208 



NATURE 



[February i6, 1922 



water. Each of the gauges is 40 in. in depth. _ The 

 rainfall alongside them is measured by an ordinary 

 5-in. Snowdon rain-gauge. The total rainfall recorded 

 for the year 192 1 was 17-86 in. In 1920 it was 

 3225 in. ; the average is probably about 30 in., but 

 we have not yet obtained a record over a sufficiently 

 long period to establish a trustworthy average. No. i 

 drain-gauge is unmanured, and the figures quoted 

 below refer to it. The drainage for the year from 

 this gauge was 493 in. No drainage at all came 

 through from early June to near'y the end of October, 

 and during seven months, from the middle of May 

 to the middle of December, the total drainage was 

 0-046 in., or less than one-twentieth of an inch. On the 

 other hand, in 1920, when the rainfall was 32-25 in., 

 the drainage was 18-09 !"•» and there were only two 

 months, July and August, when there was no 

 drainage. 



In many parts of this district springs failed which 

 were never known to have failed before, and there 

 was great difficulty in many places in obtaining a 

 sufficient water-supply. The reason for this is 

 apparent when we find that from the middle of May 

 until the end of the year practically no water passed 

 through the subsoil. 



Although the total rainfall for the year was so low, 

 it was well distributed throughout the year and rain 

 fell in every month. Quite a good crop was grown 

 upon Craibstone Farm. The drain-gauges themselves 

 as well as the surrounding field were under turnips, 

 and both yielded a good crop. 



The year 1922 so far as it has gone provides a 

 great contrast to 192 1. During the month of January 

 more drainage came through No. i gauge than during 

 the whole of the previous year. The rainfall recorded 

 was 5-61 in., while the drainage from No. i gauge 

 was 5-69 in. There were only two days during the 

 whole month on which rain or snow was not recorded. 

 The underground water-supplies are now being well 

 replenished, and, although all the springs have not yet 

 responded, there is no doubt that after the rainy 

 month of January they should soon begin to recover. 



James Hendrick. 



Agricultural Department, Marischal College, 

 Aberdeen, Februa/y 3. 



Scientific Literature for Russia. 



Ax the beginning of last year a British committee 

 was formed with the object of sending books and 

 other publications to men of letters and science 

 remaining in Russia. 



The committee was assured that any such works, 

 if addressed to the House of Science or the House of 

 Literature and Art in Petrograd, would reach their 

 destination and would be much appreciated by literary 

 and scientific men meeting there who were cut off 

 from the intellectual life of the rest of the world. 



An apf>eal was therefore made for funds to purchase 

 works of a non-political type for dispatch to Petro- 

 grad, and Prof. Oldenburg, permanent secretary of the 

 Academy of Sciences, furnished a list of books and 

 other publications much needed by Russian savants. 

 The books particularly desired were those which in- 

 cluded accounts of current problems and developments 

 of pure and applied science. 



As the result of this appeal the sum of 448L 17s. ^d. 

 was subscribed, and several scientific societies, in- 

 cluding the Royal Society, entrusted the committee 

 with their publications for transmission to Petrograd. 

 The Russian Trade Delegation undertook the dispatch 

 of the books, and ten cases have been forwarded. 



Prof. Oldenburg, writing on December 21 last, 

 NO. 2729, VOL. 109] 



expressed the deepest gratitude of scientific workers 

 in Petrograd for this stimulating intellectual aid, and 

 says that they have been placed in a special reading- 

 room at the House of Savants, where they are con- 

 sulted by a large number of students throughout the 

 day, and have been the means of reviving scientific 

 interests and work. He sends the most cordial thanks 

 of men of science in the city to all who have con- 

 tributed towards the stimulus to scientific investiga- 

 tion which the new publications have given them. 



Having thus established contact with scientific men 

 in Russia and enlightened them as to the progress of 

 research from which they have been separated by 

 political circumstances beyond their control, the com- 

 mittee is of the opinion that its task has been accom- 

 plished. Of the fund remaining in its hands the 

 sum of 5oi. has been expended upon books desired 

 by the University of Latvia, and a small balance will 

 be handed over to the Universities Committee of the 

 Imperial War Relief Fund. 



The committee gratefully acknowledges the 

 generosity of the response to its appeal, and believes 

 that the intellectual relief thus afforded will do much 

 to strengthen Russian scientific life. 



A statement of accounts, audited by Messrs. W. A. 

 Browne and Co., chartered accountants, will be sent 

 to anyone who desires a copy. 

 R. A. Gregory, 



Chairman. 

 C. Hagberg Wright, 



Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. 



British Science Guild Offices, 6 John Street, 

 Adelphi, London, W.C.2, February 11. 



Cyclic Conditions and Rejuvenation in Hydroids. 



Several colonies of Tubularia indivisa which have 

 lived in the aquaria for three years are noticed as 

 exhibiting alternating periods of activity and rest. 

 Broadly speaking, the hydranths die off about mid- 

 summer and reappear about midwinter, the times 

 in one particular case for the growth of new lengths of 

 hydrocaulus and for the formation of new hydranths 

 being December, 1919, January, 1921, and January, 

 1922, and in another January, 1920, January, 192 1, and 

 December, 192 1, the hydranths in each case finally 

 dying off in the intervening periods between the end of 

 May and July. Colonies obtained from moderate 

 depths in January generally show clearly marked new 

 ends to their hydrocauli, such new growth often being 

 an inch or more in length. 



At the same season died down colonies of Stauri- 

 dium and Melicertidium In the aquaria, and Clava, 

 Syncoryne, Campanularia, Antennularia, Plumularia, 

 Halecium, etc., In the sea are found showing signs 

 of rejuvenation. 



In a paper on "The Effect of Hydrogen-ion Con- 

 centration and Oxygen Content of the Water on 

 Regeneration and Metabolism in Tadpoles " (]ourn. 

 Exper. Zool., 1920), M. E. Jewell shows that rate and 

 amount of regeneration increase with increase of 

 oxygen content of the water, but decrease with 

 decrease in temperature, and that the optimal Ph for 

 regeneration Is at or near neutrality. In connection 

 with these experimental results it is interesting to 

 note that the above regenerations begin when the sea 

 temperature is approaching its minimum, at which 

 time the oxygen content is greatest, and continue with 

 increasing rapidity during spring, when increasing 

 alkalinity further stimulates growth and an ever- 

 increasing food supply is available. 



In view of our Incomplete knowledge of the inter- 

 relations of physical factors In the sea it is extremely 



