476 



NATURE 



[September i6, 1897 



A — Mathematics and Physics. 



*Foster, Prof. Carey. — Electrical Standards 

 *Symons, Mr. G. J. — Seismological Observations... 

 *Atkinson, Dr. E. — Abstracts of Physical Papers... 

 *Harley, Rev. R. — Calculation of Certain Integrals 

 *Shaw, Mr. W. N. — Electrolysis and Electro- 

 chemistry ... 



Callendar, Prof. — Meteorological Observatory at 

 Montreal 



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B — Chemistry. 

 •Roscoe, Sir H. E.— Wave-length Tables of the 



Spectra of the Elements .. 20 



*Reynold3, Prof. J. Emerson. — Electrolysis Quanti- 

 tative Analysis ... ... ... ... ... 12 



*Thorpe, Dr. T. E. — Action of Light upon Dyed 



Colours ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 



Evans, Sir J. — Promotion of Agriculture 5 



C— Geology. 



*Hull, Prof. E.— Erratic Blocks 5 



*Bonney, Prof. T. G. — Investigation of a Coral Reef 40 

 *Flower, Sir W. H. — Fauna of Singapore Caves 



(unexpended balance in hand, 40/. ) 

 *Geikie, Prof. J. — Photographs of Geological 



Interest ... - 10 



*Marr, Mr. J. E. — Life-zones in British Carbon- 

 iferous Rocks (unexpended balance in hand) ... 

 Dawkins, Prof. W. Boyd. — Remains of the Irish 

 Elk in the Isle of Man (unexpended balance in 

 hand) 

 *Jamieson, Mr. T. F. — Age of Rocks near Moreseat 10 

 Dawson, Sir J. W. — Pleistocene Fauna and Flora 

 in Canada ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 



D — Zoology. 

 *IIerdman, Prof. W. A. — Table at the Zoological 



Station, Naples ... ... ... ... ... 100 



*Bourne, Mr. G. C— Table at the Biological 



Laboratory, Plymouth ... .. ... ... 20 



*Flower, Sir W. H. — Index Generum et Specierum 



Animalium ... ... ... • ... .. 100 



Miall, Prof. — Biology of the Lakes of Ontario ... 75 

 *Herdman, Prof. W. A. — Healthy and Unhealthy 



Oysters 



E — Geography. 

 *Ravenstein, Mr. E. G. — Climatology of Tropical 

 Africa 



F — Economic Science and Statistics. 



Sidgwick, Prof. H. — State Monopolies in other 

 Countries 



Price, Mr. L. L.— Future Dealings in Raw Pro- 

 duce 



G — Mechanical Science. 



— Small Screw Gauge 



H — Anthropology. 

 B. — North-western Tribes of 



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'Preece, Mr. W. H, 



*Tylor, Prof. E, 



Canada 

 *Munro, Dr. R. — Lake Village at Glastonbury 

 *Brabrook, Mr. E. W. — Ethnographical Survey 

 (and unexpended balance in hand) 



* Evans, Mr. A. J. — Silchester Excavation 



*Dawson, Dr. G. M. — Ethnological Survey of 

 Canada 

 Turner, Sir W. — Anthropology and Natural History 

 of Torres Strait ... 



I — Physiology. . 

 Gaskell, Dr. W. H. — Investigation of Changes 

 as.sociated with the Functional Activity of Nerve 

 Cells and their Peripheral Extensions ... 

 K — Botany. 

 Farmer, Prof. J. B. — Fertilisation in Phaeophyceae 15 

 Corresponding Societies. 

