September 8, 1898] 



NATURE 



437 



Committee were suddenly placed within a week of the 



\ meeting. 



* In preparation for the Biological Exhibit at the Clifton 



Zoological Gardens, tanks, prepared at and stocked from 

 the ^Iarine Biological Association's Station at Plymouth, 

 have been for some time in position, and the arrange- 

 ments made for the continuous flow of water, under the 

 skilful care of Mr. Allen, appear to be completely satis- 

 factory. The Committee have had some disappointments ; 

 but it is hoped that, among other objects of interest, the 

 crossed-breeds of cattle, Mr. Veitch's hybrid plants, Mr. 



E. J. Lowe's exhibit of ferns, Dr. Norton's illustrations of 

 cuckoo eggs in the foster-parent nests, and Mr. Griffiths's 

 entomological exhibit will, together with the Society's 

 collection, which includes two recently born lions and a 

 number of young pythons, form a centre of attraction. 



The following will give some indication of the sectional 

 prospects : — 



In Section A (Mathematical and Physical Science) the 

 President, Prof .Ayrton, delivers the address printed in 

 this number of Nature. Papers have already been re- 

 ceived from Sir Geo. Stokes, Profs. Johnstone Stoney, 

 Rijckerrorsel, Hele-Shaw, Oliver Lodge, MacGregor, and 

 from Mr. E. H. Griffiths. A lengthy Report has been 

 received from the Committee on Seismology. On Satur- 

 day the Section will meet as usual in two subdivisions, 

 one taking papers dealing with Mathematics, and the 

 other those dealing with Meteorology. On IVIonday a 

 conjoint discussion with Section B will be opened by 

 Prof H. H. Turner, Captain Abney, and Prof Thorpe on 

 the results of the recent Solar Eclipse. There will be an 

 international conference on Terrestrial Magnetism and 

 Atmospheric Electricity, in connection with which Prof 

 Riicker will deliver a short address. Mr. Whittaker will 

 report on the work in higher mathematics on which 

 Cambridge graduates'are engaged. Prof A. P. Chattock 

 reads a paper on " The velocity of the electricity in the 

 electric wind," and a joint communication with Mr. S. R. 

 Milner on "The thermal conductivity of water." Mr. 



F. B. Fawcett contributes a paper on " Standard high 

 resistances," and Mr. T. W. Gifford one on "Lenses, 

 not of glass." 



In Section B (Chemistry) the subject of Prof F. 

 R. Japp's presidential address is "Stereochemistry 

 and \'italism." This address, which is an attempt 

 to show that the results of modern stereochemisal 

 research preclude an explanation of the phenomena 

 of life in terms of the mechanics of atoms, will 

 be found in another part of the present number of 

 Nature. Prof Ramsay and Dr. Morris Travers have 

 promised a communication dealing with their recent 

 researches on the constituents of the atmosphere ; the 

 title of their paper is "On the Extraction of the Com- 

 panions of Argon and on Neon," and the spectra of the 

 new gases will be shown at the soiree to be held at 

 Clifton College. Prof Sydney Young will contribute a 

 paper on " Some researches on the thermal properties 

 of gases and liquids," in which a summary of his 

 important researches on the subject will be given ; 

 among points of more general interest will be a descrip- 

 tion of the methods employed by Dr. Young for the 

 practical distillation of liquids, and their application to 

 the separation of pure hydrocarbons from American 

 petroleum. Dr. W. J. Russell will describe his interest- 

 mg photographic investigations on "The action exerted 

 by certain metals on a photographic plate," and will 

 illustrate his paper by lantern slides. Dr. J. G. Parker 

 will read a paper on "Recent advances in the tanning 

 industry," which should be of considerable local interest, 

 owing to the number of tanneries in Bristol and the 

 neighbourhood. Amongst other papers promised are 

 the following : — " On the cooling curves of fatty acids," 

 by A. P. Laurie and E. H. Strange; "The analysis of 

 soils in Derbyshire," by C. W. Luxmore ; " An anomaly 



NO. 1506, VOL. 58] 



in the equivalent replacement of metals," by Prof F. 

