92 



NATURE 



[March i6, 191 i 



Obskrvations of Saturn. — On Spptember 39, 1910, 

 ^Ignor Mentore Maggini, of the Xim6ninn Obsi-rvatory, 

 Florence, observed a briglit projection on the limb of 

 Saturn, and announced his observation in No. 4445 of the 

 AiXronomische Nachrichtvn. In the current number of 

 L' Astronomic (March, p. 114) he gives further details, 

 illustrated by an excellent plate drawing of the planet. 

 He also describes various other phenomena observed 

 •during many nights of excellent seeing in September and 

 October. Among others, he notes the dark equatorial 

 band as double, the northern part being formed of oval 

 spots, which at moments of good seeing gave the band the 

 appearance of a chaplet. .A difference of colour between 

 the two annuti of this double band was also noted, the 

 tnore southerly band having a greenish colour, the other 

 being more of a reddish hue. The bright equatorial band, 

 usually yellow, was often disturbed by greenish-grey 

 shadings. Festcons, similar to those seen on Jupiter by 

 Mr. Scriven Bolton, were frequently noted, seven of them 

 being seen on September 30, 1910. Many other interesting 

 phenomena apjiertaining to the rings, &c., are recorded by 

 "Signor Maggini. 



TNE G ALTON BEQUEST. 



CIR FRANCIS GALTON, F.R.S., who died on 

 "^ January 17, at the age of eighty-eight, has left the 

 residuary estate under his will, amounting to about 

 45,000/., to the University of London for the purpose of 

 encouraging the study of national eugenics, which is 

 defined in the will as the study of " the agencies under 

 social control that may improve or impair the racial quali- 

 ties of future generations, physic.illy and mentally." 

 Primarily, the object of the bequest is the establishment 

 and endowment of a professorship in the University to be 

 known as " The Galton Professorship of Eugenics," with 

 a laboratory or office and library attached thereto ; and 

 the testator e.\presses a desire, without binding the Senate 

 of the University, that the professorship shall be offered 

 to Prof. Karl Pearson, F.R.S. The new professor will 

 ■collect and discuss materials bearing on eugenics, form a 

 central office to provide information to private individuals 

 or public authorities concerning the laws of inheritance 

 of man, and will urge the conclusions as to social conduct 

 which follow from such laws. In addition, he will be 

 required to extend the knowledge of his subject by teach- 

 ing and research. The wish is expressed that the Senate 

 will supply the laboratory or office, preferably, in the first 

 Instance, in proximity to the Biometric Laboratory, v^'hich 

 Is at present under Prof. Pearson's control at University 

 "College. 



By this generous benefaction, permanent provision will 

 "be made for the work which has been carried on in the 

 Francis Galton Laboratory in the University since 

 October, IQ04. This work was initiated by Sir' Francis 

 Galton, who supplied funds amounting to 3500Z. during 

 Tiis lifetime for its support. Apart from the cost of print- 

 ing the publications of the laboratory, nearly the whole of 

 the money available has been devoted to the payment of 

 the staff of the laboratory, including the emoluments of the 

 Galton research fellow (Mr. David Heron) and the re- 

 search scholar (Miss E. ]\L Elderton). A large number 

 of lectures have been delivered in connection with the 

 laboratory, and these have been well attended. The publi- 

 cations of the laboratory include " Noteworthy Families 

 (Science)," by Galton and Schuster; a series of memoirs, 

 •of which fifteen have so far been published ; a series 

 entitled " Questions of the Day and of the Fray" (one 

 publication) ; and a lecture series (six publications) ; in 

 •addition, the staff of the laboratory has published a 

 number of papers in Biometrika and other periodicals. 

 The subjects of the publications cover a wide range, in- 

 cluding the principles of heredity, with special reference to 

 insanity, vision, alcoholism, and various diseases and 

 deformities. Some of the publications, notably those on 

 Tilcoholism, have given rise to vigorous controversy. The 

 laboratory has been fortunate in securing the cooperation 

 of a large number of men of science and medical men. 



