WATER SOILS. 751 



Rainfall, EL S. Lawrence | Dept. Land Records and Agr., Bombay Pres., Season and 

 Crop Rpt. 1903-4, pp. 1-3, II-XII1). — Summaries are given of rainfall during 1902 

 and 1903 in different parts of the Bombay Presidency. 



Sun spots and rainfall, R. DeC. Ward {Science, n. ser., .'I {1905), No. 528., pp. 

 231, 232). — Notes are given on a discussion by EL I. Jensen in the Proceedings of the 

 RoyalrSociety of New South Wales, vol. 38, of the relations between solar and terres- 

 trial phenomena, in which the author agrees with the conclusions reached by the 

 Lockyers regarding the connection between solar and meteorological variations, but 

 inclines to the opinion that the epochs of sun-spot maxima are generally periods of 

 excessive rainfall. The author also insists that more emphasis should he laid upon 

 geographical position in considering the meteorological conditions of any place. 



A discussion of the relation between sun spots and thunderstorm frequency at 

 Vienna by G. "Walter, in Das Wetter for December, 1904, is also referred to in which 

 the conclusion is reached that a year with few thunderstorms almost always precedes 

 a year of sun-spot maxima. 



Influence of the forests of the Landes on the rainfall regime of the neighbor- 

 ing regions, particularly on the north side of the Pyrenees, E. Marchand 

 {Compt. Rend. 2. Cong. Sud-Ouesi Nov., '/'onions,, 1903). 



The influence of cannonading on snow storms ( Com pi. Rend. Acad.Sci. [Paris], 

 138 {1904), No. 26, p. 16S0). — The dissipation of a snow storm in Hyeres on April 2, 

 1904, by cannonading is reported. 



The moon and the barometer, A. B. MacDowall {Nature [London], 71 {1905), 

 Xo. 1840, p. 320, fig. 1) .— The relation of barometric variations to phases of the 

 moon are compared for the summer half of the year on the basis of observations at 

 Ben Nevis from 1884 to 1892 and at Greenwich from 1889 to 1904. The curves 

 plotted for each place show "few days of low barometer about (just after) full 

 and new moon, many such days about (just after) the quarters." The results, 

 therefore, for the summer half of the year seem to confirm the popular belief that 

 the weather tends to be more settled about full moon. The regime for the winter 

 half of the year (October to March) appears to be somewhat different, but has not 

 yet been definitely worked out. 



Summer night frosts in Sweden, 1871-1900, H. E. Hamheko {K. Svenska 

 Vetensk. Akad. Handl., 38 {1904), No. 1, pp. 94, pis. 4)-— A study of the frost phe- 

 nomenon, the occurrence of night frosts and their intensity in different seasons and 

 sections of Sweden during the period from 1871 to 1900. The statistical data referring 

 to the questions studied are presented in detail in the report, and such discussions 

 ami deductions given as seemed warranted by the data. — p. w. woll. 



The importance of the nitrogen of the air and of the soil in plant produc- 

 tion, Lohnis ( Ihnit. Landw. Presse, 31 {1904), No. 98, pp. 817, 81S).— The influence 

 of fallow on soil nitrogen and on the activity of soil organisms is briefly discussed. 



WATER SOILS. 



A microscopic examination of the State College water supply (not includ- 

 ing bacteria), W. A. Buckhout {Pennsylvania Sta. Rpt. /no.;, p/>. 179-182). — The 

 character of this water supply is described, and a brief account is given of results of 

 microscopic examinations of the water at intervals of 2 to 4 weeks throughout the 

 year. 



Soil water {Rpt. Agr. Work, Expt. Melds and Govt. Lab. [British Guiana], 1903-4, 

 p. 5). — Examinations with reference to chlorin and nitrogen as ammonia and as 

 nitrates during July, 1903. and June, 1904, of "soil waters collected from a depth of 

 4 ft. 6 in. from the surface soil and which percolated through the bottom of a shallow 

 well withconcreted sides in the gas house at the government laboratory," are reported. 



