May 14, 1903] 



NATURE 



39 



•" On the Absorption of Gases by Water and other Liquids " 

 before a select audience of nine members of the Literary 

 and Philosophical Society of Manchester. He appended to 

 that paper a statement which, according to Sir Henry 

 Roscoe and Dr. Harden (' A New View of the Origin of 

 Dalton's Atomic Theory,' Macmillan, 1896), is the first 

 published indication of the atomic theory, though the paper 

 was not circulated in the Manchester Memoirs until 

 November, 1805. Thus, just 100 years ago, the conception 

 of the discrete nature of matter was formulated, and used 

 to explain the facts then known as to the constant com- 

 position of chemical compounds, and the laws discovered 

 by Dalton as to their formation in definite and multiple 

 proportions. This germ of the molecular theory of matter, 

 which now pervades all thought in chemistry and physics, 

 arose, as Nernst truly says, ' by a single effort of modern 

 science, like a Phoenix from the ashes of the old Greek 

 philosophy.' Therefore, physicists as well as chemists are 

 interested in an event of the highest significance in the 

 development of both branches of science. I am glad to 

 know that a special celebration will shortly be held in that 

 great city which claims Dalton as her illustrious son." 



The Rumford premium of the American Academy of Arts 

 and Sciences, consisting of a gold and a silver medal, has 

 been awarded to Prof. George E. Hale, director of Yerkes 

 Observatory, in recognition of his researches in solar and 

 stellar physics, and in particular for the invention and per- 

 fection of the spectroheliograph. 



An International Exhibition of Hygiene, Life-saving, 

 Sports, Fishery, and Ambulance is to be held in Paris from 

 September to November, 1904, at the Grand Palais des 

 Champs-Elys^es. Full particulars may be obtained on 

 application to the Commissaire G^n^ral, Exposition Inter- 

 nationale de 1904, 3 rue des Moulins, Paris. 



The Lancet reports that a new building is to be erected 

 in Manila to provide laboratory space for the chemical and 

 biological laboratories and the serum institute. The build- 

 ing will be divided into sixty rooms, and will be 216 feet 

 long and 60 feet wide, having two storeys. The plans of 

 the building have been drawn so as to accommodate all 

 the work within one building, one half of which will be 

 occupied by the chemical and the other half by the biological 

 laboratory. 



We learn from Science that Harvard University, New 

 York University, and the Bermuda Natural History Society 

 unite in inviting botanists and zoologists to spend six weeks 

 in the temporary biological station provided at Bermuda. 

 The two possible dates of sailing from New York are June 

 20 and July 4. Circulars and detailed information will be 

 supplied on application either to Prof. C. L. Bristol, Uni- 

 versity Heights, New York City, or to Prof. E. L. Mark, 

 109 Irving Street, Cambridge, Mass. 



We learn from the British Medical Journal that the 

 Croonian lectures before the Royal College of Physicians 

 of London will be delivered this year by Dr. C. E. Beevor 

 on June 9, 11, 16 and 18. The subject will be muscular 

 movements and their representation in the central nervous 

 system. The first course of FitzPatrick lectures will be 

 delivered by Dr. J. F. Payne on June 23 and 25. He has 

 chosen for his subject " English Medicine in the Anglo- 

 Saxon and Anglo-Norman Periods." 



A CORRESPONDENT points out that in each of the em- 

 broidered designs reproduced in a notice of East Siberian 

 decorative art (April 16, p. 560) it is possible to distinguish 

 No. 1750, VOL. 68] 



a man's face quite as clearly as the conventional cocks 

 which are supposed to be grouped about the central axis. 



A CONGRESS commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of 

 the foundation of the Royal Photographic Society will be 

 held next week. The congress will be opened on Tuesday, 

 May 19, at the New Gallery, Regent Street, at 8.30 p.m.] 

 when the president will deliver an address. This will be 

 followed by a conversazione, when the president. Sir 

 William Abney, and council will receive the Society's 

 members and guests. On Wednesday, May 20, at the 

 Society's house, there will be a meeting at which papers 

 will be read, and in the evening there will be a dinner. In 

 connection with the congress there will be a special ex- 

 hibition at the Society's rooms of objects having interest 

 in the history of photography. The council hopes that this 

 exhibition will represent the various stages of photography 

 from its infancy to the present day. The commemoration 

 of the jubilee will not cease with the congress of which 

 details are given above. It is intended that the annual ex- 

 hibition shall be distinguished by features which will mark 

 the present year as one of more than usual significance. 

 There will be a special invitation pictorial section in addition 

 to the established pictorial section, and the scientific and 

 technical section will be entirely collected by direct invita- 

 tion, both having for their object the illustration of the 

 progress and present position of photography. 



On May 5 Lord Avebury, the president of the Selborne 

 Society, took the chair at the annual meeting and con- 

 versazione. He alluded to several of the many lines of work 

 upon which the association is engaged, to wit, the interest 

 which it is taking in the Home Counties Nature-Study Ex- 

 hibition, the bird sanctuaries arranged for, and the protec- 

 tion of plants. Lord Avebury claimed that near London 

 plants now needed more looking after than birds, and quoted 

 instances from his own experience ; he also pointed out how 

 easy it was for country clergymen to follow in the steps of 

 the great Gilbert White. Sir John Cockburn also alluded 

 to plants and the advantage of the study of flowers to 

 children, saying that in this respect we might all well be 

 children. As chairman of the Nature-Study Exhibition 

 held last year, he wished all success to the new undertaking 

 mentioned by Lord Avebury. Sir George Kekewich said 

 that of all the objects of the Selborne Society, he would put 

 nature-study first. Dr. Bowdler Sharpe gave an illustrated 

 lecture on Selborne, and Mr. Andrew Pears, who recently 

 bought the Wakes, offered a cordial welcome to the 

 members of the Society who are to visit Selborne in June 

 next. 



The freedom of the city of Rome was conferred upon 

 Mr. Marconi last Thursday by Prince Colonna, Syndic of 

 Rome. The occasion was marked by much enthusiasm ; 

 a conference was held in the afternoon and a banquet in 

 the evening, and from all sides Italians welcomed the 

 opportunity of doing honour to their distinguished country- 

 man. Since then Mr. Marconi has been conducting ex- 

 periments in Rome and the neighbourhood with, it is re- 

 ported, very successful results ; before leaving Rome he 

 intends to select a site for the high-power station which 

 is to be erected near the city. 



Telegrams from Ottawa state that Mr. Fielding, 

 Dominion Minister of Finance, speaking in the House of 

 Commons with reference to the Marconi system, said that 

 the system had not been as successful as had been expected, 

 and that the Government did not propose to make any 

 further contributions towards it. It will be remembered 



