April 21, 1892J 



NATURE 



5«7 



the observational and experimental work of the Observatory. 

 The curves of the inagnetographs have shown a marked in- 

 creased activity in terrestrial magnetic changes as compared 

 with the previous year, although no very large disturbances 

 have been registered. The electrograph has been maintained 

 in action during the greater portion of the year, but the instru- 

 ment has failed in sensibility, owing to the diminished potential 

 of the chloride of silver battery. The subject of the measure- 

 ment of atmospherical electricity is consequently far from 

 settlement. Sketches of sun-spots were made on 170 days, 

 and the groups numbered after Schwabe's method. Two 

 new forms of anemometer have been under trial : (l) the 

 anemo-cinemograph of MM. Richard Freres, similar to that 

 employed at the top of the Eiffel Tower — the vanes, by running 

 constantly against a train of clock-work, record directly on a 

 sheet of paper the velocity of the wind at any moment ; (2) the 

 Munro sight-indicating anemometer is a sensitive Robinson cup 

 arrangement, which drives, by means of a small centrifugal 

 pump, a column of oil up a glass tube. The instrument, as 

 fitted at present, fails to work during frost, owing to congelation 

 of the oil employed. Great activity continues to be shown in 

 the verification department, over 20,500 instruments of all 

 kinds having been tested ; more than three-fourthsA)f these 

 were clinical thermometers. In the rating of watches, the 

 highest position was attained by Messrs. Stauffer, Son, and Co., 

 one of whose watches obtained a total of 9I"6 marks out of a 

 possible 100. Special circulars have been addressed to the 

 directors of steamship companies, calling attention to arrange- 

 ments made for the rating of chronometers. A special camera, 

 capable of working with lenses of 4 inches aperture and 30 

 inches focal length, has been fitted up at the Observatory, for 

 the examination of photographic lenses. A photometer, on 

 Captain Abney's principle, 13 feet long, has also been fitted for 

 use in the testing operations. The Committee have come to 

 the conclusion that it would be of advantage to them to obtain 

 registration under Section 23 of the Companies Act, 1867. 



We have received from the Deutsche Seewarte, (i) the 

 Deutsches meteorologisches yahrbuch for 1890, containing ob- 

 servations taken three times daily at nine stations of the second 

 order, with monthly and yearly results, hourly observations and 

 means at Hamburg and Wustrow, and extracts from the 

 registers kept at the signal stations, on stormy days. The 

 materials are similar to those published in former years, the 

 only change being in the reduction of the number of stations 

 for which observations from self-registering instruments are 

 given. (2) Ergebnisse der vieteorologischen Beobachtimgen for 

 the lustrum 1886-90, on the same plan as those previously pub- 

 lished for the years 1876-80 and 1881-85. These publications 

 extend over fifteen years, and form a very valuable contribution 

 to the climatology of Northern Germany, aflfoi'ding ample data 

 for investigations referring to individual hours, or days, together 

 with an easy means of obtaining the combined results and the 

 extreme values for the whole period over which the observations 

 extend. 



The Washington Weather Bureau has just issued an atlas of 

 thirty-six charts, being one of a series of useful works partially 

 prepared under the superintendence of General A. W. Greely, 

 Chief Signal Officer of the United States, prior to the transfer 

 of the Meteorological Service. The charts show the average 

 direction and hourly velocity of the wind at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. 

 (Washington time), at sixty-five representative stations, with 

 the average maximum and minimum hourly velocity, and other 

 interesting details, from observations for a number of years- 

 The prevailing wind direction, and the direction next in order 

 of frequency, are shown by arrows which fly with the wind, 

 while figures set against the arrows indicate the percentage of 

 NO. I I 73, VOL. 45] 



times the wind has been observed in the direction indicated by 

 the arrows. General Greely remarks that the diurnnl variation of 

 the wind in the United States has not been investigated to any 

 considerable extent, so that but little is known of its tendency 

 except in a general way. It may be said, however, that in the 

 northern hemisphere there is a well-defined tendency to veer a 

 little in the morning, and to back through the same circumference 

 in the afternoon. This inclination, however, is early sub- 

 ordinated to the influence of pressure changes and distribution, 

 and cannot be detected except in settled weather. 



Writing in the American journal Electricity, on electricity 

 in the United States Navy, Mr. W. B. Lefroy Hamilton 

 refers to the working of the search light. He says that in 

 the practical use of the search light, it has been found 

 that in order to afford sufficient time for a careful exami- 

 nation of the water's surface, at points far removed from the 

 ship, the beam of light must be revolved very slowly, and in 

 consequence, during a great portion of the time any particular 

 section of water is left in darkness. As it only takes five 

 minutes for a torpedo boat to run a distance of two miles, it will 

 be easily seen that in the interval between two successive illu- 

 minations of the same spot, a torpedo might attack a warship 

 and discharge her deadly weapon. To overcome this difficulty, 

 it is proposed that the new American war-ships, beginning with 

 the Neiv York, shall be fitted with a number of stationary search 

 lights grouped together, each illuminating its own section, thus 

 keeping the ship surrounded by an unbroken circle of light. 



The leather industry is to have a separate building at the 

 Chicago Exhibition. Representatives of the industry have 

 accepted a site offered them, and will erect, at an expense of 

 100,000 dollars, a building, measuring 150 by 600 feet, in which 

 they will show an almost endless array of leather products, and 

 every process in their manufacture from the raw hide to the most 

 finished article. 



The latest annual report of the Hon. Edgar Dewdney, Super- 

 intendent of Indian Affairs in Canada, gives much interesting 

 information as to the aborigines of the Dominion. They are dis 

 tributed thus :— Ontario, 17,915 ; Quebec, 13,361 ; Nova Scotia, 

 2076; New Brunswick, 1521 ; Prince Edward Island, 314 r 

 Manitoba and North-West Territories, 25,195; Peace River 

 district, 2038 ; Athabasca district, 8000 ; Mackenzie River 

 district, 7000 ; Eastern Rupert's Land, 4016 ; Canadian 

 Labrador, 1000; Arctic coast, 4000; British Columbia, 35,202 

 — total, 121,638. The number of children of school age is 

 13,420, of whom 7574 are in attendance. Even in the North- 

 West, where the conditions are harder than in British Columbia, 

 great progress has been made. The property owned by the 

 Manitoban and North- Western Indians includes 5599 houses and 

 2018 barns; 13,549 acres of land under cultivation, with 21 15 

 acres newly broken; 125 1 ploughs, 773 harrows, 899 waggons, 

 48 fanning mills, and 5 threshing mills ; 2928 cows, 70 bulls, 

 2064 oxen, 4823 calves, 5879 horses, 428 sheep, and 215 pigs. 

 Last year the North- Western Indians reaped a harvest including 

 67,726 bushels of wheat, 21,592 of oats, 19,761 of barley^ 

 44,284 of potatoes, 14,788 of turnips, 1340 of carrots, and 413 

 of rye. The farm instructors and their wives make a point of 

 teaching the Indians how to use their spare time. The men are 

 encouraged to make handles for axes and hay forks, besides 

 sleighs, ox collars, harness, brooms, &c. The women are 

 initiated in tanning and butter-making, and already make articles 

 of clothing that would not disgrace a white woman, being par- 

 ticularly quick at knitting ; some of them, too, are expert in the 

 manufacture of baskets, mats, and hats. The housing of the 

 people also improves, the Bloods in particular now partitioning 

 their houses into rooms. The trust funds held for the Indians 

 by the Government now amount to ^^703,046, and ;i^57.098 was^ 

 spent from this source last year, besides ;^i86,442 voted by 



