322 



NATURE 



[January 4, 19 12 



\OlKS. 

 Till ir HonouDi includi w 



ixcro. <.tv>ii privN I tuinrillor*. t«»n bnrontrts, .-ii»<l lorty 

 knij^lifN. Among the honour* conferred we notice the 

 follow-ini* : — Baronet : Mr. R. C. Forstcr, who is known 

 in the wicntific world by his generous gifts to the new 

 .Iviiii. ,il Inborntorie* nt University College, London. 

 AMn,/-r. I'rof. \V. F. Barrett, F.R.S. ; Dr. John H. Ben- 

 ; ; I ! ( of the Royal College of Physicinns, Ireland; 

 111 K..i.. II J. Collie, medical examiner to the London 

 » iiunty Council and chief medical officer to the .Metro- 

 |i(ilitan Water Board ; Mr. J. Mackenzie Davidson, dis- 

 tinguished for his researches in X-ray work; Prof. Henry 

 Jonrs, professor of moral philosophy in the University of 

 iilasgow; Dr. A. B. Kempe, F.R.S., treasurer of the 

 Royal Society; Dr. H. A. Miers, F.R.S. , principal of the 

 Iniversity of London since 1908; Dr. G. H. Savage, a 

 well-known authority on mental diseases ; Prof. E. B. 

 Tvlor, K.R.S., emeritus professor of anthropology in the 

 Cnivrrsity of Oxford; Dr. Bertram C. ,\. Windle, F.R.S., 

 [nisident of University College, Cork, which, until the 

 Irish Universities .Act of 1908, was designated Queen's 

 College. Companion of the Order of the Bath : Dr. .\. 

 Newsholme, medical officer of the Local Government 

 Koard. Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. 

 (iforf^e : Lieut. -Colonel David Prain, F.R>i.. <|ir'< f"r of 

 ill. Ko\;il Hotanic Gardens, Kew. 



1 iiK rnent decision of Sir "^anuirl Lv;ins (tlie President 

 (if tho Adniirnify Court) and I 1 inity Masters in the case 

 i>f th. ' ml Olympic, thai tin- accident was due to 



ill' in I the latter on thr former owing to the 



Olympic taking a too large turn coming into Spithead, is 

 vry interesting. The e.xperiments carried out at the 

 William Froude Tank at Teddington played an imjjortant 

 part in the case, and have thrown considerable light on 

 a subject which must necessarily come into prominence as 

 the size and speed of vessels increase. These experiments 

 took the form of the running of scale models of the Hawke 

 and Olympic in the main experiment tank. Part of this 

 had been fitted with a false bottom to give in the experi- 

 ments the shallow-water effect that would be produced on 

 the ships by the depth of water in which they were steam- 

 ing. The models were run at the same speed, correspond- 

 ing to eighteen knots for the Olympic, and at a fi.xed 

 distance apart laterally, corresponding to 100 yards for the 

 >hips. In these circumstances, with the Hawke model 

 quite free to move sideways or angularly, the experiments 

 clearly demonstrated 'that in the shallow water* the larger 

 nuiclrl did exert considerable influence upon the smallfr, 

 .mil tliai with the Hawke model in those positions \\li<if 

 this influence became one of attraction at the bow and 

 repulsion at the stern, these forces could not be overcome 

 by the rudder even with considerably greater helm than 

 the 15° which the Hawke had at the time of the accident. 

 The canting tendency which occurs when one ship has 

 partially passed another is far more diflicult to overcome 

 than the sheering (or bodily movement) tendency which 

 occurs when the vessels are broadside to each other, and 

 unless the overtaking vessel is going relatively fast enough 

 to run ahead there is every chance of a collision. 



