678 
NATURE 
[AUGUST 19, 1915 

years renewed by an honorary fellowship. His 
lectures and less formal courses of instruction 
were keenly appreciated, and his influence on the 
philosophical and logical studies of Oxford was 
very great. His published works, though giving 
evidence of much learning and critical acumen, 
were not copious in relation to the width and 
depth of his erudition. Cook Wilson was a man 
of strong views. These he was always ready to 
maintain with an eagerness and occasional vehe- 
mence which amused, but never offended, his 
interlocutors. His controversy with Archer Hinde 
over the Timaeus of Plato gave occasion for a 
display of fighting qualities which is still remem- 
bered in Oxford with sympathetic appreciation. 
He was not only a finished classical scholar, but 
also an accomplished mathematician; and to these 
attainments he added an unusually complete 
knowledge of German language, literature, and 
philosophy. One of the subjects to which he had 
devoted attention was the difficult problem of 
Greek music. On this he held views which did 
not coincide with those of many of the recognised 
authorities, in particular of the late Provost of 
Oriel, D. B. Monro. It must be confessed that 
he had his foibles; among them a somewhat de- 
ficient sense of proportion, especially in respect 
of time. But these in no way interfered with 
the regard in which he was held for the sterling 
worth and simplicity of his character. ‘‘ The 
Cooker,” as he was affectionately styled by his 
pupils and many of his colleagues, was an en- 
thusiastic volunteer. He did much to keep alive 
the interest in military matters which in the days 
before the Boer war showed signs in Oxford, as 
elsewhere, of a dangerous slackening. He was 
practically the creator of the cyclist contingent 
of the O.U.V., and his manual of training for 
that body became a model for the cyclist service 
throughout the army. Many will remember ‘‘ Das 
Kochmannslied,” a piece of good-natured banter 
by H. W. Greene, of Magdalen, in which humor- 
ous reference was made to Wilson’s military 
prowess, his famous manceuvre for the discom- 
fiture of hostile cavalry, his ‘‘ gyrotwistive 
Knasterbart,” and his polemic with Archer Hinde. 
“Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit.”’ 

NOTES. 
WE are officially informed that Prof. H. B. Baker 
will be unavoidably prevented from attending the 
Manchester meeting of the British Association, and 
that, in his place, Prof. W. A. Bone will be the presi- 
dent of the Chemistry Section. 
Tue following additional information has reached us 
with reference to the communications which may be 
expected to be made to Section B of the forthcoming 
meeting of the British Association :—Prof. P. Henry 
(Louvain), vinyl acetic nitrite; Dr. A. Hynd, configura- 
tion in the sugar group; Dr. Sand, a new cadmium 
vapour arc lamp; Dr. W. E. S. Turner, ionisation in 
solvents of low dielectric constant; Dr. Turner and Mr. 
Cauwood, molecular state of salts in solution; papers 
on flame and combustion, with experimental illustra- 
NO. 2390, VOL. 95] 


tions, probable contributors, Prof. Dixon, Dr. Wheeler, 
and Dr. Coward. 
A MUNITIONS inventions branch of the Ministry has 
been constituted, with Mr. E. W. Moir as comptroller. 
The branch, which for the present is located in Arma- 
ment Buildings, Whitehall Place, will have the duty 
of considering projects for inventions relating to muni- 
tions for warfare on land or matters appertaining 
thereto. The comptroller and staff of the branch will 
be assisted in their work of examination, and, if 
thought necessary, in the investigation and develop- 
ment of any projects that may be considered worthy of 
being developed, by a panel of honorary scientific and 
other experts. The following have accepted Mr. Lloyd 
George’s invitation to act on this panel :—Col. Goold 
Adams, Mr. Horace Darwin, Mr. M. Duckham, Mr. 
W. Duddell, Dr. S. Z. de Ferranti, Dr. R. T. Glaze- 
brook, Sir R. Hadfield, Dr. J. S. Haldane, Col. N. B. 
Heffernan, Sir A. Kennedy, Mr. F. W. Lanchester, 
Dr. A. P. Laurie, Prof. Vivian B. Lewes, Mr. M. 
Longridge, Mr. W. H. Maw, Sir Hiram Maxim, Capt. 
Moore, Sir H. Norman, Mr. F. G. Ogilvie, Major- 
Gen. G. K. Scott-Moncrieff, Mr. W. Stokes, Mr. J. 
Swinburne, Sir J. J. Thomson, Mr. A. J. Walter, Mr. 
C. J. Wilson. All communications should be addressed 
to the Comptroller at the address given above. 
Tue President of the Board of Agriculture and 
Fisheries has appointed a committee (consisting of 
Lord Middleton (chairman), Mr. Henry Chaplin, Sir 
Ailwyn Fellowes, the Hon. Alexander Parker, Major 
Sir M. Burrell, Bart., Sir G. Greenall, Bart., and 
Capt. M. S. Adye) to consider and advise the Board 
as to the steps which should be taken to secure the 
production and maintenance in England and Wales of 
a supply of horses suitable and sufficient for military 
purposes, especially on mobilisation. Mr. E. B. Wilson, 
of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, has been 
appointed secretary of the committee. 
Ir is reported from Stockholm that the Nobel prizes 
for the present year will amount to 81o0ol., but that the 
distribution may be postponed. From next year the 
prizes will be reduced by 1125]., representing the 
amount of the new Swedish defence tax. 
THE sum of 140l. has been given to the Royal Society 
of Arts by Mr. R. Le Neve Foster for the purpose of 
founding a prize in commemoration of his father, Mr. 
Peter Le Neve Foster, who was secretary of the society 
from 1853 to 1879. The council has decided to offer 
the prize (consisting of tol. and the society’s silver 
medal) for a paper on ‘Zinc: its production and in- 
dustrial applications.’ Competing papers (which must 
be typewritten) must reach the secretary of the Royal 
Society of Arts by, at latest, December 31, 1915. 
ACCORDING to a Reuter telegram the Vienna 
Academy of Sciences has made a grant of 160l. to 
Prof. R. Poech to enable him to conduct anthropo- 
logical researches among the various races comprising 
the Russian prisoners of war. 
WE learn from Science that Prof. W. H. Welch, of 
the Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. S. Flexner, of 
the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, are 

a 
