January 13, 1921J 



NATURE 



639 



Nature to the movement for the improvement of geo- 

 metrical teaching referred to in the address is not with- 

 out interest to our readers. Prof. Hirst (in his lectures 

 at University College, London, and elsewhere) and a 

 joung master at Rugby, the present Canon Wilson 

 (in a paper read before the London Mathematical 

 Society, printed in the Educational Times for Septem- 

 ber, 1868), were among the first to raise the note of 

 dissatisfaction. Mr. R. Tucker, of University Col- 

 lege School, was the first to broach the subject in our 

 columns (Nature, March 24, 1870, vol. i., p. 534), 

 while the next effective contribution was from Mr. 

 Rawdon Levett, of King Edward's School, Birming- 

 ham, who (May 26, 1870, vol. ii., p. 64) raised the 

 fiery cross and called for an .Anti-Euclid Society. 

 Mr. Wormell then suggested that contributions to 

 the expenses of propaganda should be sent to Mr. 

 Lev-ett. The result was the notice of a forthcoming 

 conference (Nature, December 29, 1870, vol. iii., 

 p. 169). At the first meeting Messrs. Hirst and 

 Wilson secured the substitution of " improvement " 

 for " reform " In the title of the New .Association for 

 the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching, and it 

 was Canon Wilson who suggested that the associa- 

 tion would best justify its existence by preparing a 

 syllabus. At the meeting of 1872 he proposed the 

 appointment of a sub-committee to draw up a detailed 

 syllabus of geometry to be submitted to the highest 

 mathematical authorities and examining bodies. The 

 next year he moved that the adopted syllabus should 

 be sent to the British .Association for its comments. 

 In 1874 he moved that the five schemes of proportion 

 mentioned in the report of the committee be examined 

 by all the members and their opinions be invited. 

 After that year his attendance became less regular, 

 but it will be seen that he took the foremost place 

 in the actual work of getting out the syllabus. It 

 must be a source of satisfaction to Canon Wilson to 

 find the bantling at the birth of which he was present 

 fifty years ago now in its turn the parent of branches 

 in these islands and the Colonies, and, post tot annos, 

 sending forth once more through his lips its message 

 of achievement. Of the venerable canon, who is now 

 eighty-five, it may almost be said that his eye is not 

 dim nor his natural force abated. 



The King has signified his intention of conferring 

 the honour of knighthood on Dr. Maurice Craig, 

 Consulting Neurologist to the Ministry of Pensions, 

 and Dr. P. Horton-Smlth Hartley, senior ph\sioian 

 at the Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the 

 Chest, Brompton. 



Prof. E. W. Scripture, who contributes to this 

 issue the first of two articles on "The Nature of 

 Vowel Sounds," was formerly professor of experi- 

 menUl psychology in Yale University, but is now 

 resident in London, where he has been for some years 

 P"J?a<!ed o" studying records of speech in epilepsy, 

 general paralysis, and other nervous diseases. Prof. 

 Scripture has lately returned from Germany, where 

 he has been lecturing on experimental phonetics 

 applied to the study of English. These were the first 

 iMtures delivered in Germany since the war by a 

 professor from a former enemy country. 

 NO. 2672, VOL. 106] 



On Tuesday next, January 18, at 3 o'clock. Sir 

 G. P. Lenox-Conyngham will give the first of two 

 lectures at the Royal Institution on "The Progress of 

 Geodesy in India"; and on Thursda\, January 20, 

 Dr. Arthur Harden will begin a course of two lec- 

 tures on biochemistry (vitamines). The Friday even- 

 ing discourse on January 28 will be delivered by Sir 

 James Dewar on " Cloudland Studies." 



The council of the Geological Society has this 

 year made the following awards : — Wollaston medal 

 (in duplicate). Dr. John Home and Dr. B. N. Peach; 

 Murchison medal, Mr. E. S. Cobbold ; Lyell medal, 

 Dr. E. de Margerie, director of the Geological Survey 

 of Alsace-Lorraine ; Bigsby medal. Dr. L. L. Fermor, 

 Geological Survey of India; Wollaston fund, Dr. 

 T. O. Bosworth ; Murchison fund, Dr. -Albert Gil- 

 ligan ; and Lyell fund. Prof. H. L. Hawkins, Reading 

 University College, and Mr. C. E. N. Bromehead, 

 H..M. Geological Survey. 



The annual meeting of the Iron and .Steel Institute 

 will be held on Thursday and Friday, May 5 and 6, 

 at the Institution of Civil Engineers, Great George 

 Street, London, S.W.i. Dr. J. E. Stead, president, 

 will preside. In March the council will be prepared 

 to consider applications for grants from the Carnegie 

 Fund in aid of research work of such value as may 

 appear expedient, but usually of the value of lool. 

 in any one year. The awards are made irrespective 

 of sex or nationality. Special forms, on which candi- 

 dates should apply before the end of February, can 

 be obtained from the secretary of the institute. The 

 research work must be on some subject of practical 

 importance relating to the metallurgy of iron and 

 steel and allied subjects. The results of research 

 work must be communicated to the institute in the 

 form of a report. 



.At a general meeting of the Royal Meteorological 

 Society to be held in the rooms of the Royal Astro- 

 nomical Society, Burlington House, at 8. p.m., on 

 January 19, a proposal will be brought forward for the 

 incorporation of the Scottish Meteorological Society 

 with the Royal Meteorological Society. The .Scottish 

 society has done useful work in the advancement 

 of meteorology, particularly the meteorology of 

 North Britain, since its foundation in 1855. It was 

 closely connected with the work of the high-level 

 observatory maintained on the summit of Ben Nevis 

 for many years. It is felt that the time has now 

 come when a fusion of the two bodies which represent 

 the science north and south of the Border will be to 

 the interest of meteorology as a whole and advan- 

 tageous to the fellows of both societies. At 8.30 p.m., 

 after the termination of the business meeting, Mr. 

 R. H. Hooker, president of the Royal Meteorological 

 Society, will deliver an a<ldross on " Forecasting the 

 Crops from the Weather." .Any workers interested in 

 this subject from either the meteorological or the 

 agricultural side arc invited to the lecture. 



The Board of Trade has appointed Sir R. T. Glaze- 

 brook to be Chief Gas Examiner under the Gas 

 Regulation Act, 1920, and Mr. C. V. Boys, Dr. J. S. 

 Haldane, and Mr. W. J. A. Butterfield to be Gas 



