May 13, 1920] 



NATURE 



335 



ing both socially and intellectually. The charm 

 of his personality depended on the fact that, happy 

 as he was himself in living, he was still happier 

 in making his life a blessing to others. 



Mr. a. H. Hiorns, who died on April 17, was 

 for many years head of the metallurgical depart- 

 ment of the Birmingham Municipal Technical 

 School. He commenced teaching metallurgy about 

 1875 in branch evening classes under the auspices 

 of the Birmingham and Midland Institute. Later 

 he was transferred to the central school, and was 

 so successful as a teacher that he was granted 

 leave of absence in 1882 and 1883 to study at 

 South Kensington under Sir W. Roberts-Austen. 

 On his return to Birmingham he organised a new 

 metallurgical department at the Birmingham and 

 Midland Institute. As the work expanded, it was 

 transferred to the Birmingham Municipal Tech- 

 nical School, where the enthusiasm and geniality 

 of Mr. Hiorns gathered an ever-increasing 

 number of students. Mr. Hiorns contributed 

 papers on metallurgical subjects to various scien- 

 tific societies, but was best known as the author of 

 a number of students' text-books, which have 

 had a wide circulation, and include " Practical 

 Metallurgy and Assaying," "Metallography," 

 "Metal Colouring," "Iron and Steel," "Mixed 

 Metals," etc. He retired from teaching some 

 eight years ago, and the latter part of his life was 

 spent chiefly in rural pursuits. 



T. T. 



Mr. T. W. Backhouse, of West Hendon 

 House Observatory, Sunderland, who died on 

 March 13 in his seventy-eighth year, devoted ."^ 

 large part of his life to scientific pursuits, and 

 carried on for more than sixty years a series of 

 meteorological and astronomical observations. He 

 was a frequent contributor to our correspondence 

 columns, and a most successful student of those 

 minute differences in the appearance of the sky 

 or of the atmosphere that escape , untrained 

 observers, who prefer to consult the barometer 

 rather than natural phenomena. Four volumes of 

 Publications were issued by him from his 

 observatory, and the last, in 191 5, summed up the 

 accumulated records, extending over fifty years, 

 of his skill and vigilance as an observer. In 191 2 

 Mr. Backhouse published a valuable new cata- 

 logue of 9842 stars, containing all stars conspicu- 

 ous to the naked eye. The catalogue was designed 

 specially to afford assistance in the observation of 

 meteors, to which Mr. Backhouse himself gave 

 much attention ; but it has been found useful by 

 many other astronomers. His last communica- 

 tion was on the subject of the January meteors 

 (Quadrantids) of 1917 (Nature, vol. c, p. 313). 

 Mr. Backhouse became a fellow of the Royal 

 Astronomical Society in 1873, and of the Royal 

 Meteorological Society in 1892. 

 NO. 2637, VOL. \0<\ 



Notes. 



The Prince of Wales having graciously consented 

 to be nonjinated as an honorary fellow of the Royal 

 Society of Edinburgh, the nomination was made at 

 the last ordinary meeting on May 3, and the election 

 will be carried out, according to regulation, at the 

 ordinary meeting to be held on June 7. 



The Croonian lecture of the Royal Society will be 

 delivered by Prof. W. Bateson on June 17 upon the 

 subject of "Genetic Segregation." 



Mr. J. H. Lester has been elected chairman of the 

 chemical section of the Manchester Literary and Philo- 

 sophical Society for the session 1920-21. 



Notice is given by the Chemical Society that 

 applications for grants from the society's research 

 fund must be made, on forms supplied, to the assistant 

 secretary, Chemical Society, Burlington House, W.i, 

 on or before June i. 



Mr. Wilfred H. Parker has been appointed direc- 

 tor of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany. 

 The institute, including the Official Seed-testing 

 Station for England and Wales (the director of which 

 is Mr. Saunders), will be housed at Cambridge in a 

 large building which will be completed by next 

 summer. Meanwhile the temporary office of the in- 

 stitute is at 72 Victoria Street, London, S.W.i. 



The Salters' Institute of Industrial Chemistry in- 

 vites applications for fellowships of the annual value 

 of 250L from those who in October next will have 

 completed three years' training in chemistry and 

 desire ultimately to enter upon an industrial career. 

 The applications, including particulars of the candi- 

 dates' training and war service, must be sent to the 

 director of the institute, Salters' Hall, St. Swithin's 

 Lane, E.C.4, by, at latest, July i. 



A REPORT by Dr. A. Mearns Eraser, Medical Officer 

 of Health for Portsmouth, upon the prevention of 

 venereal diseases was noticed in Nature of March 25 

 (p. 114). The Society for the Prevention of Venereal 

 Disease now informs us that the Portsmouth Borough 

 Council has decided that steps shall be taken to 

 educate the male inhabitants of the borough in the 

 facts put forward by Dr. Eraser as to methods of 

 prevention by immediate self-disinfection. 



Scientific visitors to the Royal Academy's exhibi- 

 tion this year will be much interested in the fine 

 presentation portrait of Sir Clifford Allbutt painted by 

 Sir William Orpen. The picture hangs in the first 

 gallery and bears the inscription : " Sir Clifford All- 

 butt, K.C.B., M.D., E.R.S., Regius Professor of 

 Physic in the University of Cambridge; President of 

 the British Medical Association. Presented to him by 

 his Profession, 1920." A proof of the mezzotint en- 

 graving of the portrait is exhibited in the room 

 devoted to engravings, drawings, and etchings. 



The Department of Scientific and Industrial 

 Research announces that the third Conference of 

 Research Organisations will be held to-morrow, 



