October 6, 1904] 



NA TURE 



567 



Prof. Errera also read a paper on the struggle for pre- 

 eminence and inhibitory stimuli in plants, and Dr. J. P. 

 Lotsy (Leyden) gave an account of his discovery of a new 

 alkaloid in Strychnos nux-vomica. 



Important papers were also read by Prof. R. Chodat 

 (Geneva), on oxidising enzymes and liatalases in plants ; 

 by Prof. G. Klebs (Halle), on the artificial formation of a 

 new race; by Prof. F. Czapek (Prague), on the importance 

 of the anti-ferment test in geotropically stimulated roots ; 

 by Prof. K. Fujii (Tokio), on the pollination of Gymno- 

 spenns; and by Dr. G. J. Peirce (California), on the dis- 

 semination and germination of Arcculhobium occidcitialc. 



Mr. J. Parkin gave an experimental demonstration of a 

 brilliant pigment appearing after injury in species of 

 Jacobinia, the shoots of which when bruised and extracted 

 with water yield a beautiful purplish liquid. Such a re- 

 ducing agent as stannous chloride decolorises it. Micro- 

 organisms can also readily bleach it when oxygen is 

 e.xcluded, but on allowing air to enter the original colour 

 at once returns. The whole phenomenon bears some re- 

 semblance to the way in which indigo arises in plant-tissues. 



Papers were also contributed by Dr. Otto V. Darbishire 

 on the transpiration stream in small plants, and by Dr. 

 George Barger on saponarine (soluble starch). 



Fungi. 



Prof. H. Marshall Ward, F.R.S., gave an address on 

 recent researches in parasitic fungi. The investigations of 

 De Bary and others were shortly described, and then Prof. 

 Ward described his own experimental work on the deter- 

 mination of the external conditions necessary for the 

 germination of the spores of fungi. He showed that a 

 knowledge of the germinating capacity of the spores is 

 necessary in order to arrive at definite conclusions as to the 

 immunity of new varieties of cereals from disease. In 

 opposition to Prof. Eriksson, he maintained that there is no 

 evidence to show that fungus diseases are spread in any 

 other way than by spores, and that his experimental and 

 microscopic investigations do not in any way support 

 Eriksson's mycoplasm theory. 



Prof. Eriksson (Stockholm), in a paper on the vegetative 

 life of some Uredineae, dealt in considerable detail with this 

 question, and sought to show that the evidence before us 

 as to the infection of cereals by the disease could only be 

 explained by the presence of mycoplasm in the seed. 



Mr. V. H. Blackman and Miss Helen C. I. Eraser gave 

 an account of the development of the aecidium of Uroniyces 

 poae and the life-history of Puccinia nialvaccarum, in which 

 many new facts were brought forward, especially concern- 

 ing the sexual fusion of nuclei in the secidial cells. 



Mr. E. S. Salmon described some further cultural ex- 

 periments with biologic forms of the Erysiphacese which 

 demonstrate the fact that the infection-powers of a " biologic 

 form " are not altered by its residence for one generation 

 on a strange host-plant, and give also some evidence in 

 favour of the idea of the hereditary nature of the infection- 

 powers of certain " biologic forms." 



Mr. R. H. Biffen, in a paper on the inheritance of suscepti- 

 bility to and immunity from the attacks of yellow rust, 

 brought forward evidence to show that the liability to certain 

 diseases is inherited, and from the results of crossing 

 together races of wheat relatively immune from and highly 

 susceptible to the attacks of Puccinia glumarum, it appears 

 that susceptibility is dominant over immunity in the hybrid. 



Miss C. M. Gibson gave an account of her infection 

 experiments with various Uredineae, which show that the 

 germ tubes from the spores of any uredine may enter almost 

 any plant, and that the attractive substance causing entry 

 is not specialised in each species, but is something common 

 to all plants. 



Dr. A. H. Reginald BuUer presented papers on the de- 

 struction of wooden paving blocks by the fungus Lentinus 

 lepideus, Fr. , and the reactions of the fruit-bodies of 

 Lentinus lepideus, Fr., to external stimuli : and Mr. B. T. P. 

 Barker on the structure of the ascocarp in the genus 

 Monascus, and on some further observations on the asco- 

 carp of Ryparobius. 



