674 



NATURE 



[February 20, 191 ; 



10 10 c.c. of the extract. Incubation of spo/cs with 

 I Ills mixture gave unmistakable evidence of division 

 at the end of eijjht hours, and in forty-eight hours 

 the products had separated, and were lying free 

 within the sac wall. At a later period they acquired 

 ilagella, and several sacs discharged their contents, 

 which appeared quite normal in all respects. 



The fact that auxetics will cause the full develop- 

 ment of these spores is important, and raises the 

 question as to whether their presence may not be 

 necessary under natural conditions, as it seems fairly 

 evident that pond-water must contain auxetics, de- 

 rived from the organic matter present, and it is quite 

 possible that it may also contain augmentors in the 

 shape of some of the alkaloids of putrefaction. IMuch 

 work, however, remains to be done in this direction 

 before the question can be regarded as definitely 

 settled. From the available evidence, however, it 

 seems to be clearlv demonstrated that the products 

 of cvtolysis do cause cell-reproduction, and, that being 

 so, it is verv probable that it is absolutely necessary 

 for a cell to absorb these auxetics before any repro- 

 duction is possible. Aubrey H. Drew. 



(iri Ewhurst Road, Crofton Park, S.E. 



The Lion in Sinhalese Art. 



In the notice of the new "Guide to the Collections 

 of the Colombo Museum," which appeared in Nature 

 of January 9 (p. 523), the point was raised as to the 

 source of the concept of the lion which occurs so fre- 

 quently in Sinhalese art. 



The lion has never been native of Ceylon, and the 

 association of the symbol with the Sinhalese race may 

 be traced back so far as B.C. 543, when a band of 

 adventurers from northern India, led by Wijayo, landed 

 in Ceylon. According to the Mahawansa, Wijayo's 

 father was the offspring of a lion, and was called 

 Sihabahu, or Sinhabahu (lit. "lion arm"). This 

 legend is based upon the fact that the grandfather of 

 Wiiayo was probably an outlaw named Siha or Sinha 

 (" lion "). Hence the name Sihala or Sinhala was 

 given to Wijayo's kingdom, and the newly estab- 

 lished race became known as the Sinhalese. In this 

 way the lion became the national emblem, and, 

 together with the sun, is depicted on the royal banner. 

 Nevertheless, there is no Sinhalese heraldry, as the 

 term is understood in Europe. 



The lion was regarded as a symbol of royalty by 

 the .Sinhalese, hence the word sinhdseua (lit. " lion 

 seat ") was applied to the throne. In the Colombo 

 Museum there is a stone lion standing about 5 ft. 

 hisrh, upon which was placed the throne of the kings 

 when the seat of Government was at Polonnaruwa. 



A monogranh on the Sinhalese banners is shortly to 

 be issued from the Colombo Museum, when the sig- 

 nificance of the lion will be fully discussed. 



Joseph Pearson. 



Colombo Museum, Ceylon, January 30. 



THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC 

 EXPEDITION. 



(l) TlUBUTE TO THE DeAD EXPLORERS. 



"PULLER information and reflection on the 

 ^ disaster which overtook Captain R. F. Scott 

 and his four companions in the Antarctic have 

 served to intensify the national senses of bereave- 

 ment at their end and of pride at the manner in 

 which it was encountered, and both senses have 



NO. 2260, VOL. go] 



been given full expression. .St. Paul's Cathediat 

 was filled, and might have been filled again, on 

 I^Viday last, when a memorial service was held. 

 The King was present, and there also attended 

 Queen Alexandra, the Prime Minister, and othei 

 members of the Government, representatives of 

 the Opposition, of foreign Powers, of the Royal 

 Geographical Society, of the Royal Society, and 

 of many other bodies and institutions which were 

 directly interested in the expedition, or with which 

 its lost members were associated. Memorial ser- 

 \ices have also taken place at Portsmouth and 

 Devonport dockyards and elsewhere. Expressions 

 of regret have been received from many Colonial 

 and foreign Governments and societies, and 

 tributes of deep sympathy and appreciation have 

 been paid to the memory of the dead by other 

 workers in the polar fields — Dr. Nansen, Admiral 

 Peary, Captain Amundsen, Dr. Charcot, Sir E. H. 

 Shacklelon, and others. 



Prompt steps have been taken to fulfil the last 

 wish of Scott, that those dependent on his com- 

 panions and himself should not be allowed to want. 

 On the part of the Government, it is stated that 

 Captain Scott and Petty Officer Evans will be 

 regarded as having lost their lives in action, and 

 the pension due to their widows will consequently 

 be enhanced. Further assistance, covering the 

 necessities of the dependants of the other lost 

 travellers, may be expected to be forthcoming from 

 the public funds. The committee of the Antarctic 

 Exploration Fund, of which Sir Edgar Speyer is 

 chairman, is taking measures to the same end, and 

 is also concerned to clear off the very heavy debt 

 remaining upon the expedition, towards which 

 Scott himself had pledged personal property, and 

 which includes the recoupment of some of the 

 survivors who have forgone part of the payment 

 due to them. The question of the proper publica- 

 tion of the scientific results of the expedition is 

 also involved. If the expedition had ended in 

 success unshadowed by disaster, and if the leader 

 had himself returned, means would have been 

 open, which now are closed, for the discharge of 

 these liabilities; the loss of his lectures, for ex- 

 ample, must have a serious financial bearing on 

 the whole position of affairs. In addition to the 

 action of the Government and of the committee, a 

 public subscription fund has been opened by the 

 Lord Mayor of London ; two London newspapers 

 [The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Chronicle) 

 have adopted a similar course, and collections are 

 also being made under various official or unofficial 

 auspices in various centres in the provinces and 

 colonies. It may be added that, at the moment 

 of writing, the Mansion House Fund has not been 

 augmented with the rapidity characteristic of 

 occasions of deep national feeling; it may well be 

 that the public waits to learn what measures will 

 be taken by the Government ; but these cannot 

 in the nature of the case be taken immediately, 

 and there is ample scope for the proper use ot 

 whatever moneys mav in the meantime be sub- 

 scribed. 



