on ~ August 14. and when it is considered that not fewer — than two-thirds of the men who have built her never — saw a shipyard until about six months ago, it must — be admitted to be a wonderful performance. ont Tue U.S. National Research Council, acting as the © Department of Science and Research of the Council of National Defence, has appointed a committee to ~ investigate the fatigue phenomena of metals. Prof. F. Moore, of the engineering experiment station of the University of Illinois, is chairman. subjected to repeated stresses, such as ship structures, crank-shafts of aircraft engines, and heavy ordnance. = It is expected that much of the experimentation re- quired will be done in the laboratories of the Univer- sity of Illinois at mints under the personal dirogien: = | of Prof. Moore. a ‘The com- : mittee is charged with the responsibility of developing. E a knowledge of the strength and durability of metals — = Bo ea warfare ' in Egypt issued a report on Salonika. _ Army Medical Service. AvucusT 22, 1918] NATURE 489: Be: _ Tue autumn meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute will be held at the Institution of Civil Engineers, Westminster, on Thursday and Friday, September 12 nd 13. Amorig the papers that are expected to be submitted are :—The Rate of Change at too® C. and a at Ordinary Temperatures in the Electrical Resistance _ of Hardened Steel, E. D. Campbell; Some Experi- _. ments on the Reaction between Pure Carbon Monoxide and Pure Electrolytic Iron below the A, Inversion, H.C. H. Carpenter and C. Coldron Smith; Influences _ of Hot Working on the Qualities of Steel, G. Charpy; || The Casting of Steel in Ingot and other Moulds, J. E. . Fletcher; Ma ing the Structure of Iron Alloys, K. Honda; Stan- _ dardisation of- Tests for Refractory Materials, Cosmo _ Johns; The Utilisation of Waste Heat from Open- gnetic Analysis as a Means of Study- hearth Furnaces for the Generation of Steam, T. B. A: Mackenzie; and Influence of Elements on Tenacity of Basic Steel, A. McWilliam. : ACCORDING to the June issue of Terrestrial Mag- _ netism and Atmospheric Electricity, the magnetic - survey ship Carnegie arrived safely at her home port in June last after ha ving been detained for nine months year at Buenos Aires owing to the methods of adopted by our enemies. Her survey ‘is to be suspended until it can be resumed with The results of the survey of the eastern por- the Pacific between the middle of Chile and vy of Panama, which she was able to make ; journey home in the early months of the t year, are given in the same issue. The United es and British charts are in close agreement with “new measurements so far as the deviation of the compass is concerned, but both charts are seriously diy fo their values of the dip. Errors of three or four degrees are frequent, and errors of five degrees 83 H ° + P * Labs 2 q : are occasionally present. In a letter to the Daily Telegraph of August 13, Mr. W. ofessor-superintendent of the Brown laboratory at Salonika, and came to the conclusion that much bacillary dysentery occurred in the district. The War Office set up a Medical Advisory Committee for the Eastern area of operations, and this Committee It apparently considered the dysentery of Salonika to be the ameebic form. In consequence of these findings, which he con- sidered to be erroneous, Mr. Twort retired from the At the end of 1917 Lt.-Col. Buchanan, a member of the War Office Advisory Com- _ mittee, admitted that the diagnosis of dysentery by this Committee was wrong; that bacillary dysentery occurred at Salonika; and that certain large cells in the mucus had been mistaken for amcebe. In spite _ of these findings, the War Office, Mr. Twort asserts, _ has so far taken no action to put matters right so far as this is now possible. ‘ Tue Rev. W. Lower Carter, who died on June 19, was from early youth an indefatigable worker in the interests of geology, but it was relatively late in life that he took up scientific work as a profession. He began business life as a bank clerk, and doubtless the experience he gained in that capacity developed the _ organising abilities for which Mr. Carter was justly known. After a successful university career at Birmingham, Cambridge, and Halle, he entered the Congregational ministry. What time he could spare from his pastoral work was devoted to stimulate and assist scientific research, particularly NO. 2547, VOL. I0T| | the nerve as well as to the muscle. in connection with the Leeds Geological Association and the Yorkshire Geological and Polytechnic Society. For many years he edited the Transactions of these societies, and, as honorary secretary, organised their various: activities. When, in 1908, Mr. Carter re signed his charge im Birkenhead to become lecturer in geology at East London College, and afterwards lecturer in geography at Queen’s College, London, he still retained his interest in the Yorkshire societies, and it is largely due to his work that the Yorkshire Geo- logical Society became so prominent among provincial societies. Further scope was afforded his powers of organisation when he acted for several years as recorder of Section C (Geology) of the British Association. .The time and energy given to assist the spread of scientific knowledge through these bodies limited his original research work. This, chiefly in the form of short notes, was published in the Transactions of the York- . shire societies, as also more important contributions on the development of certain river systems in York- shire. It is, however, as an organiser and teacher rather than as an investigator that Mr. Carter’s name will be remembered among geologists. Tue pleomorphism and developmental cycles of the bacteria is the subject of a paper by Dr. Sopp in Naturen (Bergen) for May (No. 5, 1918). In.particular he reviews the work of Almquist on pleomorphism and that of Léhnis on the developmental cycle of. Azoto- bacter, in which he claims that conjugation occurs with the formation of various spore-like bodies. Tue July issue of the Archives of Radiology and Electrotherapy (vol. xxiii.. No. 2) is devoted to the consideration of the treatmentof paralysisdue to nerve injury, a subject of great importance at the present time. The principal paper is contributed by Lieut. Noel Burke, R.A.M.C. He concludes that rational treatment of this form of paralysis must be directed to It takes the form of the galvanic current with or without ionisation. Pain can usually be relieved by electrical means or by heat. The muscles should be treated both with mas- sage and with the galvanic or sinusoidal-current. A discussion of the paper followed, in which many speakers took part. Tue National Geographic Magazine for May is devoted to a survey of the smaller North American mammals by Mr. Edward Nelson. This is a really wonderful achievement, for the author has contrived to crowd a vast amount of information concerning the chief characteristics, and habits, of a very remarkable series of animals into a surprisingly small space. Yet he seems to have omitted nothing material in his task of condensation. A comment of his on the brown rat in South Georgia is worth bearing in mind. This animal,* he tells us, was introduced into the island from whaling ships, and now, owing to the abundant supply of food furnished by the great number of whale-carcasses which drift ashore each season, it may be found there in millions. Sooner or later this source of food will cease, and it will then go hard with the great colonies of penguins which still nest there unless means for the destruction of this pest are speedily devised. In addition to a large number of coloured plates of great beauty are numerous text-figures, illustrating the tracks made by various animals when walking and running. Tue Journal of Agricultisral Research (Washington) for June (vol. xiii., No 10) contains an account by Mr. R. W. Glaser of a new bacterial disease of gipsy- moth caterpillars. It was apparently introduced with some eggs of the Japanese gipsy moth, and the infec- 490 NATURE e [AucusT 22, 1918 tion later spread to the American race. The disease manifests itself in the caterpillars, which suffer from diarrhoea, cease to eat, lose muscular co-ordination, and die. The microbe is a streptococcus and is con- veyed by ingestion, and the muscular tissue of the insect is first attacked. The disease was introduced into woods heavily infested with the gipsy moth, and in two localities severe epidemics were produced. It. is hoped that it may be of service in helping to combat the ravages of the gipsy moth. | In another paper in the same journal Mr. J. Rosenbaum discusses the survival | of the blackleg organism of the potato in the soil during winter.. The organism (Bacillus phytophthorus) does not seem to be able to survive in the soil or in diseased tubers that may remain there under winter conditions. : Tue Kew: Bulletin, we are glad to notice, is being published this year with regularity, and five numbers have already appeared. In No. 5 there is a valuable article on the preservation of wood by the application of chemicals, which plays so important a part in timber economy. ‘The chief value of preservatives is to render the wood less susceptible to the attacks of parasitic fungi, to make it waterproof and less in- flammable, and to prevent the attacks of boring insects. A, general account of the subject is given, and then attention is directed in detail to. the im- portant book on the subject recently published . by Mr. A. J, Wallis-Tayler. The various chapters of the book are reviewed, and this is followed by a bibliography of works upon other definite branches of wood preservation, such as wood pavement, creosoting railway sleepers, etc. A number of the works cited have been published in the United States and some trom India, while others dealing with the treatment of timber for estate purposes have been published in the Quarterly Journal of Forestry. Tue Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society (vol. Ixxviii.) contains two papers relating to milk production and distribution which are of interest to a far wider circle of readers than the members: of the society. Mr. James Mackintosh, adviser in dairying to University College, Reading, discusses the effect of the new agricultural policy, on the dairy-farming industry. The increase in arable area at the expense of the grass area is thought by many dairy-farmers to necessitate a reduction of herds, but although Mr. Mackintosh declines to accept this conclusion, and offers evidence that more food for cows can be pro- duced when a certain amount of grassland is broken up, he anticipates that the higher cost of production and the greater labour involved in arable dairying as contrasted with other systems of farming, which may in the future be equally remunerative, may lead to a decline in milk-production in districts best adapted for corn-growing, such as the Eastern Counties, and hence possibly to difficulties of supply in these areas. In the West a decline is less to be feared if the prices of milk and milk products allow of reasonable profit, and adequate means of education are provided. In a paper on the wastage of milk Dr. R. Stenhouse Williams gives some striking figures as to the extent to which milk is at present lost by souring, splashing, and in other ways, and indicates the lines along which a rational system of production and distribution of clean milk might be organised. Tue unknown Belcher Islands, in the south-east of Hudson Bay, were explored in 1914 and 1915 by Mr. R. J. Flaherty, who for the last six years has been examining the Hudson Bay region, the Ungava Penin- sula, and Baffin Land for iron-ore and other mineral deposits. Mr. Flaherty has an article on the islands NO. 2547, VOL. I0r| | caribou. in the June number of the Geographical Review (vol. v., No. 6). \The article’ contains several illustra- tions and the first map of the islands to be published. — Previously they were represented on charts by . od outlines of incorrect shape and position. It appears that the Belcher Islands consist of several long; narrow islands extending north and south for ninety-one miles, with an extreme width of fifty-seven miles. Their area is more than 5000 square miles. The islands are low, rising barely to 500 ft. at most, and studded with lakes well supplied with salmon and other fish. Har- bours are numerous. Vegetation is scanty, and there are no trees, but animal life is abundant. A tribe of Eskimos, consisting of only five families, permanently inhabit the islands. Other Eskimo- from time to time migrate from the mainland in search of walrus, sea-fowl, and, before their disappearance, Mr. Flaherty reports large deposits of iron- ore, not, however, of high quality. It is remarkable that such a large and. not unimportant group of islands, comparatively near to civilisation and easy of access, should have remained so long unexplored. — KissKaLT’s view that the action of the sand filter in water purification is biological and due to the destruction of bacteria by other organisms is contested as the result of experience at the Ziirich waterworks, where the lake-water is filtered in two stages through sand. According to L. Minder (Journal fiir Gas- beleuchtung und Wasserversorgung, No. 61, 1918), the first layer retains most of the fresh-water plank-" tons, but allows some of the bacteria to pass. The bacteria are ‘retained by the second filter and at the surface, so that at a depth of 10 cm. the number per cubic centimetre has already fallen to one-tenth. . Furthermore, the retention of bacteria is satisfactory . even when there are considerable fluctuations in the ~ number of bacteria in the water. Thus itis concluded | that the process is mechanical rather than biological. AccorDING to the Annali d’Ingegneria e. d’Archi- tettura for June 16, a strong committee of business men has been formed to consider the possibility of con- structing, after the war, a canal connecting Milan with Lake Como, and joining the important waterway which it is proposed to make from Milan to Venice, thus opening up the rich plains of Lombardy to cheap means of transit. The works involved would com- prise a canal from Milan to Vimercate, a vast tunnel from Vimercate to the River Adda, and the canalisa- tion of the Adda from Paderno to Lecco, The scheme has the approval of the city of Milan, and will be supported by the Edison Company, which is the chief user of the waters of the Adda. Some of the features of the new undertaking are discussed, and the advan- tages which the new canal would confer on Milan are explained. The distance +by water from Milan to Lake Como would be reduced by about eleven miles. In a paper on the limit of sensibility of the eye and the minimum of power visually perceptible, which. appears in the March-April issue of the Journal de Physique, M. Buisson claims that the eye is much more sensitive than it has been thought to be. A number. of discs of diameters from 2-5 to 5 milli- metres were covered with phosphorescent material, and. the light sent out by them determined by the Fabry- Buisson micro-photometer to be between two and four candles per square centimetre. Two of these discs OF a the same size and strength were mounted on a screen, which was gradually removed from the observer and — at the same time rotated about his line of sight, and =~ he was required to state the direction the line ee: a the two discs made with the horizontal until wit increase of distance it became impossible. For discs. _ AucusT 22, 1918] a NATURE 491 = of different diameters and strengths the limit of per- ception was found in all cases such that if there were absorption of light by the atmosphere. a candle d be visible at a distance of 27 kilometres. This is equivalent to a stat of the eighth magnitude, and it is probably the Sent of the sky which prevents stars of higher. magnitude than the sixth being visible. gineering for August 9g has an illustrated article iptive of an electrically welded barge, which has 1) built at a yard on the south-east coast under yovernment control.. This barge is 120 ft. long and ft. beam, and has a displacement of 275 tons. = vessel, with full cargo, has been at sea during tionally rough weather, and answered satisfac- in every way to the test imposed. No rivets e used in the construction, the whole of the struc- being put together by electric welding. The ation of this system was a direct consequence of ence in welding by means of the flux-coated ctrode process at the Admiralty dockyards. Phere are seventy-one transverse frames in the barge, | three bulkheads; plates of thicknesses } in. and _ were used for the shell plating. It is estimated future vessels of this size should be built with a of 25 to 40 per cent. of time and about to. per “material. as compared with ordinary es. The United States Shipping Board arrangements for the building of a number )-ton standard ships in which the use of rivets reduced to about 2-5 per cent. of the normal = Magnitudes of the stresses in a revolving disc by means of mathematical formulz is tedious and com- plicated. With the exception of the cases of discs of stant thickness and constant strength, for which nite. integrals can be found, the analytical solution is ly complex equations, and the ultimate is doubtful. In the course of an article in Engineering for August 9, Mr. H. Haerle describes ' a method which can be applied to any sectional pro- file and reduces the mathematical work to a minimum, ile at the same time results are obtained which sufficiently accurate for all practical purposes. e general formulz are given by Dr. Stodola in book on steam turbines, and from these other xpressions are deduced for the sum and difference . chart the relation of these sums and differ- ‘ences with tangential velocities, and shows how the ‘chart may be applied to the solution