304 



NATURE 



[December 20, 191; 



are too near each other the suction of their pro- 

 pellers pulls them together, and they become un- 

 controllable," would certainly not command scien- 

 tific justification. This technical inaccuracy does 

 not detract from the interest of the book as a 

 record of the actual experiences of an aviator 

 during training and in flying over the enemy's 

 lines. The greater part of the volume consists of 

 such experiences and forms interesting reading. It 

 is well that those who labour in the aeronautical 

 world at home should have some idea of the actual 

 fighting conditions at the Front, and the volume 

 before us gives a very good account of the im- 

 pressions of a pilot engaged in this thrilling phase 

 of modern warfare. A detailed knowledge of the 

 principles of flight is by no means necessary to 

 enable a man to become an expert pilot, any^more 

 than a detailed knowledge of engineering is neces- 

 sary to enable a man to ride a bicycle or drive 

 a car. 



The volume is essentially descriptive and non- 

 technical, but it is, nevertheless, interesting to the 

 scientific worker who wishes to obtain a mental 

 picture of the actual conditions under which our 

 airmen work, and of the wonderful part played 

 by the aeroplane in modern warfare. 



The Born Fool. By J. W. Byrd. Pp. 316. 



(London : Chatto and Windus, 1917.) Price 



6^. net. 

 This is the record, in considerable detail, of the 

 childhood and adolescence of an engineer and 

 geologist who, born and moving in middle-class 

 circles, convinces himself that it is his duty, on 

 purely altruistic grounds, to marry a woman not 

 only of lower social and intellectual status than 

 himself, but also appreciably older. In parts the 

 story is excellent (if this recalls the curate's egg, 

 absit omen), and, despite some few naivetes and 

 trivialities— slight blemishes inseparable, perhaps, 

 from the maiden production of any author — it is 

 a very interesting study, abounding in natural , 

 touches and realistic incidents. 



The atmosphere of the tale is to a large extent 

 engineering and geological. The hero, at the age 

 of twenty-one or thereabouts, becomes a fellow 

 of the Geological "Institute," in consequence of 

 a thesis of extraordinary merit and a discovery of 

 unique importance. He also acts as resident 

 engineer on water-supply undertakings of some 

 magnitude. Precocity of this kind is, of course, 

 not unusual in the realm of fiction. At the same 

 time, the book envisages certain sociological, 

 sexual, and religious problems in a way which 

 will appeal to thoughtful minds, so that there is 

 a wide and varied range of interest for many 

 readers. 



Quantitative Chemical Analysis. Adapted for Use 

 in the Laboratories of Colleges- and Technical 

 Institutes. By Dr. F. Clowes and J. B. Cole- 

 man. Eleventh edition. Pp. xxiv-F^So. (Lon- 

 don : J. and A. Churchill, 1918.) Price 12s. 6d. 

 net. 



The eleventh edition of this well-known work of 

 reference has been carefully revised and new matter 

 NO. 2512, VOL. 100] 



has been introduced in the Appendix. The results 

 of typical analyses obtained in the laboratories of 

 the authors occupy eleven pages, and will prove 

 useful to analysts and others for reference and 

 guidance ; the list of important works of reference 

 provided will also be equally serviceable. 



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.] 



Ramsay Memorial Fund. 



We are asking the hospitality of your columns to 

 enable us to report the progress of the Ramsay Memo- 

 rial Fund, which was instituted just a year ago with 

 the object of raising a sum of ioo,oooZ. as a suitable 

 memorial to the late Prof. Sir \\'illiam Ramsay. The 

 fund has now reached a sum of just above 30,000/. 

 The latest and most important donation to the fund 

 has been a sum of 5000Z., contributed by Mrs. Wharrie. 

 It may be remembered that Messrs. Brunner, Mond 

 and Co. have promised a similar sum of 5000/. The 

 honorary treasurers have received a large number of 

 other sums, ranging from idooZ. to one guinea. From 

 this it will be seen that the Ramsay Memorial Fund 

 has now passed its experimental stage, and is making 

 good progress towards the sum which the committee 

 aim at raising. The Executive Committee are confi- 

 dent that with the assistance of the large number of 

 co-operating committees which have been formed in 

 all parts of the British Empire and many foreign 

 countries they will be successful in completing the fund 

 of ioo,oooL, but in order that this may be the case 

 they must appeal to the generosity of the public for 

 further donations, large and small. They hope that 

 the generous example of Mrs. Wharrie and of Messrs. 

 Brunner, Mond and Co. will be followed by others, but 

 they will also greatly welcome gifts of any amount 

 ranging from one guinea upwards. 



The fund) of ioo,oooL, when raised, will be devoted 

 to two objects of great national importance : the estab- 

 lishment of Ramsay Memorial fellowships for research 

 in chemica^ problems as applied to industry, and the 

 foundation of a memorial laboratory of engineering 

 chemistry. Those who contribute to the Ramsay 

 Memorial Fund are contributing in the most definite 

 and direct way to the national prosperity after the war, 

 in which the advancement of science must play an 

 increasingly important part. Donations should be sent 

 to the joint honorary treasurers, Ramsay Memorial 

 Fund, University College, London, Gower Street. 

 W.C.I. 



Rayleigh, 

 Chairman of the General Committee. 



Hugh Bell, 

 Chairman of the Executive Committee. . 



Glenconner, 



J. N. Collie, 

 Honorary Treasurers. 



The Beginnings of Porcelain in China. 



In the review of our publication by Dr. J. W. Mellor 

 (Nature, October 4, o. 88) there is a misunderstanding 

 which we feel should not be allowed to pass in the 

 interest of your readers. Dr. Mellor states that we 

 regard the so-called Han pottery as porcelanous, and 

 as the forerunner of true porcelain. Such a statement 

 has never been made ; we' always, held, and still hold, 

 that Han pottery is nothing but a common stoneware. 



