NOTES 141 



Then, as to large mutations, even though it may be right to include them 

 amongst the evolutionary agencies, yet they cannot be relied on to fill the 

 gap left in the explanation of the origin of existing organisms. The author 

 states that we must rely in a measure on small and frequent mutations, or 

 admit that no explanation is now forthcoming ; and certainly it was on the 

 natural selection of such mutations that Charles Darwin made the greatest 

 stress. The difficulty of proving the existence of small mutations has led 

 certain experts to deny their existence, but the smaller the mutation, the 

 more difficult does it become to prove its presence ; and to assume that 

 minute mutations are constantly occurring is a legitimate hypothesis, if it 

 best fits in with all known facts. The main difficulty in the theory of organic 

 evolution are how to explain the uniformity of useless characters, the 

 adaptation of structure to environment, and the originating of specific 

 difierences ; and it seems that all these difficulties are to a large extent 

 overcome if the hypothesis of small and frequent mutations may be accepted. 

 Major Darwin, whose book has been published by the Cambridge Press, 

 has contributed an article of much value to the study of organic evolution. 



Report of the Royal Commission of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. 



The report of the Royal Commission of the Universities of Oxford and 

 Cambridge may be procured in the form of a Blue Book price 6s. This 

 Commission has been sitting since November 1919, under the chairmanship 

 of Mr. H. H. Asquith. The report will be read with interest by members 

 not only of the older Universities, but also by the Staff of other Universities 

 in various parts of the British Empire. 



The Commission started out with the premise that one of the most 

 important functions of a University is the pursuit of Research Work. Their 

 first consideration is with regard to the extraordinary increase in numbers 

 of students in both Oxford and Cambridge ; this of course applies to all 

 the Universities in the British Empire. The report says that either (a) the 

 number of students must be decreased ; or (b) the staffs must be increased ; 

 or (c) the standard of learning must be allowed to go down. 



The Commission, believing that disinterested pursuit of scientific investi- 

 gation affords the surest method by which the nation can ultimately command 

 the resources of Nature, nevertheless makes certain recommendations 

 whereby a closer relation may be developed between science and national 

 development. The report recommends that each University receive, instead 

 of the existing interim grant of ;^30,ooo, an annual grant of ;^ioo,ooo, in 

 addition to ;^io,ooo a year for women's education and extramural work, and 

 a lump sum for pension arrears. 



With regard to the question of College Fellowships, the Commissioners 

 recommend that these be divided into the following classes : {a) Restricted 

 to those who hold certain University posts ; (b) Fellowships associated with 

 official posts in the college, or with University Lectureships or Demonstrator- 

 ships ; (c) Old Fellows who have retired from active work ; [d) Fellowships 

 to which young graduates may be elected under conditions of research ; and 

 (e) Supernumerary Fellowships. 



With regard to payment of these fellowships, the Commission recom- 

 mends that only (&) and [d) should be stipendiary. If this recommendation 

 is carried out it will do away with the horde of college " hangers-on " and 

 parasites. 



With regard to the matter of Pensions, the report recommends that 

 the federated superannuation system of the Universities be adopted. 



Finally it is recommended that the money procured through the State 

 for college or University staffs be used to ensure more time for research, and 

 not for the teaching of the students. 



