478 



NATURE 



[August 15, 191; 



but is more economically dealt with by a division of 

 work. The most prominent example of this type is 

 the arrangement made between eighteen observatories 

 to form a photographic chart of the heavens. The 

 organisation dealing with the " International Cata- 

 logue of Scientific Literature " rpay also be 

 included in this group. In the fourth group 

 is placed the large number of congresses called 

 together by workers in some one department of 

 science, and mainly intended . to foster friendly per- 

 sonal relationships between those who pursue similar 

 aims in different countries. There is, finally, in a 

 group by itself, the International Association of 

 Academies, which aims at co-ordinating the activities 

 of international undertakings, and organises work for 

 which special permanent bodies do not exist and are 

 not required. The council of the Royal Society will 

 submit the following questions as subjects for discus- 

 sion at the forthcoming conference :— (i) Is it desir- 

 able for the Allied nations to establish organisations 

 for scientific co-operation among themselves? (2) If 

 this be agreed upon, what should be the particular 

 forms of organisation to be aimed at in geodesy, 

 seismology, meteorology, etc. ? (3) Should particular 

 academies be asked to submit proposals on those 

 undertakings in which thev have taken the leading 

 part, such as : (a) The Acad^mie des Sciences on the 

 Commission M(5trique and the Bureau International 

 des Poids et Mesures ; {h) The Royal Society on the 

 International Catalogue of Scientific Literature? 

 (4) What representations should be addressed to the 

 Governments with regard to those organisations which 

 have hitherto received their support? The conference 

 at present is intended to deal only with scientific sub- 

 jects, but similar questions no doubt also arise on 

 the lit.erarv side. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



We learn from the Times that Prof. J. J. Findlay, 

 professor of education in the University of Manches- 

 ter, has accepted the invitation of the Y.M.C.A. Uni- 

 versities' Committee to become its director of educa- 

 tion in Salonika, where it is hoped that an extensive 

 system of classes and lectures will be developed during 

 the autumn and winter. Prof. Findlay will leave for 

 Salonika in September. To the work on the lines of 

 communication in France which Sir Henry Hadow 

 has undertaken for the committee will now be added 

 similar service among the British troops in Italy. 



The governors of the Royal Technical College, 

 Glasgow, have appointed Dr. C. H. Desch to the 

 chair of metallurgy in' the college, rendered vacant by 

 the resignation of Prof. A. Campion. Dr. Desch 

 received his scientific training at the Finsbury 

 Technical College, at Wurzburg University, and at 

 University College, London, under the late Sir William 

 Ramsay. After eight years' practical experience as 

 chemist in a chemical works, he was for five years 

 research assistant to the professor of metallurgy in 

 King's College, London ; for the last ten vears he has 

 been Graham Young lecturer in metallurgical chemis- 

 try in Glasgow University. 



The Education Act received the Royal Assent on 

 .August 8, and is now, therefore, on the Statute-book. 

 The following is a summary. of the main changes in 

 the provision of public education in England and 

 Wales as given in the Times of .August 9 : — (i) No 

 exemptions from attendance at school shall be granted 

 to any child between the ages of five and fourteen. 

 (2) Local authorities may increase the age of compul- 

 sion by by-law to fifteen. (3) Compulsory day continua- 

 tion schools shall be established for all voung persons, 



NO. 2546, VOL. lOl] 



unless they are being otherwise educated, up to thie age' 

 of sixteen, and after seven years from the appointed 

 day up to the age of eighteen. (4) The minimum 

 number of hours of attendance at continuation schools 

 shall be 280, and after seven years 320. (5) No child 

 under twelve shall be employed. (6) No child between 

 twelve and fourteen shall be employed for more than 

 two hours on any Sunday, or on any school day before 

 the close of school hours, or on any day before 6 a.m. 

 or after 8 p.m. Exce'ptions may be made by bv- 

 law, provided that no child may be employed for more 

 than one hour before school, and if so employed, for 

 more than one hour • in the afternoon. (7) Local 

 authorities may make provision for the supplv or 

 maintenance of holiday or school camps, centres for 

 physical training, school baths, swimming baths, and 

 other facilities for social and physical training. 

 (8) Provision is made for the medical inspection and 

 treatment of pupils in secondary and continuation 

 schools. (9) Local authorities may establish nurserv 

 schools for children between the ages of two and five. 

 (10) Special schools are to be established for physically 

 defective children. (11) Fees in public elementary 

 schools are abolished. 



Representatives of the various Government Depart- 

 ments at Washington have recently held a number of 

 conferences to consider, in response to the numerous 

 requests of school officials, what American schools 

 should do to render the utmost service of which they 

 are capable during the war emergency. The con- 

 clusions and recommendations resulting from these 

 conferences are now published in the form of a leaflet 

 for distribution to American teachers by the Washing- 

 ton Bureau of Education. So far as elementary schools 

 are concerned, the representatives decided that there 

 appears* to be nothing in the present or prospective 

 war emergency to justify curtailment in any respect of 

 the sessions of these schools, or of the education of 

 boys and girls under fourteen years of age, and nothing 

 which should serve as an excuse for interference with 

 the progressive development of the school system. It 

 is suggested, however, that school activities with an- 

 educational value might be introduced, designed to 

 connect the schools with the ideals of service and self- 

 sacrifice actuating the American people. In the case of 

 secondary schools it is suggested that much valuable 

 service could be rendered by selecting and training boys 

 to assist in meeting the need for agricultural labour. 

 It would be helpful in industrial communities if, for 

 secondary-school pupils above fourteen, definite courses 

 could be introduced looking . towards a co-operative 

 half-time plan of school attendance and employrhent 

 throughout the year. Bovs and girls should be urged, 

 American teachers are being told, to remain in school 

 to the completion of the high-school course, and in 

 increasing numbers to enter upon college and univer- 

 sity courses, especially in technical and scientific lines, 

 to meet the great need for trained men and women. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Edinburgh. 

 Royal Society, July 8. — Dr. J. Home, president, in 

 the chair.— Dr. R.'Kidston and Prof. W. F. Lang: 

 Old Red Sandstone plants, showing structure, from 

 the Rhynie chert bed, .\berdeensl.ire. Part ii. .Ad- 

 ditional notes on Rhynia Givynne-Vaughani, Kidst. 

 and Lang; Rhynia major, n.sp. ; and Horned Lig- 

 nieri, n.gen. et sp. In this paper the species of 

 Rhvnia, which were included under one name in a 

 former account, are distinjjuished as R. Gwynne- 

 Vaughani and R. major. The latter plant is larger 

 in all its parts, and lacks the adventitious branching 

 found in R. G^vynue-Vaughani ; bu' its morphology 



