248 



NATURE 



[February 23, 1922 



Academic des Sciences, Prof. Trasenster, representing 

 the University of Lifege, handed Prof. Le Chatelier 

 the diploma of engineer honoris causa of the "Faculty 

 Technique Wallonne." Surrounded by eminent men 

 of science, engineers, and students, Prof. Le Chatelier, 

 after thanking the members of the committee, declared 

 that he was happy "to have been able to add a few 

 links to the solid and durable chain of scientific dis- 

 coveries, science being essentially a collective work, 

 forged by the continuous and methodical labour of the 

 savants," 



The search for the two missing men, Tessem and 

 Knudsen, of Amundsen's Arctic Expedition who left 

 the Maud in October, 19 18, in the vicinity of Cape 

 Chelyuskin carrying dispatches to Europe leaves no 

 room for hope that they are alive. The Times of 

 February 18 announces that Capt. Jacobsen, who has 

 been searching the north-west coast of Siberia in the 

 Heimen, found a note from the men near Cape Wild 

 (long. 91° 30' E.) to the effect that they arrived there 

 in the middle of November, 1918, and found their provi- 

 sion dep6t much damaged by sea-water, but that they 

 were leaving under favourable conditions for Port 

 Dickson, at the Yenisei mouth. Beyond Cape Wild, 

 at a distance which Capt. Jacobsen does not specify, 

 he found the remains of camp-fires and indications 

 that a human body had been cremated. He believes 

 that one of the men died there and that the survivor 

 burnt his body lest it should be devoured by bears. 

 No further traces were found. 



The first volume of the Dictionary of Applied 

 Physics, of which Sir Richard Glazebrook is the 

 editor, is announced by Messrs. Macmillan and Co., 

 Ltd., for March, and the remaining four volumes 

 may be expected before the end of the year. The 

 successive volumes are to be devoted to mechanics, 

 engineering, and heat; electricity; meteorology and 

 metrology; optics, sound, and radiology; and metal- 

 lurgy and aeronautics. The arrangement of the 

 articles in all the volumes is to be alphabetical, and 

 each article is written by a specialist. The list of con- 

 tributors shows that the editor has succeeded in 

 securing actual workers in each branch, and that the 

 articles will therefore be thoroughly up to date. As 

 the first attempt to place before the public in a con- 

 venient form the methods -and results of recent re- 

 search in applied physics, the Dictionary will be 

 welcomed by all engaged in industries in which 

 physics plays a part; as well as by scientific workers 

 generally. 



The annual dinner of the Illuminating Engineering 

 Society on February 10 aptly illustrated the variety 

 of work with which the society is now concerned. 

 Sir John H. Parsons, president of the society, pre- 

 sided. Sir Herbert Jackson, representing the Royal 

 Society, proposed the toast of "The Illuminating 

 Engineering Society," and Mr. J. B. Lawford (chair- 

 man of the Council of British Ophthalmologists) 

 joined him in expressing appreciation of the pro- 

 gramme of the society, notably in promoting discus- 

 sion of the effect of light on the eye. The toast of 

 "Kindred Societies" was proposed by Mr. F. W. 

 NO. 2730, VOL. 109] 



GoDdenough. Mr. T. Hardie (president of the Institu- 

 tion of Gas Engineers) and Mr. A. A. Campbell 

 Swinton (vice-president of the Institution of Elec- 

 trical Engineers and chairman of the Royal Society 

 of Arts) pointed out how those associated with both 

 forms of lighting had found a common interest in 

 illuminating engineering. The toast of "The Guests " 

 was proposed by Mr. L. Gaster. Mr. R. E. Graves 

 (H.M. Chief Inspector of Factories) and Mr. William 

 Brace (Mines Department), in responding, referred 

 to the activities of the society in connection with 

 industrial lighting and conditions of illumination in 

 mines, and Mr. H. E. Blain emphasised the import- 

 ance of good illumination in the interests of safety, 

 both in relation to traffic and in industry. 



Through the generosity of the Fertilisers Manu- 

 facturers' Association and of the British Sulphate of 

 Ammonia Federation, a special member has been 

 appointed on the staff of the Rothamsted Experi- 

 mental Station for the purpose of explaining the plots 

 to farmers and others. Mr. H. V. Garner, of the 

 School of Agriculture, Cambridge, has accepted the 

 new post. The director. Dr. E. J. Russell, will now be 

 glad, therefore, to arrange with secretaries of farmers' 

 clubs, Chambers of Agriculture, and other bodies in- 

 terested for visits to the plots. Among important 

 Items of Interest are experiments on the manuring 

 of arable crops, especially wheat, barley, mangolds, and 

 potatoes ; the manuring of meadow hay ; the effect of 

 modern slags and mineral phosphates on grazing land, 

 hay land, and arable crops ; crop diseases and pests ; 

 and demonstrations of good types of tillage imple- 

 ments, tractors, etc. At any convenient time between 

 May I and October i there is sufficient to occupy a 

 full day, and provision is being completed for assur- 

 ing that the time shall not be lost, even if the weather 

 turns out to be too bad to allow of close inspection 

 of the fields. 



It will be remembered that Dr. Saleeby, writing in 

 Nature of December 8, p. 466, urged the importance 

 of a co-ordinated inquiry into the action of sunlight 

 in health and disease, under the auspices of the 

 Medical Research Council. We are glad to see that 

 the council has now appointed the following Com- 

 mittee to report upon the promotion of researches into 

 the biological action of light with the view of obtain- 

 ing increased knowledge of the effects of sunlight and 

 other forms of light upon the human body In health 

 or disease : — Prof. W. M. Bayliss (chairman), Mr. J. E. 

 Barnard, Dr. H. H. Dale, Capt. S. R. Douglas, Sir 

 Henry Gauvain, Dr. Leonard Hill, and Dr. J. H. 

 Sequeira. Dr. Edgar Schuster is secretary of the 

 Committee. 



At the monthly meeting of the Zoological Society 

 of London held on February 15 twenty-four new 

 fellows wei-e elected to the society and thirty . pro- 

 posed for the fellowship. The secretary stated that 

 the additions to the society's menagerie during 

 January numbered 151 — 52 by presentation, 76 de- 

 posited, and 23 by purchase. The most important 

 accessions included a Macedonian wolf {Canis lupus), 

 a Dybowskl's deer (Cervus hottulorum), eleven 

 plumbeus quails (Synaecus plumbeus), and two angle 



