August 21, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



269 



and £4,938 at Elstree. The report contained 

 the following paragraph with reference to a 

 matter which is now exciting a great deal of 

 attention : " In view of the new department of 

 medical research now being established by 

 H.M. government in accordance with the pro- 

 vision in the National Insurance Act of 1911, 

 the governing body has been considering 

 whether it would not be in the interest of med- 

 ical science in this country that they should 

 reconmiend to the members of the institute to 

 offer, under conditions, to the nation, the or- 

 ganization and resources of the Lister Insti- 

 tute, as the nucleus of the government scheme. 

 At present, however, the governing body are 

 not in a position to make any more definite 

 statement or recommendation on the subject." 

 Sir Eickman Godlee made some inquiries with 

 regard to the subject raised by this statement. 

 He asked whether it was proposed to hand over 

 the institute at Chelsea to the government, and 

 to discontinue the department at Elstree, and 

 the preparation of serums. The chairman said 

 that the proposal to hand over the institute to 

 the government had not gone beyond an inter- 

 change of views with the medical research com- 

 mittee presided over by Lord Moulton as to 

 the conditions under which the institute might 

 be presented to the nation; the conversations 

 included the discussion of financial arrange- 

 ment, but it was not possible to say more at 

 the moment. In reply to Dr. Sidney Turner, 

 who expressed some apprehension that the 

 character of the work done at the institute 

 might deteriorate if it passed under the con- 

 trol of a government committee, the chairman 

 and treasurer said that they were not in a posi- 

 tion to make any further statement. The gov- 

 erning body also reported that it had during 

 the year received a munificent legacy, amount- 

 ing with interest to £17,303, bequeathed by the 

 late Lord Lister, and that it had been ar- 

 ranged to utilize this bequest to give prac- 

 tical effect to a scheme the governing body had 

 for some time been desirous of setting up — ^to 

 make provision for the superannuation of mem- 

 bers both of the higher and the subordinate 

 staffs of the institute on attaining the age of 

 65 years, or in special eases that of 60 years. 



It is proposed to allow the bequest to accumu- 

 late at compound interest until such time as, 

 some years hence, the pension claims begin to 

 mature. To this fund the governing body will 

 add £700 annually from the general income of 

 the institute. 



Members of the British committee for the 

 economic preservation of birds have issued a 

 statement recommending the following six 

 suggestions as a working basis: (1) Absolute 

 protection during breeding season for all 

 breeding wild birds of whatever kind. (2) 

 Absolute protection for all birds found upon 

 inquiry to be either verging upon extinction, 

 highly localized, or of determined benefit in 

 agricultural centers. These birds to be known 

 as " Birds of Class I." (3) Eegulations to be 

 enforced by government or local authorities 

 under government for species that have com- 

 mercial value and are not in danger. These 

 birds to be known as " Birds of Class II." 

 The government of the countries of origin to 

 tax the sale of these species and thereby re- 

 cover the cost of enforcing regulations. (4) 

 The permanent maintenance of an interna- 

 tional committee of scientific experts to deter- 

 mine year by year which species belong of 

 right to the respective classes. (5) An inter- 

 national agreement to refuse importation to 

 the world's markets, museums and private col- 

 lections of all species that are found to belong 

 to " Class I." (6) All species in " Class II." 

 to be exported under license. The committee 

 would place at once in " Class I." the follow- 

 ing birds : The family of chatterers, the cattle 

 egret, the resplendent trogon, the lyre birds, 

 the rifle bird of Australia, the regent bower 

 bird, the flamingo, the spoonbills, the trogo- 

 pans, the Impeyan (monal) pheasants, the red 

 bird of paradise of the Waigu Island, the 

 Prince KudoLf, Lawes's, Prince Wilhelm's, 

 Eothschild's, Princess Stephanie's and Meyer's 

 bird of paradise. 



In connection with the development of the 

 Langley Aerodynamical Laboratory of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, which was reopened 

 in May, 1913, by action of the regents of the 

 institution. Dr. A. P. Zahm, the recorder of 



