246 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



International Geodetic and Geophysical Union. — As secretary and director 

 of the Central Bureau of the International Section of Terrestrial Magnetism 

 and Electricity, Dr. Bauer issued, under his editorship. Bulletin No. 3 of 

 the section, containing the transactions of the Rome meeting. May 1922. 

 Various reports appear in this bulletin by Messrs. Bauer, Fleming, and 

 Mauchly. 



Commission on Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity of the 

 International Meteorological Committee. — The data pertaining to magnetic 

 character of days as determined from the magnetograms at the Watheroo and 

 Huancayo observatories were forwarded regularly to Dr. Van Dijk, of the 

 De Bilt Observatory at Utrecht, for publication by the Commission. 



National Research Council. — Messrs. Ault, Barnett, Bauer, Fleming, 

 Mauchly, and Peters have performed various duties in connection with com- 

 mittees of the council and have supplied information on specific topics as 

 requested from time to time. Dr. Barnett is chairman of the Committee on 

 Theories of Magnetism of the Division of Physical Sciences. 



Library work. — Mr. Harradon, librarian-translator in charge of the library, 

 reports that over 700 books and pamphlets were received from all sources 

 during the year, making the total number of accessioned publications now in 

 the library of the Department nearly 12,700. In addition to a large amount 

 of translation for various purposes, numerous reports and articles in foreign 

 languages were edited and prepared for publication, particularly in connection 

 with the transactions of the International Section of Terrestrial Magnetism 

 and Electricity. A list of recent publications, under the headings (A) Ter- 

 restrial and Cosmical Magnetism, (B) Terrestrial and Cosmical Electricity, 

 and (C) Miscellaneous, was prepared regularly and published in the Journal 

 of Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity. During the latter part 

 of the year, Professor J. D. Thompson elaborated the system of library 

 classification devised by him for the use of the Department in 1904 along lines 

 indicated by his recent examination of the card index of the library. This 

 extended classification was put into effect and a general rearrangement of 

 the library begun. 



ABSTRACTS OF PUBLICATIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS. 



Sailing the seven seas in the interest of science. J. P. Ault. Nation. Geog. Mag., vol. 

 42, 631-690 (December 1922). 



This paper, illustrated by numerous photographs, gives a popular narrative 

 of the third, fourth, and sixth cruises of the Carnegie under command of the 

 author. Following a general statement describing the chief purpose of the 

 cruises, namely, the accumulation of accurate data regarding the Earth's 

 magnetic and electric fields over the oceans, a brief resume of each cruise is 

 given, with details concerning the routes traversed, covering about 157,000 

 miles, as shown on an outline chart. Descriptions of the widely varying 

 oceanographic conditions from the high latitudes reached (80° north to 60° 

 south) to the tropical seas are given. 



Air navigation.' J. P. Ault. 



Up to the present time in air navigation dead reckoning has been mostly 

 used. For cross-country flying and short flights over the water, a good com- 

 pass and a good map are the two most important instruments required, but 



' Presented before the Philosophical Society of Washington, May 5, 1923; see Jour. Wash. 

 Acad. Sci., vol. 13, 334, 335 (August 19, 1923). 



