356 



NA TURE 



[August 9, 1906 



(2) That, owing to the use by different writers and 

 Government authorities of various names for the same 

 groups of South African natives, much confusion and 

 difficulty have arisen in anthropological and historical 

 literature ; that it is consequently desirable that Govern- 

 ment authorities and others should confer as to the proper 

 nomenclature of such groups (clans, tribes, and nations), 

 with a view to ascertaining their inter-relationships, and 

 to suggesting the most appropriate name for each group, 

 and the best method of spelling that name phonetically ; 

 and that the Council be recommended to communicate with 

 the South African Association and take such other steps 

 as may conduce to this object. 



(3) That the Committee are of opinion that it would 

 conduce to the greater efficiency of officers who have to 

 administer native affairs, and contribute to the advance- 

 ment of anthropological science, as well as prove of con- 

 siderable advantage to the well-being of the natives 

 themselves, if opportunity could be given to such officers 

 before or after their appointment to study comparative 

 ethnoloffv for at least two terms in one of the Universities 

 of the United Kingdom which presents facilities for the 

 study ; and that in the case of junior officers already on 

 active service such a course of study would facilitate their 

 comprehension of native institutions and ideas, and help 

 to render their services more efficient ; and the Committee 

 recommends the Council to take steps for the purpose of 

 bringing this matter before the proper authorities. 



At the meeting of the General Committee on 

 August 3, the date of the opening meeting at 

 Leicester next year was fixed for July 30. Sir David 

 Gill, K.C.B., F.R.S., will be the president. The 

 meeting in 1908 will be in Dublin, and that of 1909 

 at Winnipeg, Canada. 



Subjoined is a synopsis of grants of money appro- 

 priated to scientific purposes by the General Com- 

 mittee : — 



Section F. — Economic Science and Statistics. 



£ s. d. 



Internalional Trade Statistics ... ... ... 15 o o 



Gold Coinage in Circulation in the United 



Kingdom ... ... ... ... ... 10 o o 



Section H.- — Anthropology. 



Excavations in Crete ... ... ... .•■ 100 o o 



Glastonbury Lake Village 30 o o 



Excavations on Roman Sites in Britain... ... 15 o o 



Anthropometric Investigations ... ... ... 17 17 3 



Age of Stone Circles 300 



Anthropological Photographs 33^ 



Section I. — Physiology. 



Metabolism of Individual Tissues... ... ... 45 o o 



The Ductless Glands 25 o o 



Effect of Climate upon Health and Disease ... 55 o o 



Section K. — Botany. 



Physiology of Heredity 30 o o 



South African Cycads,' &c 35 o o 



Botanical Photographs ... ... ... ... 5 ° ° 



Structure of Fossil Plants ,S o o 



Peat Moss Deposits 7 5 7 



Marsh Vegetation iS " ° 



Section L. — Educational Science. 



Studies suitable for Elementary Schools 10 o o 



Conditions of Health in Schools 500 



Corresponding Societies Committee. 



For Preparation of Report 20 o o 



1061 12 4 



SECTION A. 



Section A. —Mathematical and Physical Scienc 



£ 



Electrical Standards 



Seismological Observations 



Magnetic Observations at Falmouth 



Magnetic Survey of South Africa 



Further Tabulation of Bessel Functions... 



Section B. — Chemistry. 



Wave-length Tables of Spectra 



Study of Hydro-aromatic Substances ... 

 Dynamic Isomerism 



d. 



SO o o 

 40 o o 

 40 o o 

 25 7 6 



10 o 

 30 o 

 30 o o 



Section C. — Geology. 



Life Zones in British Carboniferous Rocks ... 12 7 7 



Erratic Blocks 21 16 6 



Fossiliferous Drift Deposits 25 19 o 



Fauna and Flora of British Trias 10 o o 



Crystalline Rocks of Anglesey 7 18 11 



Faunal Succession on the Carboniferous Lime- 

 stone of S.W. England 15 o o 



Correlation and Age of South African Strata, 



&c. 10 o o 



Investigation of the Speeton Beds at Knapton... 10 o o 



Section D.- — Zoology. 

 Index Animalium ... ... ... ... ... 75 o o 



Table at the Zoological Station at Naples ... 100 o o 



Development of the Frog 5 14 6 



Respiratory Phenomena and Colour Changes in 



Animals ... ... ... ... ... ... n 2 o 



Experiments on the Development of the Sexual 



Cells 500 



Section E. — Geography. 



Oscillations of the Land Level in the Mediter- 

 ranean Basin ... ... ... ... ... 50 o o 



Rainfall and Lake and River Discharge ... 10 o o 



NO. 1919, VOL. 74] 



mathematics and physics. 



Opening Address by Principal E. H. Griffiths, Sc.D.. 

 F.R.S., President of the Section. 



Mv predecessors in this Chair have in general been able 

 to make communications to the Section conveying the 

 results of investigations of their own, or enunciating some 

 principle which would throw a fresh light on the dis- 

 coveries of others. Mine is a far less happy lot. During 

 the past four years and a half I have been engaged in 

 administrative duties of such a nature that no time has 

 been available for personal scientific work, and little energy 

 even for the study of the work of others. In these circum- 

 stances it might have seemed more fitting if I had refused 

 the honour which the Council of the British Association 

 conferred upon me by the request that I would undertake 

 the arduous duties which fall to the lot of the President 

 of Section A.. Nevertheless, after much hesitation, I de- 

 cided to accept the invitation, in the hope that as a looker- 

 on at the struggle of others, and with the experience of 

 an old participator in the fray, I might be able to com- 

 municate some impressions which had possibly escaped 

 the notice of those whose attention was necessarily more 

 directed to some special branch of inquiry. 



I trust that these words of apology may to some extent 

 explain the nature of what must appear a fragmentary 

 discourse. 



In the interval which has elapsed since the last meeting 

 of the Association we have lost many men whose names 

 were household words within the walls of the physical 

 laboratory. It is here only possible briefly to refer to the 

 labours of a few of those distinguished seekers after natural 

 knowledge. 



The work of Dr. Sprengel has been by no means an un- 

 important factor in the advance of our knowledge of radiant 

 energy. X-rays. &c., if only on account of the perfection 

 of the apparatus for obtaining high vacua which will ever 

 be associated with his name. The practical effect of his 

 discoveries was considerable, for the business of electric 

 lighting is undoubtedly greatly indebted to his labours. 

 Born in 1834, he settled in England at the age of twenty- 



