NATURE 



[April 13, 191 1 



Investigated the floods of the Seine valley in 1910, and 

 made recqpiincndations to mitigate the disastrous effects 

 of future ones. The predictions of the Ilydrometric 

 Service were, on the whole, very correct, but the coinci- 

 dence of flood waves in different tributaries, and the 

 reduction of the effective chanm-l by bridge piers, quays, 

 and floating structures resulted in widespread inundation 

 of the city. Three works wore recommended by the com- 

 mission, each of which would entail considerable outlay, 

 but one at least, to take a branch from the river Marne 

 by Clave to Epinay, would be of considerable economic 

 value also. The other projects, to widen the left branch 

 of flif^ *^(^ino and to deepen it between Suresnes and 

 Bo 11 also receive a further study. 



i 111. uKicorologist of the Commonwealth of Ausn :ili.i 

 111'- p.iblished his annual rain map of Australi^i fi>r ihc 

 to, in which he shows that the coast \;\\\>\- in ili- 

 • St, almost the whole of the .State ol .South 

 Ausualia, or the States of South Australia and Queens- 

 land, northern New South Wales, and eastern Victoria 

 received a rainfall above the average in 19 10. This was 

 especially so in the northern territory of South .Australia, 

 where the heavy fall was due to the activity of the mon- 

 soon rain influences. The difference between the actual 

 fall in 19 10 and the normal in some cases is very striking, 

 showing frequently an increase of 50 per cent. The 

 lowest rainfall, under 5 inches, was in central Western 

 Australia. The highest, about 180 inches, was on the 

 coast of Queensland half-way between Cook Town and 

 Townsville. The district near Zeehan (Tas.) r<Moiv<'H 

 above 100 inches. 



"The Supposed Cold of Winter Anticyclones" is the 

 title of a useful note by Mr. W. H. Dines in Symons's 

 Meteorological Magazine for March. In an interesting 

 summary of the weather of January, in the magazine of 

 the previous month, reference was made to the striking 

 exception to the old dogma that high barometric pressure 

 in winter is almost invariably associated with persistent 

 frost. Mr. Dines, who some years ago assailed that idea 

 in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological 

 Society, now points out, inter alia, that during the 50 

 years 1841-90, the Greenwich records show 74 periods of 

 frost. Out of these, 20 (with 216 days of frost) occurred 

 with the mean of the barometer below 2980 inches, and 13 

 (giving 93 days) with a mean above 3020 inches. Every 

 frost noted for severity or length had occurred in the low- 

 pressure series. .Also at Christiania, Berlin, and Geneva 

 no connection between the monthly winter means of the 

 height of the barometer and of the temperature is shown. 

 The statement in question is still made in some text- 

 books, and may possibly be true in drier countries, e.g. 

 in Asia and North America. Kite and balloon observa- 

 tions have shown that the air a few thousand feet high 

 during an anticyclone is unduly warm. 



Tin: climatology of 1910 is discussed in the usual annual 

 summary which MM. Flammarion and Loisel contribute 

 to the February number of L'Astrononiie. The discussion 

 is based on the daily observations made at the Juvisy 

 Observatory, and the different results, in addition to being 

 plotted all on one chart, are compared with the analogous 

 monthly, seasonal, and yearly results registered during the 

 past twenty-five j'ears. The year 19 10 was almost entirely 

 a bad one from the weather j>oint of view. An abnormally 

 low barometer, which beat the minimum record for 

 December, was accompanied by excessive humidity and 

 rainfall, the number of rainy days (212) exceeding that of 

 any year since 1893, while the amount of rain was 

 NO. 2163, VOL. 86] 



818.4 mm., or 275-9 ""f"- above the annual niean ; it 

 partition among the seasoflf was also abnormal. Altt 

 the mean temperature was the highest since 1906, 

 spring and summer were deficient in sunshine, there being! 

 ^SSS hours spread over the 301 days on which sunshine' 

 was recorded; in 1909, 1970 hours were recorded for 3<-. 

 days. In consequence of this state of sunless. coM 

 humidity, the vine, wheat, and other crops met wiih 

 disaster, and, as a " comet " year, 1910 compared ver} 

 unfavourably with the legendary years 181 1 and 1858. 



An abstract of the first three of the lectures on ** Radiani 

 Energy and Matter," which Sir J. J. Thomson is deliv.r- 

 ing at the Royal Institution, will be found in The Elc, - 

 trician for March 24. The first iTture dealt with th«^ 

 measurement of radiant encrg' laws which hav< 



been found to connect the .idiated with th- 



temperature of the radiating body. Ihe second dealt with 

 the pressure which radiation exerts on the body on whi^ ' 

 it falls, and the applications of the results of exp< 

 and theoretical work on this subject to cosmical p; 

 The third dealt with the visible radiations, their produc- 

 tion by firfe-flies and by illuminating eni^ineers. and th:r 

 perception by the human eye. 



In the March number of Terrestrial Magnetism and 

 Atmospheric Electricity, Mr. J. A. Fleming, of the depart- 

 ment of terrestrial magnetism of the Carnegie Institution, 

 describes two new types of magnetometer which have been 

 constructed for land observations in districts more or less 

 diflicult of access. The first is a theodolite magnetometer 

 for astronomiciil work and the determination of declination 

 and horizontal force, the second is a universal instrument 

 for astronomical work, declination, horizontal force, dip, 

 and by Lloyd's method total intensity. In both cases the 

 magnet sj'stem consists of a long and a short magnet 

 each embedded in a brass cylinder of a standard size. 

 The suspension is of phosphor bronze strip. The first 

 instrument is built on the usual lines, but the reduction 

 of size has necessitated changes of details. The second 

 departs considerably from the traditional form owing to 

 the combination of a dip circle with the deflection magneto- 

 meter. The two instruments, packed in their cases, weigh 

 II and 13 kilograms respectively, and the degree of 

 accuracy obtained by means of them is about the same 

 as that secured with the older and much heavier instru- 

 ments. 



Messrs. Adam Hilger, Ltd., have sent us a copy of 

 their new general catalogue, which should be in the hands 

 of every worker in the ever-widening field of spectroscopic 

 research. Not only are a large number of spectrographs 

 figured and described, their special features and adapt- 

 ability for various purposes are carefully explained, so 

 that the book is something more than a mere catalogue. 

 One of the many features to which the firm pay special 

 attention is the quartz-spectrograph, with which we know 

 excellent results have been obtained. These are now made 

 in a large variety of forms, some of which are easily con- 

 vertible, so that their action can be modified to suit the 

 special end in view. An ultra-violet stellar spectrograph, 

 giving a spectrum 50 mm. in length from X 3000 to 

 A. 8000, is quoted at 53/., and with its large angular aper- 

 ture should prove a very effective instrument. A wedge 

 spectrograph for technical use, designed by Dr. Mees for 

 the rapid and permanent recording of absorption, trans- 

 mission, and sensitivity curves, is sold, with the necessary 

 accessories, at 17^. The catalogue also contains figures 

 and descriptions of many accessories — gratings, slits, tubes, 

 &c. — and of several special pieces of apparatus, such as 



