July 15, 1922] 



NA TURE 



3? 



Current Topics and Events. 



The portrait medallion of Sir Norman Lockyer, by 

 Sir Hamo Thornvcroft, which is to be erected at 

 the Norman Lockyer Observatory, Salcombe Hill, 

 Sidmouth, will be unveiled by Sir Frank Dyson, 

 Astronomer Royal, on Saturday, Juby 22. Lt.-Col. 

 F. K. McClean, a generous benefactor to the observa- 

 tory, will present the medallion on behalf of the 

 subscribers, and it will be received by Sir Richard 

 Gregory, chairman of the council. The observatory 

 was erected in 1912 upon a plateau 550 feet above 

 sea level, and is unique of its kin in Great Britain, 

 being vested in a registered corporation which pos- 

 sesses the whole of the property and controls the 

 operations. It was founded by Sir Norman Lockyer, 

 and was formerly called the Hill Observatory, but 

 since that distinguished astronomer's death the name 

 has been changed to the Norman Lockyer Observatory 

 in honour to his memory. The director is Major 

 W. J. S. Lockyer, and there is a research committee 

 consisting of Sir Frank Dyson, Prof. A. S. Eddington, 

 Prof. A. Fowler and Prof. H. H. Turner. The ob- 

 servatory possesses an equipment of the first rank 

 for spectroscopic work, and photographs of stellar 

 spectra taken in it are being used for the determina- 

 tion of the parallaxes of stars. The method used was 

 first worked out at the Mount Wilson Observatory 

 and it represents one of the most remarkable develop- 

 ments of astrophysics ever achieved. The gifts of Sir 

 Norman and Lady Lockyer, Lt.-Col. McClean, Mr. 

 Robert Mond, Capt. W. N. McClean and others, 

 together with subscriptions of members, have been 

 sufficient to establish and maintain the observatory 

 hitherto, but additional funds will be required if the 

 work is to be carried on efficiently. In the United 

 States, generous donors to astronomy seem to be 

 forthcoming whenever they are needed, with the 

 result that the chief advances of astronomical science 

 are being made there. The Norman Lockyer Ob- 

 servatory, on account of the elasticity of its con- 

 stitution, offers similar benefactors in this country an 

 excellent opportunity for emulating the example 

 afforded by America, and we trust that one or more 

 of them will provide the means to continue and 

 extend the work to which a few devoted people have 

 already contributed their full share. 



Unusually heavy gales for the season of the year 

 have occurred over England during the early part of 

 July, especially during the night of July 5-6, and the 

 tempestuous winds were accompanied by torrential 

 rains. On the south-east coast of England the wind 

 attained the velocity of about 60 miles an hour, and 

 at Kew Observatory the velocity registered 53 miles 

 an hour. London experienced considerable inter- 

 ruption to telephone communication, and in the open 

 country much damage was done to the fruit crops. 

 A renewal of the stormy conditions occurred on 

 July 8-9. 



Owing to the early breaking of the monsoon the 

 attempt on Mount Everest planned for June 3 had 

 to be abandoned. The Times announces that the 



NO. 275O, VOL. I 10] 



members of the expedition are now returning to India. 

 Col. Strutt, Dr. Longstaff, and Mr. Finch have already 

 sailed for England. Mount Everest thus remains 

 unconquered, at any rate for the present, the greatest 

 altitude that was reached being 27,300 feet, or about 

 1700 feet below the summit. Col. Strutt believes 

 that given favourable weather a future expedition 

 should be able to reach the summit. 



The Quest with the Shackleton-Rowett expedition 

 has left Cape Town and arrived at Simonstown on July 

 7. After a few days there, according to the Times, 

 she sails for home via South Trinidad and Rio de 

 Janeiro. It is proposed to spend two days at South 

 Trinidad, the uninhabited volcanic island in the 

 South Atlantic. The island has been frequently 

 visited, notably by the Discovery in 1901 and the 

 Valhalla in 1905. At an earlier date it obtained 

 fame by reason of several searches for buried treasure. 

 The Quest may be expected at Plymouth about 

 September 21. 



According to the Meteorological Magazine of June, 

 a new record height of 10,518 metres (34,500 feet) 

 was attained by J. A. McCready in an aeroplane 

 flight at Dayton on a Lepere machine, with a 400-h.p. 

 Liberty engine, during September 192 1 . The previous 

 record, by Major Schroeder, has been reduced by the 

 authorities responsible for the official figures from 

 36,000 feet to 33,114 feet. 



It is reported in the Times that Captain Amundsen, 

 aboard the Maud, left Nome, Alaska, for Cape Barrow, 

 on June 30. Early in August he proposes to make 

 his flight across the Pole, either to Greenland or, more 

 likely, to Spitsbergen. The route to Spitsbergen 

 is the longer of the two, but Capt. Amundsen believes 

 he can make the journey in eighteen hours. His 

 aeroplane has been tested in a thirty-two hours flight. 

 The Norwegian Government is taking steps to afford 

 all possible assistance to Capt Amundsen in the event 

 of his reaching Spitsbergen or Bear Island. 



Invitations to serve on the Committee on Intellec- 

 tual Co-operation of the League of Nations have been 

 accepted by Mr. D. N. Banerji, Prof. Henri Bergson, 

 Mile. Bonnevie, Prof. A. de Castro, Mme. Curie, 

 M. J. Destree, Prof. A. Einstein, Prof. G. Gilbert 

 Murray, M. G. de Reynold, Prof. F. Ruffini, M. L. de 

 Torres Ouevedo, and Dr. G. E. Hale. The committee, 

 which will be entrusted with the examination of inter- 

 national questions regarding intellectual co-operation, 

 will hold its first meeting in Geneva on August 1. 



Since the eruption of 1906, Vesuvius has remained 

 inactive on the whole until the early part of the 

 present year. On February 26 the main cone, which 

 had grown since 1906 to a height of about 230 feet, 

 collapsed during an eruption, and shortly afterwards 

 lava issued from several fissures ; it has flowed ever 

 since in amounts that are considerable, though not 

 sufficient for it to escape from the crater. Since 

 February, a new crater has been formed and has 

 grown with great rapidity. Towards the end of June, 



