•54 



NATURE 



[April io, 1913 



University, beginning on May 13; eight lec- 

 tures on the physiology of photosynthesis and 

 respiration in plants, by F. F. Blackman, F.R.S., at 

 University College, beginning on April 23 ; four lec- 

 tures on the physiology of absorption, by Prof. T. G. 

 Brodie, F.R.S., at Kinsr's College, beginning on May 

 21; four lectures on the supposed physical basis of 

 life and mind, by Dr. J. S. Haldane, F.R.S., at Guy's 

 Hospital, beginning on May 8; eight lectures on the 

 factors concerned in the volume and form changes of 

 cells (growth and movement), by Dr. H. E. Roaf, 

 at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, beginning on 

 May 5 ; three lectures on growth and form, by Prof. 

 D'Arcy W. Thompson, C.B., at King's College, on 

 Mr. >(,, 28, and 30; four lectures on recent advances 

 in the metallurgy of copper, gold, silver, and lead, 

 by Prof. W. Gowland, F.R.S., at the Old Royal 

 College of Science Building, South Kensington, on 

 April 21, 25, 28, and May 2. The lectures are for 

 advanced students of the "University and others in- 

 terested in the various subjects. Admission to all 

 the lectures except those on physiology is free, with- 

 out ticket. 



The report of the Admiralty Committee appointed 

 to inquire into the education and training of naval 

 officers shows that the Admiralty policy of watching 

 the results of its great educational experiment with 

 the view of readjusting its procedure to meet any 

 defects that may be revealed, is being consistcntlv and 

 carefully carried out. The recommendations of the 

 Committee that are of most general interest may be 

 thus summarised : — (1) That to increase the number of 

 candidates for entry and so raise the standard of 

 ability among those selected, a system of bursaries or 

 reduced fees shall be established, which for not more 

 than 20 per cent, of any entry would reduce the annual 

 cost of the four years of training at Osborne and 

 Dartmouth from about no!, per annum to about 59/. 

 per annum. (2) That the subsequent training "of 

 cadets in special seagoing cruisers before joining the 

 fleet be reduced from eight months to four. (3) That 

 all sub-lieutenants shall serve six consecutive months 

 in the engine-room department and obtain an engine- 

 room watch-keeping certificate. (4) That officers who 

 volunteer for the engineering branch shall pass 

 through a course of study lasting six months at 

 Greenwich, followed by a practical course of about one 

 year's duration at Keyham. (5) That for the higher 

 technical and administrative engineering appointments 

 at lli.' Admiralty and dockyards a selection be made 

 of a limited number of those who have qualified for 

 the engineering branch. These officers will undergo 

 a further two years' training at Greenwich, followed 

 by not less than one year at sea, after which thev 

 will be eligible for special shore appointments, but 

 will not be eligible to take military command. 

 Chanees in the training of specialists in navigation, 

 torpedo, and cunnery are also recommended with the 

 view of securing earlier practical efficiencv in the 

 duties to be actually performed at sea. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Edinburgh. 

 Royal Society, March 17.— Dr. B. N. Peach, F.R.S., 

 vice-president, in the chair. — Dr. »W. S. Bruce : 

 Measurements and weights of Antarctic seals taken 

 by the Scottish National Antarctic expedition. — Dr. 

 S. F. Harmer and Dr. W. G. Ridewood : The Ptero- 

 branchia of the Scottish National Antarctic expedition. 

 The paper contained the description of a new species 

 of Cephalodiscus (C. agglutinans), in which the 

 NO. 2 26", VOL. 91] 



colony is massive and branching, the pieces of the 

 colony being 115 mm. in greatest length, and 55 mm. 

 in greatest breadth. The specimens were obtained in 

 one haul in 56 fathoms off the Burdwood Bank, south 

 of the Falkland Islands. The Zooids, which are deep 

 brown or black in colour, are 45 mm. long, and have 

 usually nine pairs of arms, i.e. a greater number 

 than in any species hitherto known. Buds are pre- 

 sent in large numbers, being formed in the usual way 

 on a disc at the end of a stalk of a full-grown indi- 

 vidual. — Prof. J. Stephenson : Intestinal respiration in 

 Annelids, with considerations on the origin and. evolu- 

 tion of the vascular system in that group. The occur- 

 rence of antiperistalsis and ascending ciliary action in 

 the intestine of aquatic Oligochseta points to the in- 

 testine being a respiratory organ in those worms. 

 The exceptional case of the genus Chretogaster is 

 explained by assuming the descent of existing species 

 (which are carnivorous) from endoparasitic ancestors, 

 the antiperistalsis and the ascending ciliary action 

 being given up on the assumption of the parasitic 

 habit. From a consideration of the cryptozoic habits, 

 the nature of the vascular system, and the occurrence 

 of intestinal respiration, the author holds that the 

 existing Polychaets are to be regarded as more primi- 

 tive than the errant forms. — Dr. J. Ritchie and 

 A. J. H. Edwards : The occurrence of functional teeth 

 in the upper jaw of the sperm whale. In two of seven 

 sperm whales examined about a score of maxillarv 

 teeth, with worn crowns, projected from the surface 

 of the gum and were clearly used in masticating. 

 Each of the whales had an enormous pre-oral rostrum 

 sharply truncated at the extremity. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, March 25. — M. F. Guvon in 

 the chair. — Gaston Darboux : Minimal surfaces en- 

 gendered by a variable circle. — A. Laveran and M. 

 Manilla/ : Concerning some toxoplasms of the rabbit 

 and gondi (Ctenodactylus gondi). Splendore described 

 a new protozoa {Toxoplasma cuniculi) affecting 

 rabbits, and Nicolle and Manceaux have isolated a 

 very similar organism (T. gondi) from the gondi of 

 Tunis. The experiments on rabbits described by the 

 author lead to the conclusion that the two protozoa 

 are probably identical, although this is not yet con- 

 clusively proved. — The president announced the death 

 of Louis Henry, correspondant for the section of 

 chemistry. — R. Jonckheere : New double stars dis- 

 covered at the Observatory of Lille. Since 1906 

 thirteen lists have been given describing the positions 

 of 1002 new double stars of an average magnitude of 

 9-19. — Jules Andrade : New experimental researches on 

 double spiral balance springs. — L. Decombe : The 

 electronic theory of gravitation. — Mile. Paule Collet : 

 The electrical conductivity of tellurium. The direc- 

 tion of the crystalline axes was without effect on the 

 resistance. The influence of pressure, of the time 

 of passage of the current, and of the applied electro- 

 motive force has been studied, and also the residual 

 electromotive forces in the tellurium. — H. Buisson and 

 C. H. Fabry : The wave-lengths of the krypton lines. 

 The krypton lines are extremely fine and permit inter- 

 ferences up to the order of 600,000, or even of 950,000 

 if the tube is cooled in a bath of liquid air, corre- 

 sponding to a difference of path of 53 cm. The green 

 and vellow krypton lines have been compared with 

 the red cadmium line, and, taking- the data given by 

 Benoit, Fabrv, and Perot for the latter, the krypton 

 lines are evaluated as 5S7o-2qo8 and 5870-9172, with 

 an approximation of some units in the last figure. 

 The krvnton tube has the advantage of working with- 

 out heating, and the two lines can be separated with- 



