404 



NA 1 URE 



[February 3, 1910 



Prof. J. Arthur Thomson lias been elected president of 

 the Roval Microscopical Society for the ensuing year. 



We ret;ret to see the announcement of the death, on 

 January 2<S, at seventy years of age, of Prof. F. Purser, 

 professor of natural philosophy in the University of Dublin 

 and the author of several notable works on Bessel's func- 

 tions. 



The following officers have been elected for loio by the 

 French Physical Society : — President, M. L. E. Berlin ; 

 vice-president, M. I.ucien Poincar^ ; (general secretary, 

 M. H. Abraham ; and assistant secretary, M. Jean 

 Becquere!. 



The Times states that the Belgian expedition which will 

 leave shortly for the Congo to make investigations in con- 

 nection with sleeping sickness will be in charge of Dr. 

 Rhodain, professor of bacteriology at the Universitv of 

 Louvain. Work will be begun in the northern part of the 

 Katanga district. 



The president of the Royal College of Physicians has 

 appointed Dr. H. B. Donkin to be the next Harveian 

 orator, and Dr. G. N. Pitt to deliver the Bradshaw lecture. 

 The Milroy lectures are to be delivered by Mr. A. G. R. 

 Foulerton, on February 17, 22, and 24; the Goulstonian 

 lectures by Dr. J. S. Bolton, on March i, 3, and 8; and 

 the Lumleian lectures by Prof. W. Osier, F.R.S., on 

 March 10, 15, and 17. 



With the object of giving still greater publicity to the 

 advantages of intensive cultivation an exhibition of " French 

 Gardening " is to be held at the Royal Botanical Society's 

 Gardens at Regent's Park. Active preparations are now 

 in progress for exhibiting and demonstrating every aspect 

 of the close and scientific cultivation of the soil. The 

 exhibition will take place in July, though the exact date is 

 not yet definitely settled. 



\\'e learn from the Revue g^u^rale des Sciences of 

 January 15 that the French Guild of Jewellers is desirous 

 of having the artificial " rubies " branded as imitations, 

 like paste copies. Dr. Olivier, the editor of our con- 

 temporary, protests strongly against such action being 

 taken by the Minister of Commerce, seeing that in com- 

 position and properties the natural and artificial materials 

 are identical. 



The death is announced of Dr. J. Volhard, professor of 

 chemistry in the University of Halle, at seventy-five years 

 of age. For several years Dr. Volhard acted as Liebig's 

 assistant, and ultimately was entrusted by him with the 

 delivery of the course of lectures on organic chemistry 

 which he regularly gave during the summer semester. His 

 biography of Liebig, published last year, is a valuable and 

 complete record of the life and work of that great chemist. 



On Tuesday- next, February 8, Prof. F. W. Mott will 

 begin a course of six lectures at the Royal Institution on 

 "The Emotions and their Expression," and on Saturday, 

 February 12, Sir J. J. Thomson will commence a course of 

 six lectures on " Electric Waves and the Electromagnetic 

 Theory of Light." The Friday evening discourse on 

 February 11 will be delivered by Mr. C. E. S. Phillips, on 

 " Electrical and other Properties of Sand," and on 

 February 18 by Prof. H. H. Turner, on " Halley's Comet." 



We have received a letter signed by Lieut. -Colonel 



H. W. L. Hime, Sir G. Greenhill, and Mr. Oscar Gutt- 



mann, pointing out that at present there is no memorial 



of the foremost man of science of the thirteenth century, 



NO. 2IOI, VOL. 82] 



Roger Bacon, who foreshadowed many of the discoveries 

 of modern science, and is known universally as the inventor 

 of gunpowder. Contributions (however small) towards the 

 erection of a memorial, in a suitable place, of this great 

 Englishman may be sent to Mr. Oscar Guttmann, 60 Mark 

 Lane, E.C. 



The executive committee of the National Physical 

 Laboratory, on the nomination of tlie advisory committee 

 for the national experimental tank, has appointed Mr. 

 G. S. Baker to the post of superintendent of the tanl<, the 

 funds for which have been provided by the generosity of 

 Mr. A. F. Yarrow, .\fter a distinguished career at the 

 Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Mr. Baker was in 

 November, igoo, appointed an assistant constructor in the 

 Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. He served four years 

 as assistant to Mr. R. E. Froude, F.R.S., at the Admiralty 

 Experiment W'orks, and two and a half years as pro- 

 fessional secretary to the Director of Naval Construction, 

 and has also had experience in the general design worlc of 

 the Admiralty Office. Thus he goes to the laboratory with 

 distinguished qualifications, and on the strong recommenda- 

 tion of those who have the best grounds for estimating 

 the value of his previous work. 



The permanent committee of the International Congress 

 of Photography is arranging to hold the fifth International 

 Congress in Brussels early next August, or about that time. 

 The primary object of these congresses is to reduce, as 

 far as possible, the confusing and often inconvenient varia- 

 tions that occur in nomenclature, definitions, standards, 

 &:c. Promises of support have been received for the 

 coming congress from all parts of the world, and arrange- 

 ments are being made for the presentation of reports by 

 specialists on recent progress and the present state of 

 knowledge in many of the branches of photographic work. 

 It is hoped that England will take a full share in the 

 congress. A complete programme will be issued as soon 

 as possible. The membership subscription is ten francs 

 or eight shillings, which entitles the member to a copy of 

 the report of the proceedings. Inquiries may be addressed 

 to either of the honorary general secretaries, M. Ch. 

 Puttemans, i Palais du Midi, Brussels, or M. L.-P. Clerc, 

 52 Boulevard Saint Jacques, Paris XIV. ; but for the 

 convenience of English members inquiries and subscrip- 

 tions may be sent to Mr. Chapman Jones, 11 Eaton Rise, 

 Ealing, London, W. 



By the courtesy of the director of the Meteorological 

 Office, the advisory committee for aeronautics is able to 

 announce that a selection of current autographic record-- 

 of wind velocity from the twenty-three anemograph 

 stations in connection with the office, and other meteor 

 ological documents of interest to aeronauts, will be avail- 

 able for inspection at the Meteorological Office daily from 

 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Saturdays, i p.m.). The structure of 

 wind and the changes to which it is liable are of great 

 practical importance in aeronautical work. The associa- 

 tion of changes in velocity with changes in direction, which 

 are sometimes quite sudden, make aeronautical work 

 especially difficult. There is sufficient information now 

 available to indicate the conditions in which such changes 

 may be expected. The anemographic records are selected 

 to show good examples of the different kinds of wind 

 structure recorded at the anemograph stations in these 

 islands and to illustrate the changes that take place. The 

 phenomena on any selected occasion can be compared with 

 records from barographs or other self-recording instru- 

 ments, or with the conditions indicated on the daily charts. 

 The exhibits also include the summaries, which are not 



