February 27, 1913] 



NATURE 



707 



da\s from February 15 to Februar\' 22 has checked 

 siimewhat the early and rapid development of vegeta- 

 tion, and in this ■^\ay it will have proved beneficial. 

 The cold over the United Kingdom was, however, 

 b\' no means great, and the maximum day tempera- 

 ture at Greenwich was only below 40° on two days, 

 February 18 and 20, although in the ten days from 

 February 13 to February 22 there was only one day, 

 February 16, with the shade temperature above 43°. 

 The frost at night was generally slight, but on the 

 earlv morning of February 23, when the north-east 

 wind had practically ceased, the shade temperature 

 at Greenwich fell to 24°, which is the lowest reading 

 since February 6, 1912, and the exposed thermometer 

 on the grass fell to 10°. The weather was generally 

 very dry. The controlling factors were a region of 

 high barometer, mostly to the north of Scotland, and 

 areas of low barometer to the south of Europe. On 

 the Continent, and especially in France and Germany, 

 the weather for the period was much colder than in 

 the United Kingdom. Snow fell at Nice on February 

 17 and 19, and on February 17 the maximum day 

 temperature at Nice was 41°, whilst at Greenwich 

 for the sajne day the maximum was 42°. 



At the annual general meeting of the Royal Astro- 

 nomical Society on February 14, Dr. F. W. Dyson, 

 the president, gave an address on the presentation of 

 the gold medal which had been awarded to M. Henri 

 .■\lexandre Deslandres, for his investigations of solar 

 phenomena and other spectroscopic work. He pointed 

 out that M. Deslandre's labours in solar physics have 

 extended over more than twent5'-one years. His 

 researches on banded spectra established the laws fol- 

 lowed by all spectra of this class ; he also investigated 

 the spectrum of the corona and of comets and their 

 tails. But his most important work was with the 

 spectroheliograph and a velocity recorder devised by 

 himself, with which, perhaps, even more important 

 results are being obtained. The chief general con- 

 clusion drawn from the velocity records is that the 

 bright areas on the solar surface are descending and 

 the dark filaments ascending. He has always kept in 

 mind the ultimate object of his researches — the deter- 

 mination of the constitution and circulation of the 

 solar atmosphere. The gold medal was handed to IVI. 

 Roux, secretary of the French Embassy, for trans- 

 mission to M. Deslandres, who was unable to be pre- 

 sent. The president also announced that the Jackson- 

 Gvvilt bronze ntedal and gift had been awarded to the 

 Rev. T. H. E. C. Espin, for his observations of the 

 spectra of stars and his discovery of Nova Lacertse. 

 .After a brief account of these researches, the president 

 handed the medal and gift to Mr. Espin. 



News has reached us, by cablegram from Calcutta, 

 of the death, on February 19, of Prof. W. Tate, pro- 

 fessor of chemistry in the Civil Engineering College, 

 .Sibpur. Prof. Tate received his early scientific educa- 

 tion at the Midland Institute, Birmingham, whence 

 he proceeded, in 1886, to the Ro3'al College of Science, 

 South Kensington, as a national scholar. After a 

 brilliant career as a student, he obtained the associate- 

 ship of the college in chemistry, with honours, in 

 NO. 2261, VOL. 90] 



1889. He was then appointed demonstrator in one of 

 the chemical laboratories of the college, and during 

 that period he was engaged in some researches, and 

 prepared a revised and enlarged edition of Sir Edward 

 Thorpe's "Chemical Problems." About sixteen years 

 ago Prof. Tate was appointed to the Indian Educa- 

 tional Service as professor of chemistry at the Civil 

 Engineering College at Sibpur, which is situated in 

 rather an unhealthy and somewhat malarious locality 

 five or six miles to the south of Calcutta, on the 

 banks of the Hooghly ; and he continued in this 

 appointment up to the time of his death. He had to 

 reorganise, and almost to create, the chemical depart- 

 ment of that college. Under his supervision a very 

 successful and commodious laboratory was erected and 

 equinoed, and excellent work has been done in it by 

 the students under his tuition. He also gave great 

 help to committees of the Calcutta University in 

 determining the courses in science for its degrees in 

 civil engineering and also in other University ques- 

 tions. He did valuable work during the whole of his 

 service in India, and was very popular with the mem- 

 bers of his department, and also with his students. 

 His death at a comparatively early age will be deeply 

 regretted by many friends, both in India and at home. 



The exhibition of "Wonders of Science," held in 

 the Surbiton .Assembly Rooms on February 19-22, 

 proved remarkably successful, the capacity of the hall 

 being frequently inadequate to accommodate all seek- 

 ing admission. It is estimated that more than 7000 

 persons attended during the hours for which the ex- 

 hibition was officially open ; in addition, about 1200 

 school children were admitted in the mornings. The 

 official programme mentions 152 exhibits, but many 

 of these consisted of numerous objects. They in- 

 cluded scientific apparatus, instruments, records^ and 

 specimens, illustrating the progress of science, par- 

 ticularly in physics, electricity, chemistry, botany, 

 astronomy, and medicine. In many instances instru- 

 ments were shown in actual working. Demonstra- 

 tions were given, from time to time, on liquid air, 

 wireless telegraphy and telephony (including the 

 transmission of music), the culture of bacteria, science 

 applied to music, glass-blowing, the use of the potter's 

 wheel, the Fleuss life-saving apparatus, &c. A party 

 of boys who had made themselves experts in blowing 

 soap-bubbles was always the centre of a group of 

 interested spectators, whilst the fascination of motion 

 drew others to the gj'roscope tops, rainbow cups, 

 mercury heart, vortex rings, and the paper circular 

 saw which was cutting wood. Microscopic objects 

 shown under about forty microscopes had a constant 

 succession of interested observers. The electric light 

 produced by induction, as shown by Mr. Sharman, 

 attracted great attention, as did also the Rontgen 

 rays, the radium exhibit, the Pathdscope. and the 

 optophone, an instrument by which light rays produce 

 audible vibrations. The great success of the exhibi- 

 tion may be attributed to (i) the generosity of many 

 prominent men of science in lending exhibits and 

 assisting in other ways; (2) the energy and zeal of 

 a large party of local workers, aided by friends from 

 a distance, under the leadership and direction of the 



