March 6, 1902] 



NATURE 



419 



be for the great good of learning, and also for the special reason 

 set forth in the following statement : — 



In 1899 an International Association of Academies, composed 

 of the leading learned bodies of many countries, was formed, the 

 Royal Society taking an active part in its formation. Since the 

 various studies cultivated by the constituent academies could be 

 readily divided into two categories— (i) those of mathematical, 

 experimental and natural science, and (2) those of philology, 

 history and philosophy — the association established within itself 

 two sections, one for the former the other for the latter studies, 

 and drew up statutes in accordance with this division. 



The Royal Society is, at the present time, concerned with 

 studies of the former category only ; and since no other learned 

 body of the United Kingdom dealing with the studies of the other 

 category belongs to the association, it has come about that while 

 most other countries are represented in both sections, either by 

 two academies or by an academy taking charge of studies of both 

 categories, this country is represented in one section only. 



In other words, in this country there does not e.\ist, as in 

 most other countries, an academy or other organisation of 

 the rank of the several academies constituting the association 

 in question, charged with the duty of fostering studies of 

 the second category. The Royal Society, therefore, thought it 

 to be its duty to bring this fact, regrettable on general grounds, 

 quite apart from representation in the International Association 

 of Academies, to the notice of certain persons in this country 

 eminent in those studies. 



A correspondence with these eminent persons resulted in the 

 Royal Society being invited to consider how this regrettable 

 state of things could be remedied, and in particular whether the 

 Royal Society was able and willing to include the studies in 

 question within its sphere of action. 



The president and council of the Royal Society appointed a 

 special committee to consider and report upon the matter, 

 instructing the committee not to advise the president and council 

 as to what action the society should take, but simply to state the 

 reasons for and against the several suggestions put forward in the 

 correspondence above mentioned. 



The committee after prolonged investigation and considera- 

 tion made a report of the desired character, stating incidentally 

 its opinion that under the charters of the society the studies in 

 question could, if it were deemed desirable, be taken charge of 

 by the society itself. 



The report of the committee was discussed at a special meet- 

 ing of the Fellows, and the president and council, after carefully 

 considering the report and the discussion at the above meeting 

 of Fellows, adopted a resolution to the effect that they were of 

 opinion that the studies in question ought to be taken care of by 

 some academic organisation, and that this should be eflfected, 

 not by the Royal Society taking charge of these studies, but by 

 the establishment of some other body. 



The president and council believe that the proposed academy, 

 for which a petition has been presented, may with confidence be 

 expected to take care of and promote the studies in question 

 efficiently and successfully. They have reason to think that the 

 establishment of an academy taking charge of such studies will 

 be welcomed by all the constituent academies of the association, 

 and they are prepared to offer it if established the cordial and 

 friendly support of the Royal Society. 



They therefore respectfully urge that the petition be granted. 



And your petitioners will ever pray. 



NOTES. 



The Croonian lecture of the Royal Society will be delivered 

 on Thursday, March 13, by Prof. A. Gamgee, F.R.S., on the 

 physico-chemical properties of haemoglobin, its compounds and 

 derivatives. 



The seventy-second annual meeting of the British Association 

 will be held at Belfast on September 10-17, under the presidency 

 of Prof. James Dewar, F. R.S. The presidents of the sections 

 will be as follows : — A (mathematical and physical science), Prof. 

 J. Purser ; chairman of department for astronomy and cosmical 

 physics, Prof. A. Schuster, FR.S. ; B (chemistry). Prof. E. Divers, 

 F.R.S. ; C (geology), Lieut. -General C. A. Mc.Mahon, F.R.S. ; 

 D (zoology), Prof. G. B. Howes, F.R.S. ; E (geography)^ 

 NO. 1688, VOL. 65] 



Colonel Sir T. H. Holdich, K.C.B. ; F (economic science 

 and statistics), Dr. E. Cannan ; G (engineering). Prof. J. Perry, 

 F.R.S. ; H (anthropology). Prof. A. C. Haddon, F."r.S. ; I 

 (physiology). Prof. W. D. Halliburton, F.R.S. ; K (botany), 

 Prof. J. Reynolds Green, F.R.S. ; L (educational science). 

 Prof. Henry E. Armstrong, F.R.S. The evening discourse on- 

 September 12 will be delivered by Prof. J. J. Thomson, F.R.S.,, 

 on " Becquerel Rays and Radio-activity"; and the discourse 

 on September 15 will be on " Inheritance," by Prof. W. F. R. 

 Weldon, F.R.S. The lecture to the operative classes, on 

 September 13, will be by Prof. L. C. Miall, F.R.S, on " Gnats 

 and Mosquitoes." 



M. B.^ILLAUD has been elected a correspondant of the section 

 of astronomy of the Paris Academy of Sciences in succession to 

 the late M. Souillart. 



One of Prof. J. C. Ewart's zebra-pony hybrids will be 

 exhibited next week, March 13 and 14, in the Agricultural 

 Hall, Islington. 



The Right Hon. R. W. Hanbury, M.P., President of the 

 Board of Agriculture, has appointed a departmental committee 

 to inquire into and report as to the present position and future 

 prospects of forestry and the planting and management of 

 woodlands in Great Britain, and to consider whether any 

 measures might with advantage be taken, either by the provision 

 of further educational facilities or otherwise, for their promotion 

 and encouragement. The committee consists of Mr. R. C. 

 Munro-Ferguson, M.P. (chairman), Sir John F. L. Rolleston, 

 M.P., Mr. E. S. Howard, C.B., Prof. W. Schlich, CLE., 

 Colonel F. Bailey, R.E., Prof. J. R. Campbell, Mr. J. H. Lewis, 

 M.P., Mr. George Marshall and Dr. W. Somerville. 



Mr. R. H. Tiddeman, M.A., F.G.S., who joined the staff 

 of the Geological Survey, under Murchison, in 1S64, has just 

 retired from the public service. 



A MEETING of the Engineering Standards Committee was 

 held at the Institution of Civil Engineers on March 4, to hear 

 evidence on the question of the standardisation of locomotives 

 and the specifications for the materials used in their construction. 

 The questions down for consideration were : — (l) Is it desirable 

 to proceed with the standardisation of locomotives? (2) If so, 

 should this be a question of general design or only of component 

 parts? (3) How far would it be of practical value to have 

 standard specifications defining the quality of the materials 

 used in locomotive construction ? 



On Tuesday next, March 11, Prof. E. B. Poulton, F.R.S., 

 will deliver the first of a course of two lectures at the Royal 

 Institution, on " Recent Researches on Protective Resemblance, 

 Warning Colours and Mimicry in Insects." The Friday 

 evening discourse on March 14 will be delivered by Prof. 

 Silvanus P. Thompson, his subject being " Magnetism in 

 Transitu " ; the succeeding discourse on March 21 will be given 

 (in English) by Geheimrath Prof. Otto N. Witt, of Berlin, on 

 " Recent Developments in Colouring Matters." 



The annual dinner of the Royal .School of Mines was held at 

 the Hotel Cecil on Friday last, Mr. Bedford McNeill being in 

 the chair. In proposing "The Mining and Metallurgical 

 Industries," the chairman alluded to the magnitude of the two 

 industries connected with their profession, and said that mining 

 in the past had been largely carried on by men who did not have 

 the advantage of educational facilities, who had to learn largely, 

 if not solely, in the school of experience. In spite of the 

 improvement which had been effected in Cornwall, it had to be 

 admitted that the conditions of practical mining in Cornwall were 

 not fully representative of those higher developments which had 

 been achieved in our colonies and in foreign countries. Mr. 



