AUGUST 7, 1902| 
NATURE 
345 
recently, will give a general account of the development 
of this interesting frog. Mr. Graham Kerr will describe 
the result of his investigations on the early development 
of nerve and muscle in Lepidosiren. 
It is hoped that Prof. Herdman will be able to con- 
tribute accounts illustrated by lantern of his recent 
experiences of “Dredging in the Indian Ocean” and 
“Life and Work on the Pearl-oyster Banks of the Gulf 
of Manaar.” Several other papers from the Liverpool 
School are expected—by Mr. A. T. Watson, on a very 
interesting defensive mechanism which he has discovered 
in certain Onuphid worms ; by Mr. I. C. Thompson, on 
Indian Ocean Copepods collected by Prof. Herdman ; 
and by Mr. H.C. Robinson, on his recent journeys in 
the East. Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner will read a paper on 
the ‘“ Bionomics of a Coral Reef.” 
The International Fisheries Investigation scheme, the 
inauguration of which is exciting so much interest at 
present, will form the subject of papers by Prof. McIntosh 
and Mr. Garstang. Of similarly economic interest will 
be Dr. J. L. Jameson’s account of his reinvestigation of 
the problem of pearl formation. Mr. J. Stuart Thomson 
will give an account of his recent researches on the 
scales of marine fishes as an index of age. 
Prof. Cossar Ewart will communicate the results of 
his recent experiments upon intercrossing of dogs. 
Prof. Weldon, in one of the evening lectures, will deal 
with heredity. This subject is so much “in the air” 
at present that it is to be hoped that some further com- 
munications dealing with it may be presented to the 
section. In regard to faunological matters, Dr. Scharff 
will read a paper on the “Atlantis Problem,” Mr. Car- 
penter on the “Insect Fauna of Irish Caves,” and Mr. 
Steel will make an interesting exhibit of Australian 
specimens. 
Among the papers which, it has been arranged, will be 
read in Section E (Geography) are the following :—Dr. 
H. R. Mill, on “ Antarctic Expeditions”; Dr. J. Milne, 
F.R.S., on “World-shaking Earthquakes in relation to 
Volcanic Eruptions in the West Indies”; on ‘‘ The 
Jordan Valley” and on “ Petra,” by Prof. Libbey, of 
Princeton University, N.J.; Prof. Johnson, Dublin, on 
“Peat”; Mr. C. R. Beazley, on “ Mythical Islands to 
the West of Ireland”; Mr. R. L. Praeger, of the 
National Library of Ireland, on “Geographical Plant 
Groups in the Irish Flora”; the Rev. W. S. Green, on 
“ Rockall and Porcupine Bank off the West of Ireland” ; 
Mr. J. Porter, on “The Cork Valleys”; Mr. R. B. 
Buckley, C.S.I., on ‘Colonisation and Irrigation in 
Uganda and the British East Africa Protectorate” ; 
Captain Ryder, R.E., on “Surveys in Yiinnan”; and 
Mr. C. H. Hawes, on “ The Island of Sakhalin and its 
Inhabitants.” The general subject of the presidential 
address by Sir Thomas H. Holdich will be “The 
Necessity for the Application of more Scientific Methods 
to Geographical Exploration.” 
The president of the Engineering Section is Prof. John 
Perry, F.R.S., whose presidential address is looked for- 
ward to with interest. In this section it is expected 
that an important report will be presented by the Com- 
mittee on Road Traction. The committee, the secre- 
tary of which is Prof. H. S. Hele Shaw, was appointed 
two years ago to investigate certain questions connected 
with the propulsion of vehicles on roads. The introduc- 
tion of motor cars has made these problems of great 
importance, and one easily realises that much has to be 
done, remembering that scientific engineering was born 
long after the railways had absorbed all important traffic 
from the roads. The Screw Gauge Committee reported 
last year that it was transferring its work to the 
National Physical Laboratory, and the progress of this 
will probably be reported this year. Among the papers 
to be read are several on Irish water questions, on 
problems connected with steam raising, on electrical and 
NO. 1710, VOL. 66] 
surveying apparatus and on some subjects of mechanical 
detail. 
