344 



NA TURE 



[August io, 1693 



I 



We have seen that it was stated at the trial that in 

 consequence of Dr. Budge's reports the native agent has 

 been dismissed for his pains. Dr. Budge has been 

 mulcted by the verdict of the law-courts in a sum 

 of something over, we hear, ^looo. Hence arises 

 another point of wide general interest regarding the treat- 

 ment which should be accorded to confidential reports from 

 subordinate officers by the higher officials. In the case 

 with which we are at present concerned, Dr. Budge re- 

 ported such things as he considered to be of importance 

 for the information of his superior officers, and it was, 

 one would think, their duty to sift such reports and to 

 act upon them. For some reason or other, as we gather 

 from the evidence at the trial, the trustees did not act 

 upon them, from which fact Mr. Justice Cave inferred 

 that Dr. Budge in repeating to Sir H. Layard part of the 

 contents of his reports had repeated things which the 

 trustees themselves had considered frivolous and trifling 

 [Times, July 4). This, however, is no argument at all, 

 for the reasons of the non-action of the trustees are un- 

 known, and it does not follow that the trustees regarded 

 them as vexatious and trifling. With the terror of the 

 decision in this case before them, all members of the 

 public service will be in duty bound to consider whether 

 they are able to afford the expenses of an action at law, 

 and the enormous costs which follow in its train, before 

 they report unpleasant truths to their superiors. Who 

 can complain if public servants, rather than incur the 

 penalties of the law, hold back information they 

 are in a position to give ? Whether this will be 

 good for the public service remains to be seen. 



Mr. Justice Cave, referring to the depredations around 

 the excavations, is reported to have said {Standard, 

 July 4) : " We all know that if you gave ^300 for a cylin- 

 der like the one produced, it is an mcentive for people to 

 steal. It is like the poachers. They will take your own 

 game if you will buy it of them, or they will take it any- 

 where they can get it.'' Mr. Justice Cave's facetious 

 remark, however, is scarcely on all fours with the verdict 

 of the jury. He owns that the excavating grounds in 

 question are preserves belonging to the trustees of the 

 British Museum ; yet when a keeper reports in general 

 terms that a large amount of poaching has been going 

 on, he is heavily mulcted for his pains, because an indi- 

 vidual chooses to assume that he was meant. 



Here then are the facts ; we believe that so far no 

 action whatever has been taken by the Trustees ; still we 

 are glad to learn from the Daily News that Dr. Budge's 

 confreres at all events have a sense of public duty. That 

 paper states " that the keepers of departments and the 

 assistants in the British Museum have combined to 

 present Dr. Budge with a cheque in settlement of his 

 damages in the recent libel action of ' Rassam v. 

 Budge.' It is understood that this is not merely an ex- 

 pression of sympathy with a popular colleague, but that 

 the action of the Museum officers was prompted by a 

 strong feeling that as Dr. Budge has acted throughout in 

 the interests of his department, it would be most unfair 

 to allow him personally to suffer." 



BRITISH ASSOCIATION MEETING IN 



NOTTINGHAM. 



A FORTNIGHTagosome accountwas given of the local 





arrangements made for the entertainment of mem- 



bers of the British Association during their stay in Not- 

 tingham. The accommodation provided for the sections 

 was also indicated. Fuller details on these matters will 

 be found in the local programme now in course of 

 preparation. 



With regard to the more serious and useful functions 

 of the Association, something of a preliminary and 

 general character may now be stated. 



NO. I 24 1, VOL. 48] 



It is with feelings of great satisfaction that members 

 will welcome Dr. Burdon Sanderson as general president 

 at Nottingham, and it will be unnecessary in a scientific 

 periodical to refer to the eminent service which has been 

 rendered to scientific progress by the president elect. 



The acceptance of the following gentlemen of the 

 positions of sectional presidents will also do much to 

 ensure the success of the sections : — Mr. R. T. Glaze- 

 brook, Dr. Emerson Reynolds, Mr. J. J. H. Teall, Rev. 

 Dr. H. B. Tristram, Mr. Henry Seebohm, Dr. J. S. 

 Nicholson, Mr. Jeremiah Head, and Dr. H. Robert Munro. 



In respect to these appointments universal regret will 

 be felt at the inability of Prof. Clifton to fulfil the duties 

 of the president's chair in Section A, which he had ac- 

 cepted, owing to serious family trouble. But the 

 acceptance of the position by Mr. Glazebrook will beyond 

 doubt cause general satisfaction. 



The work of the sections will in part be connected with 

 receiving the reports to be made by the various research 

 committees. Amongst these the following subjects are 

 included : — Electrical standards, meteorological observ- 

 ations on Ben Nevis, the application of photography to 

 meteorology, calculation of tables of certam mathematical 

 functions, recording direct intensity of solar radiation, 

 wave-length tables of the spectra of the elements, an i ater- 

 national standard for iron and steel analyses, the direct 

 formation of haloids from pure materials, action of light 

 on dyed colours, isomeric naphthalene derivatives, erratic 

 blocks in England, the fossil phyllopoda of pateozoic 

 rocks, the collection of geological photographs, the circu- 

 lation of underground waters and their use as water- 

 supplies, the zoology of the Sandwich Islands and of the 

 West India Islands, exploration of the Irish Sea, the 

 inhalation of oxygen in asphyxia, methods of economic 

 training, exploration of ancient remains in Abyssinia, the 

 characteristics of natives of Canada and of India, there- 

 calescent points in metals, volcanic phenomena in Japan, 

 the Pellian equation, the discharge of electricity frora 

 points, comparing and reducing magnetic observationsj 

 optical constants of lenses, ultra-violet rays of the 

 spectrum, meteoric dust, rate of increase of underground 

 temperature, the bibliography of solution and the pro- 

 perties of solutions, the bibliography of spectroscopy, the 

 silent electrical discharge in gases, the action of light on 

 the hydracids of the halogens in presence of oxygen, the 

 proximate chemical constituents of various kinds of coal, 

 the history of chemistry, the erosion of sea-coasts in 

 England and Wales, the volcanic phenomena of Vesuvius, 

 type-specimens of British fossils, investigation of the re- 

 mains in Elbolton Cave, structure of a coral reef, the 

 migration of birds, the protection of wild birds' eggs, the 

 teaching of science in elementary schools, graphic methods 

 in mechanical science, prehistoric and ancient British 

 remains, the physical deviations from the normal among 

 children in elementary and other schools. 



Amongst the other subjects of general interest, which 

 will probably be introduced and discussed, are the 

 following : — 



In Section A the question of the national physical 

 laboratory, of the central publication of physical papers, 

 of magnetic and other units, and of mechanical con- 

 nection between ether and matter will probably be raised. 

 It is expected that a discussion on the teaching of physics 

 in schools will take place, as well as a joint discussion 

 with Section C on " Earth Tremors." 



Section B will receive communications raising dis- 

 cussion on explosions in coal mines, flame, bacteriology, 

 recent progress in inorganic chemistry, and recent re- 

 search in organic chemistry, especially in connection with 

 colour and colouring matters. The papers on these sub- 

 jects are to be classified, and each class will be considered 

 on a special day, of which due notice will be given. 



In Section C the presidential address will deal with 

 " The Doctrine of Uniformitarianism as illustrated by 



