346 REPORTS ON THE STATE OP SCIENCE. — 1916* 



population can be reached only by entertainment or by an appeal to 

 what may be termed their political interests. The members of it do 

 not wish to be instructed in their leisure hours, but seek for amusement 

 and wonderment, though they are often keenly interested in subjects 

 of national or economic importance. The best avenue to their attention 

 to scientific discovery and teaching is the picture-house, and it should 

 be frankly recognisexl that the films shown must not demand much 

 mental effort to compi'ehend them. By a selection of suitable films 

 of geographical, industrial, and scientific subjects, it would be possible 

 to enlighten the mass of the people as to the varying aspects of Nature 

 and life in many parts of the world, the resources of the Empire, the 

 wonders of natural history, and the sendees of science to national life 

 and industrial progress. 



Increasing use is being n\ade of bioscope films to illustrate popular 

 lectures, and in the future these moving pictures will, in many cases, 

 supersede the lantern-slides which attracted the public in former years. 

 "When there is a large demand for such pictures, producers of them 

 will be gled to meet it, but at present they mostly devote att-ention to 

 sloppy sentiment, stupid antics, and Wild West sensationalism. Messrs. 

 Path6 Fr^res formerly possessed a number of very fine films illustrating 

 the circulation of the blood and the phenomenon of phagocytosis, 

 sleeping sickness, the development of the axolotl, and similar subjects 

 treated in a way to interest and instruct popular audiences, but they 

 now soy, in reply to an inquiry, ' A short time ago all these original 

 productions were taken out of stock, owing to the very bad condition 

 they were in.' Letters have been sent to a number of firms felieved 

 to possess films of scientific, geogTaphical, and industrial subjects which 

 may be hired for lecture purposes, and the following lists should be 

 of sei"vic6 in making suitable selections. It would usually be possible 

 (o an-ange with a local picture-house for the hire of the hall and the 

 exbnVit of the films selected: — 



K'nictn, Ltd., 80-81 ^\'ar(lour Street, London, W. 



Animals, Birds, Fish, Ecptiles, &c. 



Among the Eeptiles (400 ft.) ; Walk through an Aquarium (500 ft.) ; 

 Butterfly Farming (415 ft.); Pussy's Cousins (480 ft.); Fun in a Bear 

 Pit (465 ft.); British Birds of Prey (455 ft.); Curiosities of Insect Life 

 (480 ft.) ; Humours of Animal Life (430 ft.) ; Birds of Moorland, Marsh, 

 and Mountain (320 ft.); Microscopic Pond Dwellers (440 ft.); Snap- 

 shots at the Zoo (405 ft.); An Otter Study (510 ft.); Studies of Aquatic 

 Life (450 ft.); Nature's Little Tragedies (440 ft.); Trout Farming in 

 Surrey (540 ft.) ; Studies in Furs and Feathers (470 ft.) ; Unique Studies 

 of Nature, No. 1 (330 ft.); Unique Studies of Nature, No. 2 (380 ft.); 

 Unique Studies of Nature, No. 3 (380 ft.) ; Four-footed Friends (385 ft.) ; 

 Friends in Feathers (380 ft.); Unattractive Pets (420 ft.); Pigeon 

 Studies (310 ft.); Cormorant Study (340 ft.); PecuHar Pals (435 ft.); 

 In Field and Hedgerow (425 ft.); Life of a Wasp (505 ft.); Life on 

 a Rocky Shore (490 ft.); From Egg to Fry (360 ft.); Bird Studies, 

 No. 1 (305 ft.); Wild Silk Moth (380 ft.); Bird Studies, No. 2 (315 ft.); 

 Unfamiliar Animals (305 ft.); The Jackdaw (380 ft.); The Life of a 



