Miscellaneous Points Research Articles

Social-Psychological Model of the “Migration Circle”: Potential Emigrants, Migrants,Remigrants

А fundamentally new model of “migration circle” is considered in accordance with modern theo-ries of migration and adaptation. This model is represented in the following basic stages: starting- up (the potential emigrants), the main (directly emigrants), and final (re-emigrants). The benchmark analysis of values and dominant ethnic tendencies of migrants residing at different stages of migration (at the miscellaneous points of the “migration circle”) has revealed the existing of the significant differences in the value preferences’ structure, dominant ethnic tendencies, social and cultural distance. The received data allow forecasting accurate to 72% the emigrants’ success of adaptation to a new social and cultural environment. Accumulating during the investigation scientific theoretical material allows finding solution of many practical problems arising at the threshold of emigration (potential emigrants) either in situations of the return to Motherland (re-emigrants).

Necropsy techniques in reptiles Part 3: Terrestrial chelonians, miscellaneous points and conclusions

The next step is to approach the oral and pharyngeal regions in order to examine the oral cavity and free the tongue, glottis and pharynx for sampling. Two incisions should be made, on either side, medial to the mandibular rami through the skin and intermandibular muscles. The tissues should be TERRESTRIAL CHELONIANS Like other reptiles, chelonians are best examined in dorsal recumbency. The only challenge, compared to other species, is the shell.

Methods and Evidence in Psychonarratology and the Theory of the Narrator: Reply to Diengott

Methods and Evidence in Psychonarratology and the Theory of the Narrator:Reply to Diengott Peter Dixon (bio) and Marisa Bortolussi (bio) We welcome this opportunity to reply to Nilli Diengott's review of our book, Psychonarratology: Foundations for the Empirical Study of Literary Response. While she has identified a number of regrettable misstatements in the book and has raised a number of interesting arguments concerning our hypotheses about readers' representations, it also appears that there are a number of aspects of our methodology and conceptual analysis that may not have been understood. We hope that the present reply will promote a better understanding of our approach in order to foster productive debate. Although Diengott's review concentrates on our treatment of the narrator, according to our analysis of her comments, there are really three levels of concerns. First and most importantly, there are issues pertaining to methodology, primarily having to do with the distinction between textual features and reader constructions and how these concepts manifest themselves in empirical research. Second, there are objections to our hypotheses concerning the reader's representation and processing of the narrator. These are crucial concerns since our analysis of the narrator is fundamental to the theoretical developments throughout the book. Finally, there are questions concerning the analysis of "transparency" and its relationship to identification. In what follows, we discuss each of these concerns in turn. We then comment on a few other, more miscellaneous points raised in the review. [End Page 317] Methodology Perhaps the single most fundamental element in our approach to the empirical study of literary response is the distinction between that which is in the text (features) and that which is in the reader's head (constructions). Features are characterizations of the text that, at least in principle, could be objectively defined and that would be true of a given text regardless of who analyzes the text and the context in which that analysis occurs. Constructions, on the other hand, are subjective and may vary with the reader, her knowledge and experience, and her current goals and circumstances. This distinction is crucial because it allows one to match method to question. Features are a matter of definition and, as a consequence, are more or less useful, well-defined or not so well-defined, precise or imprecise, and so on. One can take poor features (e.g., those that are imprecise or poorly defined) and hone them via argument, analysis, and elaboration. However, they cannot be dismissed as incorrect; they are merely a matter of definition, after all, and any number of features may be defined even if they are not particularly helpful. In contrast, reader constructions are potentially in the mind of the reader, and it is a matter of empirical evidence as to whether and under what circumstances they occur. Various kinds of evidence might be marshaled for a reader construction, and such evidence might be strong or weak or more or less convincing. However, ultimately the status of a reader construction is likely to rest on the results of carefully designed studies rather than on logical argument. As an example of this distinction, consider the narratological concept of the implied author. As defined by Gerald Prince, paraphrasing Wayne Booth, the implied author is "the author's second self, mask, or persona as reconstructed from the text" (000). The problem with this definition (and, in our view, with many other narratological concepts) is that it is not clear whether the implied author should be thought of as a textual feature or as a reader construction. A word such as "reconstructed" would seem to allow for subjective inference processes on the part of the reader, implying that the term corresponds to a reader construction; however, it is also possible to envision that a logical, externally validated analysis of the text could be used to identify aspects of the implied author. For example, Iser understood the implied author in interactive terms, so that it emerged on the basis of the interaction of the text and the reader. However, Iser was never concerned with the real reader, and his conception was idealized in the sense that it attempted to provide an account for the...

