November 7, 19 12] 



NATURE 



i9: 



Reinach, of the Institut de France, Prof. O. iMon- 

 telius, the distinguished delegate from Stockholm, 

 gave an interesting lecture on Italy and Central 

 Europe during the Bronze age. Prof. Montelius sur- 

 veyed the influences of Etruscan art and industry as 

 they spread northward from the Alps to the Baltic, 

 especially at the time when amber became an im- 

 portant article of commerce. A comparative study of 

 the various weapons, daggers, knives, and blades 

 used previous to the evolution of the sword proper 

 was presented by means of diagrams and photographs 

 projected on the screen, showing the gradual spread- 

 ing of the Italian influence northward. Traces of 

 Mycenian (Greek) articles were also present in the 

 collections covering the same period. 



On Friday evening, September 13, "Cave Man" 

 formed the subject of Prof. Cartailhac's public lec- 

 ture, held in the same hall, under the presidency of 

 Dr. Felix von Luschan, of Berlin. Prof. Cartailhac 

 limited his observations to Palasolithic man and his 

 culture as revealed in the discoveries made during 

 more recent years. The artistic skill of prehistoric 

 man was practically unknown up to 1895, when the 

 savant Rivarre directed attention to the great import- 

 ance of the discovery made in 1880 by M. Sotisla 

 and his little daughter in the Santander cave. Some 

 jorty caves and more have since been searched and 

 carefuUv studied by Abb^ Breuil, M. Capitan, and 

 the lecturer, who illustrated his remarks by means 

 of lantern slides showing engravings, as well as pic- 

 tures in line and colour, depicting various hunting 

 scenes, in which the bison, reindeer, elephant, horse, 

 and bull played a conspicuous part. Mural decora- 

 tions included pictures illustrating archers, impres- 

 sions of hands on the cave walls, together with figures 

 of men and women, made by the remote occupants 

 of these caverns. 



A question radically affecting the chronology of the 

 Stone age was raised by Mr. Reginald Smith, of the 

 British Museum, on the strength of certain re- 

 semblances noticed between worked flints found on 

 the surface of the chalk area and those of the Aurig- 

 nacian period from caves in France. 



Abbe Breuil, who has just visited England, gave a 

 description of recent excavations in the Castillo cave 

 in Spain. Fifty feet of accumulated deposits in the 

 cavern had been carefully examined, and various 

 stages determined above the base — three Aurignacian 

 levels, and one typical with bone implements, followed 

 by three Mousterian layers, separated by variant mate- 

 rials and stalagmitic deposits. Near the junction of 

 these two series a warm fauna was found ; then 

 four Magdalenian levels with materials, separated by 

 stalagmitic layers, below which came a Solutr(5an 

 laver. Several hundred specimens were obtained, 

 amongst others nests of worked cjuartzite implements. 



References were made to the timelv and generous 

 foundations by his Serene Highness Prince Albert of 

 Monaco of the chair of human palaeontology in Paris, 

 and to his achievements in the science of oceano- 

 graphy. Prince Albert, as is well known, has under- 

 taken at his own expense the publication of the 

 volumes describing and illustrating prehistoric man 

 and his habitations, not onlv in the south of France 

 and in Ttalv, but also in Soain. Several references 

 were made to the Institut de pal^ontologie humaine 

 reccntlv established in Paris as an intornalional insti- 

 tute, with Boule, Breuil, Obormaier, Verncau, Man- 

 ouvrier, and others attached, marking a new era in 

 resi'-arches pertaining to man. 



A marked result of the last two congresses, held in 

 Monaco and Geneva, is found in the earnest desire to 

 gather together none but the most accurate informa- 

 tion on thie subjects dealt with. All materials collected 

 and discovered in caves, tumuli, &'C., must be treated 

 NO. 2245, VOL. 90] 



as so many geological or palseontological specimens, 

 Their precise mode of occurrence, relative position, 

 and concTition of deposition, • together with a close 

 record of all factors bearing upon the problems pre- 

 sented in each individual instance, must be ascertained 

 and records made without bias or prejudice. 



The Museum of History and Art of Geneva, con- 

 taining valuable collections in archaeology, was visited, 

 and a reception held in its magnificent halls. The 

 collections are admirably displayed and carefully 

 classified. A State banquet, a reception at L'Ariana, 

 and a garden-party at Prof. Naville's gave the con- 

 gress opportunity to meet Genevans "at home." 



Besides an excursion round the lake and to Chillon 

 Castle, archeeological excursions were organised by 

 the committee to a number of lacustrine and other 

 stations of prehistoric interest. The Station de Treytel 

 at Bevaix and the Station de la Tene at Pr^fargier 

 were visited on Monday, September 16. On the Tuesday 

 and Wednesday following, the Museums of Bale and 

 Zurich (the National Museum) were visited, and their 

 excellent collections examined. On Wednesday ex- 

 cavations were made in "the tumuli of Grueningen," 

 for the benefit of the excursionists, whilst the next 

 two days were spent in Lucerne and Berne, where 

 the well-known anthropological and historical 

 museums are located, the party returning to Geneva 

 by way of Lausanne, where the historical museum 

 proved of much interest in its collections from pre- 

 historic sites. 



Spain figured conspicuously at the congress, not 

 only in the attendance, but also in the importance of 

 papers presented, dealing with the wealth of recent 

 discoveries made in that country. Following a strong 

 representation and invitation to the congress on the 

 part of the Marquis de Cerralbo that Spain be selected 

 as its next place of meeting in 1915, a strong feeling 

 in favour of that country was openly expressed. Italy 

 withdrew its application for the fifteenth congress. It 

 was rumoured that an anthropological or ethnographic 

 congress will "take shape" in 1914 in the city of 

 Washington, the membership and adherents thereto 

 to be called together for igi6. Strong representation 

 was made by officers and members of the fourteenth 

 congress, held in Geneva, to consolidate and reduce 

 the number of congresses rather than divide them. 



The best side of"a congress lies in the opportunities 

 it affords men to meet and discuss outstanding 

 problems. Much time seems to be wasted in listening 

 to papers presented by congressists and read at break- 

 neck speed, as these can be read to greater advantage 

 when published. It was in the halls and lobbies of 

 the University of Geneva, in quiet nooks and corners, 

 alongside the' numerous exhibits, and even at private 

 functions and public receptions, that groups of two, 

 three, and more, met one another, compared notes, 

 became better acquainted with methods and means, 

 discussing questions of special interest, and unravel- 

 ling knotty points. 



THE SCIENTIFIC THEORY AND OUT- 

 STANDING PROBLEMS OF WIRELESS 



TELEGRAPHY * 

 If we have two media of different dielectric con- 

 stants in contiguity, and if a line of electric force 

 crosses the boundary, then it is well known that the 

 conditions to be fulfilled are that the tangential com- 

 ponent of the electric force on either side of the 

 boundary must be continuous, and also the normal 

 component of the electric displacement or flux must 

 be continuous. This involves a refraction of the line 



• Introductory remarks hy Prof. f. A. Flen.ine, F.R.S., at a jomt dis.- 

 on by Sections A and G of the British .\?sociation at Dundee. Con- 

 id from p. s63. 



