NOTES 497 



Government of India ; Prof. C. E. Bertrand, of Lille University, a distinguished 

 plant anatomist and palaeobotanist ; Dr. Felix de Dantec, the well-known French 

 biologist ; Prof. A. J. F. Dastre, the Director of the Laboratory of Animal Physio- 

 logy at the Sorbonne ; W. du Bois Duddell, the famous electrician, whose name 

 appears in the list of C.B.E.'s above ; Prof. E. Hull, Professor of Geology at the 

 Royal College of Science, Dublin ; Dr. Theodor Kocher, Professor of Surgery at 

 the University of Berne ; E. Sarasin, the physicist, well known for his work on 

 light and on electromagnetic waves. 



We note also the deaths of Adolf von Baeyer, the chemist who made synthetic 

 indigo ; Eduard Buchner, who gained the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1907 (died 

 from wounds received while acting as Major in the German Army) ; and Robert 

 Helmert, well known for his work on geodesy. 



Science (October 5) gives some interesting details of the scientific organisation 

 of the United States Army. The aerological observation work, aeronautical instru- 

 ments, sound-ranging and meteorology all fall within the purview of the Science 

 and Research Division of the U.S. Signal Corps and are directed by the National 

 Research Council of which Major R. A. Millikan is the executive officer. The 

 aerological observation section employs about a hundred physicists and engineers 

 under the direction of Dr. (Major) W. H. Blair of the U.S. Weather Bureau. 

 Major E. H Bowie (also of the Weather Bureau) is responsible for the weather 

 forecasting for the expeditionary force. The aeronautical instrument research will 

 be controlled by Prof. (Major) Charles E. Mendenhall of Wisconsin. Sound- 

 ranging will be in the charge of Dr. Trowbridge and Prof. Lyman. Prof. R. W. 

 Wood was first offered the tentative rank of Major in the French Army, and has 

 been engaged in research in France in co-operation with the Paris Academy of 

 Science. He is continuing this work with the rank of Major in the Signal Corps. 

 It is reported that Roald Amundsen will start on another Arctic expedition in 

 March or April next. A new and very completely equipped ship has been built, 

 and the explorer intends to take an aeroplane with him for reconnoitring in the 

 Arctic regions. 



The British Association meeting, which should have been held at Bournemouth 

 last September, was abandoned, partly on account of the difficulty of travelling 

 and also for other sufficiently obvious reasons. The other activities of the Society 

 are, of course, in full swing. In particular, an effort is being made to promote the 

 study of geographical subjects (i.e. geodesy, terrestrial magnetism, tides, atmo- 

 spheric electricity, and seismology) by arranging meetings at which investigators, 

 and others who take an interest in the subject, may read and discuss papers and 

 reports, and in other ways contribute to the common advancement of our knowledge 

 of the earth. Two meetings were to be held in November and December last, and 

 three or more in the first six or eight months of 191 8. The members of the Com- 

 mittee are : Sir F. W. Dyson (Chairman), Dr. C. Chree, Col. C. F. Close, Prof. 

 E. B. Elliott, Mr. J. H. Jeans, Prof. A. E. H. Love, Major H. G. Lyons, Prof. A. 

 Schuster, Sir Napier Shaw, Prof. H. H. Turner, Dr. G. W. Walker, and Dr. S. 

 Chapman (Secretary). Communications should be addressed to the Secretary at 

 the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, S.E.10. 



During the last few months two new chemical societies of considerable import- 

 ance have been initiated. The Australian Chemical Institute has its headquarters 

 at Sydney, and is intended to work on the same lines as the Institute of Chemistry 

 of Great Britain and Ireland, one of its specified duties being, however, to 

 endeavour to improve the rate of remuneration of chemists. The British Associa- 

 tion of Chemists has also been formed to forward the interests of the chemist. 