The Illustrated Wavelet Transform Handbook: Introductory Theory and Applications in Science, Engineering, Medicine and Finance

This book provides an overview of the theory and practice of continuous and discrete wavelet transforms. Divided into seven chapters, the first three chapters of the book are introductory, describing the various forms of the wavelet transform and their computation, while the remaining chapters are devoted to applications in fluids, engineering, medicine and miscellaneous areas. Each chapter is well introduced, with suitable examples to demonstrate key concepts. Illustrations are included where appropriate, thus adding a visual dimension to the text. A noteworthy feature is the inclusion, at the end of each chapter, of a list of further resources from the academic literature which the interested reader can consult. The first chapter is purely an introduction to the text. The treatment of wavelet transforms begins in the second chapter, with the definition of what a wavelet is. The chapter continues by defining the continuous wavelet transform and its inverse and a description of how it may be used to interrogate signals. The continuous wavelet transform is then compared to the short-time Fourier transform. Energy and power spectra with respect to scale are also discussed and linked to their frequency counterparts. Towards the end of the chapter, the two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform is introduced. Examples of how the continuous wavelet transform is computed using the Mexican hat and Morlet wavelets are provided throughout. The third chapter introduces the discrete wavelet transform, with its distinction from the discretized continuous wavelet transform having been made clear at the end of the second chapter. In the first half of the chapter, the logarithmic discretization of the wavelet function is described, leading to a discussion of dyadic grid scaling, frames, orthogonal and orthonormal bases, scaling functions and multiresolution representation. The fast wavelet transform is introduced and its computation is illustrated with an example using the Haar wavelet. The second half of the chapter groups together miscellaneous points about the discrete wavelet transform, including coefficient manipulation for signal denoising and smoothing, a description of Daubechies' wavelets, the properties of translation invariance and biorthogonality, the two-dimensional discrete wavelet transforms and wavelet packets. The fourth chapter is dedicated to wavelet transform methods in the author's own specialty, fluid mechanics. Beginning with a definition of wavelet-based statistical measures for turbulence, the text proceeds to describe wavelet thresholding in the analysis of fluid flows. The remainder of the chapter describes wavelet analysis of engineering flows, in particular jets, wakes, turbulence and coherent structures, and geophysical flows, including atmospheric and oceanic processes. The fifth chapter describes the application of wavelet methods in various branches of engineering, including machining, materials, dynamics and information engineering. Unlike previous chapters, this (and subsequent) chapters are styled more as literature reviews that describe the findings of other authors. The areas addressed in this chapter include: the monitoring of machining processes, the monitoring of rotating machinery, dynamical systems, chaotic systems, non-destructive testing, surface characterization and data compression. The sixth chapter continues in this vein with the attention now turned to wavelets in the analysis of medical signals. Most of the chapter is devoted to the analysis of one-dimensional signals (electrocardiogram, neural waveforms, acoustic signals etc.), although there is a small section on the analysis of two-dimensional medical images. The seventh and final chapter of the book focuses on the application of wavelets in three seemingly unrelated application areas: fractals, finance and geophysics. The treatment on wavelet methods in fractals focuses on stochastic fractals with a short section on multifractals. The treatment on finance touches on the use of wavelets by other authors in studying stock prices, commodity behaviour, market dynamics and foreign exchange rates. The treatment on geophysics covers what was omitted from the fourth chapter, namely, seismology, well logging, topographic feature analysis and the analysis of climatic data. The text concludes with an assortment of other application areas which could only be mentioned in passing. Unlike most other publications in the subject, this book does not treat wavelet transforms in a mathematically rigorous manner but rather aims to explain the mechanics of the wavelet transform in a way that is easy to understand. Consequently, it serves as an excellent overview of the subject rather than as a reference text. Keeping the mathematics to a minimum and omitting cumbersome and detailed proofs from the text, the book is best-suited to those who are new to wavelets or who want an intuitive understanding of the subject. Such an audience may include graduate students in engineering and professionals and researchers in engineering and the applied sciences.

