August 25, 1923] 



NATURE 



291 



separate four wire horizontal systems separated by 

 ropes and insulators. The length of the wires forming 

 one system is 45 feet, and the length of the other 

 system is 55 feet. As the output of a high-quality 

 microphone seldom exceeds a few millivolts, con- 

 siderable amplification is necessary. A three-unit 

 motor generator set is used. One of the generators 

 has a 1 000- volt commutator at each end, thus giving 

 1000 volts for the amplifier plate filter and 2000 volts 

 for the transmitter. The equipment is all duplicated, 

 one set being in reserve, so as to reduce the risk of a 

 breakdown to a minimum. From the listener's point 

 of view, this alternative choice of programmes is an 

 attraction, and the operation of Broadcast Central has 

 been extremely successful. 



The 'New Phytologist (vol. 22, No. 3) contains a very 

 stimulating article by Dr. F. E. Clements under the 

 title of " The Ecological Method in Teaching Botany," 

 in which the author's ecological outlook is applied to 

 the problems of teaching with the insistence upon 

 quantitative study of environment, and the response 

 thereto, that has proved so fruitful in his studies of 

 vegetation. This paper should do good if only for 

 its challenge to the traditional methods which hold 

 such unquestioned sway, though many teachers will 

 feel Dr. Clements's ideals — that the student's educa- 

 tion should be based mainly upon first-hand investiga- 

 tion, brought into an ordered and correlated form by 

 the method of group discussion, all the work being 

 done " where the plants are, whether this be the 

 greenhouse, garden, field or (much less satisfactory) 

 the ordinary laboratory " — make demands which the 

 staffing and accommodation of most British depart- 

 ments of botany would render impossible. Dr. 

 Clements's distrust of the efficacy of lectures, his 

 challenge to the professors' insistence upon principles 

 as apart from facts, his criticism that the laboratory 

 notebook, save for its indifferent quality, is more 

 suitable to a drawing class, and his objection to the 

 content of the typical elementary class in which 

 morphology is paramount, are points in his paper 

 which might well provoke animated discussion ; but 

 there can be little question that a new generation will 

 do well to take a critical survey of the methods and 

 results of the formal lecture and laboratory courses of 

 their predecessors. 



Applications are invited by the Admiralty for a 

 Junior Scientific Assistant in the Experimental de- 

 partment of the Signal School, the duties being con- 

 cerned with the application of W/T devices ; also for 

 a Junior Scientific Assistant having a good knowledge 

 of general physics, possessing an honours degree in 

 physics or its equivalent, and with some experience 

 in research. Applications for the posts should be sent 

 to the Secretary of the Admiralty (C.E.), Admiralty, 

 S.W.I. 



Referring to the letter of Dr. G. D. Hale Carpenter 

 on a waterspout with a sheath or sleeve, published in 

 Nature of September 23, 1922, p. 414, and one on 

 the same subject by Dr. Willard J. Fisher in the issue 

 of November 18, p. 669, Dr. Fisher writes to say that 

 the'same sort of sleeved tornado pendant seems to be 



NO. 2808, VOL. 112] 



described by R. Abercromby, in the Quart. Jour. 

 Roy. Met. Soc, 16, pp. 119-126, 1890, as having been 

 observed by Mr. S. Elson, a Calcutta pilot. Possibly 

 the phenomenon is not very uncommon. 



The BritishjResearch Association for the Woollen 

 and Worsted Industries announces the following 

 awards for the year 1923-24 : Research Fellowships : 

 Mr. Robert Burgess, of Nottingham, to carry out 

 investigations on the damage and deterioration caused 

 by bacteria and fungi on woollen goods and yarns 

 during storage ; and I\Ir. H. E. Farrar, of Leeds, to 

 conduct research on the dyeing of wool with acid and 

 mordant colours. Advanced Scholarships : Mr. S. 

 Menzer, tenable at the University of Leeds ; Mr. 

 T. N. T. Graham, tenable at the Scottish Woollen 

 Technical College, Galashiels ; Mr. P. M. Redman, of 

 Keighley, and Mr. W. Lee, of Halifax, tenable at the 

 Bradford Technical College. 



We have received from British Drug Houses, Ltd. 

 (16-30 Graham Street, N.i), a specimen of their 

 standard lactose B.D.H., which has been prepared 

 of guaranteed purity for the particular requirements 

 of bacteriologists and biologists. We have tested it 

 with several strains of Bacillus typhosus, B. para- 

 typhosus, B. dysenteries, and other micro-organisms, 

 and find that it gives the characteristic and typical 

 fermentation reactions of the respective organisms. 

 One gram incinerated on platinum gave no weigh- 

 able amount of ash. We therefore believe that the 

 claim made as to the purity of this lactose is substan- 

 tiated. It is supplied in i lb. sealed tins, price 35. 6d. 

 each. 



The Nouvelle Societe Helvetique, 28 Red Lion 

 Square, London, W.C.i, has just issued a useful 

 bibliography of books dealing with Switzerland which 

 have appeared in English since 1880. The list in- 

 cludes not only guide-books and tourist literature but 

 also those on historical, constitutional, and social 

 subjects, and in addition works by Swiss writers 

 translated into English, as well as books in English 

 on such pioneers as Rousseau and Pestalozzi in 

 education and de Saussure in science. All lovers of 

 Switzerland and its people will find the bibliography 

 helpful and interesting. Copies may be obtained upon 

 application to Dr. Paul Lang, Secretary of the 

 Society, at the above address. 



The names of the green pheasant, the copper 

 pheasant, and the golden pheasant were added to the 

 Schedule to the Importation of Plumage (Prohibition) 

 Act, 192 1, by virtue of the Importation of Plumage 

 (No. 2) Order, 1922, dated June 12, 1922. As was 

 announced in the Press at the time, the Advisory 

 Committee appointed under the Act, in recommending 

 the addition of the names of these birds to the 

 Schedule, further recommended that the matter 

 should be referred to them again for review after the 

 expiration of twelve months. The Committee has 

 now reconsidered this question and has recommended 

 that the golden pheasant should be included in the 

 Schedule for a further period of twelve months but 

 that the copper and green pheasants should be removed 

 from the Schedule at the end of the present year. 