On the night of December 31, 191 1, a large mass of 

 the chalk cliff fell into the sea at .\bbottscliff. west of 

 Shakespeare Cliff, between Dover and Folkestone. The 

 fallen rock now extends as a platform stretching 400 yards 

 seaward, with a breadth of about 200 yards and a height 

 in places of 30 feet. The aspects of the cliff and shore 

 have been entirely altered. The noise of the fall appeared 

 NO. 2201, VOL. 88] 



to the coastguard like the firing of heavy gun*, and the 

 inru»h of this va<>t bulk of rock into the sea produced lo 

 much effect upon the height of the water that it cauM*d con- 

 aidcrable di»turbance to the shipping in Folkestone Harbour. 

 Falls in the winter time are by no mean* uncommon on thi» 

 part of th'- conxi. The outline of Shakespeare Cliff wan 

 much m<Mlified by an immenne fall in 1894 ; others took 

 place in the month of January 1905, 1907, and 1909. It is 

 possible that the long drought of the past !»ummer, followMl 

 by the heavy rainti of the latter part of the year, may li'' 

 hastened the recent landslip. The gradual de«tccation oi 

 the ground has be^-n very marked in many places, and it 

 has had a serious effect on the stability of numerous build- 

 ings owing to the shrinking of the foundation soil through 

 loss of moisture. The chalk cliffs have no doubt been 

 affected in the same way ; joints have been opened to an 

 extent that would not occur in a normal year, thus pro- 

 viding more channels for the recent rains. Though the 

 chalk cliffs present '•n uniform an appearance when 

 observed from a di^iani < , th<y are formed, in reality, of 

 layers of variable phy>ical i haracter, a circumstance which 

 greatly facilitates their downfall. 



One of the great founders of the science of physical 

 anthropology has passed away in the person of Dr. Paul 

 Topinard. He was a pupil, colleague, and friend of the 

 illustrious Broca, " a man who," Dr. Beddoe said, " posi- 

 tively radiated science and the love of science ; no one 

 could associate with him without catching a portion of the 

 sacred flame. Topinard has been the Elisha of this 

 Elijah." Topinard made valuable investigations on the 

 living population of France, and many researches in various 

 other branches of physical anthropology. In 1876 he pub- 

 lished a relatively small book, " L'.\nthropologie," for 

 which he obtained a gold medal from the Facultd de 

 M<klecine de Paris, and a second prize from IJInstitut ; it 

 w-as translated into English, and published in the Library 

 of Contemporary Science in 1878. This book is packed 

 with information, as it contains numerous measurements 

 and an exposition of methods of investigation ; it has long 

 been a guide for -md. nts and a manual of reference for 

 travellers and . 1885 he published his " Elements 



d 'Anthropologic j,. .,.';," a monumental work of 1157 

 pages, being the substance of his courses of lectures and 

 laboratory instruction for eight years in the Ecole d'Anthro- 

 pologie. It is not the compilation of a mere library student, 

 but is permeated by the author's personality and contains 

 the results of his very numerous and varied researches ; 

 in it he broke free from the traditions of the monogenists 

 and polygenists, and incorporated the new ideas spread by 

 Darwin and Haeckel. This great work exhibits his vast 

 erudition and untiring energy, and it is indispensable for 

 all physical anthropologists. It is needless to add that Dr. 

 Topinard has gained honours in his own country and the 

 homage of his colleagues all over the world. 



We regret to see the announcement, made in a Reut r 

 report from Paris, that Mme. Curie is seriously ill with 

 appendicitis, and has been taken to a hospital to undergo 

 an operation. 



Prof. Ar.\iin Baltzer, Berne, and Dr. Emmanuel <i- 

 Margerie, Paris, have been elected foreign members of the 

 Geological Society of London. Prof. Charles Dep^ret, 

 Lyons, and Prof. Arvid Gustaf Hogbom, Upsala, hnve 

 been elected foreign correspondents of the society. 



The extension, of the Horniman Museum, Forest Hill, 

 consisting of a lecture hall and a new library, the gift of 

 Mr. E. J. Horniman, son of the donor of the museum, 

 will be opened on Saturday, January 27, by Sir Archibald 

 Geikie, K.C.B., president of the Royal Society. 