Rejoinder to Benny Morris

In Myths, Old and New (hereafter: Myths), published in the last issue of the Journal, * I discussed Benny Morris's central thesis that the Arab refugee problem was born of war, not by design. I suggested that Morris's own evidence points to the conclusion that Palestine's Arabs were expelled systematically and with premeditation. Morris's Response to Finkelstein and Masalha (hereafter: Response), printed in the same issue (pp. 98-114), demonstrates that my criticism was warranted, indeed, understated. I will use this space to address each of the objections Morris raises. For the most part, I will not clutter my rejoinder with lengthy quotations, limiting myself instead to page references, so that readers may compare the cited passages with Morris. I will use the framework of my original article to organize the rejoinder, leaving to the end miscellaneous points. Finally, inasmuch as Morris's views in his response diverge radically from what he has written before, I will, for convenience's sake, use the rhetorical device of the old Morris and the new Morris, the former referring to Morris's two volumes and sundry articles, and the latter to his revisionism in the Journal of Palestine Studies. This distinction will, I think, clarify many of the points at issue between us. My critique was basically divided into two parts, the first dealing with the Palestinian flight before May 1948 and the second with the Palestinian flight after May. In the first part, I disputed Morris on three central points, arguing, first, that his periodization obscured more than it enlightened, second, that the Arab exodus resulted from a general, predetermined Zionist policy and, third, that the Arab exodus did not come as a shock to the Zionist wartime

Censored observations, repeated measures and mixed effects models: An approach using the EM algorithm and normal errors

SUMMARY Maximum likelihood estimation of a vector regression parameter and variance com- ponents is considered for the mixed effects model when observations are right censored. A general scheme of estimation is given using the EM algorithm and detailed results found for the model with between and within block variation. This model is applied to the logarithms of survival times from a repeated measures design. In this paper we consider the estimation of the parameters when some of the observa- tions are right-censored. This can occur with repeated measurements on subjects where the response is a waiting time and the variability in log times is modelled by a normal distribution. Alternative models for this situation are given by Clayton & Cuzick (1985) and their methods involve partially parametric techniques using ranks and are based on models involving extreme value, log gamma and logistic distributions. We are concerned with use of the EM algorithm (Dempster, Laird & Rubin, 1977) to estimate the parameters of the mixed model. For uncensored data, Hartley & Rao (1967) have considered this solution. The analysis leads to a method which is straightforward to implement for the repeated measures model. Dempster et al. (1984) give an account of the method with uncensored observations. In ? 2 we consider a general implementation of the EM algorithm for the pure random effects model with censored data and then, in ? 3, we give explicit results for the simple random effects model. Section 4 uses these results for the analysis of repeated measures and ? 5 discusses some miscellaneous points arising. Finally, in ? 6, we give an example involving skin graft data, where there has been extensive analysis using matched pairs techniques.

