Sept. 7, 1882] 



NATURE 



459 



observer in Mr. Darwin's experiments might be determined inde- 

 pendently of the deviation produced by the elastic yielding of 

 the earth due to his weight. He also suggested that Mr. 

 Darwin should apply the same reasoning to discuss the pheno- 

 mena of seiches, such as have been observed by Forel on the 

 Lal.e of Geneva. 



Report of the Committee on the Present State of Spectrum 

 Analysis (drawn up by Dr. Schuster). — The report consists 

 of three parts. In the first part the question is discussed whether 

 any numerical relation between the different periods of vibra- 

 tion of one molecule can be traced. The result of several 

 investigations seems to be that though the different vibrations 

 are connected according to some unknown law, they are har- 

 monics only in exceptional cases. The second part of the 

 report considers tbe question whether a connection exi ts be- 

 tween the spectrum of a compound and the spectrum of the 

 elements which make up the compound. The investigations of 

 Dr. Gladstone are referred to, since confirmed in many instances, 

 in which he has shown that coloured acids, as chromic acid, 

 when combined with'different bases retain their own absorbing 

 properties. The same applies to coloured bases. But as Dr. 

 Gladstone himself points out, the law is by no means a general 

 one. The curious observations of Bunsen's on the absorption- 

 spectra of didymium silts are discussed. Bunsen has shown 

 that their spectra are all very nearly alike, but slightly displaced 

 either towards one or towards the other end of the spectrum. 

 Opt. Al.ney and Col. Festing's observations on the absorption 

 in the infra-red are referred to at length, and the connection 

 between the luminous spectra of such bodies as the chlorides, 

 bromides, and iodides of the alkaline earths is discussed. In 

 the last part of the report the similarity of the spectra of similar 

 bodies is pointed cu', but no numerical connection has as yet 

 been found. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of Lien'. -Col. Godwin 

 Austen, Dr. G. Hartiaub, Sir J. Hookn; Dr. Giinthet , Mr. 

 Seebohm, and Mr. Sclater, appointed for the purpose of investi- 

 gating the Natural History of Socotra and the adjacent Highlands 

 of Arabia and Somali Land — The balance in hand from 1S70-I 

 {61. Js. lod.), added to the loci, gianted at the Yoik meeting, 

 together with the amount received up to the present time by the 

 sale of the duplicate specimens of birds and land shells, viz. 

 17/. \2s 4</., reduced by Js. for postage, leaves a total balance 

 in hand of 143/. 131. 2d. for any future work on the Socotra or 

 in the adjacent mainland. 



Since tbe last report was presented Prof. I. Bailey Balfour 

 has been working whenever his other du'ies permitted at the 

 extensive botanical collection formed by him, to which mu-t be 

 added the plants collected by Schweinfurth, who has since 

 visited the island, and who has placed the same most liberally at 

 Mr. Balfour's disposal. Some of the preliminary diagnoses 

 iiave been published, which show that the different groups are 

 very rich, and that there is a very considerable amount of work 

 in the collection which can only be brought out slowly. Prof. 

 Balfour hopes to give a short report on what is completed at 

 this meeting. Writing on June 17 he says: — "I have a lot 

 more diagnoses in press just now, and hope in August or Sep- 

 tember to complete my work on the Botany. This tmeutt in 

 Egypt will, however, interfere, as Schweinfurth will be unable 

 to continue his communications, and I am waiting for a lot of 

 notes by him on many species. I only hope his collects ns will 

 not be destroyed, and as he has some of my specimens at present 

 I am somewhat anxious regarding their fate." . . . 



The rock-specimens collected by Prof. Balfour have been 

 worked out by Prof. Bonney, whose report on the subject was 

 read before the Royal Society at their last meeting of the present 

 session. He states that the great lime.-tone plateau, which forms 

 S3 large a 1 art of the upland district of the island, is found by 

 the Foraminifera present in the rock to be of Miocene age. 

 This is seen to rest in many places upon a floor of very ancient 

 gneiss ic rock, bearing a general resemblance to the most ancent 

 rocks of north-western Britain and other countries. The 

 Haggier mi untains, forming the highest ground in the island, 

 consist, so far as is shown by tbe specimens brought, of granites 

 poor in uvea and rich in felspar, bearing often a considerable 

 resemblance to those of Sinai. These are traversed by dykes of 

 fel.-ite and other igneous rocks. To the south-east of this range 

 is a tract occupied by red felsites and rhyolites, with some 

 agglomerates or conglomerates. The structure of some of the 

 former rocks renders it in the highest degree probable that they 

 are ancient lava flows. They are anterior in date to the Miocene 



limestones. These also are occasionally cut by basalts and 

 perhaps trachytic rocks. In the noithern part of the island, 

 beneath the limestone, is an argillite of uncertain age, and there 

 is probably some representative of the " Nubian sandstone." It 

 is, however, almost certain that for a long period anteiior to 

 the Middle Tertiary, Socotra formed part of a land surface, and 

 it is quite possible that the summits of the Haggier mountains 

 may not have been even then submerged. If so ,the flora, and 

 perhaps the fauna, is likely to have an exceptional interest. 



