Jan. lo, 1889] 



NATURE 



257 



iched by the barometer at Pyatigorsk was greater than it had 

 before been known to be. As to the low pressures of the 

 if, which soon followed the high pressures, they were not less 

 Tremarkable. Thus, a pressure as low as 723 mm. was measured 

 'at Christiansund on November 19; 716 mm. at Nikolaistad 



• '^Wasa), and 720 mm. at Kuopio, on November 20 ; and 721 mm. 

 Povyenets, in Olonets, on November 21. So low a pressure 

 716 mm. (reduced to the sea-level) is of exceedingly rare 

 occurrence. The next minimum of pressure came on November 

 25, and it was accompanied by frightful storms which blew over 

 Central Russia. The barometer did not fall so low as during the 

 preceding days, but the displacement of the minimum was 

 characterized by a further decrease of pressure in proportion as 



k the centre of the depression advanced towards Central Russia. 



" Like cases were observed also in 1881 and 1886, but they are 

 rare on the whole. On November 25, the barometer at Moscow 

 was as low as 723 8 mm. 



At the meeting of the French Meteorological Society, on 

 December 4 last, the President stated that the Minister of Com. 

 merce and Industry had appointed a Committee of Organization 

 for the proposed Meteorological Congress to be held in 1889. 

 The Committee met on November 24, and elected M. Renou as 

 President, and M. L. Teisserenc de Bort as General Secretary. 

 M. Moureau, Secretary of the Society, presented the results of 

 magnetic observations made by him in the western basin of the 

 Mediterranean by direction of the Minister of Public In- 

 struction. M. Renou presented a Report by M. Coeurdevache 

 on the relations of temperature and wind direction at Clermont 

 and the summit of the Puys-de-D6me during winter. He pointed 

 out that the isotherms at the summit of the mountain are not 

 parallel to those in the plain, the latter being influenced by 

 various agencies, such as sea or mountain. M. L. de Bort stated 

 til at it was proposed to hold a meeting of meteorologists at 

 Hamburg, with the view of preparing the basis of an under- 

 standing as to the classification of clouds. He thought that 

 "nimbus" and "cumulus," especially, were a source of con- 

 fusion in cloud observations, and that the height of clouds was 

 ii.uch exaggerated in rainy weather. It had been observed that 

 the Eiffel Tower, which now reaches over 670 feet, was frequently 

 enveloped in cloud at a height of about 520 feet. M. Lemoine 

 made some remarks upon the bad effect of the low summer 

 temperatures upon the grape harvest, the first frosts occurring in 

 many cases before the grapes had reached maturity. 



The volume of Abhandhingcn und Berichte des K. Zoolo- 

 (hen titid Antliropologisch-Ethnographischm Museums zu 

 j',^sdcn (Fiiedliinder and Son, Berlin)— in which there is a 

 German translation of Mrs. Nuttall's article on a relic of ancient 

 Mexico (referred to in another column)— contains, in addition to 

 this translation, some interesting and valuable papers. It opens 

 with a full account, by Dr. A. B. Meyer, the editor, of certain 

 new arrangements for the belter protection and display of objects 

 in the Zoological and Anthropological Museum of Dresden. 

 The editor also gives a list of the Reptilia and Batrachia col- 

 lected by him in the East Indian Archipelago in the years 

 1870-73. There are papers on mamirals from the East Indian 

 Archipelago, by Dr. B. HofTmann ; on the Indian- Australian 

 Myriopoda, by Dr. Erich Haase ; and on other subjects. The 

 volume is carefully illustrated. 



Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S., has in the press a work on 

 " The Chemistry of Photography," which will shortly be issued 

 , • by Messrs. Macmillan and Co. , as one of tte volumes of " Nature 

 Series." The work consists of a course of lectures delivered last 

 year at the Finsbury Technical College. The chief object kept 

 in view by the author is the necessity for the full recognition 

 if photographic chemistry as a branch of applied science in 

 uchnical Colleges. Each lecture is followed by an appendix 



containing hints for the expeiimental illustration of the i-ubject 

 by means of lecture demonstrations, many of which are new, 

 and all of which have been revised with a view of enabling 

 I lecturers to demonstrate the chemical principles of photography 

 before an audience in a simple manner. The mode of treatment 

 adopted will, it is anticipated, be found of use also to practical 

 photographers, by enabling them to obtain a concise and 

 comprehensive view of the scientific principles of their art. 



Messrs. Crosby Lockwood and Son have issued a waist- 

 coat-pocket book abounding in tables and concise information 

 on a variety of topics connected with rural affairs, revised by 

 Prof. Fream, of Downton Agricultural College. The title is 

 "Tables, Memoranda, and Calculated Results for Farmers, 

 Graziers, Agricultural Students, Surveyors, Land Agents, " 

 Auctioneers, &c.," by Sidney Francis. The contents are trust- 

 worthy and useful, and are readily found by means of a detailed 

 index. It would be difficult to enumerate even the principal 

 subjects dealt with in this cubic inch of printed matter ; but we 

 may say that, whether the inquirer opens it in order to find the 

 composition of foods, fertilizers, or crops ; the rules of measure- 

 ment for animals, hay-stacks, timber, or water-courses ; the 

 strengths of materials ; the advantages of water, steam, or horse 

 power ; the value of tillages, of tithes, or of woodlands ; particu- 

 lars as to piece-work, or costs of embanking, excavating, &c., — 

 he will find statistics on all these, and countless other subjects. 



Messrs. Crosby Lockwood and Son have published a 

 second edition of "The Blowpipe in Chemistry, Mineralogy, and 

 Geology," by Lieut. -Colonel W. A. Ross, R.A. In this edition 

 the work has been revised and enlarged. It contains 120 

 illustrations by the author. 



We have received " The Mining Manual for 1888," compiled 

 by Mr. Walter R. Skinner. The object of this work is to give 

 the fullest possible information with regard to mining companies. 

 The compiler mentions that, without reckoning South African 

 mines, he has referred to 900 companies. Owing to the grow- 

 ing importance of mining at the Cape,' Natal, and the Transvaal, 

 a separate section on South African mines has been added. 



In "The Floral King; a Life of Linnaeus" (W. H. Allen 

 and Co.), Mr. Albert Albery has presented a very good sketch of 

 the career of the great Swedish botanist. It includes a number 

 of interesting extiacts from the late Dr. Ahrling's selection from 

 the correspondence of Linnaeus. 



Mr. John Murray has issued an interesting little book on 

 "The Invisible Powers of Nature," by E. M. Caillard. Its 

 object is to create in its readers a sufficient interest in physical 

 science to lead them to the study of more advanced works on the 

 subject. 



A SFX.OND edition of " Nature's Fairy-Land," by H. W. S. 

 Worsley-Benison (Elliot Stock), has just been published. 



Messrs. E. A. Petherick and Co. have published " A 

 Classified List " of Mr. S. W. Silver's collection of New Zealand 

 birds at the Manor House, Letcomb Regis. Sir Walter Buller 

 has added short descriptive notes for the information of visitors. 

 The value of the " List" is greatly increased by a number of 

 woodcuts, most of which are borrowed from Sir Walter 

 Buller's "Birds of New Zealand." Mr. Silver's collection con- 

 sists of birds contained in twelve cases. Of these cases eight 

 were on view in the New Zealand Court at the Colonial and 

 Indian Exhibition in 1886. The four cases since added contain 

 many of the rarer species of New Zealand birds. 



In the current number of the Mlneralogical Magazine and 

 [ournal of the Mlneralogical Society there is a valuable article, 