Opponents, Audiences, Constituencies, and Community

Previous articleNext article No AccessOpponents, Audiences, Constituencies, and CommunityEdward W. SaidEdward W. Said Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Critical Inquiry Volume 9, Number 1Sep., 1982The Politics of Interpretation Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/448186 Views: 220Total views on this site Citations: 37Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1982 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Frances Babbage, Michael Pinchbeck Acts of Unsettling: An Immersive Adaptation of Berger and Mohr’s A Seventh Man, Arts 12, no.22 (Mar 2023): 50.https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12020050Ceci Lopez, Dolores Calderón Remembering cafecito and other practices for resiliency and survival in the academy, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 491 (Mar 2023): 1–14.https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2023.2181439Ahmed Elbeshlawy Edward Said and New York, (Oct 2022): 584–590.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62419-8_9Calvin Duggan Interfering in Brexit: responsibility, representation, and the ‘meaningful vote’ that wasn’t, European Journal of English Studies 25, no.11 (May 2021): 49–64.https://doi.org/10.1080/13825577.2021.1918837Laura Singeot “Down-Under” the Veil of Invisibilization: The Narrative of Aboriginal Subjectivity in Michael Cook’s Photomontages., InMedia , no.8.2.8.2. (Dec 2020).https://doi.org/10.4000/inmedia.2430Peter Zazzali Utopia in Actor Training, Performance Research 25, no.88 (Aug 2021): 25–32.https://doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2020.1930777Simon Susen Postcoloniality and Decoloniality, (Oct 2020): 25–52.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38424-1_2Simon Susen Epilogue: Critical Remarks, (Oct 2020): 285–341.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38424-1_13Ana Gabriela Vilela Pereira de Macedo As narrativas de Mona Hatoum e o efeito de ‘contraponto’: des-emoldurando o doméstico enquanto performatividade e gesto político, Revista Estudos Feministas 27, no.11 (Jan 2019).https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9584-2019v27n158888Ihab Shalbak Hegemony thinking, Thesis Eleven 147, no.11 (Aug 2018): 45–61.https://doi.org/10.1177/0725513618787660Alan Read Child & Co, Performance Research 23, no.11 (Jun 2018): 5–23.https://doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2018.1460440Ahmed Elbeshlawy Edward Said and New York, (Jun 2018): 1–7.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62592-8_9-1Ahmed Elbeshlawy Edward Said and New York, (Aug 2018): 1–7.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62592-8_9-2Lise C. Vaugeois White Subjectivities, the Arts, and Power in Colonial Canada: Classical Music as White Property, (Jul 2018): 45–67.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65256-6_3Stephen Bales Conclusion, (Jan 2018): 171–178.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-101755-5.00005-6Jeffrey Hole Edward W. Said, the Sphere of Humanism, and the Neoliberal University, (Jan 2015): 63–81.https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137487209_4Mathieu Feagan, Brama Koné, Nicolas Brou, Yveline A. Houenou, Edouard Kouassi, Jerry Spiegel Confrontation avec le contexte disciplinaire institutionnalisé : réflexion critique des approches écosystémiques de la santé sur la base des expériences des jeunes chercheurs au Canada, en Afrique occidentale et central, VertigO , no.Hors-série 19Hors-série 19 (Aug 2014).https://doi.org/10.4000/vertigo.14963Jeffrey Guhin, Jonathan Wyrtzen The Violences of