166 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE.—1913. 
class for the honours degree of B.Sc., and was held for the first time 
last winter. The attendance at the ordinary class for the four years 
during which the lectureship has been in existence has been about 30, 
65, 73, 94. 
It should be added that under a recent regulation, which comes into 
force next year, the position of Geography in the preliminary examina- 
tion for admission to the Arts and Science Faculties of Edinburgh 
University has been seriously prejudiced. Down to 1918 Geography was 
one of the branches under the head of English, which is a compulsory 
subject in the preliminary examination, but from 1914 onwards the 
only recognition of Geography is in connection with the history of the 
British people, one of the subjects included in the English syllabus. 
“Candidates will be expected to show acquaintance with the social as 
well as the political history of the British people and the relevant 
geography.’ 
In conclusion the Committee is of opinion that while the worst 
result of the present regulations for the Post-Intermediate stage is that 
pupils leave school with a very imperfect and one-sided educational 
equipment, a subsidiary result of nearly as much importance may soon 
appear. It is that the majority of the pupils who intend to become 
teachers will not care to take up the study of Geography again after the 
lapse of two or three years. Thus the supply of capable teachers will 
diminish, and once more, as in the past, even in the Intermediate stage, 
Geography will be entrusted to the ‘ general’ teacher, and it will fall 
back into its old position of memory work, unintelligent and uncom- 
prehended. 
Gaseous Ezxplosions.—Interim Report of the Committee, con- 
sisting of Sir W. H. PREEcE (Chairman), Dr. DuGALp CLERK 
(Vice-Chairman), Professor W. E. Datpy (Secretary), Pro- 
fessors BonE, BursTaLL, CALLENDAR, COKER, and Drxon, 
Drs. GLAZEBROOK and HaRrkER, Lieut.-Colonel HoLpEN, Pro- 
fessors B. Hopkinson and PETavEL, Captain SaNKEy, Pro- 
fessors SMITHELLS and Watson, Mr. D. Li. CHapman, and 
Mr. H. EK. Wimperis, appointed for the Investigation of 
Gaseous Explosions, with special reference to Temperature. 
Note on the Proceedings of the Committee for the year 1912-13. 
Ar the Dundee Meeting certain changes were made in the constitution 
of the Committee. Sir William Preece continues to be Chairman, but 
Dr. Dugald Clerk and Professor Hopkinson resigned the joint secretary- 
ship. Dr. Dugald Clerk, however, consented, to the great satisfaction 
of the Committee, to act as Vice-President, and Professor Dalby was 
appointed Secretary. 
The Committee allocated the whole of the grant to the Secretary, 
with the object of providing him with a permanent research assistant to 
carry on the work. The moment is favourable for this action of the 
Committee. The new laboratories of the Imperial College of Science 
and Technology are approaching completion, and it is intended by the 
governing authority of the college that these laboratories shall he 
