736 



NA TURE 



[November 17, 192 



the methods of seed analysis developed and used at 

 the OMicial Seed Testinf? Station. A critical account 

 is ^iven of the various niethotis of sample-taking and 

 tests for purity and germination, the advantage or 

 otherwise of each being indicated . The various classes 

 of plants, as clovers, grasses, vegetables and cereals, 

 re<|uire different treatment in order to obtain the 

 best Results in germination tests, questions of sub- 

 stratum, moisture supply and temperature nee<ling 

 separate consideration for each class. In some cases 

 the methods adopted in other countries are described 

 and the reasons given for varying the procedure at 

 the Knglish Official Station. The paper is entirely 

 practical in outlook, all theoretical consideration.s 

 being reserved for a future handbook on the theory 

 and practice of seed - testing for the use of seed 

 analysts and agricultural students. 



By the generosity of Mr. S. Berkeley Smith of 

 Karachi, the Cheltenham Public Museum has acquired 

 on permanent loan one of the largest collections of 

 Chinese porcelain in the provinces. The collection 

 has arrived in 122 packing cases, weighing nearly 

 5 tons, and has now been arranged for exhibition. 

 It includes a splendid twelve-fold lacquer screen ; 

 Celadon and Fanville Rose enamels ; Mazarin blue 

 jars; porcelain of the Kang Hsi period (1662-1722) ; 

 a large and valuable set of plates and bowls of the 

 Ming period (1367- 1640). Next we have examples of 

 Imperial Yellow China ; the Peach Bloom type, and 

 so-called " Indian Porcelain," The collection of 

 Celadon ware dating back to the Sung Dynasty 

 (960-1250) is specially important. Mr. Berkeley 

 Smith has also sent to Cheltenham some sixty old 

 Chinese pictures. The arrangement in the Museum 

 is well adapted to display this important collection, 

 on the acquisition of which Cheltenham, by the 

 generosity of the donor, is to be warmly congratulated. 



The Report of the Earthworks Committee of the 

 Congress of Archaeological Societies in union with the 

 Society of Antiquaries is a record of steady progress. 

 Happily, reports of destruction are few and unimport- 

 ant. The value of the appointment of Mr. O. G. S. 

 Crawford in connexion with the Ordnance Survey is 

 shown in the identification of the sites of earthworks 

 which have been lost sight of, and in archaeological 

 county surveys, such as that which has been set on 

 foot in Suney, and in survey of Welsh Hill Forts, 

 inaugurated by the Board of Celtic Studies of the 

 University of Wales, is fully recognised. The import- 

 ance of such work is shown by the valuable discoveries 

 made by Mr. E. Hart at Bletchingley, by Mr. Toms 

 at Cissbury Ring, and by the honorary secretary 

 and Mr. G. E. Cruickshank along the course of the 

 Wansdyke, where there appear to be whole groups of 

 settlements hitherto unrecorded. Even in a London 

 suburb Mr. B. Barham has discovered extensive 

 remains of an ancient dyke. Full accounts of the 

 other activities of the Committee in excavation and 

 exploration are given in the Report. 



A BOOK of normals of meteorological elements for 

 the British Isles, Section IV., has just been issued 

 by the Meteorological Office, Air Ministry, and 



NO. 2820, VOL. 112] 



publiHhc<l by H.M. Stationery Office. It has ' 

 preparetl in the ho'pe that it may prove of int- 

 for holiday-makers, to those engaged in ag- 

 to doctors and invalids. Average temperati 

 the highest and lowest which may be expected, the 

 average amount of rainfall and the number of d;«vs 

 with rain, together with the range of variation, 

 given for each month of the year for 30 selc i ! 

 places. There are frequency tables showing for «• > 1 

 month, and for the year, the normal number of dr.-; 

 with hail, thunder, snow, and ground-frost. S:; h 

 health resorts as Bath, Torquay, Brighton, ail 

 Eastbourne do not appear in this book of norm. Us, 

 but naturally there must be some limit to the number 

 of places dealt with. An earlier book of normals. 

 Section I., contains many places omitted in the 

 new publication, but Section I. was more for the 

 statistician. 



Notice is given that applications for the govern- 

 ment grant for scientific investigations for the year 

 1924 must be sent to the offices of the Royal Society. 

 Burlington House, W.i (upon forms obtainable 

 from the Clerk to the Government Grant Committee), 

 by, at latest, January i next. 



A SUPERINTENDENT of agriculture is requ.ivw .^y 

 the Department of Agriculture of the Sudan Govern- 

 ment. Particulars of the appointment can be 

 obtained from the Inspecting Engineer to the 

 Egyptian and Sudan Governments, Queen Anne's 

 Chambers, Westminster, S.W.i. Applications should 

 be marked " Superintendent of Agriculture." 



A MYCOLOGIST is required in connexion with tlic 

 Ceylon Rubber Research Scheme. Candidates should 

 be honours graduates of a British university uitii 

 at least one year's post-graduate work in mycoIoijN' 

 or equivalent qualifications. Further information 

 and application forms may t)e obtained, upon 

 written request, from the Assistant Private Secretary 

 (Appointments), Colonial Office, Whitehall. S.W.i. 



Sir Jag.\dis Bose, director of the Bose Institute, 

 Calcutta, will deliver a lecture at the Royal Society 

 of Medicine on " Assimilation and Circulation in 

 Plants," on Thursday, December 6, at 5.30 p.m. 

 It will be illustrated on the epidiascoj>e and Sir 

 Jagadis will exhibit his apparatus in operation. The 

 chair will be taken by the president of the Societv. 

 Sir William Hale-White. 



At the annual general meeting of the Cambridge 

 Philosophical Society held on October 29, the follow- 

 ing officers were elected for the session 1923-24 : — 

 President : Mr. C. T. Heycock. Vice-Presidents : 

 Prof. A. C. Seward, Dr. H. Lamb, Mr. J. Barcroft. 

 Treasurer : Mr. F. A. Potts. Secretaries : Prof. 

 H. F. Baker, Mr. F. W. Aston, Mr. J. Gray. Neiv 

 Members of the Council : Mr. F. P. White. Mr. E. \'. 

 Appleton, Mr. J. B. S. Haldane. 



The ninety-eighth course of juvenile lectures at 

 the Royal Institution to be delivered this Christmas 

 by Sir William Bragg is entitled " Concerning the 

 Nature of Things," and will deal with (i) the atoms 

 of which things are made ; (2) the nature of gases ; 



