NOVEMBER 6, 1913] 
meeting was held, which heard the paper with 
- interest. 
The meetings of the section were well attended all 
through, and on several occasions the room, although 
holding 350 people, was not large enough for those 
who desired to hear certain papers. The programme 
was too crowded, and there was not sufficient time 
for discussion. The remedy is in the sectional com- 
mittee’s own hands. Two afternoon sessions in the 
week would remove all congestion, and it is difficult 
to see why Section A should not adopt a course fol- 
lowed by several other sections. This course was 
urged by the Recorder at the Committee, but re- 
jected. The experiment of a discussion of a par- 
ticular paper—Prof. Bragg’s—in the afternoon was a 
complete success, and to hold such afternoon meetings 
would be a better method than to restrict the number 
of papers contributed. It would be a loss to the 
usefulness of the section if less important papers were 
altogether crowded out. One function of the associa- 
tion is to provide some opportunity and encourage- 
ment to younger and less well known men, and it 
would be a pity for such a function to be lost 
altogether. 
Some important work was done in the sectional 
committee and in research committees. The report 
et the Seismological Committee has been already 
referred to. The Seismological Committee had to 
consider what steps should be taken in order to carry 
on the work that has hitherto been done under Prof. 
Milne. It was felt that it was impossible to raise 
enough money to carry on the work at Shide as an 
independent station, and the committee decided to 
try to obtain sufficient funds to enable the observa- 
tional work to go on. Prof. H. H. Turner undertook 
to exercise a general supervision over the station at 
Shide, and for the present this seems a satisfactory 
arrangement. But it is unfortunate that the work 
cannot be carried on: with proper equipment and 
personnel. Seismology owes so much to Milne that 
it would be a fitting tribute to his memory for his 
observing station to develop into a_ thoroughly 
equipped institution. In the meantime, the subject is 
under great obligation to Prof. Turner for taking 
over the general supervision. 
A report was received from the Electrical Standards’ 
Committee announcing its own dissolution. | This 
committee has done immensely important service in 
the past. Its work has appeared in a more readily 
obtainable form. The reports from 1861 to the present 
time are republished in one volume. Prof. H. H. 
Turner moved a resolution calling attention to the 
historic character of this committee, and expressing 
on behalf of the Committee of Section A the sense 
of its importance and value. Dr. Glazebrook, the 
secretary of the Standards’ Committee, replied. 
An important research committee on _ radio- 
telegraphic investigations presented its first report 
and outlined a programme of work. Certain problems, 
especially those of “strays”? and of the differences 
between night and day signalling, can only be in- 
vestigated by cooperative work at widely scattered 
stations. The committee has obtained the coopera- 
tion of most of the large institutions connected with 
wireless telegraphy, and hope that exceedingly valu- 
able work may be done in the near future. Both 
this committee and the seismological committee hope 
to be able to carry on their work by means of grants 
from the Caird Fund. 
Reports were also received from the committees 
for investigation of the upper atmosphere, for the 
tabulation of Bessel and other functions, for the 
establishment of a solar observatory in Australia, for 
administering a grant for the international tables of 
constants, and for the disposal of ‘‘the binary canon.” 
NO. 2297, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 309 
The list of grants made to research committees has 
already appeared in the columns of Nature. 
The local arrangements for the meeting of the 
section were admirable. The rooms devoted to Sec- 
tion A were in the Mason College, and served their 
purpose excellently. The large room on some occa~- 
sions was not quite large enough, but it would be 
difficult to find anywhere a suitable lecture-room to 
hold the number who would have liked to hear some 
of the papers. Great credit is due to those who had 
the arrangements in hand, especially to Dr. Shake- 
spear, for the smooth working of such a large and 
complicated section. A word oi congratulation may 
also be given to The Times for the excellent way in 
which some of the meetings, especially the radiation 
discussion, were reported. 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
BirMINGHAM.—A course of ten lectures on social 
anthropology, by Mr. A. R. Brown, of Trinity Col- 
lege, Cambridge, has been arranged for the winter 
and spring terms. This course is the outcome of a 
suggestion made in the Anthropological Section of the 
British Association during the recent meeting, and is 
intended as a tentative experiment to determine to 
what extent there is a demand for such a course in 
addition to the existing course in physical anthro- 
pology. 
CampriwcE.—Mr. W. E. Hartley, of Trinity College, 
has, with the consent of the Vice-Chancellor, been 
appointed chief assistant at the observatory. 
Mr. F. W. Aston, of Trinity College, has been 
elected to the Clerk Maxwell scholarship. 
Mr. T. L. Wren and Mr. IF. Kidd have been elected 
to fellowships at St. John’s College. 
An examination for the award of the Sheepshanks 
astronomical exhibition will be held in the Lent term, 
1914. The exhibition is open to all undergraduates 
of the University of Cambridge, but any person 
elected, if not already a student of Trinity College, 
shall thereupon become a student of Trinity College. 
Candidates may offer themselves for examination in 
one or more of the following subjects :—(a) astronomy 
and allied subjects as defined in Schedule A of part ii. 
of the mathematical tripos; (b) spherical astronomy 
and combination of conservations; (c) celestial 
mechanics; (d) use and optical theory of astronomical 
instruments; (e) astrophysics. A paper of essays on 
astronomical subjects and an examination at ‘the 
observatory in elementary practical astronomy will be 
compulsory on all candidates. 
Amonc numerous bequests under the will of the 
late Dr. F. G. Smart is one of “10,000l. to Gonville 
and Caius College, Cambridge, for two * Frank 
Smart Studentships’ in natural history or botany, 
and if this sum shall be more than sufficient to pro- 
vide for these studentships the balance is to be used to 
promote the study of these subjects in that college.” 
Mr. J. A. Pease, President of the Board of Educa- 
tion, speaking at Camberwell on October 31, fore- 
casted largely increased grants from the Treasury for 
education. In the course of his remarks he said :— 
“ Local authorities know only too well that educational 
expenditure has increased and is increasing, and J 
must tell them that it will have to increase still farther 
if we are to get the economic equivalent for what we 
spend. The gravest of all defects in our educational 
| system is not in elementary education, but in. inter- 
mediate education. Every child in the country has an 
equal chance of developing his abilities up to a certain 
point. It is when that point is reached and passed 
