1 lO 



NATURE 



[September 24, 1914 



may be directed to the public textile testing and con- 

 ditioning house which has been opened at the institute. 

 This house examines textile materials with the object 

 of ascertaining and certifying their true length, 

 weight, condition, and strength; and of carrying out 

 other investigations required by merchants and manu- 

 facturers. 



The Northampton Polytechnic Institute, London, 

 E.C., has issued its "Announcements Educational and 

 Social for the Session, 19 14-15." The announcements 

 form a volume of 298 pages, and give full particulars 

 of a varied and comprehensive curriculum. The work 

 of the institute is divided into two main sections : an 

 educational section for technological subjects, and a 

 social and recreative section. The educational aim is 

 to provide classes in technological and trade subjects, 

 special attention being directed to the immediate re- 

 quirements of Clerkenwell, the district in which the 

 polytechnic is situated. Prominent among the day 

 courses is that provided in technical optics. The aim 

 in this department is to provide the thorough theo- 

 retical and practical training now required in various 

 branches of the optical industry. It is believed that 

 there is now, and that there will be for some time to 

 come, a considerable demand for well-trained men. 

 In connection with the practical side of this training 

 the department has had the benefit of advice and 

 assistance from prominent members of the optical 

 trade. The full course as at present established ex- 

 tends over two years, and is divided into two sections, 

 for opticians and optical instrument makers respec- 

 tively. The engineering day college is organised in 

 two departments for civil and mechanical engineer- 

 ing, on one hand, and for electrical engineering on 

 the other. In the former arrangements have Ibeen 

 made for the teaching of aeronautical engineering. 

 The course in aeronautical engineering will follow the 

 same plan as the other engineering day courses, that 

 is, the first two years will be devoted to the subjects 

 which form the ground work of all engineering, and 

 the necessary specialisation will take place in the third 

 and fourth years. These are a few examples of the 

 practical character of the instruction given, and a 

 reference only is possible to some of the other courses, 

 which include watch- and clock-making and horo- 

 logical engineering generally, many branches of tech- 

 nical chemistry, and subjects connected with the 

 jewelry, silversmiths', and metal-working trades. 

 Evening classes on an even more comprehensive plan 

 have also been arranged. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, September 7.— M. P. Appell in 

 the chair. — G. Bigourdan : Observations of the Delavan 

 comet (1913/) made at the Paris Observatory. Posi- 

 tions given for September 2 and 3. The comet was 

 visible to the naked eye in spite of the size of the 

 moon. It appeared to be of the fifth magnitude. — M. 

 Appell : A transformation of certain functions deduced 

 from functions of higher degree. — L. Mangin : The 

 polymorphism of certain diatoms from the Antarctic. 

 It is shown that the classification of diatoms by the 

 markings or values is faulty, since these show for a 

 given species much less fixity than the structure of 

 the endochrome. The paper is accompanied by 

 numerous illustrations. — M. Fournier : The resistance 

 of a fluid to the horizontal translation of a spindle- 

 shaped body, moving in the line of the axis of the 

 figure. — P. Gaubert : The faces of solution of dolomite. 

 A study of the relations between the crystalline sym- 

 metry and etching fisrures produced by the action of 

 very dilute nitric or hydrochloric acids. 



NO. 2343, VOL. 94] 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Northampton Polytechnic Institute, St. John Street, 

 E.G. Announcements Educational and Social for the 

 Session 1914-15. Pp. 298. (London : Northampton 

 Polytechnic.) 



Uganda Protectorate. Annual Report of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture for the Year ended March 31, 

 1914. Pp. 67. (Kampala : Uganda Printing and 

 Publishing Go., Ltd.) 



Transactions of the Leicester Literary and Philo- 

 sophical Society, together with the Report of the 

 Gouncil and Annual Reports of the Sections. Vol. 

 xviii. Pp. 103. (Leicester : W. Thornley and Son.) 

 2S. 6d. 



Poems of the Great War, published on behalf of 

 the Prince of Wales's National Relief Fund. 2nd 

 edition. Pp. 39. (London : Ghatto and Windus.) 

 IS, net. 



Dove Marine Laboratory, GuUercoats, Northumber- 

 land. Report for the Year ending June, 1914. Edited 

 by Prof. A. Meek. Pp. 108. (Newcastle-on-Tyne : 

 Gail and Sons.) 5s. 



Ghemical Technologv and Analysis of Oils, Fats, 

 and Waxes. By Dr. J. Lewkowitsch. Fifth edition, 

 entirely re- written and enlarged. Vol. ii., edited by 

 G. H. Warburton. Pp. xiv4-944. (London: Mac- 

 millan and Go., Ltd.) 25s. net. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



Specialised Geology. By G. A. J. C 



Insects and Disease. By Frank Balfour Browne . 



The Inimitable Observer . . 



An Italian Text-book of Metallography, By C. H. D. 



Our Bookshelf 



Letters »o the Editor: — 



Renunciaiion of Honorary Degrees— Dr. J. P. Lotsy 

 The Green Flash.— Prof. W. M. Flinders Petrie, 



F.R.S 



The Large Non-Conchoidal Fracture-Surfaces of Early 



Flint Implements.— J. Keid Moir 



British Aeronautics. {Ilhistrated.) 



The British Association in West Australia. By 



Prof. W. J. Dakin 



■Dr. W. H. uaskell, F.R.S. By Prof. J. N. Langley, 



F.R.S 



Notes 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



A New Comet 



Comet i9i3/(Delavan) 



Hydrogen Lines and Series Constant 



A Novel Form of Rowland Grating Mounting . . . 



Three New Indian Meteorites 



The Lancashire Sea Fisheries Laboratory . . 



The Metropolitan Water Supply. By Prof. R. T. 



Hewlett 



Local Case-hardening of Steel 



The Australian Meeting of the British Association- 

 Section K.— Botany.— Opening Address by Prof. 

 F. O. Bower, D.Sc, F.R.S. , President of the 



Section . . 



The Widmanstatten Structure in Various Alloys 

 and Metals. {Ilhisirated.) By Capt. N. T. Belaiew 



University and tiducational Intelligence 



Societies and Academies 



Books Received . . . 



83 

 84 



85 

 86 

 86 



91 



93 

 94 



97 

 97 



98 



99 

 99 



99 



107 

 109 

 no 

 no 



ST. 



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Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

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Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Gkrrard 8830. 



