SEPTEMBER 7, 1899] 
NATURE 
437 
In Section A (Mathematics and Physics) the President’s 
address is intended to be taken at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 
September 14. On Friday, September 15, papers con- 
nected with mathematical physics and electricity will 
be read. On Saturday, September 16, on the occasion 
of the French visit, it is hoped that Prof. J. J. Thompson 
and Prof Oliver Lodge will communicate papers. On 
Monday, September 18, the section will subdivide into 
a meteorological and a mathematical section. On Tues- 
day, Prof. Threlfall will exhibit and describe his gravity 
metre, and a discussion on platinum thermometry will be 
opened by Prof. Callendar and Drs. Harker and 
Chappuis. 
The President’s address in Section B (Chemistry) will 
be given on Thursday, September 14, immediately after 
the address to Section A. It will deal with the assimila- 
tion of carbon by the higher plants, and will be mainly 
descriptive of new work carried out during the past two | 
years in the Jodrell Laboratory at Kew. In addition to 
papers of a specially technical character several dis- 
cussions of interest have been arranged for the meeting. 
On the occasion of the visit of the French Association on 
the Saturday, there will be a joint meeting of Sections B 
and K to discuss the question of symbiotic fermentation, 
both in its chemical and biological aspects. This dis- 
cussion will be opened by Prof. Marshall Ward; Dr. 
Calmette and Prof. Armstrong, amongst others, will take 
Part in it. 
Prof. Armstrong has undertaken to open a discussion 
on a subject of importance and interest in organic chem- 
istry, under the title of ‘‘ Laws of substitution, especially 
in benzenoid compounds” ; whilst a prominent place in 
the programme will also be given to inorganic chemistry 
in adiscussion on “ Atomic Weights,” to which Prof. F. 
W. Clarke, of Washington, vill communicate a statement 
of his views. Amongst the special papers already pro- 
mised, Prof. Dewar hopes to be able to communicate the 
results of his most recent investigations on the solidifica- 
tion of hydrogen, and the liquefaction of helium. Prof. 
Ladenburg, of Breslau, will read a paper on “The de- 
velopment of chemistry in the last fifteen years,” and 
Mr. H. J. H. Fenton will give an account of his recent 
researches on “Oxidation in the presence of iron.” 
In Section D (Biology) the following papers of general 
interest to biologists will be read, amongst others: Mr. 
J. J. Lister will describe a remarkable new type of cal- 
careous sponge discovered by Dr. Willey during his | 
| delivered by Mr. Harold Wager, on sexuality of the 
expedition to New Britain. Mr. J. J. Budgett, who has 
just returned from the River Gambia, will give an account 
of the zoological results of his expedition. Messrs. 
Gamble and Keeble will communicate an account of 
their experiments on the colour changes of prawns. Prof. 
Poulton will describe a new series of experiments on the 
protective value of form and colour in insects. Mr. W. 
Garstang will give an account of the methods and results 
of a periodic survey of the plankton and physical con- 
dition of the English Channel. Dr. C. G. Petersen will 
describe the plaice culture in the Limfjord (Denmark). 
Valuable communications on special morphological pro- 
blems will also be submitted. Mr. Graham Kerr will 
discuss the origin of the paired limbs of vertebrates ; and 
Dr. Willey the process of cephalisation in mollusca and 
vertebrata. In the marine excursion, if weather permits, 
the plankton collecting apparatus will be demonstrated ; 
and Dr. Petersen and Mr. Garstang will exhibit their new 
forms of net for opening and closing under water. 
In Section E (Geography) the following papers are 
promised : Presidential address by Sir John Murray on 
the floor of the ocean; Mr. J. J. Buchanan, F.R.S., on 
the physical and chemical work of an Antarctic ex- 
pedition ; Dr. H. O. Forbes, ona visit to Sokotra ; Mr. A. 
