266 



NATURE 



{December 21, 191 1 



species of cut-wcuns might be suflficicnt to destroy all the 

 verdure above ground. 



The destructive hubils of the small rodent:., which are 

 the natural prey of hawks and owls, are much the same 

 all the world round. Here in England — though on account 

 of their small size and secretive nabits they are often un- 

 discerned by man's dull eyes — they swarm in such numbers 

 in the fu;l(ls and hedgerows that the damage they do 

 must prove a steady drain on the resources of the farmer. 

 The number of small rodents eaten by the rapacious birds 

 is almost as remarkable in proportion to their size as is 

 the number of insects eaten by small insectivorous birds. 



The young of hawks and owls remain a long time in 

 the nest, and require a great quantity of food. During 

 this period the resources of the parents must be taxed 

 excessively in the effort to satisfy the hunger cravings of 

 their offspring, and it is not to be wondered at if some 

 individuals are forced occasionally to snap up a chicken. 

 But what is the worth of the chicken, or of the young 

 pheasant, occasionally taken compared with the hundreds 

 of thousands of pounds' worth of damage that is wrought 

 in the orchards and fields by rodents that hawks and owls, 

 had they been spared, would have fed upon for the main- 

 tenance of their species? 



The destruLtion of the white heron for its scapular 

 plumes has robbed half the world of a bird which is most 

 useful to man. Its loss to India and to China is most 

 serious. It never touches grain, but feeds solely near 

 water and over damp ground, the breeding-places of 

 innumerable batrachians, small crustaceans, and pestiferous 

 insects, all of which directly or indirectly injuriously affect 

 crops in the neighbourhood. The presence of the white 

 heron in the rice-fields, for instance, is distinctly beneficial 

 to the farmer, and rice is one of the most extensively 

 grown crops of India and of China. 



Turning to Australia, it may be mentioned that the 

 slaughter of this and other wading birds for their plumage 

 is causing in that country a decline in its fish resources. 

 As these birds grow fewer in numbers, so do the 

 crustaceans that destroy the fish spawn increase in hosts. 



The gull is a surface feeder. It may occasionally levy 

 toll on useful fish when they are indiscreet enough to come 

 to the surface of the water, but to say that they do 

 any appreciable injury to the fishery business is absurd. 

 On the other hand, the presence of the gull is essential 

 to man's health. While the bird fulfils many useful minor 

 offices, such as destroying larva? in land along the sea- 

 board, and in eating enemies of fish that are exposed 

 during low tide, its chief function in the economy of 

 nature is that of scavenger of the harbours and of the 

 littoral, just as vultures are the scavengers of the main- 

 land. 



Birds, unquestionably, are one of man's greatest 

 possessions ; yet it is just the possession on which he often 

 sets the least vahie. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



London. — At the meeting of the Senate on December 13 

 an anonymous gift of 30,000/. was announced, to be 

 devoted to the erection at University College of the build- 

 ings for the new School of Architecture, resulting from the 

 amalgamation of the architectural department of University- 

 College and King's College. Any balance is to be used 

 for providing studios for the teaching of sculpture and the 

 rearrangement of the School of Fine Art and for the 

 Department of Applied Statistics, including the Laboratory 

 of Eugenics. The gift was accepted by the Senate with 

 cordial thanks. The frontage of the new building will be 

 towards Gower Street ; and it is expected that the new 

 building, together with the new chemical laboratories, 

 which will be to the north of the college, will much 

 improve the architectural effect of the college buildings. 



Oxford. — The following lectures and practical courses, 

 in addition to those already noticed in Nature, have been 

 announced for next term, beginning on January 22, 1912. 

 In human anatomy, Prof. A. Thomson will lecture on 

 joints and the muscles which move them, and will give 

 special demonstrations. Demonstrations will also be given 



NO. 2199, VOL. 88] 



by Messrs. VVhitnall and Foster. Mr. Dodds«Parker wi 

 lecture on the thorax, and Mr. Uoyne on the human •- 

 In the d<?partmeni of comparative anatomy, Prof. 1 

 F.R.S., will lecture on the Echinodermata and <•- 

 ciples of zoology; Mr. E. S. Goodrich, F.R 

 general morphology of Vertebrata, Amphibia, K 

 Aves ; Mr. G. W. Smith, on elementary zoolu^y. n. 

 tical instruction will be given by the professor, aMtsted i 

 Messrs. Smith, Huxley, and Coventry. Dr. Jenkinson u 

 lecture on the embryology of Chordata and on regencrati*- 

 Prof. Gotch, F.R.S., will continue his general course 

 physiology, and will give advanced lectures on the e^ 

 phenomena of nerve. Dr. Haldane, F.R.S., ai 

 Ramsden will lecture on subjects of the Final I 

 examination in physiology; and practical inst: 

 elementary and advanced, will be given by Dr. Scou, . 

