152 
Again, those test-tubes, which his words abhor, 
And cheap thermometers with paper zeroes, 
All made in Germany before the war, 
Were not unknown to many of their heroes. 
[Just now sweet girls in improvised pavilions 
Are turning English test-tubes out by millions. ] 
Boys from our “public schools” (including those 
Provided, non-provided, and the rest of it), 
When once the opportunity arose, 
Quitted themselves like men, and made the best 
of. it. 
The highest praise for such a band of brothers, 
Would be: “Each did his duty like the others.” 
Then, as to leadership, I knew a lad, 
By nature quite unqualified to grapple 
With Greek and Latin verses. This was bad. 
Worse still, a Jew, he never went to chapel. 
And yet he learnt, in spite of missing sermons, 
His duty to-his men, and to the Germans. 
Perhaps the Duke was right in his remark, 
That old, apocryphal, and hackneyed saying ; 
And Eton Playing-fields, and Regent’s Park, 
And all fair fields where British boys are 
playing, : 
Have proved of higher value to the nation 
‘Than classical, or modern, education. 
W. DWE. 
NOTES. 
THERE have been much overlapping and unevenness 
of distribution in connection with the food parcels sent 
to British prisoners of war; and little scientific guid- 
ance has been sought or given as to the food-values 
of the things included in the parcels. The first of 
these defects will be remedied by a scheme which is to 
be brought into effect on December 1. It is announced 
that the Central Prisoners of War Committee, recently 
established by the British Red Cross Society and the 
Order of St. John, has, with the authority of the 
Government, now made the necessary arrangements 
for co-ordinating and controlling the work of the 
various associations and individuals at present sending 
parcels to British prisoners of war in Germany and 
other enemy and neutral countries. These arrange- 
ments have been made with the view of securing :— 
(1) That every prisoner shall receive an adequate 
supply of the comforts in the form of food, etc.; (2) 
that the excellent work being done at present by asso- 
ciations and individuals shall be disturbed as little as 
possible; (3) that overlapping and consequent waste 
shall be reduced toa minimum. In order to attain these 
objects the following arrangements have been made :— 
(1) All parcels must be sent through the Central Com- 
mittee or an association authorised by it; (2) individual 
senders are requested not to send food parcels, but 
to arrange for this to be done by a recognised asso- 
ciation. It is hoped that individuals and organisations 
now collecting funds for prisoners of war will continue 
their efforts, and will send the money collected either 
to the Central Committee or to such recognised asso- 
ciation as they prefer. Subscriptions and donations 
should be sent to the Right Hon. Sir Starr Jameson, 
Bt., C.B., 4 Thurloe Place, London, S.W. All other 
communications should be addressed to the Secretary, 
Central Prisoners of War Committee, 4 Thurloe Place, 
NO. 2452, VOL. 98| 
NATURE 
[OcToBER 26, 1916 
London, S.W. We suggest to the committee that 
guidance is needed as to the most suitable things to 
send from the point of view of food-values. A prisoner 
of war doing moderate work requires a daily ration 
which has an energy value of 2500 calories, and may 
be made up of proteins, 100) grams; carbohydrates, 
400 grams; and fats, 50 grams. 
bination of several things in a parcel. The British 
| Science Guild has appointed a committee to make sug- 
gestions relating to food parcels, and the Central 
Prisoners of War Committee should enlist its aid or 
that of other food experts in order to advise associa- 
tions as to the most suitable constituents of the 
parcels, ‘ 
Tne Board of Agriculture announces that an estate 
of 2363 acres near Patrington, in the East Riding of 
Yorkshire, about fifteen miles distant from Hull, has 
been acquired under the provisions of the Small Hold- 
ing Colonies Act, 1916, for the purpose of a land- 
settlement colony of ‘ex-service men. The soil is a 
rich alluvium capable of producing very heavy crops. 
This colony, when fully developed, will consist of a 
central farm of about 200 acres and sixty small hold- 
ings of ‘‘mixed farming” type, averaging about 
35 acres in extent. The equipment of each of the 
latter will include a comfortable cottage and the neces- 
sary farm buildings for carrying on the holding. The 
central farm will be under the management of a direc- 
tor, and will be equipped with machinery, implements, 
horses, etc., which will be let out on hire to settlers 
requiring them. Selected applicants will, if necessary, 
receive preliminary training by working on the central — 
farm under the supervision of the director, and be paid 
wages until such time as they are considered capable 
of working a holding independently. They will then — 
be allotted, at a reasonable rental, land near their 
cottages which, if of less extent than the avera 
sized holding above indicated, may be afterwards in- — 
Coe 3 
creased by taking land from the central farm. 
operative methods will be adopted for the purchase of 
requirements and the consignment and disposal of pro- 
duce. This is, we believe, the first experiment of its 
kind in this country, and its development will be 
watched with great interest. For some years there has 
been a great controversy as to the merits of schemes 
of this kind, and now arises the opportunity for the 
large-scale test. The experience gained is likely to be 
of great value, deciding whether or not such colonies 
can be run on an economic basis. cor 
Pror. A. S. Donner, director of the observatory at 
Helsingfors, has presented to the University, of which 
he was formerly rector, the sum of 8000l., to ensure 
the continuance, and indeed the completion, of the 
“Catalogue photographique du Ciel, Zone de Helsing- 
fors,” begun under his direction in 1890. Hitherto the 
work has been paid for, partly by the University, 
partly by Prof. Donner out of his private means. The 
sum now allotted by him is intended to cover all ex- 
penses for twelve years, when, at its present rate of 
progress, the task should be finished. 
Tue Sociedad Argentina de Ciencias Naturales, 
Buenos Aires, has elected as corresponding members 
Sir Ernest Shackleton and Mr. W. H. Hudson, author 
of “Argentine Ornithology” and other works. Mr. 
Hudson is an Argentine by birth. 
Tue opening meeting of the Institution of Electrical 
Engineers for the session 1916-17 will be held on 
Thursday, November 9, when the eighth Kelvin lec- 
ture will be delivered by Dr. Alexander Russell, who 
Ba ¢ 
It is possible to com-— | 
bine all these constituents in a single foodstuff, or - 
to see that the ratios are roughly supplied by the com- 
~ 
