4IO 



NATURE 



[May 26, 1921 



specialists in different branches of botany and 

 zoology. 



It was resolved to prepare a bibliography of the 

 botany of those Pacific islands of special interest to 

 Australia under the auspices of a committee consist- 

 ing of the Government Botanists of Queensland, New 

 South Wales, and Victoria, Mr. J. H. Maiden to be 

 the convener. The sum of 50Z. was voted in aid of 

 the work. 



A brief report was furnished by the Committee for 

 the Biological and Hydrographical Study of the New- 

 Zealand Coast (Prof. C. Chilton, secretary). The war 

 has hindered the examination of the collections and 

 the publication of the results. 



Section E (Geography and History).— It was re- 

 solved to urge on the Federal Government that, in 

 the interests of historical and geographical research, 

 it is desirable that steps be taken to continue the 

 work of obtaining translations of all available journals 

 of the early French navigators in Australian waters. 

 It was also resolved to subsidise the work of the 

 investigation of ocean currents, tides, and sand move- 

 ments on the Australian coasts which has been under- 

 taken, at his own expense, by Mr. G. H. Halligan, 

 late Hydrographic and Supervising- Engineer for New 

 South Wales. 



Section F (Ethnology and Anthropology).— It was 

 resolved that the need for the formation of a Federal 

 Museum for Australia and its territories, and the 

 immediate necessity for securing specimens, historical 

 and ethnological, while they are yet available, be urged 

 on the Federal Government. 



Also, that the Federal Government be pressed to 

 endow a chair of anthropology, especially in view of 

 its value in the government of subject races, and that 

 attention be directed to the desirability of investigating 

 and recording the ethnology of the northern part of 

 Western Australia. 



Section H (Engineering and Architecture). — The 

 council welcomed the general recognition gradually 

 being extended towards the movement for the 

 better planning and development of cities and suburbs, 

 and affirmed that great economic waste exists, and is 

 increasing, consequent upon the ill-planning and 

 absence of regulation for the proper development of 

 cities and suburbs, which will lead to many and 

 costly resumptions to make necessary improvements. 

 The hope was also expressed that State Governments, 

 following the lead of South Australia, may initiate 

 suitable legislation on the subject, including provisions 

 for ensuring full inquiry by means of civic surveys 

 into the needs of existing urban areas. 



Section I (Sanitar"' Science and Hygiene). — The 

 Anthropometric Committee (Dr. Mary Booth, secre- 

 tary) was re-appointed. On the joint recommenda- 

 tion of this Section and Section G (Social and Statis- 

 tical Science), a committee was appointed to inves- 

 tigate and report on industrial fatigue in Australia. 



In connection with Dr. Jean Greig's paper on 

 the problem of the special child and the special school, 

 it was resolved that, in view of the existence of 

 feeble-minded persons and their economic cost to 

 the community, it is desirable that the Government 

 be asked to establish farm colonies and residential 

 homes for the accommodation of these cases, and that 

 in the case of New South Wales the proceeds of the 

 Randwick Orphanage, specially reserved for the care 

 of mentally deficient children^ be forthwith applied 

 for that purpose. 



It was further resolved that medical inspection be 

 extended so as to include all schools. 



Section K (Agriculture).— It was decided that the 

 Commonwealth Government be asked to provide funds 

 for the encouragement of the cultivation of cotton in 

 , NO. 2691, VOL. 107] 



such parts of the Commonwealth as are suitable 

 climatically for its production. 



In response to the request of the president of the 

 Agricultural Section of the International Congress of 

 Meteorology, it was decided to appoint a committee 

 to report on the climatic control of wheat production 

 in Australia. 



Section L (Veterinary Science). — At a joint meeting 

 of the Sections of Hygiene and Sanitary Science, 

 Agriculture, and Veterinary Science Prof. J. Douglas 

 Stewart, dean of the faculty of veterinary science at 

 the University of Sydney, read a paper on "Animal 

 Tuberculosis," the chief object of which was to revive 

 interest in a resolution adopted at the fourteenth 

 meeting of the association recommending the Govern, 

 ments of the States of Australia and of the Dominion 

 of New Zealand to hold a conference of the chief 

 medical and veterinary officers to discuss and report 

 on uniform measures for the control of tuberculosis 

 in cattle and pigs. Owing to the intervention of the 

 war, the council of the association was unable to 

 proceed with the matter. 



Abstract of Presidential Address by Sir Baldwin 

 Spencer. 



The main part of the address dealt with some 

 aspects of the cultural anthropology of Australian 

 aboriginals, especially with their tribal and social 

 organisation, as illustrating an early stage in the 

 development of human society. In the remainder of 

 the address the origin of the aboriginals and their 

 relation to other races were discussed and a theory 

 of the origin of their complex culture was suggested. 



The question of the independent origin of similar 

 inventions, beliefs, and customs was dealt with, and 

 evidence from both the zoological and anthropological 

 sides was brought forward to show the possibility of 

 this. The remarkable homogeneity df all Australian 

 tribes, even with regard to the details of their social 

 organisation, gives no suggestion of outside influence. 

 This homogeneity, existing side by side with the most 

 remarkable differences in skull measurements, 

 customs, beliefs, and arts revealing an extraordinary 

 range of variability, presents a difficult problem quite 

 insoluble on the theory of interactions of various im- 

 migrant peoples reaching Australia at different times. 



The statement of Prof. Keith and others that the 

 Australian race might have served as common ances- 

 tors for all modern races may be understood on the 

 theory that it is the survivor of such a one that has 

 been isolated for long ages in Australia, and has been 

 practically uninfluenced by contact with other peoples. 

 In conclusion, reference was made to the suggestion 

 of Bateson that perhaps "the course of evolution may 

 be regarded as an unpacking of an original complex 

 which contained within itself the whole range of diver- 

 sity which living things present," and it was sug- 

 gested that in the characteristic marsupial fauna and 

 in the aboriginals of Australia we have a remarkable 

 example of such an unpacking. This has led, without 

 any outside influence, to the development, on one 

 hand, of mammalian forms along lines parallel with 

 those pursued by higher forms so far as fundamental 

 features are concerned, but controlled at the same 

 time by some factor or combination of factors that 

 has determined the retention of their marsupiality ; on 

 the other, it has led to the independent development 

 of a race of human beings along lines parallel with 

 those pursued bv other early races of humanity from 

 Mousterian to Aurignacian times, but again always 

 controlled by some factor or combination of factors 

 that has prevented them from developing into any- 

 thing- higher than men of the Stone age. 

 (To be continued.) 



