South African Association for the Advancement of Science

Abstract

THE South,african Journal of Science of June 1946 (volume 42; from the Association, Johannesburg) contains the repot of the Johannesburg meeting in 1945 of the South African Association for the Advancement of Science, including the presidential address of E. C. Chubb, director of the Durban Museum, on “Museums and the Advancement of Science”, the sectional addresses and the papers read or presented to the sections. The president, after indicating the services which the British Museum had rendered to the advancement of science, gave an interesting review of the activities of the museums of South Africa. Dr. H. van Gent's presidential address to Section A dealt with the contribution of variable star research to the progress of astronomy, while Mr. H. Wilson's presidential address to Section B, “Methane: a Neglected National Asset”, discussed the potentialities of methane and urged the serious co-ordinated exploration of the country's resources of natural gas containing methane. Prof. C. J. van der Horst's presidential address to Section D, “Revolution in Evolution”, reviewing the influence of Hugo de Vries' conclusion regarding evolution by sudden mutations, discussed more particularly the nature and origin of the trophoblast or feeding layer surrounding the mammalian embryo, and Prof. C. P. Lestrade, addressing Section E, dealt with “Some Problems of Bantu Language Development”. Prof. Lestrade was concerned mainly with whether all or any of the South African Bantu languages should survive, and if so, with the part they should play in the life of the Bantu-speaking peoples, and secondly, how we could best ensure that the languages deemed worthy of survival could play the part desired, and he referred in conclusion to the lessons to be learned from the language situation in the Philippines. Of equal practical interest is A. J. Limebeer's presidential address to Section F on “The Employment of the Partially Disabled considered as a Social Policy.”