IVrKTE()i;( )!.()( !V WATER, 1 1 



A contributio:i to the study of spring n.-nd fall frosts, K. Vandkrt.txdkn 

 (Anil. Scrr. Md. (ihscrr.. l!)ii.',; alis. in Ifcr. (Irii. Ai/roii.. ii. xr/.. / {1!)06), No. 

 3, p. 103). — A ii()t(> is liiTc ixivcii mi sludit's rcpurtcd in liic :iiimi;il report of 

 the .M«'t(H)r<)l()j;ic;il Service < f the Kiiyjil Ohservntmy for 1 '. >( Ci c 1 1' conditions under 

 v'liieli frosts :ire formed in llie re.;^i<»n of Tccle nnd (if nienns of predicting frosts. 



The conclnsion is rcH-licd tli.il liie occurrence ol" spring; ;ind fall frosts is 

 detennincd l;ii-,i:('i\- li.\' Idc'I cmdilinns. 'I'lic tlirce principnl nieteorolo.iileal con- 

 ditions wiiich are liciicNcd to determine tlie occurrence ol' siicii fi'osts in tlu^ 

 region in wliiili tlie ohscrx ations reported were made are (1( an antic.N'clone 

 coverini,' a lar:.^' part or all of lOurnpc. (2) a low to tlie east or northeast and 

 an anticyclone lo the west. ( ."> ) a Inw to tlie loutli of lOui-ope and a liifxli to the 

 north. .Many other cnndilions have an iiitlnenec in the formation of white 

 frosts. 'I'he determination of de\vi)oint was found to he an unreliahle indica- 

 tinii of niLcht fmsts. 'I"he theory that tliei>> is a constant relation hetween the 

 temperature shown by the wet hull) thermometer at a given hour and the niini- 

 niuni niglit temjierature was not verified in these investigations, and this instru- 

 ment therefore did not prove reliable as a means of predicting frosts. 



Balloons and kites in the service of meteorology, W. II. Dines (Nature 

 [Lniidoii \. 1 'i ( HUH!). .Yo. laiii;. j)/). .;.',. .]i!). — This is a brief summary of i)rogress 

 which has been made in the study of tlie ui)per atmosphere by means of balloons 

 and kites. 



Recent pi'actice in the erection of light::ing conductors, A. J. Henry 

 (f. .S'. Dcjit. Ani:. Wciilhcr liiir. Hid. .il. pp. 20). — The prineipal contents of this 

 bulletin are a description of the lightning eonduetors on the Washington Monu- 

 ment : the jireface to the Kejiort of the Lightning Research Committee, by Sir 

 Oliver Lodge; the rules for the erection of lightning conductors as issued by 

 the Lightning Itod Conference of 18S-, with observations thereon by the Light- 

 ning Research Committee of 19()o, and brief statements of the latest practice 

 abroad, in Holland, Hungary, and Germany. 



I Amount of nitrogen as ammonia and nitrates in rain water collected at 

 Pretoria], II. Inole (Tniiisraal Agr. Jour., // {J!)0.')), pp. lO'i, 10 o : uhn. in .lour. 

 Chcni. So<: ILontlon], HO UDOC), No. .123. II. p. 30.2). — Determinations of am- 

 monia, nitrates, and nitrites in weekly samjiles of niin water collected at Pre- 

 tori.M dui-ing the year ended .Inne ."Id. l'.M)."i, are reported. The results for the 

 year are as follows: Rainfall lM.."!1 in., ammoniacal nitrogen L194 parts jier 

 million, nitric nitrogen O.I'.h; part: anunoniacal nitrogen per acre <i.r)87 lbs., 

 i.itric nitrogen per acre l.dS.", lbs. Tlu> anunoniacal nitrogen was on the average 

 85.!) per cent of the total nitrogiMi. "The nitrogen as annnonia varied from 

 0..']2 (week ending March IS) to A~) (week ending August 27) per million, the 

 rainfall being lO.'.Mi nun. and l.oc mm., respectively. The nitrogen as nitrates 

 varied from O.O."} to 3.7") per million (rainfall Ki.os and (t.;!S mm.). Nearly the 

 whole of the nitrogen in the rain is hnaight down during the growing .season." 



Water and the law of minimum in the fertilization of soils, L. Tiiiry 

 (Bid. Soc. Chim. BrUi.. 10 (100.1). N'l. .•^-.'), p. 2(!(i).— The role of water from the 

 chemical, physical, biological, and electrical standpoints is discussed. Intensive 

 culture is shown to reduce the water content of soil. This nuist be returned 

 directly by irrigation or indirectly by inii)roved methods of culture if the pro- 

 ductive cai);icity of the soil is to be maintained. 



Underground water resources of Long Island, New York, A. C. Veatcii et 

 AL. (V. .S'. Grol. Survcii Prof. Paper No. J/.'f. pp. 39.'/. />/.s. Sff, fifj-f. 71). — Tliis is 

 a detailed report of studies of the geology and underground water conditions 

 of Long Island, including also tests of methods of measuring velocity of under- 

 flow, data regarding wells, sizing and filtration tests, and descrii)tions of surface 

 t^treams. It is shown that the conditions on the island are such as to cause it 



