May 30, 19 1 8] 



NATURE 



major (S.W. California), Leurognathus martnorata 

 Vorth Carolina), Typhlotriton spelaeus (Mis- 

 Muri), Ascaphus truei (Washington), Rana virga- 

 lipes (New Jersey), Phrynosoma brevicornis 

 (Texas), Neoseps reynoldsi (Florida), Crotalus 

 .illardi (Arizona). 



rhe new check list "has been prepared gen- 

 ially upon the basis of the American Ornitho- 

 logists' Union Check List of Birds, and following 

 tb.at example, it has included the species and sub- 

 species which the authors deem valid and of cer- 

 uiin occurrence in North America, north of the Rio 

 Grande, and in Lower California, Mexico." The 

 higher groups and genera are in systematic 

 oquence, but the species are in alphabetical order, 

 hich is regrettable and surprising on the part of 

 ne authors, whose perfect knowledge of the sub- 

 jLCt should have been imparted by arranging the 

 species according to their relationships ; in the 

 larger genera, a subdivision into sections would 

 have been a help to the student, and added greatly 

 lo the value of this catalogue. 



Notwithstanding the protest raised against the 

 ('onstant changes in the scientific pames of genera 

 -md species which appeared, over the signatures of 

 -o many distinguished zoologists, in this journal 

 11 years ago, the process of " revision " goes on 

 s before, and it is lamentable to notice such sub- 

 stitutions as Eurycea for Spelerpes, Gastrophryne 

 for Engystoma, Coluber for Zamenis, Micrurus for 

 Elaps, etc. G. A. B. 



TJie Photographic Industry of Great Britain, 1918. 

 Pp. 247. (London : British Photographic Manu- 

 facturers' Association, Ltd.) 

 Forty firms who manufacture photographic 

 goods have banded themselves together as " The 

 British Photographic Manufacturers' Association, 

 Ltd.," for the purpose of extending their export 

 trade by developing to the fullest possible extent 

 friendly business relations with buyers in the 

 Overseas Dominions and in foreign countries. 

 This is the first annual handbook of the associa- 

 tion. The important parts of it are printed in 

 English, French, Spanish, and Russian, andm'any 

 of the members' announcements (or advertise- 

 ments), which fill the second half of the volume, 

 are also given in the four languages, though some 

 omit the Russian version, and others are content 

 with English and French or English alone. After 

 the list of members comes an article by Mr. G. E. 

 Brown which gives a concise sketch, first of the 

 history of photographic invention, and secondly 

 of the photographic industry of to-day. He shows 

 how British invention and British industry stand 

 in the very foremost position. Indeed, if it were 

 possible to abolish all that originated in this 

 country, there would be very little, if anything, left 

 of photography. The handbook gives a classi- 

 fication of makers under the headings of the goods 

 they offer, registers of trade names and trade 

 marks, and various other data to facilitate inter- 

 national dealings. The secretary of the associa- 

 tion will be glad to send a copy of it to any estab- 

 lished dealer abroad who does not receive one and 

 applies to him for it. 



NO. 2535, VOL. lOl] 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for 

 opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither 

 can he undertake to return, or to correspond with 

 the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for 

 this or any other part of Nature. No notice is 

 taken of anonymous communications.] 



The Promotion of Post-graduate Work and Research. 



In the article bearing the well-known initials 

 "W. A. T." in Nature of May 9 on the above subject, 

 the writer has quoted from a report of the Academic 

 Council to the Senate of the University of London a 

 summary of reasons for and against the institution of 

 a new doctoral degree. The report referred to has 

 been approved and adopted by the Senate, and a copy 

 is enclosed for your information. Among the reasons 

 for the establishment of such a degree, the first is ; — 



"That it would be the means of strengthening the 

 unity of the Empire by increasing the number of 

 students from the universities of the British Empire 

 who pursue their graduate studies in Great Britain." 



On this the writer says : — 



" Of all these considerations [i.e. the reasons in the 

 summary] it appears to the writer that the first is, at 

 the present time and probably for generations to come, 

 of greatly preponderant importance. And in declining 

 the proposals which come to it from his NJ-ajesty's 

 Dominions beyond the seas, the Senate has missed a 

 great opportunity for the development of the Univer- 

 sity." 



The proposals as formulated by the President of 

 the University of Toronto in a letter dated April 30, 

 1917, are as follows : — 



"It will be necessary for the universities of Britain 

 to establish some doctor's degree which will be within 

 reach of our best students who hold our preliminary 

 degree, provided they are required to spend not more 

 than three years in Britain in order to obtain it." 



A student coming from a foreign or Colonial uni- 

 versity immediately after graduation can enter for 

 the M.Sc. examination after pursuing an approved 

 course as an internal student of the University of 

 London extending over not less than two years. If 

 successful, further attendance at a prescribed course 

 of study will not be required. It is possible for him 

 to return home to continue his studies, and to present 

 a thesis for the D.Sc. degree after the prescribed 

 interval of time. On the other hand, if he continues 

 his studies abroad for two years after taking his pre- 

 liminary degree and produces work of sufficient merit, 

 he may be excused the M.Sc. examination and 

 allowed to proceed to the D.Sc. examination after 

 I a period of study as an internal student of the Uni- 

 j versity of London of not less than two years. The 

 ! provision that four years must elapse between the 

 date of the examination, in virtue of which he is^ regis- 

 tered, and the date of his D.Sc. examination can be 

 shortened in exceptional cases. 



It would appear from the above that, ' although the 

 Senate has not instituted a new degree, the oppor- 

 tunities for overseas students to carry on research and 

 to proceed to higher degrees in the University 

 of London are ample. 



The main reason for declining to establish a new 

 degree is that it would -damage the standard of the 

 existing doctorates. The writer's estimate of that 

 standard as set out in his article is not flattering. If 

 it is accurate, there is no case for the establishment 

 of a doctorate of a lower standard. 



One of the resolutions passed by the Conference of 

 Universities of the United Kingdom, held on May 18, 

 19 17, was as follows : — 



