February 29, 1912] 



NATURE 



587 



that the moistening process, as outlined, is performed, as 

 a rule, during the flight from flower to flower. Indeed, 

 upon reflection, one feels convinced that this would be the 

 most convenient interval in the ceaseless work of the pro- 

 verbially busy bee for performing this function, while at 

 the same time the instinct to do it then, once acquired, 

 would ensure its accomplishment when and as often as 

 necessary. I intend to dust with flour the hind metatarsi 

 of bees entering flowers, and also those of bees leaving 

 flowers. If the former retain more flour than the latter, 

 the theory that the moistening takes place during the 

 flight from flower to flower will be demonstrated. 



JProbably the kinematograph will be able before long to 

 reproduce the whole process of pollen-collecting at a speed 

 slow enough to be followed by the human eye. 



Ripple, Dover. F. W. L. Sladen. 



Microscope Stands. 



Mr. J. W. Ogilvy, in his reply (Nature, February 8) 

 to one of my questions, does little more than reiterate his 

 former statement that the German instruments are 

 superior, and are produced in better organised works. 

 Ihis seems to introduce the question of workmanship, 

 which has not, to my knowledge, been brought under 

 consideration. The discussion seems to be one of design. 



Mr. Ogilvy also appeals for proof of superiority to the 

 number of Continental instruments in the various technical 

 laboratories. Even if the number in use is larger, this 

 cannot be accepted as proof of their superiority. The 

 number of chromatic " Abbe " condensers must be much 

 larger than of other condensers, but this does not prove 

 that it is the best condenser. I do not think it has been 

 proved that the most intelligent users are to be found in 

 the various technical laboratories. The last paragraph of 

 " F.R.M.S.'s " letter is proof of what I mean. 



Xow, with regard to the sprung fittings, Mr. E. M. 

 Nelson, writing in the current issue of The English 

 Mechanic, says : — " I have always considered springing to 

 be a most important point in microscope construction." 



The question seems to be this : " Which instrument, the 

 English or the Continental, is, by virtue of its design and 

 workmanship combined, capable of affording the scien- 

 tific worker the greatest facilities for work of a critical 

 character? " 



I venture to think that the answer to this question by 

 our most eminent workers would not be so much in favour 

 of the Continental type as Mr. Ogilvy seems to imagine. 



Boston Spa, near Leeds. John A. L. Sutcliffe. 



As the writer of a letter on " Microscope Stands " in 

 Nature of February 22, I wish to add that the term 

 " Continental firm " used in connection with the remarks 

 on horseshoe base with extended rear toe, mechanical stage 

 on a rotating principle, and machined slide bearings should 

 include the American manufacturer. 



F. R. Brand. 



Meteor-showers. 



The following meteor-showers become due in March ; 

 their arrangement is according to the principal maxima : — 



Epoch March i, izh. (G.M.T.), fifth order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 2, i3h. 5m. ; secondary maxi- 

 mum, March i, gh. 30m. 



Epoch March 5, 2oh. 30m., eighteenth order of magni- 

 tude. Principal maximum, March 4, i2h. 35m. ; secondary 

 maxima, March 4, qh. 30m. and iqh. 35m. 



Epoch March 5, 2ih., twenty-fifth order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 6, yh. ; secondary maximum, 

 March 5, oh. 30m. 



Epoch March q, 22h. 30m., twenty-second order of 

 magnitude. Principal maximum, March 8, 2oh. 45m. ; 

 secondary maximum, March 8, 3h. 30m. 



Epoch March 9, 3h. 30m., ninth order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 0, ir/h. 50m. ; secondary 

 maximum, March q, 2oh. 40m. 



Epoch March 11, 8h. 30m., first order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 10, 23!!. lom. ; secondary 

 maxima, March 10, oh. 5m. and i6h. 50m. 



