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not be very many now left who can say as much, 

 so I hope I may be allowed to add my voice to the 

 chorus of congratulation which I am sure will greet 

 the completion of its first half-century. Others may 

 be better qualified to testify to the value of its services 

 to various branches of science, but nobody can be 

 more appreciative of the help it has given to the 

 progress of science generally, especially in this 

 country, which is fortunate in possessing what is 

 admittedly the leading scientific newspaper in the 

 world. The thanks of all -associated with scientific 

 matters are due alike to its eminent founder, still 

 happily amongst us, and to the publishers who co- 

 operated with him in what at the time can scarcely 

 have been regarded as a very promising speculation. 



Dr. Henry Woodward, F.R.S. — Having been 

 present at a dinner at the Garrick Club in 

 1869 to inaugurate the birth of Nature, now in 

 its fiftieth year, 1 feel proud to be permitted to 

 offer by hearty congratulations to the Editor and the 

 publishers upon this memorable occasion of its 

 jubilee. It is no small undertaking to have produced 

 more than 2600 weekly numbers of a journal embrac- 

 ing ever)' branch of natural knowledge during half a 

 century. Long may Nature flourish, and 'ong may 

 the founder bo spared to see its prosperity and, with 

 the eminent firm of Macmillan, enjoy its cosmopolitan 

 honours and high scientific reputation. 



fiOTES. 



TllK King has been pleased to approve of die fol- 

 lowing awards this year by the president and council 

 of the Royal Society : — Royal medal to Prof. J. H. 

 Farmer for his notable work on plant and animal 

 cytology, and Royal medal to .Mr. J. H. Jeans for his 

 researches in applied mathematics. The following 

 iiwards have also been made by the president and 

 council : — Copley medal to Prof. W. M. Bayliss for 

 his contributions to general physiology and to bio- 

 physics ; Davy medal to Prof. P. F. Frankland for 

 his distinguished work in chemistrv, esoeciallv that 

 on optical activity .ind on fermentation; Svlvcsler 

 medal to Major P. .\. MacMahon for his researches 

 in pure mathematics, especially in connection with the 

 partition of numbers and analysis; and Hughes nudal 

 to Dr. C. Chree for his researches on terrestrial mag- 

 netism. The following is a list of those recommended 

 by the president and council of the Royal Society for 

 election to the council at the anniversary meeting on 

 December 1 : —rresideiil : .Sir J. J. Thomson, O..M. 

 Treasurer: .Sir David Prain. C.M.G. Secreiariet : 

 Mr. W. B. Hardv and Mr. J. H. Jeans. Foreif<n 

 Secretary: Prof. \V. A. Herdman. Other Members 

 of the Council: Mr. J. Harcroft, Mr. C. ^'. Boys, 

 Sir I. J. Dobbie, Sir F. Dvson, Prof. J. B. Farnitr, 

 Sir "W. M. Fletcher, K.B.K., Prof. F. W. tJamble, 

 Sir R. T. (ilaztbrook. Prof. J. W. Gregorv, Dr. A. C. 

 Haddon, Sir R. A. fladfield, Bart.. Sir .\'. B. Kemp<\ 

 Sir \V. J. Pcpe. K.B.E., Dr. S. H. C. Martin, Prof. 

 .\. Schuster, .ind Prof. W. P. Wynne 



The President of the French Republic, accompanied 

 by Mme. Poincare, received a cordial welcome upon 

 his arrival in London on Monday, on a visit to the 

 King and Queen. British men of science would wish 

 to convey to President Poincarf; the expression of their 

 high regard for the influence France has alwavs 

 exerted in the cause of science and civilisation in 

 Europe, and of fraternal greetings to the eminent 

 NO. 261 I. VOL. 104] 



leaders in intellectual activity who are preserving this 

 great heritage. A banquet in honour of President and 

 .Mme. Poincare was given by the King and Queen at 

 Buckingham Palace on Monday evening. On Tues- 

 day the President, accompanied by Mme. Poincar^, 

 visited the City and were presented with an address 

 by the Lord Mayor. To-day the President !S to be 

 installed as Lord Rector of Glasgow University, and, 

 with Mme. Poincari5, will be entertained at luncheon 

 at the University, aftc<r which he is to be presented 

 with the freedom of the city. 



A CORRESPONDENT informs us that the Village Club 

 at Wimbledon, wherein, as Sir Norman Lockyer ex- 

 plained in our jubilee nuinber, the idea of Nature 

 was born, was founded by Dr. Joseph Toynbee (father 

 of Arnold Toynbee), and one of his intentions was to 

 have a local museum in the building. Such a museum 

 is now there, brought together by the more recently 

 established John ]'>elyn Club for Wimbledon. The 

 Village Club premises were occupied by the military 

 during the war, but the collections have now been 

 replaced <ind are again open to the public. They in- 

 clude prints, pictures, maps, and a photographic 

 survey, as well as many antiquities, bygones, and 

 natural history specimens, all connected with the 

 locality. It is hoped that the portrait of .Sir Norman 

 IvOckver will soon adorn the walls of the museum. 



Sir E. Ray Lankester has just completed fifty 

 vears' editorship of the Quarterly Journal of Micro- 

 scopical Science, and the current issue of that well- 

 known periodical (vol. Ixiv., part i) contains a brief 

 summarV bv Prof. G. C. Bourne of the contents of the 

 journal for the last half-century, demonstrating very 

 clearly the important part that it has played in the 

 development of modern biological science. We offer 

 our hearty congratulations to Sir Ray Lankester on 

 this notable occasion, and hope that many rnore 

 volumes mav appear under his distinguished editor- 

 ship. 



Ln reply to a question by Sir Philip Magnus, 

 Mr. Bonar Law has announced that the Commis- 

 sioners to be appointed under the Forestry .\cts are 

 as follows :— Lord Lovat (chairman). Director of 

 Forestrv, B.E.I'"., France, and member of Forestry Re- 

 construction Sub-Committee and of the Interim Forest 

 .\uthoritv; Mr. F. D. Acland, M.P., chairman of the 

 Home-grown Timber Coinmittee, chairman oi the 

 Forestry Reconstruction Sub-Committee, and chairman 

 of the Interim Forest -Aulhoritv ; Lord Clinton, formerly 

 president of the Royal English Arboricultural Society' 

 and member of the Interim Forest .Authority; Mr. 

 L. Forestier-Walker, M.P. ; Sir John Stirling-Max- 

 well (hon. secretarv), formerly president of the Royal 

 Scottish .\rboricuItural Society and member of the 

 Forestrv Reconstruction Sub-Committee; Mr. T. B. 

 Ponsonbv, member of the Interim Forest .Authority; 

 Mr. R. L. Robinson, member of the Interim Forest 

 .Authoritv, secretarv of tlie Forestry Reconstruction 

 Sub-Committee, and formerly head of the Joint Fores- 

 trv Branches of the Board of .Agriculture and Office 

 of Woods; and Col. W. T. Steuart-Fotheringham, 

 member of the Interim Forest .Authority. 



.After a successful military cainpaign the House 

 of Commons has frequently voted large sums of 

 money from public funds to the commanders under 

 whose guidance the conquest was won. National 

 recognition of a like kind was given to Jenner by a 

 grant of 10,000/. made bv the House in 1802, and by a 

 further grant of 20,oooL five years later, the inter- 

 vening period having strengthened the opinion as to 

 the efficacy of vaccination and its great benefits to 

 the nation at large. Sir Ronald Ross has long 



