Wycinek Z Nature

OcTOBER 12, 1935 NATURE 577
acting under the instructions of the Secretary of both of North America and Asia, but is most char-
State for the Colonies. The present voyage is under acteristic as a shrub on semi-arid slopes and stream
the leadership of Mr. G. E. R. Deacon, with Lieut. borders. As it is improbable that they could have
L. C. Hill, R.N.R., in executive command. The other been introduced into the cave by any other agency
m embers of the scientific staff are Mr. J. W. S. Marr than animals or man, it may safely be assumed that
and Dr. F. D. Ommanney, with Mr. A. Saunders as they formed part of the food of one or the other,
laboratory assistant and photographer. their shells having been crushed while being eaten.
In the United States the berries are extensively used
Racial Studies as food by birds, rodents and the Indians, especially
A NEW publication devoted to racial studies may in the south-west. The most common use is as a
count with certainty on an interested audience at flavouring for meat or bread. In order to eliminate
the present moment, when racial questions have come the possibility of these seeds having been introduced
to have an outstanding importance in international into the cave by rodents, experimental observations
and national affairs. Racial characters have ceased have been made in which it was found that monkeys
to be regarded as of purely academic interest ; but alone broke up the shells in a manner corresponding
since they have been made the pivotal factor in to that in which the shells in the cave had been
nationalist propaganda, the public, bewildered by broken. It is, therefore, more than probable that
conflicting statements as to the m eaning and province the seeds were brought to the cave by human agency
of 'race' in the modern world, welcomes an impartial and that the hackberry seeds afford the earliest
and scientific examination of both general and specific known example of a vegetable food used by primitive
problems. The Zeitschrijt fiir Rqssenkund und ihre man.
Nachbargebi ete, which has completed its first volume
by the issue of a third part in May last, has been New Flying Boats for British Empire Air Lines
founded for the purpose of examining problems of IT is announced that Imperial Airways have placed
race on scientific lines, dealing not only with broader an order with Messrs. Short Bros., Ltd., of Rochester,
issues, but also investigating racial problems as they for a fleet of flying boats specified to be both larger
arise in defined areas and specific groups. The treat- and faster than any of a similar class now in existence.
ment of the subject is not confined to discussion of The order provides several innovations, the most
physical characters alone, but will take into account startling of which is that the type of engine will not
the evidence of psychology and social anthropology, be decided until absolutely necessary for the com-
prehistory and linguistics. It is proposed thus to pletion of the design. It will thus be possible to take
cover the whole field of the racial problems which advantage of accumulating experience in the use of
arise in the study of the development of man in several different types, some of which are a s yet not
time and space. The editor is Egon, Freiherr von very thoroughly tried out under such conditions. It
Eickstedt, director of the Anthropological and is also understood that the number of machines to be
Ethnological Institute of Breslau ; and he has ordered is not yet settled, but will depend upon their
secured a promise of co-operation and collaboration suitability for the varying conditions in the different
from a large and representative body of anthropo· Empire routes. The new boats are to be high-wing
logists from all over the world. Two volumes of monoplanes, without external bracing, and carrying
three parts each will be published annually at a wing tip floats . These will be the first marine aircraft
subscription price of 22 gold marks for each volume. in Imperial Airways fleet to d epart from the more
The first part of the second volume appeared in usual biplane construction. The size of the hull is
July. such that the forepart can be given two decks, the
upper one for the crew, ship's offices, and cargo, and
Food of Peking Man the lower one for passengers. Their total loaded
AN interesting light is thrown on the mode of life weight will be l7t tons, about 30 p er cent increase
of Peking man in a communication by Dr. Ralph W. upon the present largest boat in Imperial Airways
Chaney, of the Department of Palreontology, Uni- service, of which 3t-5 tons is available for paying
versity of California, and research associate of the load, depending upon the length of the flight between
Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C., which refuellings. The estimated speed is nearly 200 miles
is issued in the News S ervice Bulletin of the per hour, with a range of up to 1,500 miles. This
Institution. It would appear that Peking man allows them to undertake the two longest stages on
supplemented the meat diet provided by the game the all-Empire route (except the Atlantic), that is,
animals of the hills and plains by vegetable food, between England and Gibraltar, and Australia and
which he obtained as a 'food-gatherer'. About twenty New Zealand.
feet above the lowest level of human occupation in
the Chou-kou-tien cave and in a breccia containing History of Medicine Congress at Madrid
numerous quartz artefacts and bone fragments, there AT the International Congress of the History of
is a layer several inches thick, made up of thousands Medicine, held at Madrid on September 23-29, under
of fragments of the shells of seeds. The markings the patronage of the President of the Spanish Republic,
on the shells indicate that they are hackberry seeds, there was an exhibition of medical manuscripts,
globular bodies smaller than peas. The modern documents, instruments, etc. The Wellcome His-
hackberry (Celtis) occurs as a small tree in the forests torical Medical Museum contributed some interesting
© 1935 Nature Publishing Group

Wycinek Z Nature

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Wycinek Z Nature

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Wycinek Z Nature

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

OcTOBER 12, 1935 NATURE 577

© 1935 Nature Publishing Group

You might also like