March 4 1909] 



NATURE 



^U■c H inlcrcsl Is being takon in ihc International Aero- 

 nautical Exhibition wliich will be opened at Frankfurt 

 a. M. in the beginning of July next. Four sheds will be 

 reserved for airships, which will make ascents, with 

 passengers, from the exhibition grounds. Frequent ascents 

 will also be made by ordinary balloons, and various aero- 

 nautical societies have been invited to take part in them. 

 Flights with aeroplanes, in which some of the best-known 

 aviators will compete, promise to be of special interest. 

 Industries connected with aeronautics will be represented, 

 and one section will be devoted to inventions and apparatus 

 of the past. Wireless telegraphy and carrier pigeons will 

 be employed for communications to and from the exhibi- 

 tion, and some prizes of considerable value will be awarded. 



Tki.egraphic messages from Havana through Reuter's 

 .Agency announced that on February 27, beginning at 

 11.21 a.m., the seismograph there was disturbed inter- 

 mittently for forty minutes. The earth waves moved from 

 east-north-east to west-south-west; A message from 

 Palmi, Calabria, on the same date states that a violent 

 earthquake shock was felt there at 1.50 a.m., and that 

 two other shocks followed later. From the same source 

 it is reported that a slight shock was felt at Reggio di 

 Calabria at 6.45 p.m. Reuter further reports that sound- 

 ings taken in the Straits of Messina and in the ports of 

 Messina and Reggio di Calabria show that no alteration 

 in the ocean floor in those parts or in the coast-line was 

 caused by the recent earthquakes. Prof. Milne recorded 

 at Shide, Isle of Wight, on February 27, at 4.58 p.m., an 

 earthquake of great intensity, which was at its maximum 

 at 5.36 p.m. The origin of this disturbance was about 

 5000 miles distant. 



The thirty-first annual general meeting of the Institute 

 of Chemistry was held on .Monday, March i, Prof. Percy 

 F. P'rankland, F.R.S., the retiring president, in the chair. 

 In his presidential address. Prof. Frankland emphasised 

 the fact that whilst the well-being of the community is 

 greatly promoted by the services of competent chemists, 

 the mischief which can be wrought by the ill-trained and 

 incompetent is incalculable. It is one of the chief duties 

 of the institute to maintain a high level of training for 

 professional chemists by demanding of candidates for its 

 membership evidence of thorough training, and by re- 

 quiring them to pass searching examinations. Particular 

 attention has been given lately to the educational side of 

 the institute's activity. Referring to research. Prof. 

 F'rankland reminded the fellows that the results of research 

 are not necessarily recorded in the Transactions or Pro- 

 ceedings of a scientific society or journal. There is a vast 

 amount of research involving originality and attainments 

 of the highest order which from its very nature cannot 

 be published at all. Many chemists whose names are not 

 associated with academic researches are nevertheless fully 

 equipped and highly original investigators. There is 

 much training in originality of thought and experi- 

 mental procedure w'hich is not called research, and much 

 of what is called research involves no originality in the 

 thought or deed. .After congratulating the institute on 

 the choice of Dr. George T. Beilby, F.R.S., as the new- 

 president. Prof. Frankland thanked the fellows and 

 associates for their kindness and consideration during his 

 term of office. On behalf of the fellows and associates 

 the president then presented an illuminated address to Mr. 

 David Howard, in recognition of his services to the insti- 

 tute in various capacities, as member of council, honorary 

 treasurer (eighteen years), president, vice-president, and 

 cen-^or, extending altogether more than thirty years, at the 

 s.ini'' time congratulating him on the approach of his 



NO. 2053, VOL. 80] 



seventieth birthday, while yet retaining remarkably his 

 health and vigour. 



The Elizabeth Thompson Science Fund, to which refer- 

 ence has been made in previous years in these columns, 

 established " for the advancement and prosecution of 

 scientific research in its bro.idest sense," now amounts to 

 5200?. As accumulated income will be available next 

 month, the trustees of the fund desire to receive applica- 

 tions for grants in aid of scientific work. This endowment 

 is not: for the benefit of any one department of science nor 

 for men of science of any particular nationality, but it 

 is the intention of the trustees to give preference to in- 

 vestigations which cannot otherwise be provided for, which 

 have for their object the advancement of human knowledge 

 or the benefit of mankind in general, rather than to re- 

 searches directed to the solution of questions of merely 

 local importance. Applications for assistance from the 

 fund must be accompanied by full information as to the 

 precise amount required, the exact nature of the investiga- 

 tion proposed, the conditions under which the research is 

 to be prosecuted, and the manner in which the grant asked 

 for is to be expended. All applications must reach, before 

 March 15, the secretary, Dr. C. S. Minot, Harvard Medical 

 School, Boston, Mass., U.S.A. Decided preference will 

 be given to applications for small amounts, and grants 

 exceeding dol. will be made only in very exceptional 

 circumstances. Prior to 189S, eighty-one grants were 

 niade, and of these seven only have yielded no published 

 result. .Since 189S sixty-five further grants have been 

 made, and the work aided by some of them is still un- 

 finished. 



The w'cather report for the week ending last Saturday, 

 February 27, shows that the temperature over England 

 was considerably below the average, especially in the 

 south, the deficiency in the south-east of England amount- 

 ing to 5°'4. In the south-west and south-east of England 

 the shade temperature fell below 15°. At Greenwich the 

 thermometer in' the sun's rays registered 07° on 

 February 22, whilst during the preceding and following 

 nights the exposed thermometer on the grass registered 

 11°, The lowest shade temperature for February w-as 19°, 

 on the morning of February 23. The mean temperature 

 at Greenwich for February was 37°, which is about 2°5 

 below the average of the previous si.xty years. Frost 

 occurred in the open each night with the exception of 

 February 4 and 5. The rainfall was less than one-half of 

 the normal, whilst the sun was shining ninety-one hours, 

 which is thirty-four hours more than usual. The summary 

 given by the Meteorological Office for the thirteen weeks 

 which constitute the winter, ending February, shows that 

 the mean temperature was generally below the normal, 

 the extreme readings ranging from 59° in the south of 

 Ireland, and 58° in the east of Scotland and the east of 

 England, to 3° in the Midland counties and the south- 

 cast of England. The rainfall was deficient over the entire 

 kingdom, the deficiency ranging from 4-21 inches in the 

 south-west of England to 0-24 inch in the north of Ireland. 

 The duration of bright sunshine was generally in excess 

 of the average, especially over the southern portion of 

 England. At the close of February and on the opening 

 days of March a touch of real winter was experienced 

 over the entire area of the British Islands, as well as 

 generally over western Europe ; sharp frosts occurred in 

 all parts, with heavy snow. 



The Bill " to promote the earlier use of daylight in 

 certain months yearly " — formerly known shortly as the 

 Davlight Saving Bill — is down for the second reading in 



