JANUARY 24, 1907] 
NATURE 299 
creeping plants, and other modifications. Strange to 
say, modifications 01 flower form are omitted except 
in the occasional notes. The second is a physiological 
course dealing with the energies of the plant. ‘This 
is more systematic in arrangement, and the experi- | 
ments are tersely: explained, but no new ideas or special 
hints are offered. The methods suggested for setting 
up some of the experiments are by no means the most 
practical, to mention only the growing of a seedling in 
a funnel, or extracting chlorophyll by boiling the leaf 
in alcohol over a Bunsen flame. As an indication of 
observational and experimental work that can be per- 
formed with simple apparatus, the book will be found 
serviceable, and the appendix contains a useful list of 
plants for growing 
Mr. Scott-Elliot brings to his subject an extensive 
knowledge of the ways of plants, and the instinct of 
imagination that enables him to appreciate the 
romance connected with the facts he has collected. He 
relates, however, no tales so fascinating as the accounts 
one has read of the adventures of coilectors in quest 
of orchids or other rare plants, nor is any attempt made 
to depict that most attractive of all phases of. plant 
life, the tropical forest. The author has selected most 
of his scenes from non-tropical regions, except where 
he writes of mangrove swamps and deserts. The 
various relationships between animals and_ plants, 
specialisations of flowers, fruit and seed, and of the 
plant generally are among the subjects treated, and 
economic botany receives a due share of recognition. 
There is no want of variety in the book; in fact, the 
fragmentary nature of the subject-matter constitutes 
its chief defect, and much of the information whets 
the appetite for more. The author has, we think. 
produced his best results where, as in the sketch 
contrasting ancient and modern Britain, he pursues a 
continuous topic. 
As a compilation of curious facts about plants, spiced 
with occasional grains of humour and light caustic 
satire, the reader will find much of passing interest and 
not a little that is worthy of closer attention. The 
best illustrations represent economic scenes, but a more 
romantic subject is shown in the picture reproduced 
on_the preceding page. 
There are various ways of appealing to the youthful 
mine that adopted by the author of ‘‘ The Green Gate- 
way ”’ being to arouse interest by copious allusions to 
rani fairy work, and jewels. Although fairy tales 
may be useful to stimulate the imagination, it is doubt- 
ful whether they form a suitable medium in which to 
portray science. A tree and its parts form the central 
subject of the book, but it is probable that children will 
be most interested in the tales of the animal inhabitants 
and visitors of the tree, that are attractively described 
without reference to fairies and magic. 
W. PAULSEN. 
ig is with great regret that we chronicle the death 
of Prof. Adam F. W. Paulsen, which occurred 
in Copenhagen on January 11. Born in 1833 at 
Nyborg, in the island of Funen, Paulsen studied at 
the University of Copenhagen, in which town he sub- 
sequently held the position of professor of physics at 
the Lycée. In 1884 he was appointed director of the 
Danish Meteorological Institute, one of the most 
important official meteorological positions, in view of 
the fact that the Danish Institute is responsible for 
the meteorological organisations of Greenland and 
Iceland. He was also a member of the Permanent 
International Meteorological Committee. 
Among Prof. Paulsen’s most important scientific 
labours must be reckoned his researches on the aurora 
NO. 1943, VOL. 75 | 
PROM WAR I. 
borealis. His attention was first actively directed 
towards this phenomenon during his stay at Gothaab 
in 1882-3 as head of a scientific expedition sent out 
by the Danish Government. The question of the 
aurora remained one of absorbing interest to Paulsen, 
and in 1899-1900 he obtained from the Government 
the means for equipping an expedition to visit Ice- 
land for the purpose of studying the spectrum of the 
aurora with the aid of modern photographic methods. 
At the comparatively advanced age of sixty-six years 
he assumed personal command of the expedition, and 
brought back with him some highly interesting 
results. He read a brief account of these before the 
British Association at the Southport meeting in 1903, 
which he attended as a member of the Permanent 
International Meteorological Committee. 
As director of the Danish Meteorological Institute, 
Prof. Paulsen was the head of that meteorological 
organisation of which the area of observation lies 
nearest to the North Pole. He never ceased to point 
out the intimate connection which exists between the 
meteorological conditions of Greenland and Iceland 
and those prevailing over Europe, and it is largely 
owing to his efforts that, after many years of dis- 
cussion and negotiation, Iceland has at length been 
brought into telegré iphic communication with Europe. 
The daily service of meteorological messages which 
was established shortly before his death is likely to 
prove of great value both in the practical matter of 
forecasting and in the study, from the scientific point 
of view, of the permanent Icelandic low-pressure 
system and its influence on the weather of north- 
western Europe. 
Prof. Paulsen was a familiar figure at international 
scientific meetings, where his charm of manner, com- 
bined with great accuracy of judgment and a clear 
mode of expression, rendered him deservedly popular. 
His last visit to this country occurred in the summer 
of 1904, when he attended the meeting of the Inter- 
national Association of Academies as delegate of the 
Royal Danish Society of Sciences. 
NOTES. 
At the annual meeting of the British Science Guild, to be 
held at 4 p.m. on Monday next, January 28, at the Mansion 
House, under the presidency of the Lord Mayor, the Right 
Hon. R. B. Haldane will deliver an address in relation to 
the work of the Guild. Other speakers will probably be 
the Hon. and Rev. E. Lyttelton, Sir David Gill, Sir 
Wm. Mather, Sir Henry Roscoe, Sir Philip Magnus, M.P-, 
Prof. Meldola, Mr. A. Haworth, M.P., Mr. Mosely, and 
Mr. Verney. 
We regret to see the announcement that Miss Agnes M. 
Clerke, the gifted author of several well-known works on 
astronomical subjects, died on January 20 at the age of 
sixty-four years. The first important work on astronomy 
written by Miss Clerke was the ‘‘ Popular History of 
Astronomy during the Nineteenth Century,’’ published in 
1885. Other works of outstanding merit are ‘‘ The System 
of the Stars ’’ (1890) and ‘‘ Problems in Astrophysics ”’ 
(1903). Her command of language and acquaintance with 
astronomical literature were extraordinary, and empowered 
her to produce books distinguished by literary finish as 
well as by scientific value. Miss Clerke was a most in- 
dustrious compiler of methods and results of astronomical 
investigation. The ‘* History of Astronomy ’’ was her 
most valuable contribution to scientific literature; and her 
later works, though marked by the same inspiring style, 
dealt with the more special aspects of .astrophysics. In 
