Meteorology — water. 51 7 



tection of coloring matters, and standardization of alcoliol tables, together witti 

 a report of the committee on by-laws and a list of the officers for the coming 

 year. 



Publications of the Bureau of Chemistry {U. 8. Dept. Agr., Div. Puhs. 

 Circ. 7, pp. 5). — This is a list of the publications of the Bureau of Chemistry of 

 this Department available for distribution. 



METEOROLOGY— WATEE. 



The meteorology of the future, C. Abbe (Pop. 8ci. Mo., 78 (1911), No. 1, 

 pp. 21-35). — This article reviews the history of the development of the science 

 of meteorology, explains the forces which control weather phenomena, and dis- 

 cusses some of the problems affecting the future development of the science. 



The author emphasizes the fact that weather conditions are as a rule con- 

 trolled by great forces acting over immense areas and entirely beyond the 

 control of man with the present knowledge available. He expresses the 

 opinion " that we shall some day long years hence acquire some control of the 

 atmosphere, but at the present time we are not ready for it, neither scientifically 

 nor socially." 



As regards periodic weather phenomena, the author is of the opinion that such 

 periodicity is too feeble to be of importance or even to be clearly recognized. The 

 climatic changes which seem to have taken place during geological history he 

 thinks may be attributed to changes in orography of the continents and in the 

 distribution of land and water. The use of explosives to produce rain is con- 

 sidered entirely futile. 



International catalog-ue of scientific literature. F — Meteorology {Internat. 

 Cat. Sci. Lit., 8 (1910), pp. 77/7+293).— The literature indexed in this eighth 

 annual issue of the international catalogue (E. S. R., 22, p. 417) "is mainly 

 that of 1908, but includes those portions of the literature of 1901-1907 in regard 

 to which the index slips were received by the central bureau too late for inclu- 

 sion in the previous volumes. There are also entries dated 1909." 



Meteorological summary for the year 1909, A. E. Bellis (Wi/oming Sta. 

 Rpt. 1910, pp. 72-77). — Tables are given which summarize observations during 

 19 years on temperature and precipitation and during 1909 on temperature, 

 pressure, precipitation, humidity, sunshine and cloudiness, and solar radiation, 

 at Laramie. The mean temperature at Laramie during 1909 was 38.7° F., the 

 maximum, 90°, in July, and the minimum, — 23°, in December. The total pre- 

 cipitation was 9.69 in. The average barometric pressure was 22.98 in. There 

 were no frosts from May 25 to September 22, the period free from frosts being 

 longer than usual, " The weather conditions for the year were generally nor- 

 mal or nearly so, there being no remarkable disturbances, storms, nor wind 

 conditions." 



[Meteorology and hydrography of the Canal Zone], C. M. Saville (Ann. 

 Rpt. Isthmian Canal Com., 1910, pp. 275-303). — The organization and equipment' 

 of the meteorological and hydrographic service of the Canal Zone are briefly 

 described and data are given for temperature, rainfall, evaporation, seismic 

 disturbances, stream measurements, and the like, for the 18 months ended June 

 30, 1910. 



Variations in rainfall and famine in German East Africa, E. Keemeb 

 (Arch. Deut. Seewarte, 33 (1910), No. 1, pp. 6.'f, figs. 19, charts 2).— A critical 

 examination of data bearing upon the relation of the Indian monsoon system 

 to the rainfall of this region is reported, with a bibliography of the subject. 

 No very reliable basis of predicting rainfall for the region is developed from 

 the data. 



