to deal with nature-study and science teaching; (4) 
more teaching of nature-study, school gardening, 
botany, and zoology at the training colleges; (5) a 
more liberal matriculation, allowing of two natural 
sciences alternatively to Latin and mathematics; (6) 
more biology in secondary schools; and (7) systematic 
and correlated nature-study and school gardening in 
the primary schools. 
Prof. W. Ritchie, of the South African College, and 
Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Cape of Good 
Hope, presided over Section D, and in his inaugural 
address discussed *‘Some Aspects of Language Study.” 
Comparing the science of language with the other 
branches of natural science, he showed the disadvan- 
tage of the former in that it lacks actual objects 
capable of being handled and experimented with. The 
spoken word perishes, and cannot be retained as a 
labelled specimen for investigation at leisure, so that 
the student of a thousand years hence, with no data 
regarding the English language save its written sym- 
bols, would be unable to reconstruct from these the 
exact vocal sounds which they represent for us. For- 
tunately specimens of vocal sounds may now be stored 
away for reference by means of the gramophone, and 
even the records now being produced for mere amuse- 
ment may thus aid the objects of science. Some 
European countries already possess large collections of 
records showing distinctive features of various dialects, 
and it may be feasible with every census of population 
thus to provide for a census of language. In South 
Africa there is an amazingly wide field open for in- 
vestigation; in English, with its varieties of local 
intonation; in Dutch with its three recognised forms; 
and in the numerous native languages, in regard to 
which an endless amount of work yet remains undone. 
The institution of a chair of phonetics was therefore 
suggested, and next in importance would be chairs for 
the systematic study of the country’s aboriginal 
languages. Then chairs of ethnology should be added, 
and all this calls for speedy attention, as witness the 
opportunities passing, never to be recalled, with the 
fast disappearing Hottentots and their curious and 
interesting language and ethnological connections. 
Of the papers read at the sectional meetings, in 
Section A a great deal of interest attached to a serves 
of spectrographic investigations of the N’Kandhla 
meteorite and other meteoric irons by Dr. J. Lunt, of 
the Royal Observatory, near Cape Town. — Several 
measurements of wave-lengths demonstrated that the 
lines observed were yielded by cobalt, nickel, 
chromium, iron, and barium. No evidence was found 
of the presence of magnesium, platinum, or copper. 
Mr. E. Jacot contributed the results of experiments 
made at the South African College with respect to 
atmospheric radio-activity. The activity of a wire 
charged with a high negative potential was least after 
rain and highest after S.E. winds. Per ) unit 
volume of air there was 28,000 times as much of the 
emanation of radium as of thorium. 
In Section B Dr. W. Johnson contributed a paper 
embodying further experiments made by him in regard 
to the origin and formation of the diamond, which, he 
is convinced, could not possibly have taken place in a 
rock in molten condition. ‘‘ The lost land of Agulhas ”’ 
was the subject of a paper by Prof. E. H. L. Schwarz, 
whose theory is thay the flagstones and clay slates of 
the Cape Peninsula were formed by denudation from 
a now submerged land to the south of the present 
continent. Four papers on geological subjects were 
submitted by Dr. W. Versfeld, the most important of 
which was one which recently gained him his doctorate 
from the Cape University—‘‘ The Geological Structure 
of Parts of German South-West Africa.” Dr. C. F. 
Juritz read a paper on the investigation of plant 
poisons in South Africa, detailing the results of 
NO!) 2337.0 VOL. 103) 
NALDGRE~ 
[AUGUST 13, 1914 
numerous analyses, many of which indicate active 
principles new to science. The great importance of 
systematically investigating this subject was urged. 
Another instructive paper, by Mr. C. Williams, dealt 
with the chemical control of cattle-dipping tanks. 
The Rey. J. A. Winter contributed to Section C a sug- 
gestive paper on native medicines, and urged that the 
Agricultural Department should devote its attention 
to the indigenous plant remedies employed by * Kaffir 
doctors.””. Dr. Perold and Mr. Crawford contributed 
a comprehensive series of analyses of vineyard soils 
from the Montagu and Robertson districts. Mr. F. W. 
FitzSimons detailed the results of experiments with 
banana stem juice and other alleged  snake-bite 
remedies, all of which failed to produce the curative 
effects ascribed to them. 
Several papers in Section D were devoted to native 
manners and customs. The Rev. W. A. Norton dealt 
with the study of the South African native languages, 
and in the course of his address he pleaded earnestly 
for a scientific study of comparative Bantu. Miss 
Wilman exhibited a magnificent collection of actual- 
size reproductions of Bushman paintings and_ rock 
engravings. The Rev. J. R. L. Kingon, of the U.F.C. 
Mission, Somerville, contributed a paper on_ the 
emergence and progress of the Transkeian natives, 
ascribing to the passing of communal land tenure, 
inter alia, the vast change that was taking place. He 
emphasised the desirability of instituting individual 
tenure, so that economic pressure, supplemented by the 
establishment of a native university, might complete 
the improvement in the status of the natives who were 
being rapidly Christianised. The Rev. Noel Roberts 
submitted a paper on the practice of the To-Kolo 
system of divination amongst the natives of the 
northern Transvaal, and a contribution by Mr. H. W. 
Garbutt on the resemblance between the utensils of 
the ancient Egyptians and those found in Northern 
Rhodesia was likewise of great interest. Mr. Garbutt 
also contributed some notes on the natives of Rhodesia. 
‘‘The mental and moral capacity of our natives’ was 
exhaustively dealt with by the Rev. J. A. Winter, who 
has resided for fifty years amongst the natives of 
eastern Transvaal. 
Other papers of interest read in Section D included 
suggestions for the constitution of an Upper House of 
Parliament, by Dr. A. H. Watkins, the main sugges- 
tion being that admission to the franchise be restricted 
to persons of advanced years. A valuable paper on 
South African place-names was read by the Rev. 
Charles Pettman, and one equally valuable, although 
in a totally different sphere, was given by Dr. T. B. 
Muller on some defects common to epistemological 
idealism and realism. 
An evening discourse was delivered in the Kimber- 
ley City Hall on Friday, July 10, by Prof. E. Hs EL: 
Schwarz, on the Kimberley diamond pipes, the history 
of their discovery, and their relation to other South 
African volcanic vents. This lecture, like Prof. Mar- 
loth’s address as president of the Association on Wed- 
nesday, July 8, was illustrated by many lantern slides. 
The numerous slides exhibited by Prof. Marloth were 
all exquisitely hand-coloured, and constituted without 
doubt the most excellent collection representative of 
South African indigenous flora ever exhibited. They 
were specially prepared by Dr. Marloth for this occa- 
sion. At the conclusion of the president’s address, Dr. 
Crawford, the association’s senior vice-president, 
handed to him the South Africa medal (instituted by 
the British Association in 1905 in commemoration of 
its visit to South Africa during that year) and grant 
of 501. which had been conferred upon him in recog- 
nition of his eminent services to botanical science in 
| South Africa during the last thirty years. 
Cpa 
