370 



NATURE 



[May 19, 192 1 



The prolonged pause in the seismic activity of the 

 well-known Comrie centre seems to be coming to an 

 end. Towards the close of a similar, but briefer, 

 pause from 1801 to 1839 slight shocks gradually 

 became more frequent, until they culminated in the 

 strong earthquake of October 23, 1839. There was 

 no pronounced movement between the summer of 1898 

 and that of last year. On July 21, 1920, a shock of 

 intensity 3 (Rossi-Forel scale) occurred, followed by 

 one of intensity 4 on September 14. On April 30 

 last a still stronger earthquake, the most distinct 

 known to the present inhabitants, was felt at 10.35 

 a.m. (Greenwich mean time). The shock was strong 

 enough to throw down crockery from shelves, and 

 was accompanied by the usual sound, like the firing 

 of guns. 



Mr. G. Sheppard, of Edmonton, Alberta, informs 

 us that in view of the coming importance of the 

 MacKenzie River Basin of the North-West Territory 

 of Canada by reason of the oil strike made there 

 in 1919, the Imperial Oil, Ltd., has purchased 

 two monoplanes, which are to be used for general re- 

 connaissance and topographical work in these un- 

 known regions. An aerodrome has been established 

 at Peace River Crossing, about 300 miles north of 

 Edmonton, and from this base the planes will operate 

 as far as Fort Norman and the Great Slave Lake 

 areas. The journey takes, normally, three to four 

 weeks under favourable conditions, but it can be made 

 easily in three days by air. The aeroplanes are to be 

 equipped with suitable cameras, by which it will be 

 possible to photograph all water-courses and similar 

 features of the landscape. These photographs will be 

 of value to surveyors and others for checking" up the 

 country without using ordinary topographical methods. 



At the annual general meeting of the Institution 

 of Civil Engineers held on April 26, the result of the 

 ballot for the election of officers for the year 1921-22 

 was declared as follows : — President : Mr. W. B. 

 Worthington. Vice-Presidents : Dr. W. H. Maw, 

 Mr. C. L. Morgan, Mr. B. Mott, and Sir William H. 

 Ellis. Other Members of Council: Dr. C. C. Car- 

 penter, Mr. G. M. Clark, Dr. P. C. Cowan, Col. 

 R. E. B. Crompton, Mr. M. Deacon, Sir Archibald 

 Denny, Bart., Mr. W. W. Grierson, Sir Robert A. 

 Hadfield, Bart., Mr. K. P. Hawksley, Sir Brodie H. 

 Henderson, Mr. E. P. Hill, Mr. G. W. Humphreys, 

 Mr. S. Hunter, Mr. H. G. Kelley, Mr. C. R. S. 

 Kirkpatrick, Mr. F. W. MacLean, Mr. H. H. G. 

 Mitchell, Sir Henry J. Oram, Mr. F. Palmer, Mr. G. 

 Richards, Capt. H. Riall Sankey, Sir John F. C. Snell, 

 Mr. W. A. P. Tait, Mr. E. F. C. Trench, Prof. W. H. 

 Warren, and Sir Alfred F. Yarrow, Bart. 



The members of the Gilbert White Fellowship have 

 resolved to commemorate the bicentenary of the 

 birth of the renowned naturalist whose name their 

 organisation bears by erecting a permanent memorial 

 at Selborne, and by undertakinir a regional survey 

 of the parish rendered famous bv his great work, 

 "The Natural History of Selborne." The memorial 

 is to take the form of an outdoor bench or seat in 

 stone and timber. The results of the regional survey 

 NO. 2690, VOL. 107] 



it is hoped to publish as the work proceeds, so as to 

 make them immediately available to all interested. 

 Many admirers of Gilbert White outside the circle 

 of the fellowship are likely to be glad of the oppor- 

 tunity of taking part in this tribute to his memory. 

 Such contributions as those interested may feel dis- 

 posed to make should be sent to Messrs. Grindlay and 

 Co., bankers, 54 Parliament Street, London, S.W.i, 

 to be credited to the account of the Gilbert White 

 Memorial Fund, or to the honorary secretary, Wini- 

 fred M. Dunton, 18 Crockerton Road. Wandsworth 

 Common, London, S.W. 17. 



An important step has been taken in America for 

 the presentation of science and scientific facts to the 

 lay public by the formation of a Science Service 

 (Science, April 8). The charter is a wide one, 

 authorising the organisation to publish books and 

 magazines, to conduct conferences and lectures, and to 

 produce kinematograph films ; the function will be that 

 of liaison officer between scientific circles and the 

 general public. The governing board will consist of 

 ten men of science and five journalists, and any profits 

 which may accrue will be devoted to the development 

 of new methods of popular education in science. The 

 present board of trustees consists of three represen- 

 tatives from the National Academy of Science, three 

 from the American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, three from the National Research Council, 

 three from the Scripps Estate, which is financing the 

 undertaking, and three professional journalists, under 

 the presidency of Dr. W. E. Ritter, director of the 

 Scripps Institution for Biological Research of the 

 University of California. Dr. Edwin E. Slosson, who 

 for some twelve years was professor of chemistry in 

 the University of Wyoming, and for the nast seventeen 

 years has been literary editor of the Independent of 

 New York, has been chosen as editor. At present the 

 Science Service will not publish any periodical of its 

 own ; it is considered that better results will be ob- 

 tained by directing attention to the various journals 

 of popular science already in existence, and by supply- 

 ing newsagencies with authentic, popular articles. 

 The headquarters of the institution have been es'ab- 

 lished provisionally in the building of the National 

 Research Council, 1701, Massachusetts Avenue, 

 Washington, D.C. 



Dr. T. W. Fulton, scientific superintendent of the 

 Fishery Board for Scotland, has just retired after a 

 service of thirty-four years. The Scottish Scientific 

 Department owed its institution to the recommenda- 

 tion of the Dalhousie Trawling Commission, and in 

 1888, when Dr. Fulton was appointed, had been in 

 existence for only a few jears. In England the 

 scientific study of the sea in connection with fisheries 

 was taken up by the Plymouth Laboratory, and later 

 by certain of the Sea Fisheries Committees, two of 

 which, those of Lancashire and Northumberland, have 

 much good work to their credit. The fisheries are 

 a very intricate, many-sided subject, and Dr. Fulton 

 has laboured to solve many problems which have 

 cropped up in the Scottish administration. The 

 attempt has been made to render the statistics as 



