September ii, 19 19] 



NATURE 



37 



more physiological systems. The same was true of 

 the thyroid. The racial features of the Mongolian 

 type were simulated by growing Europeans who were 

 affected by deficiency disorders of the thyroid gland. 

 The features of the Negro could best be accounted 

 for by the nature of the growth-regulating mechanism 

 centred in the thjroid and suprarenal glands. 

 European features were connected with a dominance 

 in the functions of the pituitary. As we came to 

 understand the machinery of growth, matters which 

 now puzzle us about the differentiation of varieties 

 and species of mankind would disappear. 



Botany. 



Sir Daniel Morris began his address to Section K by 

 remarking that since the Association met at Newcastle 

 in 1916 there has been decided progress in every 

 branch of science, and also a fuller recognition of the 

 value of science and education as means whereby the 

 material interests of the world may be enlarged. A 

 r.ew branch of botany has lately come into prominence 

 as one of the results of the devotion to nature study 

 and the contemplation of the characteristic features of 

 vegetation as we find it distributed over the world's 

 surface. Ecology is capable of enormously extending 

 the outlook of botany, and it has so largely added to 

 the interest of field work that we may wonder that 

 the phenomenon of vegetation so long displayed before 

 our eyes had not suggested its sociological aspects 

 long ago. It is hoped ecology will mitigate some of 

 the admitted drawbacks of purely laboratory work 

 and revive the old natural history spirit of former 

 days. 



Travelling somewhat outside the scope of previous 

 addresses, an attempt was made to summarise the 

 results of the many efforts to promote not only the 

 interests of the homeland, but of the Empire as a 

 whole. The establishment of an Imperial Department 

 of -Agriculture in the West Indies, followed by similar 

 highly equipped departments in India and in such 

 tropical colonies as Ceylon, Mauritius, Federated 

 Malav States, Fiji, and in East and West Africa, has 

 greatly advanced scientific research on the applied side 

 in connection with sugar, cotton, indigo, rice, india- 

 ri.bber, and other important industriee. The admir- 

 able work done by Biffen at Cambridge and the 

 Howards in India in raising new and improved varie- 

 ties of wheats clearly demonstrates the value of 

 thorough acquaintance with pure botany as a quali- 

 fication for grappling with questions of economic im- 

 portance. 



As the result of Biffen's plant-breeding work at 

 Cambridge, new wheats Wave been produced and 

 grown over extensive areas in the eastern counties 

 that have yielded crops at the rate of 50 to 60 bushels 

 per acre. In one instance an area of a little over 

 twenty-seven acres has yielded 2072 bushels, or an 

 average of 77 bushels per acre. This is to be com- 

 pared with the nverac?e vieM of wheat in this country 

 at about 32 bushels per acre. The new wheats are not 

 only more productive, but are less liable to disease, 

 and the quality of the flour is superior to that of 

 ordinary English wheats. In regard to India it is 

 estimated that the Pusa wheats raised bv the Howards 

 will shortly be established over five million acres, and 

 it is anticipated that they will bring in an increase in 

 the value of the agricultural produce of India, in one 

 crop only, of 75 lakhs of rupees or five millions 

 sterling. 



Henry's researches in regard to hybrid trees and his 

 elaborate investigation into the historv of the London 

 plane were generally regarded as valuable contribu- 

 tions to science. It was claimed in the case of many 

 trees that it is possible to produce much greater bulk 



NO. 2602, VOL. 104]. 



of timber in a given lime; while, according to Dawson, 

 the common belief that quickly grown timbers are of 

 an inferior quality is said not to hold good in respect 

 of any quality in ash, oak, and walnut. 



It is widely felt that the most pressing of all investi- 

 gations at the present time is the study of plant dis- 

 eases. The recently established Institute for Plant 

 Pathology at Rothamsted may be the means of intro- 

 ducing entirely new methods in mycological investiga- 

 tions. 



It was further suggested that all research work 

 should be organised on the broadest possible lines and 

 combine the biological services of the whole Empire. 

 We have a first step in this direction in the Imperial 

 Bureau of Entomologv with its headquarters at the 

 British Museum. Those acquainted with the efficient 

 work done by this bureau, and the valuable publica- 

 tions issued by it, will heartily welcome the establish- 

 nient of the proposed Imperial Bureau of Mycology, at 

 Kew, to carry on work on similar lines. 



Chemistry. 

 The periodic law, of which this year may be 

 regarded as the jubilee of its announcement by 

 .Mendelceff, formed the chief subject of the address 

 in Section B by Prof. P. P. Bedson. After dealing 

 with the inception of this! law, its utility as a means 

 of classifying the elements, and the revision of the 

 atomic weights demanded by it, the influence of the 

 discovery of argon, helium, and the allied elements 

 was reviewed, as also the important part that the 

 knowledge of the properties of helium has played in 

 the elucidation of the remarkable properties of 

 radium and other radio-active elements. Some of 

 the speculations as to the composite nature of the 

 elements were described, and allusion was made to the 

 confirmation of such conceptions provided bv the 

 investigations of Sir J. J. Thomson on the discharge 

 of electricity through gases. Amongst other matters 

 relating to the elements dealt with in the address 

 are the deductions drawn by the late Lieut. Moseley 

 from, the examination of the X-ray spectra of the 

 elements, which make it possible to assign a number 

 to an element, the atomic number, which corresponds 

 with its position in the table of the elements based upon 

 their arrangement in the order of the atomic weights. 

 Further, attention was directed to the remarkable 

 facts brought to light by the investigations in radio- 

 activity, especiallv the existence of elements which are 

 indistinguishable by chemical properties, yet possess 

 slightly different atomic weights. The concluding 

 section of the address was concerned with some points 

 arising from the work of chemists during the war 

 and the awakening of the public and the Government 

 to the importance of the chemical industries. 



Economic Science and Statistics. 



In the presidential address to Section F, Sir Hugh 

 Bell reviewed the economic situation brought about 

 by the war. .\ttention was directed to the extent and 

 nature of the devastation the war has prodviced and 

 the extinction of vast quantities of the wealth 

 accumulated in the past. He commented upon the 

 light-hearted way in which, not only during the war, 

 but also before its outbreak, the national expenditure 

 had been increased. A distinction was drawn between 

 pre-war expenditure for useful purposes and the 

 absolute waste of the greater part of the war expendi- 

 ture. The address dealt with the various suggestions 

 which have been made to cope with the situation. It 

 was urged that none of these provides a real remedy 

 which will assist in slowly re-accumulating the wealth 

 which has been destroyed. This, it was contended, 

 is the essential problem of the moment. 



