December 28, 1893] 



NA TURE 



205 



site and to carry out successfully the construction of the 

 building. Dr. J. M. Pernter has given a graphic descrip- 

 tion of the difficulties of an ascent which he m^de in 

 February 1888 (NATURE, vol. xlii. p. 273), during which 

 the foremost guides sank to their hips at every step, 

 despite their use of snowshoes. The maintenance of the 

 station in winter was a matter of great difficulty ; but it 

 was materially facilitated by the fact that the Miners' 

 House workmen were at hand for the conveyance of fuel 

 and for carrying out any necessary repairs. But in the 

 year 1888 Rojacher was compelled, from failing health, 

 to sell the mine, and in 1889 operations were discon- 

 tinued ; he succumbed in January, 1891, and then Kolm 

 was abandoned altogether. Under these circumstances, 

 the difficulty of continuing the Sonnblick Observatory 

 was increased. The observer could not remain alone on 

 the summit, separated from all human communication by 



materially modified the prevalent ideas relative to the 

 nature and origin of storms. In the present report Dr. 

 Hann gives a general account of the climate deduced 

 from observations taken up to the present time. From 

 this it is seen that in each winter the temperature has 

 fallen below minus 22"", and in March, 1890,11 fell to 

 minus 3o"-3. The warmest month is August with a mean 

 temperature of 33'-6, and the coldest month is February, 

 mean temperature 5''-5. The precipitation is mostly in 

 the form of snow ; even in the six summer months, May 

 to October, fully 85 per cent, of the fall consists of snow ; 

 out of about 200 wet days in the year, rain only fell on 

 21 days, and then it was often a kind of sleet. The 

 greatest rainfall measured in one day was 2'8 inches on 

 September!, 1890. The amount of cloud is perhaps of 

 most importance to tourists ; this is most prevalent in 

 June and least in December, just the opposite to what 

 obtains in the lowlands. The month of June 

 has only a quarter of the possible amount of 

 sunshine, while in December it has about half 

 the possible amount. Thunderstorms are less 

 frequent on the Sonnblick than in the lower 

 regions, and generally are not so severe. The 

 Observatory is protected by a properly erected 

 lightning conductor, and contains a room suit- 

 able for anyone who may wish to carry on 

 researches at a great altitude. This room is 

 entirely reserved for scientific purposes ; 

 another apartment, capable of accommodating 

 twenty persons, has been provided for ordinary 

 visitors. The Sonnblick Society deserves the 

 thanks of all meteorologists for carrying on the 

 work in their Observatory. The establishment 

 of the mountain station has led to the elucida- 

 tion of many obscure problems, and still more 

 important results can confidently be expected. 



a difficult journey of several hours over the snow, and it 

 became necessary to hire men specially to carry up the 

 fuel. The Salzburg section of the Alpine Club gave up 

 the use of the house on the Sonnblick, and their con- 

 tribution was, to a great extent, withdrawn, so that the 

 maintenance of the Observatory was jeopardised. It was 

 under these conditions that the Sonnblick Society, whose 

 first report for 1892 we received a short time ago, was 

 formed for the purpose of aiding in the expense of con- 

 tinuing this most important station. The Society already 

 numbers 280 members, and, in addition to several other 

 contributions, receives considerable subventions from the 

 Austrian Government and the Committee of the German 

 and Austrian Alpine Club. 



Since the establishment of the Observatory in 1886, 

 several valuable discussions on the conditions of the 

 atmosphere in the higher regions have emanated from 

 the pen of Dr. Hann and others, and these have already 



NO. I 26 I, VOL. 49I 



NOTES. 



Mlle. Klumpke, who has just gained the degree 

 of Doctor in Mathematical Sciences at the Sorbonne, 

 is the first lady who has obtained that distinction. 

 The full title of her thesis was "Contribution a 

 I'etude des anneaux de Saturne," and the following 

 is a translation from La Nature of the complimentary 

 terms in which M. Darboux addressed the gifted 

 authoress in granting her the degree: — "You have 

 occupied yourself with one of the most interesting 

 questions in astronomy. The great names of Galileo, 

 Huyghens, Cassini, and Laplace, without speaking 

 of those of my illustrious colleagues and friends, are 

 connected with the history of each of the great 

 advances in the attractive but difficult theory of 

 the rings of Saturn. Your work is not a slight 

 contribution to the subject, and it places you in an honour- 

 able position among the ladies who have devoted them- 

 selves to the study of mathematics. During last century 

 Mlle. Marie Agnesi gave us a work on the differential and 

 integral calculus. Since then Sophia Germain, as remarkable 

 for her literary and philosophic talent as for her mathematical 

 faculties, was held in esteem by the great geometers who 

 honoured our country at the beginning of this century. And 

 but a few years ago the Academy of Sciences, on the report of a 

 commission in which I had the honour to take part, awarded one 

 of its best prizes to Mdme. Kowalewska, placing her name by 

 the side of those of Euler and Lagrange in the history of dis- 

 coveries relating to the theory of the movement of a solid body 

 around a fixed point. In your turn you have entered upon 

 your career. We know that for some years you have devoted 

 yourself with great zeal and success to investigations connected 



