Apri 18, 1907 | 
NATURE 
585 
and degraded savage. He had advanced many stages 
beyond this when we first came into contact with 
him, and his life, though simple and rude, was on 
the whole well ordered and happy; and if his wants 
and aspirations were feW, so were also his cares and 
worries.”’ 
The illustrations are numerous and very good; we 
are told on p. 139 that hammers are commonly re- 
garded by the uninformed as pestles, “but this is 
an error,’’ yet in the description of the accompanying 
plate they are described as ‘‘pestles’’ and 
“hammers.’’ It is greatly to be regretted that the 
utility of this book is restricted by the extremely in- 
adequate ‘‘ bibliography ”’ (s¢c). The author’s valu- 
able papers in the Reports of the British Association, 
especially for the years 1899, 1g00, and 1902, are not 
mentioned, neither does he give an exact reference 
to his own papers in the Journal of the Anthropo- 
logical Institute. No clue is given where can be 
found, to take only two examples, Farrand’s excel- 
lent paper on the basketry designs of the Salish 
Indians or the printed MS. of Mr. B. R. Ross. The 
single allusion to Prof. F. Boas is to his worl: on 
skull-deformation (reference again omitted), and the 
series of British Association Reports ending in 1898 
is not even mentioned, although the twelfth and final 
report, with a good index, is of exceptional value. 
The important summary of Canadian ethnology in 
the Annual Archaeological Report for 1905 (Toronto, 
1906) contains papers by the author on the coastal 
Salish, and by Father Morrice on the Dénés, besides 
other valuable contributions by various authors, and 
as references are given to the literature the report 
serves as an admirable text-book on the anthropology 
of Canada. It is strange that no allusion is made 
to this publication; at all events, we recommend 
students who read Mr. HillTout’s bool to consult 
the report in order to supplement his deficiencies. 
THE LEICESTER MEETING OF .THE 
BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 
HE British Association is assured of a hearty 
welcome to Leicester for its seventy-seventh 
annual meeting to be held there from July 31. to 
August 7, under the presidency of Sir David Gill, 
iX.¢.B., F.RIS.. Leicester -is a place of . great 
antiquity, few towns in England having a longer 
history of uninterrupted activity. Its. Roman_ re- 
mains include the ‘‘ Jewry Wall,’’ a remarkable 
example of brickwork, and some mosaic pavement 
in situ. The geological features of the district are 
comprehensive, the Charnwood Forest, with its rocks 
providing many a geological puzzle, being within a 
few miles of the town. Botanists, too, have a happy 
hunting-ground there. The local committees and sub- 
committees are working hard to ensure the success 
of their efforts, and great interest is being shown 
on all sides in the visit of the association to Leicester. 
A guarantee fund of more than 3300!. has been raised 
towards the necessary expenses of the welcome, and 
this without any public appeal being made. No less 
than eleven amounts of tool. and upwards are in- 
cluded in this sum. 
A call has been made on all the principal halls and 
public buildings throughout the town for general and 
sectional use, and it is believed that the arrange- 
ments when completed will be most satisfactory in 
every way. The greatest difficulty the executive have 
had to meet has been the fact that Leicester possesses 
no town hall or public building large enough for 
the purposes of the holding of the usual conversazione 
and general reception of the large 
NO. 1955. von. 75] 
members and guests anticipated. An ingenious sug- 
gestion, however, on the part of the chairman of 
the executive committee (Mr. Alfred Colson), which 
has met with the full approval of all concerned, 
promises to overcome all obstacles, and even to make 
the proposed conyersazione additionally attractive on 
account of the unique way in which it will be housed. 
The intention is to utilise the whole of the present 
museum buildings, including the art gallery and 
mayoral reception rooms, for the use of which per- 
mission has been granted, and to erect on the four 
sides of the grass square adjoining a loggia or 
corridor constructed entirely of timber, 25 feet in 
width, forming a covered promenade about 500 feet 
in length. The four outer sides will be closed, but 
the inner sides, overlooking the grass plot, will be 
open, and so constructed as to be easily beautified 
with floral decorations. Internally the loggia will be 
draped with incombustible material and fitted with 
electric light and suitable furniture. Besides answer- 
ine for the reception to be given by the Leicester 
Literary and Philosophical Society, the structure and 
grounds, with a military band in attendance, will 
make a convenient general rendezvous throughout the 
week. 
A further edition of a very interesting work, 
‘“ Glimpses of Ancient Leicester,’’ by a local author, 
Mrs. Fielding Johnson, is being issued in connection 
with this meeting, and a handbook by another 
Leicester lady, Mrs. Nuttall, will be provided. The 
latter book will contain chapters on subjects of scien- 
tific interest prepared by various experts specially for 
the use of visitors. 
Excursions are being arranged to many points of 
interest in the district, and the Mayor, Alderman Sir 
Edward Wood, J.P., will issue invitations to an even- 
ine féte in the Abbey Park. Sir Samuel Faire, J.P., 
will give a garden-party, and it may be taken for 
granted that the social side of the meeting will be 
well provided for. The comfort and enjoyment of all 
attending the meeting will not be overlooked, while 
the objects of the existence and visit of the associ- 
ation will throughout the week have the first con- 
sideration and thought. 
AN AERONAUTICAL EXHIBITION. 
“THE well-arranged collection of balloon appliances 
and models of aéroplane systems organised by 
the Aéro Club in connection with the Motor-car Ex- 
hibition in London presented a striking contrast to the 
want of organisation in the aéronautical section of the 
Milan exhibition of last year. The large, almost 
empty room at Milan, with no attempt at systematic 
display except in connection with the exhibits of 
the Prussian Government Meteorological Station, has 
no counterpart in the present exhibition. Here every- 
thing was well displayed, and there was no lack of 
exhibitors and assistants ready to give information 
to any inquirer. 
In studying the exhibits, I paid special attention 
to the aéroplane models, with the object of ascertain- 
ing how far they were likely to furnish material that 
would further the systematic study of the problem 
of stability, and in particular of longitudinal stability, 
which is the more difficult of study. It appears, both 
from theory and experiment, that a very slight 
change in the form or dimensions, or even in the 
velocity of propulsion, of a model may change its 
motion from stable to unstable, and that if one 
machine travels safely through the air, another very 
closely resembling it may overturn at once. The 
general character of the exhibits does not seem to 
number of | indicate: that the constructors of flying models have 
