300 



NATURE 



[StrXEMBEK 8, 1910 



springs, so that the temperature of the water is from 

 32° to 38° C. in summer, and from 26° to 30° C. in 

 winter. A chapter on the composition of the lake 

 water, by G. v. VVeszelszky, shows that it contains 

 0531 part per thousand of salts, of which the chief 

 are magnesium chloride, bicarbonate of lime, and 

 sodium sulphate. The shape of the lake basin has 

 been carefully determined by Dr. Jordan. 



Dr. Lovassy has attempted to acclimatise tropical 

 water-lilies in this pond. He points out the interest- 

 ing fact that the Nile lotus (Nymphaea lotus) is still 

 living in the warm waters of Nagyvared, and a flower 

 stem referred to this plant was discovered in Upper 

 Pliocene calcareous tufa at Ganocz, in Szepes, by 

 Prof. Pax, of Breslau, in 1^04. Dr. Lovassy, there- 

 fore, holds fli.nt the Nile lotus still lives in Hungary 



Fig 2.— Water-lilies in the Hifvizsee. In foreground some specimens of Nymph 

 background Kyjitphaea rubra hflgijfora, nov. 5ub>p. 



as a relic from its former wide extension over 

 southern Europe. He insists that the plant was 

 neither introduced by man nor birds, and that Nagy- 

 vared is a natural subtropical oasis. Earlier attempts 

 to plant tropical water-lilies in the H^vizsce were 

 made between 1826 and 1842. Dr. Lovassy's experi- 

 ments lasted from 1898 to 1906, and were tried on 

 many distinct species ; and in connection with the 

 work he has compiled a synopsis of the Nymphaceae ; 

 some species failed altogether, others lived, but would 

 not produce seeds, and only a variety of the Indian 

 Nymphaea rubra, for which he founds a new sub- 

 species, longiflora, has been successfully acclimatised. 

 The longest of the four contributions recently re- 

 ceived is a memoir by Dr. Bekefi on the mediaeval 

 churches and castles in the neighbourhood of Lake 

 Balaton. It consists of a detailed account illustrated 

 by plans and photographs, both of the buildings still 

 occupied and those represented by numerous pictur- 

 esque ruins. J. W. G. 



NO. 2132, VOL. 84] 



THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION AT SHEFFIELD. 

 ■p RO.M the point of view of numbers, this year's 

 ^ meeting of the British Association, with a total 

 membership of about 1400, does not take a very high 

 place among the great meetings of recent years ; 

 nevertheless, there is only one opinion as to its suc- 

 cess. The arrangements have been admirably made, 

 and everyone agrees that no more perfect and con- 

 venient place for the reception-room and accessory 

 writing and other rooms could have been provided 

 than has been furnished at the Cutlers' Hall. The 

 local committee, under the chairmanship of Prof. 

 W. M. Hicks, is to be congratulated upon the busi- 

 nesslike way in which it has organised the many and 

 various general affairs of the meeting. The scientific 

 proceedings of the sections have 

 been full of interest, but here no 

 further reference need be made to 

 them, -as accounts of the work of 

 the sections will appear in later 

 issues. 



The annual report of the council 

 of the association was presented at 

 the meeting of the general com- 

 mittee on August 31. The council 

 presented an address to the King 

 upon his accession to the throne, and 

 in a further letter expressed the 

 hope that he would follow his august 

 father in the patronage of the 

 association. This the King has con- 

 sented to do. 



At the Winnipeg meeting last year 

 a resolution was formulated by the 

 Anthropological Section, relating to 

 inquiries into Canadian ethnology, 

 was supported by the general com- 

 mittee, and referred to the council. 

 This resolution, which was for- 

 warded to the Dominion Government 

 by the council was as follows : — 



I. (i) " That it is essential to scien- 

 tific knowledge of the early history of 

 t'anada that full and accurate records 

 should be obtained of the physical 

 character, geographical distribution and 

 migrations, languages, social _ and 

 political institutions, native arts, indus- 

 tries, and economic systems of the 

 aboriginal peoples of the country. 



(2) " That scientific knowledge of 

 the principles of native design and 

 handicraft is an essential preliminary 

 to any development of native industries such as has already 

 been found practicable, especially in the United States, in 

 Mexico, and in India, and that such knowledge has also 

 proved to be of material assistance in the creation of 

 national schools of design among the white population. 



(3) " That, in the rapid development of the country, the 

 native population is inevitably losing its separate existence 

 and characteristics. 



(4) " That it is therefore of urgent importance to 

 initiate, without delay, systematic observations and records 

 of native physical types, languages, beliefs, and customs ; 

 and to provide for the preservation of a complete collection 

 of examples of native arts and industries in some central 

 institution, and for public guardianship of prehistoric 

 monuments such as village sites, burial grounds, mounds, 

 and rock carvings. 



(5) " That the organisation necessary to secure these 

 objects, and to render the results of these inquiries 

 accessible to students and to the public, is such as might 

 easily be provided in connection with the National .Museum 

 at Ottawa, which already includes many fine examples of 

 aboriginal arts and manufactures, and might be made a 



