SCIENCE 



Friday, May 9, 1919 



CONTENTS 



The Physiology of the Aviator: Professor 

 Yaxdell Henderson" 431 



A New Deposit of Vranium Ore: S. C. LiND 

 AND C. W. Davis 441 



Scientific Events: — 



Conference on High-school Biology; Ap- 

 pointments at Harvard University; The 

 National Academy of Sciences 44^ 



Scientific Notes and Netcs 445 



University and Educational News 447 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Apropos of the Proposed Historical Science 

 Section: Professor 6. A. Miller. Vitamin 

 Tests with Chicls: R. J. Setmouk akd E. 



P. DURKANT 4i7 



Quotations : — 



The British Air-force Estimates and Aero- 

 nautical Sescarch 448 



Scientific Bools: — 



Ritter on Description, Definition and Classi- 

 fication in Philosophical Biology: Walter 

 P. Taylor 449 



Special Articles: — 

 To cut off Large Tuhes of Pyrex Glass: 

 Professor Charles T. Knipp 450 



The Illinois State Academy of Science: J. L. 

 Prices 451 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc.. intended for 

 re\'iew should be aent to The Editor of Science, Garrison-on- 

 Hudeon, N. Y. 



THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE AVIATORS 



Doubtless you have all read the delight- 

 ful hi.storieal accounts by the late Admiral 

 IMahan of the great naval battles of the 

 eighteenth century, wlien France and Eng- 

 land struggled for the mastery of the sea. 

 You will recall the stress laid on the 

 weather gauge, or windward position. If 

 the wind blew from the ea.stward, as does 

 the "northeast trade" among the Carib- 

 bean Islands where a great part of the 

 struggle occurred, wliichever admiral was 

 able so to maneuver as to be to the east of 

 his enemy obtained a great, and often a 

 decisive, advantage. He could choose the 

 time and mode of attack, while his antag- 

 onist was compelled to remain on the de- 

 fensive, finable either to force the lighting 

 or to escape it. 



In modern naval warfare the position of 

 the sun in relation to the enemy's fleet 

 affects the accuracy of aim. The speed of 

 the ships is of importance equalling that 

 of their giuifire. But there is no element 

 of position which quite coiTesponds to that 

 of the weather gauge for a fleet under sail. 



In the battles of the ships of the air, 

 however, there is again a condition which 

 corresponds quite closely to the tactical ad- 

 vantage of maneuvering between the wind 

 and the enemy. In this ease it is not a 

 direction in the plane of the horizon, ex- 

 cept so far as light is important; l)ut it is 

 the direction at right angles, vertical to 

 this plane. It is the xipper position — the 

 a-dvantage obtained by him who can climb 

 above his enemy, and. choosing the moment 



1 Address before the Harvey Society, New York 

 City, March 22, 1919. 



