490 



NATURE 



{April 18, 1878 



it may the fuller meet the requirements of the classes for 

 which it is intended. It is desirable, for instance, if not 

 indeed essential, that the mean temperature be given to 

 tenths of a degree and not merely to whole degrees, par- 

 ticularly when it is kept in view that no inconsiderable 

 poriioa of Great Britain is but little removed from the 

 limits of the successful cultivation of the wheat, and the 

 rainfall to hundredths of an inch, so as to mark off clearly 

 the practically rainless districts during each week. The 

 number of stations situated on the coast preponderates 

 too largely. Additional stations from several of the 

 great agricultural centres are needed, and a partition 

 of the country into more districts than ten, it being evi- 

 dent that a division of Scotland merely into east and 

 west, and of Ireland into north and south, is inadequate. 

 Scotland, for instance, should be divided at least into 

 north-east, north-west, south-east, and south-west divi- 

 sions, these differing essentially from each other in their 

 climatic and agricultural peculiarities. 



Missouri Weather Reports, Nos. i, 2, and 3.--The 

 system of weather service for the State of Missouri is 

 being satisfactorily and energetically developed by Prof. 

 Francis E. Nipher, Washington University, St. Louis. 

 The second report, being for January last, is accompanied 

 with a table showing the rainfall at thirty-eight stations 

 in Missouri and a map on which the amounts are entered 

 and isohyetal lines drawn showing where the fall was 

 nothing, one inch, two inches, and three inches respec- 

 tively. From this map the distribution of the rainfall, a 

 correct knowledge of which is so important to farmers 

 and others, is seen at a glance. The distribution of the 

 heavy snowfall of the 30th and 31st is particularly de- 

 tailed, and we are pleased to see the frankness with which 

 Prof. Nipher informs his observers that it has been im- 

 possible to give a proper account of the remarkable storm 

 of the 26th, which entered the northern part of the state 

 at 8 A.M. and soon thereafter developed into a severe 

 thunderstorm in central and southern Missouri, owing to 

 the times of the beginning and ending of the storm not 

 being given carefully for a sufficient number of places. 

 We feel assured that the observers will gladly see to the 

 rectification of this and supply the information desiderated 

 in future. From the first report we see that the mean tem- 

 perature of December was I2°*4 above the average of the 

 month ; and with this high temperature, the mean of the 

 month being45°"6, vegetable andanimal life was prematurely 

 urged forward at an undesirably rapid rate. A valuable 

 table accompanies this number', which has been prepared 

 by Dr. Engelmann, giving the mean monthly tempera- 

 tures and extremes and the mean rainfall at St. Louis for 

 forty-two years, from which it appears that the mean of 

 the coldest month, January, is 3i°7 ; the warmest month, 

 July, 79°*2, and of the year, S5°'4. The highest tempera- 

 ture noted during these forty-two years was i04°'oin July, 

 i860, and tjie lowest — 23°'o (below zero) in January, 1873. 

 The mean annual rainfall is 42'46 inches, the largest 

 monthly fall being 5-39 i;i9hes in June, and the least, 2-13 

 inches in January. .!,, 1"', r,' . 



Extraordinary Rain-Storm in Canada.— A con- 

 tinuous storm of rain, extending over two or three days, 

 and covering a considerable portion of North America, 

 occurred in the end of February, the weather for some 

 time before having been unusually mild. Near the coast 

 rain prevailed, in the Quebec district much snow fell, 

 about Ottawa, sleet, hail, rain, and snow fell in succes- 

 sion, and on advancing westwards through Canada, and 

 into the United States, the precipitation appears to have 

 been heavier. In Central Canada the floods seem to have 

 been most destructive, and immense damage has been 

 done to the towns built on the rivers, by the loosening of 

 the ice by the floods, which, floating down the swollen 

 rivers, carried bridges and other structures before it. 

 Much damage was also done by the ice running aground 



at various points, and thereby damming up the rivers, by 

 which extensive stretches of low-lying grounds were 

 submerged. 



Comparative Atmospheric Pressure of New 

 Zealand and Great Britain. — Mr. C. Rous Marten, 

 whose name has been so long and so favourably asso- 

 ciated with the meteorology of New Zealand, has pub- 

 lished a short paper on this subject in the 1 rniisactiois 

 of the Wellington Philosophical Society. The mean 

 pressure of the atmosphere of Great Britain calculated 

 from fourteen stations distributed from the Channel to 

 the Moray Frith, is 29'848 inches ; and of New Zealand, 

 as similarly determined from fourteen stations from South- 

 land to Mongonui, 299 18 inches. The interest of the 

 comparison lies in this, that pressure diminishes in both 

 countries at a somewhat rapid ra'e on proceeding into 

 higher latitudes, and that though the Nev Zealand sta- 

 tions lie on the average in about 12° lower latitudes than 

 British stations, yet the pressure does not greatly differ 

 in the two countries. The strong resemblances between 

 the climatologies of the two countries result from the 

 peculiar distribution of pressure common to both and the 

 lie of their mountain ranges, by which the prevailing 

 winds are westerly, and being laden with the vapour of 

 the ocean they have traversed, are productive of rainy 

 climates in the west, and dry climates in the east. 



NOTES 



Invitations have recently been issued by the Rector of the 

 University of Pavia to the various scientific societies of Europe, 

 to participate in the ceremonies connected with the unveiling of 

 the statue of Volta on April 28. 



The Electro-metallurgical Company of Brussels has lately 

 completed a colossal statue of Jan van Eyck, in bronze, by the 

 system of electric deposition. The galvanic process occupied 

 several months, although' a thickness of but six to eight milli- 

 metres was attained. It is probably the largest object which 

 has been produced by this method, being over twelve feet iir 

 height, and is regarded as a much more perfect imitation of the 

 model than could be obtained by casting. 



The meeting of the delegates of the French Societes Savantes 

 will take place as usual at the Sorboniie, in the first week after 

 Easter. M. Bardoux will preside over the meeting for the dis- 

 tribution of prizes, and deliver an address summarising all the 

 measures contemplated by the Government for promoting 

 popular instruction. 



M. Bardoux has given the decoration of the Legion of 

 Honour to the oldest schoolmaster of France, who has been 

 teaching since 1818 in the very parish where he was born. The 

 ceremony took place at Clermont-Ferrand at a dinner given by 

 the Prefect in honour of the Minister. The whole scene is said 

 to have been very impressive. 



M. AssELiNE, a journalist and a member of the Municipal 

 Council of Paris, died suddenly a week ago. He was one of the 

 Society of Mutual Autopsy recently established in Paris for in- 

 vestigating by post mortem examination all the circumstances of 

 death, and his case was the first instance of the application of 

 the rules of the Society. The autopsy was made by Dr. 

 Broca, the president of the Society, and the results published 

 in the papers. 



The Municipal Council of Paris has appointed a Commission 

 of ten members in order to take part in the proceedings of the 

 French Association for the Advancement of Science, which -vNill 

 take place at Paris, as we have already reported. They will sit 

 in their official capacity. 



A Socifexfe de Mineralogie has been formed in Paris, with 

 M. Des Cloiseaux as president. It meets on the second Tuesday 

 of each month in the mineralogical laboratory of the Sorbonne, 