 Vernon, Dr. Ramsden, and Dr. Douglas, together w: 

 the professor; the subjects sp<>cially d<»alt with !>*■;: 

 histology, musrle and nerve, and physiological chemistrx . 



Prof. Sollas, P'.R.S., will give a general rour«^ < 

 geology, and will lecture specially on the 

 Europe. Mr. Vaughan will lecture on pala^i 

 evolution. Prof. Vines, F.R.S., will give <..,ui^-.^ 

 botany for students of forestry and agriculture respective ! 

 and a preliminary course for elementarj' students. F'r. 

 tical instruction at the Botanic Garden will be given ; 

 Dr. Church and Mr. Hiley. Prof. Somerville, F.R.^ 

 will lecture on the principles of agriculture and on for- 

 botany, Mr. Curtler on the history and economics of ag: 

 culture, and Mr. Morison on agricultural chemistry. Prt 

 Odling, F.R.S., will lecture on organic chemistry : u: 

 acid and products; Dr. Watts on organic chemistr 

 terpenes and camphors. Mr. Marsh will continue ! 

 course on the history of chemical theory-, and Mr. Fish 

 will lecture on the subjects of the Preliminary' examinat: 

 in chemistry. Dr. Baker, F.R.S., will lecture at Chr: 

 Church on the chemistry of the metals. Prof. Bowma:) 

 and Mr. Barker will lecture and give practical instruction 

 on elementary crystallography and mineralogy. 



Lectures will be given and practical work conducted 

 geography by Prof. Herbertson, Mr. Beckit, M: 

 MacMunn, and Mr. Crawford. Dr. Grundy will lecture o : 

 the historical geography of Greece, and Mr. Munro on thr - 

 of Canada. Mr. Mackenzie will give advanced instruct: 

 in surveying. Mr. Knowles will superintend instruction 

 physical anthropology, Dr. Schuster will lecture o.. 

 statistical methods in anthropometry-, Mr. H. Balfour on 

 comparative technology, and Mr. Marett on social anthro- 

 pology. Sir W. Schlich, F.R.S., will lecture on for> 

 valuation and forest management, Mr. Caccia on syl. 

 culture and forest protection, and Mr. Grosvenor on for 

 zoology. 



Dr. A. D. Imms, professor of biolog}-. University of 

 Allahabad, has been appointed forest zoologist to t' 

 Government of India, Forest Research Institute. De! 

 Dun, United Provinces. 



Prof. Henri Bergson, professor of philosophy of i' 

 Collie de France, has accepted the invitation of th" 

 Senatus Academicus of the L'niversit>' of Edinburgh to be 

 Gifford lecturer from October, 1913, to October, 1915. 



It is announced in Science that formal distribution 1 

 been made of the California property of the late Mr. D. U. 

 Mills. Among other bequests we notice the following : — 

 the American Museum of Natural History, 20,000/. ; the 

 New York Botanical Garden, lo.oool. ; and the American 

 Geographical Society, 5000Z. 



A NOTE in Science states that the registration of students 

 in several of the larger universities is reported to be 3« 

 follows: — Columbia, 7429; Chicago, 6466; Mii- 

 5965; Wisconsin, 5538; Pennsylvania. 5389: M 

 5381; Cornell, 5104; Illinois, 5118; Harvard, su*'^ • 

 Nebraska, 4624; California, 3450; and Missouri, 3141. 



Ths council of Bedford College for Women (University 

 of London) has received donations and promises to 

 the building fund amounting to 8285/. This leaves 

 only 1715I. to be collected to enable the college to 

 claim the additional grant of io,ooof. promised by the 

 London County Council when the fund reaches 6o,oool. 



