558 



NATURE 



[February 23, 191 1 



iiiji together, we shall not easily believe that wing and 

 (ail white are solely features of concealing coloration. 

 'I'lu-ir revealing function during flight is entirely in 

 harmony with their concealing functions when at rest." 



In conclusion, brief reference may be made to the paper 

 by Mr. E. A. Wilson, field-observer to the Grouse-disease 

 Inquiry Committee, in the Zoological Society's Proceedings 

 for December, 19 lo, on the changes of the plumage in the 

 grouse, a communication specially noteworthy on account 

 of the excellence and beauty of the numerous coloured 

 l)lates by which it is illustrated. R. L. 



THE AUSTRALASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 

 ""PHIS year's meeting of the Australasian Association for 

 the Advancement of Science was held at the Uni- 

 versity of Sydney on January 9-14, under the presidency 

 of Prof. Orme Masson, F.R.S., professor of chemistry in 

 the University of Melbourne. 



The work of the meeting was divided among eleven main 

 sections, each with its own president, vice-president, and 

 secretary. The following is a list of sections with the 

 name of the presidents and the subjects of their addresses, 

 v/hen these are stated in the official circulars which have 

 been received. 



Section A, Astronomy, Mathematics, and Physics : Prof. 

 T. H. Laby, professor of physics in Victoria College, 

 Wellington, N.Z. Section B, Chemistry, Metallurgy, and 

 Mineralogy ; Prof. B. D. Steele, professor of chemistry in 

 the University of Queensland, Brisbane, who in his address 

 dealt with inorganic solvents. Section C, Geology : Prof. 

 P. Marshall, professor of geology in the University of 

 Otago, Dunedin, N.Z., whose address was on the western 

 margin of the Pacific basin. Section D, Biology : Mr. 

 F. M. Bailey, Government botanist at Brisbane. Section 

 E, Geography and History : Prof. G. C. Henderson, pro- 

 fessor of history in the University of Adelaide, whose 

 address discussed colonial historical research. Section F, 

 Anthroplogy and Philology : Mr. Edward Tregear. 

 .Section G, (i) Social and Statistical Science : Mr. 

 E. W. H. Fowles, the subject of whose address was un- 

 employment. Section G, (2) Agriculture : Prof. W. Angus, 

 late director of agriculture in Adelaide. Section " H, 

 Engineering and Architecture : Mr. Ellwood Mead, who 

 was unable to attend the meeting, and instead of a presi- 

 dential address, Prof. W. H. Warren, of the University 

 of Sydney, delivered a lecture on irrigation in India. 

 Section I, Sanitary Science and Hygiene : Dr. W. Perrin 

 Norris, Commonwealth Director of Quarantine, Melbourne, 

 who took for his subject public health ideals. Section J, 

 Mental Science and Education : the Rev. E. H. .Sugden, 

 whose address dealt with the place of music in education 



During the meeting Prof. P. Marshall delivered a 

 popular lecture in the great hall of the University on 

 glaciers of the southern Alps ; Dr. Mawson, of .Adelaide, 

 lectured on " Antarctica," with special reference to his 

 forthcoming exp>edition ; and Prof. T. H. Laby exhibifed 

 a working model of Brennan's mono-rail. Numerolis 

 social functions were arranged, including a garden-party 

 to members of the association, given, by Lord Chelmsford. 



There are several committees of the association which 

 are to continue to exist during the present year. Among 

 these may be mentioned the Solar Eclipse 1910 Committee, 

 appointed at Brisbane in 1909. In ccnnect'o-i with the 

 work of this committee, the local Council (.i N'ew South 

 Wales passed the following resolulion : — " '1 hat the com- 

 mittee appointed at the Brisbane meeting \r, 1909 in con- 

 nection with the solar eclipse of iqio be asked to make 

 such arrangements as may be necessary before the meet- 

 ing of the association in January for the observation of the 

 total 'lo'ar eclipse of 191 1 by Australian and other astro- 

 tior-'^rs, and report to the meeting." K was announced 

 durinf> the meeting that the Federal Government had 

 granted 500?. in aid of tli? solar eclipse expedition of this 

 ■year. Other existing committees are those on solar re- 

 search, terrestrial magnetism in Australia, seismology, 

 alkaline rocks of Australia, glacial phenomena, geological 

 and geo-physical phenomena, deep-sea dredging off the 

 east coast of Australia, New Zealand food-fishes, and the 

 biological and hydrographical studv of the New Zealand 

 coast. 



