OCT< 'HER i;. 19] 8 



NATURE 



o;> 



turning in its relation to stock-diseases. Veldchanges 

 resulting from burning maj so alter the whole ration- 

 selections "I tli<- grazing animals that thej may 



a browsing on widely differing plants, formerly 

 ivoided, and often .>f an inimical chai 



In Section I). Dr. Annie Porter read a papei on 

 he occurreno of leuctogregarines in South Africa; 

 two such occurrences one in a dog and oni in a 

 rabbit had been observed. Prof. Fantham recorded 

 the presence ol various parasitii protozoa in Smith 

 African fishes and amphibians; and Dr. F. G. 

 Cawston gave an account of th hich attack 



South Vfrican snails. 

 The Rev. II. A. Junod described before Section E 



customs "i the Baronga in relation to smallpox. 



Ih.. had practised inoculation « ith the virus for mam, 



ng thi serous fluid invariably From children 



or fn Id people, i.e. from those who might be 



called asexuate. The Hen. Mr. [ustice Jackson read 

 hi medicim -man in Natal and Zululand. 

 Unqualified men are allowed to practise cm payment 

 of .1 fei . and more than 1 41 •< > of fhese men have taken 

 out licences. Dr. J. B. McCord also contributed a 

 on Zulu witch-doctors and medicine-men, and 

 described some startling surgical operations performed 

 by these'with no better instrument than a piece of 

 broken glass. The Rev. J. K. L. Kingon spoke on 

 unrealised factors in economic native development. 

 II. showed what profound changes had come about 

 as .1 direct result of thi iiain implements, 



I.. .ih .if peace and war: the poisoned arrow and the 

 ai, thi plough and the wagon, the primilivi 

 sledge contrasted with the railway, had each in turn 

 exercised importanl effects in tribal life, and an axe 

 had been the cause of a war. Mr. J. I). Marwick 

 dealt with the important sul thi natives in 



the large towns. lie uttered a warning regarding the 

 growing tendency of the youngei natives in form 

 bands foi the practice of crime and vice. Or. ('. T. 

 Loram offered some practical suggi stions for better 

 provision for the medical needs of the natives; ami 

 two very interesting contributions were made by Mr. 

 J. McLaren, one on Xosa arts and crafts, and the 

 • .ih. 1 mi Xosa religious beliefs and superstitions. 

 Of absorbing and unique interest was an account 

 given by Dr. C. Pyper of the engraved (cup- and ring- 

 marked) stones of the Lydenburg district in the North- 

 Eastern Transvaal. Mr. \Y. Hammond Tooke dis- 

 cussed the problem of the Rhodesian ruins, and 

 entered the lists against the views expressed on a 

 former occasion In the Rev. S. S. Dornas. The 

 latter gentleman also contributed a paper on the 

 killing of the divine king in Smith Africa; the prac- 

 tice is founded on the belief that the potentate, in 

 ordei in retain hi- divinity, must die a violent death 



a- •-nun a- senile deca\ -rt- in, lest the divine spirit 



Should likewise suli: 



Be fori Section F, Mr. R. T. A. Innes initiated a 

 discussion on the desirability of giving direct repre- 

 sentation ill the I pper llnllsc of llm I'llillll I.enisla- 



t mi . to education, agriculture, manufacture, mining, 



law, health, commerce, and finance. Purpose in 

 education was discussed by Mr. II. C. Reeve; its 



ultimate aim should approximate towards the definite 

 ideal of happiness fur all. The demand for vocational 

 braining, so insistent of late, consequent on over- 

 emphasising production, has revealed a lack of clear 

 thinking, and the first need is, therefore, for leaders 

 of thought to acquire definite views regarding educa- 

 tion's ultimat' .urn. 



On the first evening of the session, after the con- 

 clusion of the president's address in the Selborne Hall 

 Nature of September 19), Dr. Juritz presented 

 in \|i. R. T. \. Innes, Union Astronomer, a cheque 

 NO. 2555. Vol.. 102] 



tin ^n/. and ih. South Vfrici lal annually awarded 



in 1 1 ' 1 ignil i. in ,ii 1, : - ni pi omise in con- 



nection with smith Africa. 



The i.,i., session ol thi ociation w ill In held 



.11 Kingwilliamstown, with the r. Dr. \Y. Flint as 



|n .'si, lent. 



REPOR1 OF THE V R\ I INDIA. 



HP HK report issued by I ol. Sir S. G. Burrard, the 

 -*■ Surveyor-General <>f India, for the year 

 1., in 1 - iiu ludes a most satisfai ti n .... ork 



accomplished in spite of a depleted stafl and the diffi- 

 culties involved In war exigencies. It is gratifying 

 in observe how this Department has responded to 

 the call of the war; the list of honours aw 

 in its members foi distinguished service in the field 

 is niie of which any department might well be proud. 

 Survey detachments have been sent to Mesopotamia, 

 Western Persia (with the Russian forces), Persia 

 (generally), Salonika, Waziristan (with the Field 

 Force), and to the Makran border mission. Not a 

 wind is said about the work accomplished by these 

 military parties, but quite enough is known, inde- 

 pendently of the report, to justify the statement that 

 they have well maintained the reputation of Indian 

 surveyors in the field of military action. We shall 

 hear all about them in time, though probably not 



From India. The normal work of the Department 

 has been well sustained, especially in the topographical 

 1.1. an h.s, when good progress inwards the completion 

 u| the i.ii.s scheme is recorded. Broadly, this scheme 

 embraced a re-survey of India (of which the topo- 

 graphy was then nearly complete, but much out of 

 date) on the scale nl 1 in. per mile, with a subsequent 

 very wise reservation in favour of h in. per mile for 

 certain extensive tun unimportant areas of wilder- 

 ness and jungle. The whole output fur tin yeai 

 amounts to about 33,000 square miles (still leaving 

 1,350,000 to be completed) at an approximate cost of 

 3 1.4 rupees per square mile (say 2L). ( Certain small areas 

 of forest on scales of 3 in. and 4 in. per mile are in- 

 cluded, so that this output of the twelve small parlies 

 employed must be considered very satisfactory. I he 

 geodetic operations include (besides direct triangulation 

 and the magnetic surveys) pendulum, tidal, and level- 

 ling observations of great scientific value. More than 

 une million maps have been turned out in the map 

 department, including topographical, geographical; 

 .mil general maps, amongst which are twelve sheets 

 of the "one millionth" map of the world, which are 

 now reduced to uniform style -,. as in take their place 

 with similar sheets of the series published by the 

 Royal Geographical Society and elsewhere. The colour 

 system adopted by the Survey of India for defining 

 differential altitudes in planes ,,1 differenj tints is not 

 beyond criticism. The highest altitudes (next the 

 regions of perpetual snow) are coloured a blood-red. 

 The result when applied 10 Tibet is almost comic in 

 lis blazine determination to secure due recognition 

 fur the "Runt of the World." T. H. H. 



PHYSICS IX 



RELATION 



LIFE.* 



TO NATIONAL 



A KOI T une hundred years ago in thi 



Dr. 1 nomas Young, .me of thi ol 



English physicists, published his "Lectures mi Natural 



Philosophy." They had been del ered a short time 



1 From a lecture delivered on April 27 by Sir RicharJ Glazebroolc, C.B., 

 F.RS, in a course on "Science an.l (he Xi ' 

 teachers by the London County Coum 



