METEOROLOGY WATER. 317 



Repert., p. 168). — Zein is proposed as an electrical insulating material and for 

 the impregnation of paper for the manufacture of isolating sheets. When 

 mixed with kaolin and sulphur it yields a plastic substance which can be pressed 

 hydraulically. 



Proceeding's of the twenty-ninth, annual convention of the Association of 

 Oflacial Agricultural Chemists, edited by \V. D. Rigelow and G. O. Savage 

 iU. S. Dciit. Agr., Bur. Cham. Bui. 162, pp. 232, pis. 2).— This is the oflicial 

 report of these proceedings, which have been previously noted (E. S. R., 27, 

 p. 495). 



METEOROLOGY— WATEE. 



Agricultural zones of the Tropics in their relation to climate. — I, America, 

 R. Hennig (Tropenpflanzcr, Beihefte, I4 (1913), No. .',, pp. 2.'f7-.',3S) .—The cli- 

 matic conditions of the tropical portions of Florida and the Gold Coast, 

 Mexico. Central America, West Indies, and South America are described, and 

 the relation of natural vegetation, cultivated plants, domestic animals, and 

 races of men to those climatic conditions are discussed in detail. An extensive 

 bibliography of the subject is given. 



Bulletin of the Mount Weather Observatory (U. 8. Dept. Agr., Bui. Mount 

 Weather Ohscrv., 6 {1013), pi. 2, pp. 35-60, figs, i^).— This number contains the 

 following articles: Vertical Temperature Gradients Between Mount Weather, 

 Va., and Valley Stations, by A. J. Henry; A Change in Skylight Polarization, 

 by H. H. Kimball ; and Free Air Data at Mount Weather, Va., for January, 

 February, and March, 1913 (illus.), by W. R. Blair. 



Meteorological observations at the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, J. E. Ostrandee and E. K. Dexter (Massachusetts Sta. Met. Bills. 299, 

 300, pp. 4 each). — Summaries of observations on pressure, temperature, hu- 

 midity, precipitation, wind, sunshine, cloudiness, and casual phenomena dur- 

 ing November and December, 1913, are presented. The general character of 

 the weather for November is briefly discussed, and the December bulletin gives 

 a summary for the year. The principal data in this summary are as follows : 



Pressure, reduced to freezing and sea level (inches). — Maximum, 30.88, 

 March 18; minimum, 28.55, January 3; mean, 30.037. Air temperature, in 

 ground shelter (degrees F.). — Maximum, 100, July 1; minimum, — 4.5, February 

 10; mean hourly, 49.3. Humidity. — mean dew-point, 40.1; mean relative hu- 

 midity, 75.7. Precipitation. — Total rainfall or melted snow, 39.5 in. ; number of 

 days on which 0.01 in. or more rain or melted snow fell, 135 ; total snowfall, 

 26.5 in. Weather. — Total cloudiness recorded by sun thermometer, 2,031 hours, 

 or 46 per cent; number of clear days, 105. Bright sunshine. — Number of hours 

 recorded, 2,423, or 54 per cent. Wind. — Prevailing direction, west ; total move- 

 ment, 55,120 miles; maximum daily movement, 042 miles. January 4; minimum 

 daily movement, 9 miles, September 5; maximum pressure per square foot, 27 

 lbs., July 23, south-southwest. Dates of frost. — Last, May 15 ; first, September 

 10. Dates of snow. — Last, April 9 ; first, October 31. 



Weather report, W. H. Day (Ann. Rpt. Ontario Agr. Col. and Expt. Farm, 38 

 (1912), pp. 34-IfO). — Summaries by months of observations during 1912 at 

 Guelph and other places in Ontario on temperature, rainfall, snowfall, wind, 

 and length of season are given. 



A provisional statement regarding the total amount of evaporation by 

 months at 23 stations in the United States, 1909-10, F. II. Bigelow (U. S. 

 Dept^. Agr., Weather Bur. Abstract of Data 4, pp. 6). — This statement was com- 

 piled from observations by the V. S. Weather Bureau, Reclamation Service, 

 and Geological Survey. The observations were made at Salton Sea, Indio, 

 Mecca, Brawley, Lake Tahoe, and Mammoth, Cal. ; North Yakima and Lake 