of discs of ‘uniform thickness with and without a central hole, * dises of hyperbolic profile, and turbine discs having the tapered sides usually employed in practice. An example of an impeller ‘disc for a turbo-compressor is Iso worked out. Mr. Haerle’s method gives remark- ab t with the mathematical method, and ce ainly simplifies greatly an exceedingly complicated Ss eit Ly Mrs. M. T. Ettis contributes to the June issue on the plant sterols. In the first is recorded the failure to isolate a typical phytosterol from the vegeta- tive ears of the cabbage plant or from the faces of rabbits fed on a cabbage diet, although from, the latter source a small quantity of a substance giving the cholesterol colour reactions was separated. On ) the other hand, cabbage-seeds contain a relatively large amount of crystalline matter apparently similar to the mixture of phytosterols present in rape-oil, which is interesting in view of the fact that both rape and cabbage belong to the genus Brassica. Grass- NO. 2547, VOL. 101] _ TxE problem of ascertaining the distribution and | ‘of the ri cipal stresses. Mr. Haerle has prepared a’ of the Biochemical Journal three interesting papers fruits also contain phytosterol, but a larger amount of chortosterol.. The second paper deals with the sterol content of wheat, and it was found that the chief _phytosterol present both in the grain and in the embryo is sitosterol. The bran contains a phytosterol, but one different from sitosterol. A method of estimating phytosterol was devised based on the insolubility of the compound of this substance with digitonin. The quantity of phytosterol in the etiolated wheat-plant is approximately the same as in the grain, but it is higher in the adult plant. In the embryo the per- centage of phytosterol is much higher than in the plant, thus suggesting an essential’ function in ger- mination and growth. In the third paper (‘The Occurrence of Phytosterol in some of the Lower Plants”’) it is shown that a mixture of ergosterol and fongisterol, previously known to occur in fungi,. is. present in Polyporus nigricans, and probably also in P. betulinus. From the alga Laminaria, the Musci Sphagnum, and tthe fungi Agaricus rubescens and Lactarius subdulcis oils were obtained which gave the cholesterol colour reactions. MEssrs. BSTTERWORTH AND Co. (Inp1a), Lip. (Cal- cutta), have sent us a copy of their Medical Catalogue for 1918. It is a very comprehensive list of works pub- lished in Great Britain, India, and America on medi- cine, surgery, dentistry, obstetrics, pharmacy, ophthal- mology, and the allied sciences. As it is carefully arranged according to subjects, and the prices are given in Indian currency, it should be very useful to medical men resident in India and the Far East, to whom it will be sent free by the publishers upon application. Messrs. T. C. anp E. C. Jack, Ltp., announce two forthcoming books by F. Martin Duncan, viz. ‘“Wonders of the Seashore’? and ‘‘How Animals Work.” They also promise ‘‘Water in Nature,’ by W. Coles Finch and Ellison Hawks. Tue Oxford University Press is about to begin the publication of ‘‘ Neurological Studies,’’:from the Seale Hayne Military Hospital, Newton Abbot. It will be edited by Major A. F. Hurst, with assistance. OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. Wotr’s PEertopic Comet.—Mr. M. Kamensky has further revised his orbit of this comet, applying per- turbations by the earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. His.elements are given in Ast. Journ., No. 738 :— T=1918 Dec. 13°3909 G.M.T. @ =172° 54 41°83” Si =206° 41’ 3171 |igi8o Oey WF: BUSS I d = 33° 58° 31°85" # = 522°42893" _ The Greenwich observations in July indicate the very small correction +0-o046d. to the value of T. Ephemeris for Greenwich Midnight R.A. = N. Decl. h m s. ENS: Sept. 3 Sea 20 0 38 22 20 7 44: 20 017 21 13 II 20 0 36 20 Oo 15 20 I 36 18 43 19 Py 20. 3 17 +" 17 23 23 ae 20 39 on 16.3 2 Ry 20 44 Fe 14 37 Oct. 1 20 I2 31 13 12 Values of log r, log A: September 3, 0:2726, 0-0274; October 1, 0:2415, 00242 respectively. The comet is nearest to the earth on September 20, and the theoretical brightness is greatest on October 12. 492 NATURE ' [Aucust 22, 1918 Faint Stars witH Larce Proper Motions.—Mr. Furuhjelm’s investigation of the proper motions of the stars in the Helsingfors astrographic zone (39° to 46° N. decl.), between R.A. oh. and 12h., has already been, noticed in Nature. He has now published a smaller list (Ofversigt. af Finska Vetenskaps-Societe- tens Férhandlingar, Bd. lix., Afd. A., No. 22), which’ extends from R.A. oh. to 24h., but includes only stars the annual proper motion of which is o: 5” or more. They are sixty-three in number, but the proper motions of more than half of these had already been published. However, more than twenty are new, being faint stars of the roth’or 11th photographic magnitude. They have been derived by the aid of the blink micro- scope from pairs of plates taken at intervals of several years. The author believes that the list contains all the stars in the zone down to the 11th magnitude, whose P.M. amounts to 0-5”. In a separate publica- tion he gives a detailed study of the faint star which he found in 1914 to have the same P.M. as. Capella. His final result for its P.M. is '+oo0o71s. in R.A., —o-434” in decl., Boss’s values for Capella being +0-0082s., —0-429”. The place of the small star (the photographic magnitude of which is 10:6) for 1900-0 was 5h. rom, 1-20S., +45° Ay 21: 5”, that of Capella being 5h. gm. 18- 048.» +45° 53’ 47-0". The distance between them is 12’ 4”. Making allowance for the greater distance of Capella from the sun, the system shows a close analogy to that of aCentauri and its distant companion, which Mr. Innes has named Proxima. .Pgriopiciry oF SoLar Rapiation.—In continuation of the preliminary work of Clayton (Naturg, vol. c., p- 14), Dr. C. G. Abbot has made a further investiga- tion of possible periodicities in the _ short-interval variations of the ‘solar constant’ (Smithsonian Miscell. Collections, vol. Ixix., No. 6). The method adopted was to caleulate the coefficients of correla- tion between the solar constants of given days and _ those of one to forty days later, as observed from 1908 to 1916. There appears to be no well-marked periodicity which persists through the’ whole period of observation, but some of. the results for individual - years are of interest. Thus, in 1915, a period of about _ twenty-seven days, doubtless associated with the solar rotation, was strongly shown, the observations sug- gesting that one side of the sun was hotter than the other during several rotations. This result is of con- siderable importance as furnishing additional evidence that the short-period variations are of truly solar origin. The year 1916 was unique in giving indications of a period of about 33 days. Tue Spectrum oF Mira.—The bright lines re- corded in the spectrum of Mira by Stebbins in 1903 have been further investigated by W. S. Adams and A. H. Joy (Pub. Ast. Soc. Pac., vol. xxx., p. 193). Some additional lines are shown in a photograph taken on March 2, but the principal interest attaches to the suggested identifications of the lines. Apart from the well-known lines of hydrogen, the bright lines appear to be mainly due to iron and magnesium, and in each ease the lines involved are those which have their greatest intensity at low temperatures. The brightest line, next to the lines of hydrogen, is the magnesium line A 4571, which is the most charac- teristic line. of the flame spectrum. Similarly, the iron lines which occur are those of the low-temperature groups a and b of the classification of Gale and Adams. The lines in question make their appearance, or at least become more intense, as the star approaches its minimum of light, and it would seem that the radia- ting gases undergo a reduction of temperature as the | star becomes fainter. NO. 2547, VOL. Ior| _ when its magnitude was between 6 and 7. THE NEW STAR IN AQUILA. THE following estimates of brightness of Nove ‘f Aquilae made by M. Paul Blanc at Fourcalqi : are included in Circular No. 27 of the Marseilles. Observatory : — j brightness of the nova in the wave-le and 412 made at Florence by M. ML Nagging observations indicate that the nova did not Petsie as a black body. The following collection of references to the history of the nova prior to the outburst in June has been communicated by Dr. C. Easton, of Amsterdam :— 1892, August 14, Algiers Astrogr. Chart | N (Zwiers), mag. 8-8; 18 Pai September 21, iard’s Photographs of the Way, Publ. of Lick Obs., vol. xi., plate 59 easton € 26,. ; % ate Date h. m. "Mag. Date h. m. Mag.’ | June 8 21 10 1-0 June 21 22 20. ae . 9 21 55 ) | 22) 2B) sick eee 4 9.2240 o2 23° 28 40... 29 10 22 15 >10 | 24. 21) > hse 132235 ro | 25 2B Si Bs 14 21 45 Tain 29 me 39 15 22 15 1-5 28 22 50 i390 18 21 2:3 29° 2120 «93:6 19 21 30 2:3 30. 22 hat gb? 20 22 2°5 eS ere Details are also given of determinations ad ag mag, 10°55, 18954, Algiers’ No. 141 (ronciehoteey Bp 88 48D August 20, pn <8-8 (vide NaTuRE, ’No. 2 1909, June M. Wolf, Ast. Nach., No. 4949, | mag. 10-5; pres Franklin Adams Chart, mag. <8-8; en July, Bailey’s N. Milky Way, Harvard Annals, vol. Ixxx., No. 4 (Nijland). In Barnard’s photograph of 1894. the nova is 20 mm. from the left, and 5:5 mm. from the bottom of the Dr. Easton remarks that there seems to be sufficient evi- i dence of the variability of the nova. Messrs. I. Yamamoto and Y. pene: of the Kyoto. University, inform us that they ind covered the new star on June rr, during an expéilition:. to observe the recent total eclipse of the sun. Owing to the rainy season very few observations were secured, — but it was observed that the star became fainter and redder until June 29, when there was a slight recovery. — The star is still easily visible to the naked eye, being now between the 4th and 5th magnitudes. On August to Prof. Fowler noted that the raven nebular _ line was the most conspicuous feature of f the visible” spectrum. ng Father Cortie sends: the followin observations on August 13 and 15. date the star, according to cana of magnitude 4-3 visually and 2. photographically. The maximum of brilliancy has titted from to the green, and the image in the telescope 8 its ruddy hue, and is of a blue tint. In a McClean” spectroscope H, was very much reduced in brightness 5 _ a yellow line, presumably D, was seen, and vivid” bright lines at 5007. Hg, 4640, and about H,.. Thes following wave-lengths of the principal bright bands were determined from a photograph: 3867, H;, H,, Ho, H,, 4363, 4640, 4680, 4713, Hs, 4958, and 5007. The bands about H, and 4640 were the brightest. On August 15 H, and 4363 were the brightest. The mean width of the hydrogen bands is about 50 Angstré: units. While the bands at H, and 4640 are ar ; character, H, is composed of a double band. spectrum on the dates nemed was almost exacth that of Nova Perset in August and September, 1 <3 ee ‘ > Avcust 22, 1918] NATURE 493 | THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC i INDUSTRIES. = NE interesting feature of the British Scientific = Products Exhibition, arranged by ihe British - Science Guild at King’s College, London, is ‘he _ series of short lectures and demonstrations given with _ the special ait of directing public attention to the _ necessity of developing the scientific industries of the _ country. These lectures cover a wide range, and by reminding us how ill-prepared we were at the out- ae break of war to cope with the vast industrial tasks _ involyed in the supply of munitions of+war, they _ should help to stimulate effort with the view of pre- _ venting the occurrence of a similar disadvantage in commerce when hostilities cease. _ Lord Sydenham, who opened the exhibition on _ August 14, pointed out in his address that the Ger- _ Mans with deliberate design had penetrated our whole _ commercial system, and had obtained control of some - of our key industries. We were at first not in a position to start the new industries which were vital _ torsuccess, and which the Germans had laboriously built up. At present, as Lord Sydenham pointed out, _ there is not a single branch of the industries of war _ in which we cannot excel the Germans, and from this _ fine achievement we can draw lessons of supreme — i . _ importance for the future. Lord Sydenham also em- _ phasised a lesson which the war had taught us, that small tities of material had enormous influence in y e ing production, and large’ industries were vitally affected | by small industries. The dye industry, bara Germany had largely developed with an eye to _ war as well as to industrial supremacy, was quoted as _ an example of this. We paid Germany nearly 2,000,0 per annum for dyes, upon which depended an industry of more than 2°0,000,000l. per annum. _ The great chemical works of Germany had almost _. monopolised this and other key industries, and when _ war broke out the works engaged thereon were ready _ to be turned on to the production of explosives ‘and Pp ants. Lord Sydenham expressed the opinion _ that the new Education Act, if properly used, would __ provide the machinery to add largely to the number of our science-workers.. When the Bill was before the _ House of Lords he endeavoured to introduce the word “science ”’ into it, but the official objection was that it __ would be inappropriate to specify a.particular item in ' such a Bill. In conclusion, Lord Sydenham pointed out _ that two factors were operating to bring about certain _~ victory in the field. The first was the splendid gal- _ lantry and devotion of our fighting men; the second, the resourcefulness and hard work of our men and women, which had enabled them to be supplied with _ the best weapons science could produce. If, when __ victory was ours, we diligently applied that resource- fulness to the arts of peace, we should be able to re- create national prosperity on a’ broader and. more _ enduring basis than it had possessed in the past. _ A German chemist, Dr. Otto N. Witt, soon after _ the declaration of war, expressed the opinion that _ the manufacture of dyes could never be established in _ this country because we lacked the knowledge and a ience as well as, according to his view, the moral ties requisite for so great an undertaking. Sir William Tilden, in the first of two lectures on _ “Lessons of the Exhibition,’ pointed to the products - exhibited, which, he said, demonstrated that these _ estimates of the British men of science were alto- gether mistaken, and he claimed that we had every + reason to be proud of the result. Sir William Tilden explained and illustrated the use of the word “re- search,’ which is now so freely used, but the true NO. 2547, VoL. tor] meaning of which is rarely understood. Some of the modern applications of scientific knowledge .in chemical manufactures afford excellent examples, such, for instance, as the successful establishment of the contact process for making sulphuric acid, the production of ammonia from gaseous hydrogen and atmospheric nitrogen, and the oxidation of ammonia into nitric acid. In the second of his lectures Sir William Tilden mentioned that research in science is undertaken by two distinct classes of people. There is, first, the divinely gifted genius who pursues in- vestigation for the purpose of finding out the laws of Nature and answering the eternal question, Why? Such a man was Faraday, and such a man is the president of the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Thomson. These lead the way, 1 ss " Photo} Fic, 1.—Mount Katmai, the greatest of active volcanoes, after the eruption of 1912. previously laid undisputed claim to this distinction, in every dimension. The comparative measurements are -—— Katmai Kilauea Length... 3'0 miles ... 2°93 miles Width aoe 275-56 5055. Circumference 87*4 ,, TOS 4, Depbi ee ces, SOG ate oo ft Cubage... About 2 tabi miles 0°4 cubic mile Because of its much greater depth, the crater of Katmai forms a much more awe-inspiring spectacle than that of Kilauea. The two are, however, so different in character that they are scarcely compar- able. The bottom is occupied by a lake of hot water, through - which emerges a_ single-breached cone, the remnant of the last spasms of the great eruption. The violence of the explosion was so great that the whole of the tremendous mass thus thrown off the [D. B. Church The whole of the former three-peaked top was blown away in the explosion of June, rgr2, and in its place is left an enormous crater three miles long, the rim of r 3 which forms the present crest of the mountain. its configuration was roughly tours on the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey’s- chart of the district. Before the eruption the volcano was a three-peaked mountain rising nearly 7500 ft. above the broad valley of Kattnai River, which stretched from the sea inland to the very foot of the mountains. In the eruption the whole summit was blown away, * and in its place was left an enormous crater. The preliminary explorations of the National Geographic Society’s expedition of 1916 revealed the general condi- tion of the volcano, and indicated that this crater was » of enormous size. In 1917 the whole area was mapped | on a scale of 1: 250,000, following the methods and _ standards of the United States Geological Survey. _ This survey showed that Katmai is the largest active crater in the world, surpassing Kilauea, which had 1 Copyright in the United States of America. NO. 2547, VOL. IO1| indicated by con- mountain was reduced to fine fragments. No rocks or cinders of large size are to be found anywhere among the débris. The largest piece of pumice ob- served among the ejecta from Katmai is less than a foot in its longest dimension. A further consequence of the violence of the eruption was the very wide dis- tribution of the ejecta. On the crater-rim the depth of the deposit was only 45 ft., less than in many a minor eruption. But Kodiak, a hundred miles to the eastward, was covered by about a foot of ash, while appreciable falls, accompanied by the corrosive fumes of sulphuric acid, were detected sc far away as Vic- toria, B.C., more than 1600 miles distant. World- wide atmospheric effects were also observed, but these were much less pronounced than after the explosion of Krakatoa. ; But in the great mantle of ash and pumice thrown out over a wide expanse of country Katmai far sur- A98 NATURE LAGE Ses 22 , 1918 pabged Krakatoa, The study of the return of vinta’: tion to these ash-covered areas was one of the primary objects of the expeditions, which have laid out about a hundred vegetation stations, wherein the progress of returning vegetation can be accurately observed. From some of these stations photographs and records have already been obtained for three years. At Kodiak, and wherever the ash-fall was less than 2 ft., an abundant growth of plants has come up through the ashy covering from old roots, resulting in an almost miraculous recovery of vegetation. But where the ash-fall exceeded 3 ft. none of the old plants were able to penetrate the ashy blanket, although there is abundant evidence that they survived the fury of the eruption even on the slopes of the volcano itself. There are, therefore, large areas which were denuded of both plant and animal life and rendered absolutely sterile by the eruption. These present an unparalleled opportunity for the study of the conditions necessary Photo) Fic. 2.