3o6 



NATURE 



[May 5, 192 1 



two small works, shows something of the same 

 defect, the skies containing a mosaic of colours ; 

 but, viewed at a distance, these blend, and the 

 effect becomes much improved, particularly in the 

 evening sky of 440. "The Ever Blue Pool" (276) 

 is well named. The reflections of yellow sand 

 dunes and of the curious red scrub growing upon 

 them alike appear in its waters to be blue. Sand 

 dunes are shown in several pictures, in most cases 

 without much success, but a notable exception is 

 found in "The Bay of Aberdovey " (309, Leader). 

 In "Third Year Pollards" (269) Mr. Bertram 

 Priestman has missed an opportunity of indicating 

 the really remarkably rapid growth which occurs 

 in the first year after a pollard willow has been 

 cut. The trees in the picture show no great 



growth for three years, and have a somewhat 

 hard and unnatural look. 



It is not to be expected that men of science will 

 be numerously represented among the portraits in 

 the Academy when there is so wide a choice open 

 among civic authorities, well-known soldiers, and 

 other men high in public esteem. Scientific 

 visitors may this year take pleasure in noting that 

 two fellows of the Royal Society are included 

 amongst the portraits — that veteran man of 

 science and professor of engineering, Dr. Unwin 

 (242), and Sir Napier Shaw (348). Meteorologists 

 may feel proud that their science is represented 

 by the president of the International Meteor- 

 ological Committee, than whom assuredly no better 

 representative could be found. J. S. D. 



Obituary. 



Mr. Bertram Blount. 



ON April 9 chemistry suffered a loss in the death 

 of Mr. Bertram Blount at the comparati>'ely 

 early, age of fifty-four. Never robust, his health 

 had been poor for the past few years ; he appeared 

 to be exhausted by his successful struggle in 1915 

 to bring cotton within the list of contraband 

 goods; for, wonderful as it may seem, it was no 

 light task to convince the Government of the 

 necessity for the step, even with such weighty 

 aid as that of Sir William Ramsay. But of 

 nervous energy Blount had a remarkable store ; 

 his staying-power was the admiration of those 

 who knew him as an early cyclist, and later as a 

 pioneer automobilist. 



After a few years at King's College School, 

 Blount entered the chemical laboratory of the col- 

 lege, where the foundation of his skill as an analyst 

 was laid by the then professor, C. L. Bloxam. 

 At the age of nineteen he accepted service as an 

 .assistant to W. H. Stanger, a consulting engineer 

 to the Crown Agents for the Colonies. His talent 

 did not allow him to remain a subordinate for 

 long; Stanger's practice soon developed to in- 

 clude that of consulting chemist, with Blount as 

 partner. On Stanger's death a few years later 

 Blount continued practice on his own account, 



and rapidly became a prosperous consultant, the 

 chemistry of cement being his chief subject. His 

 quickness in grasping the meaning of a problem 

 and his undaunted perseverance in attacking it 

 fitted him to be a researcher. His clients' in- 

 terests, however, left him little time for investiga- 

 tion, so that his contributions to purely scientific 

 literature are limited to a few papers on cement 

 and on minor analytical problems ; recently, in 

 conjunction with J. H. Sequeira, he investigated 

 the origin of the colour of Blue John. 



Blount was an excellent writer and talker, his 

 style being clear and incisive in both cases. His 

 more permanent writings are "Chemistry for 

 Engineers and Manufacturers," in conjunction 

 with A. G. Bloxam ; a " Practical Electro- 

 chemistry " ; and a recent monograph on 

 "Cement," in conjunction with W. H. Woodcock 

 and H. J, Gillett. He also contributed the 

 articles on cement in the " Encyclopaedia Britan- 

 nica " and in Thorpe's "Dictionary of Applied 

 Chemistry." 



We regret to record the death, on April 21, at 

 seventy-nine years of age, of Dr. E. J. Mills, 

 F.R.S., emeritus professor of technical chemistry 

 in the Royal Technical College, Glasgow. 



Notes. 



The observatory founded in 1913 by Sir Norman 

 Lockyer and Lt.-Col. F. K. McClean on Salcombe 

 Hill, above Sidmouth, is henceforth to be called "The 

 Norman Lockyer Observatory." It will thus form a 

 memorial to the scientific pioneer who was described by 

 Dr. Deslandres, past-president of the Paris Academy 

 of Sciences, in our columns as " one of the greatest 

 astronomers of all time." It is proposed to render 

 the memorial more complete by placing in the observa- 

 tory a portrait of Sir Norman Lockyer, in the shape 

 of a medallion, to be executed by Sir Hamo Thorny- 

 croft, R.A. As there are, no doubt, many persons 

 who will value the opportunity of joining in this 

 tribute, the council of the Observatory Corporation has 

 NO. 2688, VOL. 107] 



decided not to restrict to a few friends participation 

 in defraying the cost of the medallion, but to invite 

 contributions of any amount from all who may wish 

 to express appreciation of Sir Norman's astronomical 

 work. Names of donors will be recorded in a suit- 

 able manner in the observatory. Contribution 

 towards the cost of the medallion should be sent ti 

 the hon. secretary of the Observatory Corporation 

 Capt. W. N. McClean, i Onslow Gardens, London 

 S.W.7. 



The Institute of Chemistry has just issued by ordei 

 of the council a memorandum prepared by the Special 

 Purposes Committee on Fine Chemicals, Laboratc 



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