December 19. 191! 



NATURE 



309 



also between ants and various plants known a^ 

 Myrmeeophytes. 



The author takes occasion to combat Was- 

 mann's view as to a special symphilic instinct 

 in ants and termites. The latter observer adduces 

 certain ascertained facts regarding Lomechusa 

 striiwosa, a beetle parasitic in the colonies of 

 Formica sanguined. 'The adult beetles are fed 

 and licked by the ants, but the beetle larva- devour 

 the larvae o| their hosts; moreover, in some 

 colonies the presence of the parasite leads to the 

 elopmenl of pseudogynes i.e. forms inter- 

 mediate between workers and females, which are 

 incapable of performing the functions of either 

 Caste. The infection of an ant colony by Lome- 

 chusa is therefore presumably detrimental to the 

 hosts. This is admitted by Wasmann, who never- 

 theless contends that Formica siuiguincu has 



acquired a special symphilic instinct, not under the 



influence of natural selection, but in connection 

 with the use of a process analogous to artificial 

 selection as practised by man. Mr. Wheeler 

 holds, on the other hand, that the beetle is the 

 aggressor, and that the fact that it is licked and 

 tended by the ants is a mere incidental result of 

 the nursing habits of the latter with regard to 

 their own offspring. F. A. D. 



I'll) sirs IX SCHOOLS. 1 



TX Opening the discussion described in the report 

 J- before us, Prof. C. 11. Lees, president of the 

 Physical Society, stated thai the meeting was the 

 come of the desire of the societj t<> help 

 • engaged in science teaching in public and 

 secondary schools to cany out the extension of 

 their work which will probably ensue in the course 

 of tin- next few years. We may begin our ; 

 o! the report by congratulating those responsible 

 he idea oi such a meeting and those to whom 

 (lit of its skilful organisation belongs. 

 Sir Oliver Lodge opened with a characteristic- 

 Mr. President, I very much 

 that it is desirable tiiat tin average man 

 should know more physics than he does at pi' 



lie could hardly know less." Bui the speaker did 

 not pursue the delicate question as to the responsi- 



this state of things, whether tin avi ragi 

 man or the teacher oi physics is to blame. Nor 

 need we inquire, since the one clear, unmistakable 

 i the discussion as a whole was that 

 teai hers of physics are tackling with much 

 thoughtful energy the problem of providing 



■ physics which will suit those who will 

 gel in schools the only knowledge of physics they 

 are ever likely to possess. 



It is worth noting that Sir Oliver Lodge con- 

 siders it besl to begin with the biological sciences, 

 ultivating the faculty of observation. Why 



this should he so was not explained; nor was any- 

 thing said as to how the power of observing gained 

 in natural history studies was to be transferred 

 to the field of physics. Here we touch on the 



"The Te i » in Scho 



:ins of the Plty-ical So-tetv. June 14. 

 .1. 1018.) Price 11. 2t/. pott free. 



Is." Report of ;i discussion at ; 

 i Pp * i London r 



NO. 2564, VOL. I02] 



weak side of the discussion — there was too in- 

 secure a basis ol psychological knowledge, too 

 little recognition ol the imperative primary need 

 to lind out how the boy's mind will work with 

 spontaneity as well as under discipline. 



There are several clear statements in this report 

 on the distinct ion between physics for the boy who 

 will specialise in science and "Physics for All," 

 the contribution of Prof. K. A. Gregory being 

 particularly clear and weighty. The need for 

 inspiring courses was well emphasised by both 

 the opening speakers ; the Harrow syllabus sub- 

 mitted by Mr. C. L. Bryant was an able effort 

 to meet this need. 



Every schoolmaster feels one great difficulty in 

 carrying out his ideals, viz. the narrow limits of 

 time within which his work has to be carried out. 

 Dr. T. J. Baker brought this point clearly before 

 the society, and from this point of view criticised 

 the recommendation of Sir J. J. Thomson's Com- 

 mittee to lower the school-leaving age from nine- 

 teen to eighteen. Probably the majority of school- 

 masters, not excluding Dr. Baker himself, would 

 be satisfied with an "Advanced Course" which 

 ended with the end of the school year in which 

 the age of eighteen was reached. 



Mr. A. T. Simmons showed the further diffi- 

 culties which arise when the school course ends 

 at sixteen. Too often electricity and magnetism 

 are left out, so far as the majority of the boys are 

 concerned — a serious matter. We may point out 

 that this means not merely the loss of a study ol 

 fascinating interest to most boys, but the further 

 result is that school-work and the life of the world 

 remain divorced. Mr. Simmons did another 

 service to the discussion by indicating things 

 which could be left out with advantage ; we sug- 

 gest that one of the most necessary things to do 

 at present is to scrap useless topics of the Nichol- 

 son hydrometer type. 



If we take a longer view, it is obvious that for 

 future progress the training of teachers of physics 

 is ol first-rate importance, and the remarks of 

 Prof. T. P. Xunn will be read with interest. The 

 two main theses were (i) the need for the 

 teacher to have studied his subject critically, 

 (2) the benefit which results from a sound appren- 

 ticeship to the teacher's art. We agree that "the 

 way of wisdom with regard to training colleges is 

 not to suppress or to ignore them, but to take 

 serious pains to strengthen them for the better 

 performance of their indispensable duties." In 

 our opinion, the training of science teachers is 

 one of the vitally important items of educational 

 reconstruction, and this might well be impressed 

 upon local education authorities during the 

 coming year. The need for "refresher courses 

 for teachers who have been at work for sevi 

 years, possibly in a remote school, has been recog- 

 nised by the more progressive authorities; but 

 such courses rarely include physics or chemistry. 

 Mr. J. Xichol was only too well justified in direct- 

 ing attention to the financial difficulty of the 

 science master who wishes to keep up to date 

 I this applies especially to those whose school is 