W. Andrews, on the use of lantern slides in geographical 
education ; Mr. O. H. Howarth, explorations in Oaxaca, 
NO. 1558, VOL. 60] 
Mexico; Dr. G. Schott (Homburg) on the oceano- 
graphical work of the Valdivia Expedition; Mr. H. N. 
Dickson, on the oceanography and meteorology of the 
North Atlantic; Mr. H. N. Dickson will also read a 
paper on the temperature of the sea water round the 
British Islands ; Sir John Farquharson, on twelve years’ 
work of the Ordnance Survey ; Mr. Vaughan Cornish, 
on the sand dunes of Lower Egypt ; Mr. George Murray, 
F.R.S., on the distribution of plants in the oceans ; Mr. 
Robert Irvine, on the distribution of nitrogen in the sea ; 
Mr. C. W. Andrews, on oceanic islands ; Sir John Murray 
and Mr. F. Pullar, on the bathymetrical survey of the 
Scottish Lakes ; Mr. W. R. Rickimens, on a journey in 
Transcaucasia; Dr. H. R. Mill, on the terminology of 
the forms of ocean floor; and Mr. E. Heawood on the 
discovery of Australia. 
In Section H (Anthropology) the President will deliver 
his address on Thursday morning at eleven, and the re- 
mainder of the day will probably be devoted to the dis- 
cussion of reports and papers on physical anthropology. 
The subject of finger-prints as means of identification 
will be examined in important papers by Dr. Francis 
Galton, and Mr. E. R. Henry, who has used the method 
with success in police work in India. Other anthro- 
pometric points will be discussed by Dr. J. G. Garson. 
Mr. J. Gray contributes a paper on the population of 
East Aberdeenshire ; and Mr. D. McIver on his recent 
work on the early inhabitants of Egypt. 
Friday will be devoted to an important series of papers 
and exhibits arising out of Prof. Haddon’s recent ex- 
pedition to Torres Straits. Communications are promised 
from Prof. Haddon himself, and from Dr. Seligmann and 
Messrs. Ray and Rivers, who took part in the expedition. 
Some, if not all, of the archeological papers will be taken 
on Saturday. Monday and Tuesday will be occupied with 
papers on Ethnography and kindred subjects. Wednes- 
day will, as usual, be reserved for overflows and late 
arrivals. 
Among the reports, that on the education of defective 
children deserves particular notice, and those on ex- 
cavations at the lake village of Glastonbury, the Roman 
site at Silchester, and elsewhere in this country, will 
afford interesting material for comparison with those of 
our French visitors. 
The President’s address in Section K (Botany) will be 
delivered at 10.300n Thursday, September 14. On Friday 
afternoon a lecture—of a semi-popular nature—will be 
fungi. Saturday morning will be given up to a joint 
discussion with Section B on fermentation, which will 
be opened by Prof. Marshall Ward. On Saturday after- 
noon the members of Section K propose to have a 
botanical excursion to the sand dunes between Deal and 
Sandwich. The contributions to be made to the Section 
include papers on fungi by Prof. M. Ward, Prof. Potter, 
Mr. Wager, Dr. Darbishire and others ; on physiological 
botany, by Mr. Francis Darwin; on latex of india- 
rubber, by Mr. Biffen and Mr. Barkin. Prof. Campbell 
contributes a paper on studies in Araceze; and Mr. 
Willis deals with the morphology and life-history of the 
Indo-Ceylonese Podostemacez. Miss Sargant promises 
a demonstration of vermiform nuclei in the fertilised 
embryo-sac of Lilium Martagon. Prof. Bower will 
read a paper dealing with the sporangia of ferns. 
Prof. Bertrand, of Lille, communicates a paper on Szgz/- 
laria. Prof. Weiss sends a contribution dealing with 
Lepidophiotos, and Mr. Seward and Miss Gowan deal 
with the botany and geology of the maiden-hair tree. 
There are also other papers ‘expected on fossil botany. 
Mr. Lloyd Williams will give an account of further work 
on the Brown Algee. There are also to be contributions 
to the Section on local botany and on other subjects of 
general botanical interest. 
