536 
is not too much to say that the leisure of his 
last forty years was spent in developing this 
theory, and in meeting, with unfailing courtesy, 
the objections which from time to time were urged 
against it. On the whole, his work failed to 
attract the attention and criticism of mathemati- 
cians in this country, but by geologists, both here 
and abroad, it has always been highly valued. 
The Geological Society, ever ready to welcome the 
aid of mathematicians, awarded him a grant from 
the Lyell fund in 1887, the Murchison medal in 
1893, and the Wollaston medal in 1913. 
CHARLES DAVISON. 
NOTES. 
Ar the thirty-third annual meeting of the Society 
of Chemical Industry held in Nottingham last week 
it was announced that the society’s medal had been 
awarded to Sir Henry Roscoe, the first president, for 
his services to science, education, and the society. 
In his presidential address, which was read in ‘his 
absence, Sir William Crookes said that the world is 
still greatly in need of able researchers, perhaps more 
so now than at any previous time in its history. Dis- 
coveries of vast importance are waiting their Newtons. 
But is not the attitude of the public towards inves- 
tigators lacking in understanding and imagination, 
and do not the authorities treat scientific exploration 
in a niggardly spirit? Scientific research is being 
starved. The allotment of public moneys to the fur- 
therance of scientific work, the tangible recognition of 
the services of scientific men, the provision of oppor- 
tunities for all kinds of investigations of scientific 
problems without reference to their immediate com- 
mercial value—these are the benefits which should be 
looked for at the hands of the Government and of the 
nation. On the same day that Sir William Crookes’s 
address was read, Mr. Cowan asked the Prime Minister 
in the House of Commons whether any existing fund 
is available out of which men of science may be 
compensated for losses incurred by them in doing un- 
remunerative scientific work when such work has 
proved to be of advantage to his Majesty’s Govern- 
ment and subjects; and whether, if no such fund is 
available, he would consider the advisability of pro- 
viding funds for meeting such cases? In his reply, 
Mr. Asquith mentioned that nine civil list pensions 
were awarded for scientific services last year, and he 
said: ‘“‘I am not satisfied that further provision is 
necessary.”’ A list of these pensions was given in 
our issue of July 9 (p. 485), but we suggest that such 
grants, made partly on account of inadequate means 
of support, do not give a satisfactory answer to Mr. 
Cowan’s question or provide the encouragement of 
research to which Sir William Crookes referred. 
Tue death is announced, in his sixty-sixth year, of 
Sir Christopher Nixon, ex-president of the Royal Col- 
lege of Physicians of Ireland, and Vice-Chancellor of 
the National University of Ireland. He was the 
author of a number of books on medical subjects and 
also the first president of the Royal Veterinary College 
of Ireland. 
NO! 9233 4.) ViOl..O3i| 
NATURE 
[Jury 23, 1914 
THE Royal Agricultural Society of England is offer- 
ing a medal, together with life membership of the 
society, for a monograph or essay, which has not been 
previously published, giving evidence of original re- 
search in any agricultural subject or any of the cog- 
nate agricultural sciences applicable to British farm- 
ing. Intending candidates should forward their essays 
to the secretary of the society at 16 Bedford Square, 
W.C., not later than July 25. 
Tue American Museum of Natural History has re- 
ceived 1,000,o00l. under the will of the late’ Mrs. 
Morris K. Jesup, who died on June 17. According to 
Science, Mrs. Jesup made other bequests to public 
institutions amounting to 690,o00l., including 60,o00l. 
to Yale University. Mrs. Jesup’s husband, who died 
in 1908, became president of the Museum of Natural 
History in 1882, and devoted a large part of his time 
and energy to its interests. In his lifetime Mr. Jesup 
gave more than 200,000]. to the museum, and under 
his will it inherited an additional 200,o00l. 
WE understand that a National Council is about to 
be formed for the purpose of combating venereal 
disease. The preliminary arrangements are being 
made by Sir Thomas Barlow, president of the Royal 
College of Physicians, Sir Rickman Godlee, until re- 
cently president of the Royal College of Surgeons, Sir 
Francis Champneys, president of the Royal Society of 
Medicine, the Bishop of Southwark, and Major 
Leonard Darwin, president of the Eugenics Education 
Society. A meeting has been held at which, besides 
those mentioned above, those present included Sir 
Clifford Allbutt, Sir W. Osler, Sir A. Pearce Gould, Sir 
Henry Morris, Sir Wilmot Herringham, and Mr. 
Charters Symonds. 
At the recent July meeting of the executive com- 
mittee of the British Science Guild, Sir Norman Lock- 
yer, K.C.B., F.R.S., in the chair, a special committee 
was appointed to inquire into and report upon the ques- 
tion of the provision, in this country, for veterinary 
research. <A special committee, consisting of the presi- 
dent, the Right Hon. Sir William Mather, Sir Norman 
Lockyer (chairman), Lieut.-Colonel Sir Chas. Bedford, 
Hon. Sir John Cockburn, Prof. Meldola, Major 
O’Meara, Sir Boverton Redwood, Sir Ronald Ross, 
and Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson, was appointed to 
consider and report upon various matters arising in 
connection with science and the State and the en- 
couragement of discovery referred to in the address 
delivered by Sir Ronald Ross at the annual meeting 
of the guild, at the Mansion House, on May 22. A 
report was received from the technical optics com- 
mittee dealing with the inadequate provision for, and 
the unsatisfactory state of, technical training in optics 
in this country, and proposals for the establishment 
of a British Institute of Technical Optics were con- 
sidered. 
Tue following list of members of the Imperial 
Transantarctic Expedition has been officially an- 
nounced :— Weddell Sea Party : Sir Ernest H. Shackle- 
ton, leader of the expedition; Mr. Frank Wild, second 
in command; Mr. G. Marston, Mr. T. Crean, Captain 
Orde Lees, Lieut. F. Dobbs, Lieut. Courtney Brockle- 
