414 
ments, that their culture was more nearly allied to 
the Syrian than the Aigean type. Mr. R. Campbell 
Thompson explained his system of decipherment of the 
Hittite inscriptions, and in another communication 
described a large number of ancient Assyrian medical 
charms and remedies from inscribed tablets still un- 
published. The evidence bearing upon the character 
and powers of the female magician in Semitic magic 
was analysed and discussed by Prof. T. Witton Davies. 
Dr. T. Ashby, director of the British School at Rome, 
described the successive systems of aqueducts in 
ancient Rome, and gave an account of a _ recent 
attempt to trace the Via Appia, in the course of which 
he discovered four menhirs near Bari not hithérto 
described. 
The archeology of western Europe was covered by 
communications from Dr. Marett, describing recent 
discoveries of Palzolithic and Neolithic age in the 
Channel Islands, and from Mr. Cantrill on stone 
boiling in the British Isles; from Mr. H.’ Peake on 
the Bronze age in the Rhone Valley, and Mr. O. G.S. 
Crawford on trade between England and France in the 
Neolithic and Bronze ages. Mr. W. Dale, in describ- 
ing an exhibit of flint implements found in the county 
of Hampshire, raised the question of the dating of 
the rough ‘‘celt’’ usually assigned to the Neolithic 
period, but unfortunately owing to lack of time no 
discussion was possible. Mr. J. P. Bushe-Fox de- 
scribed the excavations on the site of the Roman 
town of Viroconium, which are being carried out 
under the auspices of the Shropshire Archeological 
Society and the Society of Antiquaries, and Dr. Wil- 
loughby Gardner gave an account of his further 
excavations of the Romano-British hill-fort in Kinmell 
Park, near Abergele. Dr. T. J. Jehu and Mr. A.J. B. 
Wace described their discoveries in excavating the 
Kinkell Cave, near St. Andrews, which had _ been 
inhabited in Roman and early Christian times. These 
included a slab of red sandstone with incised crosses, 
which the authors held to be probably one of the 
earliest relics of Christianity yet found in Britain. 
Papers by the Rev. F. Smith, on Palzolithic trap 
stones, and by the Rev. Dr. Irving, on the prehistoric 
site at Bishops Stortford, brought to a close one of 
the most successful meetings of recent years. 
OCEAN TEMPERATURES NEAR ICEBERGS. 
ewe Journal of the Washington Academy of 
Sciences for September 19 contains, inter alia, 
an account by Messrs. C. W. Waidner, H. C. Diclsin- 
son, and J. J. Crowe, of the Bureau of Standards, of 
observations on ocean temperatures in the vicinity of 
icebergs and in other parts of the ocean taken by 
them on board the United States’ steamships Chester 
and Birmingham. 
The party, which left Philadelphia in the Chester 
on June 2, 1912, and was subsequently transferred to 
the Birmingham, registered continuous observations 
from June 19 until its return to Philadelphia on July 11 
of the same year. 
The temperature equipment carried consisted of a 
surface electrical resistance thermometer, a Leeds and 
Northrup recorder suitable for use with the resistance 
thermometer, deep sea thermometers, and several 
mercurial standard thermometers. 
Several small bergs were seen on the horizon from 
the Chester on June 17, and almost simultaneously 
the temperature record indicated a sudden fall from 
87° to 73° C. The fall continued while the berg was 
approached, and at a distance from it of about 500 
yards the temperature was 57° C. 
At a distance of about 150 yards from the berg, the 
mass of which was estimated at about 1200 tons, the 
surface temperatures taken from a boat ranged from 
NO. 2301, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 
[DEcEMBER 4, 19] 
58° to 67° C. Other observations taken gav 
following temperatures: 20 ft. from the berg, 
35 ft., 4:90°; 50 ft., 5:0°; 75 ft.5%-4°; 200 ff., 5egm 
At a depth of five fathoms, when 50 ft. fror 
berg, the temperature was 36° C., and at 20 fath 
33° C. At some miles distant from the berg, 
ever, the temperatures taken were as low as 
observed a few feet from it; moreover, an exam 
tion of temperature records, which were obtai 
under a variety of conditions, in the region of 37° 
43° 30’ north latitude and 43° to 53° west longit 
demonstrated the difficulty of separating large 
sudden variations of sea temperature, so freque 
met with, from variations that might be caused 
the proximity of icebergs. be 
In some parts of the ocean, temperatures were — 
recorded that were constant to a few tenths of a degree 
for many hours, whereas in other parts the variations 
were as large and sudden as any observed in the neigh- 
bourhood of icebergs. a 
The variation in the salinity of sea-water in the 
vicinity of bergs, resulting from the melting of the 
ice, were so small as to be masked by the ordinary 
variations found in sea-water. ; 
Experiments with the foghorn, sounded when in- 
the vicinity of icebergs, with the object of detecting — 
their presence in a fog by the echo from them, were — 
tried without success; but a few experiments made — 
with a bell sounded under water to ascertain whether — 
an echo from the submerged portion of a berg could — 
be detected by means of the ship’s submarine signal — 
telephones were attended with more hopeful results. 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
BirMinGHAM.—The Huxley lecture for this year is to — 
be delivered by Sir Arthur Evans, F.R.S., who has — 
chosen as his subject, ‘‘ The Ages of Minos.” : 
CAMBRIDGE.—The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that 
the Lowndean professorship of astronomy and geo- 
metry is vacant by the death of Sir Robert Ball. The 
electors will meet for the purpose of electing a pro- 
fessor on Monday, December 22. Candidates are re- 
quested to send their names, with ten copies of such — 
testimonials, if any, as they may think fit, to the 
Vice-Chancellor on or before Monday, December 15, 
1913. 
Mr. N. Cunliffe has been appointed to the office of 
assistant to the superintendent of the museum of 
zoology for one year as from October 1, 1913. 
The Walsingham medal for 1913 has been awarded 
to Mr. F. Kidd, for his essay entitled, “‘“On the Action 
of Carbon Dioxide in the Moist Seed in Maturing, 
Resting, and Germinating Conditions.” 
Mr. H. S. Jones, formerly foundation scholar, Isaac 
Newton student 1912, Smith’s prizeman 1913, has been 
elected to a fellowship at Jesus College. 
Lonpon.—Dr. W. T. Gordon has been appointed 
lecturer and head of the geological department at — 
King’s College, in succession to Dr. T. F. Sibly, 
appointed professor of geology at the University of 
South Wales, Cardiff. Dr. Gordon has been lecturer 
in paleontology and assistant in geology at the Uni- 
versity of Edinburgh since 1910, and has made exten- 
sive researches in palaobotany, and some investiga- 
tions in stratigraphical geology. 
MaNcHESTER.—A_ very interesting and _ pleasant 
ceremony was held in the University on Thursday, 
November 27, when the portrait of Prof. Horace 
Lamb, F.R.S., was presented by subscribers to the 
University to be hung in the Whitworth Hall., Prof. 
Lamb has filled the chair of mathematics in the Uni- 
