212 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



shown that amino acids, peptids, and peptones can be estimated accurately and 

 quickly in small amounts of material. It may, therefore, be called a ' clinical ' 

 method. 



" Two Aery insoluble copper complexes, T;-amino caproic acid and phenyl 

 glycin copper, are found which may be useful in analytical work with copper. 

 Ammoniacal lead acetate (5 cc. strong ammonia, specific graA-ity 90, to 25 cc. 

 10 per cent lead acetate) is shown to precipitate sugars, dicarboxylic acids, such 

 as oxalic, citric, tartaric, and in moderate dilutions (1 part to 5,000) the amino 

 acids, histidin, tyrosin, and tryptophan. Under the same conditions none of 

 the other amino acids and [some] of the peptids are precipitated. In very 

 dilute solution (1 to 25,000) this reagent does not seem to precipitate any 

 amino acids. 



" By means of the amino acids, ij-amino caproic acid and phenyl glycin, the 

 copper of all the other complexes, including those of the amino acids and all 

 the polypeptids thus far studied with the exception of histidin, can be thrown 

 down quantitatively. Therefore, by means of these reagents, we can determine 

 histidin in very small quantities accurately and quickly.'" 



METEOROLOGY— WATER. 



Report of the Chief of the Weather Bureau, 1913 {U. S. Dept. Agr., Weather 

 Bur. Rpt. 1913, pp. 252, pis. 4). — This contains an administrative report on 

 work during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1913, and includes also tables giving 

 a general summary of the weather conditions in the United States by months 

 during the year 1912, annual summary of climatological data at the Canadian 

 stations for 1912, list of observing stations and changes therein during 1912, 

 sunshine in 1912, details of excessive precipitation in 1912. monthly and annual 

 meteorological summaries for 1912, monthly and annual amounts of precipita- 

 tion in 1912, and monthly and seasonal snowfall in 1912-13. 



Monthly Weather Review {Mo. Weather Rev., 42 {1911}), No. 1, pp. 1-74, 

 pis. 8, figs. 22). — This is the first number of the Review under the reorganized 

 plan of issuing this publication. 



In accordance with this plan this number contains material classified as fol- 

 lows: (1) Aerology — data and discussions relative to the free atmosphere; 



(2) general meteorology — special contributions by any competent student bear- 

 ing on any branch of meteorology and climatology, theoretical or otherwise; 



(3) forecasts and general conditions of the atmosphere; (4) rivers and floods; 

 (5) bibliography — recent additions to the Weather Bureau library, and recent 

 papers bearing on meteorology; and (6) weather of the month — summary of 

 local weather conditions, climatological data from regular Weather Bureau 

 stations, tables of accumulated and excessive precipitation, data furnished by 

 the Canadian Meteorological Service, and monthly charts ... as hitherto. 



Such papers as have heretofore been iDublished in the Bulletin of the Mount 

 Weather Observatory will be incorporated in the Review, but " the voluminous 

 tables of data and text relative to local climatological conditions that have 

 during recent years been prepared by the twelve resi>ective 'district editors' 

 will be omitted." 



This number contains articles on Atmospheric Transparency for Radiation, 

 by F. E. Fowle ; Pressure in Absolute Units, by W. N. Shaw ; The Winds in the 

 Free Air (illus.), by C. J. P. Cave; Meteox'ology as an Exact Science, by V. 

 Bjerknes; Peculiarities of the California Climate (illus.), by G. F. McEwen 

 (see p. 213) ; Lorin Blodget's Climatology of the United States, an Apprecia- 

 tion, by R. DeC. Ward; Is There an Auroral Sound? by J. Oxaal ; The Mete- 



