568 



NATURE 



{Sept. 26, 1878 



It will be seen that there is a remarkable degree of resem- 

 blance in the progression of these phenomena from year to year, 

 but that the barometric curve "lags behind " the sun-spot curve, 

 particularly in the years of maximum sun-spots. 



The winter curve is more regular than the summer one, 

 probably because the weather generally in India is more settled 

 in the winter than in the summer, but on the whole the two 

 curves support each other in showing a low pressure about the 

 time of sun-spot maximum, and a high pressure at the time of 

 sun-spot minimum. We may therefore conclude that the sun is 

 hottest about the time when the spots are at a maximum, and 

 coldest when they are at a minimum. 



The range of the variation of the year by mean pressure from 

 the minimum of 1862 to the maximum of 1868, is "042 of an 

 inch, and the mean range of the barometer from January to July 

 is •291, from which it appears that the variations of pressure 

 produced by absolute variations of the sun's heat are, in com- 

 parison with the usual seasonal changes, by no means in- 

 significant. 



These results appear to harmonise well with the decennial 

 variations of the rainfall in India, and to throw light upon the 

 inverse variation (compared with the sun-spots) of the winter 

 rainfall of Northern India. Mr. Archibald has attempted to 

 explain this latter phenomenon on the assumption that the sun is 

 coldest when it is most spotted, but the inverse winter variation 

 of the rainfall of Northern India, as well as the direct variation 

 at Madras, Bombay, Trevandrum, and elsewhere, appear to me 

 to follow more naturally from the contrary view; for if the 

 winter rainfall in Northern India is really due to the cold of 

 winter we should expect it to be greatest when the sun is 

 coldest, just as the summer rainfall is expected to be greatest 

 when the sun is hottest. ~ Fred. Chambers 



Bombay, August 23^ 



The Norwegian Arctic Expedition 



The Vdnngen, Capt. Wille, retiurned to Christiania on the 

 loth, from Spitzbergen, after a most successful cruise. No less 

 than 375 stations have been thus explored by sounding, dredging, 

 and trawling during the last three summers ; and the Morgen- 

 bladet reminds us that only 354 of such stations were recorded in 

 the notice of the Challenger expedition. The number of 

 stations in the Poirupine cruises of 1869 and 1870 was 148, 



Prof, G, O. Sars informs me that in every department of 

 zoology a vast amount of material was procured in his last 

 cruise, and that especially the Mollusca are abundantly repre- 

 sented, not only by magnificent specimens of rai'e Arctic species, 

 such as Ftisus kroyiri and F. {Neptunea) deformis, but also by 

 several interesting new forms. He adds that the conchological 

 collection from this cruise is indeed much richer than both of 

 those made in his former two cruises. HeiT Friele will work 

 out all the Mollusca. 



I cannot omit expressing my admiration of the recent work of 

 Prof. G. O. Sars, entitled "Mollusca Regionis Arcticae 

 Norvegix." His descriptions are excellent, and his figures (all 

 by his own hand, and autographed) are inimitable. The work 

 contains 466 pages and 52 plates, besides a chart. 



Ware Priory, Herts, September 23 J. GwYN Jeffreys 



Albinism in Birds 



When I was forming the Government Central Museum at 

 Madras, an albino crow was brought to me, which was stuffed 

 and placed in the museum. It was mentioned to me at the 

 same time that there is a colony of albino crows at a part of the 

 Malabar coast, but I have never been able to verify the state- 

 ment. That district is daily becoming more frequented by 

 Europeans, and some of them may soon be in a position to ascer- 

 tain how far the report was correct. EDWARD BALFOUR 



2, Oxford Square, September 19 



As Mr. Page says, in Nature (vol. xviii. p. 540), he has only 

 heard of one white swallow, it may be interesting to him and 

 your readers to learn that in the Newcastle Museum there is a 

 specimen, also white specimens of the rook, pheasant, curlew, 

 sparrow, and starling ; in the same collection will alsobe found 

 a " pale rose " coloured specimen of the bullfinch. 



Newcastle-upon-Tyne, September 20 Wm. Lyall 



"Hearing of Insects" 



I AM able to confirm the accounts given by Mr. Simson in 

 your last number as to the probability of the hearing of insects. 

 When travelling on the River Magdalena, New Granada, in 

 1 86 1, the mode of which is by a long boat, arched over 

 with bamboo, on which the sailors (bogas) passing from one 

 extremity to the other, propel it with long poles, hugging the 

 river bank, accompanied with wild cries and execrations, I 

 observed on several occasions that these cries suddenly ceased, 

 a dead silence following, and on inquiring the cause they 

 pointed to nests high up in the trees, Avhispering the word vispa 

 (wasp). As the bogas pursue their avocations in a state of 

 semi -nudity, they have the greatest dread of these insects, 

 fearing to speak aloud, as their only alternative if attacked by 

 them is to plunge into the stream, where alligators abound. The 

 wasp is long, slender, and black in colour. 



117, Cromwell Road, S.W., Sept. 21 W. L. Dudley 



The Meteor Shower of Andromedes I. 



Mr. Greg's meteor radiant (No. 103 of his 1876 catalogue) 

 at R.A. '7°, Dec. 33° N., for July 21 to August, really consists 

 of two well-defined showers near a Andromedce. The meteors 

 are quite distinct, and, moreover, there is a difference of 10° in 

 declination. My observations since 1873 indicate two positions 

 as below : — 



T -r ^ r . K ,. ^ /-r, . ..,, I 6o vcry swift streak- leaving 



I. July 6 to August 16, 6» + 37° j meteors. 



TT -r ■, r . K . o, „oi23 slow, bright, trained 



II. July 6 to August 11, 3° -f 27 j ^^^^q^^s^ " ' 



Schiaparelli and Zezioli, Greg and Herschel, and Tupman, 

 found the former some years ago, and Denza gives the latter at 

 2° + 29° August 8-13. Mr. Greg averages these with several 

 others (including one by Schmidt at 7° + 30°, and another by 

 Heis at ii° -f 30°, both for August) and finds a centre at 

 7° + 33° for the whole. There is no doubt, however, that 

 there are two conspicuous contemporary i-adiants of entirely 



