December 2, 1897] 



NA TURE 



115 



mation which the statistics are capable of affording has thus 

 been extracted from them, and is shown graphically upon this 

 series of maps. 



In a brief introduction to the tables and maps, Dr. Buchan 

 refers to a few points of interest to meteorologists and physio- 

 graphers. It appears from this, and the map of mean annual rain- 

 fall, that the annual distribution over South Africa, to the north 

 of the latitude of Clanwilliam, steadily increases from west to 

 east, the amount on the Atlantic coast falling short of five inches 

 a year, whereas on the east coast, for some distance to the north 

 and south of Durban, it exceeds forty inches. From Philadelphia, 

 a little to the north of Cape Town, all along the south and 

 south-eastern coast (with the exception of a small portion from 

 Cape Agulhas to Mossel Bay), and for some distance inland, the 

 annual rainfall exceeds twenty inches. These southern slopes 

 appear to be, longitude for longitude, the best watered portions 

 of South Africa. 



Dr. Buchan studied the statistics with reference to the sunspot 

 period ; and with reference to the subject reports as follows ; — 



Stmspot Period of the Rainfall. 



" In order to see what connection may be between the sunspot 

 period and the rainfall of Cape Town, the annual amounts are 

 thus arranged : — 



" Table showingthe difference of each year's rainfall from fifty- 

 four years' average of 25*82 inches.^ 



" The indi vidual years' rainfall shows sudden transitions in 

 amount from year to year. Thus 1877 and 1878 show respec- 

 tively 9'75 inches, and I5'2i inches of excess above the average ; 

 whereas the two following years, 1879 and 1880, show 7-07 

 inches and 8-ii inches of deficiency. These two pairs of con- 

 secutive years are, further, the greatest departures above and 

 below the average annual rainfall of the whole fifty-four years. 



" The means of the eleven-year period have been ' bloxamed ' 



thus, 1st year = , 2nd year = •', and so on. The 



3 . . 3 



smoothed curve thus obtained is a remarkable one. The rainfall 

 is above the average in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth years 

 of the sunspot period, but under the average in the other years. 

 The curve further shows two maxima and two minima. The 

 smaller maximum occurs on the first year, thence the rainfall 

 diminishes to the smaller of the two minima on the third year ; 

 then gradually rises to the principal maximum, 2-78 inches above 

 the average, on the sixth year ; and thereafter steadily falls to 

 the principal minimum, i -69 inch below the average, on the 

 tenth year. There is thus a difference of 4-47 inches between 

 the annual rainfall of the wettest and driest years of the sunspot 

 period. The steadiness of the increase and decrease of the rain- 

 fall during the period is the most remarkable feature of the curve. 

 It must, however, be noted that the extreme irregularity of the 

 annual amounts from year to year cannot be said to hold out a 

 hope that the cycle can be turned to practical account in fore- 

 casting dry and wet years." 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — Mr. F. Harrison {New Coll.) has been appointed 

 Examiner in Mechanics and Physics, Mr. W. VV. Fisher (C.C.C.) 

 in Chemistry, and Mr. C. H. Barks (Camb. ) in Botany, for the 

 preliminary examination in the Final Honours School of 

 Natural Science. 



1 The heavy type indicates an excess or plus amount, and the light, a de- 

 ficiency or minus quantity as compared with the mean. 



Convocation has directed that 600/. a year be paid to the 

 Visitors of the University Observatory for its use for the next 

 five years, beginning January i, 1898. 



The following grants have been made to the Botanical 

 Department : (i) for the Herbarium, Library, and Museum 

 such a sum as will, with the Fielding Fund, make up 400/. a 

 year ; (2) 650/. a year for the Botanic Garden. The grants 

 extend over the years 1898-1900. 



The Professor of Chinese, James Legge, died on Monday at 

 his residence in Oxford. 



Mr. J. O. Griffiths, of Llandovery College, has been elected to 

 a Mathematical Scholarship, and Mr. O. T. Falk, of Rugby, 

 to an Exhibition at Balliol College. Mr. E. W. Shobridge, 

 Bradford Grammar School, has been awarded a Mathematical 

 Scholarship at Queen's College, and Mr. F. R. Sandbach to one 

 at Corpus Christi College. At Hertford College, Mr. H. A. 

 Brown, of Plymouth College, has obtained a Mathematical 

 Scholarship, and Mr. R. Cambridge an Exhibition. 



Mr. G. Priestley, of Eton College, has been elected to a 

 Natural Science Scholarship, and Mr. S. Douglas, of Wygges- 

 ton School, Leicester, to an Exhibition at Christ Church. 



NO. 1466, VOL. 57] 



The Russian Government has granted 400,cxx) roubles for the 

 construction of a chemical laboratory at the Polytechnic Institute 

 at Riga. 



A COURSE of ten Thomson Lectures on Magnetism will be 

 given at the Free Church College, Aberdeen, by Prof. J. A. 

 Ewing, F. R.S., irom December 9-22. 



Dr. F. Stanley Kipping, F.R.S., Lecturer and Assistant 

 in the Chemical Research Laboratory of the Central Technical 

 College, has been appointed to the Professorship of Chemistry 

 in University College, Nottingham. 



President Seth Low, at the request of the trustees of 

 Columbia University, has withdrawn his resignation, which was 

 presented before the election in order to leave him unembarrassed 

 in the canvass ; he will, therefore, continue to preside. 



We learn from Science that the Technical Institute in Munich 

 has been given by the Government 175,000 marks for enlarging 

 the electro-technical laboratory, 150,000 marks for the erection 

 of a laboratory for the agricultural station, and 170,000 marks 

 for enlarging other buildings. 



The Root Hall of Science and the Benedict Hall of 

 Languages of Hamilton College were dedicated a few days ago. 

 The former, which cost 31,000 dollars, was the gift of Mr. Elihu 

 Root, and the latter, wliich cost 30,000 dollars, of Mr. H. H. 

 Benedict, both of New York City. 



The Council of the College of Preceptors have arranged a 

 number of lectures to be delivered between January 4 and 

 January 14, and visits to Educational Institutions, for teachers 

 (especially Secondary Teachers), who will be in London at that 

 period. Among the subjects of the courses of lectures are the 

 principles of class teaching, by Mr. J. J. Findlay ; and the 

 teaching of science, by Dr. C. W. Kimmins. This course will 

 have special reference to the Headmasters' Association's 

 syllabus of physics and chemistry. An address on eyesight in 

 relation to school life, will be given by Dr. W. S. Colman ; and 

 one on circulating school museums, by Mr. E. Howarth. There 

 will also be an exhibition of geographical lantern slides, 

 specially prepared for the Geographical Association, by Mr. B. 

 B. Dickinson. 



At the annual meeting of the Scottish Association for the pro- 

 motion of Technical and Secondary Education, held in Edin- 

 burgh on Saturday, the President, Lord Reay, delivered an 

 address on the necessity of paying more attention in this country 

 to organising and systematising technical education. In the 

 course of his remarks he said that though the Victorian era had 

 been rich in men of the highest scientific eminence, other nations 

 not possessing men of equal eminence had enriched themselves 

 by the teaching of the men who filled such glorious pages in our 

 history. In chemistry, in physics, in electricity, in geology, in 

 astronomy, the most illustrious names of Scotsmen and English- 

 men could be mentioned, but when it came to the adaptation of 

 their teaching in the school, in the workshop, on large landed 

 estates, they had to go to Germany, to the United States, to 

 Switzerland, and to Belgium. Our system of education ought to 



