266 



NA rURE 



[December 31, 190S 



race. ..." WVll, \vp want to know exactly how many 

 have laid adhesive eggs. The author tells us that the egg- 

 character is non-Mcndelian, and that, though of course a 

 -character of the female, it is transmitted .through the 

 female. We want the details of the evidence on which 

 this statement is based, in the form of a table preferably. 

 In no case is the probable error of his results worked out." 



THE OLDEST EUROPEAN SEDIMENTS. 

 A/TR. J. J. SEDERHOLM, director of the Geological 

 Survey of Finland, has issued in English his 

 " E.xplanatory Notes to accompany a Geological .Sketch- 

 map of Fenno-Scandia " (Helsingfors : Frenckellska 

 'I'ryckeri-akticbolagct, 1908). The beautifully coloured 

 map of Norway, Sweden, and Finland (Prof. \V. Ramsay's 

 " Fenno-Scandia ") that accompanies this memoir w'as 

 originally issued in Bulletin No. 23 of the. Commission 

 gtologique de Finlande. Photographs are given of critical 

 rock-specimens, such as the conglomerates that mark un- 

 conformities between the Archaean systems in Finland, and 

 the early pre-Cambrian (Bottnian) banded sediment of the 

 shores of Nasijarvi. This rock indicates seasonal stratifi- 

 cation, strangely like that of the adjacent (ilarial clays 

 of Pleistocene age. 



Those who have seen the actual specimens, or, belter 

 still, the beds in the field, cannot deny the existence of 

 an immense series of pre-Cambrian sediments in Fenno- 

 Scandia. The gneisses, such as those of the Hangb islets, 

 are by no means the oldest or fundamental rocks, but 

 result from the intrusion of granite into various series 

 and at various times. Some of the granites in the north 

 of Finland appear to be post-Silurian, as in Scandinavia. 

 Sederholm's admirable summary is, of course, written from 

 a Finnish point of view, and some of the results may meet 

 with criticism when applied to Scandinavia ; but they de- 

 serve the keen attention of geologists in our own islands, 

 where post-Silurian movements have masked much of the 

 olH,-r sequence, but where patches of ungranitised pre- 

 Cambrian sediments may remain amid melamorphie areas. 



A visit to Finland healthily counteracts the tendency, 

 still apparent in .some quarters, towards bringing all our 

 clearly stratified rocks somehow into the Palaeozoic era. 

 Dr. A. Mickwitz has recentiv proposed (_Iiulleli)i de 

 I'Acadhnie impirialc des Sciences de Si. Petcrsboiin;, 

 iqo7, p. 6qq) to correlate the results of deep borings oti 

 the south side of the Gulf of Finland, in the hope of ascer- 

 taining the relations of the lower Cambrian strata of 

 Russia to the pre-Cambrian beds that appear across the 

 s^a in Finland. Perhaps the areas still unexplored by the 

 I-innish Survey may include some Pal.xozoic strata. For 

 the present, the " Jatulian " dolomites, sandstones, and 

 true bedded anthracites are sufficiently fascinating. What 

 forms of vegetable life in pre-Camb'ri.in limes furnished 

 the bed of coal 7 feet thick in Olonetz? 



G. A. J. C. 



METEORIC SHOWER OF JANUARY. 

 'P'HE Quadranllds, or Bootids as they are sometimes 

 called, the former constellation being moclerr and not 

 fully recognised, ought to reappear under favourable 

 auspices on the nights of Saturday, January 2 and 

 Sunday, January 3 ; but the shower i.s' a very fugitive one, 

 and Its more abundant phase will probably 'be confined to 

 a few hours on one of the nights mentioned. 



