114 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



cork with a siphoii-shaijecl glass tube, and the upper end closed with a perfo- 

 rated cork into which is fitted a glass T-tube. The rectangular limb of this 

 tube is connected by a short piece of rubber tubing with a glass tube at right 

 angles which passes down to the flask containing the solvent. Additional ad- 

 vantages, according to the author, are the ease with which the apparatus can 

 be cleaned and the fact that by substituting different sizes of percolators it can 

 be adapted with little trouble for use with either large or small quantities. 



METEOROLOGY— WATER. 



Precipitation, run-off, and evaporation on the earth's surface, R. Fritzsche 

 {jViederschhif/, Ahfhiss iiiid Vcrdunstuny aiif den Landfiuc^icn der Eide. Inaug. 

 Diss. Halle, 1906. pp. 55; Ztschr. GeiDusserk., 7 (1906), No. 6, pp. 321-370; rev. 

 in Naturiv. Rundschau, 22 {1907), p. Ill; Mitt. Justus Perthes' Geogr. Anst., 

 53 (1907), No. 1, Uteraturhericht: p. 16; Met. Ztschr., 25 (190S), No. 1, pp. 

 32-35). — This dissertation deals with the methods of reckoning mean precipita- 

 tion, and summarizes and discusses data bearing upon the balance of rainfall, 

 run-off, and evaporation on the earth's surface, distinguishing between the 

 relation of these three factors over water surfaces and land surfaces. 



In reviewing this dissertation E. Briickner points out that over the water 

 surface of the earth evaporation exceeds precipitation, but that 92 per cent of 

 the evaporation falls again upon the water surface. On the land surface evapo- 

 ration is decidedly smaller than precipitation, precipitation being about one and 

 one-half times as great as evaporation. About 70 per cent of the precipitation 

 on the land surface is derived from evaporation from the land. 



On th.e kinds and distribution of viable micro-organisms in the atmos- 

 phere, Flemming (Ztschr. Hyg. u. Infectionskrank., 58 (1908), No. 3, pp. 3-'j5- 

 385, figs. 2). — The results of numerous bacteriological examinations of air col- 

 lected by means of captiA^e and free balloons at different heights and places 

 over land and sea are reported. 



Monthly Weather Review (Mo. Weather Rev., 36 (1908), Nos. 3, pp. 51-8.'f, 

 fig. 1, charts 17; 4, pp. 85-12.), charts 16). — In addition to the usual reports on 

 forecasts, warnings, weather and crop conditions, meteorological tables and 

 charts for the months of March and April, 1908, recent papers bearing on 

 meteorology, recent additions to the Weather Bureau library, etc., these numbers 

 contain the following articles and notes : 



No. 3. — Accidental Variations in Atmospheric Pressure in the United States 

 (illus.), by A. J. Henry; Is There a Type of Storm Path, by E. Van Cleef ; The 

 Present and Future State of Maritime Meteorology, by H. Hergesell ; Abstracts 

 of Russian Meteorological Memoirs, by A. Voeikov : The Study of Evaporation, 

 by A. Voeikov ; The Evaporating Power of the Air at the New York Botanical 

 Garden, by C. S. Gager ; Radium — Its Properties, Distribution, and Influence on 

 the Atmosphere, by W. W. Strong; and Tornado of January 31, 1908 (illus,), by 

 W. S. Belden. 



No. 4. — Chinook Winds in Eastern Colorado During December, 1907, by L. H. 

 Daingerfield; Climate of Kansas, by T. B. Jennings (see 115) ; Lightning and 

 Powerful Electric Discharges; A Collection of Mean Annual Temperatures for 

 Mexico and Central America, by P. P. Calvert; A Small Cloudburst Near 

 Shasta, Cal., by R. H. McCandless; Local Changes of Climate, by W. C. 

 Devereaux ; Ice Columns in Gravelly Soil, liy E. D. Bourne : Popof and Erman 

 on the Use of Kites in Meteorology ; Forecasting on the Pacific Coast, by A. G. 

 McAdie; Can We Protect Against Tornadoes? The Observatory on Mount 

 Etna ; Dustfall in Idaho ; Meteorological Education ; The Law of the Earth's 

 Nocturnal Cooling, by W. H. Jackson; Early Meteorological Data for Saline, 



