4o8 



NATURE 



[May 26, 192 1 



the females were in the majority. The three- and four- 

 year-olds were on an average larger than the old plaice 

 of former times, the latter being slow-growing and 

 consuming the available food without much increase 

 in bulk. Thus the intensive fishing had improved the 

 growth of the plaice in the area. Further, in the 

 small waters of the Belt the young plaice have but a 

 short distance to travel to reach places where rapid 

 growth occurs, whereas in the Kattegat and the 

 North Sea it is otherwise. In these deep basins of 

 the Belt, moreover, gill-net fishing south of Faaborg 

 has hindered over-population. The food of the plaice 

 in the area consists largelv of Macoma baltica, Abra 

 alba, and the annelid Nephthys. 



Dr. Petersen anticipates that similar results to the 

 foregoing in larger areas might be attained by trans- 

 planting, and he would recommend prohibition against 

 landing plaice in the spawning season. He places 

 much weight on the supply of food for the plaice. 



old and young, for he thinks this is variable and 

 possibly deficient ; but it has long been demonstrated 

 that the supply of food on the bottom, in mid-water, 

 and near the surface is everywhere both persistent 

 and ample, and no effort of man can, as a rule, 

 modify it beyond low water. The contrast between 

 the sea and the fresh-waters in this respect is often 

 misunderstood. Taking a broad view of Dr. Peter- 

 sen's observations, and without placing undue weight 

 on the effects of intensive fishing in the Belt Sea, 

 they simply bear out the marvellous ways of Nature 

 in the ocean, especially in connection with the food- 

 fishes, the recuperative powers of which are inde- 

 pendent of artificial interference. Some may clasp 

 and nurse the phantom of " impoverishment " of this 

 or that place (seldom located), but Nature, unheeding, 

 quietly answers by her annual swarms of young and 

 by the rich and perennial harvest of food-fishes which 

 everywhere rewards industrial energy. W. C. M. 



The Melbourne Meeting of the Australasian Association. 



I. 



IT was arranged that the fifteenth meeting of the 

 Australasian Association for the Advancement of 

 Science should be held at Hobart on January 5-1 1 

 last, when, on December 18, passenger communication 

 with Tasmania was cut off by a strike, and eventually 

 it was decided to hold the meeting at Melbourne. By 

 this unavoidable decision a grave disappointment was 

 inflicted on the Tasmanian executive, who had worked 

 for months at the organisation of the meeting, and 

 also on Australians who desired to combine a holiday 

 with participation in the science congress". Further, it 

 meant that a great strain was placed upon the Mel- 

 bourne officials, who had to arrange local details at 

 short notice after a particularly strenuous time 

 during midsummer. Nevertheless the meeting was 

 one of the most successful ever held, and members have 

 especial reason to be grateful to the president of the 

 association (Sir Baldwin Spencer) and to the local 

 secretary (Dr. Georgina Sweet), who, at the head of 

 a band of devoted assistants, worked early and late 

 and thus secured the fine results obtained. 



A feature of the meeting was the number and im- 

 portance of the sectional and intersectional discussions, 

 many of the papers being taken as read in order to 

 afford an opportunity for the interchange of ideas on 

 subjects which are of special importance to the 

 Commonwealth. 



During the transaction of Business it was decided 

 that the invitation of the New Zealand Institute to 

 hold the next meeting in January, 1923, at Wellington, 

 New Zealand, should be accepted. It was also re- 

 solved that meetings in New South Wales, Victoria, 

 or Tasmania shall in future alternate generally with 

 those in the more remote States. 



The permanent honorary secretary, Mr. J. H. 

 Maiden, asked to be relieved of the duties of his 

 office as from December 31, 192 1, and on the motion 

 of the president a resolution was unanimously carried 

 recording the council's deep appreciation of Mr. 

 Maiden's valuable services to science and to the asso- 

 ciation during the past fourteen years. 



The council made a formal offer of the presidency 

 for the Wellington meeting to Mr. J. H. Maiden, who 

 gratefully acknowledged the compliment, but asked 

 to be excused acceptance of the honour. The name 

 of Mr. G. H. Knibbs, Commonwealth Statistician, 

 vice-president, was then submitted, and he was 

 unanimously elected. Mr. Knibbs has rendered the 



NO. 2691, VOL. 107] 



association invaluable service during a long period 

 of years. Mr. E. C. .Andrews, Government Geologist 

 of New South Wales, was unanimously elected to the 

 office of permanent honorary secretary as from 

 January i, 1922. 



The council recorded its deep sense of the value of 

 the experimental work in aeronautics of the laie 

 Laurence Hargrave, which has led to such remark, 

 able results in the evolution of aviation, and proved 

 of such immense importance during the recent war. 



Mueller Mev-iorial Medals. — It was decided to award 

 two medals, as follows : — (i) Mr. R. T. Baker, 

 curator of the Technological Museum, Sydney, in 

 acknowledgment of his eminent services to botany, 

 particularly in regard to Eucalyptus ; and (2) Prof, 

 C. Chilton, professor of biology, Christchurch, New 

 Zealand, in acknowledgment of his eminent services to 

 zoology, particularly in regard to the Crustacea. 



Australian National Research Council. — In 19 19 

 Australia was invited to take part in the formation 

 of an International Research Council. Two represen- 

 tatives of v^arious branches of science were appointed 1 

 to form a provisional committee, and it was decided J 

 to refer the matter of the constitution of the permanent- 

 body to the council of the association at the Hobart 

 (Melbourne) meeting. A sub-committee of the latter 

 was appointed to draw up a scheme, which was adopted 

 by the council. It provides that a National Research; 

 Council for Australia shall be instituted, consisting 

 of not more than one hundred members, representative 

 of the following branches of science: (i) agriculture;. 

 (2) anthropology ; (3) astronomy ; (4) botany ; (5), 

 chemistry ; (6) economics and statistics ; (7) engineer- 

 ing; (8) geography; (9) geology; (10) mathematics; 

 (11) mental science and education; (12) metallurgy;- 

 (13) meteorology; (14) pathology; (15) physics; (16) 

 physiology; (17) veterinary science; (18) zoology. The 

 present provisional council is to meet in Sydney in May 

 of this year to co-opt additional members, and the 

 council so constituted will meet as soon afterwards 

 as Is possible. It is empowered to appoint (a) such 

 office-bearers as it may determine; (b) such standing 

 and special committees as it may deem necessary fon, 

 national or international purposes ; and (c) a number 

 of associate members chosen from among the scientific 

 workers in Australia who are deemed likely to confer 

 benefit by their researches. The council will submit a 

 full report of its work and proceedings to the Austra- 

 lian Association for the Advancement of Science att 