These January meteors really form a very rich streain, 

 and I believe that, next to the Perseids, ' Leonids, and 

 Andromedids, ihey are entitled to take precedence as re- 

 gards numbers: but the annual returns are seldom well 

 observed in this country owing to cloudy weather, moon- 

 light, and other causes. Moreover, the radiant is only 

 at a satisfactory height for Ihe plentiful display of its 

 nieteors_ just before sunrise. At q p.m. in the latitude of 

 (.reenwich the point of radiation is only fourteen degrees 

 above the northern horizon. Observations are best made, 

 •hf-refore, in the early evening between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.] 

 or during the few hours before sunrise. ' 



The meteors are generally fairly bright, with lone 

 rather swift flights and flaky trains. Thev arc decidedly 

 conspicuous objects, and easily identified 'from members 



NO. 2044, vol.. 71)] 



of the secondary showers of the epoch, which are not 

 abundant or individually rich. This year the gibbous 

 moon will slightly interfere with observations before- mid- 

 night, but the morning hours, if atmospheric conditions 

 allow, ought to provide ;i very suitable time for witnessin;^ 

 the spectacle. " W. F. Denning. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 

 The annual meeiing of the Mathematical .Association 

 will be held on January 12, 1909, at King's College, 

 London. Addresses will be delivered by Dr. H. T. Bovcv, 

 F.R.S., rector of the Imperial College of Science and 

 Technology, on the mathematical preparation for students 

 who propose to take up technical work ; by Mr. .Alfred 

 Lodge, on the introduction of the idea of cross-ratio and 

 homography, and its connection with involution; and by 

 Prof. G. H. Bryan, F.R.S., on a proposal for the unknown 

 digit. 



Till; annu.il nviiing of the Geographical .Association 

 will be held on January Ci, 1909, at the London School of 

 Economics. In the morning, at 11.30, short papers on 

 practical problems will be read. Mr. . J. . Fairgrieve will 

 deal with the weather report and the teaching of "geo- 

 graphy, Dr. .A. J. Herberlson willgive hints on hanging 

 and storing maps, and .Mr. J. A. McMichael will give a 

 demonstration of the method of making models by serial 

 sections. In the afternoon, after a business meeting, 'the 

 president, Mr. Douglas W. Freshfield, . will deliver his 

 address. Dr. H. R. Mill will lecture on the rainfall of 

 the British Isles, and a lantern exhibition will be given 

 of the set of views of the Dora Baltea, which has been 

 prepared for the association by Mr. G. W. Palmer. The 

 (ieographical .Association is, we are glad to find, con- 

 tinuing its excellent work in the direction of encouraging 

 more scientific methods of teaching geography in schools. 

 Monthly meetings for teachers and others are to be held 

 on the last Friday evenings of January, February, and 

 March next for the discussion of problems likely to assist 

 teachers in their work, and in other ways the association 

 is- endeavouring to assist improved methods of geographical 

 instruction. The honorary correspondence secretary, Mr. 

 J. F. LTnstead, 39 Greenholm Road, Ellham, is willing 

 to give full particulars of the work of the association. 



The annual meeting of the recently formed .American 

 Federation of Teachers of the Mathematical and Natural 

 Sciences was held at the Johns Hopkins University, Balti- 

 more, on December 28 and 29. On the second day a joint 

 meeting was held with the American As.sociation for the 

 Advancement of Science, at which numerous problems of 

 science teaching were discu.sse'd. From Bulletin No. i 

 of the federation, which has been received, we learn that 

 seven associations have formally joined the federation. 

 Fourteen others have the matter under consideration, and 

 nre expected lo tike ailion on it at their next meetings. 

 .Among pieces of work of obvious interest and importance 

 which the federation proposes to undertake may be men- 

 tioned investigations and reports on such matters as the 

 bibliography of science leaching and the history of science ; 

 the best means of publication for new material of interest 

 to teachers of science ; the best means of securing the most 

 favourable conditions for science teaching, including a 

 share in the shaping of college entrance requirements. It 

 is imoortant to notice that the articles of the feder.ation 

 provide, not for Ihe formation of a new national society 

 of teachers of mathematics and .science, but for a collective 

 representation of existing local societies in matters of 

 broad general interest. Each local society, of which there 

 are many in the I'nited States, preserves ils independent 

 identity and methods of work. .Already the federation -has 

 begun work by undertaking the compilation of a! biblio- 

 graphy of the literature on the teaching of science an<3 

 mathematics. The work is being done bv cooperative 

 efl'ort. part having been assigned lo each of the federated 

 associations. A committee on bibliography has been 

 appointed, nnlh Prof. Richard E. Dodge, of Teachers' 

 College, New York, as chairman. The list to be prepared 

 is to "include books, articles in oeriodicals, scientific 

 iournnls or association reports, including foreign rontribu- 