—A corner of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. seventy square miles north of Mount Katmai. Before the eruption this was a system of grass-covered valleys with no sign of volcanic activity. Now it is traversed by hundreds of fissures extending along its margin or criss-crossing its floor. These fissures are the seat of several millions of volcanic vents of all sizes, from great volcanoes pouring forth columns of vapour more than a mile high, down to minute jets of gas which pass unnoticed amongst their greater neighbours.” This. vailey was discovered by the Geographic Society’s expedition of 1916; but it was not possible to explore it until 1917, w hen ‘its study was the principal objec- tive of the party. Four weeks were spent within its confines in the past season; but it cannot be said that its study was more than ‘well begun, so numerous and varied are its phenomena. In the cataclysm by which the present condition of the valley was produced all traces of the vegetation which formerly clothed its ‘sides were destroyed, so that there remains no wood for [D. B. Church The ‘‘cookstove”’ at which the members of the expedition prepared all their meals is in the foreground. for the establishment of life on a raw mineral soil without humus or organic matter of any sort. In 1917 chemical and bacteriological studies of the condi- tion of these soils were carried out by J. W. Shipley and Jasper Sayre respectively, in addition to the botanical -investigations of the previous expeditions. The zoologist of the expedition, James S. Hine, made extensive studies of the animal, life, especially the insect fauna, in’ the uninjured district to ‘one’ side’ of the devastated area. It is expected that the results of these and other investigations will be issued in a series of technical papers to be published in the Ohio Journal of Science as soon as they are completed. But the most sensational, as well as the most im- portant, of the results of the expedition was the discovery of certain phenomena concomitant with the eruption of Katmai, which are even more interesting than the explosion itself. The most striking of these is the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, which occupies an area of about NO. 2547, VOL. rot] use as fuel or otherwise. But it was found that one of the small fumaroles furnished a very accept- able’ substitute for a cooking-stove. The whole area — is so broken up and permeated with escaping vapours that it was impossible to find a cool spot for a camp- site. A thermometer inserted in the ground 6 in. below: the floor of the tent promptly rose to the boiling-| point » By analogy with other regions, it was expected that — hot springs and geysers might be found accompanying the gas-emitting volcanoes, but such are altogether absent. The study: of the conditions of the valley showed that their presence is impossible by reason — of the high temperatures prevailing throughout the — area. The vents are so hot that they would instantly” vaporise any water that might reach their throats. — The expedition, not.expecting such high temperatures, — was not equipped with the pyrcmeters necessary for their measurement. All the major vents were hot — enough to boil mercury, but how much hotter they 4 Aucust 22, 1918] ° NATURE 499 ' are than that it is impossible to tell until. further observations hav: been made. , Collections of the gases from the volcanoes were “made for study by the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution. The conditions of emission are such that the valley offers a unique opportunity for Photo) - Fic. 3.—Novarupta Volcano. the sky for miles around. : the collection of volcanic gases without danger of con- _ tamination with-the atmosphere:- Samples from repre- ' sentative vents were taken, both in vacuum tubes and by pumping the gases through tubes filled with barium hydroxide. Observations: on’ the ground were suffi- cient to indicate the presence of a considerable variety of gases. The vents :likewise pro- duce a great variety of. solid de- posits. These are of all colours of the rainbow, and represent a‘ con- siderable diversity of chemical com- _ position. Their study is. likewise ____ being prosecuted by the Geophysical Laboratory... as It is not possible, in advance of _. the completion of the analyses now under way, to give-a definite state- ment concerning the chemistry of the vents. But the field observations on the volcanoes, on the temperatures of the vents, and on the character of their emanations and sublimations make it manifest that the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is not a superficial phenomenon due to the cooling off of a hot body of ejecta or some such circumstance. It is clear, rather, that its fumaroles are truly volcanic vents furnishing fvenues of escape for an immense body of magma lying somewhere beneath the surface. What the relations of this mass of magma may be to the explosion of Katmai and to the geology of the country round about are problems which must await further study. But while the phenomena of this district present & unique opportunity for the study of some features of volcanism not hitherto revealed, its remarkable NO. 2547, VOL. ror] Photo} The column of dust and vapour from this great volcano, which has burst up through the sandstone floor of the Valley of I'en Thousand Smokes, often obscures 7 character is destined to appeal to a wider circle than that comprised by scientific vulcanologists. As a spectacle of the action of the grandest of all the forces of Nature, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is so far beyond anything else known to us on the globe as to make it quite certain that it will rank as the first wonder of the world when once its remarkable features are understood by the public. For here, continually rising quietly from the ground without explosive action of any sort, is more vapour than is given off by all the rest of the world’s volcanoes put together (except during a period of dan- gerous eruption). The majesty of the sight presented by its myriads of steam columns, : grace- fully circling up from the ground to mingle with the common cloud which habitually hangs over the valley. is a matchless and awe- inspiring spectacle. No pictures or descriptions, interesting as they may be, can convey the slightest conception of the beauty and magnitude of this .wonder wonders. At the present time this Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is so diffi- cult of access that the only human beings who have ever set foot in it are the members ,of the National Geographic: ‘Society’s, expeditions. But this difficulty: is due-not.so.much to its remote- ness from ordinary: means of travel as to the generally primitive and- unsettled’ condition: of the part of the | world in which it -lies.. Were means-of transportation | provided, it would be quite ‘possible to land from an | ocean liner in the morning ‘and, cover the whole of [X. F. Griggs (2. F. Griggs Fic. 4.—One of the Ten Thousand Smokes. The man seen standing silhouetted against the cloud near the vent gives an idea of the magnitude of the vent, the district in a single day by automobile. It would, of course, require a longer period to see its mani- fold wonders, and the readers of Nature will, I am sure, be glad to know that the first steps towards making it accessible are now being taken. Ropert F. GRriGGs. of © 500 NATURE -[Aveusr 22,.1918 UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL ; INTELLIGENCE. WE have received a copy of the prospectus of the Merchant Venturers’ Technical College, which pro- vides and maintains the faculty of engineering of the University of Bristol, and we note that the courses include schemes of study for persons intending to engage in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. The department of automobile engineering has been closed for the duration of the war, as the professor of that department is doing important work in connection with munitions. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. Paris. Academy of Sciences, July 29.—M. Ed. Perrier in the chair.—G. Humbert: Ternary indefinite quadratic forms.—J. Boussinesq: The fundamental formula of Treseca for punching a cylindrical block of lead. —G: Bigourdan ; Delisle at the Hétel de Taranne; Lalande, Bailly, and Coulvier-Gravier at the Luxembourg. —M. Balland: The use of lime-water in. the preparation of munition bread. An account of some experiments . made in 1917 by order of the Minister for War on the use of lime-water in bread-making.—P. Bruére and Ed. Chauvenet; Zirconium nitride. Starting with the ammonia compound of zirconium chloride, ZrCl,.4NH,, a‘rise of temperature gives successively the amide, Zr(NH, Jar, the imide (impure), Zr(NH),, and finally, at about 350° C., the nitride, Zr,N,. This last appears to. be the only nitride, and no evidence of the com- pounds Zr,N, and Zr, N, has been obtained.—M. Verzat: The measurement of temperature in very deep soundings. Two thermometers were cut at a temperature (40° C.) lower than that expected; after remaining at the bottom for an hour they were raised, and some mercury was found to have escaped. Com- parison with a standard then showed the temperature (62-5° C.) at which the mercury exactly filled the tube, and. thus gave indirectly the temperature at the bottom, 1616 metres from the surface. This gives a rise of 1° C. for every 32-3 metres depth.—F. Mor- villez : The leaf-trace of the Czalpine Leguminosz.— H. Colin and Mile. A. Chaudun: The law of action of sucrase. The deviation from Wilhelmy’s formula is less marked as the ratio of saccharose to sucrase diminishes.—F. Ladreyt: Epithelial regeneration. Be- sides normal physiological renovation, epithelium may abnormally be regenerated at the expense of con- junctive tissue.—A. Besredka : Experimental paratyphoid . fever B. The mechanism of immunity in paratyphoid B. Vaccination by the mouth.—H. Bordier: A radio-therapic unit of quantity. The unit is based on the amount of iodine set free from a 2 per cent. solu- tion of-iodoform in chloroform. It has been proved that the iodine liberated is regular, and proportional to the time of irradiation by the X-rays. The unit is then defined as the quantity of X-rays capable of ——< free o-1 milligram of iadine in 1 c.c. of a 2 per cent. solution of iodoform in chloroform. thick- ness I.cm., and in the dark.—-A. Paine and A. Peyron: Seminome of the testicle of the rabbit, with graft and generalisation -to the second generation. VICTORIA. Royal Society, Mav o.—-Mr. J. A. Kershaw, presi- dent, in the chair.—G. F. Hill: Relationship of insects to parasitic diseases’ in stock. Part I. Life-histories of three nematode parasites of the horse, Habronema muscae, H. microstoma, and A. megastoma. Part II. Certain points in the life-history of Melophagus ovinus, the sheep ‘‘louse-fly’’ or sheep “‘tick.’”’—F. Chapman ; Ostracoda from the Upper Cambrian Limestone, of NO. 2547, VOL. 101| Pp. viii+ 304. South Australia. Three new species of Leperditioid Ostracoda are described from’ the Archzocyathina Limestone of Curramulka, namely, Leperditia tatei, L. capsella, and Lsoéhilina sweeti. L. tatet has its: nearest analogue i in L. anna of the Upper Cambrian of St. Ann’s, Canada, whilst L. capsella bears a certain resemblance to L. canadensis of the Canadian Lower Paleozoic. The species of Isochilina is of large size (length more than 7 mm.), and has a general re- semblance to some forms of Aristozoe (cephalic oe. but is a true Ostracod from its swollen prope and thickly calcified carapace. BOOKS RECEIVED. ~ Studies in Electro-Pathology. By A. W. Robertson. (London: G. ae 5" Sons, Ltd.) 12s. 6d. net. 2 Wealth from Waste. By Prof. H. Seeiate. Pp. xvit+316. (London: G. Routledge ery Sons, Ltd.) 7s. 6d. net. ‘eres Sir William Ramsay. By Prof; "Toe dhu: Pp. ix+66. (Calcutta: Butterworth and Co. asia), Ltd.) Rs.1.8 net. On the ene by ~ Pris Statistical Astronomy. W. Jace 128. (Amsterdam: W. Kicchuec) c Modern Dyeing Methods. By C. M. Whittaker. Pp. xi+214. (London :: Bailliére, Tindall, and Cox.) 7s. 6d. net. Industrial Electrometallurgy, including Electrolytic and Electrothermal Processes. By Dr. E. K. Rideal. Pp. xlit+247. (Bailliére, Tindall, fren Cox.) ‘7s. 6d. net. The Science of Health and Horhe-making. By E:.C, Abbott. Pp. xv+302. (London: G. Bell pat, Sons. Ltd.) 3s. 6d. net. | , CONTENTS. PAGE Sir Joseph Hooker 481 Tycho Brahe’s Studies of Comets. " By Dr. is" c. D. Cromeprelin. 9. 2050 2 a eee ; . 482 Our Bookshelf 2 oie lak: ee ee, 483 Letters to the Editor:— 34 Science and the Civil Service.—Prof, J. BL Cohen, ao PRS el a Ser ee d The swing Institution: a Retrospect. By Sir T. E. Thorpe, C.B.,: FOR.S. 2050 ssa ee 484 The Drift of the « Endurance.” ‘By R. C;, Mossman 387 Notes (500 oa ee : 488 Our Astronomical Column :— Wolf’s Periodic*Comet (27+ oP eae es 491 Faint Stars with Large Proper Motions 492. Periodicity of Solar Radiation . .... +++ - + 492 The Spectrum Of Mirae Rey See ee i 492 The New Star in Aquila at 492 The Development of Scientific Industries. easy 493 Treatment of Crops by Electric Diecainn Piet: 495 | Iron-Ore Occurrences in Canada - P 40) 495 ‘British Scientific Products Exhibition . 495 The Eruption of Katmai. (IIlusirated.) By Fret Robert F, Griggs 497 | University and Educational Intelligence 2 Tend gate OO Societies and Academies. .....-.5-++4., » 500 Books Received (4.058627 sashes sees > oh ee 500 Editorial and Publishing Offices: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltp., ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. Advertisements and business letters to he addressed to the Publishers. Editorial Communications to the Editor. Telegraphic Address: Puusis, LONDON. Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. We Os ee NA TURE 501 s _ THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1918. ITALIAN GEOLOGY. F (2) Bibliography of the Geology and Eruptive __ Phenomena of the More Important Volcanoes of / Southern Italy. Compiled with the assistance om Madame A. Johnston-Lavis by Prof. H. ston-Lavis. Second edition, completed after the author’s death by Miss B. M. Stanton and edited with a preface and short life of the author . Woodward. Pp. xxiv+ 374. (London: ; University of London Press, Ltd., 1918.) a n Mountain Geology. By Dr. c. S. Du x “Riche Preller. Part i. The Piémontese Alps, - Ligurian Apennines, and Apuan Alps. Pp. ae Part ii. The Tuscan Subapennines and Pp. to1—92. (London: Dulau and Co., Ltd., Ltd., 1918.) Price 2s. 6d. net each. : HE late Prof. H. J. Johnston-Lavis was an - untiring worker, and the bibliography st _ handsomely published is a monument to »roughness with which his studies were pur- ‘The Italian volcanoes, on account of their n in the heart of Mediterranean culture, er ‘consequent accessibility to every inquir- lgrim who made his way to Rome, have Fi almost unaided, the foundation of the of vulcanology. Sir William Hamilton, nies, at the Court of Naples at the eae. teenth century, brought systematic ont CoRR BCS, ‘observation to bear upon the 1a of Vesuvius. Spallanzani, very little inde rtook the description of Sicily. The ) oraneous and acute researches of Faujas Cetra . among the extinct volcanoes of ance owed their influence on geological thought » the author’s comparisons of chilled materials with the products of active cones in Italy. Werner erg, the exponent of cabinet geology, was when his pupil von Buch travelled south- ay of the Alps. The bibliography of South n volcanoes, as we look back on memorable © iiueies. | is indeed a conclave of great names. ob WR igus Tearrange the papers cited in the dex of their dates, instead of the far more on venient author-system here’ employed, we ald have a history of alarm and wonder- | seeking, passing into more or less sober specula- : tion, and finally into potent observation varied Ns pus exciting episodes. _ The division of the pubiecs in this work into “papers on various areas has led to a repetition of ‘Many entries. This could have been avoided if es entry had been numbered and a cross- _ reference made when requisite. This matter is _ worth mentioning, since the repeated references ie have very different bibliographic values. That to : . famous “Campi Phlegrai,’’ for example, under “Hamilton ” ia the section on the AZolian Isles is better thaa the previous one in the section on esuvius. The Afolian reference to “Der Aetna,” ce: eNO. 2548, VOL. 101 | } ’ ‘ ae ; wanted. by Sartorius von Waltershausen (edition of 1880), is, on the other hand, less satisfactory than that given later under Etna. This finely printed work is of value to all geologists and also to all public libraries. It contains, moreover, a characteristic portrait of the compiler, standing among the Vesu- vian tuff-beds, as some of us remember him in 1906, a year highly memorable in. the history of the mountain that he loved. (2) Dr. Du Riche Preller’s caitcshed papers on the structure of western and north-western Italy are the result of much close observation in the field and of careful consideration of the published work of others. After each descriptive exposition, the author states his own conclusions, and the numerous references, given as footnotes, render it easy to pursue any controverted point in detail. He reasons that the marble of Carrara (p. 96) is of Triassic age, since it has none of the schistose character of the Alpine Permian. He furnishes interesting remarks on the pietre verdi of various types, assigning them generally to submarine basic eruptions, dating from Paleozoic to Eocene epochs. The penetration and overriding of Meso- zoic rocks by granite in western Liguria are attri- buted to intrusion in Cainozoic times, rather than: to transport of the crystalline rock by over- thrusting. The more extreme ‘movements demanded by Termier are viewed with some sus- picion. The tone of the papers is far from contro- versial, and the bringing together. of so much- matter of diverse interest is distinctly helpful to geologists. 