Decembers, 1920] 



NATURE 



445 



(lasses, including the Boards of Agricxilture, 

 ■-heep-breeders' associations, tlock-owners, uni- 

 \ iTsity professors, and manufacturers, were repre- 

 sented. It was g-eneraJly aj^jreed that by the 

 method of selective breeding and the establish- 

 ment of new crosses, etc., an improvement in wool, 

 without loss of mutton characters, is feasible. 

 Hxperimcnts directed to this end are already in 

 hand in several quarters, and it is hoped that with 

 the co-ofjeration of the Boards and breeders sub- 

 -tantial advances will be made. 



The management of shows and individual prize- 

 givers can also do an enormous amount to further 

 the objects in view. It is suggested that the 

 services of a wool expert should be retained for the 

 more important shows, and that, in all classes 

 where such is possible, points should Ije given for 

 the wool. This expert should direct attention to 

 its merits and defects for manufacturing. 



Much work might be done in the microscopic 

 examination of fibres and in the actual carrying- 

 out of small- and large-scale breeding experi- 

 ments, with the object of improving the wool, 

 particularly of British breeds. 



The question of large-.scale experiments is not 

 lieing neglected, and a site has already been pur- 

 chased upon which it is profxised to build an ex- 

 perimental factory for investigating under actual 

 commercial conditions, on a manufacturing scale, 

 the many problems connected with woollen card- 

 ing and spinning. This factory will be equipped 

 with the most up-to-date machinery and staffed 

 with the most expert labour available, with the 

 view of conducting experiments and investigating 

 variations of present-day methods. .\ well-qualified 

 inan of science will be engaged in the factory 

 to observe conditions and keep records, and any 

 \ iriations in method or investigations with a view 

 to improvements will be under his supervision. 

 Individuals will b<" allowed to use ihe ma«hincry 

 for private investigations at a fee to cover the 



working costs. Members have also been of great 

 assistance in allowing experiments to be made in 

 their factories. On these questions, and, in fact, 

 on all other topics upon which it is considered 

 expedient, publications will be prepared, and 

 several have already been issued. 



It is clear that the work of this association 

 overlaps or dovetails with that of other bodies in 

 many directions. Co-operation is a welcome 

 necessity, and has been given or offered by several 

 Government Departments, universities, technical 

 schools, the Industrial Fatigue Research Board, 

 the other research associations, etc., as has 

 already been mentioned in one or two connections. 



The Education Committee of the association has 

 submitted, after some months of very careful and 

 detailed deliberations, a series of revised syllabuses 

 for textile courses in technical colleges, etc., and 

 much outside support has been given to the recom- 

 mendations it puts forward. These new sylla- 

 buses are the outcome of the joint discussion of 

 existing syllabuses and standards by heads ol 

 textile departments in the universities and col- 

 leges and by the manufacturers themselves, and 

 thev have laid the foundations of a system whereby 

 the actual needs of industry can be put plainly 

 before those resp)onsible for the training of the 

 manufacturers of the future. The committee also 

 hopes to aid the colleges in placing students in the 

 industries both during and after their usual tech- 

 nical training. 



It is intended not only to award prizes to inven- 

 tors, research workers, and others for work of 

 benefit to the industries or to the association, but 

 also to establish scholarships and to subsidise 

 re.search workers and educational institutions 

 which devote themselves primarily to the objects 

 which are before the association. 



All questions relating to these matters should be 

 addressed to the Secretary, Torridon, Headingley, 

 Leeds. 



Obit 



Pkof. Ekic Dooi.itti.e. 



PROI-. 1;RIC DOOLITTLH, director of the 

 Flower Observatory at the University of 

 I'ennsylvania, died on September 3i at the early 

 .igc of fifty years. His father, C. L. Doolittle, 

 was professor of mathematics and astronomy at 

 I.ehigh I'niversity, and the author of a wcll- 

 Vnown treatise on practical astronomy. In 

 i><g<j the father was appointed professor of astrn- 

 i.omy at Pennsylvania I'niversity, and the son 

 was placed in charge of the i8-in. refractor in 

 the Flower Observatory, which was established 

 that year in connection with the university. The 

 latter remained there for the rest of his life, at first 

 in the capacity of observer and instructor, and 

 later as professor. The refractor had been sp«*ciallv 

 designed for work on double stars, and the young 

 .istronomcr adopted this line of study with great 

 energy and enthusiasm. His ptiblished work rm- 

 \o. 2666. vhl,. 106"] 



uary. 



braces some 4600 pairs, and further observations 

 are ready for issue. In 1913 Prof. S. W. 

 Burnham, finding himself unable to continue the 

 work of observing double stars and diseussin); 

 their orbits, paid Prof. E. Do<»Iittle the eompli 

 ment of handing over his books and manu.scripts 

 to him. The latter proved himself worthy oi 

 the trust, continuing the cla.ssification and dis- 

 cussion of the observations of an immense numlx-r 

 of pairs. This work is already available in card- 

 catalogue form, and will b«r published later. 



.Another subject in which Prof. V.. Doolittle look 

 a great interest was the computation of the stxular 

 perturbations of the planets, in which he followed 



' a method developed by Dr. O. W. Hill. His 



I results were published by '!••■ \-n.r;, .„ Phil,, 



\ sophical Society in 1912. 



' In 1917 he was called on i<> uij;.iiiivi- .mti lun- 

 duel a Navigational School at Philadelphi.i. The 



