294 



NATURE 



[November 13, 1919 



you will doubtless receive on the occasion of the 

 attainment of Nature's first jubilee. The whole 

 scientific community of this country is indebted to 

 you for the great service you have rendered to science 

 in recording with wise discrimination the progress of 

 science and the growth of natural knowledge. Your 

 journal is welcomed week by week as a very real 

 friend, and we trust it may long continue to serve the 

 great cause of science with the same distinction and 

 ability as in the past. 



Sir Ronald Ross, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., F.R.S.— I 

 write as editor of Science Progress to congratulate 

 Nature on attaining its jubilee. It is with warm 

 feelings that I do so, because Nature lias been the 

 medium of publication for almost all scientific men, 

 whether as regards their scientific work or their per- 

 sonal difficulties, or even questions of organisation, 

 emolument, and so on, for fifty years. It is pre- 

 eminent as a scientific organ, and the editorship of 

 it is universally recognised as being extraordinarily 

 efficient. I myself know the difficulties, and appre- 

 ciate, therefore, the way in which they are completely 

 overcome. 



Prof. Arthur Schuster, Sec. R.S. — I desire 

 to convey to the Editor of Nature my sincere 

 congratulations on the completion of the first 

 fifty years of life of the periodical which under his 

 guidance has attained a unique position in the 

 scientific world. By a well-balanced combination of 

 scientific articles, reviews, discussion by correspond- 

 ence, personal notes, and general information, it soon 

 established and continued to maintain a distinguished 

 reputation wherever science is pursued. If continued 

 in the same spirit of liberal thought and impartial 

 criticism, Nature may look forward to an equally 

 prosperous future. 



Dr. D. H. Scott, F.R.S.— The fifty years of 

 Nature's brilliant career have seen great developments 

 in) botany, as in every other science. It is true that 

 the previous half-century, which witnessed the birth 

 of the cell theory and the acceptance of evolution, was 

 a greater era; it was then that scientific botany, as 

 part of biology, was created; the succeeding period 

 has been one of vigorous and manifold growth. 

 When Nature started Darwinism had already won its 

 first triumphs ; it maintained and strengthened its 

 position down to the end of the century, and then 

 came a change. The rediscovery of Mendel's work 

 in plant-breeding established the new science of 

 genetics and transformed current ideas of evolution. 

 Another new science, cytology, the intimate study 

 of the cell, and especially of the nucleus, arose, 

 to work hand-in-hand with genetics, revealing the 

 nature of fertilisation and, in a certain degree, the 

 mechanism of segregation. These are matters of 

 fundamental significance, common to both the bio- 

 logical sciences. In the same field, but within the 

 stricter limits of botany, we have the discovery of the 

 spermatozoids of the maidenhair-tree and the Cycads, 

 linking these primitive seed-plants with the Crypto- 

 gams, and through them with the animal kingdom, and 

 of the strange phenomenon of double fertilisation in 

 the higher flowering plants. Other new developments 

 are ihe growth of a comparative anatomy of plants, 

 NO. 261 1, VOL. 104] 



now extended to the oldest fossil remains, and the 

 advent of ecology, or physiology in the field. Of all 

 this and much more a record will be found in the 

 long series of the volumes of Nature. 



Sir Aubrey Straiian, K.B.E., F.R.S., Director 

 OF the Geological Survey of Great Brifais. — I 

 am glad to avail myself of the opportunity of 

 sending my congratulations on the attainment by 

 Nature of its jubilee. The high standard aimed at 

 in the earliest issue has been well maintained, and 

 Nature has now for half a century been our leading 

 weekly journal on pure science. .As regards geological 

 literature, apart from the valuable original articles 

 which appear in its columns, its reviews especially 

 supply a want which is not provided for elsewhere. I 

 venture to express the hope, which I believe will be 

 shared by all scientific men, that Nature may con- 

 tinue to fulfil its high functions for many years to 

 come. 



Sir J. J. H. Teall, F.R.S., lately Dirkctok 

 of the Geological Survey of Great Britain.- That 

 Nature has rendered great services to scienre 

 in general and to all its branches is universally ad- 

 mitted. I have followed its development from the time 

 of its first appearance until now with interest, sym- 

 pathy, and admiration; and it is with a profourd 

 feeling of gratitude that I offer my hearty congratula- 

 tions on the celebration of the jubilee of the great 

 journal which has been edited with so much tact and 

 ability for fifty years. 



Prof. H. H. Turner, F.R.S.— The benefits of 

 such work as yours are absorbed into the scientific 

 system so naturally that, for the most part, they 

 excite no attention. All the more is it, therefore, 

 appropriate that at certain epochs notice should be 

 expressly directed towards them and an attempt made 

 to integrate what we have been quietly receiving for 

 so many years in order that we may be truly thankful. 

 It gives me great pleasure to be one of those invited 

 to put our thanks into words. 



Dr. Henry de Varigny, Scientific Editor of 

 THE "Journal des Debats." — As an old and verv 

 faithful reader who has never failed throughout 

 forty years to read Nature, I beg to send my 

 thanks to the Editor, contributors, and publishers 

 for the pleasure and information they have given 

 me. Nature has been, and remains, the organ 

 of British scientific thought and progress. All the 

 work of Britain's magnificent team of naturalists, 

 astronomers, physicists, chemists, biologists, etc., has 

 been made known to the world by Nature. Sincere 

 thanks are due for the good work done in the interest 

 of scientific progress, and cordial congratulations to 

 the Editor on this anniversary. May both he and 

 Nature live long to pursue their task, one which 

 becomes more useful and essential than ever before 

 to culture, hatid teutonico sed hutnano sensu; and 

 may we all, on both sides of the Channel, maintain 

 that cordial understanding so firmly maintained 

 through the ordeal of blood and fire for the freedom 

 of civilisation. 



Sir H. Trueman Wood. — I have been a 

 regular reader of Nature since 1870 — for forty- 

 nine out of its fifty year* of existence. There can- 