Knowledge: Edward Said, Sociology, and Post-Orientalist Reflexivity, (Mar 2015): 231–262.https://doi.org/10.1108/S0198-8719(2013)0000024015 Bibliography, (Mar 2012): 159–169.https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118253502.biblioSimon Gikandi Editor's Column—This Thing Called Literature … What Work Does It Do?, PMLA/Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 127, no.11 (Oct 2020): 9–21.https://doi.org/10.1632/pmla.2012.127.1.9Abhik Roy, Bayo Oludaja Hans-Georg Gadamer's Praxis : Implications for Connection and Action in Communication Studies, Communication, Culture & Critique 2, no.33 (Sep 2009): 255–273.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-9137.2009.01038.xBarbara Morgan-Fleming, Mya Kendrick-Mercer, Susan Myers, Connie Wilson Anderson CHAPTER 7: The Wisdom of Fifth Graders, Action in Teacher Education 29, no.5-65-6 (Mar 2008): 118–130.https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2008.10519438Brenden E. Kendall Personae and Natural Capitalism: Negotiating Politics and Constituencies in a Rhetoric of Sustainability, Environmental Communication 2, no.11 (Apr 2008): 59–77.https://doi.org/10.1080/17524030801945583Adrian N. Carr, Adrian Carr In the constructive tradition of being critical, Critical perspectives on international business 2, no.22 (Apr 2006): 73–78.https://doi.org/10.1108/17422040610661262Julie Stone Peters Law, Literature, and the Vanishing Real: On the Future of an Interdisciplinary Illusion, PMLA/Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 120, no.22 (Oct 2020): 442–453.https://doi.org/10.1632/003081205X52383 Timothy Brennan Resolution Timothy Brennan, Critical Inquiry 31, no.22 (Jul 2015): 406–418.https://doi.org/10.1086/430970Lyn Bennett Boundaries and Frontiers: Metaphor and the Rhetoric of Interdisciplinarity in Literary Studies, Genre 37, no.3-43-4 (Sep 2004): 505–529.https://doi.org/10.1215/00166928-37-3-4-505Shane Moran Kant and South African Academic Freedom, Pretexts: Literary and Cultural Studies 11, no.22 (Aug 2010): 171–188.https://doi.org/10.1080/1015549022000040656Paolo Varvaro, Matteo Sanfilippo, Frederic Attal L'influence de Granisci sur l'historiographie, European Review of History: Revue européenne d'histoire 3, no.11 (May 2008): 100–110.https://doi.org/10.1080/13507489608568153Danny J. Anderson Creating Cultural Prestige: Editorial Joaquín Mortiz, Latin American Research Review 31, no.22 (Oct 2022): 3–41.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0023879100017933SABINA SHARKEY Gendering inequalities: the case of Irish women, Paragraph 16, no.11 (Mar 1993): 5–22.https://doi.org/10.3366/para.1993.16.1.5Rick Rylance Forms of Dissent in Contemporary Drama and Contemporary Theory, (Jan 1992): 115–141.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-21906-3_7Mary S. Strine Critical theory and “organic” intellectuals: Reframing the work of cultural critique, Communication Monographs 58, no.22 (Jun 1991): 195–201.https://doi.org/10.1080/03637759109376223James N. Laditka Language, power, and play: The dance of deconstruction and practical wisdom, Rhetoric Review 9, no.22 (Mar 1991): 298–311.https://doi.org/10.1080/07350199109388935Angie Chabram Chicana/o studies as oppositional ethnography, Cultural Studies 4, no.33 (Oct 1990): 228–247.https://doi.org/10.1080/09502389000490191LINDA BRODKEY Writing Ethnographic Narratives, Written Communication 4, no.11 (Nov 2016): 25–50.https://doi.org/10.1177/0741088387004001002Peter McLaren Postmodernity and the Death of Politics: A Brazilian Reprieve*, Educational Theory 36, no.44 (Sep 1986): 389–401.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-5446.1986.00389.x