'We do not know why the author pre- fers ‘‘Piémont ” to the English form, and he cer- tainly must not be allowed to use “ euphodite,” he does quite consciously, for “euphotide.” The term is due to Haiiy and not to Delesse (p. 24), and we must not forget its author’s charming explanation—“ parce que le fond de la_ roche réfiéchit le blanc . . . et que le diallage réfléchit tantét le vert, qui est la couleur amie de Peril. ie GRENVILLE A. J. Core. THE GROWTH OF. SCIENCE, An Introduction to the History of Science. By Prof. W. Libby. Pp. x+288. (London: G. G. Harrap and Co., Ltd., 1918.) Price 5s. net. WE ‘cordially. recommend this book to the general reader as well as to educable teachers and students of science. It is ad- mirably written, the work of a scholar and thinker who knows the value of restraint. By careful selection of his illustrative material, and by aiming, not at a chronicle, but at an exposition of the great factors in the develop- ment of scientific thought, he has succeeded in giving us a really useful short history of science. With what Prof. Libby. says in his preface regard- ing the educative value of school instruction in the history of science we are in entire agreement, and he has supplied the introductory book that was It helps us to realise how the sciences DD 502 NATURE [Aucust 29, 1918 have grown up, that they continue growing, that their growth has had instructive vicissitudes, that their development depends on social as well as on personal factors, that they are democratic and international, and that they develop inter-linked with one another. The scope of the book may be briefly indicated. The banks of the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphra- tes saw many interesting beginnings, e.g. in astro- nomy and*medicine, for the most part oriented to practical needs. The deepening influence of abstract thought, often linked to observation and experiment, is illustrated by Thales, Pythagoras, Plato, Euclid, Aristotle, and Archimedes. The Roman practical and regulative genius is illus- trated by Vitruvius, with his fine conception of the synoptic dignity of architecture, and we are led on to Pliny the Elder and to Galen. An instructive chapter on the continuity of science through the Middle Ages is followed by a discussion of the classification of the sciences, Bacon’s in particular. ~The development of scientific method is illustrated by the work of Gilbert, Galileo, Harvey, and Descartes; and the funda- mental importance of measurement by the achieve- ments of Tycho Brahe, Kepler, and Robert Boyle. The story: of the Royal Society is the diagram of co-operation in science; the early development of geology illustrates the value of interaction; in a vivid chapter Benjamin Franklin is taken as repre- senting the eighteenth century in its struggle for intellectual, social, and political emancipation; the relation of science and religion is discussed in con- nection with Kant and the astronomers; Dalton and Joule illustrate the reign of law; Sir Humphry Davy is pictured as an ideal man of science; scien- tific prediction finds its classic illustration in the discovery of Neptune; the stimulus that travel gives to science is typified by Darwin’s Columbus- voyage; the relief of man’s estate by scientific discovery has its fine examples in the work of Pasteur and Lister; science as the mother of in- ventions is exemplified by the Langley aeroplane. Such are the subjects of successive chapters of a fascinating story, which ends with discussions of scientific hypotheses, scientific imagination, and the relation of science to democratic culture. Our only serious criticism is that the book takes relatively little account of biological science. W HALE-FISHING. Modern Whaling and Bear-hunting. A Record of Present-day Whaling with Up-to-date Appli- ances in Many Parts of the World, and of Bear- and Seal-hunting in the Arctic Regions. By W. G. Burn Murdoch. Pp. 320. (London: Seeley, Service, and Co., Ltd., 1917.) Price 21s. net. HE literature of the whale-fishery is large, and there is much delightful reading to be found in it. .Scoresby still stands first and fore- NO. 2548, VoL, 101] most; he had the true scientific eye, he told us ‘ just what he saw, and we go to his books to read \ ¥ ; not only of whales, but also of snow-crystals, and _ the heights of waves, and a multitude of other things that many have seen and few recorded. of the things he had not seen, and so it happened But Scoresby was a little apt to be Cppened \ (for instance) that he led naturalists astray for half a century by declaring that there was no such ° thing as a “Basque whale.’’ We have also the old books of Martens and of Zorgdrager, and — many older accounts than these, from the days of Baffin and of Edge and his Muscovy Company. And, besides all these, we have a long series of — narratives,’ more or less exciting, of whaling voyages for the last hundred years and more, Colnett and Bennett and H. J. Bull, and many others, not forgetting among the older ones the Commandeur Frederik Pietersz’s voyage to Green- land “op het Schif De Vrouw Maria,’ nor among the latest the romantic story of the “‘ Cruise of the Cachalot.’’ nary To all these Mr. Burn Murdoch has now added another, to tell of ‘‘modern whaling’’ in many seas, north and south and round the world; and he weaves into the story of his own adventurous voyages a lively account of the growth and recent origin of this extensive and prosperous industry. The reader may learn here, for instance, how old Svend Foyn spent years and years on the per-_ fecting of his ‘“‘harpoon-gun,’’ and the planning | of the little swift ships from which it was to be used; how, when all was complete, the great Finner whales and humpbacks, which had lived | an innocent and unmolested life since the world began, were harried from sea to sea, and boiled down into oil and ground up into bone-meal and cattle-food ; how the whale-oil is “hardened ”’ into “white, tasteless, edible fat excellent for cooking purposes,’’ and how sensible men eat the whale- beef and find it excellent; and how Svend Foyn became rich thereby béyond the dreams of avarice, and his little town of Tonsberg, where his statue stands, became an important place and a busy centre of commerce and industry. The book is a gossipy one; it roves from one theme to another; it is full of stories, and some few of them (perhaps the usual small proportion) are good; and, better than the stories, it brings to our ears, for once in a way, the tune of some fine old lively chantey, like “Blow, ye winds, hey ho, to California.’? Every now and then, among the lighter stuff, Mr. Burn Murdoch lets — us see that he is a shrewd observer, and better still, that he can, when he pleases, write very admirable English. Best of all, to our thinking, are some of his descriptive bits of really fine word- painting: as, for example, of the “rich, colourful \ light of the Gulf Stream, that seems to increase _ south and westerly as you follow it, say, from — the west of Kirkcudbright to Spain, and west- wards till you come to the Sargasso Sea’’; or, again, of “that jewel of a Sea-town,’’ Ponte Delgado, San Miguel in the Azores. D. W. T. 3 j ” Aveusr 29, 1918 | NATURE 593 aS. OUR BOOKSHELF. 'Dynamic Psychology. By Prof. R. S.. Wood- - worth. (Columbia University Lectures.) Pp. - 310. (New York: Columbia University Press; _ London: Humphrey Milford, 1918.) Price 6s. 6d. net. ‘Tus ‘short course of lectures is designed to give ‘an account of the distinctive character of the modern movement in psychology. It provides a _ sketch of the historical development of the science, -and shows the revolution it has undergone, as eral revolution in the whole conception of rn science which has followed the abandon- of the geocentric point of view. Psychology the youngest of the empirical sciences, but in one has the revolution been more marked and rapid. This is due to the fact that only in very ' recent'times haye we come to recognise that psy- chology is something more and other than a sr in general philosophy, that it has for its tinate, and as capable of being abstracted the purposes of special study as the facts th which physies and biology deal. Prof. Wood- rth sees the real beginning of modern psycho- in John Locke and the English empiricist _ philosophers. Its notable advance in recent times, and the complete change it has undergone, are iainly due to the discernment of the significance f the facts revealed in abnormal psychology, and * also to the study of the instinctive basis of human nature. The “drive’’ and the “mechanism’’ are _the two factors which mutually condition one ther, and it is the object of the modern psycho- gist to discover their true nature and relation in rder to lay the foundations of a practical or yplied science. Although the lectures make no retension to add anything to our theoretical or ractical knowledge, they are very valuable as in- dicating the new conception of the much-debated scope and method of psychology. ape H. W. C. Aids in the Commercial Analysis of Oils, Fats, and mS phger’ CC. ercial Products: A Laboratory Handbook. By G. F. Pickering. Pp. viii+ - Price 7s. 6d. net. _ Tus is a book intended for the works chemist who has to deal with oils, fats, and their products does not treat of the elements of his subject, but rites for those already engaged in the examina- ion and utilisation of fatty substances. A good deal of sound practical advice is given, such as, or instance, the directions for taking samples of _ materials to be examined. Bad sampling, it is _ truly said, has caused far more differences between _ buyer and seller than the use of different methods of analysis. ' The book includes a useful collection of ana- _ lytical methods suitable for employment in works _ laboratories. The author remarks that all the figures [numbers] given “are now published for NO. 2548, VoL. 101] the first time.’’ This, however, is not necessarily _a recommendation unless they cover a sufficiently _and not much is said on that point. wide range of examples to be truly representative, The section on fat “splitting ” (i.e. decomposition into gly- _cerol and fatty acids) is one of distinct value, as _are also those on glycerine, resins, and recovered — products. In a work of this kind the facts are the import- -ant things, but it may be pointed out, without essentially a part of, and determined by, the | ; prescataly P pitas. ys 4 | (p. 8) we are told that a certain distillation had hypercriticism, that the author is occasionally a trifle careless in his expression of them. Thus been “performed by dissolving resin in the oil,’’ which does not quite convey the idea intended. _On p. 87 there are directions to “drop in a little sulphuric acid (34'7. c.c. of concentrated acid and 37-5 cc. of water),’’ which again must not be _ taken too literally. The expression “ethyl ethers,”’ _ too, where esters of fatty acids are meant (p. 89), _is not very accurate—or, at best, is antiquated. ject-matter a class of empirical facts as distinct, | ' Natural Science in Education. These, however, \ are minor blemishes. The book, as a whole, is a very praetical and useful aid to the technical chemist. Being the Report of the Committee on the Position of Natural Science in the Educational System of Great Britain. Pp. viii+272. (London: Published under the authority of His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1918.) Price 1s. 6d. net. THE report of the Committee, of which Sir J. J. | Thomson was chairman, appointed by Mr. As- as raw materials for his industry. The author | quith in August, 1916, to inquire into the posi- tion occupied by natural science in the educational system of Great Britain, especially in secondary schools and universities, was reviewed in our issue of June 6 last (vol. ci, p. 265), and it is unneces- sary to emphasise its importance again. We wel- ‘come the opportunity, however, of directing atten- tion to its republication in convenient book form, which will make it possible to have the report among one’s reference volumes easily accessible for constant use. It may be hoped that all future- important Government reports may be issued in ° a similar style, for they will be much more likely to be studied than if printed on the old familiar 133. (London: C. Griffin and Co., Ltd., 1917.) | foqlseap: sheets: Chemistry for Beginners and School Use. By C. T. Kingzett. Third edition. Pp. 211. (Lon- don: Bailli¢re, Tindall, and Cox, 1918.) Price 2s. 6d. net. THE first edition of Mr. Kingzett’s little book has been reviewed already in these columns (vol. xcix, p. 422). The opportunity provided by the demand for a new edition of the book has been taken to add an additional part, illustrated by eighty-one figures, dealing with chemical apparatus and ex- periments. Originally the volume was planned to give an introduction to chemistry to beginners having no opportunity to witness, or perform ex- periments, yet it may be doubted if the addition of the new part will render the book: sufficiently prac- tical for use in most schools where chemistry is / studied. 504 NATURE [Aveust 29, 1918 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents, Neither can he undertake. to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communications. | Production of Medusoid Forms from Gels. THE reference to the phenomena: of ordinary drops in Prof. D’Arcy W. Thompson’s letter on ‘‘ Medusoid Bells” in Nature of August 8 has suggested to me the possibility of obtaining permanent imitations of . such forms as he describes by producing drops of gelatin in a suitable medium. ‘The latter must be one of the solutions which harden gelatin, must have a specific gravity very near that of the gelatin sol at the temperature at which it is used, and must possess an appreciable interfacial tension against the sol. [I have found that a solution of aluminium sulphate can be made which fulfils all these con- ditions. | If 20 per cent. gelatin sol, which may be coloured with any convenient dye, is dropped into such a solu- tion from a tube about 4 mm. diameter, with its orifice from 2 to 8 mm. above the surface, rather interesting forms are obtained. The specimens do not lend them- selves very well to photographic reproduction, but I have drawn diagrammatically three typical cases. In all instances the crenated or stellate portion rests on the surface. With a to per cent. gelatin sol per- manent vortex rings can be obtained, as well as discs with a thickened rim, rings with a cylindtical fringe, Speen cs To approach more nearly to the conditions of the budding organism, it would be necessary to discharge the drops below the surface of the liquid. This pro- cedure entails some experimental difficulties, which, however, I hope to overcome. ‘The forms go far pro- duced do not show to me any evidence of vibration, but appear to be completely explicable by the effects of surface and interfacial tension and of the removal of water from the gel. Further experiments may show such evidence, and it would be very interesting if they could furnish support for so attractive a hypo- thesis in view of its two prima. facie difficulties: the origin and the persistence of vibration in a tear with the peculiar elastic properties of dilute gels. Per- haps the results described may induce Silene: more wy \/ SURFACE OF SOLUTION competent than I am to interpret their biological and | morphological aspects, to make such experiments; the conditions may be: varied in a great number of ways which will readily suggest themselves to anyone familiar with the properties of gelatin. Emit HatscHeK. 