January 13, 192 1 J 



NATURE 



645 



The Rev. S. H. Clarke, of Tonbridge School, 

 pleaded for a more intelligent handling of the older 

 non-mathematical boys, especially those of proved 

 ability in classics. They should not be allowed 

 to drop mathematics, nor should their time be spent 

 in trying to attain an unattainable degree of dexterity 

 in the bits of mathematics that they have already 

 learned to dislike. On the contrary, they should be 

 introduced in a superficial and literary manner to 

 new mathematical regions ; here they will find fresh 

 inspiration, and eventually form a public able to 

 view mathematical achievements with sympathy and 

 appreciation. Mr. Durrell recorded that such a scheme 

 has been in operation at Winchester for two years ; 

 that it is compatible with success in the school certi- 

 ficate examination ; and that examination results on 

 the wider field are bound to be bad. But this does 

 not matter in the least. 



Prof. Whittaker, the retiring president, indicated 

 the danger that mathematicians might break up into 

 two non-communicating groups : researchers who do 

 not teach much, and teachers (mainly schoolmasters) 

 who do not research. This was by no means neces- 

 sary, as the Edinburgh Mathematical Society does 

 useful research work and is composed almost entirely 

 of schoolmasters. There were many problems which 

 might be attacked with fruitful results by school- 

 masters whose knowledge docs not go bevond an 

 honours course. He described three fields in which 

 oil might be struck near the surface with a very 

 moderate drilling equipment : — (i) A method allied to 



nomography, at present almost unexplored ; (2) the 

 theory of skew determinants and Pfaffians; and 

 (3) the solution of partial ditTerential equations by 

 means of integral equations. 



Canon J. M. Wilson, the new president, gave an 

 account of the efforts of mathematical reformers before 

 the foundation of the Association for the Improvement 

 of Geometrical Teaching, now the Mathematical 

 .Association (the fiftieth anniversary of this event 

 occurs this year.) He was asked by Dr. Temple, then 

 Headmaster of Rugby, to produce a reformed geo- 

 metry text-book ; this he did after consulting the 

 leading Continental works on the subject. In appre- 

 ciation of his work he received an address in Edin- 

 burgh signed by Members of Parliament, professors, 

 and other leading men. Those on whose shoulders 

 Canon VV'ilson's mantle has fallen have done little 

 more than to rediscover or develop the ideas put 

 forward by himself and other pioneers more than 

 fifty years ago. Canon Wilson will be pleased to learn 

 that his ideas have now been accepted by all the 

 important examining bodies except London University. 



Miss E. B. Read told an interesting story of a recent 

 visit to lyc^es in Paris and the French provinces — 

 girls' schools, all of them; in boys' schools she never 

 penetrated beyond the director's office. She was im. 

 pressed by the burden of home-work in these lyc^s, 

 sometimes occupying the girls up to midnight. This 

 she associated with the predominantly oral method 

 of classwork. little time being spent in working 

 examples in class. C. G. 



The Geographical Association. 



'T'HE annual meetings of the Geographical Associa- 

 *■ lion were held in the London Day Training Col- 

 lege, Southampton Row, on January 7-8. The 

 session opened with a discussion on historical 

 geography, led by Messrs. Fairgrieve and Jervis. 

 Several historians were present, and they agreed with 

 geographers that each subject demands not only a 

 special and intensive study of its own facts, but also 

 a special and differing attitude of mind. Every geo- 

 grapher must have sufficient knowledge of historical 

 facts and conditions to explain those links of the past 

 which last on into the present, and are thus necessary 

 to the proper understanding of present geographical 

 conditions. Prof. J. L. Myres said that both history 

 and geography were concerned in the effort to help 

 voung folk to exploit the general experience of 

 humanity for their own benefit and that of their 

 follow-citizens, and that it was therefore imperative 

 that the two sets of aspects should be presented 

 harmoniously and instructively. 



In the discussion on geography in continuation 

 schools the main point which emerged was that geo- 

 i^r.iphy was being given a place in the L.C.C. schools 

 Ix-rause it was felt that it gives a training in good 

 citizenship, in a habit of wide outlook, and in 

 interest in the district in which the pupil lives or 

 works. 



Dr. l?nstpad gave a remarkably able exposition of 

 the difficulties and possibilities which face the teacher 

 of pr-ographv in his attempts to deal with such inter- 

 national problems ns the altered environmental and 

 ps\chicnl conditions in eastern Europe, the racial 

 question on th*" Pacific fringes, and the atmosphere 

 in India and Efvpf. While it would obviouslv be 

 ■ rude to discuss these things in a political way, even in 

 the upner forms of secondary schools, if is yet essential 

 that these aspects of modern human gieography shall 



NO. 2672, VOL. 106] 



be presented, and the only safe way is to show the 

 contrasted ideals rather than the detailed claims of 

 each nationality. 



Dr. Haddon, whose valuable expedition to the 

 Torres Strait was one of the outstanding scientific 

 events of the last generation, delivered an illustrated 

 lecture on racial and cultural distributions in New 

 Guinea, furnishing thereby a first-rate example of the 

 methods of distributional study. 



Prof. Gilbert Murray gave his presidential address 

 on the evening of January 8. He emphasised the fact 

 that in every epoch of history there has been a 

 division of humanity into the select few who under- 

 stand the world and the barbaric multitude who are 

 without the precinct — the Hellenes and the Bar- 

 barians, in medieval times the world of Christianity, 

 and without the pale the Jews and infidels. The 

 essential mark of the man "without the precinct" is 

 that the motives which underlie his actions are mis- 

 understood, or even not considered at all. Geography 

 should help to remove that spirit of ignorance anci 

 misunderstandint; from the world. For geographers 

 the present world-situation is of special interest, for 

 not only have the Great Powers been compellwl to 

 try to get this spirit of mutual geographic under- 

 standing, but also the whole orhis terraruni is meeting. 

 China and Peru are members of that League the 

 business of which is the common good of humanity, 

 the securing not merely of peace, but also of goodwill 

 between every nation of the world, whatever its 

 status. 



The lectures given hv Dr. Haddon and Prof. Gilbert 

 Murray will be published in the spring number of 

 the Groprafhicnl Tetuher. which is sent post free to 

 all members of the Geographical .Association. The 

 annual subscription is 5.?.. and the address of the 

 central offices is 1 Marine Terrace, Aberystwyth. 



