176 
due to meteorological causes affecting, it is suggested, 
changes in the Labrador current or in the volume of 
water passing into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, occa- 
sioned by the distribution of barometrical pressure. 
The highest tides have been found to occur with winds 
from between north-east or north-west, and the lowest 
with winds from west or south-west. 
The probable direction of the dominant flow may be 
inferred from the general weather conditions of the 
region, and from the presence or absence of floating 
icebergs in the strait; there being, as a rule, icebergs 
in the offing of the strait. With a dominant westward 
flow, bergs afloat in the offing will drift into the 
strait, whereas with a dominant eastward flow the 
strait is free from floating bergs; for the icebergs near 
either shore are certain to be aground and are there- 
fore no guide; they may have been there for weeks. 
Even in the middle of the strait a berg, if large 
enough, may ground. 
Briefly, the best indications are as follow :—The 
strait being clear of floating bergs, the barometer 
moderately high and rising or high and steady, a 
dominant flow to eastward is probable. There being 
floating bergs in the strait, and a barometric depres- 
sion passing southward, indicated by broken weather, 
a dominant flow to westward is probable; and after 
a gale from north or north-west certain. The tem- 
perature of the water as an indication cannot be relied 
on. 
On the whole the westward flow probably pre- 
- dominates in May and June; and, although less pro- 
nounced, the eastward flow is the more frequent in 
summer; while from September onwards the flow is 
more to the westward than to the eastward. 
As regards the velocity of the current, when the 
moon is at its maximum declination and there is no 
dominant flow; at spring tides the strong flood and 
ebb velocity is 2:27 nautical miles; the weak flood 
and ebb 0-72 mile. At neaps, strong flood and ebb, 
1-04 miles; weak flood and ebb, 0-32 mile. The 
greatest rates of dominant flow, observed during two 
seasons, considered separately, were :—-Westward 
average, 1-69 nautical miles running continuously, but 
fluctuating from 2-65 miles to 0-64 with flood and 
ebb; eastward average, 1-30 miles to 0-50 mile with 
ebb and flood. 
Under combined conditions the highest velocities 
observed were :—Westward during flood period, 3-45 
nautical miles; eastward during ebb, 2-83 miles. : 
SUPERSTITIONS RELATING TO 
WEATHER. 
TX an interesting article in the February number of 
Himmel und Erde, Prof. G. Hellmann, director 
of the Berlin Meteorological Institute, discusses some 
of the widespread notions generally included in the 
above heading. At the same time, he points out that 
some theories long believed in, although afterwards 
proved to be false, cannot be classed among super- 
stitions. 
The subject is divided into three parts, but we can 
here only refer to a very few typical cases. (1) That 
relating to the character and causes of meteorological 
phenomena. This takes us back to mythological 
times when all the forces of nature were personified : 
even to-day Jupiter Pluvius is frequently spoken of. 
Many of the present-day ideas still savour of super- 
stition, e.g. the occurrence of thunderbolts, the return 
of a thunderstorm at a later time of the same day, 
and the belief in equinoctial gales. With regard to 
the latter, the author refers the idea to Greek and 
Roman origin, as such storms are prevalent in the 
Mediterranean regions. 
NO. 2320, VOL. 93] 
NATURE 
[AprIL 16, 1914 
(2) The possibility of predicting weather for any 
period. Many old sayings have been handed down 
from father to son; while most of them are based on 
unsound conclusions, some of them are good, e.g. 
the strengthening cold with lengthening days, the 
coloration of morning and evening sky, etc. Of 
modern sayings, that relating to the “‘ice-saints”’ 
(May 11-13) has been attributed both to cosmical and 
terrestrial sources. Investigations have shown that 
cold periods in May may occur in any of the three 
decades (especially the second), but cannot be referred 
to any special days. The moon’s influence is still 
believed in by millions of people, notwithstanding the 
proofs given to the contrary. 
(3) The possibility of influencing the weather and 
of making any special kind. This idea extends back 
to earliest times, and is still prevalent in some parts. 
One of the principal objects was the warding off of 
hail- and thunder-storms. Modern hail-shooting has 
proved to be ineffectual, but it will in all probability 
return later on in another form. The practice of bell- 
ringing for the prevention of thunderstorms was at 
one time much favoured, and is still in vogue in a 
few alpine districts. The belief in the possibility of 
making weather is very old, but its origin cannot be 
exactly fixed. Unsuccessful attempts at rain-making 
have frequently been made in recent times, but Europe 
appears to have been practically free from this super- 
stition. 
Prof. Hellmann’s researches relating to the early 
history of meteorological questions are always very 
instructive; in this article he points out that at times 
it is not easy to draw a sharp boundary line between 
knowledge, belief, and superstition. 
THEORIES OF ORE-GENESIS.1 
eae subject of ore-genesis is of the greatest import- 
ance to the mining engineer, for it is evident 
that every forecast of the continuity of an_ore-body 
beyond the limits of the ore in sight must, if it is not 
to be entirely empirical, rest on some hypothesis as to 
origin. This field of inquiry has since the beginning 
of this, and during the latter half of the past century, 
riveted the attention of the best mining geologists in 
all parts of the world. In a comparatively small in- 
terval of time, our knowledge has advanced by leaps 
and bounds, and many important principles govern- 
ing ore-deposition have been firmly established. 
It was, however, preceded by a long period, which, 
although fertile in suggestion and hypothesis, was 
not one of real progress because, contrary to the 
Baconian principle, ‘‘ Non fingendum aut cogitandum 
sed inveniendum quid natura faciat aut ferat,’” the 
theories advanced were not founded on ascertained 
facts. 
Prior to the sixteenth century the metallic contents 
of ore-veins were supposed to have been determined 
by their orientation in regard to the planets; and 
Agricola (1494-1555) was the first to formulate a 
reasonable genetic theory. Reduced to its simplest 
terms, Agricola’s view was that ore-channels (canales), 
formed by erosion, had been filled by metallic minerals 
deposited from solution. These solutions, or juices 
(succi), as Agricola terms them, were waters of 
meteoric origin which, under the influence of heat, 
had taken mineral matter into solution. 
From the time of Agricola to the end of the 
eighteenth century the mines of Saxony produced 
nearly all the writers on vein-formation. Such were 
Rosler, Becher, Henckel, Hoffmann, Zimmermann, 
von Oppel, von Charpentier, and von Treba. 
Becher and Henckel, who wrote in the beginning 
1 From the presidential address delivered at the Annual Meeting of the 
Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, on March 26, by Dr. F. H. Hatch. 