10 Nottingham Mansions, Nottingham Street, ‘W.1, August 16. No. 2548, VOL. I0T] ' ! Formule for Tetrahedron. PrRHaPs some readers of NaTuRE may be able ‘baci me whether the following results are new:— Let ABCD be any tetrahedron; BC =a, DA=a’, and so for the other edges; BC, AD, and so on; a, f, y, 6 the areas o opposite A, B, C, D respectively. identically aa’ cos (aa’) + bb’ cos (bb") + cc’ cos (ec’ )=o ad’ cos (aa’) cos (KC) cos(AD) + 60’ cos (30’ conta) + cc’ cos (ce’) cos (AB) cos (CD)=0 © 9 (8D) (ii) It is a known theorem, due to Steiner, that the four altitudes of ABCD are generators of the same hyper- boloid. With the help of (i) and (ii) T have Found that, taking ABCD as the tetrahedron of reference, the equation of Steiner’s hyp is, in a co- ordinates, : aa’ cos (aa’)\adyz cos (RC) + Byxt cos: (AD)! + bb’ cos (66')\Bdzx cos (CA) + yay? cos(BD)} § ib ' +b ee! cos (cc’) (yxy cos (AB) + aBet cos (CD)}=0,” In these formulz certain conventions Sior to ON made in the definitions of the angles Beis Etc...” ai te | as to make the cosines come out wink a the proper | signs. ‘sac of the tetrahedron, 4a87y5{\cos (AB) cos (CD) - cos s(CA}os(BD)} ti “pes =9Vaa' cos(aa’). mati with two. other identities derived from this piece. ; +ppay change of letters. All the formulz can tities; thus aa’ cos(aa’)=o igi quaternion identity Si(B-y)at(y-a)B+(a- B)y} = =0,° ~e but the others do not seem to me to be so. easily derivable. G. B. cenaad 7 Menai View, Bangor, August 17, AY: ? ‘ yids Rotating Discs. A note in Narure, August 22, p. 491, nbc toa recent article by Mr. H. Haerle, says: “The problem of ascertaining the distribution and m itudes of the stresses in a revolving disc by means o mathematical formulz is tedious and complicated. With the excep- tion of the cases of discs of constant thickness and constant strength, for which definite integrals can be found, the analytical solution involves hi complex equations, and the ultimate result is doub: ful.’ May I point out that the ordinary approximate solution for the rotating circular disc of uniform thickness, whether complete or holed, invotves only simple powers of the radius vector? The corresponding solution for the thin elliptical disc involves expressions of an equally ele- But in addi- mentary type, though naturally longer. tion we have possessed for more than twenty years (see Proc. Roy. Soc., vol. solution for an ellipsoid of any shape rotating about a principal axis. This involves only simple powers of the variables x, y, ¢, and it applies, of course, to discs of very varied shapes. All the ordinary elastic solid equa- tions, “whether internal or external, are exactly satisfied . in this case. Thus the uncertainties are only those inevitable through the difference between the ideal elastic solid problem and its realisation in practice. * CORRES = August 26. Te Iviii., p. 39) a complete (BC)=dihedral angle of which | " BC is an edge, and so on; (aa’) the angle between — 1e faces Then we. “have! aanthie interesting result is that ut w ‘is the volume | be translated into posi iden. the | - me a | es | Aveust 29, 1918] NATURE 595 _LORD BALFOUR’S COMMITTEE AND - .FHE CHEMICAL 7RADES. MONG the many subjects dealt with by Lord 4% Balfour’s Committee on Commercial and ' Industrial Policy after the War, in the attempt to _ grapple with the first term of their comprehensive reference, viz. “What industries are essential to the steps should be taken to maintain or establish them? ’’ was that of the chemical trades. Un- || fortunately, these trades were not very adequately || represented on the Committee, and there was prac- tically no one member of it who was able to speak z is own knowledge of much that is com- “prised within so wide-embracing a phrase. It is 2 cepersnd of the Committee’s attitude towards what they apparently regarded as a subordinate and relatively unimportant section of our sfaple industries that its consideration is dealt with only \ that of all the others had been disposed of. ty possibly be accounted for by the circum- that in all the other cases the members efore them reports from Sectional Depart- Committees appointed to consider the special sumstances of particular industries and to em- body their findings in recommendations with which it was the function of Lord Balfour’s Committee consider further with the view of arriving, if ible, at a consistent and uniform commercial industrial policy. Although the Committee to memoranda from the National Health nce Commission and from the Pharma- 1 Society and War Office with respect to drugs, mainly for Army use, there is g in the final report to show that it had any rtuni considering any similar reports of onal mmittees representing the various SHO din isi ms of the chemical trades. This is greatly i ed. of the’ present and prospective posi- f the chemical trades of this country, in view heir essential importance to the future safety of nation, cannot be said to have been adequately idered as yet by any properly constituted body es. Partial attempts have been made to deal ressing difficulties arising from the shortage s and drugs at the beginning of the war by of hand-to-mouth policy. The enormous lopment of the manufacture of oil of vitriol uired for the making of munitions has occa- ned some perturbation of mind among those > are concerned with the future of the industry the war, and a special Committee has con- red and reported upon the matter. But as yet re has been no such collective action in the case the chemical trades as. we have seen in the e of the coal trade, the iron and steel trades, engineering trades, in shipbuilding and marine ‘engineering, the electrical trades, the trade in non-ferrous metals, and the textile trades. This, perhaps, may be partly due to the very diverse haracter of the industries which are comprised within the term “chemical trades,’’ but these are not more diverse than those comprehended by that NO. 2548, VOL. 101] we the future safety of the nation, and what, of the textile trades. Certain of these chemical industries are, no doubt, very small in point of output, and are represented by few firms of wealth or political influence. Some of these firms would unquestionably be enlarged, their number in- creased, and the variety and range. of their pro- ducts extended, if the Legislature could be induced to make up its mind with regard to the future commercial and industrial policy of the Empire after the war; but so long as all is uncertain, and the Government waits on events, or is moved only by party considerations, capital will not be attracted towards the development of industries which may at any time be crushed by the relent- less and unscrupulous methods of German com- binations, protected and encouraged by an equally © relentless and unscrupulous Government. Although Lord Balfour’s Committee has dealt with the question of the position and future pros- pects of the chemical trades, in regard to the future safety of the nation, in a very imperfect and inconclusive manner, it must be admitted that the Committee has been accurately informed of much that is, unfortunately, only too true concern- ing their past history, and the report contains much plain speaking in regard to the lack of enterprise and originality which British chemical industry, especially in a number of the smaller trades, has hitherto manifested. Lord Balfour and his colleagues are under no illusions as to the sources of Germany’s strength ‘in the chemical arts. Her exports of chemical products in 1912 were double those of the United Kingdom. In other words, starting from an almost insignificant amount, Germany, since she became an Empire, has doubled the chemical output of the nation which long regarded itself as the premier manu- facturing nation of the world. ‘The predominant position,” it says, “ of Germany in the world in these industries, and the remarkable progress made by that country in recent years, were due... mainly to the persistent and thorough manner in which scientific knowledge and research and business ability have been combined for the building up of a great and comprehensive industry.” It points out that ‘‘for synthetic dyestuffs the dye- using industries, and in particular the textile trades, of the world were dependent upon a group of very powerful German companies, which to great technical ability and financial resources added a most effective marketing organisation. Closely related to the dye- making industry was the manufacture of synthetic drugs, in which again Germany dominated the world. In fine chemicals ...and a wide’ range of other chemical products, the German industry occupied an almost equally strong position. The large scale,” it adds, ‘‘on’ which the German industry operated, the great technical ability at its disposal, and its very elaborate organisation, made it possible to market its produce ‘at a price with which British manufacturers could rarely effectively compete, and facilitated the frequent adoption of a policy of systematic ‘ dumping,’ with a view. to the prevention.of the development of competitive industries elsewhere.’’ And then follows this humiliating admission :—‘‘In numerous cases, both in respect of the classes of commodities already mentioned, and in heavy chemical trades also, British manufacturers had found it necessary, in order to ° 506 NATURE [AucusT 29, 1918 3 retain some part of the trade, to enter into agreements with their German competitors, and existed in some cases only on sufferance.” There must be “something rotten in the State ”’ that brings a proud and powerful nation to such a pass as this. The Committee, in its “General Conclusions,’’ points out how we have allowed certain branches of production of great import- ance as a basis for other manufactures to come entirely or very largely under German control, and it enumerates many examples which have been made painfully familiar to us since 1914. “In all these cases the strength of the German position was due largely to persistent scientific work and’ organising skill.’’ It might have been added that this “persistent scientific work and organising skill’’ was directed by a “commercial and indus- trial policy’’ deliberately designed to strike at the welfare and even at the very existence of this Empire. Much of all this has been said many times already, but if the country is to be thoroughly aroused to a sense of the jeopardy in which it stands now that Germany has unmasked herself, it cannot be said too often. In stating its con- victions as to how the present position has been brought about, the Committee is also repeating a twice-told tale. It has been due to a number of causes. They are thus summarised in the report. First, the conservative influence of history and tradition, engendering a feeling of over-confidence in the maintenance of our position, and in the methods hitherto pursued, with but little recogni- tion of the necessity for constant vigilance and constant effort to meet the changing conditions and requirements of world ‘trade. Secondly, the admitted success in many directions of the com- petition of Germany with the United Kingdom was due in part to the comparatively late entrance of German industry into the field; that economic con- ditions in Germany made cheap production pos- sible; that she started with all the advantages of completely modern equipment and without the handicap of a traditional organisation. Lastly, that, from the first there was in Germany complete re- cognition of the great value of the application of science to industry and the close co-operation of the two; this, though most strikingly exemplified in the chemical trades, may fairly be said to be characteristic of German industry as a whole. Amongst British manufacturers, though there were some marked excep- tions, there was, speaking generally, no such recogni- tion. It is admitted not only that. the war has served to bring home to us the weakness of our economic position, but also that its requirements have roused us to an intensity of effort unparalleled in the industrial history of the nation, and in no branch has our potential power and productive capacity been more strikingly shown than in that of chemical industry. The Committee is glad to recognise that through British industry generally the cutting off of foreign supplies, of commodities hitherto regarded as NO. 2548, VOL. Lor] indispensable and unobtainable except from abroad, has stimulated British manufacturers to efforts to fill — the gap by the provision of similar commodities or | adequate substitutes. In numerous directions attempts of this kind have been made, with and without Government assistance, to establish new lines of pro- duction of varying degrees of importance, and a sub- stantial measure of success has already been attained in some cases . . . and the knowledge and experience gained during the war should be a most yaluable. asset in respect to our post-war trade. ay In the special cases of drugs and dyes it is not only a question of competition with our enemies. for a portion of the world’s trade. Apart from the purely commercial aspect, these things are of vital importance to the health and economic life of the nation, both in war and in peace. It is abso- lutely necessary for our national welfare—nay,. even’ for our very existence—that we should be no longer solely dependent upon outside sources. of supply, and it is therefore the bounden duty of the Government to see that adequate steps are taken to ensure that such a consummation shall be reached. If individual enterprise is unable to: secure it, then it must be the business of the State, in the interests of national security, to undertake its attainment. . SCIENTIFIC WORK IN INDIA. aoe Board of Scientific Advice for India, the origin and functions of which were ex- plained in these pages three years ago (NATURE, July 8, 1915), has, like similar bodies else- where, felt the effect of war conditions. The board has been strengthened by the addition of a representative of the Indian Munitions, Board, and power has been conferred upon the president to appoint sub-committees, membership of which need not be confined to members of the board, for the purpose of dealing with particular investiga- tions. The board has found it necessary to modify the treatment of programmes of ‘work submitted by individual scientific departments, and to resolve that the annual report for 1916-17 be confined to a brief statement of work actually done during the year, also that the bibliography of publications bearing on particular subjects be consolidated. But the establishment of a Zoo- logical Survey, recorded for the year under notice, has not affected the composition of the Board of Scientific Advice, representation of this subject having been provided for already. That its organisation should have been -so slightly affected affords striking evidence of the soundness: of the original constitution of the board. The report of the board for 1916-17 is an in- teresting document, and much of its contents, especially where the applications of science are concerned, may repay perusal outside India. In’ -agriculture the low values of available phosphate in certain Indian soils—at times only 45 to s'5 of the amount usually regarded as necessary for fertility 1 Annual Report of the Board of Scientific Advice for India for the Year 1916-17. Pp. 172. (Calcutta: Superintendent Government Printing, India,. — 1918.) Price rs. 9d. : F — Aucust 29, 1918] ¢ : ' NATURE 5°97 _ —have been under investigation. So, too, have _ been the low values of available potash in certain other soils. In this connection efforts have been _ made not only to correlate potash-deficiency with eradication. immediate economic _ disease in-animals and plants, but also to utilise the ash of at least one proclaimed weed as a means of adding potash to the soil, and inci- | dentally as a partial set-off against the cost of 2 Botanical work has included, in addition to survey operations, much that is of importance. One notable instance is afforded by the device of a method of selfing cotton, which is not only simple, but is _ also said to have proved successful. Much sound _ work has been done with indigo, jute, opium, _ rice, sugar, and wheat on agricultural lines, and Wy sig _ with grasses, as well as trees, on forestry lines. On the physical side we find that researches in solar physics have included an investigation of _ the displacement of the lines of the solar spectrum compared with lines given by the electric arc. _ This study has supplied interesting results, and _ led further to a determination of wave-lengths in the spectrum of the planet Venus with results _ that are of promise. varied. _ deserves attention is an account of practical _ tests of the use of hydrocyanic acid gas for the _ destruction of vermin. might be desired in the case of houses, this In geology, besides survey operations, useful economic work has been done in connection with the output of wolfram. Three _ new meteorite falls—all chondrites—have been re- ported for 1916-17 from. northern India. The _ most notable item of economic geodetic work for _ the year has been the taking of hourly readings _ of a tide-gauge at Basra, erected in connection - with military requirements. The constants de- duced from the reductions of these readings have _ been transmitted to the National Physical Labora- _ tory at Teddington, to admit of the tracing of _ tidal curves for 1917—18. _ been the compilation of a list of the plumb-line _ deflection stations of India and Burma. _ The work undertaken in connection with plant- Important also has useful and item which been and animal-pathology has In this relationship an While less successful than method has proved satisfactory as regards rail- _ Way carriages and ships. Appended to the report is a memorandum on work done for India at the Imperial Institute. A striking item in this memorandum is the record of a sample of Assam-grown flax, valued in Lon- _ don under war conditions in December, 1916, at 150l. per ton, which was found to compare favour- a ably with the medium qualities formerly received from Belgium. _ Perhaps the time is approaching when a body, similar in its functions to this Indian board, may be brought into being so as to ensure for the scientific departments of our various Crown Colonies that correlation of effort which, as this report testifies, already so happily attends the operations