 *Meldola, Prof. R. — Preparation of Report ... 25 



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The evening lectures given before the Association were much 

 appreciated. The projection of Prof. Roberts-Austen's electrical 

 furnace upon the screen was especially a source of much interest 

 to the inhabitants of Toronto. The evening reception given by 

 the Governor-General and Lady Aberdeen was a brilliant func- 

 tion. At the second conversazione, given by the Local Executive 

 Committee, one missed the usual lantern lectures, demonstra- 

 tions and exhibits ; but it was a pleasant gathering marked by 

 much cordiality between hosts and guests, and utilised by 

 members for comparing notes as to the work of the sections, and 

 as to plans for taking advantage of the numerous expeditions 

 and visits to places of interest provided for their visitors by the 

 Local Committee. Four parties start for the Pacific coast during 

 the next few days, stopping at various points of scientific or 

 industrial interest on the way, under the guidance of men of 

 first-rate local knowledge such as Dr. George Dawson, Dr. W. 

 Saunders, Mr. Walker, one of the Local Secretaries, and others. 

 The end of this article is being written in the train as the first 

 of these parties, including Lord Kelvin and Sir John Evans, is 

 passing along the northern shores of Lake Superior. Other 

 expeditions have been organised to the Muskoka Lakes, to 

 Niagara, to Parry Sound, &c., in addition to vi.sits to Montreal 

 and Ottawa. 



The arrangements of the Local Committee have been ex- 

 cellent, and it was felt at the concluding meeting, when 

 cordial votes of thanks were passed to our hosts, to the Local 

 Executive, and especially to Prof. Macallum and his colleagues 

 the Local Secretaries and Treasurers, that much hard work had 

 been done, and that our thanks were thoroughly deserved. The 

 University of Toronto and Trinity University both conferred 

 honorary degrees upon a few of their eminent guests, and a 

 great banquet in honour of Lord Kelvin, Lord Lister and Sir 

 John Evans, the three notable figures of the gathering, formed 

 a fitting and enthusiastic termination to a memorable meeting. 



W. A. Herdman. 



* Reappointed. 



NO. 1455, \OL. 56] 



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SECTION K. 



BOTANY. 



Opening Address^ by Prof. H. Marshall Ward, Sc.D., 



F.R.S., F.L.S., President of the Section. 

 T^HERE are many industrial processes which depend more or 

 less for their success on bacterial fermentations. The subject 

 is young, but the little that has been discovered makes it imperative 

 that we should go on, for not only are the results of immense 

 importance to science, but they open up vistas of practical ap- 

 plication, which are already being taken advantage of in 

 commerce, and we maybe sure that every economic application 

 of such knowledge will give the people employing it an advant- 

 age over those who proceed by the old rule-of-thumb methods, 

 where nobody knows or cares where the waste or leakage occurs 

 that spoils a commercial product. 



The discovery by Alvarez of the bacillus which converts a 

 sterilised decoction of indigo plant into indigo sugar and indigo 

 white, the latter then oxidising to form the valuable blue dye, 

 whereas the sterile decoction itself, even in presence of oxygen, 

 forms no indigo, may be cited as a case in point. It remains to 

 be decided whether this bacillus alone is concerned, or whether 

 the infusion of indican will ferment under the action of enzymes 

 alone derived from the leaves of the indigo plant. It also 

 remains for future investigation to determine whether the indigo 

 bacillus is the same as the pneumonia bacillus — which resembles 

 it— and will also induce the indigo fermentation, and to explain 

 why the woad-makers of the Fens find a sale for this indigo 

 preparation among indigo makers, as well as to clear up certain 

 mysterious " diseases " in the indigo-vats. Our much more exten- 

 sive knowledge of the diseases of beer and wine .suggests the 

 possibility of profitable bacteriological investigations in several 

 directions here. 



That certain stages in the preparation of tobacco-leaves — as 

 also in the preparation of tea— depend on a carefully regulated 

 fermentation, which must be stopped at the right moment, or 

 the product is impaired, or even ruined, has long been known. 

 Regarding the possible role of bacteria in the preparation of tea, 

 nothing is ascertained, but, if Suchsland's investigations are con- 

 firmed, there is among the many and various organisms con- 

 cerned in the fermentation of West Indian tobacco a bacterium 

 which has been isolated and plays an important part. It is 



1 Concluded from p. 461. 