The report on the laboratory published in the appendix 

 to the second report of the Roval Commission on Uni- 

 versity Education in London (p. 399) indicates in a brief 

 NO. 2159, VOL. 86] 



manner the ideas of those controlling lU work as to futu: 

 developments. The .Solvay Institute at Brussels is m^ : 

 tioned as a possiole model of what the Eugenics !,' 

 tory should become ; but for such a scheme a 

 expenditure of 30,000/. and an annual income ol , 

 would, it is stated, be required, or an annual income ' 

 5000/. if a sinking fund were established to repay capi^ 

 expenditure in twenty years. The staff would then inclu 

 a director (800/.), a trained actuary (600/.), medical offu 

 (600/.), and six assistants (1200/.), the balance being used 

 for library, publications, upkeep of buildings, and sinking 

 fund. Those who have visited the Solvay Institute n» 

 Brussels will realise the great boon which such a schen 

 would confer on students of social questions in London. 'I ! 

 arrangements made for private workers in the Bruss' 

 institute are as perfect as could be devised. Each wf>rk 

 has a private room, and the re.sources of the inst;' 

 books and fnformation are placed entirely at his <i 

 In close proximity to the in.stitute for social work... 

 Brussels, are similar institutes for research in j^ysiohj,. 

 and other sciences. 



It may be of interest to note, in conclusion, the cl< 

 indication expressed in the will of Sir Francis Galtoti 

 desire that the work for which hf* has so generously pr 

 vided shall have a direct bearing on practical life and ■ 

 legislation. This side of the work has given rise to m:i: 

 misconceptions as to the character of the ne^v scien( 

 wliich is popularly suspected of proposing artificial restr: 

 tions on the community in connection with marriage ai 

 child-birth. It may be said that there is little in i: 

 publicaticins of the laboratory staff to support this view, 

 though other exponents of the subject have expressed them- 

 selves with greater freedom and less regard, perhaps, * 

 scientific data. As a good example of the way in which t 

 new subject may affect legislation. Prof. Pearson's lectu- 

 entitled " The Problem of Practical Eugenics " may I 

 mentioned, in which the effect of factory legislation on t! 

 birth-rate is explained in simple, non-technical langua;^ 

 The lecture' provides at once an object-lesson for legislat<. 

 and an admirable illustration of the use of statistics in t! 

 study of social questions. T. Ll. H. 



STANDARD TIME IN FRANCE. 



A T midnight on March 10 the clocks at the railw i 

 stations and all Government offices and munici; 

 buildings of France and Algeria were set back n- 

 minutes twetity-one seconds, to bring them in accord wiiw 

 Western European or Greenwich time, which will now be 

 used in those countries, as it is in most other countries 

 of Western Europe. The Paris meridian will, however, 

 continue to be used as a standard for naval, astronomical, 

 and cartographical purposes, k reform which has been 

 urged in France for many years has thus at last been 

 accomplished, and there can be no doubt as to the wisdom 

 of the act, whether considered from the point of vie\v of 

 convenience or from that of international standards. I; 

 is not so much a question of the adoption of Greenwli 

 time instead of Paris time as of France coming into 

 system of time-reckoning adopted by almost all the gre: 

 countries of the world. 



The zone-system of standard-time meridians separatoci 

 by hours or half-hours, and encircling the globe, has un- 

 doubted advantages, and France occupied an anomalous 

 position while it retained a time-standard having no simple 

 relationship with the international system. The originator 

 of this system was Sir Sandford Fleming, who, since he 

 first suggested it in 1878, has done much to bring about 

 the unification of time-reckoning throughout the world. 

 Thanks to his persistent advocacy, twenty-four meridians 

 are now recognised, beginning with that of Greenwich .Tr"^ 

 counting towards the east. The time of each of th' - 

 meridians is thus one hour behind that of the next me¥idi;r 

 to the east of it, and one hour in advance of the next 

 meridian to the west. Each meridian may be regarded as 

 the median line of a zone 15° of longitude in width, so 

 that the twenty-four meridians give standard-times on an 

 organised system for the whole world. Local circum- 

 stances sometimes make it convenient to adopt the time 

 of a meridian half-way between two of the twenty-four 

 meridians, but this only means that the time will differ 



