128 



NATURE 



[November 19, 19 14 



Ieacmers of domestic subjects in schools and col- 

 leges who desire to give their instruction a scientific 

 character continually find that some of the com- 

 monest observations and methods of domestic work 

 are very difficult to explain. To assist such teachers 

 to arrive at satisfactory explanations of the various 

 steps m common domestic practice, the Association 

 ot leachers of Domestic Subjects has appointed a 

 science committee to which problems that arise mav 

 be referred for elucidation or investigation. Prof. 

 Smithells is chairman of the committee, which in- 

 cludes several well-known chemists as well as practical 

 teachers of domestic subjects. The- report of this 

 committee for 1914, which has been received, contains 

 abundant evidence of the utilitv of the work of the 

 committee, and every teacher "of domestic subjects 

 should study the answers to the questions discussed 

 in it. 



Thoigh the University of Bristol is one of the 

 youngest of English universities its calendar for 

 ^9i4-J5i -I copy of which has been received, shows 

 that It is making rapid strides in the direction of 

 providing a very complete svstem of higher education 

 for the western counties of England. There are in the 

 University faculties of arts, science, medicine, and 

 engineering. We observe, among other interesting 

 arrangements, that an alternative curriculum is pro- 

 vided so that undergraduates pursuing the study of 

 agriculture and forestry mav take an ordinarv bachelor 

 of science degree. Regulations are included by which 

 students may secure the degree of bachelor of science 

 in engineering by research. Those students who are 

 not qualified by matriculation to proceed to a degree, 

 may in certain circumstances procure a certificate in 

 engineering. The University also, we notice, confers 

 testamurs in social science and journalism. Among 

 institutions associated with the University may b^ 

 mentioned the Royal Agricultural College" at Ciren- 

 cester, the National Fruit and Cider Institute at 

 Long Ashton, and the Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Station at Long Ashton. 



There is a tendency among popular philosophers 

 and supernaturalists just now to suggest that modern 

 science is crude materialism against which a 

 spiritual reaction is to be encouraged. Some justifica- 

 tion might have been found for such a view a genera- 

 tion or two ago, but the dogmatism of those days, 

 both of men of science and theologians, has given 

 way to a more liberal spirit, and all who are seeking 

 earnestly for truth are considered to be worshippers 

 at the same shrine. We are glad, therefore, to 

 direct attention to a series of addresses upon the 

 mutual relations between science and religion to be 

 delivered by scientific men of distinction at Browning 

 Hall, Walworth Road, S.E., during the week be- 

 beginning on Sunday next, November 22. The 

 addresses are intended' for working men and women, 

 students and teachers, and thev will be delivered by 

 Sir Oliver Lodge, Prof. J. A. Fleming, Prof. W. B. 

 Bottomley, Prof. E. Hull, Dr. J. A. Harker, Prof. 

 Sims Woodhead, and Prof. Silvanus Thompson; all 

 seats will be free. There is, of course, no conflict 

 between religion and science; one is the expression of 

 an instinct, the other is a spirit of inquirv into the 

 character and meaning of all things, visible and in- 

 visible, in the universe. It is particularly important 

 at the present time to show that science is an up- 

 lifting study, and not merely the handmaid of material 

 advance. Ruskin described the difference between 

 science and invention long ago, but it is forgotten bv 

 rnost writers, and we trust that the addresses to be 

 given at Browning Hall will do something to remove 

 mistaken popular impressions as to the aim and 

 meaning of scientific work. 



NO. 2351, VOL. 94] 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 



Geological Society, November 4. — Dr. A. Smith 

 Woodward, president, in the chair. — L. Richardson : 

 The inferior oolite and contiguous deposits of the 

 Doulting-Milborne-Port District (Somerset). This 

 paper embraces the country around Bruton, Castle 

 Cary, and Blackford. In the northern half of the 

 Doulting-Milborne-Port district the bulk of the yellow 

 Upper-Lias Sands is of dispansi hemera ; but in the 

 neighbourhood of Cole and Castle Cary the topmost 

 portion is of duinortieriae hemera. In the south- 

 eastern portion, under Stowell, while the main mass 

 is probablv of inoorei-durnortieriae hemerae, the upper 

 50 ft. is of aaloisis-moorei date. Rock of garantianae 

 hemera spreads over the whole district. From Doult- 

 ing to Bruton the Garantiana beds rest directly on 

 the Sands. In the neighbourhood of Cole there is a 

 synclinal area, and beds of blagdeni, sauzci, luitchel- 

 liac, shirhiiiniiac, discitac, and murchisonae hemera? 

 are seen between the Garantiana beds and the Sands. 

 At Corton Downs are rocks of sauzei, ivitchelliae, 

 shirhidruiae , discHae, bradfordeiisis, and murchisonae 

 hemerae. In this southern portion of the district it 

 is difficult to determine the upper and lower limits 

 of the deposits of discitae, shirbiiirniae, and witchclliae 

 hemerae. The rock of garantianae hemera varies 

 much from place to place in thickness and lithic 

 structure. Above the Garantiana beds come the Doul- 

 ing Stone, Anabacia Limestones, and Rubbly beds. 

 The Anabacia Limestones soon lose their lithic char- 

 acters ; but the Doulting Stone spreads over the 

 Oolitic tract, and is exposed in numerous quarries. 

 In the southern portion of the district, the 

 lower portion of the equivalent of the Had- 

 spen Stone passes into the Sherborne Building-Stone, 

 and the top portion, plus higher beds, into the Rubbly 

 Limestone beds, such as those displayed in quarries 

 in the eastern portion of the Sherborne district. — 

 E. T. Paris and L. Richardson : Some Inferior-Oolite 

 pectens. Descriptions and illustrations are given of 

 one new species of Camptonectes, of two new varieties 

 of Chlamys articulata (auctt.), and of two new species 

 of Velopecten. 



Linnean Society, November 5. — Prof. E. B. Poulton, 

 president, in the chair. — A. D. Cotton : The algae, 

 lichens, and fungi of the West P'alkland Islands, from 

 Mrs. Rupert Vallentin's collections. A large collection 

 was made by Mrs. Vallentin from 1909 to 1911, and 

 was presented by her to the Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Kew ; the present paper dealt with those Cryptogams 

 mentioned in the title, the Mosses and Hepaticse 

 being reserved for later work. These collections are 

 valuable and have yielded interesting results, including 

 several novelties, and many additions to the flora, and 

 by means of ample, well-dried material, enabled pre- 

 vious descriptions to be enlarged and revised. The 

 author gave an historical account of the cellular 

 Cryptogams from the earliest record (1771) to the 

 present time, and included in his list all previous 

 records, revised so far as practicable. 



Mathematical Society, November 12. — Annual general 

 Imeeting. — Prof. A. E. H. Love (retiring president) and 

 afterwards Sir Joseph Larmor (newly-elected presi- 

 dent) in the chair. — Prof. Love : Presidential address, 

 " Mathematical Research." Prof. G. A. Miller : Note 

 on an extension of Sylow's theorem. — J. Hodgkinson : 

 The conformal representation of the various triangles 

 bounded by the arcs of three intersecting circles. — 

 G. R. Goldsbrough : The dynamical theory of the tides 

 in a zonal basin. — G. H. Hardy : The modulus of an 

 analytic function. — Prof. W. Burnside : (i) The 

 modification of a train of waves as it advances into 



