November 3, 1923] 



NA TURE 



66: 



Journal for October, and in an accompanying article 

 Mr. E. Heawood explains that the author was 

 Contarini, who appears to be quite unknown as a 

 cosmographer, and that Roselli was the engraver and 

 perhaps the publisher. The map may have been 

 produced at Venice, but there is also some evidence 

 that it appeared at Florence. In some respects it is 

 reminiscent of the map of Johan Ruysch of 1508, but 

 in detail there is little close agreement. The resem- 

 blance is greater with Waldseemiiller's map of 1507, 

 but Mr. Heawood believes that this is due to a use 

 of common sources. In Europe the general outlines, 

 except in the north, are good. The outline of Africa 

 is striking and much better than Waldseemiiller, but 

 the interior topography is almost entirely Ptolemaic. 

 There is an extraordinary misplacement of the Blue 

 Nile, derived, Mr. Heawood believes, from some early 

 maps then existing in Italy. The chief interest in 

 the map, however, lies in its being the first to show 

 the result of Columbus' voyages. The priority that 

 passed from Ruysch to Waldseemiiller must now be 

 yielded to Contarini. The author was evidently alive 

 to the possibility of South America being a large 

 continent, but there is no indication on his map of 

 any land barrier closing the western seaway to 

 Cathay. The article includes a facsimile of the map. 



Mr. Alan G. Ogilvie, who has succeeded Mr. G. G. 

 Chisholm as lecturer in geography in the University 

 of Edinburgh, gave his inaugural address, " Modern 

 Geography as a Study and as an Aid," on October 12. 

 He pointed out that the great volume and com- 

 plexity of the data comprised by the various natural 

 and humane sciences result in an increasing need 

 for work of correlation and synthesis such as geo- 

 graphy performs. In this the data furnished by 

 other workers are discussed by geographers always in 

 relation to place. The study of regional geography 

 is still in its infancy, for complete regional mono- 

 graphs based upon field work exist for only a small 

 part of the earth's surface ; and synthetic regional 

 study is the main function for geographical research 

 in the future. In regions largely unsurveyed the 

 compilation of provisional maps can be best carried 

 out by persons well trained in physical geography, 

 and such maps are urgently required by men of 

 science working in relatively unknown areas. Much 

 fruitful investigation will result from the collabora- 

 tion of geographers with workers in other fields such 

 as geology and biology, archaeology and history, 

 economic and social science. Geography along with 

 other sciences can help towards a reasonable and 

 gradual redistribution of the world's population, thus 

 relieving the stress due to overcrowding, by directing 

 the streams of suitable emigrants to lands in which 

 they can flourish. 



The position of the Chemical Hall in the British 

 Empire Exhibition at Wembley next year is in many 

 ways a goorl one. Visitors to the Exhibition arriving 

 at Wembley Park Station will enter at the north 

 entrance, and the Palace of Industry is on the right- 

 hand side of the main avenue which runs straight to 

 <he Stadium — north to south. The (■bpnii<ril Hfdl 



is in the north-east corner of the Palace of Industry : 

 it is surrounded by two of the 75-foot gangways, and 

 there are three main entrances to it. The exhibits 

 will be grouped roughh' in five divisions : (a) Heavy 

 chemicals ; ip) dyestuffs and intermediates ; (c) fine 

 chemicals ; [d) soap and perfumery ; and (e) scientific. 

 A scientific committee consisting of the following 

 representatives of scientific societies has been ap- 

 pointed : Mr. J. Baker, Mr. F. H. Carr, Mr. E. V. 

 Evans, and Dr.- Herbert Levinstein (Society of 

 Chemical Industry) ; Dr. J. T. Hewitt and Prof. J. F. 

 Thorpe (Chemical Society) ; Mr. J. B. Atkinson 

 (Society of Dyers and Colourists) ; Mr. T. Mams and 

 Mr. E. T. Neathercoat (Pharmaceutical Society) ; Dr. 

 Stephen Miall (Federal Council) ; Mr. R. Pilcher 

 (Institute of Chemistry) ; Commander R. E. Stokes 

 Rees (Institution of Petroleum Technologists) ; Prof. 

 J. W. Hinchley and Mr. W. J. U. Woolcock (Institu- 

 tion of Chemical Engineers). Mr. Woolcock is serving 

 on all the committees concerned with the scientific 

 side of the Exhibition, in order to act as general liaison 

 officer and to avoid undue overlapping. 



Reports have recently appeared in the Press of 

 great changes in the depths of the South Atlantic. 

 A note in the Geographical Journal for October 

 states that the Hydrographer to the Admiralty 

 contradicts these statements. They arose apparently 

 from the existence, which is well known, of a ridge 

 with depths of 480 fathoms about 800 miles from the 

 Cape on the direct route of the cable between St. 

 Helena and the Cape. Repairs to this cable have 

 lately brought into prominence the occurrence of 

 this ridge in contrast with the surrounding depths of 

 2500 fathoms and upwards. 



The introduction of European animals into 

 Australia has produced a noticeable diminution in 

 the numbers of many of the native species, some of 

 which appear to be on the verge of extinction. In 

 these circumstances the Trustees of the British 

 Museum thought it desirable ' to acquire examples 

 of the Australian fauna, particularly mammals and 

 birds, and they sent out a collecting expedition 

 for that purpose. The leader is Capt. George H. 

 Wilkins, who was a member of the Stefansson Arctic 

 Expedition and biologist on the Quest. The first 

 station chosen for collecting was in southern Queens- 

 land, about 350 miles inland ; work was carried on in 

 this area from .\pril 25 to June 11, and the specimens 

 obtained there have recently arrived at the Natural 

 History Museum. The second station is in northern 

 Queensland. 



The first number of the new monthly publication, 

 the Journal of Scientific Instruments, dealing with 

 the principles, construction, and use of scientific 

 instruments, has appeared. It is produced by the 

 Institute of Physics with the co-operation of the 

 National Physical Laboratory and is a ([uarto of 

 32 pages sold at 25. ()d. There are three articles of 

 considerable length on temperature control for the 

 Pulfrich refractometer and on the measurement of 

 heights by aneroid and of internal diameters of 

 transpEU"ent tubes. Shorter articles on a new relay, 



NO. 2818, VOL. I 12] 