Ionospheric drifts

Work on ionospheric drifts carried out since 1968 is reviewed under the following headings: Introduction, Drifts in the D-region, Drifts in the E-region (non-electrojet and electrojet), Drifts in the F-region, and Miscellaneous points. Methods of analysis of spaced receiver records are not reviewed, but papers on this subject are included in the references.

A Review of Industrial Weighing Systems (Part 1)

Industrial weighing now covers a wide field and has developed separately from that of process instrumentation. Special areas have progressed independently resulting in spectacular advances which have taken full advantage of solid state electronics and computer technology. This review starts with five basic weighing methods and gives some examples of their use. Some miscellaneous theoretical points are then brought out concerning high-speed checkweighers, batch weighing, sack filling and weigh feeders. In conclusion, brief treatments of price computing counter scales, blending systems and weighing in motion are given which highlight the use of modern electronics and computers. A few further references are given.

Wavelength preferences and brightness cues in the water finding behaviour of sea turtles.

AbstractExperiments with 1116 hatchling green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, involving 1927 trials, revealed that 1. In preference tests between a blue and a red stimulus, or between a yellow and a red stimulus, the attractiveness of the red stimulus could be boosted by increasing its intensity relative to the blue or yellow alternative. Although there was a preference for a blue stimulus over a red containing equal energy, this preference could be reversed if the relative intensity of the red was made sufficiently high. 2. Pure blue or green lights did not attract turtles significantly more than blue/red or green/red mixtures containing greater amounts of energy. 3. When large visual obstructions were introduced into the natural beachscape hatchlings headed toward the centre of an open horizon. 4. Unilaterally blindfolded turtles circled toward the uncovered eye. In the present tests there was some directional progress along the shore. 5. Weather conditions could affect orientation; the influence of a freak cloud over the ocean horizon was described as an example. 6. Hatchlings had individual directional biases. Mildly aberrant animals that headed off at a slight angle to the surf during seafinding tended to show the same behaviour when retested. 7. The reaction to photic stimuli became weak in animals taken from environments above about 24° C. 8. The method of releasing animals in the turtle arena test did not greatly alter eseaward orientation (Appendix). The following interpretations are put on these results: The preference for a blue stimulus over a red depends partly on brightness. There could be a subsidiary colour preference for blues, since the red stimuli had to contain relatively more energy to make them behaviourally as potent as the blue or yellow than would have been expected on the basis of the ERG sensitivity data, and since in the mixing experiments there was no tendency to select the brighter stimuli. But if there is a blue preference the part it plays in seafinding can only be secondary compared to brightness. Simultaneous comparison of brightness cues from a wide field of view enables the turtle to head for the centre of an open horizon. The underlying mechanism involves a balancing of brightness inputs in both eyes. The hatchling orientates to maintain such a balance. Individual directional tendencies may be explained in terms of initial biases system; for instance, mild unilateral pathology leading to reduced sensitivity in one eye might be implicated. A number of other miscellaneous points and observations about water finding behaviour can be understood in terms of a balancing of brightness inputs, but there are a few cases in the literature of breakdown in seafinding that remain unexplained. The water finding of freshwater turtles probably requires other or auxiliary mechanisms. For the green sea turtle on the Tortuguero beaches the most open horizon is nearly always seaward and is nearly always brighter than the landward direction. These turtles have a brightness preference and a tropotactic reaction to light. Therefore the principal cue in their seafinding is the bright illumination from an open horizon.

Further Consideration of the Experimenta, Speculum Astronomiae, and De Secretis Mulierum Ascribed to Albertus Magnus

THE purpose of this paper is threefold: to show that the Experimenta or Secreta Alberti (I use the former title the more clearly to distinguish the work from De secretis mulierum) are in part but only in part by Albertus Magnus; to discuss a renewal this time by Bernhard Geyer of the attempt to prove that the Speculum astronomiae is not by Albertus Magnus; and to note some rather miscellaneous points with reference to text and commentary, manuscripts and editions, of De secretis mulierum. In the Experimenta, current in manuscripts2 and printed editions under the name of Albertus Magnus, in the case of its second book upon the virtues of stones, some thirty-seven out of its forty-three or forty-four stones3 are found

The Economic Features of X-Ray Protection

I.—Introduction PROTECTION against undesired exposure to x-rays or the gamma rays from radium can be had, but for economy and convenience it is desirable to analyze closely, with certain fundamental principles in view, each particular problem. Basic rules for x-ray and radium protection have been promulgated by the International Commission on X-ray and Radium Protection and published in numerous journals. More detailed rules, prepared in this country, are available in N.B.S. Handbook 20 (X-ray Protection) and N.B.S. Handbook 23 (Radium Protection). Reference to these is recommended before planning new x-ray installation. The handbook on x-ray protection gives the rules for maximum protection; if followed strictly, any errors will be on the safe side, though not necessarily the most economical one. We give, in these discussions, certain qualifications which may permit a more economical disposition of protective barriers and devices. At the same time a number of miscellaneous points requiring special emphasis are considered. II.—Tolerance Dose The so-called “tolerance dose” is the total x-ray energy that a person may receive continuously without suffering any damage to the blood or reproductive organs. This is expressed best in roentgens or in terms of an erythema dose. The tolerance dose recommended by the International Protection Commission is taken as a seven-hour daily exposure at a dosage rate not exceeding 10−5 roentgens per second. This is roughly 104 times the dosage rate of cosmic radiation. It is argued by the geneticists, based largely on the work of Mueller (3), that this is ten times the safe dosage; or, in other words, the tolerance dosage rate should not exceed 10−5 r∕sec. Their figure is based on the elimination of any second-generation genetic effects, whereas the accepted figure of 10−5 r∕sec. is based on the effect upon the recipient of the radiation only. As may be seen below, the radiation dosage rate may be reduced from 10−5 to 10−6 r∕sec. by the addition of, roughly, 30 per cent more lead in a given protective barrier. However, since the value of 10−5 r∕sec. is the present accepted tolerance dosage rate, all of our calculations will be based on this figure, and a discussion of the relative merits of the two values will not be entered into. Although genetic effects were not a consideration during the preparation of the international safety recommendations, it is possible that such a wide margin of safety has been provided that they have hitherto successfully protected against genetic mutations. III.—Lead Protective Barriers Since lead has the highest atomic number of any material readily available and easily worked, it is generally used for protective barriers and the protective value of other materials is referred to lead as a base.

