38o 



NATURE 



[December ii, 1919 



j^rowiiii,' favour with which oil-fuel is rcfiarded by 

 shippinj4 intcn'sts. In view of the <,'n'al advantafji-s of 

 oil-fuel, il is pi()l)able that onl\ the cheapm-ss of coal 

 and the comparatively hifjh price, and at times the 

 uncertaintv, of oil-fuel supplies have prevented the 

 more rapid substitution of litiuid for solid fuel on 

 shipboard. The diminished output of coal, hamperinfj 

 bunkering regulations, and fears of labour troubles 

 have c;iused shipping interests to give closer attention 

 to the question of using oil-fuel under the boilers of 

 stt^aniships. One unsatisfactory feature of the situa- 

 tion is that the 15ritish shipowner is liUely for a con- 

 siderable time to come to be comix^lled to rely on 

 foreign sources of supplv. Many of the leading dock 

 authorities, such as at Avonmouth, Belfast, IJverpool, 

 etc.. are taking steps to augment the facilities avail- 

 able' for oil-fuel storage, and shipowners ought soon 

 to be able to obtain supplies at all important home 

 ports. 



Thk following works are in preparation for appear- 

 ance in the Drapers' C'ompanv Research Memoirs of 

 the Biometric Laboratory" Publications {Cambridge 

 University Press): — In the Biometric Series: "Mathe- 

 matical Contributions to the Theor\- of F.volution," 

 xvii. "On Homotyposis in the Animal Kingdom": 

 A Co-operative Studv, and in " Studies in National 

 Deterioration," "The Health of the School-Child in 

 Relation to its Mental Characters," Prof. Karl Pear- 

 son. In the Memoir Series of the Eugenics Labora- 

 tory Publications, 'The Influence of Parental Occupa- 

 tion and Home Conditions on the Physique of the 

 Offspring," Lthel M. Elderton, is also in preparation 

 for publication bv the same firm. Messrs. Longmans 

 and Co. have in the press " Diagnosing and Curing 

 of Troubles in Electric Machinery," Prof. Miles 

 Walker. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



CoMKTS. — Prof. Crawford and Misses Fairfield and 

 Cunimings have deduced the following orbit of 

 PMnlav's comet (iQiqrf) from observations on Novem- 

 ber 9, 12, and 15 : — 



T = i9i9 Oct. 1552 G.M.T. 

 CO =318° 15' 

 51= 46° 55' 

 i = 3° 23' 



log ^ = 00056 

 f = 07146 

 Period = 6'688 vears 



Ephemcris for Green'^i-ich Midnight. 



Dec. 



ft is of interest that three perihelion passages 

 occurred within five days, viz. Finlay on October 15, 

 Brorsen-Metcalf on October 16, and Schaumasse on 

 October 20. 



.Another long-period comet, de Vico's of iS^6, is 

 expected within the next year or two. 



Wireless Time Sic.nals. — The London Cazette of 

 November 21 gives an interesting list of the stations 

 that now send out these signals. There are three in 

 Europe, thirteen in North and Central America, four 

 in South America, four in Asia and Japan, three in 

 .\frica and Mauritius, four in .Australia and New 

 Zealand, and three in the Pacific Ocean (Philippines 

 and Honolulu). .A ship with an equipment suited to 

 the different svstems used should be able to pick up 

 NO. 2615, VOL. 104] 



her time in almost any part of the ocean ; a compara- 

 tively small increase in the number of signal stations 

 would make this absolutely the case. This is a 

 development in navigational facilities that wouM ha\e 

 seemed incredible a few years ago. 



Leeds .\stko.\omicai. .SociKrv. — \'ol. x.wi. of this 

 societv's Journal has lately been published under the 

 editorship of Mr. C. T. VV'hitmell, and contains, 

 usual, much interesting matter. A paper on No\ < 

 .Vquilae bv Mr. C. L. lirook may be specially noted. 

 There are also descriptive papers on stellar subjects 

 bv the Rev. L Carr-Gregg and Miss .\. Grace Cook, 

 and a very useful note on the limits of vision (i) in 

 detecting an object, and (2) in defining its shape, by 

 Dr. -A. S. Percival. The occultation of 7 .\quarii by 

 Venus, 1918 March 2, observed at Lick Observator\ . 

 and that of Cape (1900) No. 1524, 1918 .April 11. 

 well ob.served in .Australia, were both predicted 

 b\- Mr. .\. Burnet, an energetic member of the 

 societv, now at the Universitv Observatory, Oxford. 

 It is noteworthy that he made these predictions whil. 

 on militarv service in France. 



THK JUB1LEI-: OF '■NATURE.'' 



FUKTIIER Ol-ilCI.M. .\lESS.\r,KS. 



WE desire to express grateful acknowledgment nf 

 the many friendly references made to our jubilee 

 issue bv our contemporaries, and of messages of con- 

 gratulation received from readers and contributors 

 since those published in N.vrLKE of November 13. It 

 is a pleasant duty to print the following message - 

 which have reached us from official representatiw- 

 of several important scientific societies : — 



November i. RovAi. Society of Canada : Presi- 

 dent. Prof. K. F. Kiittan.—'' It affords me great 

 pleasure to offer you the sincere congratulations of 

 the Royal Societv' of Canada on the completion of 

 Nati^rr's half-cen'turv of service to the English-speak- 

 ing worid. During this period the journal has not 

 onh done much to create and maintain popular interesi 

 in'natural science, it has also been a driving-powe - in 

 the recent movement in favour of educational reforn 

 We recognise in Canada that its widelv quoted article 

 have been a strong factor in creating that background! 

 of public opinion so es,sential to ensure oflicial support 

 for scientific education and research. Permit me in 

 add mv best wishes for its continued success." 



November 3. American Academy of Arts and 

 Sciences. — "The president and secretaries congratu- 

 late the Editor of N.vruKE on the jubilee of this admir- 

 able publication. During fiftv vears N.vturk has up- 

 held a high standard and effectively fostered sciendl • 

 attainment. To-dav the study of the mechanism of tl 

 universe is recognised bv all thinking men as of ex- 

 ceedinglv great importance both in peace and in war. 

 The need was never greater that science—a bringer of 

 increased power to humanitv— should be guided by 

 high-minded pilots in order that its great possibilities 

 may be directed in beneficent channels. Mav the 

 helpful and civilising mission of N.vriRE long con- 

 tinue ! " 



November 4. Cai.uoknia .\cai)HMY oi' Sciences. 

 I^ireetor of .\ftiseum. Dr. B. IP. Erfrmoii?!.- " N.mvke 

 is a publication which has long held a large olace in 

 the reading and thought of the California Academv of 

 Sciences. We dewnd upon il more than perhaps upon 

 anv other single oublication for the scientific news 

 and achievements "of the worid. The American pub- 

 lication .SciVnre is, of course, of great interest to us 

 for American scientific news, but its field is rather 

 limited, and in its presentation of vah'able contribu- 

 tions to science it scarcely ranks with Nature. Their 



