NATURE 



[September 6, 19: 



and also a mock sun 7" below it, caused by reflection. 

 The primary and secondary bows caused by the latter 

 as source would occupy exactly the positions indicated 

 in the sketch with the appropriate colour arrangement. 

 As the intensity and definition of the mock sun, good 

 at grazing incidence, would fall off rapidly as the angle 

 increased, only the lower part of the bows would be 

 distinctly visible; this also is suggested in the sketch. 

 The calmness of the sea is not specifically mentioned, 

 but seems to be implied by the other weather condi- 

 tions stated. F. W. Aston. 

 South Farnborough, August 31. 



There was observed over the Medway estuary on 

 August 18 (7.15 p.m., B.S.T.) an extremely brilliant 

 rainbow. In addition to secondary bows concentric 

 with the primary (all less than a semicircle), there was 

 seen a bow of "considerable brightness having an arc 

 greater than a semicircle. This " anomalous bow " 

 appeared to be of the same radius as the primary 

 bow, had its colours in the same order {i.e. red outer- 



most), and cut the horizon at the same point. It was, 

 in fact, the remainder of the circle of which the 

 primary arc formed a part. 



The bow in question presumably originated from the 

 image of the sun reflected in the still water of the 

 foreground, and thus the right-hand end of the primary 

 bow, which stretched overland, was unaccompanied 

 by the eccentric arc. The phenomenon should not be 

 an uncommon one, yet I do not remember to have 

 observed it previously. W. Neilson Jones. 



Grain, Kent, August 18. 



The Sounds of Gunfire. 



The recent correspondence in the Times referring 

 to the audibility of the reports at great distances 

 induces me to record my experiences here. I have a 

 garage, built of corrugated iron and lined with match- 

 board. It stands on a concrete base, and the floor is 

 cemented. Its dimensions are 20 ft. by 10 ft., by 15 ft. 

 to the ridge. I can hear the sounds of the guns inside 

 the building on days when they are inaudible 

 outside. When audible out§ide they are considerably 

 accentuated within. 



The same thing occurs in the case of a smaller shed, 

 of similar construction, about 100 yards away. 



A structure of corrugated iron and wood upon a 

 concrete base appears to act as a .resonator, collecting 

 and intensifying the sounds. It might be possible to 

 record the sounds on wax cylinders (phonographically) 

 by using an abnormally large megaphonic trumpet 

 directed towards the source of the disturbance. 



C. Carus-Wilson. 



Strawberry Hill, Middlesex, August 27. 



NO. 2497, VOL. 100] 



i EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY. 



DURING the early part of 1916 the Higher 

 Education Sub-Committee of the Education 

 I Committee of the London County Council devoted 

 i a great deal of time to interviewing tepresentative 

 j employers with the view of obtaining their views 

 i on the efficiency of the work done in the various 

 j types of educational institutions under its control, 

 I and a frank discussion of the relations which 

 should exist between the education given in them 

 and industrial and commercial life. The results 

 j of these interviews are summarised in a report 

 ! recently presented to the Council, which has 

 j roused a good deal of comment in the Press, much 

 • of it of a very superficial character. 

 ^ Most of those interviewed were concerned with 

 the distribution and transport of goods or with 

 : financial undertakings, but, in addition to these, 

 j three groups of employers dealing with what may 

 I be said to be the three main London manufactur- 

 j ing industries, engineering, printing, and the 



chemical trades, were also interviewed. 

 I While the inquiry was generally directed to the 

 [ possibility of establishing a closer relationship 

 1 between education and industry than at present 

 : exists, the main lines on which it proceeded may 



be summarised under four heads : — 

 ' (i) The methods adopted by business men for 

 recruiting their staffs and the qualifications de- 

 manded from applicants. 



(2) General defects in the education given by 

 the schools as revealed by the experience of busi- 

 ness men. 



(3) The possibility of greater assistance being 

 given to employers in making a suitable selection 

 and in providing better material. 



(4) The encouragement given by business men 

 I to further education of their staffs, and the desira- 

 bility or otherwise of compulsory further educa- 

 tion. 



With the criticisms of the representatives of 



I commerce we do not propose to deal beyond re- 



I marking that they are largely criticisms of the 



; character and moral produced by the schools, and 



the most sweeping of them have been shown by 



the events of the last three years to have very 



! slight foundation. For many of the others the 



I conditions of employment, and particularly of the 



I methods used for selecting employees, which in 



I too many cases pay far too little attention to the 



selection of the really able and intelligent boy 



and far too much to personal influence, are much 



to blame. If a boy in his last years at school 



feels that someone whom he knows will get him 



into a post and that it matters very little whether 



he does his school work well or badly, he has little 



encouragement to put forth the best. that is in 



him. 



The engineering group of trades forms the most 



important group of manufacturing- industries in 



the London area : few people realise that nearly 



three-quarters of a million persons are dependent 



; upon it. 



j The representatives of this group showed a 

 j refreshing belief in continued education ; they alt 