of the different scientific departments of the Indian Government. NO. 2548, VoL. 101 | | » School at Rome. PROF. PAOLO PIZZETTI. | pena geodesy sustained a serious loss - by the death, on April 14, of Paolo Pizzetti, professor of geodesy in the University of Pisa. An account of Pizzetti’s work is contributed to the Atti dei Lincei, xxvii. (1) 9, by Prof. Vincenzo Reina, and the following particulars are mainly - derived from it. Prof. Pizzetti was born at Parma in 1860, and at the age of twenty qualified in the Engineering He afterwards remained there as assistant to the Department of Geodesy at the time when Profs. Pisati and Pucci had com- menced their researches on the absolute value of gravity. Prof. Pizzetti soon began to publish researches dealing with the determination of azimuth, conformal representation in geodesy, and similar subjects. In December, 1886, he was ap- pointed professor extraordinarius of geodesy at Genoa, and while there devoted his main attention to the theory of errors, with special reference to combinations of observations: It was then that he produced his important papers on the results of a system of direct observations, published by the Royal Society of Li¢ge, and on the mathematical foundations for the criterion of experimental results, the last-named paper appearing in the jubilee volume published in 1892 at the fourth centenary of the discovery of America by Columbus. We are indebted to Prof. Pizzetti for clearing up many poihts of doubt regarding the relative value of such concepts as measure of precision, mean error, probable error, and error of maximum probability. At the same time, he interested himself in the study of atmospheric refraction, on which he published papers dealing with the trajectories of light rays and the difficult problem of refraction in azimuth. In 1900 Prof. Pizzetti removed to Pisa, and in the following year he took charge of. the classes in celestial mechanics. He here initiated an im- portant series of researches dealing with the figure of the earth and planets, and with Stokes’s formula for the potential of a gravitating planet, of which he gave a rigorous proof. Previously some doubts existed as to the limits within which this expan- sion was valid, and these were set at rest by Prof. Pizzetti’s investigation. It is scarcely sur- prising that he did not escape from the attrac- tions of the ever-popular and seductive “problem of n bodies.” The bibliography at the end of Prof. Reina’s notice enumerates ninety-two papers by Prof. Pizzetti, mainly devoted to geodesy, astronomy, and celestial mechanics, but including a few papers on pure mathematics and some reviews and articles of a more popular character. ; To the present writer the name of Pizzetti will ever be associated with reminiscences of a day at Pisa at the conclusion of the Mathematical Con- gress of Rome in 1908, where it was his privilege to meet Prof. Pizzetti and his colleagues in friendly intercourse in the ‘‘Sala dei Professori,’’ a room reserved for these informal gatherings at 508 | oi NATURE acs 29, 1918 the Hotel Nettuno. It is true that we have pro- fessors’ common rooms in this country, but there was a certain indefinable element about the ‘Sala dei Professori’’ which we seem rather to miss here. G. H. Bryan, = \ NOTES. WeE- announce with deep regret the death on August 26, in a flying accident, of Prof. Bertram Hop- kinson, C.M.G., F.R.S., professor of mechanism and applied mechanics in the University of Cambridge. THE position of the company known as British Dyes, Ltd., appears to have been at last determined by the results of a meeting at Huddersfield, on August 21, at _ Which the shareholders approved, by an overwhelming majority, a scheme for amalgamation with Messrs. Levinstein, Ltd., of Manchester. Jt will be remem- bered that British Dyes, Ltd., was the company formed in 1915 on the basis of the previously well-known firm of colour-makers, Messrs. Read Holliday and Co., and subsidised by the Government to the extent of a million sterling, with extra provision for research. There have . been many expressions of dissatisfaction with the pro- gress made under the original directorate, and the view has already been expressed in the columns of Nature that the board required amendment by a larger representation of science in its composition. In the statement made recently in the House of Commons by Sir Albert Stanley this aspect of the question was not referred to, but the conditions laid down appeared to afford satisfactory guarantees that after the war there would be such a restriction of imports as to afford time for the struggling industry to be firmly estab- lished, while the dye users would be sufficiently pro- tected ‘as to both supplies and prices. There can be no doubt that the amalgamation when effected will have good results in putting an end to undesirable — competition between the two companies and in bringing the operations .at British Dyes, Ltd., under the in- fluence.of Dr. Herbert Levinstein’s experience, which really amounts to giving science, as against pure finance, a more definite position in respect to the affairs of the company. The history of the origin and progress of the famous colour works of the Badische Company at Ludwigshafen on the Rhine has still to be written so as to be at once imstructive and -con- vincing to the British commercial world Tue David Livingstone centenary medal of the American Geographical Society has, it is stated in Science, been awarded to Col. Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon in recognition of his valuable work of exploration in South America. It is announced in Science that Prof. S. J. Barnett has resigned his post as professor of physics iat the Ohio State University in order to accept the position of physicist in charge of experimental work at the department of terrestrial’ magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Prof. Barnett. entered upon his new work at Washington ou July 15. Tue Council of the Institution of Electrical En- gineers has been in communication with the Ministry of National Sefvice with reference to the utilisation, with due regard to their skill, of members of the institution called up for military service under the Military Service Act, 1978, No.2. With the yiew of their being posted, so far as vacancies are available, to technical units, members of the new military age, on being called up for military service, are therefore in- vited to communicate with the secretary of the in- NO. 2548, VOL. 1oT| stitution, who will supply. them with the form and certificate approved by the Ministry for this purpose. — THE twenty-ninth annual general meeting of the In- © stitution of Mining Engineers will be held at Uni- | versity College, Nottingham, on Friday, September te ef under the presidency of Mr. Wallace Thorneyeroft. The Institution medal for the year 1917-18 will be pre- sented to Mr. C. E. Rhodes. The following | papers. will be submitted: A Method of Dete ng the Magnetic Meridian as a Basis for Mining | "vi bs ‘Lindsay Galloway; The Chance Acetylene | ; Lamp, W. Maurice; Recent Developments in Cosa South of 'Sydney, New South Wales, — ‘Dr. J. R. M. Robertson. 1) AE No. 10 of the Berichte der deuasdlien chemischen Gesellschaft, which has been published after some delay, contains the announcement of the death of Dr. Johannes Thiele, professor of chemistry in the Jniver- sity of Strasburg, at the age of fifty-three. Prof. Th first became well known by his work on nitro- and amino-guanidines, which opened up new oe of preparing hydrazine and hydrazoic acid, | . for him an appointment as extraordinary professor a ‘Munich. Here, as a result of Baeyer’s iets io the reduction of muconic acid, he took up the y of what were afterwards bonds, and developed his theory of | partial valencies, by which he was best known. Prof. Thiele’ was ap- pointed successor to Fittig at Strasburg i in “1902. ng Tue German Chemical Society has celebrated its jubilee by collecting a fund of 23 million marks for the more extensive publication. of chemical wo rks. of reference, such as Beilstein. We notice pe in a report of the annual general meeting, that ana ‘has been concluded with the Verein deutscher Chemiler with regard to publications. The Chemisches Zen- tralblatt will deal more fully with technical chemistry, ‘and will be available to'the members of the latter society at a reduced rate. The Berichte will be sub- divided, one section dealing with reports of meetings, notices, etc., the other containing the © original scientific publications. The annual subscription to the German Chemical Society will become to marks, but will then only entitle members to receive the first of the above-named sections. A separate subscription will be required for the scientific section, as was already the case with the Zentralblatt. cht) Dr. A. C. Happon discusses in the ela: issue. ‘oF Man, with numerous sketches, an anomalous form of outrigger-canoe attachment in use in the~ Torres | Straits, and its distribution. The normal arrangement of connecting the float to the outrigger booms is in the Y form. This occasionally becomes modified into the V or U form. Some doubt still exists as to the. origin and distribution of these modifications. But Dr. Haddon states that his “main object in compiling these notes is to emphasise how suggestive such an. apparently insignificant feature as an outrigger attach- ment may be in the ene aayee of the ageraehe "aa distribution.”’ Mr. T. SHEPPARD has Sopra from the Neatessanist is July an account of a small but interesting exhibit of Bronze-age weapons from the collection of the late Cotterill Clark, now deposited in the Doncaster Museum. The specimens include a_ rapier-shaped _ blade, six spears, one flat axe, eight palstaves, three socketed axes, and a chisel, all from the eastern side of Doncaster. where, owing to the prevalence of fen bogs, ‘such objects would be likely to be lost. One of the palstaves is of a somewhat unusual pattern, those with a transverse edge; as Sir J. Evans re- called conjugated double- > : = a. - _Avcust 29, 1918]: NATURE 509 _ marked: “Palstaves of the adze form, having the . blade at right angles to the septum between the _ flanges, are seldom found in Great Britdin.’ He * figures examples from Cumberland and Lincolnshire, - and mentions other specimens. The Doncaster example is different from any described by Sir J. Evans, but "cpio nearest to that from Lincoln- dy.the Fe we sch (vol. xviii., No. 2, August, 18) Mr. Harlan I. Smith, archeologist, Geological urvey, Canada, in a paper entitled ‘‘ Archzological Museum Work and the War,” remarks that the war has cut off from many firms in Canada and the United oti the supplies of new designs in many’ indus- tries , such as the textile trades, which were supplied be by foreigners. To meet the sudden stoppage of the de ween ls the writer has prepared an album of tha specimens found in Canada suitable as ‘motives’ for distinctive Canadian decorative and sym- bolic : s and trade-marks. In the same way in signers have been developing designs from jects in the United States museums, imens from Peru, Mexico, the South-Western ates, Siberia, China, etc. Though the colour com- hinations. in silks woven from some of the designs developed from New World specimens are poorer than colour combinations, yet these silks met with a ready sale, thus proving that abor iginal designs not, as some have believed, crude, but can be ‘successfully used in modern industries. HE July issue of Science Progress contains an in- resting article by Sir Henry Thompson on the food ; ements of a normal working-class family. A _ comparison is instituted between the physiological _ va S the diets reported upon by the Board of Trade fae times and some data collected by W War Emergency Committee in 1917. In reducing y diets to man-values Sir Henry Thompson | a more liberal scale of requirements for the older standard of Atwater, which generally recognised to be unsatisfactory. The diets do not differ greatly in respect: of energy- is eae average is that of the urban | Forget amilies (1913), yielding 3410 calories; _ the lowest, the 1917 sample, is 3160 calories, a reduc- Rene of. but 250 calories. Sir Henry also provides ration. scales based upon his estimate of the food con- é nm of Great Britain in 1908, upon that of the ac Society’s Food Committee for 1909-13, and : the committee’s estimate for the war-year 1916. cing allowance for loss in distribution, the calorie of the diet scales calculated in this way do not differ very much from the observed values in the yah although, as might be expected, the propor- _ tion of energy derived from breadstuffs is rather larger ig the working-class families which provided the le budgets than in the country as a whole. oe epee, ‘but very admirable, summary of the factors es *“srouse disease’’ on Scottish moors appears Be Se Bri Birds for August. The author, Mr. Dugald Ma re, surveying the conditions of heather-moors r relation to “heather-blight,” is of opinion that ovine in exceptional years, heather suffers from frost in June, ‘drought in July, and an excess of wet _ weather and too little Soaitide during the early spring months—a combination of adverse conditions aggra- wated by the ravages of the heather-beetle—grouse ‘disease is inevitable, and for the reason that the __ birds succumb to the drain on their vitality caused __ by their internal parasites, which in normal years of plenty cause them little or no discomfort. A practical NO. 2548, VoL. roT| remedy for grouse disease, he suggests, would be artificial feeding in those years when the heather crop fails. This he tried with a fair measure of success in 1912. The food supplied to the birds, after they had been trained to visit oat-sheaves laid out on the moors, was small, round maize, which the birds , ate greedily. The ravages of the disease, he considers, are to be attributed largely to the fact that the birds are now ificially numerous; that is to say, the moors are carrying more birds than would be the case if they were left to ‘run wild.” So little is known generally: of the vast and varied. flora of South Africa that the short sketch of ‘‘The Plant Geography of South Africa,” written by Mr. I. B. Pole Evans, chief of the division of botany and plant pathology in the Department of Agriculture, is very welcome. The sketch was printed in the official “Year Book’ for last year, and has now been reprinted as a separate pamphlet. The vegetation is considered under the three main heads of woodland, grassland, and - desert. All three types are well represented in the Union of South Africa, which includes almost all the area lying south of latitude 22° from the valley of the great Limpopo River and the Tropic of Capricorn to the sea. The article is accompanied by a good vegetation chart marking the forest and scrub area in the south and south-west, the palm belt along the Natal and Mozambique coast, with the thorn-veld extending from the south coast from Port Elizabeth to East London, and then to the west of the palm belt as far as the Transvaal. Basutoland and the Orange Free State Colony are almost entirely high veld, while the Trans- vaal is marked as bush veld, and the centre of the area is the Kalahari grassland. "The Karroo and Namaqua- land are, as is well known, extensive desert areas. Brief descriptions of the more prominent types of vegetation are given, and lists of the typical trees, grasses, and other plants, with particulars as to where such plants may be found. Not the least valuable portion of the article are the twenty-four excellent plates showing features like the natural Drakensberg forest, the silver trees on Lion’s Head at the Cape, the acacia thorn veld, the Euphorbias of the bush veld in the Transvaal, and some very interesting photo- graphs of the high veld grassland near Johannesburg and Pretoria. All the photographs have been taken by Mr. Pole Evans, and are very well repro- duced. It is much to be hoped that a systematic botanical survey of the whole region may shortly be undertaken before any further changes in the vegeta- son due to the disturbing influence of man talve place. Muc# light is thrown on Balkan problems by a map compiled by Prof. Jovan Cvijic of the zones of civilisation in the Balkan peninsula. The map, which appears in the Geogr He eis Review for June (vol. v., No. 6), is accompanied by a short article, and follows a map and paper by the same author in the previous number of the review on the distribution of Balkan races. Studied side by~side, these maps are most instructive. In the present map Prof. Cvijic distin- guishes three main civilisations: the old Balkan or modified Byzantine, distributed in Thrace, Macedonia, and Greece in the main; the Turko-Oriental, prin- cipally in the south-east, in the Vardar valley, and i in parts of Bosnia; and, lastly, the patriarchal régime in the north and west of the peninsula. Attempts are also made to map the various contacts between these civilisations and those of Central and Western Europe. Western civilisations ‘reached the Balkan peninsula chiefly by sea routes, and, according to Prof. Cvijic, nowhere, except along certain easy routes, penetrated hie ae NATURE ‘{[AucustT 29, 1918 far inland. From Trieste to Constantinople the ‘sea- board shows Mediterranean influences... There are traces of Venetian civilisation in Serbia, but too few to be mapped. Magyar civilisation was a later in- fluence, but-it has spread widely and deeply along the main routes. Naturally, it is felt most in cities. Finally, Prof. Cvijic notes the tendency, especially in Serbia, to create a new endemic civilisation out of the mingling and fusion of other civilisations. The depth and power of spreading of that national civilisa- tion will be a determining influence in the Balkans in future years, A PAPER by the late Mr. R. C. Burton on ‘“The Laterite of Leoni, Central Provinces”? (Records Geol. Surv. India, vol. xlviii., p. 204, 1917), revives the frequently expressed view that some pisolitic laterites, at any rate, have accumulated by deposition as lacus- trine strata. Grey bauxite is interbedded with laterite at Aturwani, and must have had a similar origin. Near Magarkatta, bright red lithomarge, passing into a brecciated condition; contains veins of kaolinite. Mr. Burton, who died from wounds received in the present war, was probably unable to examine the most recent literature on the interbasaltic rocks of Ireland, where similar associations have been recorded, and where pisolitic structure occurs within the bole that results from the decay of basaltic lavas by penetrating influences from above. He refers, however, to the views of Forbes and Mallet, who accepted a lacus- trine origin, and to those of Lacroix (1913) as to the formation of concretionary pisolite in situ.