} NATURE 
489 


SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1923. 
CONTENTS. 



PAGE 
Research in Animal > po lgaaell 489 
The King’s English - ; 4 4 - 490 
Eastern Tibet. By J. W.G. . 5 : - 491 
Hereditary Bian ofthe Eye . iS ‘ - 492 
‘Chemical and Physical aig By I. M. 493 
Our Bookshelf : fs A : 494 
Letters to the Editor :— 
The Cause of Anticyclones.—W. H. Dines, F.R.S. 495 
Hypotheses of Continental Drift.—Dr. Harold Jeffreys 495 
= noe of the Eel in Relation to Wegener’s 
thesis. —Dr. A. Morley Davies 496 
The ‘ombination between Oxygen and Hemoglobin, 
and the Criteria of Adsorption.—N. K. Adam 496 
Labour and Science z I ne —Prof. Frederick 
Soddy, F.R.S. ; M. 497 
Tactile Vision cen. Arachnida. aly f P. O'Hea 498 
The Resonance Theory of ors —Prof. H. E, 
Roaf . 498 
e Sun-Cult in Ancient Egypt —I. ” By Dr. Aylward 
M. Blackman 499 
he Photosynthesis of Plant Products. By Prof. 
I. M. Heilbron = 502 
bituary :— 
Lord Carnarvon 504 
Dr. C. I. Forsyth Major, F.R.S. By A. Ss. W. 505 
Mr. E. W. Vredenburg 505 
“a Fernard de Montessus | de Ballore. By 
: S 7 = + 506 
Prof. M. Abraham ; é : P : : 
Current Topics and Events . ‘ ‘ d at hay 
Our Astronomical Column 
: - : + 510 
Research Items 4 . - " F < ‘ aa 
Biometry and Genetics . 6 Ig 
Norway and Iceland: An Interesting Contrast 514 
The Survey of India. By T. H. H. 515 
Polish Celebrations of the 4soth Anniversary ¢ of the 
Birth of Copernicus. 515 
Pathology of Market Produce 2 516 
The Eruption of Sakura-jima in 1% By Dr. C. 
Davison 516 
Fishery Research i in Lancashire. A BBO 
University and Educational Intelligence . ; si St 
Societies and Academies . . Z : =; S19 
Official Publications Received . 520 
‘Diary of Societies . : : 520 
The Water in a Atmosphere, ‘By Dr. G. C. 
Simpson, F.R.S * - Supp. v 



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Editorial communications to the Editor. 
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Telephone Number: GERRARD 8830. 
NO. 2789, VOL. I11] 
Research in Animal Nutrition. 
HE recent munificent gift of 100,000/. made by 
Sir Alfred Yarrow to the Royal Society is a 
tribute to the service of science to industry from a great 
manufacturer. It is somewhat astonishing, however, 
how little money has been gifted for research work into 
agricultural problems, in view of the fact that animal 
husbandry, with the occupations that depend directly 
upon it, is the most important industry in this country, 
and that, in spite of the large home production of 
animal foods, it is still necessary to import to a value 
of more than 200,000,000]. per annum without even 
then meeting fully the demands for some of those 
animal products. 
We are probably correct in stating that in no other 
industry has so little been done in Great Britain 
to develop the scientific side, to find out the most 
economical methods of feeding, to reduce the relatively 
enormous mortality among many kinds of stock, to 
investigate the true nutritive value of the raw materials 
of feeding stuffs and the processes by which they are 
converted into the commercial finished product. It is 
true that Rothamsted is a monument to a brilliant 
pioneer in agricultural research, but for long this 
institute stood practically alone. It was not until the 
establishment of the Development Commission in 1911, 
which was appointed with the object of developing rural 
industries, that any real effort was made to improve 
this disastrous state of things. The Commissioners 
came to the very rational conclusion that one of the 
most essential things was a national scheme of research 
in agriculture. 
As the result of full inquiry the Commissioners 
determined to establish two centres for the study of 
animal nutrition, one at the School of Agriculture at 
Cambridge under Prof. T. B. Wood, and the other at 
Aberdeen in connexion with the North of Scotland 
College of Agriculture and the University of Aberdeen. 
At Cambridge advantage was taken of an already 
existing and excellent research organisation, which was 
assisted financially and developed. At Aberdeen, how- 
ever, a new institution had to be established. The 
amount of the capital outlay was estimated at 40,000/. 
to 50,000/., and of this sum 20,000/. was obtained from 
the Development Commission. 
In spite of this splendid grant, if it had not been for 
the very public-spirited action of Dr. John Quiller 
Rowett, who promised an initial subscription of 10,0001. 
and a further contribution if necessary, it is probable 
that the establishment of the institute might have been 
delayed for years for lack of funds. It is fitting that 
the name of this generous donor, who was willing to 
support this experimental institute before its capacity 