29. On Differences in the Microscopic Characters of the Crown‐feathers of Tits of the Genus Parus, with particular reference to the Marsh‐and Willow‐Tits

Summary.The main part of the paper is devoted to a description of differences in the microscopic appearance and structure of the crown‐feathers of the Marsh‐Tit (Parus palustris) and the Willow‐Tit (Parus atricapillus), amending and amplifying an earlier description by Dr. P. R. Lowe (1932), which appeared to indicate a remarkable degree of difference in the minute structure of the feathers of these otherwise remarkably similar species. It is shown: That although anterior crown‐feathers of adult birds can usually be separated under the microscope without difficulty, the differences are much less than the earlier account suggested. That the apparent greater breadth of the Marsh‐Tit barbule, which is one of the main features enabling the feathers to be distinguished from those of the Willow‐Tit, is not due to any marked difference in the real width of the barbules, but to those of the former species being more strongly twisted at their bases, so that their broad faces are more nearly in the plane of the surface of the feather. This, in conjunction with a slightly closer placing of the barbulea on the barb, no doubt helps to increase the amount of light reflected from the surface of the feather, but the most important factor in this connection is the amount of pigment present. The segmented or nodal structure of the barbules is quite well developed in the Willow‐Tit as well as in the Marsh‐Tit, though obscured in an undisturbed feather by reason of the fact that the barbules in the former species are viewed edge‐on. The characteristic specializations of the Marsh‐Tit feather decrease from front to back of the black cap, the hinder feathers closely resembling those of the Willow‐Tit. This difference between anterior and posterior crown‐feathers is less marked in forms with maximum gloss, like Parus major. The juveniles of the glossy‐crowned forms have crown‐feathers resembling those of the non‐glossy forms in microscopic appearance. The demonstration that there is no real structural or other important difference between the feathers of P. atricapillus and P. palustris removes any support (which the previous description might seem to have afforded) for the view that they represent two distinct stocks which are converging rather than forms diverging from a relatively recent common ancestor.The second section is devoted to an account of the microscopic characters of the crown‐feathers of other black‐capped Tits, with reference to various species presenting miscellaneous points of interest. In general it appears that the Marsh‐and Willow‐Tits may be regarded as representing two stages in the evolution of a strongly glossy blue‐black cap from an undifferentiated brown one, the later phases entailing an accentuation of the characters which distinguish the Marsh‐Tit feather from the Willow‐Tit. The view that the Willow‐Tit is a more primitive form than the Marsh‐Tit is consistent with its geographical distribution.

Annual Reprt of the Government Laboratory

THE report of the principal chemist of the Government Laboratory, London, upon the work of the department during the last fiscal year, contains, as usual, a mass of information respecting the chemical examinations and inquiries made for the various branches of the executive. On former occasions we have described the general work of the laboratory in some detail, and will therefore, in the present instance, merely note a few of the many miscellaneous points of interest mentioned in the report.