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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVI. No. 927" 



to say what living matter is and what may have 

 been the origin of life. Two of the sittings were 

 largely devoted to work of this kind. On Friday, 

 when the chemists and botanists combined forces, 

 the papers read mostly had reference to important 

 problems in plant chemistry. On Monday Pro- 

 fessor Irvine, of St. Andrews, gave an account of 

 researches on which he has long been engaged, 

 which are throwing much light on the nature of 

 the sugars — a class of substances which play an 

 all-important part in plant life and as animal 

 foods. Again the final sitting was devoted to 

 papers dealing with the mechanism of chemical 

 change, a problem which is fundamental for the 

 understanding of the processes both of organic 

 and of inorganic nature. Other communications 

 dealt with topics of physical interest. 



SECTION C — GEOLOGY 



The address of the president. Dr. B. W. Peach, 

 was a welcome rfisumg of the paleontological evi- 

 dence with regard to the fauna of the Cambrian 

 rocks of the British Isles as compared with that 

 of North America. The interesting problems of 

 the Highlands gave rise to several valuable papers 

 and addresses. Dr. Eobert Campbell described 

 the discovery of fossils in the jasper and green 

 schists of the Highland Border near Stonehaven. 

 This is of great interest, as it proves that the 

 beds are not pre-Cambrian, but of Upper Cambrian 

 or Ordovieian age. Dr. Jehu supplemented this 

 by an account of fossils recently found in the 

 Boimdary Fault series, near Aberfoyle, by which 

 these beds are identified as of Upper Cambrian 

 age. 



Dr. Campbell also described an important dis- 

 covery of the Downtonian (Silurian) Age of cer- 

 tain beds between Craigeven Bay and Stonehaven 

 Harbor, which was formerly classed as Old Red. 

 Dictyooaris is abundant, and Ceratiocaris is also 

 found. These fossils have never been found else- 

 where in rocks younger than the Silurian. Inter- 

 esting results of the examination of pebbles from 

 the Millstone Grit of Yorkshire were given by 

 Mr. Albert Gilligan, of Leeds University. Large 

 numbers of these pebbles have been collected and 

 sliced, and give evidence of derivation from Scot- 

 tish or Norwegian sources. Mr. Gilligan has been 

 impressed by the many points of similarity exist- 

 ing between the Millstone Grit and the Torridon 

 Sandstone, and is disposed to think that areas of 

 similar rock types were laid under contribution 

 for each. Dr. J. D. Falconer described the de- 

 tached hills of South Africa, which possess caps 



of weathered rock which he attributes to the effect 

 of periods of elevation and erosion following upon 

 periods of decomposition at base-level. 



SECTION D ZOOLOGT 



The meeting of this section was undoubtedly one- 

 of the most successful ever held. This was due to 

 various contributory causes — to the number and 

 interest of the communications, to the large at- 

 tendance of British and foreign zoologists present,, 

 and in no small degree to the fact that one of the 

 two indefatigable local secretaries is a zoologist 

 of distinction. Two inter-sectional debates were 

 held, one with the Section of Physiology and the 

 other with the botanists. The subject of the 

 former was upon the nutrition of marine organ- 

 isms. Professor Putter, of Bonn, was present and 

 opened the discussion with an account of his own 

 work, which he claims furnishes proof of the 

 ability of marine organisms to obtain nourishment 

 from organic solutions present in sea-water. The 

 discussion was animated and well sustained, though 

 it must be admitted Professor Putter's views 

 found but few adherents. The discussion on the 

 Origin of Life was opened by Professor MLnchin. 

 The largeness of the audience was no doubt in 

 great part due to the fact that Professor Sehafer 

 in his opening address had dealt with the same- 

 subject. The debate was interesting, and the dis- 

 cussion of such a subject is valuable in the way 

 of "stocktaking," but a final solution is still far 

 remote. 



A new departure at this year 's meeting was an 

 exhibition of zoological specimens and methods. 

 This was extremely int Testing and attracted much- 

 attention, especially the demonstration by Pro- 

 fessor Leduc of his well-known diffusion figures. 

 It is to be hoped that such an exhibition will 

 become an annual feature and that in future time 

 will be allowed for people to examine it more 

 carefully; an afternoon session should be entirely 

 given up for demonstrations. As a result of the 

 advocacy by the president of the section, Dr. 

 Chalmers Mitchell, of the preservation of wild- 

 animals other than those of sporting or economic 

 value, the sectional committee forwarded a resolu- 

 tion to the council of the association drawing at- 

 tention to the urgency of the matter. 



Of the morphological papers perhaps that of 

 Professor Julin on the luminous cells of certain 

 tunicates was the most appreciated. Accounts 

 were given of the work being done at Aberdeen 

 University upon the migration of birds and an 

 inquiry into the food of birds, the latter subject 



