GRANTS FOR RESEARCH. l6l 



the purpose of obtaining a continuous record of the variations 

 in the atmospheric gradient at various places, and of ascertain- 

 ing the relation betvveeni potential gradient and altitude, and be- 

 tween the diurnal variation of the gradient and the variation in 

 the atmospheric pressure; (2) £45 to Prof. A. Young. M.A., 

 B.Sc, of the South African College, Cape Town, for the purpose 

 of investigating the occurrence of semi-diurnal, diurnal, and 

 spring and neap tides observed by the applicant in connection 

 with an artesian well in the Cradock District; (3) £75 to Miss 

 D. F. Bleek, of Charlton House, Mowbray, for the purpose of 

 proceeding to the Kalahari, so as to obtain phonographic records 

 of the spoken language of the Bushmen tribes north of the 

 Orange and A'aal Rivers, and to procure ethnologically interest- 

 ing photographs and curios ; (4 ) £50 to Mr. R. N. Hall. F.R.G.S., 

 of Bulawayo, for the purpose of enabling the applicant to visit 

 remote localities in Rhodesia, where Bushman paintings exist, 

 so as to add to the list of paintings already discovered, and 

 described, photographed, or sketched; (5) £40 to j\Ir. W. T. 

 Saxton. M.A., F.L.S., of the South African College, Cape 

 Town, for the purpose of (a) studying the fungus diseases of 

 trees in the Transkeian forests, especially those diseases which 

 appear sufficiently severe to be of economic importance, (b) 

 investigating the oecology of the typical formations of the 

 Transkeian territory, (c) investigating, in detail, a reported oc- 

 currence of the typical Western Province flora at St. John's, 

 and (d) to collect material for the study of the two genera of 

 South African Cycads, Stangcria and Enccphalartos, by Prof. 

 Chamberlain, of Chicago University. 



Atomic Structure of the Elements. — At 



the recent Session of the British Association, Dr. J. W. Nichol- 

 son, dealing with theoretic determinaition of atomic weights, 

 suggested that all elementarv atoms may be built up from four 

 protyles, containing 2, 3, 4, and 5 electrons respectively, in a 

 volume distribution of positive electricity. Considering coro- 

 nium, hydrogen, nebulium, and protofluorine as the four pro- 

 tyles, Dr. Nicholson deduced that the helium atom might be 

 made up of one atom of nebulium and one of protofluorine. An 

 argon atom would similarly be made up of ten helium atoms ; 

 a neon atom would consist of twice the combination (PfH)3; 

 an atom of xenon would correspond to 5 [He4(PfH)3], and 

 one of krypton to 5 [Nu,(PfH)3], the symbols Pf and Nu 

 representing respectively protofluorine and nebulium. 



