24 NATURE 

required for the work was graphically shown in an 
article in the Times for September 1, 1881. 
Returning to Australia, Mr. Wragge served as 
Government Meteorologist for Queensland from 1887 
to 1902, and he established the Weather Bureau at 
Brisbane, as well as high-level meteorological stations 
on Mount Wellington and Mount Kosciusko (7336 feet). 
Mr. Wragge was an enthusiastic devotee of map 
meteorology, and in tracing the movements of cyclones 
and anticyclones he was accustomed to give these 
systems Christian names in his official reports. His 
views and methods, especially in later years, were 
frequently unorthodox. 

Davip Linpsay. 
One of the pioneer explorers of Australia has passed 
away recently at Port Darwin in the person of Mr. 
David Lindsay. Born in June 1856 at Goolwa, South 
Australia, of Scottish parents, Mr. Lindsay entered 
the State Survey Department as a youth, and in 1883 
was selected to lead an expedition to Arnhem Land. 
In 1888 Lindsay rode across the little known interior 
[January G6}, 1g23 
of the continent taking only a native boy as companion. 
His route took him to the Macdonnell Ranges, to which 
he returned shortly afterwards for more detailed 
examination. Mr. Lindsay’s most fruitful expedition 
was in 1891, when he was chosen to lead the expedition 
equipped by Sir T. Elder for the exploration of the 
great Victoria desert of Western Australia. Using 
camels for transport, he crossed 550 miles of desert in 
35 days and was able to amplify the work of E. Giles, 
who had crossed that district fifteen years previously. 
On his return Mr. Lindsay directed attention to the 
existence of large auriferous areas in the interior. 
The outcome of his report was the development of 
the West Australian goldfield, which he continued to 
explore for some years. 
At a later date Mr. Lindsay returned to the ex- 
amination of the Northern Territory and in 1913 was 
nominated to a Commonwealth Commission charged 
with considering the economic development of the 
north. In 1920 he reported the discovery of large 
tracts of well-watered land which had previously been 
regarded as desert, and he directed attention to the 
possibilities of cotton growing in the Northern Territory. 
Current Topics and Events. 
Tue list of New Year honours includes the names 
of the following men distinguished by their scientific 
work or associations :—Knighis : Prof. D. Drummond, 
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Durham; Dr. 
W. H. Hamer, Medical Officer of Health for London ; 
and Dr. B. H. Spilsbury, hon. pathologist to the 
Home Office. C.B.: Dr. F. J. H. Coutts, Senior 
Medical Officer, Ministry of Health. C.J.E.: Dr. 
N. Annandale, director of the Zoological Survey of 
India; Lieut.-Col. A. T. Gage, Indian Medical 
Service, superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, 
Calcutta, and director of the Botanical Survey of 
India, Bengal ; and Mr. F. A. Leete, Chief Conservator 
of Forests, Burma. K.B.E.: Prof. D. Orme Masson, 
F.R.S., professor of chemistry in the University of 
Melbourne. C.B.E.: Dr. J. W. Evans, ERS 
a member of the governing body of the Imperial 
Mineral Resources Bureau; and Mr. F. E. Smith, 
F.R.S., director of Scientific Research, Admiralty. 
Ir is gratifying to learn that Pasteur’s centenary 
was celebrated at Lahore (India) on November 22 last, 
under the auspices of the Society for Promoting 
Scientific Knowledge. A conversazione was held at 
the rooms of the society and demonstrations given 
relating to Pasteur’s researches. Great interest was 
taken by the public in the exhibits relating to crystals, 
silk-worms and their diseases, and microbes of various 
kinds shown under the microscopes. This was 
followed by a public meeting, at which Prof. B. L. 
Bhatia, president of the society, spoke on Pasteur’s 
work in the biological field. Principal A. S. Hemmy, 
of the Government College, and Lieut.-Colonel C. A. 
Gill, of the K.E, Medical College, delivered speeches 
relating to Pasteur’s work in the domains of chemistry 
and bacteriology respectively. 
NO. 2775, VOL. 111] 
Tue latest accounts of the Chilian earthquake of 
November 11 are mainly concerned with the destruc- 
tiveness of the shock and accompanying sea-wave. 
The Times for December 28 contains the report of a 
correspondent who visited Copiapo and Vallenar five 
days after the earthquake. The meizoseismal area 
is sparsely populated, the towns within it containing 
only a few thousand inhabitants, most of whom 
dwelt in low adobe or wooden houses, and this no 
doubt accounts for the comparatively small loss of 
life. At Vallenar, which suffered most, there is not 
a house left standing that is fit to live in, yet, out of 
a population of 5500, not more than 600 persons were 
killed and a thousand injured. Interesting photo- 
graphs, showing the completeness of the destruction 
by the sea-waves at Coquimbo and Chajfiaral, are 
reproduced in the Times for December 19 and 28. 
At the meeting of the London Mathematical 
Society on January 18 at 5 o’clock, in the rooms of the 
Royal Astronomical Society, Burlington House, Mr. 
L. J. Mordell, reader in pure mathematics in the 
University of Manchester, will lecture on “‘ An Intro- 
ductory Account of the Arithmetical Theory of 
Algebraic Numbers, and its Recent Developments.” 
Members of other societies, or any one who wishes to 
learn something concerning the theory of ideal 
numbers, will be welcomed. 
A TRIBUNAL of investigation into the agricultural 
problem has been appointed as follows: Sir William 
Ashley, professor of commerce and vice-principal of 
the University of Birmingham; Prof. W. G. S. 
Adams, Gladstone professor of political theory and 
institutions, Oxford; and Prof. D. H. MacGregor, 
Drummond professor of political economy, Oxford, 