Dr. A. F. Blakeslee (U.S..\.) briefly described his in- 

 vestigations on the sexuality of zygospore formation. 

 .According to their method of zvgospore formation the 

 Mucorinete mav be divided into homothallic and hetero- 



thallic forms. In the first group zygospores are developed 

 from branches of the same thallus. In the second group, 

 comprising probably a majority of the species, the zygo- 

 spores are developed from branches which belong to thalli 

 diverse in character. The sexual strains in an individual 

 species show a more or less marked difference in vegetative 

 luxuriance. The author concludes that the mycelium of 

 the homothallic species is bisexual, whilst that of the hetero- 

 thallic species is unisexual. 



In the agricultural subsection, which met under the 

 presidency of Prof. W. Somerville, the following papers 

 were read : — improvement of wheats and .Mendel's laws, 

 R. H. Biffen ; hybridisation of cereals. Dr. J. H. Wilson ; the 

 clover mystery : a probable solution of it, R. H. Elliott ; 

 analysis of soil by the plant, and the probable error of agri- 

 cultural field experiments, A. D. Hall ; determination of 

 available phosphates, T. S. Dymond and G. Clark ; 

 sulphates in their relation to growth of crops,- T. S. Dymond 

 and F. Hughes ; the improvement of clay pastures by legu- 

 minous plants. Prof. T. H. Middleton ; formation of 

 ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Dr. E. J. Russell; chemical 

 composition of mangels, and variation in mangels, T. B. 

 Wood and R. A. Berry. Prof. W. D. Atwater (Middletown, 

 Conn., U.S.A.), who was present at the meeting, also com- 

 municated a paper to the section. 



EDUCATION AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



A ETER the president's address (published in Nature of 

 ■^ September 15), the first paper on the programme was 

 on the present educational position of logic and psychology, 

 by Miss E. E. C. Jones, in which attention was directed 

 to the fact that, on the one hand, logical and psychological 

 studies hold a position of growing importance in English 

 thought and education, while, on the other hand, the quality 

 and organisation of the instruction supplied leave much 

 to be desired. Some logic and psychology are now required 

 for teachers' training examinations ; it is also desirable 

 that all students of religious doctrine or of the great 

 questions of philosophy should be equipped with logical 

 method and psychological knowledge. 



The section listened with interest to the lucid account of 

 the advances made in the teaching of experimental science 

 in the secondary schools of Ireland given by the Right Rev. 

 Gerald Molloy. The result of three years' work is splendid, 

 thanks to a cordial and remarkable cooperation of teachers, 

 of schools, and of local authorities with the Intermediate 

 Education Board and the Department of Agriculture and 

 Technical Instruction. These latter bodies have adopted a 

 common programme in science subjects, and are carrying 

 out a common system of examination and inspection. All 

 the secondary schools of the country, about 250 in number, 

 are enjoying the benefits due to judicious introduction of 

 practical work in the laboratory, and the administrators 

 mav justly be congratulated on the fact that there are more 

 than qooo pupils following the preliminary course, and 1500 

 pursuing a more specialised course after passing through 

 the preliminary. The manner in which the first great 

 difficulty, that of providing competent teachers, was over- 

 come is interesting, but it is of more importance now to 

 note that the organisers took the right road to efficiency by 

 putting men first and bricks and mortar second. (Might 

 not some of our local authorities and governing bodies in 

 England receive a useful hint?) For the future "the 

 Department propose to grant the ' Irish Teacher's Science 

 Certificate ' to all students who pass through a three years' 

 course, prescribed for the purpose, in the Royal College of 

 Science, Dublin. They will also recognise as qualified 

 teachers students who have followed a similar course in any 

 university or technical college, and who have obtained the 

 corresponding degree or diploma." 



The discussion was mainly congratulatory, but one 

 criticism deserves, and will no doubt receive, careful con- 

 sideration from the authorities. It was felt by many that 

 among subjects relegated to the optional courses were some 

 of such fundamental importance as to be an indispensable 

 part of an all-round education. This, of course, is part of 

 the wide and difficult problem which is getting more and 

 more pressing, viz. what can be safely left out of the 

 secondary school curriculum? It is safe to reply to Dr. 



NO. 1823, VOL. 70] 



