May 4, 191 6] 



NATURE 



213 



rectly the rate of change of velocity with height, as 

 shown in the corresponding diagram. 



5. The permanence of vortical motion about a 

 vertical axis in the atmosphere, which is indicated by 

 the long travel of cyclonic depressions. 



From Equation C applied to the stratosphere it 

 follows that a circulation in the base of the strato- 

 sphere with a given horizontal temperature gradient, 

 such as is found there, will have only a limited 

 extension upwards. With a wind velocity of 

 20 metres per second and a horizontal temperature 

 gradient of 5° per hundred kilometres, the extension 

 will be 14 kilometres upwards; so that the vortex 

 will be covered by a cap in which the velocity 

 gradually falls off to zero within a very limited height. 



For the extension downward the calculation is more 

 complicated, but the computed change of velocity is 

 very small, so that the vortex must be regarded as 

 reaching the ground ; and it would appear that a 

 vortex extending throughout the troposphere ter- 

 minating with a cap in the stratosphere is a possible 

 reality. 



Thus the hypothesis of an atmosphere in which the 

 wind velocity is everywhere adjusted to balance the 

 pressure distribution enables us to explain many of 

 the ascertained facts that have been disclosed by the 

 investigation of the upper air, and strongly supports 

 the idea that the pressure distribution at the surface 

 is controlled by the stratosphere and only modified 

 locally by convection. 



Against the control of the distribution of pressure 

 by the upper atmosphere may be urged the formation 

 of anticyclones over the relatively cold areas of sea 

 and land, especially the winter-anticyclones of the 

 great continents of the northern hemisphere. For the 

 local effect of surface-cold we have to bring into 

 account the effect of eddy motion, some examples of 

 which are given in the "Meteorological RepKjrt of the 

 Voyage of the Scotia in 1912 " by G. I. Taylor, pub- 

 lished by the Board of Trade in 1913. 



If a{X)logy be needed for dealing with fundamental 

 hypotheses like these at a time when the attention of 

 the nation is more especially directed to forecasting 

 and other practical problems of the upper air, it is to 

 be found in the fact that it is of the highest import- 

 ance that meteorologists who have to advise the men 

 of action upon practical questions should approach the 

 consideration of those questions without the bias 

 which necessarily attaches to an erroneous funda- 

 mental principle of long standing. The number of 

 meteorologists who are so engaged is at present small 

 — too small for the various duties that belong to the 

 establishment of a proper understanding with regard 

 to the study of weather. But it is increasing, and 

 it must be increased in various ways if those who 

 entrust their lives and fortunes to the free atmosphere 

 are to enjoy all the advantages to which their experi- 

 ence entitles them. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Glasgow. — The late Lady Kelvin of Largs, widow 

 of Lord Kelvin, Chancellor of the University of Glas- 

 gow, and for more than fifty years professor of natural 

 philosophy, has bequeathed to the University a legacy 

 of 5000Z., free of duty, to be applied by the Senate 

 for promoting research and teaching of . physical 

 science in connection with the natural philosophy 

 chair. One of the last public acts of the late Chan- 

 cellor was to preside at the opening, in 1907, by their 

 present Majesties (then Prince and Princess of Wales), 

 of the magnificent Institute of Natural Philosophy, in. 

 which the work of the department is now conducted 



NO. 2427, VOL. 97] 



under his successor. Prof. A. Gray, F.R.S. A great 

 variety of valuable researches have been carried out in the 

 department since its opening. In recent months " war 

 work " of a highly important character has occupied 

 the professor and his staff. The Kelvin Foundation 

 will handsomely supplement the existing endowments, 

 provided by the Carnegie trustees and others, for 

 instruction and investigation. A scheme for the 

 application of the bequest is under the consideration 

 of the Senate. Lady Kelvin has also bequeathed to 

 the University all the decorations and medals con- 

 ferred on the late Lord Kelvin. These will be dis- 

 played, with similar personal memorials of Glasgow 

 professors and alumni, in the Hunterian Museum. 

 A collection of historic apparatus, used by Lord Kelvin 

 in his researches, is exhibited in the Natural Philo- 

 sophy Institute, 



London. — Among the public lectures to be given 

 at University College during the term just begun the 

 foltowing are of particular scientific interest : — "The 

 School of Chemistry, at University College : Turner, 

 Graham, Williamson, Ramsay," Prof. J. Norman 

 Collie (Tuesday, May 9, at 5 p.m.); "The Manufac- 

 ture of Nitrates from Air by Electric Power," E. 

 Kilbum Scott (Monday, May 15, at 5.30 p.m.); "The 

 Role of Chemical Science in Civilisation," Prof. F. G. 

 Donnan (Tuesday, May 16, at 5 p.m.). All these 

 lectures are open to the public without fee. Admission 

 to the lectures by Prof. Collie and Prof. Donnan will 

 be bv ticket only. Applications for tickets, which 

 should state the name and address of each person for 

 whom a ticket is required, should be sent to the secre- 

 tary. University College, Gower Street, W.C. A 

 stamped addressed envelope should be enclosed with 

 each application. 



A special course on spectroscopy will be given at 

 University College by Dr. S. Judd Lewis. The course 

 will have reference to the requirements of chemical 

 investigation and of industrial processes. It will 

 occupy twelve half-days, and will begin on Friday, 

 May 5, at 3 p.m. 



THERightHon. J. F. Cheetham. of Eastwood, Staly- 

 bridge, Cheshire, who died on Februar\' 25, leaving 

 estate of the value of 554,276/., bequeathed loooZ. to 

 the Victoria University of ^ianchester, and the wood- 

 land adjoining Eastwood to his executors to be devoted 

 and set apart as a sanctuary or reserve for the fauna 

 and flora of the district. 



The subject for the Jacksonian prize of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons of England for the present year 

 is " Methods and Results of Transplantation of Bone 

 in the Repair of Defects caused by Injury or Disease," 

 and that for 1917 is "The Causation, Diagnosis, and 

 Treatment of Traumatic Aneurysm, including Arterio- 

 venous Aneurysm." The dissertation for the 1916 

 prize must reach the college by Saturday, December 

 30 next. The triennial prize, consisting of the John 

 Hunter medal in gold, or of the medal in bronze, with 

 an honorarium of 50Z., will be awarded in 1918, and 

 the subject for it will be "The Development of the 

 Hip-Joint and the Knee-joint of Man." 



The conference of the National Union of Teachers 

 was held this year at Buxton. The president, Mr. 

 C. W. Crook, delivered his address on April 26. 

 Speaking of education after the war, he maintained 

 that in the curriculum of elementary schools there 

 will undoubtedly be an increase in the amount of time 

 devoted to the elements of science. Woodwork and 

 its concomitant subjects have done much, he said, to 

 relieve our elementary schools from the danger of 

 becoming too theoretical and literary, but these them- 

 selves are not sufficient to meet the call for more scien- 



