March 23, 1916J 



NATURE 



;ading zoological feature is perhaps the great abund- 

 nce of Miliolidae, of which 122 species are reported, 

 eventy-seven in the single genus Miliolina. 



The authors have been fortunate enough to discover 

 jme very interesting new types. Thus there is Iridia 

 ,ith a diaphanous chitinous envelope covered over 

 ,'ith very fine particles of mud and sand. It seems 

 3 be an Astrorhizid, is usually attached to sand- 

 rains or shell-fragments, and may attain to the 

 igantic size of 8 mm. in diameter. Strange, prob- 

 bly abnormal, forms occur with a clear area pn each 

 ide of the shell, perhaps indicative of liberation from 

 etween two large sand-grains. Similar, possibly 

 lentical, forms have been described by Rhumbler 

 rom a depth of 400 metres in the Antarctic, and 

 amed Vanhoeffenella gaussii, the " windows " being 

 nterpreted as adaptations to the ver}- scantv rays of 

 ight. But this would not apply to the fierce glare of 

 he Kerimba shore. Another remarkable new type is 

 s'ouria, with several species, some of which show 

 ery effective treatment of the material selected for 

 hell-making. Thus in Noiiria harrisii the test is 

 intirelv composed of sponge spicules arranged in a 

 ingle layer with their axes more or less parallel to 

 he long axis of the test, but so as to form a perfectly 

 apered neck and a regular fringe projecting around 

 he mouth. There are sometimes spicules projecting 

 iborally, which may serve to keep the animal erect in 

 he surface layer of mud. 



Experts will be interested in what the authors have 

 o say in regard to D'Orbigny's Pavonina flahelli- 

 ormis and his Rotalia dubia (seen again after ninety 

 ■ears!), in their revision of the lituiform species of 

 Peneroplis, and in their very successful study of the 

 louble shells of Discorbina (apparently due to a kind 

 )f budding), and of the development of the peculiar 

 lual nature of the terminal balloon-chamber which 

 Sarland noticed some years ago in Cymbalopora bul- 

 oides. D'Orbigny. But we shall rather refer to the 

 emarkable discovery of specimens of Cymbalopora 

 abellaeformis, occupying little pits in mollusc shells. 

 Each Foraminifer seems to be able to enlarge its crypt 

 IS its test grows ; nay, more, to excavate tunnels in 

 :he mollusc shell. These tunnels radiate round the 

 :rypt and may attain to a length many times its 

 iiameter. They are for the accommodation of the 

 aseudopodia. It is interesting that the living matter 

 which habitually secretes carbonate of lime should 

 also dissolve it, and the possibility is suggested that 

 the solution may be helped by carbon dioxide given off 

 (at night?) by the symbiotic Algae which are usually 

 associated with this Foraminifer. The authors are to 

 be congratulated on the jjse they have made of their 

 fine material, in connection with which the skill and 

 energy of Dr. J. J. Simpson, who made the collection, 

 should be remembered. 



SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION AND 

 IND U STRIA L RES EAR CH. 



CEVERAL professional bodies have devoted atten- 

 tion lately to education and science in relation 

 to industrial development; and it is not too much to 

 say that they all appreciate the need for action in 

 order to prepare for the strain of competition which 

 may be expected to follow the cessation of hostilities. 

 On Tuesday, March 14, the subject was discussed at 

 Hie Institute of Journalists by the Circle of Scientific, 

 lechnical, and Trade Journalists, under the title, 

 "The Sphere of the Scientific and Technical Press in 

 Relation to Technical Education and Research," Mr. 

 L. Gaster, chairman of the circle, presiding. The 

 discussion was opened bv Dr. W. Garnett, late educa- 

 \f^" 4 adviser to the London County Council, and bv 

 Mr. A. P. M. Fleming, who has recently made a tour 

 NO. 2421, VOL. 97] 



of inspection of research laboratories in the United 

 States. Dr. Garnett's main suggestions are as fol- 

 lows : — 



(i) Education in elementai-y and secondary schools- 

 must be more directly associated with things so as to- 

 develop self-reliance and resourcefulness, not to teach 

 trades. 



(2) A considerable proportion of teachers should 

 devote a third year of training largely to practical 

 work under txjnditions enabling them to become 

 acquainted with the practice of some trades. 



(3) A general knowledge of the phenomena of nature 

 and of prpcesses applied in industr}- must be more 

 widely diffused by means of popular lectures and other- 

 wise. 



(4) More completely organised courses of instruc- 

 tion, without breach of continuity, must be provided 

 for industrial workers of all classes, including the 

 leaders of industrj-, together with the necessary 

 scholarships, fellowships, or bursaries to enable the 

 best students to carry on post-graduate research. 



(5) Existing institutions must be improved and some 

 new institutions must be provided, especially in the 

 chemical trades, to enable scientific discoveries to be 

 devek)ped sufficiently to demonstrate the conditions 

 under which thev can be made commercially success- 

 ful. 



(6) Some alterations must be made in the patent 

 law to enable the profits arising from investigations 

 conducted wholly or partly at the public expense to 

 be fairly divided between the State, the scientific 

 worker, and the manufacturer. 



(7) Trades should be organised for the purpose of 

 superintending the research work in which they are 

 interested, for the collection and dissemination of in- 

 formation and the distribution of work among firms 

 in the manner in which it can be most effectively and 

 economically carried out in the interest of the industry 

 as a whole. 



(8) The trade associations should be in close touch 

 with the Advisory Council for Research, and the 

 council should, where necessary, recommend the award 

 of Parliamentary grants in aid of industrial research 

 carried out under the direction of the associations 

 and make provision for such work in cases in whicii 

 trade associations are not available, but the Advisors' 

 Council should utilise to the utmost the services of 

 societies. f 



(9) As an alternative the Advisory Council for Re- 

 search should appoint technical committees representa- 

 tive of trades, or groups of trades, to assist it in the 

 organisation of industrial research. 



(10) The National Physical Laboratory should be the 

 central institution for all physical measurements and 

 standardisation, but for chemical processes a separate 

 institution for a trade or group of trades will fre- 

 quently be required for the work intermediate between 

 the discovery of a new product or reaction in the 

 research laboratory and the adaptation of the process 

 to commercial manufacture. 



(11) Some method of financing new processes which 

 have been approved by a competent authority. ( ther 

 than the ordinary method of floating a companv, is 

 desirable, and this may be provided by some form 

 of industrial bank. 



It will be noticed that, among other points. Dr. 

 Garnett pleads not only for increased specialised 

 courses of training in science and technology, but also 

 for a knowledge of natural facts and phenomena as 

 part of the education of all. When this has been 

 secured, it may be hoped that "members of Parliament 

 will cease to wonder whether we shall ever know whv 

 the moon appears to change her shape, and we shaif 

 not be told that lard has only just been discovered as 

 a source of glycerine, that mineral oil from Galicia 



