Marcu 24, 1923] 
NATURE 
389 

of the Kistna river in Madras, which is an attempt to 
effect irrigation on a large scale by pumping. The 
installation comprises eight double-cylinder Diesel 
engines, each of 160 h.p. and driving a centrifugal 
pump capable of discharging 73 cu. ft. per second on a 
12-foot lift. Another engine is to be added shortly. 
Among the works now in hand is the Sarda Canal in 
the United Provinces. The decision to construct this 
canal finally settles what has probably been the most 
contentious question in the irrigation of India. The 
controversy over the matter has lasted for more than 
half a century. The canal when constructed will 
irrigate the North-Western districts of Oudh. It will. 
comprise 478 miles of main canals and branches and 
3370 miles of distributaries. 
Space does not admit of reference to other interesting 
schemes which are described in the report. Its 222 
pages are replete with useful information, which will 
repay study by those interested in the subject. There 
is a helpful series of maps and diagrams, many excellent 
photographs, and some tabular statements showing 
the financial results of the various irrigation operations 
throughout India. Brysson CUNNINGHAM. 
Scientific Societies in the British Isles. 
The Year-Book of the Scientific and Learned Societies of 
Great Britain and Ireland : a Record of the Work done 
in Science, Literature, and Art during the Session 1921- 
22 by numerous Societies and Government Institutions. 
Compiled from Official Sources. Thirty-ninth 
Annual Issue. Pp. vii+374. (London: C. Griffin 
and Co., Ltd., 1922.) 15s. net. 
HE appearance once more of Messrs. Charles 
Griffin’s well-known Year-Book affords us an 
excellent opportunity for taking stock of the position of 
science in the British Isles. The volume is arranged in 
the customary style, the various bodies dealt with being 
divided among fourteen sections according to the nature 
of their activities. In each section again, there is a 
further grouping according to the location of the society, 
institution, or department in London, the Provinces, 
Scotland, or Ireland. As is only to be expected, most 
of the more important entries appear in the London 
groups. In each case, some particulars of the society 
or institution are given, together with a list of its 
publications during the year when available. 
The total number of societies, research departments, 
etc., appearing in the 1922 Year-Book exceeds 550, of 
which it is fair to say that some 480 are concerned, 
directly or indirectly, with science. The remaining 70 
are accounted for by literature, history, and law. In 
addition to these, there are long lists of local societies 
and clubs interested in photography, law, or medicine. 
The distribution of the societies among the various 
NO. 2786, VOL. 111] 
sections is also interesting. Section 1, including bodies 
dealing with all branches of science, has 75 entries ; 
sections 5 and 7, covering biology and mechanical science 
respectively, have 90 each ; section 13, on archeology, 
has 63, while section 14, on medicine, has 54 entries 
apart from the long list of local medical societies. 
The various societies and bodies of a similar nature 
appearing in the Year-Book can be divided fairly 
sharply into two distinct groups ; those which exist for 
the publication of research, and those which are better 
described as functioning for the popularisation and 
spread of knowledge. Of the five hundred or so éntries 
appearing, about one hundred seem to fall into the 
former group; and of these 14, including the Geo- 
logical Surveys, the National Physical Laboratory and 
the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, are supported by 
Government. 
A mass of similarly interesting information exists in 
this valuable publication, and it may seem ungracious 
to ask for more. That is, however, the penalty of pro- 
viding good fare. The sub-title of the volume states 
that it deals with the year 1921-22, but, for example, it 
is somewhat late in the day to find information on the 
British Association brought up only to the Edinburgh 
meeting of 1921. Further, we would suggest the in- 
clusion of the numerous Research Associations now in 
existence, while it would add much to the interest of the 
volume if the number of members of each society could 
be indicated. A few errors in classifying the entries 
have been noticed; for example, the Nature-Study 
Society and the School Nature-Study Union appear in 
the section headed Psychology. These are, however, 
minor blemishes in a most valuable publication, which 
we believe is the only single volume providing an out- 
line survey of the activities of most, if not all, the 
learned societies of the British Isles. 

Aluminium and its Alloys. 
(1) Aluminium and its Alloys. By Lieut.-Col. C. Grard. 
Translated by C. M. Phillips and H. W. L. Phillips. 
Pp. xxxiii+184+16 plates. (London: Constable 
and Co., 1921.) 17s. 6d. net. 
(2) The Institution of Mechanical Engineers : Eleventh 
Report to the Alloys Research Committee: on Some 
Alloys of Aluminium (Light Alloys). By Dr. W. 
Rosenhain, S. L. Archbutt, and Dr. D. Hanson. 
Pp. ii+256+24 plates. (London: Institution of 
Mechanical Engineers, 1921.) 42s. 
(1) IEUT.-COL. GRARD’S book is essentially a 
treatise on the mechanical properties of 
aluminium and some of its commercial alloys. The 
extraction of the metal is described in two pages, and 
no more detail is given than in an elementary textbook, 
MI 
