' ordinary course of business routine, 
NOVEMBER 27, 1913| 
NATURE 
373 
1 and 2), putting the nuclear charge proportional to 
the atomic weight, found values, however, showing, 
not constancy, but systematic deviation from (mean 
values) 3-825 for Cu to 3-25 for Au. If now in these 
values the number M of the place each element occu- 
pies in Mendeléeff’s series is taken instead of A, the 
atomic weight, we get a real constant (18:7+0:3); 
hence the hypothesis proposed holds good for Men- 
deléeff’s series, but the nuclear charge is not equal to 
half the atomic weight. Should thus the mass of the 
atom consist for by far the greatest part of @ particles, 
then the nucleus too must contain electrons to com- 
pensate this extra charge. 
Table of the Ratio of the Scattering per Atom 
Divided by A* Compared with that Divided by M?. 
M 
I I Mean |. ee ni ae M 
EM 9s Bo kas) BIOS 2523 Gls eee BENS ess 2 
TGS Rs cee Horne 9 abc i - 189 18°4 ... 47 
CIES Sg 2c emo We aS es pes 4 181 EGG: i... 50 
th. a. SiS... d0 314 Atom o B7sont ts 10'6)..5' 82 
Au. s. oy aaa oe i 3°25 oemelga 18"4 ... 83 
Means.) 344. ..<3°45 +--+. 34d 5 ave oOuser 10'O 
A. VAN DER BROEK. 
Gorssel, Holland, November to. 
The Stone Implements of the Tasmanians. 
In reply to Mr. J. P. Johnson’s letter on Tasmanian 
stone implements in Narure of November 13, atten- 
tion may be directed to the paper read by M. Exsteens 
before the International Prehistoric Congress at 
Geneva last year, and destined to appear in vol. ii. 
of the Compte-rendu. It seems that the common 
‘opinion in Europe as to the culture represented by 
these relics of a recently extinct race was based prin- 
cipally on rejects from a large collection; and an 
inspection of the better worked specimens is sufficient 
to upset their eolithic origin in favour of a later 
‘stage, viz. Le Moustier-Aurignac, which is precisely 
Mr. Johnson’s view. In 1906 the Rev. C. Wilkinson 
and Mr. Anthony presented a small but typical series 
of that character to the British Museum. 
‘ REGINALD A. SMITH. 
Society of Antiquaries of London, 
Burlington House, W., November 18. 
Museum Glass. 
_ In connection with a worl I am writing on ‘‘ The 
_ History of Anatomy," I have been induced to trace 
' the rise of the anatomical museum, and this appears 
- to have depended to a larger extent than one would 
- have suspected on the price of spirit and museum 
jars. In the second half of the eighteenth century 
John Hunter was using about 5000 museum jars for 
his spirit preparations. It would be interesting to 
learn whether these were made specially to his order, 
as I suspect, which firm he dealt with, and how 
continuous records of the prices of circular and rect- 
angular glass jars used in museum work, and also 
the period when they were first manufactured in the 
From 1750 to 
1850 is the period of most importance. 
; PL J.. Core. 
University College, Reading, November 15. 
NO. 2300, VOL. 92| 
‘much he was charged. Perhaps some old-established | 
‘glass manufacturers can give me some isolated or 
| of interest apart from its position. 
CAPTAIN SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION. 
Cas SCOTT’S last journal has the deep 
interest of one of the most tragic documents 
in the history of exploration, for the fate of his 
party on its return from its magnificent and suc- 
cessful journey will surround his name with the 
romance that immortalises those of Franklin and 
of Burke and Wills. The human interest of 
Captain Scott’s journals is greater than the geo- 
graphical, for his-route by the Beardmore Glacier 
was the same as that of Shackleton to one hundred 
miles from the Pole, and the remainder of the 
route was over a plateau with no special features 
The reader 
therefore naturally hurries through the accounts 
of the voyage out, the landing on the middle of the 
western coast of Ross Island, the depét laying in 
the first season, the happy life at the winter 
quarters, and the reports of enthusiastic scientific 
investigation by the staff. He will read with 
pleasure the eulogies of Dr. Wilson and the 
tributes to the capacity and enterprise of all the 
members of the expedition; and he may note, too, 
that Captain Scott started greatly preferring 
ponies to dogs, and that the old Discovery hut 
was used as an intermediate station on the way 
to the Barrier; the remarks that it was cold is not 
surprising, since half its heating apparatus had 
been left in New Zealand, and the insulating 
material on which its warmth depended was not 
inserted. , 
The Southern Party, with its various supporting 
parties, started between October 24 and November 
3, with sledges drawn by motors, ponies, and 
dogs; and this part of the narrative inevitably 
recalls the old maxim against mixed transport. 
The transport was, however, gradually unified by 
the failure of the motors and the shooting of the 
ponies, the flesh of which was used as food, mainly 
for the dogs. After the fateful return of the dogs 
from the lower end of the Beardmore Glacier on 
December 12, the journey was continued with 
man-hauled sledges, with the aid of two supporting 
parties, which returned later. Eighteen miles 
from the Pole came the discovery of a camp and 
many dog tracks, followed by finding Amundsen’s 
tent and letters, which have given conclusive 
evidence that both parties reached their goal. 
The interest increases in the story of the return 
march, maintained with heroic persistence in spite 
of the ever-growing difficulties and weakness, 
which led to the final tragedy only eleven miles 
from the ample store of food and fuel at One Ton 
Depot. Thereis no direct statement as to the real 
cause of the disaster. Dr. Wilson’s diary may be 
expected to contain more explicit evidence; but 
though various extracts from Dr. Wilson’s diary 
are quoted on comparatively unimportant details, 
there-is none regarding the main problem. The 
1 “Scott's Last Expedition.” In 2 vols. Vol. i., Being the Journals of 
Captain R. F. Scott, R.N., C.V.O. Pp. xxvi+633+plates. Vol. ii., Being the 
Reports of the Journeys and the Scientific Work undertaken by Dr. E. A. 
Wilson and the Surviving Members of the Expedition. Pp. xv-+534+plates. 
Arranged by Leonard Huxley. With a Preface by Sir Clements R. Markham, 
K.C.B., F.R.S. (London: Smith, Elder and Co,, 1913.) Price 42s. net. 