Epoch March 12, i3h., ninth order of magnitude. Prin- 

 cipal maximum, March 12, i2h. 50m. ; secondary maxi- 

 mum, March 11, 1311. 40m. 



Epoch March 13, i6h., twentieth order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 13, ih. ; secondary maximum, 

 March 12, 8h. 50m. 



Epoch March 19, 22h., tenth order of magnitude. Prin- 

 cipal maximum, March 18, lyh. 45m. ; secondary maxi- 

 mum, March 18, gh. lom. 



Epoch March 21, loh., eighteenth order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 19, i4h. 30m. ; secondary 

 maxima, March 17, i9h. 25m., and ^larch 18, ^h. 30m. 



Epoch March 19, 2h., approximately second order of 

 magnitude. Principal maximum, March 20, i5h. ; 

 secondary maxima, March 19, 6h. 50m., and March 22,. 

 loh. 50m. 



Epoch March 22, 2h. 30m., tenth order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 22, 3!!. 20m. ; secondary 

 maxima, March 23, i6h. 25m. and 22I1. 45m. 



Epoch March 23, 2ih., thirtieth order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 24, lyh. 30m. ; secondary 

 maximum, March 26, i2h. 55m. 



Epoch March 26, i4h., eighteenth order of magnitude. 

 Principal maximum, March 26, 5h. 40m. ; secondary 

 maxima, March 26, 2h. 20m. and iih. 30m. 



Epoch March 27, i4h. 30m., twentieth order of magni- 

 tude. Principal maximum, March 27, loh. ; secondary' 

 maximum, March 27, 4h. 



Epoch March 27, 4h. 30m., approximately first order of 

 magnitude. Principal maximum, March 28, 22h. 45m. r, 

 secondary maxima, March 27, i2h. lom., and March 

 28, 6h. 



Though meteor-displays are distributed, apparently, 

 pretty evenly over the month, yet there are periods of 

 special intensity. These periods, which are four in 

 number, comprise the dates March 2-4, March 9-13, 

 March 20-22, and March 26-28. Heavy meteor-falls are 

 due on the nights of March 2 and 4. 



Dublin. John R. Henry. 



EXAMINATIONS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.^ 

 nr*HE Consultative Committee of the Board of 

 ■*■ Education has, for the second time, made a 

 report on examinations in secondary schools, and, 

 though opinions may differ as to the precise value of 

 the recommendations which the committee now makes, 

 everyone must congratulate the members on the valu- 

 able information they have collected and the clearness 

 with which they have shown once more the existence 

 of a great evil, and the arguments for and against 

 various methods of dealing with it. The report which 

 the committee made seven years ago has been followed 

 by a small improvement, but secondary education in 

 this country still groans under the burden of a need- 

 lessly complicated system of examinations, which are 

 the cause of the gravest injury, not only to secondarv 

 schools, but to all branches of higher education which 

 depend so largely on the foundation laid in these 

 schools. 



One of the saddest points brought out in the report 

 is the extent to which young children are at present 

 submitted for examinations, notwithstanding the 

 efforts of the Board of Education and certain loca? 

 education authorities to prevent this. Thus a return 

 supplied by the Lancashire Education Committee 

 shows that nearly half of 1070 pupils of certain schools 

 in the county submitted for external examinations 

 during a given year were below the. age of sixteen. 

 Unfortunately, the ancient l^niversities of Oxford and 

 Cambridge are amongst the greatest offenders in the 

 matter of providing such examinations, for it appears 

 that in their local examinations alone more than 

 20,000 children under sixteen were examined in 1908. 



It is shown that the results of these examinations 

 are largely used, more particularly by inferior schools, 

 as a means of advertisement, and that this system is 

 aided by the ancient universities by an arrangement 



1 Report of the Consultative Committee of the Boird of Education on 

 Examinations in Secondary Schools. Cd. 6004. (Wyman and Sons.) 

 Price 2S. 6(f. 



NO. 2209, VOL. 88] 