RECENT ADVANCES AND PROBLEMS IN 

 CHEMISTRY. 



'T'HE subjoined lecture was delivered by Prof. Emil 

 ■*■ Fischer, of the University of Berlin, on the occasion 

 of the inauguration of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft 

 zur Forderung der Wissenschaften, in the presence of the 

 German Emperor, on January 11, in the Ministry of 

 Education at Berlin. 



Prof. Fischer traces the relations between science and 

 scientific industries in Germany, pointing out that by 

 affording facilities for the prosecution of pure scientific 

 research, technical industry can only gain. 



If only this fact were practically realised in this country 

 as it is in Germany, we should be spared the humiliation 

 of seeing important technical branches of commerce, such 

 as chemical industry, transferred soon after their initiation 

 from England to the Continent. 



Prof. Fischer in his address deals fully with this sub- 

 ject from the German ix>int of view, so that it is un- 

 necessary to refer to it here in detail ; the remedy, how- 

 ever, lies entirely with the powers that be. 



NO. 2156, VOL. 85] 



Your Majesty ; Gentlemen, 



At the present time, more than at any other period, we 

 are inclined critically to examine the fundamental prin- 

 ciples of all branches of knowledge, and, when necessary, 

 to introduce far-reaching alterations in our original con- 

 clusions. This state of mind applies also to the natural 

 sciences. During the last decades our actual knowledge 

 has been extended to an extraordinary degree owing to 

 new methods of research, and in view of the more recent 

 observations the older theories have proved in many cases 

 to be far too narrow. Even the fundamental principles 

 of our knowledge appear, to a certain extent, to demand 

 revision. 



Thus the progress in physical science forces us to adopt 

 views which are incompatible with the older principles of 

 mechanics, in spite of the fact that these were regarded 

 as unassailable by thinker*, such as Hermann von Helm- 

 holtz, Heinrich Hertz, and Lord Kelvin. 



We stand in the snne position with respect to the 

 elements in chemistry. Owing to the discovery of radium 

 and similar bodies, we have been forced to the conclusion 

 that chemical elements are not unalterable, and hence that 

 their atoms are not indivisible. 



The same sate of affairs obtains to even a greater 

 degree in t\e biological sciences. In comparative 

 anatomy, ani nal and vegetable physiology, theory of 

 evolution, microbiology, and almost all branches of medical 

 science, tne rapid advance of experimental knowledge is 

 accompanied by an equally rapid change in established 

 theories. Even the semi-historical sciences, such as geo- 

 'Of^y> palaeontology, anthropology, and the venerable 

 '^ri'^nce of astronomy, are taking active part in the general 

 progress. 



Thus in these times of general scientific activity is 

 founded the Kaisef-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft zur Forderung 

 der Wissenschaften, the primary object of which is the 

 erection and maintenance of institutions of research. 



It need scarcely be said that we scientific investigators 

 welcome this new and highly specialised creation with 

 intense satisfaction, and I regard it as a particular honour 

 to be permitted to be the first to give expression of our 

 profound gratitude. 



No one will be able to assert that experimental research 

 in Germany has been neglected ; exactly the opposite con- 

 clusions must be drawn on contemplating the history of 

 science during the nineteenth century. This displays a 

 long series of brilliant scientific discoveries made in this 

 country. The industries closely connected with science, 

 such as the chemical and electrotechnical industries, fine 

 mechanical engineering, production of metals, industries 

 connected with fermentation, and last, but not least, 

 agriculture, have also undergone in our hands a develop- 

 ment envied on almost all sides by other nations. 



Should a criterion of the results of experimental research 

 be desired, this may perhaps be found in the distribution 

 of the Nobel prizes, which are awarded by absolutely 

 independent corporations in Sweden. 



Only a month ago the Nobel prize for chemistry came 



