228 



NA TURE 



[July 7, 1892 



The Weekly Weather Report issued on the 2nd instant shows 

 Jhat the rainfall differed very considerably in various parts ; in 

 most of England, the north and west of Scotland, and in Ireland, 

 the amount exceeded the mean. The greatest deficiency on the 

 amount due from the beginning of the year is over the midland, 

 south, and south-west of England, and the west of Scotland, the 

 amounts varying from about 3 to 7 inches. Bright sunshine 

 exceeded the average amount for the week, except in the north- 

 western and south-western districts. 



The Washington Weather Bureau has recently issued a report 

 on its work for the last six months of the year 1891, dealing more 

 with the scientific and practical work of the Department than 

 with the administrative duties, which were referred to in a special 

 report issued in October last (Nature, vol. xlv. p. 86). Prof. 

 Harrington states that an endeavour has been made to improve 

 the weather forecasts in every possible way ; the time covered 

 by the forecasts has been extended to thirty-six hours, and longer 

 in some cases. Every effort is made to distribute the information 

 as widely as possible, and for this purpose the telephone is 

 becoming more popular, and will possibly eventually supersede 

 the telegraph. Increased interest has of late been manifested 

 in regard to meteorological education in the United States, 

 and a list is given of the institutions which announce definite 

 courses of instruction. A very large accumulation of data is now 

 in the possession of the Weather Bureau ; a summary of these, 

 under each element, is given in the report, and it is proposed to 

 utilize the materials by special studies to be undertaken by the 

 officers of the Bureau. The study of terrestrial magnetism 

 in connection with meteorology, with the object of discovering 

 some physical relations connecting them, has from time to time 

 been made by various persons, but, on the whole, it has not led to 

 definite results. Prof. Harrington states, however, that the sub- 

 ject is now being specially investigated by Prof. F. H. Bigelow, 

 one of the meteorologists of the Bureau, and that such progress 

 has been made as to render it quite certain that they are in- 

 timately associated. By the method of analysis now being used 

 by Prof. Bigelow, which differs from that hitherto employed, it 

 is stated that he has been able to disentangle several of the 

 magnetic fields surrounding the earth, which are observed in 

 the magnetic curves as an integrated effect. 



According to the Pioneer Mail, the Port Officer of Manga- 

 lore reports that a native craft was overtaken by heavy weather 

 and made for Mangalore, where there is a bad bar with about 

 eight feet of water in it. A tremendous sea was breaking over 

 the bar, so, before crossing it, and while running in, the native 

 skipper opened one oil cask, forming a part of the cargo, and 

 scattered it all round in the sea plentifully, with the result that 

 he took his craft across the bar safely, and so saved the vessel 

 and the cargo. The vessel's name was Mahadeprasad, and she 

 was of 95 tons, bound from Cochin to Bombay. This is 

 said to be the first case on record of a native tindal who has 

 successfully used the oil in troubled waters. 



Mr. H. Rowland-Brown, writing in the current number of 

 the Entomologist, says that when sitting in the Temple Gardens 

 on June 22 he saw a fine male Colias edusa fly across the lawn. 

 The excitement among the sparrows was "simply immense," 

 but the butterfly "proved a match for his innumerable pur- 

 suers, and sailed calmly over the railings towards the City." 

 The editor of the Entomologist adds a note to the effect that 

 this species was seen in London in 1877, which is remembered 

 as the great ^^ edusa year." 



A FACT noted in the current number of the Zoologist gives a 



very vivid idea of the depth of snow and drift in the north of 



Scotland last winter. In the parish of Lairg, a month or two 



after the first thaw set in, two full-grown stags were found dead 



NO. I 184, VOL. 46] 



in a hollow in a " burn." The first thing one of the keepers 

 saw was a stag's antlers above the snow. These he took for the 

 branch of a tree, but on going near he found that a stag had 

 been smothered by the drifting snow while standing on its feet. 

 A week or so afterwards, when more of the snow was melted, 

 another stag was discovered. This one had been smothered 

 while lying down. He was close to his comrade. 



The Peabody Museum has issued, in its series of archaeological 

 and ethnological papers, an interesting report on pile-structures 

 in Naaman's Creek, near Claymont, Delaware, by Dr. H. T. 

 Cresson. These pile-structures are believed to be remains of 

 prehistoric fish-weirs. 



The Chicago Exhibition will include what promises to be a 

 very important department for the exhibition of objects relating 

 to ethnology, archaeology, history, and cartography. A special 

 bureau connected with the department will represent the history 

 of the Latin-American Republics, and include all relics of the 

 time of Columbus. There will also be a group of "isolated 

 and collective exhibits." A full account of the plan of the de- 

 partment, and of the classification of the exhibits, has been pre- 

 pared by Mr. F. W. Putnam, chief of the department. By 

 means of special research in different parts of America, under 

 Mr. Putnam's direction, important scientific collections in the 

 ethnological and archaeological sections will be brought to- 

 gether. It is hoped that every State Board and many historical 

 and scientific Societies, as well as owners of private collections, 

 will do what they can to contribute to the success of the de- 

 partment, so that it may present a full and effective illustration 

 of the present status of American archaeology and ethnology. 



Messrs. Mitchell and Hughes have issued the Trans- 

 actions of the County of Middlesex Natural History and 

 Science Society for the sessions 1889-90 and 1890-91. The 

 volume contains papers on rabies — its natural history and the 

 means of extinguishing it, by Arthur Nicols ; the best means of 

 examining Rotifers under the microscope, by C. Rousselet ; the 

 tubercle bacillus, by A. W. Williams ; and "A Night among 

 the Infinities," with a description of the instruments at Stan- 

 more Observatory, by Sydney T. Klein. 



The July number of Natural Science opens with some " Notes 

 and Comments," and contains articles on "The Story of 

 Olenellus," by Prof. G. A. J. Cole ; the physical features of 

 the Norfolk Broads, by J. W. Gregory ; the evolution of flat- 

 fish, by Prof A. Giard ; is Stigmaria a root or a rhizome ? by 

 T. Hick (with " A Reply," by Prof. W. C. Williamson, F.R.S., 

 and "A Rejoinder," by T. Hick); agricultural museums, by 

 J. H. Crawford ; and amber and fossil plants, by A. C. 

 Seward. 



A PAPER on three deep wells in Manitoba, by Mr. J. B. 

 Tyrrell, was lately submitted to the Royal Society of Canada, 

 and has now been printed in the Transactions. It contains a 

 good deal of interesting and well arranged geological informa- 

 tion. 



Mr. D. J. Macgowan, writing in the Shanghai Mercury, 

 gives an account of some remarkable statements made by a 

 group of Chinese traders who lately undertook a mercantile 

 exploration of the interior of Southern Formosa. They started 

 from Lamalan, which Mr. Macgowan takes to be Chockeday of 

 the charts, and in seven days reached their objective point, 

 Hualin Stream. They lodged in stone caverns, and the chatter- 

 ing of monkeys and the sounds of insects seemed to them 

 "appalling and indescribable." The region was so "weird" 

 that it reminded them of " legends of the kingdom of hob- 

 goblins." Among the trees were some of " prodigious girth, 

 forming a vast forest." These trees are said to measure more 

 than ten outstretched arms. A tree said to flourish in the same 



