March 29, 191;] 



NATURE 



89 



them open. The Leicester Museum, which led off 



\vith the first public exhibition of mothercraft, is now 



seeking- by means of models to aid those who find 



themselves handling a spade for the first time and 



have vet to learn that a potato has two ends. Norwich 



Museum, which also had its mothercraft show, has 



opened a thrift and economj- exhibition. Food values, 



cheap cooking, home-washing, thrift garments, fuel 



I economy, saving of man-power, and the cultivation 



I of potatoes are among the subjects dealt with. It 



^ seems to us that the rate-supported museums are 



quite the proper instruments for the education of 



the public in these homely ways of helping the 



ountry, and we hope that more will follow the 



' xample of Leicester and Norwich. 



Sir J. Wolfe Barry is to deliver the "James 

 Forrest " lecture to the Institution of Civil Engineers 

 on Wednesday, May 2, taking as his subject, "The 

 Standardisation of Engineering Materials and its 

 Influence on the Trade and Prosperity of the 

 Country." 



News has just reached us of the death on 

 February 6, at sixty-three years of age, of Dr. 

 H. F. E. Jungersen, professor of zoology in the 

 L'niversit\- of Cof>enhagen and director of the depart- 

 ment of vertebrates in the University museum. 



The death is announced of Col. Walter Katte, the 

 civil engineer who built the elevated railways of New 

 York. He was born in London in 1830, and was 

 educated at King's College School. He emigrated to 

 America in 1849. At the outbreak of the Civil War 

 he commanded an engineer regiment. He super- 

 ' intended the construction of the first steel-arch bridge 

 to span the Mississippi. 



Another national park has been set apart by vote 

 b of the American Congress. This new_ reservation has 

 an area of 2200 square miles, and lies ia south-central 

 \ Alaska. It contains within its boundaries the highest 

 ; mountain in America, Mount McKinley, and will con- 

 sequently bear the name of the Mount McKinley 

 National Park. As a game refuge and breeding- 

 ground the park is expected to preserve Alaskan game, 

 which elsewhere is rapidly disappearing. 



The expedition which the .American Museum of 

 Natural Historv has maintained for the last six months 

 in Nicaragua has returned to New York, bringing with 

 it a collection of 1500 fishes and 2000 reptiles, together 

 with a large series of photographs and unusually 

 complete oecological notes. The material thus obtained 

 is said to be of special value, as no specimens of 

 reptiles have ever before been brought out of this 

 region, although it has a reptile fauna of no ordinary* 

 interest, not only because of the great diversity in 

 the topographical features, but also because the isthmus 

 to-day forms a transition tract between the two con- 

 tinents, and is supposed in the past to have had 

 land connection with Cuba and Jamaica. The expedi- 

 tion was in charge of Mr. C. R. Halter, an assistant 

 in herpetology at the museum, and Mr. L. A. Mann- 

 hardt, of Yale. 



We learn from the Times that it has been decided 

 to introduce summer time this year, as recommended 

 by the Home Oflfice Committee, throughout the United 

 Kingdom, beginning at 2 o'clock in the morning of 

 Sunday, April 8, when the clocks will be put forward 

 one hour, and ending at 2 o'clock in the morning of 

 Monday, September 17. An Order in Council will be 

 issued to give effect to this decision. The Rome corre- 

 spondent of the Times announces that summer tirne 

 will be adopted in Italy on April i, and will remain in 



NO. 2474, VOL. 99] 



force until the end of September. Under the Daylight 

 Saving Act, clocks in .Australia were put back one 

 hour on Sunday, March 25. 



The annual general meeting of the Ray Society \va- 

 held on March 22 in the apartments of the Geotogical 

 Society, Dr. S. F. Harmer, in the absence of the 

 president, being in the chair. The report of the 

 council showed a slight increase in the membership, 

 a large increase in the sale of publications, and a very 

 satisfactory balance-sheet, and stated that two volumes 

 had been issued for 1916, and the issue for 1917 

 would be the " British Characeas " by Mr. James Groves 

 and Canon Bullock-Webster. One of the rules was 

 amended so as to require authors to agree to assign 

 the copyright of their works to the society. Vacancies 

 on the council were filled bv the election of Sir David 

 Prain and Dr. A. B. Rendle. Prof. W. C. Mcintosh 

 was re-elected president. Dr. F. Du Cane Godman 

 treasurer, and Mr. John Hoj^inson secretary". 



The President of the Board of Trade has appointed 

 a committee to consider and report what steps should 

 be taken, whether by legislation or otherwise, to 

 ensure that there shall be an adequate and economical 

 supply of electric power for all classes of consumers in 

 the United Kingdom, particularly industries which 

 depend upon a cheap supply of power for their develop- 

 ment. The menibers of the committee are : — Mr. F. 

 Huth-Jackson (chairman), Mr. H. Booth, Mr. J. 

 Devonshire, Mr. J. Falconer, Mr. G. H. Hume, Mr. 

 J. Kemp, Mr. H. H. Law, Mr. C. H. Merz, Sir 

 Charles Parsons, Sir John Snell, Alderman C. F. 

 Spencer, and Mr. A. J. Walter. The secretary of the 

 committee is Mr. M. J. Collins, to whom all com- 

 munications on the work of the committee should be 

 addressed at the Board of Trade, 7 Whitehall Gardens, 

 London, S.W.i. 



The President of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries has appointed a committee to consider prac- 

 tical means for increasing the supplies of sea-fish for 

 the home markets and for encouraging the consump- 

 tion of such fish, whether cured or fresh, in substitu- 

 tion for other foods. The committee has received a 

 grant from the Development Fund, with authority to 

 expend the grant, subject to limitations and conditions 

 recommended by the Development Commissioners and 

 approved by the Treasury, at their discretion for the 

 increase of the fishing power of vessels other than 

 steam fishing vessels. In general their expenditure 

 will be confined to assisting fishermen who are owners 

 of their own boats to develop their fishing power and 

 to secure greater quantities of fish. The committee 

 consists of : — Mr. Cecil Harmsworth (chairman) ; 

 Mr. H. S. M. Blundell, of the Admir.ilt>- War Staff 

 (Trade Division) ; Mr. H. G. Maurice, of the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries; Mr. E. H. Collingwood, 

 of the Board of -Agriculture and Fisheries; Mr. 

 Stephen Re^-nolds, representing the Development 

 Commissioners; Mr. A. Towle, representing the Food 

 Controller. The secretary and manager is Mr. G. K. 

 Hext. Communications should be addressed to the 

 secretary. Fish Food Committee, 43 Parliament Street, 

 S.W.I. 



The President of the Board of .Agriculture and 

 Fisheries has appointed a committee to consider 

 whether anv considerable addition to the home food 

 supplies of fish could be provided from the rivers, lakes, 

 and ponds of England and Wales. The committee is 

 requested to have special regard to considerations 

 affecting the practicability of any scheme for bringing 

 fresh-water fish supplies into consumption, such as 

 the machinery and labour required to make the sup- 

 plies available, facilities for their transport to market, 



