METEOROLOGY. 315 



Copra drying, C. W. Hikes {Philippine Agr. Rev. [English Ed.], 7 (19U), 

 No. 8, pp. 323-326, pi. 1). — Coconuts are grown extensively in IG Provinces of 

 tlie Philippines and supply about one-third of the world's output of dried copra. 

 Modern methods of drying the copra and extracting the oil are not used, and 

 the greater part of the copra produced is of poor quality on account of the 

 inferior methods of handling and drying. Aside from the objectionable dark 

 color of the copra, which is caused by long drying, the large amount of moisture 

 retained favors the development of molds and bacteria, which give the product 

 an unfavorable appearance, and reduces the percentage of oil considerably. 



The several driers previously used in this work are briefly discussed, and the 

 proper method of drying is described. 



As regards the manufacture of oil it is pointed out that " the percentage of 

 oil contained in the fresh meat of the coconut usually runs from about 30 to 45 

 per cent. The percentage contained in the dried product will be largely gov- 

 erned by the percentage of moisture remaining. It will, of course, contain a 

 lower percentage of oil than the oven-dried, which will often reach 70 to 80 

 per cent when its moisture content has been greatly reduced. 



" There are two processes commonly used in extracting this oil — the hydraulic 

 and the continuous. The former usually gives higher extraction but is slower 

 in operation than the latter. . . . The press cake remaining after the oil is 

 removed makes a valuable cattle feed and also an excellent fertilizer." 



Yearbook of the^ societies of alcohol manufacturers, starch interests, and 

 potato driers in Germany, edited by G. Foth (Jahrb. Vet: Spirit us Fabrik. 

 Dcut., IJj. (I'JIJ/), pp. XXIII-\-51:3). — Discussions of these societies and reviews, 

 with ijarticular reference to the advances made in these industries during 1913. 



METEOROLOGY. 



Climatic provinces of the western United States, W. G. Reed (,Bul. A))ier. 

 Geogr. Soc, Jfl {1915), No. 1, pp. 1-19, figs. 4). — It is stated that the published 

 climatic provinces of the western United States are not satisfactoiy, and a new 

 grouping into two provinces is suggested, (1) a Pacific province which includes 

 all the region west from the Cascade, Sierra Nevada, and Peninsular moun- 

 tains to the Pacific Ocean, and (2) a rain shadow area which includes the 

 region east from this crest-line to the eastern boundary (left undetermined) of 

 the region under discussion. 



The underlying idea in this grouping is to divide the region in such a way 

 that areas with similar climatic conditions shall fall within the same general 

 group and that those with essentially different climatic conditions shall be kept 

 separate. The outstanding difference between the groups is that " the Pacific 

 province is characterized by marked subtropical winter rains and dry or nearly 

 dry summers ; the rain shadow area has large diurnal and annual ranges of 

 temperature and generally deficient precipitation." 



Geographical aspects of climatological investigations, B. C. Wallis {Scot. 

 (Jeogr. Mag., 30 {1914), No. 7, pp. 356-369, figs. 5).— An attempt is made to show 

 the utility in the teaching of geography of the method of differences as illus- 

 trated in the normal and variations from it of temperature and rainfall. 



Principia atmospherica: A study of the circulation of the atmosphere, 

 W. N. Shaw {Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinh.. 34 {1913-14), No. 1, pp. 77-112. figs. /,).— 

 This article deals with recent developments of the science of meteorology, par- 

 ticularly in the investigation of the upi)er air, presenting knowletlge of atmos- 

 pheric circulation " in the normal scientific form, with axioms which represent 

 inductive laws, with postulates or lemmas which represent groups of observed 



