Jaxuaky 31, 1907 ] 
On December 29 two tails were shown, one of) which 
was made up of four distinct, streamers with nebulous 
matter between them; two of these streamers were. crossed 
so as to present a twisted appearance, whilst the two out- 
side ones diverged in the usual manner. ‘On no two 
negatives are the images the same, the day-to-day develop- 
ment being very marked. Between January 3 and 4 there 
was a decided change in the position-angle of the extremity 
of the tail, which is shown in a striking manner by the 
superposition of the two oriented images, and is somewhat 
similar to that recorded by Prof. Barnard in the case of 
Brooks’s comet 1893 iv. 
Tue Rep Spot ON Jupiter, 1905-6.—The resulis of Mr. 
Stanley Williams’s observations of the Great Red Spot 
during the opposition of 1905-6 appear in No. 4150 of the 
Astronomische Nachrichten. The transit times of the spot 
were all observed by simple eye estimates, care being 
taken to avoid looking at the Red Spot Hollow, which, 
as compared with the spot itself, was a very conspicuous 
feature. The rotation period, as determined from 635 rota- 
tions, was found to be 9h. 55m. 41-46s., a value slightly 
jess than that determined from the 1904-5 opposition. 
The mass of dark material, which circles round the belt 
in which the spot is situated, overtook the spot during 
the last week in March, 1906. 
Micrometer measures made during the period November, 
1905, to February, 1906, showed the mean. longitude of 
the Red Spot Hollow to be 299-41, a position some 1°-3 
following the spot itself. Mr. Williams discusses the re- 
lative accuracy of the micrometer method at some length, 
and, from his experience, arrives at. the conclusion that it 
is likely to introduce errors due to the alteration of the 
appearance of the observed feature caused by the super- 
position of the micrometer wires, 2 conclusion which is 
confirmed by other observers of Jovian phenomena. 
A PEcULIAR SHoORT-PERIOD VARIABLE (155.1906 Cassio-~ 
PEIz).—From a number of observations made at Potsdam 
during 1906, Messrs. Miller and Kempf find that the sixth- 
magnitude star B.D.+68°.200 is a variable, with a period 
of 1-95 days and a remarkably small range of light 
variation, the whole amplitude amounting to only 0-33 
magnitude (Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 4148). — 
THE BRITISH SCIENCE GUILD. 
Pps first annual meeting of the British Science Guild was 
held at the Mansion House on Monday, January 28. 
Just fifteen months have passed since the inauguration of 
the Guild in October, 1905, and the very large gathering 
of sympathisers with the new movement was eloquent of 
the fact that the hopes and confident expectations of its 
organisers have not been disappointed. The Lord Mayor, 
Sir W. Treloar, presided, and was supported by the presi- 
dent, the Right Hon. R. B. Haldane, and Sir Norman 
Lockyer, the chairman of committees. Many eminent 
representatives of science, industry, and the educational 
world were present. . 
The Lord Mayor having opened the meeting by offering 
a warm welcome to the Guild, Sir Norman Lockyer gave 
an outline of work accomplished since its inception, touch- 
ing on the main points mentioned in the report, of which 
the following is an abstract. The first part was purely 
historical. It stated what the committees have done. 
Though their activities have not figured so prominently 
before the general public outside, it must be remembered 
that the more important the work was going to be, the 
more quiet must it be in the first instance. The first 
public outcome of the Guild was connected with the report 
of the Departmental Committee appointed to consider the 
question raised by the proposed new Technological Insti- 
tution at South Kensington, and the fear that the scheme 
might be delayed in consequence of certain differences of 
opinion as to the constitution of the governing body. The 
result was the letter to the Times last year, in which the 
Guild urged most strongly that neither the question of 
the ultimate and final relationship of the new institution 
NO. 1944, VOL. 75] 
‘to London University 
NATURE 327 
nor any other matter’ should’ be 
allowed to interfere with the immediate appointment of at 
least an organising governing body. 
The next important point to which the report refers was 
that of the grant to the National Physical Laboratory ; it 
described the happy result of Mr. Haldane’s interposition 
with the Treasury in obtaining an increase of the grant 
from 5000l. to 10,0001. 
At the request of various bodies, the Guild has taken 
part in several important deputations. Sir John Cockburn 
represented the Guild on a deputation to the President of 
the Board of Trade urging the importance of the com- 
pulsory working of patents. . 
On account of certain changes contemplated by the 
Government, the council of the Royal Society of Edin- 
burgh asked for the support of the Guild in the matter 
of obtaining suitable buildings to house the society, and 
also a suitable grant for yearly expenses. ‘This support was 
most cordially given by the executive committee. The sum 
originally proposed to be expended by the Government on 
the new buildings was 14,o00/., but the final result of the 
action of a committee and of the representations made by 
the deputation, on which the Guild was represented by 
Sir W. Ramsay, K.C.B., was to secure for the society a 
sum of 25,0001. for the purchase of a building, 3oool. to 
cover the expenses of fitting it up, and a yearly grant not 
exceeding Gocl. a year. The council of the Royal Society 
of Edinburgh has expressed the opinion that these arrange- 
ments are quite satisfactory (see p. 205). 
Several communications were received from the officers 
of the Marine Biological Association urging the Guild to 
form part of a deputation to the Chancellor of the 
Exchequer on the subject of the continuation of the grant 
in aid of the International Fisheries’ Investigations. Sir 
Michael Foster, K.C.B., was nominated to represent the 
Guild on the deputation, which, introduced by the Right 
lion. Austen Chamberlain, M.P., was, in the unavoidable 
absence of the Chanceilor of the Exchequer, received by 
the Parliamentary Secretary, Mr. McKenna, M.P., on 
December 18, 1906 (see p. 185). 
In June the Guild received a communication from the 
anthropometric committee of the British Association, in 
relation to a deputation to the Prime Minister urging him 
to appoint a commission to carry out a periodic anthropo- 
metric survey of school children and adults. It is pro- 
posed that this commission shall be constituted on the same 
lines as the advisory council recommended by the Physical 
Deterioration Committee, and preferably should be under 
the direct control of the Prime Minister, like the Defence 
Committee. The proposed anthropometric survey would 
also be on the lines recommended by the Physical Deterio~- 
ation Committee. The executive committee considers the 
proposed survey as a most important application of science 
to statecraft, and has nominated a representative of the 
Guild to attend the deputation which the Prime Minister 
has consented to receive after the recess. 
The education committee has had before it a propose] 
to form two new committees, one dealing with elementary 
and secondary education, especially in relation to the in- 
troduction of leaving certificates from the primary school, 
and the importance of practical scientific training in. both. 
It was proposed that the second educational committee 
should consider the question of an increased endowment 
of universities by the State. Referring to this committee, 
Sir Norman Lockyer remarked that the private endowment 
of American universities last year amounted to five millions 
sterling. It is hard for us as a nation to compete with 
that. Germany is strengthening its universities just as 
thoroughly as it is strengthening its Fleet, a reminder that 
we ought to be able to compete with other nations in the 
preparation and equipment for industrial progress, as well 
as for war. 
The report recorded the overtures made to the Franco- 
British Exhibition Committee, as the outcome of which 
the exhibition committee’s desire to include science in their 
programme was stated. The assistance of the Guild was 
asked in the formation of the science section, and it was 
now proposed that lectures should be given during the 
continuance of the exhibition by British and French men 
of science. 
