September 15, 1892] 



NATURE 



47: 



The weather has remained very unsettled during the past 

 week, owing to the complex distribution of barometric pressure, 

 there being during the first part of the time low-pressure areas 

 over the northern parts of the kingdom, while an anticyclone 

 lay over France and the Bay of Biscay. These conditions 

 caused a considerable amount of rain, especially in the north 

 and west, although in the southern and eastern parts of the 

 country, the weather was fair, with mist or fog in places. 

 During this period the maximum temperatures rarely exceeded 

 65° in any part ; on Sunday and Monday, however, the anti- 

 cyclone moved eastwards, and gave place to large depressions 

 from the westwards, rain being general, except in the south-east 

 of England, where the maximum temperatures rose to 70° and 

 upwards, and similarly high readings occurred in the midland 

 and southern districts. On Tuesday a cyclonic disturbance was 

 crossing Scotland, and heavy rain was reported there and in the 

 north-west of Ireland. The Weather Report for the week 

 ending the loth instant shows that the mean temperature was 

 below the average over the whole of the United Kingdom, and 

 although fairly high day temperatures were registered, the 

 night readings were below 40° generally, and in the east of 

 Scotland they fell to within a degree of the freezing point. The 

 rainfall for the same period was generally less than the normal, 

 and in the south-west of England there was still a deficiency of 

 8 inches since the beginning of the year. 



In his report on the rain, river, and evaporation observations, 

 made in New South Wales during 1890, Mr. Russell states that 

 the widespread interest in rainfall records is rapidly adding to 

 the number of observers, which now amounts to 1088. The 

 year was conspicuous for abundant rainfall, causing heavy floods 

 in the river Darling, far exceeding those of which there are com- 

 plete accounts. The average rainfall for the whole colony 

 was 3273 inches, being 32*6 per cent, greater than the average 

 for the previous sixteen years. The report contains the results 

 of interesting experiments on the effect of forests and elevation 

 on the amount of the fall. At Dinby, which is situated in a 

 densely timbered country, the amount was 35*89 inches, while 

 the mean of nine of the nearest stations gave 38*92 inches. As 

 an instance of the effect of elevation, the average rainfall at 

 Wallongong, half a mile from the sea, at an elevation of 67 

 lieet, is 3884 inches, while at Cordeaux River, six miles from 

 the sea, it is 55 "53 inches. 



The Annual Report of the Acting British Resident of Perak 

 for the year 1891 contains monthly summaries of meteorological 

 observations at nine stations, and a chart showing the compara- 

 tive range of monthly rainfall during the years 1888-91 at 

 Taiping. The highest recorded temperature in the shade was 

 97^ at Kuala Kangsar and Parit Buntar in the months of March 

 and April respectively ; the lowest 62°, in February, at Taiping 

 and Salama. The only solar thermometer, that in Taiping, 

 registered 121° in March and May. The rainfall varied from 

 85 '6 inches at Teluk Anson to 183 inches at Topah. It is well 

 distributed throughout the year, the driest months being May 

 to July. 



A MOST unusual phenomenon was seen in the Maltese Islands 

 •on July 21, when a thunderstorm raged for twelve hours, and 

 deposited three inches of rain. According to the Mediterranean 

 Naturalist, it is fifty-five years since rain fell in Malta in the 

 month of July. 



In the annual report of the British Museum (Natural History) 

 reference is made to two "principal events" relating to the 

 conservation and arrangement of the Zoological collections. 

 The first is the enlargement of the building which contains the 

 collections of specimens preserved in spirits. An enlargement 

 ad been rendered necessary mainly by the reception of the 

 Challenger collections, which proved to be more extensive 

 NO. I ] 94, VOL. 46] 



than had been anticipated. The addition to the building is 

 already roofed in, and may be ready for occupation within the 

 next twelve months. The other matter of exceptional importance 

 is the arrangement of the collection of birds' eggs. In the old 

 Museum this collection consisted of a small number of speci- 

 mens of more or less great historical value, and of an imperfect 

 series of deteriorated specimens of the British species, which 

 were exhibited in three table-cases. The first important 

 addition was received in the " Gould " collections, purchased 

 in 1881 ; other miscellaneous series followed ; and, finally, the 

 magnificent donations of Europo-Asiatic species by Messrs. 

 Godman, Salvin, and Seebohm, and of Indian eggs by Mr. 

 A. O. Hume, added so much to the number of specimens, and 

 imparted such a great value to this collection, that its systematic 

 arrangement could be no longer delayed. At the same time 

 the formation of a perfect series of British birds' eggs for 

 exhibition and consultation by the public had become more and 

 more urgent. A requisite grant having been made by the Lords 

 Commissioners of the Treasury, Mr. Seebohm undertook the 

 work of arranging both the general and the British series ; and 

 in the course of this year he has made such progress that about 

 24,000 specimens, belonging to fifteen families, are catalogued 

 and beautifully arranged in thirteen cabinets, and that the 

 British series can probably be opened to the public in the pre- 

 sent year. 



The authorities of the French laboratory of physiological 

 psychology have sent a circular to painters, sculptors, and de- 

 signers, asking them to answer various questions as to their 

 visual memory of colours and forms. Some replies have already 

 been received, and one of the things noted in several of them is 

 that the writers are able, when they see a painting, to per- 

 ceive at a glance whether the artist has a good visual memory or 

 not. 



Mr. M. a. Dumont contributes to the current number of 

 the Revue Scientifique an interesting paper on the history of the 

 population in a small rural commune, Saint-Germain-des-Vaux. 

 He has closely examined the communal registers from the early 

 part of the eighteenth century until the present day. It is 

 curious to see how the tendencies not only of the commune, but 

 of its individual families, with regard to the increase or decrease 

 of population, correspond to those of the French nation as a 

 whole. 



The Kew Bulletin for September opens with a section on 

 Caraguata fibres. Samples of the Caraguata plant were obtained 

 through the Foreign Office from Dr. Stewart, British Consul at 

 Asuncion, and submitted to Mr. J. G. Baker, by whom the 

 plant is here described. The number also contains Decas III. 

 of "Decades Kewenses," " New Orchids : Decade 3," and 

 sections on Lagos palm oil and some vanillas of commerce. 



We learn from the Kew Bulletin that a handbook of Aus- 

 tralian fungi has been prepared by Dr. M. C. Cooke, Mycologist 

 in the Herbarium of the Royal Gardens, Kew, and published 

 under the authority of the several Governments of the Australian 

 Colonies. It contains a full description of all the fungi so far 

 known to occur in Australia and Tasmania, number 2084 

 species. All the genera are illustrated by 36 plates, 20 of which 

 are coloured. 



Mr. Vice-Consul Scratchley, of Philippeville, Algeria, 

 has presented to the Museum of the Royal Gardens, Kew, an 

 axe, scraper, and knife, such as are used in the collection of 

 cork in Algeria. The Kew Bulletin says that the Museum con- 

 tains numerous illustrations of the applications of cork, the bark 

 of the cork oak (Quercus Suber, L.). The tree grows in Spain, 

 Italy, South of France, and Algeria, and the first crop of cork 

 is taken from the trunk as it stands, at the age of about thirty 



