DEC. 19, 1921 SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 515 



there is a gradual increase in the range of the tide from mouth to head. A 

 further increase takes place in the upper reaches of the bay, because of the 

 very considerable contraction in width and shallowing in depth. 



By applying the formulas for stationary wave oscillation in a body of 

 water open at one end, as developed by Harris and by Honda and his col- 

 leagues, the period of oscillation of the Bay of Fundy is found to approx- 

 imate 12 1/2 hours or the period of the ocean tide. It may, therefore, be 

 concluded that the tidal phenomena in the Bay of Fundy arise primarily 

 from the fact that the period of oscillation of the water in the bay closely 

 approximates the period of the ocean tide. This brings about a stationary 

 wave movement of the water with the greatest possible rise and fall for the 

 existing geographic features. 



The second paper, on Characteristic soft X-rays, by F. L. Mohler and 

 P. D. FooTE, was presented by Mr. MohlER, and was illustrated. It was 

 discussed by Messrs. L. J. Briggs, Humphreys, Tuckerman, and Crit- 

 tenden. 



The paper has been published in brief form in this Journal.^ 



H. H. Kimball,, Recording Secretary 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



The Horological Institute of America was formally organized at the offices 

 of the National Research Council on October 20. One of its important pur- 

 poses is to aid the jewelry trade in raising the standard of watch repair work, 

 through a system of examination and certification in which samples of re- 

 pair work on watches will be tested by the Bureau of Standards. 



The Petrologists' Club met on November 16 at the home of H. G. Fer- 

 guson, and discussed the following papers: C. N. Fenner: Evidence of as- 

 similation during the Katmai eruption; N. L. Bowen: The alnoite rocks 

 near Montreal. 



The non-magnetic ship Carnegie of the Department of Terrestrial Mag- 

 netism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, arrived at Washington on Nov- 

 ember 10, completing a two-year cruise around the world. The Carnegie 

 left Hampton Roads in October, 1919, and has touched at points in western 

 Africa, Argentina, South Africa, Ceylon, Australia, New Zealand, the southern 

 Pacific islands, and Hawaii, returning by way of the Panama Canal. Capt. 

 J. P. AuLT was in command, and the rest of. the scientific personnel con- 

 sisted of Messrs. H. F. Johnston, A. Thomson, H. R. Grummann, R. R. 

 Mills, R. Pemberton, and F. A. Franks. 



The following educational courses are being given at the Department of 

 Agriculture this winter: (1) H. C. Taylor, of the Department: Agricul- 

 tural economics; (2) H. R. TollEy: Statistical methods (with special lectures 

 by Messrs. Murray, Andrews, and Holmes); (3) C. O. Appleman, of 

 the University of Maryland: Biochemistry; (4) L- R. Jones, of the National 

 Research Council: Plant pathology; (5) B. E. Livingston, of Johns Hop- 

 kins University: Plant physiology; (6) Sewall Wright, of the Bureau of 

 Animal Industry: Genetics; (7) W. J. Humphreys, of the Weather Bureau: 

 Physics of the air; (8) R. C. Tolman, of the Fixed Nitrogen Research Labor- 

 atory: Statistical chemistry. Special graduate courses are also being ar- 



1 This Journal 11: 273-274. June 19, 1921. 



