180 





thinks that the evidence is in f mil's 



r. Mathematical laws show that 

 i one, ami that the latent heat M-t free by 

 flensatinn of moisture will, if it take the 

 f kinetic energy, be sufficient to produce 



, ^ Mr <-. 9fBU M M 



hating bee* made in Knglnnd in Dec. 

 18M. show that the wind in storms is capable of 

 carrying tea spray to a distance of about 65 



'rom the coast. 



Tku mi. I his studies of the an- 



nual thunderstorms over the 



urf 'be. Mr. A. 



of the Meteorological Service of Southwestern 

 Russia, mentions a high temperature, a certain 

 degree of moisture, and a considerable quantity 

 of at in- .-pi it at ion as the factors roost 



favorable to the development of electrical ac- 

 and which combined contribute to the 

 production of the maximum of storms; so that 

 we could, by comjiaring the maps of precipita- 

 tion and temperature, obtain a priori a cl 

 thegeneral di-tr i bu ti-.n of thunderstorms. Such 

 : would, however, only be of a relative 

 character, because we are not able to estimate 

 the comparative influence of the several factors. 

 M of electrical activity of great intensity 



\M on IN. ih sides of the equator. In its 

 general repartition this area expands from the 

 northwest to the southeast over each continent 

 which it traverses America, Africa, and A-ia 

 with <>ceanica. forming thus three electrical 

 foci. The first equatorial zone that of Asia 

 and Oceanic* extend! from the beginning of 

 the Himalayas and across Indo-China and the 

 Sunda Islands to New Guinea. The whole num- 

 ber of storms annually is from 90 to 100 and 

 more. It may be remarked that all points in it 

 are within the area of abundant precipitations. 

 The second continental /one of great intensity 

 passes across equatorial Africa, with an average 

 number of storms varying from nearly 200 a 

 vear ir i/.ibar. On 



both sides of the continent the southern coasts 

 are much richer in thunderstorms than the 

 northern. The third continental (enter of at- 

 mospheric electricity is in the tr..pi-al i 

 of America. The yearly average of thunder- 

 storms is 100, or more between 20 and *JJ r 

 north. This zone, with a few considerable di- 

 yensons, extends southeastward ly, including the 

 West India inlands, to 25 south. In the higher 

 southern latitudes a marked differ. 

 served in the amount of precipitation and the 

 distribution of electrical activity between the 

 MHtorn and western coasts; and a minimum 

 is reached in the warm region of the w< 

 coast, as at Lima, where the annual average 

 of thunderstorms is null. North of this elec- 

 trical equator the u- | thunderstorms 

 may be said to decrease, We enter the r 

 of continental deserts, extending in tl 

 *orld from southwest to northeast, and marked 



-rior precipitations and * 

 activity. North of thi.s /xme of deserts electrical 

 - again, though it appears to be ea- 

 sily affected by temperature and local conditions. 

 The average of thunderstorms m Kurone be- 

 tween the Atlantic coast and the Cral moun- 

 tains is from 15 to 20 a year. 



Miscellaneous. l"ri:ing that mon 

 le given to instruction in general ; 

 as a university cmr> 

 the consideration of tin- \arioii- sir 

 following order: Kvoluiion. 

 offices of the atmosphere ami its j. 

 plants and animals ; relations < ' 

 the \analions of the M-ason- and t! 



tioii of temiM-ratiire o\.-r ll ai' 



the year. January and .Inly, top-:- 

 sluily of i-aiiomalous an! 

 : the lisiribiition 

 lanuary and .Inly, and the r- 

 \vmds; classification of the winds; 

 the atmosphere and precipita' 

 eluding cyclones, thunilerstoru. 

 distribution of rainfall over the \v- 

 sons and for i 

 eluding sanitary climatology, & 

 climate, and the relation of climai 

 As lines of work for persons \\1,,, 

 pleted such a course, the author sugge 

 study of the climates of the different Stai 

 effects of their toj>ography on th< 

 their winds, and the courses of 

 storms; the local effects of forests HI 

 D on rainfall; the distribution 

 by seasons, months, and 

 upon the times of planting and har\- 



Changes in the depth of the level of 



water, and its variations with the 

 the season. 



It has been long known that cascades 

 municate a negat i \c electrical char- 

 around them. The subject has been spt^^B 

 studied by Herr Lenard at the u 

 Switzerland and in laboratory expei 

 is found that even cataracts only a few feet 

 high send into the air considcrabl< 

 electricity, provided they bring down a 

 amount of rapidly dashing w; 

 sity of the phenomenon is, 

 very slight amounts of impurity it 

 II err Lenard's ezperimei 

 demonstration by Lonl Kelvin and Messrs. 

 an and Goto that air even absolut- 



i rifled by a jet of v 

 general principle Herr I. 

 drops of water falling on the 

 or on a moist body 

 water being diar^-d j.ositi\. 

 passing away negatively ch.v 

 experiment is tried in a closed char 

 fercnce in potential may be so gren 



[arks. The neirat ive el. 

 air has also been ob-erveil by I! 

 Oeitel to be pn.due.-d by subterranean cascades. 

 Jets of water that drip down t i 

 rearing stream: 

 Krotiotkin remarks of the irn 

 results of this property, that t 

 of electricity in the a'ir is coi 

 The waterfalls in the valley, the 

 the waves on the shores of 

 the splash of drops of rain on 

 masses of i . 



the watering of our >\r<-<\- and of our plant) 

 the orchards has the same effect < 

 scale. On the other side, the waves of the w 

 a- they break against the rocks and fall back 

 millions of droplets on the beach, supply tl 



