METEOROLOGY — NUTRITION. 389 



wavy forms. This line is extended all round the pole and there can 

 be no doubt concerning its origin. From the polar regions heavy 

 cold air tends to flow out along the ground, being separated from the 

 overljdng warmer au* by a surface of discontinuity. This surface has 

 decreasing height as we proceed towards the equator; finally it cuts the 

 ground along a circumpolar line of discontinuity. This line shows how 

 far the cold air has succeeded in penetratmg below the warm air. 

 It marks a kind of "polar front." 



The waves of this line have a general propagation from west to east. 

 At the same time then* form and dimensions change as the consequence 

 of great outbreaks of cold air from the pole and compensating rushes 

 of equatorial air towards the pole. In this way the polar-front line 

 sweeps over the whole of that zone which is called the temperate, 

 and shows in detail how the general atmospheric cumulation is conveyed, 

 giving the exchange of ah* between the equatorial and polar regions. 



This result can not fail to exert a considerable influence upon the 

 methods of weather forecasting. The meteorological events of the 

 temperate zone present themselves as details in a large-scale phe- 

 nomenon — the general atmospheric circulation, with the correlated 

 motions of the polar front. An effective survey of this front all round the 

 pole will form the rational basis of short-range as well as of long-range 

 weather forecasts. 



The forecasts of the new Norwegian Weather Service are now based 

 principally upon the drawing of that part of the polar-front line which 

 comes within the frame of the chart. Thereby the forecasts, especially 

 of the storms on the very exposed Norwegian coast, have been con- 

 siderably improved. The fishermen have strongly expressed their 

 satisfaction with them. But the forecasts would acquire a much 

 higher degree of perfection if they could be based upon the complete 

 knowledge of the entire polar front. A circumpolar weather-service, 

 organized by international cooperation, would certainly be a great 

 benefit to all occupations dependent upon the weather, such as gari- 

 culture, fishing, and shipping, and perhaps no less than a necessity for 

 the realization of transoceanic air-routes. 



NUTRITION. 



Osborne, T. B., and L. B. Mendel, New Haven, Connecticut. Continuation 

 and extension of work on vegetable proteins. (For previous reports see Year 

 Books Nos. 3-18.) 



Since our last report our scientific staff has suffered a severe loss in 

 the death of Edna L. Ferry, M.S., who became associated with us very 

 early in the course of our nutrition investigations, in the conduct of 

 which she has rendered laborious, faithful, and efficient service. We 

 desire to record our appreciation of her unflagging devotion to the 

 researches in which we have been engaged and to pay a deserved tribute 



