390 



NATURE 



[August 27, 1903 



five. The curves are inverted, so that high points represent 

 early dates and low points late dates. 



Other examples might be given. This line of inquiry 

 has been followed to some extent by M. Flammarion in 

 France, and it seems desirable that attention should be 

 given to it in this country by those interested in phenology. 



The contrast above referred to between the relations of 

 sun-spots and temperature in western Europe and those 



in the tropics also calls for elucidation. Probably no 

 meteorologist would now regard it (or other such contrasts) 

 as fatal to the idea of sun-spot influence. 



Alex. B. MacDowall. 



Retarded Motion of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. 



Perhaps the most notable fact brought to light by observ- 

 ations of Jupiter during the present season is that the 



velacity of the great red 

 The rotation period of this 

 follows in recent years : — 



spot has been again retarded, 

 well-known object has been as 



At the end of May last the longitude of the spot was about 

 30°, whereas at the present time it is 32°, indicating an 

 easterly drift of 2°, whereas during the preceding twelve 

 months the marking had shown a westerly drift of about 1° 

 per month. The spot now follows the zero meridian (system 

 ii. of Mr. Crommelin's ephemeris. Monthly Notices R.A.S., 

 Ixiii. p. no, December, 1902) by about 53 minutes. A re- 

 markable disturbance has recently occurred in the southern 

 equatorial belt of Jupiter. In about longitude 140° to 175° 

 (system i.) several nearly black spots have appeared, and 

 the belt in this region is much torn and full of irregularities, 

 changing from night to night, and evidently subject to 

 extensive commotions. W. F, Denning. 



The Spots on Saturn. 

 During the past two months about 75 transit times of 

 these objects have been taken here. Several of the more 

 conspicuous markings are moving slower than expected, 

 and their positions appear to be well represented by a 

 rotation period of about loh. 395m. 



W. F. Denning. 

 Bishopston, Bristol, August 25. 



NO. 1765, VOL. 68] 



THE SOUTH PORT MEETING OF THE 

 BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 

 CINCE the prospective programmes of the various 

 •^ sections of the British Association were obtained 

 for last week's Nature, the following additional par- 

 ticulars referring to the subsection of Section A, de- 

 voted to astronomy and meteorology, and the Inter- 

 national Meteorological Committee have been received 

 from Dr. W. N. Shaw, chairman of the subsection. 



It is intended that the subsection shall meet on 

 Friday, September 11, and on the following Monday 

 and Wednesday. The proceedings may be expected 

 to be especially interesting on account of the presence 

 of a number of distinguished meteorologists from 

 foreign countries who will be in Southport in con- 

 nection with the meeting of the International Com- 

 mittee. It is hoped that arrangements can be made 

 to enable the members of the committee to take part 

 in the meetings of the subsection, although separate 

 meetings of the committee must be held for the trans- 

 action of business. 



The questions already proposed for discussion by 

 the Committee include the initiation of international 

 cooperation in connection with atmospheric electricity 

 and solar phj^sics, and its extension as regards ter- 

 restrial magnetism ; the revision of the arrangements 

 for the exchange of daily telegraphic reports, and the 

 modification of some of the existing international 

 conventions with regard to the observations mad6 at 

 stations of various orders and the method of recording 

 them. 



In the subsection on September 11, after an address 

 by the chairman on methods of meteorological in- 

 vestigation, the president of the Association, Sir N. 

 Lockyer, will read a paper on the correlation of solar 

 and terrestrial phenomena, which will be followed by 

 a discussion, as a preliminary to a proposal for 

 putting the organisation of work in connection 

 with that subject upon an international basis. Dr. 

 Buchan will contribute a communication illustrating 

 the distribution of rainfall in Scotland according 

 to the succession of years of the sun-spot cycle. 

 At the same session it is hoped that some of 

 the members of the International Meteorological 

 Committee who have taken a prominent part in 

 the prosecution of researches in connection with 

 that committee may be able to contribute papers. In 

 particular the work of the committee on cloud observ- 

 ations has recently been brought to a conclusion, and 

 a summary of the final results achieved would be very 

 acceptable. 



For any further available time on that or the other 

 days there is already a substantial programme. 

 Various astronomical papers have been referred to 

 in the previous notice. The committees which have 

 to present reports are those on kite observations, 

 on the Ben Nevis Observatory, and on seismological 

 observations, and any one of them, either of them- 

 selves or in connection with papers on special 

 points associated with them, may give rise to 

 valuable discussion. Prof. Hergesell, the chairman 

 of the aeronautical committee, will be able to give 

 the latest information as to the international investi- 

 gation of the upper air, and Dr. Varley will exhibit 

 the record obtained by him for Mr. P. 'Y. Alexander 

 with an unmanned balloon that reached the extra- 

 ordinary height of 70,000 feet on a journey from Bath 

 in July. The kite equipment and method of investi- 

 gation employed by Mr. Dines will be exhibited, if 

 possible, in action. 



Prof. Callendar will speak upon self-recording in- 

 struments, and thus open the way for the discussion 

 of a subject which is of pressing importance in co- 

 operative meteorological work. 



