HA RD WICKE S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



39 



Rising, Southing, and Setting of the Principal 

 Planets at intervals of Seven Days. 



At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean 

 reading of the barometer for the week ending 12th of 

 February was 30.39 in. The mean temperature of 

 the air was 34.5 deg., and 5.1 below the average 

 in the corresponding weeks of the 20 years ending 

 1S6S. The general direction of the wind was north- 

 east, and the horizontal movement of the air averaged 

 13.3 miles per hour, which was 0.4 below the 

 average in the corresponding weeks of 16 years. No 

 rain was measured during the week. 



For the week ending 19th of February, the mean 

 reading of the barometer was 30.10 in. The mean 

 temperature of the air was 34.8 deg., and 4. 1 below 

 the average in the corresponding weeks of the 20 

 years ending 1868. The general direction of the 

 wind was north-east, and the horizontal movement 

 of the air averaged II. I miles per hour, which was 

 1 .4 below the average in the corresponding weeks of 

 16 years. Rain fell on Friday to the amount of 

 0.20 of an inch. 



For the week ending 26th of February, the mean 

 reading of the barometer was 30.00 in. The mean 

 temperature of the air was 42.9 deg., and 3.2 above 

 the average in the corresponding weeks of the 20 

 years ending 1868. The general direction of the 

 wind was south-west, and the horizontal movement 

 of the air averaged 13.6 miles per hour, which was 

 0.8 above the average in the corresponding weeks of 

 16 years. Rain fell on Monday to the amount of 

 0.05 of an inch. 



For the week ending 5th of March, the mean 

 reading of the barometer was 30 . 34 in. The mean 

 temperature of the air was 35.9 deg., and 4.5 below 

 the average in the corresponding weeks of the 20 

 years ending 1868. The direction of the wind was 

 variable, and the horizontal movement of the air 

 averaged 6.5 miles per hour, which was 7.3 below 

 the average in the corresponding weeks of 16 years. 

 Rain fell on Saturday to the amount of 0.01 of an 

 inch. 



For the week ending March 12, the mean read- 

 ing of the barometer was 29.91^ in. The mean 

 temperature of the air was 37.5 deg., and 3.1 below 

 the average in the corresponding weeks of the 20 

 years ending 1868. The direction of the wind was 

 variable, and the horizontal movement of the air 

 averaged 10.7 miles per hour, which was 3.1 below 

 the average in the corresponding week of 16 years. 

 Rain or melted snow was measured to the amount 

 of 0.28 of an inch on Saturday. 



The mean temperature for April is at Plymouth, 

 45 , at Bournemouth, 44 , at London, 43 , at 

 Norwich, 42 . 



The average rainfall for April is along the South 

 coast 2 inches, and about London 1 inch ; in the 

 Midlands and on the East coast, from 1 to 2 inches, 

 only near the Land's End does it reach to 3 inches. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



That historic Coniferous tree, the Wellingtonia 

 was re-named Sequoia, after an Indian chief, who 

 invented an alphabet of somewhere about fifty-six 

 letters. That seems to be his claim to historic 

 renown, and the reason why he is immortalised by a 

 " Tree of Life " (for the Wellingtonia is said to be 

 able to live 4000 years, and nobody can contradict 

 the statement) altered to Sequoia. But what about 

 the modern hydro-carbon chemists, and those whose 

 whole life is devoted to the chemistry of products of 

 combustion ? The newspaper readers, who send 

 shillings for word-competitions, have never read the 

 " Chemical Society's Journal." 



The volcano of Mauna Loa, in the Sandwich 

 Islands, is stated to have "erupted" once more. 

 That is what active volcanoes are intended for ! 



It seems that the activity of the Phylloxera is not 

 interrupted during the period of suspended vegeta- 

 tion of the vine ; why should it ? It lives on the 

 sap or vintage ! 



Mr. H. B. Woodward's important work (second 

 and revised edition) on " The Geology of England 

 and Wales," is announced as " ready." The readers 

 ought to be the same. 