 Clowes ; three papers by Prof \V. R. E. Hodgkinson 

 and Mr. A. H. Coote— "The action of ammonia gas 

 upon guncotton," "Relations between chlorates and 

 sulphates," " Compounds of SO^ and amino-bases." Dr. 

 R. S. Morrell and Mr. J. M. Crofts will contribute a 

 paper on " The action of hydrogen peroxide on carbo- 

 hydrates in presence of iron salts," and Prof J. 

 Wertheimer will read a paper on "The influence of 

 examinations on the teaching of chemistry." The latter 

 will be discussed together with the report of the Com- 

 mittee of the Section on "The teaching of natural 

 science in elementary schools." Other reports of interest 

 will be that of the Committee on "The action of light 

 on dyed colours," and the results obtained by the Com- 

 mittee investigating the " Electrolytic methods of quanti- 

 tative analysis " ; the latter deals with the estimation of' 

 cobalt and nickel, contributed by Dr. Hugh Marshall, 

 and with the estimation of zinc, contributed by ProL 

 Carlton Williams. 



In Section C (Geology), Mr. W. H. Hudleston's. 

 presidential address will deal with certain points in the 

 geology of the south-west of England. The papers- 

 promised also deal largely with the geology of southern. 

 Britain, and possess much local interest. Mr. A. 

 Strahan summarises the recent work of the Survey irt 

 South Wales ; Mr, Robert Etheridge contributes in- 

 formation on a subject of great public interest, the Kent 

 coal-field in its relations with that of Belgium ; Mr. 

 E. B. Wethered will explain by means of lantern slides 

 the action of microscopic organisms in building up the 

 Carboniferous Limestones of Clifton ; Mr. Bolton con- 

 tributes a paper on Pleistocene mammals, based on the 

 material collected by his predecessor the late Edward 

 Wilson at Uphill. Prof Lloyd Morgan gives some notes 

 on local geology, illustrated by lantern shdes. Prof Hull 

 will illustrate his well-known views on the Atlantic by 

 an interesting series of new slides, and his paper ought 

 to attract geographers also. The President of the 

 Section promises a paper bearing on the same subject, 

 and an interesting exchange of views may be expected. 

 Prof Blake's paper on "Aggregate deposits and their 

 relation to zones" ought to promote lively discussion. 

 Mr. Oldham will illustrate by means of slides the 

 enormous extent and effects of the great Indian earth- 

 quake of 1897. Mr. Wheeler's paper on "The action 

 of waves and tides on the movement of material on the 

 sea-coast," concerns both geologists and engineers. 

 Mr. Spencer contributes papers on mineralogical sub- 

 jects. Prof H. F. Osborn will speak on the early 

 Lake-basins of the Rocky Mountains ; and Prof O. 

 C. Marsh is expected to be present, and to speak on 

 the preservation of type specimens. Among the Reports 

 of Committees, two are the result of last year's visit to 

 Canada, the first on the Canadian Pleistocene Flora and 

 Fauna ; the other on geological photographs. The col- 

 lection of photographs of geological interest has been 

 carried on for some years by a British Association 

 Committee in Britain, who issue a report this year, and 

 the second Canadian Report is from a similar Committee 

 initiated in Toronto last year. The Irish Elk Committee 

 describes a fairly perfect skeleton found in the Isle of 

 Man ; and the Coral Reef Committee will summarise 

 the successful work commenced by Prof Sollas, and 

 cpntinued by Edgeworth David. 



In Section D (Zoology and Physiology) Prof Weldon 

 will, in his presidential address, urge the necessity of a 

 statistical treatment of the problems of variation, inherit- 

 ance, and selection. Mr. F. Galton will read an important 

 paper on photographic records of pedigree stock in their 

 bearing on heredity. Mr. Walter Garstang and Prof. 

 Mcintosh will contribute papers bearing on the fishery 

 question. Dr. Willey will read a communication on the 

 phylogeny of the vertebrate amnion ; and Mr. Master- 



