METEOROLOGY WATER. 511 



of weekly values for wk-U eleiueiit includetl in the i)eri<)d nieiitioned above, oue- 

 third are claaracterized as moderate, oue-tliird fall on the side of excess, and one- 

 third on the side of defect. A furthei' subdivision is effected by i)refixing the 

 adverb ' very ' to the description in the case of one-twelfth of the values reckoned 

 from either extreme. ... 



" The first step in the process of fixing the limits consisted in the determina- 

 tion of the average value for each week for each element and for each district. 

 The average values, found by taking the mean in the usual manuf?i*, were then 



smoothed bv Bloxam's formula — " , and the results adopted as aver- 



4 



ages ' for the time of the year.' Subsequently the frequency distributions of the 



divergencies from these smoothed averages? were determined for each element. 



From these, working diagrams were prepared for each district. . . . 



" The classification has been undertaken with the object of summarizing in a 

 convenient form the meteorological characteristics of a long period, such as a 

 season or a year, by enumerating the number of weeks of each kind experienced 

 within it, and tables are given in each issue of the report summarizing the 

 weather of the current season and of the past four seasons on these lines. By 

 this means it is hoped that the comparison of meteorological results with other 

 statistics will be facilitated." 



The afternoon harvest forecasts were continued as in previous years, .S7 per 

 cent of them being completely or partially successful. Of the regular forecasts 

 for the whole of the British Isles S.5.5 per cent were successful. 



Meteorological report, F. Smith (Wyoming Sta. Rpt. 1907, pp. J^J-UfS). — 

 Summaries are given of observations at Laramie, Wyo., on pressure, tempera- 

 ture, precipitation, humidity, sunshine and cloudiness, and wind movement dur- 

 ing 190G. The mean annual temperature was 44.6° F., and the total precipita- 

 tion 12.57 in., which is about 2I> in. larger than the average for the last 16 

 years. 



Meteorology, J. H. Hart {Trinidad Bot. Dept., Bui. Misc. Inform., 1907, No. 

 56, pp. 31S-320; Ann. Rpt. Supt. Roy. Bot. Gardens [Trinidad], 1906-7. pp. 

 19-2o). — Summaries are given of observations at St. Clair, Trinidad, of pres- 

 sure, temperature, and rainfall from 18S8 to 1906, inclusive, with somewhat 

 more detailed data for each month of ]U06. The mean annual temperature re- 

 corded for 19 years is 78.5° F., the annual rainfall 66.4 in., and the mean annual 

 relative humidity 79. The conditions during 1906 agreed closely with these 

 normals. 



LMeteorological records, Fiji Islands, 1875-1906] (Leg. Council Fiji Paper 

 No. 13, pp. 13-16). — Monthly and annual means of temperature, pressure, rain- 

 fall, and humidity are given for the period 1884 to 1906 at Suva, and for the 

 period 1875 to 1885 at Levuka ; also detailed observations for the year 1906 at 

 Suva, and mean monthly rainfall for the same year at a number of different 

 points in the islands. 



On the meteorology of the Nile Valley, H. G. Lyons (Met. Zlschr. [Bruns- 

 loirk] 2'i (1907), No. 5, pp. 205-212). — This article is based on a report by the 

 author which has already been noted (E. S. R., 18, p. 424). 



The cold spring of 1907, A. J. Henry (Mo. Weather Rev., 3.', (1907), No. 5, 

 pp. 223-225). — The weather map features accompanying the cold si)ring of 1907 

 are reviewed and other cold seasons of previous years are described. The con- 

 clusion is reached that "the underlying causes of the recent cold weather are 

 probably obscure and deep seated, I but J that the chance of injury to the staple 

 crops of this country by reason of a backward spring is rather remote, provided, 

 of course, a sufficient amount of heat is supplied iu June. . . . Drought and heat 



