344 



NATURE 



[January 12, 191 1 



tional honorary members have been appointed in the 

 persons of Dr. R. T. Glazebrootc, F.R.S., and Sir Andrew 

 Noble, Bart., K.C.B., whilst Sir William H. White, 

 K.€.B., F.R.S., has been elected the first fellow of the 

 institute. The annual general meeting of the institute will 

 be held on January 17-18. On the latter day, papers will 

 be read at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, West- 

 rhinster, S.W., commencing at 10.30 a.m. Among the 

 papers are the following : — A new critical point in copper- 

 zinc alloys : its interpretation and influence on their proper- 

 ties, Prof. H. C. H. Carpenter ; some practical experience 

 with corrosion of metals. Engineer Rear-Admiral J. T. 

 Corner, C.B. ; the adhesion of electro-deposited silver in 

 relation to the nature of the German silver basis metal. 

 Prof. A. McWilliam and Mr. W. R. Barclay. There will 

 also be presented the preliminary report to the Corrosion 

 Committee, by Mr. G. D. Bengough. This report will be 

 of an important character, dealing with the present state 

 of our knowledge of the corrosion of non-ferrous metals 

 and alloys, with suggestions for a research into the causes 

 of the corrosion of brass condenser tubes by sea water. 

 Full ^particulars regarding the institute can be obtained 

 from Mr. G. Shaw Scott, secretary of the Institute of 

 Metals, Caxton House, Westminster, S.W. 



The first annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of 

 Barcelona- was held on Pecember 8, 1910, when the new 

 president and executive council were elected. Addresses 

 were delivered by the retiring president on the progress 

 of astronomical science during the year 1910, ^nd by the 

 secretary on the development of the society since its 

 foundation. The inaugural meeting of the society was 

 held on January 30, 1910, at the University of Barcelona, 

 as a result of the labours of Don Salvador Raurich, who 

 had been carrying out valuable educational work in the 

 city by means of popular articles on astronomical and 

 allied subjects contributed to the columns of "Las Noticias, 

 a well-knovi?n Barcelona journal. At the inaugural meet- 

 ing Dr. Esteban Terradas, professor of physics in the 

 University of Barcelona, was elected first president, and 

 a strong executive council was formed. In April King 

 Alphonso became a life member, and was elected honorary 

 president. A^ the present time the membership numbers 

 230, and as a result of the first year's work the 

 society finds itself with a bank balance of Sol. after 

 paying all expenses. In the future it is intended to devote 

 the accumulated funds of the society to the erection and 

 equipment of an observatory, where members may meet 

 regularly in a social way for practical observation and the 

 informal discussion of questions of astronomical interest. 

 During the year lectures on astronomical subjects were 

 delivered in the Grand Saloon of the University of 

 Barcelona, and numerous addresses on a smaller scale 

 were given on practical spectroscopy and general astro- 

 nomy in the private * observatories of certain members. 

 The following is a list of the officers of the society for 

 the year 191 1 :- — President, Prof. Eduardo Fontser^, chief 

 of the Time Service of Barcelona ; vice-presidents. Prof. 

 Luis Canalda and Don Ferdinand Tallada ; secretary, Don 

 Salvador Raurich ; vice-secretary, Don A. Pulv6 ; treasurer. 

 Prof. M. Font y Torn6 ; other members of the council. 

 Prof. Ignacio Tarazona, professor of astronomy in the 

 University of Valencia ; Dr. Enrique Calvet, Don Jos6 

 Subiranas, and Don Juan Mercadal. The address of the 

 secretary is Diagonal, 462, Barcelona, where all com- 

 munications should be addressed. The society is entering 

 upon its second year of activity with bright prospects, and 

 is very successfully cultivating a taste for astronomical 

 study among all classes in Spain. 



NO. 2150, VOL. 85] 



The Research Defence Society has just published a 

 small book called "The Truth about Vivisection." The 

 book is a collection of leaflets dealing with some of the 

 main points in the practice of experiments on animals, and 

 of the results obtained by this means. It also includes a 

 leaflet on the charges made against the Rockefeller Insti- 

 tute, and also the correspondence between the secretary 

 of the Church Anti-vivisection Society and the Bishop of 

 North Queensland. All the points dealt with are clearly 

 explained, and technical details are avoided so far as 

 possible. The book is therefore suitable for anyone to 

 read, even if not conversant with the correct phraseology. 

 This is a great advantage, because the details of the whole 

 matter are naturally of a highly technical character. 

 Much of the misapprehension which exists in the minds of 

 many people, including those who are definitely anti- 

 vivisectionists, arises from want of knowledge. In the 

 great majority of cases this is not wilful, but simpl\ 

 because the details have hitherto been almost impossible 

 for the uninitiated to follow. There are, however, a few 

 persons to whom the words of Mr. Rudyard Kipling ar'^^ 

 applicable. He says that there will always be persons 

 " who consider their own undisciplined emotions more 

 important than the world's most bitter agonies — the people 

 who would limit and cripple and hamper research because 

 they fear that research may be accompanied by a little 

 pain and suffering." It is very desirable that all think- 

 ing people should endeavour to acquaint themselves with 

 the essential facts of the case, and the recent publications 

 of the Research Defence Society have now made this 

 possible by providing the necessary information in a simple 

 form. The leaflets show that 95 per cent, of the experi- 

 ments performed are of inoculations, which are not really 

 in any way an operation, being merely needle-pricks. A 

 great number of these are routine investigations carried 

 out on behalf of various Government departments for the 

 preservation and improvement of the public health. The 

 history of the successful fight against Malta fever and 

 other tropical diseases forms a chapter of intense interest 

 in the history of the British Empire, and is one which 

 well repays study ; this side of the question might with 

 advantage be somewhat further developed in the collec- 

 tion of pamphlets in question. The Httle book is highly 

 to be recommended, and should supply a great want. 



In a report contributed to the December (1910) issue of 

 Man on the Ceylonese drum known as udakiya, Dr. A. 

 Willey connects this hour-glass pattern of instrument with 

 certain drums made from human skulls found in Tibet. 

 In the latter type the drum consists of two human calvaria 

 inverted and superposed, the ends being covered with 

 pieces of skin. The use of such drums for magical pur- 

 poses is not uncommon in Tibet, and thence the shape 

 may have passed to India, where it is still used by ascetic- 

 and spirit mediums, and thence to Ceylon. The custom 

 which still prevails in Tibet of drinking from the skull of 

 a holy man or an enemy is remotely connected with this 

 form of drum. 



In the December (1910) issue of Man Messrs. E, T. 

 Nicholle and J. Sinel describe the exploration of a Palaeo- 

 lithic cave-dwelHng, known as La Cotte, at St. Brelade. 

 Jersey. The existence of this habitation has been known 

 since 1881, and it has now been investigated under great 

 difficulties, due to its position. Bones of Rhinoceros 

 tichorhinus, horse, reindeer, and deer, with human teeth 

 and some fragmentary bones, have been unearthed. The 

 flint implements, found in considerable numbers, belong to 

 the well-known tongue-shaped Mousterien class, the 



