ii8 



NATURE 



[March 25, 1920 



striking recent addition to our knowledge is a fine 

 skeleton of Dimetrodon from the Permian of Texas, 

 described by Mr. C. VV. Gilmore in the Proceedings 

 of the U.S. National Museum (vol. Ivi., pp. 525-39, 

 pis. 70-73). Mr. Gilmore has restored the reptile as 

 shown in the accompanying figure, and none of the 

 proportions are hypothetical except the length of the 

 thin end of the tail. The total length is about 7 ft., 

 while the greatest height at the middle of the dorsal 

 crest is nearly 5 ft. It must have been an agile 

 reptile, and the serrated sabre-shaped teeth would be 

 very effective for the capture and tearing-up of its 

 prey. The feet have sharp claws. The remarkable 

 crest on the back is formed by the projection of the . 

 greatly elongated neural spines of the vertebrae, as 

 in the existing little lizard, the basilisk, of tropical 

 America, shown in the upper corner of our figure. 



of the largest, wealthiest, and most active of the 

 associations under the Department. The annual 

 income, apart from special donations and interest, is 

 nearly i2,oooL, and it is hoped that ultimately the 

 association will embrace the two thousand firms 

 engaged in wool manufacturing in the British Isles. 

 The outstanding feature of the year covered by the 

 report has been the appointment of a director of 

 research. Major H. J. W. Bliss having taken up his 

 duties on March 24 last year. 



Among the interesting matters dealt with in the 

 report are the seven reports on researches or inves- 

 tigations undertaken by the association ; the partial 

 engagement of two specialists and the appointment 

 of two investigators ; the development of consulting 

 work ; the dissociation from the larger educational 

 institutions — particularly the University of Leeds and 



Fig. I. — Restoration of a primitive carnivorous reptile, Diinclrodon gigas, from ihe J 

 for the U.S. National Museum, Washington; about one-twellth natinal size. Ii 

 Central Ame icj, showing dorsal crest formed by projecting neural spines. 



.y Mr. Charles W. Gilmore 

 Basiliscus phtmifrons, from 



The use of this crest is uncertain, but the most 

 plausible suggestion seems to be that the reptile lived 

 among scrubby vegetation, and the outgrowths, pro- 

 tectively adorned, may have helped to conceal it. 



A. S. W. 



Research in Textile Industries. 



"D ECEIVING its initial impetus from the activities 

 -^ of the University of Leeds, later aspiring to 

 wider activities in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the 

 British Research Association for the Woollen and 

 Worsted Industries has now attained to full status 

 under the Department of Scientific and Industrial 

 Research, and, according to the report for 1918-19 

 of the council, just published, may claim to be one 



NO. 2630, VOL. 105] 



the Bradford Technical College — and the siart on the 

 development of private laboratories at Frizinghall, 

 Bradford; the institution of a library and informa- 

 tion bureau and the indexing of past textile publica- 

 tions and research ; the formation of two joint com- 

 mittees, one to deal with woollen carding and 

 spinning, and the other with sheep-breeding ; the 

 receiving of deputations ; and the formation of five 

 local committees for England, Scotland, and Wales. 



Reference is also made to the progress of research, 

 especially in the United States and in Germany, atten- 

 tion being directed to the large sums of money spent 

 and the large staffs engaged by Individual firms, and 

 the inference drawn that, large as the resources of the 

 British Research Association are, thev will have to 

 be much augmented if the requirements of the wool 

 industrv are to be satisfactorilv met. A little homilv 