The president of Section K (Botany), Prof. J. R. 
Green, F.R.S., will deal in his address with the present 
position of research in vegetable physiology and its im- 
portance in connection with agriculture. He will give a 
general account of some of the more important problems 
in this department of botany, and will endeavour to 
indicate certain lines of research which may be expected 
to have important developments in the future. The 
work of the section will include papers on “‘ The Mor- 
phology and Past History of the Araucariez,” by Mr. 
A. C. Seward, F.R.S., and Miss Sybille Ford; on 
“Internodes and their relation to Morphological Prob- 
lems,” by Prof. Percy Groom; on “The Dorsiventrality 
of the Podostomacez,” by Mr. J. C. Willis; on ‘The 
Function of the Nucleolus” and on “The Nucleus of the 
Cyanophycez,” by Mr. Harold Wager ; on “ Sex in the 
Genus Diospyros” and on “ Foliar Periodicity in Ceylon 
Trees,” by Mr. H. Wright ; and on “ Fossil Nipa Seeds 
from Belgium,” by Mr. Seward and Mr. Arber. Papers 
will also be read by Prof. Oliver and Miss Chick, Dr. 
Dixon, Miss Matthaei, Miss Bateson, Mr. Worsdell, Prof. 
Bottomley and others, and Mr. Thomas Steel will 
exhibit some characteristic Australian plants. 
The president of Section L (Educational Science), 
Prof. Henry E. Armstrong, F.R.S., will deliver an address 
on the morning of Thursday, September 11. The sub- 
jects to be brought forward in papers, addresses or 
reports with a view to discussion are :—“ Recent Reforms 
in Irish Education, Primary and Secondary, with a 
view to their Coordination,” by Dr. W. J. M. Starkie ; 
“Report on the Teaching of Mathematics”; Irish 
Educational Work: (1) ‘Intermediate Education 
in Ireland,” by Mr. R. M. Jones; (2) “The Intro- 
duction of Practical Instruction into Irish National 
Schools,” by Mr. W. Mayhowe Heller; ‘“ Technical 
Instruction in Relation to Industrial Development in 
Ireland,” by the Right Hon. Horace Plunket ; “ Report 
on Teaching of Science in Elementary Schools” ; ‘‘ The 
Training of Teachers,” by Prof. Withers, Miss Walter 
and others; “Report on the Conditions of Health 
essential to the carrying on of the Work of Instruction 
in Schools” ; ‘“‘ The Subjects to be Taught as ‘ Science’ 
in Schools and the Order in which they should be 
Taken,” by Dr. C. W. Kimmins ; papers on ‘‘ Educational 
Experiments”; “ The Teaching of English,” by Mr. P. J. 
Hartog, Canon Lyttelton and others ; joint discussion 
with Section G on “The Training of Engineers” ; and 
“Tnterim Report on Examinations.” 
The Belfast Harbour Commissioners have offered to 
lend their steamer Musgrave to the local committee for 
the use of members of the Association for Harbour and 
Lough trips on three days during the meeting, and it was 
suggested that on one of these days a special visit of the 
Engineering Section might be made to the Harbour 
Works. Supplementary excursions are being arranged 
by the Belfast Naturalists’ Field Club, consisting of short 
trips in the neighbourhood in the afternoons during the 
meeting, and also longer excursions for the Thursday 
after the meeting. Ample information respecting all 
these will be obtainable in the reception room. On 
Thursday, September 11, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, 
Sir Daniel Dixon, D.L., will invite members, associates 
and holders of ladies’ tickets to a reception in the exhibi- 
tion hall near Queen’s College. On Friday, September 12, 
the Earl of Shaftesbury invites members, associates and 
holders of ladies’ tickets toa garden party inthe grounds 
of Belfast Castle at the foot of Cave Hill at three p.m. 
(limited to 600). On Saturday evening, September 13, 
Major Ritchie and Miss Ritchie will invite 150 members 
to a reception at the Grove, at nine p.m. A list of lodgings 
and hotel accommodation has been prepared and may 
be obtained on application. 
