>52 



NATURE 



[January 2. 1919 



striking instances of the services rendered in conncc- 

 1 i<>n with the war and their influence on the industrial 

 develoj en, and stress was laid on the 



of wide and thorough training, with the view 

 oi raising the status oi technical journalism as a pro- 

 fession. A resolution was moved by Mr. H. C. 

 1 Ire, si LI , mini h\ Mr. A. C. Meyjes, and carried 

 unanimously, urging the desirability of closer co-opera- 

 tion and i" hange of views between the 

 trade and technical Press in the two countries. Mr. 

 L. Gaster, chairman of the circle, who presided, 

 voiced thi plea ure oi the meeting in welcoming the 



guests, and Mr. A. J. Baldwin expressed the hope 



thai British technical journalists would reciprocate l>\ 

 sending a deputation to the United States in the near 

 future. 



I\ the Scientifit Monthly for November (vol. vii.. 

 No. 5) Dr. Philip A. Means describes the social ci ndi 

 tions of the Piura-Tumbes region of northern Peru. 

 The population is divided on ethnic lines into three 

 groups: pure Indians, pure whiles, and mestizos (i.e. 

 those of mixed ancestry). The landowners are, f< 

 most pari, of the white races; the Indians are engaged 

 either in agriculture for the landowners or on the 

 coast in fishing; while the mestizo class is occupied in 

 shop-keeping, hotel-keeping, and kindred employments. 

 In spite, however, of the excellent climate and the 

 abundance of fruits and vegetables, the condition of 

 most of the people is far from idyllic; their houses 

 are often wretched huts indescribably dirty, while their 

 personal habits are so unclean as to encourage disease . 

 The author makes a plea for a benevolent paternalism 

 in government, aiming at building up a wholesome, 

 sane, and virile peasantry. The people have a peculiar 

 aptitude for hand-weaving, which, if rightly en- 

 couraged, might both make the region world-famous 

 for woven fabrics and help to develop the inhabitants. 

 Excellent cotton and wool are already produced there, 

 and with proper scientific study silk and flax could be 

 grown in large quantities. Dr. Means suggests that the 

 genius of the people for hand-weaving should not be 

 suppressed by the introduction of mechanical methods, 

 but encouraged, and in time, with the right sort of 

 loom, the inhabitants would quickly show the world 

 new kinds of cloth by new combinations of material. 

 Tile-making he would also encourage. Other interest- 

 ing suggestions for the development of this region are 

 put forward in the article — suggestions which are 

 pertinent to regions other than that of Piura-Tumbes. 



The rapid increase and spread of the great crested 

 11 in Warwickshire forms the subject of a short 

 paper by the late Mr. Geoffrey Leigh in British Birds 

 for December. On the majority of pools already in 

 use the number of breeding pairs is increasing yearly, 

 whilst Fresh sheets oi water are being constantly 

 ed. The authoi expresses the opinion that this 

 species is, as a rule, double-brooded. This increasi 

 apparently dales from about the year 1900, and it is 

 to be hoped that it will receive no check. 



In tlr ituralist for November-December 



Mr. R. F. iresses the opinion that tin red 



deer found in Ireland to-daj are t lie descendants of 

 the indigenous stock of die island, and casts doubt on 

 the trustworthiness of the statement that red deer 

 were imported into Inland dining the thirteenth cen- 

 tury from England. There ran be no room for doubt 

 that in prehistoric tim. - thi red deer roamed in great 

 numbers all over tin island, and the author holds that 

 it is unlikely that in the thirteenth century this native 

 race would have been so reduced as to need reinforce- 

 ment. 



2566, VOL. I02] 



That the Zoological S oi London has come 



through a time ol severe Stress and anxiet} with re- 

 markable success there can be no question, even 



though, as announced at the monthly general meeting 

 beM on December 1, there has been a great falling 00 

 in admissions to the -.uuens during t< 

 with the corresponding period for 1917. There has 



also In in a similar .1 ise in the number ol fellows 



elected and We may, however, ami 



a stead} and lasting improvement now that the dis- 

 turbing factors are disappearing. The most important 

 addition to the gardens during December was a Kea 



parrol (Nestoi 



Mani .1 us ago it was point Prof. Bryan 



in Scii 1 if that the pollen-grains of certain 



plants exhibit marked " htack-n . fects in 



polarised light. The Journal of tin Royal M 

 scopical Society for September last contains an 

 abstract of a paper by Mr. F. J. Keeley in tin- Pro- 

 ceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia dealing with polariscopic effects produced 

 by certain diatoms. These effects, which were 

 previously discussed by Mr. E. M. prob- 



ably attributable to internal reflections, an explanation 

 which may, perhaps, apply equally well to the pollen. 

 The existence of these effects in Actinocyclus ra 

 has led to Mr. Keeley observing an exceedingly deli- 

 cate secondary structure in this optically remarkable 

 diatom. 



The preservation of game-birds in its relation to 



ilture has for some time past become a subject 

 of political controversy, and it is therefore gratifying 

 to find the subject treated in a scientific spirit by Dr. 

 Walter E Collinge, of St. Andrews, in Scii 

 Progress for October last. Dr. Collinge has con- 

 ducted an extensive series of examinations of the con- 

 tents of the crops of the three principal game-birds, 

 namely, the pheasant, red grouse, and partridge. The 

 proportions of animal matter are 37-4, 22-5, and 

 405 . per cent, respectively, this consisting mainlv of 

 injurious insects, with very small percentage - 

 worms, slugs, and non-injurious insects. Of the 

 vegetable matter the percentages of grain are 2-4, 1-5, 

 and 35, the great bulk being described as " li 

 stems, and seeds of weeds." In view of the benefits 

 which these game-birds are capable of conferring upon 

 agriculture, Dr. Collinge contends that, apart from 

 all other considerations, their preservation is a ques- 

 tion of urgent national importance. On the other 

 hand, he advocates the systematic destruction of other 

 Species of birds, such as the house-sparrow, rook-, 

 and starling, which are costing the country mjllions 

 of money in the food products destroyed 



In the Kew Bulletin, Xo. 7, a further instalment of 



"Notes on the Flora of Madras" is published by Mr. 



J. S. Gamble, the author of the ilora now in course 



of publication. These notes deal with the natural 



families and genera which form part ii. of the flora, 



" Cejastraceae to Leguminosa'- Papilionntae," which 



has recently been published. Among plants of un- 



urrence in Madias m ay be mentioned Leea 



ita, which is found in Bengal and Burma, and 



Turpinia 1 , a Himalayan 



mountain species found in the Madras mountains. 



Mr. Gamble proposes sis 1 the difficult 



Nothopegia ; one of these, V. doHzelli, was originally 



1 id by Dal/ell in iSe, a- a new genus, Glvcy- 



carpus, and about three of the others there has been 



derable confusion, now admirably settled by Mr. 



Gamble's careful researches. In the same issi 



describes ten new species of South Indian Rosaces, 



Mvrtace.-c. .and Melastoma 



