26 



NATURE 



[September 3, 1914 



restitution, the power which an organism possesses 

 of restoring the normal condition of the body after 

 it has been violently disturbed by some external agent. 

 The fact that a newt is able to regenerate its limbs 

 over and over again after they have been removed, 

 or that an echinoderm blastula may be cut in half 

 and each half give rise to a perfect larva, is one of 

 the most surprising things in the domain of biological 

 science. We cannot, at present, at any rate, give any 

 satisfactory mechanistic e:^planation of these facts, 

 and to attribute them to the action of some hypo- 

 thetical entelechy, after the manner of Prof. Hans 

 Driesch, is simply an admission of our inability to 

 do so. We can only say that in the course of its 

 evolution each organism acquires an individuality or 

 wholeness of its own, and that one of the fundamental 

 properties of living organisms is to maintain that 

 individuality. They are able to do this in a variety 

 of ways, and can sometimes even replace a lost organ 

 out of material quite different from that from which 

 the organ in question is normally developed, as in the 

 case of the regeneration of the lens of the eye from 

 the iris in the newt. That there must be some 

 mechanism involved in such cases is, of course, self- 

 evident, and we know that that mechanism may 

 sometimes go wrong and produce monstrous and un- 

 workable results; but it is, I think, equally evident 

 that the organism must possess some power of 

 directing the course of events, so as generally to 

 secure the appropriate result; and it is just this power 

 of directing chemical and physical processes, and thus 

 employing them in its own interests, that distinguishes 

 a living organism from an inanimate object. 



In conclusion I ought, perhaps, to apologise for the 

 somewhat dogmatic tone of my remarks. I must ask 

 you to believe, however, that this does not arise from 

 any desire on my part to dogmatise, but merely from 

 the necessity of compressing what I wished to say 

 into a totally inadequate space. Many years of 

 patient work are still needed before we can hope to 

 solve, even approximately, the problem of organic 

 evolution, but it seemed to me permissible, on the 

 present occasion, to indulge in a general survey of 

 the situation, and see how far it might be possible 

 to reconcile conflicting views and bring together a 

 number of ideas derived from many sources in one 

 consistent theory. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



London. — A course of twelve lectures on the theory 

 and practice of radio-telegraphy will be delivered by 

 Prof. J. A. Fleming at University College, oa Wed- 

 nesdays at 5 p.m., beginning October 28. The course 

 will be in two parts, six lectures before Christmas and 

 six between Christmas and Easter. It is open to both 

 members and non-members of the University. It is 

 intended for telegraphic engineers and electrical 

 students who have already some elementan,' knowledge 

 of the subject, and it will presume an elementary 

 acquaintance with the differential calculus, and with 

 the properties of veptor quantities. The object of the 

 course is to impart a more advanced knowledge of the 

 theory and practice of wireless telegraphy in Its 

 modern form. University College is provided with an 

 antenna and P.M.G. licence for its use. 



The High Commissioner for New Zealand 

 announces that Dr. W. P. Gowland, of the University 

 of Liverpool, has been appointed to the chair of 

 anatomy at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New 

 Zealand. 



We learn from the Times that the Senate of tht 

 National University of Ireland has passed the follow- 

 ing resolution with reference to the destruction of th( 

 town of Louvain : — "The Senate of the National Uni- 

 versity of Ireland desires to offer to the Illustriou> 

 University of Louvain its deep sympathy on thr 

 calamity which has befallen it — a calamity with- 

 out parallel in history since the destruction 

 of the Library of Alexandria. If this example 

 prevail in warfare, then we may expect to find the 

 records and achievements of civilisation extinguished 

 bv ignorance in arms. Therefore we appeal to the 

 universities of all nations to unite in a protest against 

 an act so disastrous to the progress of mankind." 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has awarded 

 research scholarships in agricultural and veterinary 

 science of the annual value of 150Z., tenable for threr 

 vears, to the following candidates, viz. : — Agricultural 

 Science, J. LI. Evans (Wales), S. M. Wadham (Can- 

 tab.), J. W. Munro (Edinburgh). Veterinary Science, 

 R. Daubney, A. H. Adams. The Board has also 

 awarded Mr. E. W. Jeffreys (Wales) an agricultural 

 scholarship tenable for two years to fill a vacanc\ 

 caused by the resignation of a scholar selected last 

 year. The scholarships have been established in con- 

 nection with the scheme for the promotion of scientific 

 research in agriculture, for the purposes of which the 

 Treasurv have sanctioned grants to the Board from 

 the Development Fund, and they are designed to pro- 

 vide for the training of promising students under suit- 

 able supervision with a view to enable them to con- 

 tribute to the development of agricultural and 

 veterinary science. 



The annual report of the Education Branch of the 

 Board of Agriculture on the disposal of grants for 

 agricultural education and research for the year 

 1913-14 shows that the Board is making satisfactory 

 progress with its comprehensive scheme of organising 

 agricultural work in the country. It has arranged 

 for most of the universities to undertake special work 

 In connection with the various counties which they 

 serve, and, in addition, it supports a number of re- 

 search Institutes put up for the express purpose of 

 investigating particular subjects. The whole scheme 

 has been carefully planned to avoid overlapping ; the 

 report furnishes most interesting reading, and is a 

 sufficient reply to the assertion sometimes made that 

 British Government Departments can do nothing for 

 scientific research. It is not claimed that the scheme 

 is yet perfect ; indeed, it Is not yet In full working 

 order, but It seems clear from the details furnished 

 that things are going satisfactorily, and that the fully 

 developed scheme will serve the purpose for which it 

 was intended. Provision is made for higher agricul- 

 tural education, the provision of technical advice for 

 farmers, the investigation of local problems, and for 

 carrying out agricultural research at Institutions the 

 function of which it is to develop subjects rather than 

 to study set problems. The total amount of money 

 granted during the 3'ear was 67,939/., against 32,434/. 

 last year. 



The calendar for 1914-15 of the Edinburgh and 

 East of Scotland College of Agriculture has now been 

 Issued, and copies may be obtained from the secretary 

 to the college, 13 George Square, Edinburgh. The 

 college was founded In 190 1 with the object of provid- 

 ing for agricultural education and research in the 

 central and south-eastern counties of Scotland. The 

 classes of the college are arranged In conjunction with 

 certain classes in the science faculty of Edinburgh 

 L'niversity, so as to provide a full course of teaching 

 theoretical and practical, in agriculture and the allied 

 sciences. This cooperation with the University has 

 the further advantage that the courses for the diploma 



NO. 2340, VOL. 94] 