As to a renewal of explorations, the Committee fear that 

 Eastern affairs make the eutlook very unsatisfactory, and it 

 would appear all through the East, in the vicinity of Aden 

 especially, there is a very hostile spirit rampant against Euro- 

 peans. It is hoped that there may soon be some definite settling 

 of the excitement, but at present the Committee do not think 

 that any plans f 1 r a future expedition can be made. 



The results of the Socotran exploration have been so success- 

 ful and so great, considering the small expenditure of money 

 and time it entailed, that the Committee trust they may see the 

 same kind of work extended. They trust that the opportunity 

 will not be lost of sending properly trained naturalists into the 

 mountainous regions of Eastern Africa, which the despatch of 

 an expedition by the Geographical Society now presents. The 

 scientific knowledge that would be accumulated by such ex- 

 plorers in such conditions as that lofty region offers would be of 

 immense value, and not of secondary interest or importance to 

 purely geographical information. 



The Committee do not, therefore, ask for any further grant at 

 present. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of Mr. yames Heywood, 

 F.R.S., Mr. William Shaeu, Mr. Stephen Bourne, Mr. Robert 

 Wilkinson, the Rev. W. De'any, Prof. N. Story Maskelyn', 

 M.P., F.R.S., Dr Silvanus P. Thompson, Miss J ydia E. 

 Becke', Sir John Lubbock, Bart., MP., F.R.S , Prof. A. W. 

 Williamson, F.R.S., Mis. Augusta Webster, Rev. H. W. 

 Crosskey, Prof. Roscoe, F.R.S. , Prof. G. Car, y Foster, F.R.S. , 

 and Dr. J. H. Gladstone, F.R.S. (Seoeta-y), appointed to watch 

 and report on the workings of the proposed revised New Code, and 

 of other legislation affecting the teaching of Science in Elementary 

 Schools. — When this Committee was re-appointed at York, it 

 was with a special view to the important changes which it was 

 expected the Government would make in the Education Code. 

 In the po-tscript to their previous report, great satisfaction was 

 expressed at the general scope of the " proposals " that had just 

 been submitted to Parliament, but it was urged that the know- 

 ledge of nature should be more effectually encouraged as a class 

 subject. 



On assembling in the autumn, your Committee added to their 

 number the Rev. H. W. Crosskey of Birmingham, and Pr. f. 

 Roscoe of Manchester, ; nd, subsequently, Prof. G. Carey Fester 

 of London. 



At the first meeting it was determined to enter into communi- 

 cation with Mr. Mundella, the Vice-President of the Committee 

 of Council on Education, but the serious illness of that gentle- 

 man caused a deUy. The Secretary, however, eventually saw 

 him at his own house, ana f und him desirous of receiving ihe 

 views of the Committee by deputation. As this was a step 

 which your Committee felt themselves not justified in taking 

 unless thn ugh the g. verning body of the Association itself, tl ey 

 drew up a series of lesolutions, and submitted them to the 

 Council, with the request that that body should appoint a depu- 

 tation to urge their views. 



These resolutions were passed by the Council, with the addi' ion 

 of that numbered VII. They were as follows : — 



I. That Clauses 9 (3), 20, 26, and the Standard work in Geo- 

 graphy (pp. 6 and 7) be approved. 



II. That the arraigen ents involved in Claues 18, 19, 21, 23, 

 and 27 be subject to revision on the following grounds : — 



a. That Clauses 19 and 21, read together, will practically 

 exclude Elementary Science teaching in the Lower Division, as 

 Geography will be almost always chosen by teachers as the 

 second subject. 



b. That placing Standard IV. in the Lower instead of the 

 Upper Division will restrict the choice of Class-subjects to be 

 taught in that Standard, and altogether exclude the teaching of 

 any of the Specific subjects. 



c. That, taking all these Clauses as they stand, there will 

 practically be a cessation in the teaching of Elementary Science 

 from the time of leavirg the Infant School (Clause 9 (3) ), till 

 entering the Upper Division (Clauses 23 and 27). 



