390 



NATURE 



[November i8, 1920 



a few thousand tons a year, most of whi^;h is sent 

 to Staffordshire for smelting. The South Wales iron 

 industry is now dependent on imported ores, chiefly 

 hjematite from Spam. While it persists in the north- 

 eastern part of the coalfield, where it originated, there 

 is some tendency to move the industry to the coast in 

 order to save transport. 



Mr. A. E. L. Hudson directed attention to an 

 interesting scheme initiated by the Welsh Department 

 of the Board of Education for the collection of rural 

 lore by the schools of Wales. The scheme affords at 

 the same time an excellent opportunity for the collec- 

 tion of regional survey material, and so introduces 

 this important aspect of geographical teaching into 

 the school curriculum. 



Lt.-Col. W. J. Johnston described the methods em- 

 ployed for the production of small-scale Ordnance 

 .Survey maps. The introduction of colour in the one- 

 inch maps in 1894 caused a decreased demand for the 

 engraved form. Printing from copper plates is a slow 

 process, and with the large editions necessitated nowa- 

 days is practically out of the question. .'\t the best 

 about 20 copies an hour can be printed in one 

 colour from a copper plate, while a modern 

 rotary machine can produce 2000 copies in the 

 same time. Lithography is therefore sujjerseding 

 copper-plate printing in this and other countries. 

 <Jol. Johnston discussed at length the various 

 methods and showed numerous specimen sheets. He 

 dwelt on the advantages of drawing on paper and 

 then making direct zinc plates by means of photo- 

 zincography. This is not only the quickest method and 

 allows of rotary printing, but it also admits of fresh 

 fundamental plates being made in a few hours with- 

 out any risk of the subsidiary plates being out of 

 register. For all practical purposes the glass negative 

 is a jjermanent record, and has the advantage that 

 corrections in detail can easily be made on it. 



Capt. H. .\llan Lloyd discussed the essentials of 

 maps for aviators. Speaking from much experience 

 on the Western I-'ront, he considered that in order to 

 lie of value aerial maps must incorporate details of the 

 outstanding features of town-planning and the nature 

 and characteristics of the ground as seen from the 

 aerial viewpoint. Opinion was far from unanimous 

 as to the amount of detail necessary, but aviators 

 were agreed that the topographical map made for 

 land travel was not suited for their purposes. Natural 

 and artificial features which attract the eye must be 

 emphasised, and detail which is not distinctive, as 

 well as most of the names, must be omitted. Capt. 

 Lloyd believed that aerial maps should show the dis- 

 tinctive plan of each town exaggerated beyond the 

 scale of the map in order that such prominent land- 

 marks as towns might be recognisable by a fleeting 

 glance through a rift in the clouds. Aerial maps of 

 the future, in order to be widely useful, must meet 

 the needs of the man half-trained or practically un- 

 trained in map-reading. Capt. Lloyd proposed also to 

 distinguish between certain types of terrain, each 

 characterised by shapes of fields, density of buildings, 

 ■or other features, and to indicate these on the map, 

 adding illustrations of the types in the margins. 



The Section met jointly with Section L (Education) 

 to hear Prof. W. L. Myres open a discussion on the 

 place of geography in a reformed classical course. 

 Recent decisions regarding " compulsory Greek " 

 compel drastic revision of classical teaching. With 

 the postponement and restriction of language courses 

 the aim must be earlier acquaintance with ancient 

 conduct and thought through a closer co-ordination 

 between history, literature, and geography. The 

 Mediterranean region forms a natural supplement to 

 homeland geography, and is a unity bound together 

 by the sea. A study of Mediterranean geography, 

 NO. 2664, VOL. 106] 



with its emphasis on outdoor life, the outcome of its 

 climate, and its dependence on woodland in place of 

 grassland, is invaluable in giving a sense of propor- 

 tion to the study of the geography of the lirilish 

 Isles. Prof. Myres regretted the lack of a good 

 account of Mediterranean geography in English, llie 

 discussion was continued by Sir Robert Blair, Mr. 

 G. G. Chisholm, Mr. H. O. lieckit, and the Rev. 

 W. J. Barton. Mr. Beckit insisted that the study of 

 geography saves history from becoming an abstraction 

 and gives it reality. Mr. Chisholm pointed out the 

 need tor correlating history, geography, and literature 

 with the adequate study of economics. 



The Rev. W. J. Barton read a paper on the oases 

 and shotts of Southern Tunis, and Dr. E. C. Jee con- 

 tributed a paper on the movements of the sea to a 

 joint meeting of Sections D and E. Dr. R. N. Rud- 

 mose Brown directed attention to the urgent scientific 

 needs of the exploration of the oceans on a large 

 scale with modern equipment and methods. In this 

 connection the Section supported the movement 

 initiated by Section D, urging the Government to 

 undertake an oceanographical e.xpedition at least com- 

 parable in scale with that of the Challenger. 



Prof. E. H. L. Schwarz lectured on the Kalahari 

 and the possibilities of its irrigation. In the 3oo,oco 

 square miles which comprise the Kalahari Desert 

 there are three great depressions which formerly held 

 water. These are the Ovamboland, Etosha, and Gre.a 

 N'gami depressions. Prof. Schwarz outlined hi> 

 scheme for a weir on the Kuncne, by which the waters 

 of that river could be turned into Ovamboland and 

 restore the country to fertility, the surplus water 

 finding its way to the Etosha. IBv weiring the Chobe 

 its waters would be prevented from passing to the 

 Zambezi, and could be made to flow to N'gami. 



Dr. Vaughan Cornish, in a lecture on Imperial 

 capitals, discussed the positions of the great capitals 

 of ancient and modern times, particularly in reference 

 to strategic considerations. Imperial capitals, as a 

 rule, have not been, and are not, in the centre of 

 their dominions, but in a position between this and 

 the most important frontier. Such a position 

 combines the best site for the administration of 

 domestic affairs, which is the natural crossways of 

 routes nearest to the centre, with the most suitable 

 place for military headquarters and foreign relations, 

 which is towards the principal frontier. 



Dr. T. .\shby read a pa]3er on the water-supply of 

 ancient Rome He dealt mainly with the four im- 

 portant aqueducts, the .\nio Vetus and .Anio Novus, 

 which drew their supply from the .Anio River, and 

 the -Vqua Marcia and .Aqua Claudia, which made use 

 of springs in the .Anio Valley. These still form the 

 most important source of supply for the modern 

 city. 



The work of the Section concluded with a paper by 

 Principal E. H. Griffiths and Major E. O. Henrici 

 on the urgent need for the creation within the Empire 

 of a central institution for training and research in 

 the science of surveying, hydrography, and geodesy. 

 The work of such an institution would be to train 

 survevors by the most modern and exact methods and 

 to turn out men suitable for the various Survey Depart- 

 ments of the Empire; to keep surveyors in touch with 

 the activities and progress in all parts of the world ; 

 to give instruction in hydrographic surveying ; and to 

 conduct research in problems concerning the tides, 

 terrestriat magnetism, and geophysics generally, par- 

 ticularly in the higher branches. 



During the meeting of the .Association a collection 

 of maps illustrating various aspects of the geography J 

 of South Wales, arranged bv the Cardiff branch of I 

 the Geographical .Association, was exhibited in the 

 reception-room in the City Hall. 