-Where, as - the author believed to be the case in Leoni, the limits. of the laterite coincide with those of a former lake, | the pisolitic structure may well be a feature of original deposition. . Korea is maintaining its claim to systematic regis- tration of climatic conditions, as shown in the issue of the annual meteorological report for the year 1916, compiled under the direction of the Government- General of Chosen (Korea). Hourly observations made at Jinsen (Che-mul-po) are given for each month for air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, direction and speed of wind, hours with sunshine by Jordan’s recorder, and remarks showing the character of general and _ exceptional weather. Monthly and annual results at twelve stations well scattered over the peninsula from four- hourly observations are given for the elements already mentioned, as well as for tension of water vapour, precipitation, evaporation, direction of upper clouds, and surface temperature of earth. There are results of observations of air temperature and precipitation at 182 auxiliary meteorological stations, many of which are lighthouses, where observations are made three times daily. The volume also contains results of seismic observations at Jinsen. A map is given at the end of the report showing the. geographical dis. tribution of meteorological, climatological, and rain- gauge stations in Korea at the end of 1916. The whole of the peninsula is well covered by observations. In summarising the work done, mention is made of improvements in the routine work as the result of the decision of the congress of the directors of all the meteorological stations of the Japanese Empire held in Tokyo. The present volume shows an increase from nine to twelve in the-number of branch. meteorological stations. It is noteworthy that special attention is given to the selection of a suitable site.in the matter of an observatory. .Change has been made in the position of the building at Taiké. Improvements have - been made in the issue of weather forecasts and storm warnings. Experience shows that a gale caused by a NO. 2548, VOL. 101] ‘extent known. , The cyclone passing through the peninsula ceases generally within about twenty-four hours, so it has been deter- .. mined that the effective interval of a warning is twenty-four hours from the. time of issue. onl AN interesting gravitational problem, with a bearin on the theory of coral reefs, has lately been studi by Motonori. Matsuyama (Memoirs of the College of Science, Kyoto Imperial University, vol. iii., No. 2, February, 1918). Using an Eétvés gravity-vario- meter, he has determined the second derivatives of the gravitational potential (the complete set of these derivatives defines the space variations of the first derivative, i.e. of the gravitational acceleration or force, Which was not measured and remains still un- known) in the Jaluit Atoll. ‘This atoll (169° E., 6° N.) is situated at the southern end of the Ralick chain of the Marshall Islands. The shallow lagoon, of irregular rhombic shape (the diagonals being about 30 km. and 50 km. in length), is surrounded by a narrow coral reef about half a kilometre wide, with its top just at the level of low water. On this reef low banks of coral, sand, and débris, rising just above high water, form a chain of discontinuous islets. The island is situated in a sea which at ten kilometres distance from the atoll is four kilometres deep. The study of the gravitational field on an isolated island of very ~ simple construction is calculated to throw-light on the state of mass distribution under the atoll. The coral reef is built on a denser foundation, probably of vol- canic origin, and the: differences of density between the water, the reef, and the foundation are to some ~ problem which. the. gravitational data help to solve is that of the distribution and depth of the coral.’ After various instrumental and other corrections (for the effect of tides, the oblateness of the geoid, etc.) had been applied to the observed second derivatives of the potential, these were compared with the second derivatives theoretically calculated, on various assumptions as to the depth of the coral reef and the density of the foundation. For convenience in the numerical integrations employed, the foundation was supposed flat; three values were assumed for its density, viz. 2-6, 28, and.3:0. The ‘effective’ depths determined for the coral reef ranged from 243 to 1000 metres. Ean eee E. Ex.ép (Elektrotechnische Zeitschrift, March. 21) has carried out experiments from which he concludes that during the formation of nitric oxide by the elec- tric arc in the production of nitric acid from the air, ‘the electric discharge causes the nitrogen and oxygen to split up into atoms, so as to be capable of pro- ducing chemical reactions. moa Tue ‘use of black millet (Sorghum vulgare) for the production of alcohol has been suggested in Ger- many (Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Chemie, April 23), for which purpose it possesses suitable properties. -The food-value of the grain is high, so that its cul- tivation, which costs no more than wheat or rye, is recommended to the farmer as being’a paying crop. The use of the ‘‘straw” as a source of cellulose or alcohol would make the .crop doubly valuable. Ac- cording to recent French notices, the cultivation of sorghum for the production of sugar has been widely suggested, AccorDINnG to the Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Chemie for May 17, at a recent meeting of the German Bunsen Society the question of the production of synthetic rubber was discussed, and its possibilities as a sub- stitute for the natural product considered. In spite of the difficulty of obtaining material, 150 metric tons Ry 7 q _ ‘Avcust 29, 1918] NATURE 501 os fs of synthetic methyl rubber are produced monthly. At ‘first the substitute proved unsatisfactory, being oxidised by the air, and it was hard to vulcanise. ‘Improvements in manufacture have, however, over- ‘come this trouble. By experimenting with the: addi- tion of other substitutes, a vulcanite is now produced ‘which equals the natural material in firmness and “durability, and is 20 per cent. better for electrical purposes. At ordinary temperatures, however, the soft ‘rubber is not elastic, but leather-like; it becomes elastic as its temperature is raised. The addition of dimethylaniline ‘and toluidine increases elasticity. The substitute is now used, with satisfactory results, for heavy road motors. ; Tue Reichsaristalt at Charlottenburg has carried extensive series of tests on the effect of chemical and heat treatment on the magnetic pro- iron alloys. . Tests were also made to ascer- e change of the temperature coefficient of bar- sts with variations in their dimensions. Reduc- the length of'a o6 cm. thick bar from 22 to -em. produced an increase of 2-4 to 4-2 per cent. the mean temperature coefficient between 20° ang >. Tests were made with bars o-9 cm. thick ind of length varying between 33 cm. and 6 cm.; and was found that the determination of the coercive was trustworthy within 1 to 2 per cent. (using iagnetometer method) for cylindrical bars with ; of 1/d (l=lensth, d=diameter) down to 10, but the value obtained for the coercive force was too small for lower values of I1/d. These are given in the Zeitschrift fiir Instrumenten- for May last, but the main results of the in- ation will not be published until after the war. ous acid liberated in the combustion of other sulphurous substances contained in ly transformed into sulphuric acid in the It is found in rain-water and snow. If or snow is left for a few hours, the _of non-oxidised sulphurous acid: that i rapidly converted into sulphuric acid. e determination of the quantity of sulphuric the snow or rain provides a means of deter- the vitiation of the air in a particular indus- district by factory smoke. In one and the same strial. region from 6 to 9 mg. of sulphuric acid huric anhydride) per cubic metre of snow was laces protected from the wind, and three uantity in places not so protected. The Was 15 to 20 mg. The quantity diminishes with inerease in distance from the source of on. According to the Zeitschrift fiir angewandte for April 9, similar data were found on experi- with rain-water. ne the deleterious action on plant-life through the me cause by. collecting, by suitable means, the rain ig at a tree-trunk, and comparing the foliage, ith that of other trees in. another neighbour- not near a factory) offering the same ‘climatic ve Fiche 1S... © a | ; ; r > Tue June Biochemical Journal contains work on » antineuritic and antiscorbuti¢ accessory substances vy Messrs. A. Harden and S..S. Zilva. These authors find that pigeons are protected from attacks of poly- neuritis by autolysed yeast, but not by autolysed veast _ which -has been shaken with fuller’s earth or with _ dialysed iron, thus confirming Seidell’s observation. _ Further, polyneuritis is curable by autolysed yeast, but _ not by autolysed yeast which has been treated with _ the adsorbent, and a bad case was cured by adminis- tration of the solution obtained by .alcoholic extraction . NO. 2548, VOL. 101] It is also: possible to deter- , system, but also (1) both past and prospective ' of the dialysed iron precipitate and evaporation in | and other data, vacuo. On the other hand, when the precipitate ob- tained by shaking orange-juice with dialysed iron is extracted with alcohol, the product will not cure guinea-pigs of scurvy, nor will it protect healthy animals against attacks of the disease. But orange- juice which has been treated with dialysed iron or with fuller’s earth retains practically all its antiscorbutic activity so far as can be judged biologically. A mix- ture of equal parts of orange-juice and autolysed yeast will both cure and protect from attacks of polyneuritis and scurvy. But after treatment with fuller’s earth the mixture was found to have lost its antineuritic sower whilst retaining its activity against scurvy. hus it is shown that the antineuritic and antiscorbutic principles behave differently towards adsorbents. Orange-juice can be filtered through a Berkefeld filter without losing an appreciable amount of its anti- - scorbutic activity. In order to supply material for testing the theories of thermal and electrical conductivities in metals and alloys, and especially in ferro-magnetic substances, Prof. K. Honda, of Sendai University, has measured the thermal and electrical conductivities of a number of nickel-steels. His results are given in the July issue of the Science Reports of the University. He finds that both the electrical and thermal conductivities decrease rapidly as iron is added to nickel or nickel to iron, and that an alloy containing 30 per cent. of nickel has the least conductivity in both cases. The curves showing the variation of the conductivities with content have the same general appearance as the melting-point curves for a binary mixture. The least electrical conductivity is about one-fifth and the least thermal about one-tenth the conductivity of either pure substance. The quotient of the thermal. by the electrical conductivity varies from about 2 to about 1-5 millions. The magnetisation curves for the alloys are also given, and show low susceptibilities for alloys containing 27 to 30 per cent. of nickel. Rapipinter-Imperial communication of | every description now promises to become so vital a matter for developing inter-Imperial trade—as well as for other eminently ‘important national reasons—that 'Mr. Charles’ Bright has prepared a‘ revised edition of the map included in his recent book, “‘ Telegraphy, Aero- nautics, and War,’’ showing not only the world’s cable * wire- less’? stations, (2) suggested air stations. The map will be issued shortly by the publishers of the volume, Messrs. Constable and Co. Tue University of London Press, Ltd., is about to ‘issue ‘‘Everyman’s Chemistry: The Chemist’s Point of View, and his Recent Work told for the Layman,” by E. Hendrick. The Yale University Press (and, in London, Mr. Humphrey Milford) will publish shortly ‘‘Human Nature ,and its Re-making,” by Prof. W. E. Hocking. OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. VARIABLE Stars.—As many of the ephemerides of these stars that were formerly available are discon- tinued or inaccessible owing to the war, M. Luizet has prepared a useful set of ephemerides for 1917, ° which is published in the Journal des Observateurs (vol. ii., No. 8). It comprises 124 stars of the Algol type, 18 stars of the 8 Lyre type, and 33 stars of the 6 Cephei type; the period and date of first mini-_ mum (or maximum).in each month of 1917 are given, which make it easy to calculate - yet known. Ste NATURE [Aucust.29, 1918 intermediate minima or to extend the ephemerides to 1918 or later. The lists are practically confined to stars visible in European latitudes. ‘THe OriciIn OF Comets.—In an article which appears in the August issue of Scientia (vol. xxiv., p. 85), Prof. E. Stromgren gives an interesting account of the reasons for regarding comets as permanent members of the solar system. In recent years exact calculations have shown that comets which have ap- peared to traverse hyperbolic orbits, when in the neighbourhood of the sun, acquired the hyperbolic form in consequence of the perturbations to which they were subjected by the planets. It is accordingly concluded that comets belong to our system, and that the so-called non-periodic comets are merely comets which have very long periods. The possibility of a ‘ comet entering our system from without is not ex- cluded, but it is stated that no case of this kind is By reference to the dynamics of star- clusters it is argued that, while remnants of nebulous matter would, in general, be retained within the sys- - tems formed by individual suns, those which originally occupied the intermediate spaces would escape from the galactic system on account of the high velocities corre- sponding. with their small masses. On this view, comet-forming materials would not exist in inter- stellar space. Sotak Puysics Opsservatory Report.—The fifth annual report of the director of the Solar Physics Observatory, Cambridge, relating to the year ending March 31 last has been received. A study has been made of the South Kensington series of photographs of the spectrum of £ Lyre, and information has been gained as to the best epochs for further recorés with comparison spectra. Further investigations of the hydrocarbon-band lines in stellar spectra have indicated a sequence in which there is a gradual strengthening of the hydrocarbon lines from type F to type G, and a gradual weakening of the same lines from the G to the M type. Photographs of the sun’s disc in calcium light were obtained on 161 days, and of prominences at the limb on 153 days; the disc spectroheliograms provide records for fourteen days which were missed in the Kodaikanal series. Numerous photographs of sunspot spectra were also obtained, and a comprehen- sive table of the affected lines recorded by various observers has been prepared. The necessity for a daily reference photograph of the sun’s disc has led to the utilisation for this t-urpose of the image-lens of 60 ft. focal length which forms part of the McClean solar installation; by the use of slow bromide paper the photographs obtained have proved to be of greater value than was anticipated, inasmuch as they present the facula as well near the centre of the disc as. near the limb. These photographs seem likely to be of special value in the elucidation of the relation between faculz and flocculi. Investigations connected with the national defence have also been undertaken. BRITISH SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS AND PRODUCTS. F the lectures delivered at the British Scientific Products Exhibition, organised by the British Science Guild at King’s College, a feature common to all is the disclosure of the backward state of the indus- tries with which they were respectively concerned when the war broke out. In radiology the outbreak of war four years ago found a condition of unprepared- ness in common with other branches of medicine. It was necessary to provide large quantities of new apparatus and the adequate staff for many new depart- NO. 2548, VOL. 101] ments. This state of affairs was described by Dr. R. Knox in the course of a lecture on the practical uses of radiography; and the backward state of the industry which he described as prevailing four years ago is all the more remarkable when we remember that although the X-rays were discovered by Prof. Réntgen, the discovery, as Mr. A. A. Campbell Swinton, who presided at the lecture, pointed out, could never have been made but for previous scientific research carried out in England. Had it not been for the work of Faraday, the necessary high-tension electric currents would not have been