Notes and Comments. 185 
ordinate the Work of Local Scientific Societies in Great Britain,’ 
and Mr. John Hopkinson’s s on ‘ Local Natural History Societies 
and their Publications,’ with discussions. Mr. Hopkinson’s 
paper has already been fully dealt with in this journal. There 
is also a suggestion for a ‘ Bibliography of the Publications of 
Local Scientific Societies,’ and the usual useful classified list 
of contents of the publications of the Affiliated Societies. 
| THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 
For the meeting of the British Association, to be held at 
Manchester from September 7th to 11th, under the presidency 
of Professor Arthur Schuster, the following sectional Presidents 
have been appointed :—Mathematics and Physics—Sir F. W. 
Dyson. Chemistry—Professor H. B. Baker. Geology—Pro- 
fessor Grenville Cole. Zoology—Professor E. A. Minchin. 
Geography—Captain H. G. Lyons. Economics—Dr. W. R. 
Scott. Engineering—Dr. H. S. Hele-Shaw. Anthropology— 
Dr. C. G. Seligman. Physiology—Professor W. M. Bayliss. 
Botany—Professor W. H. Lang. Education—Mrs. Henry 
Sidgwick. Agriculture—Mr. R. H. Rew. Ev ening discourses 
will be delivered by Mr. H. W. T. Wager on ‘ The Behaviour 
of Plants in Response to Light,’ and by Dr. R. Sampson, 
Astronomer Royal for Scotland. 
THE HOUSE-FLY ; * 
If the science of entomology needed any justification it is 
afforded in this remarkable volume. Here we have a.book of 
382 pages devoted to a single small insect of the Diptera, but 
dealing with it in such a way that the book is indispensable 
not only to the student of entomology, but to medical men and 
officers of health. Moreover, apart from the chapter dealing 
with the technical and detailed structure of the house-fly, the 
book is extremely readable and interesting to the general 
reader. 
A MONOGRAPH ; 
Among the numerous and remarkable advances which have 
been made in the realm of medical science within the last 
twenty years, none has created so wide a public interest, and 
none has been destined to affect the future welfare and progress 
of mankind to so great a degree, as the discovery of the role 
which insects play in the dissemination of disease. We read 
much nowadays of the havoc caused by the mosquito, by the 
flea, and by lice. Of all revelations, however, none affects so 
great a number of people in all countries, both by its significance 
and effects, as the demonstration of the disease-carrying power 
of the common house-fly. The presentation of our knowledge 
* Musca domestica Linn., its structure, habits, development, relation 
to disease and control, by C. Gordon Hewitt, D.Sc., F.R.S.C. (Cambridge 
University Press, 15s. 8vo, pp. 282+-viii.). 
1915 June 1. 
