JUN2 4 1920 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



THE BRITISH ASSOf~I ATION, 



It is perhaps some indiceition of the siejns of the times that 

 the Annual Report, which is just to hand, of the British Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science for the year 1917, is by 

 far the smallest report that has been published since the 

 Society was founded in 1831. Probably at no period in the 

 histcy of this country has the necessity arisen for the en- 

 couragement and advancement of Science as during the past 

 year or two, and for the ftrst time in its history the one import- 

 ant Association, with the Advancement of Science for its sole 

 object, has cancelled its Annual Meeting, resulting in the 

 publication of the brief report which contains an account of 

 the work of some of the Committees which still carry on, not- 

 withstanding the bad example set b}^ the Association itself. 

 Of course, it is understood that in these times there are difficult- 

 ies in the way of railway travel, hotel accommodation, and 

 what would seem necessary, entertainment for the members, but 

 there is no reason whatever why a few days should not be devoted 

 to solid Scientific work at one or other of the homes of the 

 various Scientific Societies in London, any or all of which would 

 have gladty been placed at the disposal of the Association. We 

 believe that every other important Scientific Society in the 

 country has ' carried on ' since the war ; many have unquest- 

 ionably been of great service in the present crisis. It is not 

 flattering to the members of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science to be told that no meetings are 

 taking place. 



AND ITS REPORT. 



The volume contains the Twenty-second Report on Seis- 

 mclogical Observations ; a Preliminary Report on Terrestrial 

 Magnetism, the First Report on Colloid Chemistry and its 

 Industrial Applications, Report on the Nomenclature of the 

 Carboniferous Rocks, etc., of the Southern Hemisphere (part of 

 which is headed ' Engineering Problems'), a brief summary of 

 ' Engineering Problems affecting the Future Prosperity of the 

 County,' the full report of which is not printed, but placed 

 in the offices of the Association ; brief reports on a Palaeolithic 

 site in Jersey and the Mammalian heart respectively ; and a 

 lengthly report on Science in Secondary Schools. There is 

 also the Report of the Corresponding Societies' Committee, 

 already recently referred to in these pages. 



EARTHLY V. HEAVENLY WISDOM. 



We are not regular readers of TJie Bible Students' Monthly, 

 but somehow No. i of Vol. IX. of this journal has reached us. 

 On the front page, under the above heading, is the following 



1918 July 1. 



