274 



NA TURE 



[January 23, 1908 



The work is of the highest geological importance, 

 and in spite of its necessary descriptive details, every 

 page contains observations of interest. The account 

 of the Torridonian series, for example, describes the 

 oldest considerable land surface known, and some 

 traces of fossils in these pre-Cambrian roclis. The 

 part of most interest is the account of the movements 

 bv which the eastern gneisses have been overthrust 

 on to the younger rocks. The movements have taken 

 place along a line more than loo miles in length, and 

 have carried the rocks in places for ten miles westward. 

 The thrusting forward of these hard rock slices has 

 produced a most intricate system of faults, and ex- 

 treme changes in the rocks, some of the fresh struc- 

 tures, as in the pseudo-rhyolites, simulating' those of 

 igneous rocks. The extent of the metamorphism is 

 one of the secondary questions of most interest. Its 

 range appears to be very variable; in places the altera- 

 tion is confined within very narrow limits ; elsewhere 

 it may extend to a mile from the plane of movement; 

 but it never appears to be regional, and evidence is 

 given that some of the schists had their present 

 structures before the great disturbances. The pro- 

 blems connected with the eastern schists are handled 

 with reserve, as there seem to be marked differences 

 of opinion as to their age and origin ; but on the main 

 question, the relation of the schists to the fossiliferous 

 rocks, the memoir, with its convincing combination 

 of fulness of detail and clearness of exposition, leaves 

 no room for doubt. 



J. W. Gregory. 



THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 

 JANUARY 3, 1 90S. 



'T^HE first cablegram, containing news relating to 

 ■*■ the eclipse of January 3, observed by the parties 

 stationed on Flint Island in the South Pacific, reached 

 this country on Saturday last. The cable was from 

 Mr. F. K. McClean, and was dispatched imme- 

 diately on his arrival at .'\uckland. New Zealand. It 

 read as follows : — " Partial success, fine morning, 

 heavy rain several minutes until totality; first minute 

 cloudy, remainder clear. Four corona results; none 

 spectrum ; bad plates ; other observers not developed. 

 Campbell reports success." 



The above news is really very satisfactory, because 

 it was anticipated by those at home that the weather 

 conditions which generally prevailed at that time of 

 the year would most probably prevent any observa- 

 tions at all being made. There is, however, no doubt 

 that the parties were very fortunate, since, according 

 to the above account, the clouds only just cleared from 

 the neighbourhood of the sun in time. 



Those who have been on like expeditions will be 

 able to picture to themselves the anxiety which must 

 have prevailed among the observers as totality was 

 approaching. The heavy rain must have necessitated 

 the covering up of all the instruments, more especially 

 the silvered mirrors and object glasses. The clearing 

 up, after totality had begun, must have created a 

 condition of affairs which was probably not legis- 

 lated for in the " rehearsals " which had no doubt 

 been daily gone through. 



The fact that the length of totality was of four 

 minutes' duration gave probably sufficient time for 

 all the instruments to be brought into use. It is 

 hoped, therefore, that a very complete record has 

 been obtained of the latter portion of totality, and, if 

 this be so, then the term " partial success " may be 

 changed to complete success. 



With regard to actual results obtained little is 

 known at present. The reason of this is that the 

 development of the negatives secured was not com- 



No. T995, VOL yy] 



pleted on the island. Mr. McClean provided himself 

 with a dark room on board the steamer he had 

 chartered, so he may have developed his corona nega- 

 tives on his way back to Auckland. According to 

 his cable four of the plates he exposed were successful, 

 but the words " bad plates " seem to suggest that the 

 results he obtained were not so good as they might 

 have been. 



Reuter reports that the observations of the different 

 parties at Flint Island and Samoa were, generally 

 speaking, fairly successful, and mentions specially 

 that the boloinetric measurements of the heat of the 

 corona made at Samoa were successfully made. 



William J. S. Lockyer. 



THE BRITISH SCIENCE GUILD. 

 "T^HE second annual meeting of the British Science 

 -'■ Guild was held on January 15 at the Mansion 

 House, the Lord Mayor being in the chair. The 

 large assembly of fellows and members, and the 

 presence of distinguished representatives of many 

 departments of intellectual activity and national 

 interest, show that the Guild is strengthening and 

 extending its influence over a wide field. 



The report, which was adopted, referred to the 

 missionary work of the Guild in educating the public 

 in the following terms : — 



The e.Kecutive committee believes that in this direction 

 the labours of the Guild are becoming more effective each 

 year, and there is a gradually increasing volume of 

 opinion chronicled or expressed in the daily and weekly 

 Press in harmony with the main objects of the Guild. 



For this result a larg-e debt of gratitude is due to the 

 president, Mr. Haldane, who has taken many opportunities 

 of expressing and emphasising the views of the Guild 

 before large audiences in connection with various educa- 

 tional institutions. 



It is in the direction of primary education that the most 

 rapid advance in public opinion has taken place, and on 

 this the nation is to be congratulated, for it is on the 

 proper education of the children that all future progress 

 must ultimately depend. At the inaugural meeting of the 

 Guild in 1905, the chairman of committees, in referring to 

 the subject of education, pointed out that a complete educa- 

 tion must be based upon things and thinking as well as 

 words and memory, and that we want " one kind Of 

 education for everybody — the Best." Further, that no one 

 should be stopped on his upward course save by his own 

 incapacity ; and that all impediments should be removed. 

 These views are now being acted on in many places. 



The Guild is not alone in pointing out that our great 

 commercial competitors are those lands where there is 

 the greatest number of complete and State-aided univer- 

 sities, and in which as a consequence " all the national 

 activities are carried on in the full light of modern 

 science by men who have received a complete training 

 both in science and the humanities, in close touch with 

 the Governments." 



Some of the City livery companies have shown 

 great interest in the work of the Guild. The Cloth- 

 workers' Company has made a donation of looZ. to 

 the funds, and the Drapers' Company one of 105/. 

 This evidence of the interest taken in the movement is 

 very gratifying, and it is hoped that other City com- 

 panies will similarly assist in furthering the objects 

 of the Guild. 



Numerous subjects have occupied the attention of 

 the executive committee during the year, and several 

 deputations to various Ministers of State have been 

 arranged. Among questions thus dealt with may be 

 mentioned the amendment of patent laws, the anthro- 

 pometric survey of school children and adults, and 

 the prevention of pollution of rivers. Deputations 

 had also been planned to the Colonial Premiers and 

 in connection with vivisection licences, but subsequent 

 circumstances made these unnecessarv. 



