March 13, 1902] 



NA TURE 



44- 



Club and its members will be of great value. Since its founda- 

 tion in 18S0, the Society has published about 5000 pages of 

 matter, three-fourths of which relates to the natural history, in 

 the widest sense, of the county of Essex, and much of it is 

 wholly original in character. Any reader desiring to attend the 

 meeting should communicate with the hon. secretary, Mr. W. 

 Cole, Buckhurst Hill, Essex. 



A MEETING of the -American Philosophical Society will be 

 held at Philadelphia on April 3-5. Among the subjects ol 

 papers included in the preliminary programme are : — The 

 International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, Dr. Cyrus Adler 

 recent progress in the lunar theory, Prof. E. W. Brown, F.R.S. 

 systematic geography. Prof. W. M. Davis ; results of observa 

 tion with the zenith telescope at the Sayre Observatory, Prof. 

 C. L. Doolittle ; the advancement of knowledge by the aid o 

 the Carnegie Institution, President D. C. Oilman ; the con 

 tinuity of protoplasm, Prof. H. Kraemer ; further experiments 

 on the physiological action of ions, Dr. JacquesLoeb ; wireless 

 telegraphy, Mr. Guglielmo Marconi (if in America): distribu- 

 tion of fresh water decapods and its bearing upon ancient 

 geography, Dr. Arnold E. Ortmann ; evolution and distribu- 

 tion of the Proboscidea in America, Prof. H. F. Osborn ; the 

 relation of the American University to_ science. President H. S. 

 i'ritchett ; South American mammals, Prof. W. B. Scott ; 

 historical investigation of the supposed changes in the colour of 

 Sirius since the epoch of the Greeks and Romans, Dr. T. J. J. 

 .See ; and biological heredity and organic evolution. Prof. 

 Giuseppe Sergi. 



The ninth meeting of the Australasian Association for the 

 Advancement of Science was held at Hobart on January S-16, 

 under the presidency of Captain F. W. Hutton, F.R. S., whose 

 address on evolution and its teaching was abridged in last week's 

 Nature. The presidents of the sections and the subjects of 

 their addresses were as follows : — Mr. R. W. Chapman (astron- 

 omy, mathematics, physics and mechanics), tidal theory and its 

 application ; Prof. A. M. A. Mica-Smith (chemistry and 

 mineralogy), the study of the chemistry of the air, and whither 

 it has led ; Prof. T. S. Hall (geology and palaeontology), the 

 possibility of detailed correlation of Australian formations with 

 those of the mother hemisphere ; Prof. W. B. Benham 

 (biology), earthworms and palceo-geography ; Rev. Geo. Brown 

 (geography), the Pacific, east and west ; Mr. T. A. Coghlan 

 (economic and social science and statistics), the statistical 

 question ; Dr. W. E. Roth (ethnology and anthropology), on 

 the games, sports and amusements of the North Queensland 

 aboriginals ; Sir T. Fitzgerald (sanitary science and hygiene), 

 the nature of diseases; Prof. A. Wall (mental science and 

 education), poetry as a factor in education ; Mr. P. Oakden 

 (architecture and engineering), no title announced. Many 

 papers were read in each of the sections, and from the 

 titles in the official programme we judge that a ilarge 

 proportion was of wide scientific interest. The handbook 

 prepared for the use of the members contains a short historical 

 sketch of Tasmania, and essays on the natural history of the 

 country. These signs of scientific activity at the antipodes are 

 of interest to those who regard contributions to natural know- 

 ledge as essential to the development of national character and 

 progress. 



Proi-'. W. R. Dunstan, F.R.S. , director of the scientific 

 department of the Imperial Institute, presided on March 4 at 

 the first of a series of si.x lectures and demonstrations which are 

 being given at the Institute by -Mr. R. Hedger Wallace, formerly 

 of the Victorian Agricultural Department, on "The Com- 

 mercial Products and Agricultural Resources of tne Crown 

 Colonies." In his introductory remarks, the chairman explained 



NO. 1689, VOL. 65J 



the object of the course. The Imperial Institute contains 

 magnificent collections of products, illustrative of the natural 

 resources of the colonies, and it is hoped that by lectures and 

 demonstrations such as these the interest and utility of the 

 collections to the general public will be much increased. 

 Following each lecture, Mr. Wallace will give a demonstration 

 in the particular court containing the products of the colony 

 described. A large and increasing number of schools throughout 

 the United Kingdom have applied to the Imperial Institute for 

 small collections of various colonial products, and it is therefore 

 hoped that this course will attract both teachers and pupils. 

 Mr. Wallace began by directing attention to the fact that the 

 value of the imports and exports of Great Britain last year was 

 522,000,000/. and 280,000,000/. respectively. It is a matter of 

 importance, therefore, to ascertain whether this adverse balance 

 of 242,000,000/. passes to the British planter and manufacturer, 

 and remains within the Empire, or goes to foreign countries. 

 Hence also the desirability of ascertaining what can most 

 profitably be grown in our various colonies. From this point 

 of view England has much to learn from Germany. That 

 country has recently sent out scientific experts to report on the 

 natural resources of its colonies and to ascertain by practical 

 experiment how capital can be most profitably invested. In 

 England, on the other hand, this matter is left largely to private 

 enterprise. 



The influence of mountains on the fall of hail has frequently 

 been the subject of controversy, but up to the present time no 

 certain conclusion appears to have been arrived at. The Italian 

 .Meteorological Oftice has recently published an interesting note 

 upon the question by Prof. V. Monti. The positions chosen 

 were perhaps the most suitable for the purpose of any among 

 the Italian network of stations, viz. the Collegio Romano and 

 Montecavo, an isolated station near Rome, situated at an altitude 

 of about 1000 metres ; the complete observations at both stations, 

 for the years 1S80-87, are contained in the Annals of the Italian 

 Meteorological Otlice. During this period, forty-one days of hail 

 were recorded at Rome against eighty at Montecavo ; the 

 monthly values show two maxima, in April and October, and 

 two minima, in July and December, as regards the excess of 

 days of hail at the mountain station. A comparison of days of 

 thunderstorm shows, on the other hand, that there were 176 such 

 storms at Rome, against 129 at Montecavo. This seems to show 

 that the excess of hail at the mountain station is not attributable 

 to a greater intensity of atmospheric electricity. The author 

 gives a table showing that the monthly mean temperature at 

 Rome is at times about 10° higher than at Montecavo, and 

 suggests that the fusion of the hail in traversing a warmer 

 stratum of air may to some extent account for the smaller 

 amount at the lower station. 



Prof. Tine T.\mmes describes in the Zeitschrift fitr 

 wissenschaflliche Mikroskopie, xviii. p. 280, a convenient form of 

 electrical lamp for use with the microscope, which has been 

 introduced into the Botanical Laboratory at Groningen. The 

 lamp itself is an incandescent lamp of about 4 cm. diameter, 

 and is enclosed in an iron box the weight of which adds to its 

 steadiness. This box is open at the front and back, the back 

 opening letting out the heat while the front opening is furnished 

 with grooves for inserting glass plates. The front plate is 

 of ground glass, specially chosen for its low absorbing power 

 and absence of coarse grain, and this gives a uniformly bright 

 area as source of illumination. Behind this is a screen of cob.ik 

 or other coloured glass for absorbing the superfluous yellow 

 rays. 



A PAPER on the metallography or photomicrography of iron 

 and steel is communicated to the/o«r«a/of the Royal Micro- 

 scopical Society for February by Mr. William H. Merrett. 



