548 



NATURE 



[August 31, 19 16 



ment wishes each of these subjects to be considered 

 chiefly from the point of view of education as a whole ; 

 for the particular interests of science and modern 

 languages are represented by a few members only. The 

 terms of reference and constitution of the Science Com- 

 mittee are as follows : — To inquire into the position 

 occupied by natural science in the educational system 

 of Great Britain, especially in secondary schools and 

 universities ; and to advise what measures are needed 

 to promote its study, regard being had to the require- 

 ments of a liberal education, to the advancement of 

 pure science, and to the interests of the trades, indus- 

 tries, and professions which particularlj' depend upon 

 applied science; Sir J. J. Thomson (chairman), the 

 Rt. Hon. F. D. Acland, Prof. H. B. Baker, Mr. 

 Graham Balfour, Sir William Beardmore, Bart., Sir 

 G. H. Claughton, Bart., Mr. C. W. Crook, MissE. R. 

 Gwatkin, Sir Henry Hibbert, M.P., Mr. William 

 Neagle, Mr. F. G. Ogilvie, C.B., Dr. Michael Sadler, 

 C.B., Prof. E. H. Starling, Mr. W. W. Vaughan ; 

 secretary, Mr. F. B. Stead, H.M. Inspector of Schools. 

 Owing to unforeseen circumstances Lord Crewe finds 

 that it will not be possible for him to act as chairman 

 of the committee, as previously announced. 



The terms of reference and constitution of the 

 Modern Languages Committee appointed by the 

 Government are as follows : — To inquire into the posi- 

 tion occupied by the study of modern languages in the 

 educational system of Great Britain, especially in 

 secondary schools and universities, and to advise what 

 measures are required to promote their study, regard 

 being had to the requirements of a liberal education, 

 including an appreciation of the history, literature, 

 and civilisation of other countries, and to the interests of 

 commerce and the public service ; Mr. Stanley Leathes, 

 C.B. (chairman), Mr. C. A. Montague Barlow-, M.P., 

 Mr. E. BuUough, the Rt. Hon. Sir Maurice de Bun- 

 sen, Mr. A. G. Coffin, Dr. H. A. L. Fisher, Mr. 

 H. C. Gooch, Mr. J. W. Headlam, Mr. L. D. Holt, 

 Dr. Walter Leaf, Dr. G. Macdonald, Mr. A. Mans- 

 bridge, Mr. Nowell Smith, Miss M. J. Tuke, Sir 

 James Yoxall, M.P. ; secretary, Mr. A. E. Twentyman. 

 In considering the provision of scholarships, bursaries, 

 etc., the committees are requested to take into account 

 the interim report of the consultative committee of 

 the Board of Education on this subject. 



Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, in a speech at Bury 

 St. Edmunds on August 23, gave some interesting 

 particulars of Germany's new super-Zeppelins. These 

 are said to have a capacity of 2, 000,000 cubic ft., giving 

 a total lift of about 60 tons. Their length is 780 ft., 

 speed 65 miles per hour, and the engines develop more 

 than 1500 horse-power. (The original figure given was 

 15,000, but this was an error, and has since been 

 corrected.) These figures are a little surprising, but 

 there seems to be no reason why such an airship 

 should not be satisfactorily designed, especially after 

 the experience which Germany has had with the older 

 types. It would appear that these super-Zeppelins are 

 intended for offensive operations, rather than as scouts 

 for the fleet, for which latter purpose the existing 

 types are of sufficient capacity. If this is the case, 

 our anti-aircraft defences will need to be as efficient 

 as we can make them. Raids by means of rigid air- 

 ships have introduced a new problem for the gunnery 

 experts to solve, for a Zeppelin at 10,000 ft. altitude, 

 and moving at 60 miles an hour on a dark night, pre- 

 sents an exceedingly difficult target, and the small 

 number of hits scored up to the present is not sur- 

 prising. However, a great deal is being done to deal 

 with this new situation, and it is to be hoped, as 

 Lord Montagu said, that the super-Zeppelins will not 

 achieve the results which our enemies seemingly 

 anticipate. 



NO. 2444, VOL. 97] 



Sir Ernest Shackleton is losing no opportunity of 

 attempting to rescue his stranded comrades on 

 Elephant Island. Last Saturday he sailed from Punta 

 Arenas on his fourth attempt. This time his vessel 

 is the Yelcho, a small Chilian steamer which towed 

 the Emma 240 miles south of Cape Horn in the last 

 unsuccessful attempt at rescue. The Yelcho does not 

 appear to be well suited for the task before her, but, 

 failing such a ship as the Discovery, now on her way 

 out, one vessel is little better or worse than another, 

 and success or failure depends entirely on the ice 

 conditions. In this respect there is some prospect of 

 September proving better than July or August. If 

 Elephant Island is clear of ice, the Yelcho should 

 return to civilisation early in September with the 

 explorers on board. 



We regret to announce the death, on August 27, at 

 sixty-three years of age, of Dr. C. T. Clough, district 

 geologist of H.M. Geological Survey, Scotland. 



The twenty-seventh annual general meeting of the 

 Institution of Mining Engineers will be held at Glas- 

 gow on September 14-15. The institution medal for 

 the year 1915-16 will be presented to Dr. W. N. 

 Atkinson, in recognition of his investigations in con- 

 nection with colliery explosions and coal-dust. 



Sir Charles H. Bedford has been appointed 

 genera! secretary of the newly constituted Association 

 of British Chemical Manufacturers. The business of 

 the association is for the present being carried on at 

 the offices of the Society of Chemical Industry, Broad- 

 way Chambers, Westminster. 



The Toronto correspondent of the Times states 

 that the Naval Service Department in Ottawa 

 has received the following message from Dr. Anderson 

 at Nome respecting the Stefansson expedition : — 

 "Starkerson has reported that Stefansson is safe on 

 north-west coast, where he was reported on May 7. 

 The Polar Bear, Mary Sachs, and North Star are 

 safe." 



Capt. a. R. Brown, formerly science master at 

 Buckhaven High Grade School, and 2nd Lieut. H. 

 Watson, mathematical master at Ormskirk Grammar 

 School, have both been killed in action. Capt. Brown 

 was educated at Airdrie Academy and Glasgow Uni- 

 versitv, where he graduated M.A. and B.Sc, and he 

 was a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 

 2nd Lieut. Watson was educated at Burnley Grammar 

 School and Manchester University, where he gradu- 

 ated with first-class honours, obtaining his degree of 

 B.Sc. in 1907. Before going to Ormskirk he held the 

 position of mathematical master at the Technicaf 

 Institute and Secondary School, Salford. 



During the early hours of August 16 an earthquake 

 was felt at Ancona, Pesaro, Rimini, and other places 

 on the north-east coast of Italy. The shock seems to 

 have been strongest at Rimini, where several houses 

 were wrecked, though buildings were also damaged 

 at Pesaro, twenty miles to the south-east. All three 

 places lie within well-defined seismic zones, but, while 

 the earthquakes of the Pesaro and Ancona zones are 

 usually of a local character, those of the Rimini zone 

 (and especiallv the earthquakes of 1672 and 1875) are 

 often felt over a wide area. According to the Times 

 of August 17, seven earthquakes were recorded at 

 Shide on August 16, originating in northern Italy or 

 in Austria. 



The autumn meeting of the Iron and Steel Insti- 

 tute will be held at the Institution of Civil Engineers 

 on September 21 and 22. The following papers are 

 expected :—" Some Properties of Ingots," H. Brear- 



