September 19, 1907] 



NA TURE 



5^1, 



choice selection at the Gallery of the Royal Society of 

 Painters in Water Colours, 5a Pall Mall East, this 

 latter being the fifteenth annual exhibition of the 

 Photog-raphic Salon. In neither case is the method of 

 production stated, so that it is not possible to know- 

 how much is pure photography nor whether any given 

 example is likely to be reasonably permanent. It is, 

 however, a noteworthy fact that, besides the platinum 

 and carbon processes in their numerous variations, this 

 year there are many "oil prints," that is, prints in 

 which the image is produced in pigments prepared in 

 oil, by the process introduced by Mr. G. C. H. 

 Rawlins a year or two ago. It is satisfactory to note 

 that as these processes that yield results of undoubted 

 trustworthiness increase in number, there is a ten- 

 dency for them to oust those that are less desirable. 



C. J. 



INTERNATIONAL SEISMOLOGICAL 

 CONGRESS. 



THE second conference of the International Seis- 

 mological Association will be held at the Hague 

 on September 2 1-25. The first two days will be occupied 

 bv the permanent commission, which will discuss the 

 financial reports from the secretary and the director, 

 election of officers, and other matters relating to 

 general administration. The meetings of the general 

 assembly will take place on September 24 and 25. 

 Amongst matters of immediate seismological interest 

 to be discussed we notice the question of establishing 

 a station at Kashgar, seismological bibliography, the 

 annual publication of a catalogue of earthquakes for 

 the entire world, and the geographical distribution of 

 sound phenomena which have had hypogenic origin. 

 Other scientific questions which will receive consider- 

 ation relate to the rapid publication of data relating to 

 large earthquakes, the reduction of seismic elements 

 to absolute values, and the reproduction of seismo- 

 grams. Discourses and conferences relate to a cata- 

 logue of microseisms for the year 1904, and the earth- 

 quakes in that year which have been recorded through- 

 out the world, together with the analysis of seismo- 

 grams, the publication of seismograms obtained on 

 August 16 and 17, 1906, and the new work now in 

 progress at .Strassburg Observatory. To carry out the 

 above programme evidently means a full four days' 

 continuous work. 



From what we read in daily papers and magazines, 

 it is clear that much haziness exists in the public mind 

 as to how earthquakes came to have an international 

 importance. The first successful attempt to treat 

 earthquake phenomena in a scientific manner was un- 

 doubtedly due to the late Robert Mallett. Strange as 

 it may sound, his work practically remained in abey- 

 ance until Japan, desiring to acquire some of the 

 material civilisation of the west, invited to her shores 

 people from all quarters of the globe. Although none 

 of these ' was asked to give instruction relating to 

 earthquake phenomena, none of them could refrain 

 from giving serious attention to movements which 

 were frequently, and we may even sav rudely, brought 

 to. their notice. In 1880 a seismological society was 

 established. The first important work accomplished 

 by this society' was to devise instruments which would 

 measure ' earthquakes, the result of which was that 

 constructors for the first time learned that earthquake 

 forces could be expressed in definite mechanical units. 

 This led to new types of structures, and these experi- 

 ence has shown will stand severe shaking^s whilst 

 ordinary European structures seriously suffer. This 

 issue of seismological investigation, inasmuch as it 

 bears upon the safety of life and property, indicates 

 that the study of earthquake phenomena is of more 



NO. 197 7, VOL. 76] 



practical importance than is generally supposed. 

 Among other outcomes of the study we may mention 

 the determination of suboceanic sites where it would 

 be fatal to lay a cable, the indication where certain 

 cables have failed, and the collection of materials 

 which enable those who insure to adjust rates to 

 risks. 



Whether the information bearing upon what may 

 be called the " by-products " of seismological inves- 

 tigation will attract the attention of the International 

 .Association remains to be seen. Should it do so, 

 then the British Government and the British investor 

 may be compelled to go abroad to supply their wants. 

 -At present the work of the association is chiefly 

 directed to that which is purely scientific, teleseismic 

 records and their interpretation receiving the most 

 attention. Since 1755 it has been recognised that a 

 very large earthquake occurring in one country might 

 give evidence of its existence in very distant regions 

 by causing water in lakes or ponds to oscillate. In 

 1877 the oscillations of a bubble in a level at Pulkova 

 were traced to an earthquake which destroyed 

 Iquique. In 1884 cryptoseismic movement was fre- 

 quently recorded in Japan. The late Dr. E. von 

 Rebeur-Paschwitz also lecorded these unfelt move- 

 ments, which he traced to definite seismic centres. 



In connection with the history of international seis- 

 mological cooperation, it may be here mentioned that 

 one of the first attempts to obtain the same was made 

 in 1883 through his Excellency the late Sir Harry 

 Parks and the Foreign Office of Japan. In 1895 

 attempts to repeat the same came from Japan and 

 from Germany ; the first successful attempt was that 

 undertaken by the British Association in 1897, which 

 now enjoys the cooperation of about fifty similarly 

 equipoed stations fairly evenly distributed over the 

 land surfaces of the globe. This is an asset of con- 

 siderable importance which we hope may continue to 

 exist, and at the same time be able to assist the con- 

 gress now sitting at The Hague. 



THE IMMIGRATION OF SUMMER BIRDS.'^ 

 T^HIS second report is very similar to that first 

 •^ issued, which was noticed in Nature for Sep- 

 tember 6, 1906. It has been prepared on the same 

 lines, and is open, to a large extent, to the same 

 criticism, though we are glad to observe that the 

 various immigratory movements are now associated 

 with the weather conditions prevailing in countries 

 south of the shores of the Channel. 



In the best interests of the inquiry, and at the risk 

 of again being considered " somewhat hostile," the 

 writer would once more urge the committee to confine 

 its labours for several years to come to the pub- 

 lication of the observations received, and to refrain 

 from drawing conclusions of any kind from its 

 present limited knowledge. It serves no useful pur- 

 pose to mention that particular species arrived on 

 certain sections of the coast only, for in all but a few 

 cases their supposed absence merely indicates that 

 they escaped the notice of the observers, and nothing 

 more ; they have long been known as immigrants on 

 the sections of the coast from which the committee 

 has not, as yet, received information concerning 

 them. The publication of observations of this nature 

 has already misled some who have but little know- 

 ledge on the subject ; and so also has the statement 

 that the few species which arrived on the south-east 

 coast held a north-westerly course and so reached 

 Wales ! No proof is offered in support of this very 

 remarkable speculation, nor is any worthy the name 



1 Report on the Immigrations of Summer Residents in the Spring of 1006. 

 By a Committee .appointed by the British Ornithologists' Club. (London : 

 Wilherby and Co., 1907.) Price 6s. 



