September 2, 1922] 



NA TURE 



An imposing scientific expedition set out from San 

 Diego on July 9 last for a two months' cruise among 

 the islands off the west coast of Lower California. 

 According to Science, the chief object of the expedi- 

 tion is to make investigations into the present abun- 

 dance and condition of the southern fur seal, the 

 southern sea otter, and the elephant seal in the 

 localities visited. It* had been thought that these 

 valuable animals were extinct, but recent discoveries 

 have shown that a few still exist, and combined 

 action of the United States and the Mexican Govern- 

 ments is necessary for their preservation and exploita- 

 tion. Advantage will be taken of the opportunity 

 for making surveys of the flora, fauna, and geology 

 of the islands, which hitherto have been but little 

 explored. The expedition has been under considera- 

 tion by the California Academy of Sciences for some 

 time past, and its realisation has been made possible 

 by the co-operation of the Government of Mexico and 

 a number of American institutions, including the San 

 Diego Museum of Natural History, the Scripps 

 Institution for Biological Research, the National 

 Geographic Society, and the Pacific Division of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science. 

 The Mexican Government has loaned the fishery 

 guard boat Tecate for the expedition and has accepted 

 as its guests all members of the expedition sent by 

 American institutions. Sen. Carlos Cuesta Terron, 

 professor of herpetology and biology in the National 

 Museum of Natural History of Mexico and a Govern- 

 ment representative on the expedition, is director, 

 but the scientific investigations will be in the immediate 

 charge of Dr. G. Dallas Hanna, of the California 

 Academy of Sciences, and A. W. Anthony, of the San 

 Diego Museum of Natural History. 



Mr. Ernest A. Smith has resigned his position as 

 secretary of the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research 

 Association and accepted an appointment as research 

 metallurgist to the Sheffield Smelting Company, Ltd. 



Mrs. Kapp writes to correct a statement respecting 

 her late husband's parentage that appeared in the 

 obituary notice in Nature of August 19. She 

 informs us that Prof. Gisbert Kapp's father was 

 not German but a native of Trieste and the governing 

 civil councillor of that city. 



Engineer Vice-Admiral Sir George Goodwin, 

 late Engineer-in-Chief of the Fleet, and Dr. James 

 Colquhoun Irvine, vice-chancellor and principal of 

 the University of St. Andrews, have been appointed 

 members of the Advisory Council to the Committee 

 of the Privy Council for Scientific and Industrial 

 Research. 



The Times of August 28 announces that a special 

 Press telegram from Prof. J. W. Gregory, of Glasgow 

 University, reports his safe arrival at Talifu, Yunnan, 

 after a successful journey in Tibet. It will be 

 remembered that Prof. Gregory and his son, Mr. 

 C. J. Gregory, left England for Rangoon at the end 

 of March last with the object of investigating some 

 features in the mountain structure of north-western 

 Yunann and western Szechuan (see Nature, January 

 12, 1922, vol. 109, p. 51). 



NO. 2757, VOL. IIO] 



A novel feature of the forthcoming Swansea 

 meeting of the Institute of Metals will be the in- 

 auguration of a series of annual public lectures on 

 subjects of practical interest to those engaged in the 

 non-ferrous metals industry. Dr. R. S. Hutton, 

 director of the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research 

 Association, is to deliver the first, which will lie 

 entitled " The Science of Human Effort (Motion 

 Study and Vocational Training)," on September 19. 

 Further particulars of the meeting, which will be 

 held on September 19-22, can be obtained from the 

 Secretary, Mr. G. Shaw Scott, 36 Victoria Street, 

 London, S.W.i. 



A note on The Pan-American Geologist, published 

 in Nature on July 1, has brought from the office of 

 Economic Geology a letter (unsigned) stating that The 

 American Geologist still remains incorporated with 

 that journal, and that the names of some geologists 

 given as associate editors of The Pan-American 

 Geologist were used without permission. If we have 

 repeated erroneous statements we regret it ; but those 

 statements had been in our hands for some months, 

 and were not published by us until we saw actual 

 parts of The Pan-American Geologist, which appeared 

 to confirm them. 



The Cleveland Technical Institute at Middlesbrough 

 has issued for nearly a year a monthly Bulletin con- 

 taining abstracts of the most important scientific and 

 technical articles which have appeared in home and 

 foreign periodicals during the month. The Bulletin 

 is printed on one side of the page only, and each issue 

 consists of about 60 pages. Each abstract is on the 

 average about half a page in length, and the intention 

 is that those of interest to the reader shall be cut out 

 by him, pasted on cards, and placed in their proper 

 position in a card catalogue. They are classified 

 under the headings : chemistry and physics of 

 iron and steel, mechanical and electrical engineering, 

 fuel and fuel technology, shipbuilding and marine 

 engineering, foundry practice, non-ferrous alloys, 

 industrial chemistry, blast-furnace practice, and steel- 

 making. A few pages are devoted occasionally to 

 short accounts of recent home and foreign patents, 

 and a list of recent technical publications is generally 

 given each month. As a means of keeping those 

 engaged in industry well up-to-date the Bulletin 

 deserves every support. 



Among the autumn announcements of Messrs. 

 Chapman and Hall, Ltd., we notice the following : 

 " Practical Applications of X-rays," by Dr. G. W. C. 

 Kaye, in which will be described the various uses 

 to which the rays can be put in commerce ; and 

 Vol. 2 of "Mechanical Testing," by R. G. Batson 

 and J. H. Hyde, entitled " Testing of Apparatus, 

 Machines, and Structures." The work will deal with 

 the methods of testing Dynamometers, Gear Boxes, 

 Girders, Reinforced Concrete Structures, Pumps, 

 Springs, Ball-bearings, etc. In the " Directly-useful 

 Technical Series," " Electrical Measuring Instru- 

 ments and Supply Meters," by D. J. Bolton, will 

 be issued. 