available, while the Crookes _ high-vacuum tube with which the rays were produced was the result of the laborious and long-continued investigations of that veteran scientific explorer, Sir William Crookes, who, although eighty-six years of age, is still young enough to be an exhibitor at the exhibi- tion. Mr. Campbell Swinton also pointed out that* the two greatest advances made in connection with X-rays since their original discovery were due in large measure to professors at King’s peri the original Crookes ‘‘focus’’ tube having been adapted to X-ray purposes by,.Sir Herbert Jackson, and the y in- yented Coolidge tube, though brought out in the United States of America, was based on the experi-— mental results obtained by Prof. O. W. Richardson, also of King’s College, working on lines laid down by Sir J. J: Thomson, of Cambridge: 29 we san”. Though the industry associated with radiography is small, its importance is great and promises to become greater in the future. Dr. Knox stated that experi- ence gained in the administration of K-ray depart- ments on a large scale, such as had been { e | during the past four years, had taught us the necessity for a standardisation of : ratus. Had this been achieved before the outbreak of war, as he considers it well might have been, the task of rapidly equip- ping numerous departments’. would have — been easy and the standard of work done much more satisfactory than it has been under the conditions possible in war time. The lecturer emphasised the need for research in connection with the production of — essential apparatus and X-ray tubes if we were to hold our own in competition after the war. Most important research work has been carried out in this country lately in connection with the accessory apparatus, and Dr. Knox stated that the intensifying and fluorescent screens at present in use are an advance on those we formerly imported from Germany! The manufac- turers of X-ray plates have more than held their own, and the production of a trustworthy photographic paper upon which X-ray negatives may be produced directly is one of the achievements of the war period. The most striking of the recent applications of X-rays and radium described by Dr. Knox is that used by | Mr. Percival P. Cole in connection with his operative work on injury to the face and jaws. Another new development in plastic surgery is also associated with Mr. Cole’s name, the well-known depilatory power of X-rays having been used for the destruction of hair in portions of the scalp and face which are used in. plastic surgery. Dr. Knox insisted more than once in the course of his lecture on the need for encouraging research and bringing about the co- operation of all interested in the work. He said that — steps are in progress with the view of forming a British school of radiology and physicotherapy.. In describing advances in bacteriology during the war, Dr. C. H. Browning, director’ of the Bland-— Sutton Institute of Pathology of the Middlesex Hos- — pital, mentioned that the need to overcome the poison — of sepsis in wounds had stimulated profitable investi-— gations on the properties, of flavine and other ie stuffs as antiseptics. He emphasised the relation Jae fe by assisting in the production of new drugs, ler the guidance of the observations of biologists. nis line ‘Germany had been especially active in the . The microscope furnishes another example of development of English ideas. At pre- he industry for all practical purposes has almost ) exist, but Mr. J. E. Barnard claimed that it oing a process of transformation which at the war would make the British micro- minent. Between 1880 and _ 1890 ‘this y stood foremost in the microscope industry, er that time it lost its position to Germany ‘the latter gave us an instrument which was at that time, being simpler in design to construct. The Germans turned out a as the “Continental Model” which was for laboratory purposes. There was an in- it supply of the English instrument, and this ed with the high price of the British aabled the Germans to obtain pre-eminence . Unfortunately, it became the fashion 1e German instrument; and Although the instrument was equally good, home makers tle chance owing to the orders passing “but was lost for preventable reasons. ctically the same tale ‘as Dr. M. O. For- tell with regard to British dye-making in » of his lecture on August 26. Dr. Forster ‘decay of the British industry after 1870, up time the principal competitors were the wfacturers, but after the Franco-German rman factories rapidly took the lead, and | 1870 to 1880 must be recognised as that in ish dye-making was definitely overtaken by n industry. The causes of this change are mnise. The liberal Government subsidy an universities, wisely paid out of the indemnity wrung from the defeated French ted in producing a rapidly increasing army ined and enthusiastic young German who were quickly absorbed by the chemical These were strengthened also by several ts, who, discouraged by the outlook for this country, left the colour factories in had been working and returned to their ry in search of more agreeable conditions. wf. Hofmann had already left this 865, and, occupying the professorship of in Berlin University, was largely instru- in building up the German school of organic ry. Dr. Forster said that ten to fifteen years required before this country would be able to * position of Germany in regard to dye- , and then only if the same principle of patient ito scientific principles, liberal expenditure on ‘and chemists, thoughtful attention to the ents of customers, strict self-control in the dis- n of profits, and constant devotion of these to + developments were observed. The establish- of synthetic indigo manufacture on a commercial was the outcome of close and systematic study large number of German chemists, who were sidised by a company sufficiently courageous to end money in this manner rather than distribute it dividends to shareholders. It is only by following * same processes of development that we can earn _ the right to take credit to our countrymen for the aniline colour industry. . NO. 2548, vol. tor] hls ‘Avcust 29, 1918] NATURE 513 tween biology and chemistry and physics, and said HIGH-TENSION MAGNETOS. the chemical manufacturers could be of special HEE. Britioh . Sidentifit: . Produote’. Euhibiion at “King’s College, London, organised by the British Science Guild, provides many encouraging examples of the success of British engineers in applying the results of scientific research. Many visitors interested in applications of electrical science are impressed by the range of magnetos exhibited, not only because it represents the suceessful establishment in Great Britain of an industry which was formerly a German monopoly, but also because the development of that industry has accelerated progress in numerous branches of scientific industry. It. is no exaggeration to say that the degree of success achieved in the develop- ment iof the combustion motor has at all stages been primarily dependent upon the efficiency of the ignition system used, and that the rapid strides which have during recent. years been made in the construction of the petrol motor have mainly resulted from the very satisfactory high-tension ignition system that has been available. During the past twenty years we have witnessed the birth and healthy development of high-tension ig- nition in the form of the magneto, and the wonderful efficiency of this system, coupled with its extreme flexibility—enabling one magneto to cope with almost any number of cylinders—is primarily responsible for the enormous advances which have talen place in the application of the petrol motor to industrial and, in more recent times, to war purposes’ Prior to the outbreak of war the number of high-tension. magnetos being produced in this country formed a_ negligible proportion of the ‘total number used for a variety of purposes. Through laxity on our part, this most vital ‘‘kkey’’ industry was allowed to develop in Germany, but it is satisfactory to know that the war has taught us a lesson in this respect, and the exhibition demon- strates how effectively this lesson has been learned. During the past four years three hundred thousand magnetos have been manufactured for war service alone, and what is even more important is that, according to those in a position to judge, the British magneto, as at present constructed, is more than equal to the pre-war Bosch magneto emanating from Stuttgart. This is sufficient testimony that British manufacturers have done their :duty. All electrical systems of ignition are direct descend- ants of Faraday’s great discovery of electro-magnetic induction in 1831, when for the first time in the world’s history he succeeded in producing a spark by electro-magnetic means. The first system of electric ignition ever used was devised by Lenoir in 1860. He utilised the high-tension spark of a Ruhmkorff coil for ignition purposes, employing a high-tension distributor for connecting the secondary winding, first to one plug and then to the other. It is worth noting that the modern battery system of ignition now used exten- sively in America is strikingly similar to the old Lenoir system, even to the detail of introducing an extremely small air gap between the rotating metal brush and the distributor segment—a method of dis- tribution that is now being followed on magnetos. Marcus appears to have been the first man to con- struct a magneto for ignition purposes. His was a low-tension machine having the now familiar form of H-armature, the current induced in the winding being broken at pre-determined times in the cylinder by a system of cams and levers. This system was further developed in 1898 by Simms and Bosch, using a fixed H.armature and rotating segments for pro- ducing the necessary flux changes in the armature core.. This is of special interest because afterwards, by the ——— NATURE [AuGcusT 29, 1918 514 core, a high-tension magneto was evolved. To the Bosch Company, of Stuttgart, belongs the credit of having established the fact that a high- tension magneto can be manufactured on a commercial basis to give trustworthy and efficient ignition in prac- tice. Although this important industry was allowed to develop in Germany, the modern high-tension mag- neto was first conceived in France by M. Boudeville, who, unfortunately, omitted to include a condenser in his scheme for’ eliminating sparking at the contact points. A condenser is a vital part of every magneto ; without it the machine would be quite impracticable. It is surprising that M. Boudeville should have over- looked this feature, because, here again, the idea of using a condenser for such a purpose is of French origin, Fizeau being the first to suggest, in 1853, con- necting a condenser in parallel with the contacts on a Ruhmkorff coil to prevent excessive sparking. The magnetos made in this country vary somewhat in design, being based to some extent on the original Bosch model with improvements in many respects. Thus the trouble which was experienced with the original Bosch. D.A.L. design of misfiring has been completely removed in a machine of the rigid armature single-cylinder type intended for use on rotary engines like the Gnome. The Bosch Z.U.4 machine was formerly extensively used in this country. The design of this has been considerably simplified, chiefly in respect of construction of the bearing for the half- speed wheel. An 8-cylinder sleeve-inductor magneto with fixed armature, now made in this country. is designed to give four sparks per revolution, and is therefore fundamentally different from the ordinary rotating armature type, which cannot give more than two sparks per revolution. The sleeve-inductor rotates at engine speed, whereas, in the case of a 6-cylinder machine built on the same principle, it runs at three- quarters engine speed. In a single machine of the 8-cylinder type there are 860 parts, no fewer than 397 of which are of different design. The manufacture is therefore attended with considerable difficulties, and can be undertaken suc- cessfully only if highly skilled labour is available and the component parts are all machined to extremely fine limits. The fact that these magnetos are being produced in very large quantities is evidence that the difficulties are being overcome. A magneto of the polar induction type, also developed in this country, is intended more especially for 12-cylinder work. This is probably the first 12-cylinder model developed and standardised in this country. The*machine is in- herently of much simpler design than the sleeve-in- ductor machine, because the latter, which on account of its design is very difficult to manufacture, is replaced by a polar inductor which is designed to be easily made, and is at the same time a more rigid and trustworthy mechanical structure. Other fea- tures combine to simplify the manufacturing problem greatly. No matter for what purpose a magneto is to be used, the chief feature must be trustworthiness, and this is possible only if the design is good, the materials are cor- rectly chosen, and the workmanship is perfectly sound. Of the first- and -last-mentioned conditions there can be no question. With regard to the choice of materials, the development of both the metallic and _ non- metallic industries has left it beyond doubt that such materials will be available. he improvement in foundry methods has resulted in the regular supply of trustworthy aluminium castings; in steels important advances have been made, which now give the required strength with a minimum weight of material. Die- castings made of an aluminium alloy containing no NO. 2548, VOL, 1oT] addition of the second winding on the same armature | sattide ar zinc are a great advantage. The manufacture of die- castings was formerly neglected here, but British pro- ducers are now devoting their attention to the subject, with the result that there is available an adequate supply of these castings. The advantage of die-castings over sand-castings is that the amount of machining that has to be performed on the parts is very much reduced, the metal is much tougher, and the threads ‘ . in tapped holes are not so likely to become ‘stripped when the screws are securely tightened. With regard to non-metallic materials, the most important require- ments are insulating materials, comprising varnished silk, cambric, and paper. These insulating materials are essential to the manufacture of a satisfactory mag- neto armature, and although they can be purchased in England at the present moment, a fair portion is still imported. It is probably correct to say that the small extent of the magneto industry contributed in a large measure to the backward state of the insulating material industry in this country, in regard not only to paper, silk, and cambric, but also to moulded insu- lating material comparable with “‘ stabilite,” a German product. Now, however, this industry is becoming firmly established. Here, again, we have an impres- sive example of the effect of one industry upon another. The magneto industry itself is of sufficient importance and magnitude to be regarded as a ‘‘key” industry: With its development there has been established a _ number of new industries concerned with the supply of component parts. The manufacture of insulating materials, varnish, platinum-iridium or tungsten con-— tacts, aluminium-copper die-castings, special steels— these industries either did not exist at all in England, or else were of only small dimensions. Each of them has now become an important British industry, largely in consequence of the home production of mag- netos. Even if the British Science Guild had done no more, its achievement: in pressing home this fact through the medium of the exhibition at King’s College would entitle the Guild to the thanks of the nation. — ELECTRON. WEATHER INFLUENCES ON OPERATIONS N, article on ‘“‘ Weather Controls over the Fighting during the Spring of 1918,’ by Prof. het deC. Ward, appeared in the Scientific Monthly for July. Such vast ‘interests are at stake in the present war that any factor which can help or hinder is of im- mense importance. The part played by meteorological controls is set out by the author as fully as is possible at the present time, leaving fuller information for a later date. pate oan? In the Western war zone the season of aggressive operations has generally been from April to November. The offensive on the part of the enemy began this year on March 21, and the author states that ‘‘ the time must have been carefully chosen after consulta- tion with the meteorological experts: It was a ‘spell of fine, dry weather.’’? Easterly winds usually accom-. : pany such spells, and these are ‘‘fayourable for the — use of gas by the enemy and also carry the smoke of artillery firing to the west, thus helping to screen the attacking troops.” attack, and ‘‘the Allied gunners could scarcely see their own horses’; the author mentions that ‘‘ the surprise of the British Fifth Army was largely attributed to the fog.” change to less settled weather occurred at the end of © the month, and it proved very favourable to the Allies, — whilst ‘the Germans were at once greatly handicapped — } A .thick fog also favoured the © In the opinion of the present writer, no — meteorologist could have foreseen with any reasonable — certainty such favourable weather conditions. tea tees a ae ea rete ai Sita fy at oi eo tou 4 atytnias Shed hy Rte » 4 ne ‘ nny ating qhaje ee ; } berated Vag Tie aaa heest ome bene mgt : Fd ergaath fee acti thee f; $ ‘ " . ved 243 2 ' ’ ak! i vip say ie seat 4 ire ; 4 ‘ , : ‘ a 4 4 wate : beet baee Lh a He ee ia at hee rive a Mareriore pat f wategs sabbice eget ee ts ; seat ae Tendter ares j ‘ i y oe e nen abtat ae | ) tg yet nee agit ’ , . ‘ ‘ opr! 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