February 2, 1905] 



NA TURE 



323 



gold in Ireland, while Salomon Reinach is not even 

 mentioned. A little discrimination would have shown 

 that Mr. Romilly Allen was making a curious state- 

 ment (p. 293) when he said : " The bowls . . . seem to 

 belong to the end of the Late Celtic period and the 

 beginning of the Saxon." What becomes of the four 

 hundred and odd years intervening between the two, 

 when the Roman power was dominant in Britain? 

 Such statements betray a carelessness that is not easily 

 excused in a man of Dr. Windle's standing. The 

 same want of precision is shown in " Hallstadt " for 

 Halstatt, " Collie March " on one page and " Colley 

 March " on another, the " forging " of bronze instead 

 of " casting," and others of the same kind. In the 

 circumstances it is a hard thing to say, but the illus- 

 trations leave much to be desired. The two figures we 

 reproduce show diagrammatically a barrow with 

 successive interments, and a restoration of a pit dwell- 

 ing, from Mr. George Clinch's Kentish discoveries. 



The book might easily have been so much better, 

 for it has many good and useful points, that there is 

 something exasperating in finding much to quarrel 

 with. The index is a good and useful one, the lists 

 of ancient remains an excellent departure, compiled 

 with all modesty, and there is a great deal of clear 

 treatment of some knott}' questions, such as the so- 

 called " Eolithic " period. As a series, the size of the 

 volume is convenient and the print good, and in spite 

 of the strictures we have felt bound to make, there is 

 little doubt that the publishers will find a ready sale. 



MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION IN 



SOUTH AFRICA. 

 'T'HE British Association will hold its meeting this 

 •* year in South Africa. In these exceptional 

 circumstances, the general officers of the association 

 requested the council to appoint a strong committee 

 to cooperate with them in carrying out the necessary 

 arrangements. This " South African Committee " 

 has held frequent sittings, and its work is so far 

 advanced that it is now possible to make tlie following 

 announcements. 



Although the annual circular and programme have 

 not yet been issued, pending the receipt of informa- 

 tion from South Africa, many members have already 

 intimated tlieir intention of being present at the 

 meeting. The " official party " of guests invited by 

 the central executive committee at Cape Town, and 

 nominated in the first instance by the council of the 

 association, numbers upwards of 150 persons, com- 

 prising members of the council, past and present 

 general officers and sectional presidents, the present 

 sectional officers, and a certain proportion of the 

 leading members of each section. To this list has 

 yet to be added, on the nomination of the organising 

 committees, the names of representative foreign and 

 colonial men of science, the total number of the 

 official party being restricted to 200, including the 

 local officials. It is hoped, however, that many other 

 members of the association will also attend the 

 meeting. 



The presidents-elect of the various sections are as 

 follows : — 



A (Mathematical and Physical Science), Prof. A. R. 

 Forsvth, F.R.S. ; B (Chemistry), Mr. G. T. Beilby; 

 C (Geology), Prof. H. A. Miers, F.R.S. ; D (Zoology), 

 Mr. G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S.; E (Geography), 

 Admiral Sir W. J. L. Wharton, K.C.B., F.R.S.; 

 F (Economic Science and Statistics), Rev. W. 

 Cunningham; G (Engineering), Colonel Sir Colin 

 Scott-Moncricff, G.C.'S.I., K.C.M.G., R.E. ; H 

 (Anthropology), Dr. A. C. Haddon, F.R.S.; I 

 (Physiology), Colonel D. Bruce, F.R.S. ; K (Botany), 



NO 1840, VOL. 71] 



Mr. Harold Wager, F.R.S. ; L (Educational Science), 

 Sir Richard C. Jebb, M.P. 



The vice-presidents, recorders, and secretaries of the 

 eleven sections have also now been appointed. 



In view of the numerous towns to be visited by 

 the association, and in which lectures or addresses 

 will be given, the number of lecturers appointed is 

 much larger than usual. The list of these, as at 

 present arranged, is as follows : — 



Cape Town : Prof. Poulton, on Burchell's work in 

 South Africa; and Mr. C. V. Boys, on a subject in 

 physics. Durban : Mr. F. Soddy, on radio-activity. 

 Maritzhurg : Prof. Arnold, on compounds of steel. 

 Johannesburg : Prof. Ayrton, on distribution of 

 power; Prot. Porter, on mining; and Mr. G. W. 

 Lamplugh, on the geology of the Victoria Falls. 

 Pretoria (or possibly Bulaivayo) : Mr. Shipley, on a 

 subject in zoology. Bloemfontein : Mr. Hinks, on a 

 subject in astronomy. Kirnberley : Sir William 

 Crookes, on diamonds. 



As the wish has been conveyed to the council from 

 South Africa that a few competent investigators 

 should be selected to deliver addresses dealing with 

 local problems of which they possessed special 

 knowledge, a geologist, a bacteriologist, and an 

 archseologist have been invited to undertake this 

 work, involving in two cases special missions in 

 advance of the main party. Whilst Colonel Bruce, 

 F.R.S., will deal with some bacteriological questions 

 of practical importance to South Africa, Mr. G. W. 

 Lamplugh (by the courtesy of the Board of Educa- 

 tion) will be enabled to investigate certain features 

 in tlie geology of the Victoria Falls — particularly as 

 regards the origin and structure of the cafion — and 

 Mr. D. R. Maclver, who is at present exploring in 

 Nubia, will proceed in March to Rhodesia in order 

 to examine and report on the ancient ruins at 

 Zimbabwe and also at Inyanga. 



Most of the officials, and other members of the 

 association, will leave Southampton on July 29 by 

 the Union Castle Mail SS. Saxon, and arrive at Cape 

 Town on August 15, the opening day of the meeting; 

 but a considerable number will start from Southamp- 

 ton on the previous Saturday, either by the ordinary 

 mail-boat or by the intermediate steamer sailing on 

 that date. 



The sectional meetings will be held at Cape Town 

 (three days) and Johannesburg (three days). 

 Between the inaugural meeting at the former and 

 the concluding meeting at the latter town, oppor- 

 tunities will be offered to members to visit the Natal 

 battlefields and other places of interest. Subse- 

 quently a party will be made up to proceed to the 

 Victoria Falls (Zambesi); and, should a sufficient 

 number of members register their names, a special 

 steamer will be chartered for the voyage home, vid 

 Beira, by the east coast route, as an alternative to 

 the return through Cape Town by the west coast 

 route. Thus all the colonies and Rhodesia will be 

 visited by the association. The -tour will last 70 days 

 vid Cape Town, or a week longer vid Beira (all-sea), 

 leaving Southampton on July 29 and returning 

 thither on October 7 or 14. 



A central executive committee has been constituted 

 at Cape Town, with Sir David Gill as chairman and 

 Dr. Gilchrist as secretary; while local committees 

 have been formed at Johannesburg and other important 

 centres. 



Prof. G. H. Darwin, F.R.S., is the president-elect, 

 and among the vice-presidents-elect are the follow- 

 ing :— the Rt. Hon. Lord Milner. the Hon. Sir Walter 

 Helv-Hutchinson, Sir Henrv McCallum, the Hon. Sir 

 .\rthur Lawlev, Sir H. J.' Goold-Adams, Sir David 

 Gill, and Sir Charles Metcalfe. 



