204 ANNUAL KECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



The observations of such meteorological phenomena as af- 

 fect the fisheries continue to be published by the German 

 government, under the supervision of the Commission to In- 

 vestigate the German seas. This prompt monthly publica- 

 tion must greatly facilitate and stimulate the study and util- 

 ization of these data, and naturally suggests the advantages 

 that must result from a regular monthly publication of all 

 meteorological data specially pertaining to the United States 

 fisheries, forestry, injurious insects, etc., etc. 



The United States Fish Commissioner lias collected an im- 

 mense amount of data relative to water-temperatures, winds, 

 currents, etc., in the United States rivers, lakes, and seas, 

 which will be properly collated. 



In a memoir on Red Snow, in the " Memoirs of the Acad- 

 emy of Toulouse," vol. vii., Dr. Armieux advances the hypoth- 

 esis that the Uredo nivalis of Bauer, or the JProtococcus niva- 

 lis of Agardh, the Protococcus pluvialis of Cohn, and possibly 

 the Lepraria kermesina of Wrangel are the same ; and that 

 to these spores, in different stages of development, are due 

 the green, red, etc., snows that, in fact, these cryptogams can 

 also live on rocks, in peculiar circumstances, as at Kioulet. 



Refraction of Light and Sound. 



Dr. Fabitius, of Kief, shows that atmospheric refractions 

 may be computed for great zenith distances on the assump- 

 tion that the coefficient of refraction is constant quite as well 

 as for small distances. To this end he simply adopts for dis- 

 tances greater than 75 a value of the reciprocal coefficient 

 of refraction increasing in direct proportion with the zenith 

 distance. He hence concludes that the constitution of the 

 highest portion of the atmosphere has but little influence on 

 the horizontal refraction, and that it is sufficient to assume for 

 the upper portion the same law for the variation of temper- 

 ature and density as obtains near the earth's surface. On 

 this assumption he develops the formula) for atmospheric re- 

 fraction, which he is able to express in a series whose succes- 

 sive terms diminish very rapidly, and which are extremely con- 

 venient for the computation of special tables for any locality. 



The atmospheric refraction has been studied by Professor 

 Kowalski, of the University of Kazan, Russia. With most 

 other investigators, he pays special attention to the law of 



