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NATURE 



[June 24, 1920 



The Centenary of Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. 



npHE commemoration of the centenary of Sir 

 ■*■ Joseph Banks, Bart., who died on June 19, 

 1820, was celebrated by the Linnean Society on 

 Thursday last, as mentioned on p. 496 of Nature 

 for June 17. After the usual formal business, Dr. 

 B. Daydon Jackson read the first communication on 

 "Banks as a Traveller," speaking of his four overseas 

 voyages — first, the visit to Newfoundland in H.M.S. 

 Niger, on board which his friend Constantine 

 Phipps, afterwards Lord Mulgrave, was a lieutenant ; 

 next, the adventurous voyage of the Endeavour, Lieut. 

 Cook commander, when Banks so amply proved his 

 value in many untoward events; third, the voyage 

 to Iceland; and fourth, his trip to Rotterdam in 1773, 

 when he was still eager for an expedition to the 

 North. The second paper, by Dr. A. B. Rendle, 

 was entitled "Banks as a Patron of Science." 

 Banks's life from his return to England in 1771 

 until its close in 1820 was that of an enthusiastic, 

 liberal, and generally far-sighted patron of science. A 

 friendship began with King George, which steadily 

 increased, and Banks was consulted on important 

 matters of very various kinds. He became botanical 

 adviser to the King in relation to the Royal Gardens 

 at Kew, which developed under Banks's guidance, 

 becoming the repository of plants of economic and 

 ornamental value from all parts of the world. Banks 

 initiated or encouraged voyages of exploration, and 

 kept up an extensive correspondence with men 

 interested in science overseas. His house in Soho 

 Square was the rendezvous of students and men of 

 all classes interested in schemes of philanthropy or 

 science ; his magnificent library and herbarium were 

 at the service of other workers, and after his death 

 were bequeathed to the British Museum. For forty- 

 two years he was president of the Royal Society. He 

 was very closely, though indirectly, associated with 

 the origin of the Linnean Society. Mr. James 

 Britten, in the third paper, began by remarking that 

 much of his paper was based upon the daily use of 

 Banksian specimens for nearly half a century in the 

 British Museum. The author showed that the popular 

 belief that Banks left all his botanic work to his 

 secretaries and curators, Solander and Dryander, was 

 a mistaken one, and that Banks displayed great 

 botanic acquirements. 



The president remarked that official records of the 

 British Museum testified to the active interest taken 

 bv Banks in all matters connected with its advance- 

 ment, and that keepers and trustees alike referred to 

 him for his advice and decision. 



Certain objects closely connected with Banks were 

 exhibited. 



South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies. 



THE twentv-fifth annual congress of the Union was 

 held at Eastbourne on June 2-6, under the presi- 

 dency of Sir Edward Brabrook, who in his presidential 

 address dealt with progress in anthropology and 

 economics during^ the past quarter of a century. In 

 regard to the latter, he expressed the opinion that the 

 war seemed to have dismissed all economic orthodoxy 

 into thin air, with unrestricted paper currency, reck- 

 less extravagance, trading by Government, and mani- 

 pulation of markets, all of which had been borne 

 with patience durinj? war-time, but were intolerable 

 in time of peace. Science had done what it could to 

 provide sound instruction by the issue of standard 

 works. 



The second day's business began with a paper by 



NO. 2643, VOL. 105] 



Comdr. £. A. Martin on "The Glaciation of the South, 

 Downs," in which he endeavoured to show that the 

 chalk hills received their final curving by ice-agency,, 

 and attributed much of the " clay-with-flints " deposits 

 and the chalk rubble of the ury'valleys to the agency 

 of glaciers, having their rise on the Downs when they 

 were at a greater height, with greater precipitation,, 

 and a low snow-line. He had mapped out the blocks 

 of sandstones, ironstones, and sarsens, and concluded 

 that short rivers could not have transported them to 

 where they are now found. He compared the iron- 

 stones with similar deposits which have been found 

 at Lenham, on the North Downs, to be of Pliocene 

 age. He referred the rounded contours of the chalk 

 hills to the grinding action of ice, resulting in their 

 appearance now as huge roches-moutonnees. Stria- 

 tions were not, as a rule, found, because the rocks 

 were such as would rather crumble and perish under 

 the pressure necessary to produce them. One sarsen 

 at Stanmer was found, however, distinctly to be 

 striated. The author thought that there had been 

 two clear periods of glaciation : one before the deposi- 

 tion of, the temperate marine muds at Selsea, at the 

 base of which were the famous Selsea erratics, refer- 

 able to the glaciation at the close of the AcheuHan 

 period, and a later one which gave rise to the Rubble- 

 Drift, after the development of the Mousterian 

 culture. In a brief discussion which followed, the 

 glaciation theorv was^opposed bv Mr. T. Sheppard, 

 of Hull. ■ " 



Mr. C. C. Fagg read a paper on "First Steps in a 

 Local Regional Survey." in continuation of the efforts 

 which he has made for some years to stimulate 

 the regional survey movement. Prof. Boulger, in the 

 absence through illness of Miss G. Lister, read a paper 

 on "The Eastern Extension of the Lusitanian Flora," 

 with special reference to the localitv. 



Prof. E. B. Poulton delivered a public lecture on 

 "Mimicry and Migrations of Insects," and this was 

 attended by invitation by numerous boys' and girls' 

 schools in the town. A paper was read by Mr. R. 

 Adkin on " Migrations of I3utterflies and Moths in 

 regard to the British Islands." Mr. Adkin dealt with 

 flights of migrating Lepidoptera and movements of 

 larvae by the agency of the wind, and discussed the 

 question of whether such occurrences are to be con- 

 sidered as chance happenings or as the result of 

 voluntary action on the part of the migrants. Some 

 account was given of observed immigrations on the 

 coast near Eastbourne, and further evidence was 

 asked for. Mr. Adkin showed how the .cfeographical 

 position of the British Islands rendered them sin- 

 gularlv suitable for the observation of such pheno- 

 mena, and suggested the lines of movement by which 

 "^uch immigrants would be likelv to reach our coasts. 

 The paner was illustrated bv maps and diagrams and 

 by exhibits of the insects referred to. 



The matter of the enclosing of so much of the 

 Downs durinf^ the last vear or two bv barbed-wire 

 fences was discussed, and a resolution was carri*>d 

 with much enthusiasm asking that joint steps should 

 be taken bv several influential bodies to carry throu.-^h 

 a scheme for the protection of rights of wav over the 

 Downs, and for the acquisition for public use of 

 typical stretches of them. 



A large collection of wild flowers was on exhibition 

 during the congress. Phyteuma spirnttim was s'^id 

 to be grow.insr in large quantities in East Sussex this 

 vear. and orchids wee found in profusion in nnd 

 about Beachv Head. Excursions to Pevensev. Alfris- 

 ton. East Dean, Old Eastbourne, and other places 

 addpd interest to a verv successful congress. 



After one of the excursions the partv returned to 

 " Hodeslea " to tea. Huxlev spent the later years of 



