January 26, 1905] 



NA TURE 



293 



to the inclination of the earth's axis to the plane of 

 the ecliptic, or to altitudes at noon. On p. 1 1 we 

 read : — " By refraction we mean the property of the 

 atmosphere to bend the raj'S of light from celestial 

 bodies, and so make them appear at a point in the 

 heavens some distance (greater according to the 

 proximity to the horizon) from their true position." 

 Such a statement, to the man in the street, coilld apply 

 equally as well to a horizontal as a vertical change 

 of position. On p. 19 is written : — " . . . solid body 

 of the .Sun himself, which is probably a relatively 

 dark body . . ."; for such readers as this book is in- 

 tended a statement of this nature should have been 

 carefully avoided. 



On the same page we must conclude that for most 

 days of the year, especially in years away from sun- 

 spot minimum, the earth is subject to nearly a con- 

 tinuous series of magnetic storms, for " the appear- 

 ance of spots on the sun is nearly always accompanied 

 by a ' magnetic storm ' . . . ." The use here of the 

 term " magnetic storm " is quite unnecessary and 

 misleading. 



Enough, perhaps, has been said about the text of 

 this " simple worded treatise," and we leave intend- 

 ing readers to criticise the drawings themselves, their 

 attention being specially directed to those on pp. 6, 

 25, 36, and 89. 



Observations ocianographiques et mefeorologiques 

 dans la Region die Courant de Guinie (1855-1900). 

 (i) Texte et Tableaux. Pp. iv+ii6. (2) Planches, 

 viii. The Netherlands Meteorological Institute. 

 (Utrecht : Kemink & Zoon, 1904.) Price 5 francs. 

 These volumes contain the results of a discussion of 

 observations recorded by Dutch shipmasters. The 

 area extends from the equator to latitude 25° N., and 

 from the meridian of Greenwich to 40° W. The work 

 is a revised and more complete edition, brought up to 

 date, of " De Guinea — en Equatoriaal .Stroomen," 

 published in 1895. Currents, winds, temperature and 

 specific gravity of the sea water, temperature and 

 pressure of the air, frequency of rain days, records of 

 current ripples, flying fish, phosphorescence, and of 

 green, brown, and blue water have been tabulated for 

 each month in spaces of 1° squares, then grouped 

 into 5° squares for each month and the year, also for 

 each of twelve three-monthly periods — December to 

 February, January to March, &c. — and finally, the 

 current and wind results in 5° squares for each month 

 and the year for each octant. So far as they go, the 

 results for the various elements are interesting and 

 valuable. Unfortunately, throughout this long pericti 

 of thirty-six years Dutch ships kept so very closely 

 within the narrow limits of the recognised outward 

 and homeward routes that the information immediately 

 beyond has been exceedingly sparse; indeed, over an 

 area of about 400,000 square miles in the south-western 

 quarter of the region under discussion not a single 

 observation was available for the four consecutive 

 months August to November, a period of the year 

 when the east-going counter-current would be met 

 with in this locality. We are presented, therefore, 

 with very incomplete results as to the seasonal 

 extension and contraction of this important current. 

 It is admitted that, having failed to devise a wholly 

 satisfactory system of weighting the frequency of 

 winds, a method " subject to some objections " has 

 been followed, so that whether the wind has been 

 logged from the same point once or six times in the 

 day it has been counted as one observation, whereas if 

 logged from six different points in the same interval 

 six observations have been tabulated. Except in 

 table iv. , and planches vi. and vii., the absence of 

 current or wind has been ignored. 



NO. 1839, VOL. 71] 



(i) Opere matematiche di Francesco Brioschi. Vol. iii. 



Pp. x + 435. (Milan: U. Hoepli, 1904.) Price 25 



lire. 

 (2) Opere niatematiche di Eugenio Beltrami. Vol. ii. 



Pp. 468. (Milan : U. Hoepli, 1904.) Price 25 lire. 

 These are the continuations of series of collected 

 papers of which the previous volumes have already 

 been reviewed in Nature. 



The mathematical papers of Francesco Brioschi are 

 published under the auspices of a committee consist- 

 ing of Profs. G. Ascoli, V. Cerruti, G. Colombo, 

 L. Cremona, G. Negri, and G. Schiaparelli. Of the 

 papers in the third volume, Nos. 90 to 100 were pub- 

 lished in the Annali di matcmatica pura ed applicata 

 from 1887 to 1897, Nos. loi to 125 in the Lombardy 

 Rendiconti between 1867 and 1896, the next two in 

 the Memorie oi the Modena Society in 1853, and the 

 remainder (Nos. 128 to 144) in the Atti of the Lincei 

 Academy between 1870 and 1886. The papers have 

 been revised by Profs. Bianchi, Capelli, Cerruti, 

 Gerbaldi, Loria, Pascal, Pittarelli, and Tonelli ; the 

 volume has been edited by Profs. Gerbaldi and Pascal, 

 and the former is mainly responsible for the revision 

 of the proofs. 



The second volume of Beltrami's works, like the 

 first, is brought out under the auspices of the faculty 

 of science of the University of Rome, and contains 

 nineteen papers arranged in chronological order, 

 numbered 27 to 45, and published between the years 

 1867 and 1873. The series is to be completed in five 

 volumes. 

 The Science Year Book for 1905. Edited by Major 



B. F. S. Baden-Powell. Pp. iv + 393. (London: 



King, Sell and Olding, 1905.) 

 A PLACE should be found for this Year-book on the 

 writing table of every astronomer and meteorologist, 

 and the volume should be available for ready refer- 

 ence in laboratories and schools where science is 

 studied. The first section of the work contains an 

 astronomical ephemeris throughout the year, short 

 notes relating to the movements of the earth, par- 

 ticulars as to paths of the principal planets this year, 

 details of eclipses, many useful tables, and maps of 

 constellations. There are also meteorological tables 

 and diagrams, physical and chemical constants, and 

 tables of weights and measures of various kinds. 

 Another section is devoted to particulars of scientific 

 societies at home and in America, and notes on prizes 

 and awards offered for scientific research. This list, 

 which at present occupies only two pages, might be 

 made a very valuable part of the book; for, so far 

 as we are aware, the information does not exist in 

 a convenient form anywhere. Particulars might be 

 given, for instance, of the subjects and values of the 

 prizes offered each year by the Paris Academy of 

 Sciences and many similar bodies. Short articles are 

 contributed on the progress of different branches of 

 pure and applied science last year, and there is a 

 biographical directory which includes the names of 

 fellows of the Royal Society and a few other men 

 of science, but is not complete enough to be of much 

 use as a directory. 



The remainder of the volume consists of a diary 

 with pages for every day, for monthly notes, cash 

 account, &c. For each day astronomical particulars 

 are printed at the top of the page, and there are 

 columns in which to enter results of meteorological 

 observations. It is very convenient to have all these 

 matters brought together so handily for reference 

 and record ; and we have no hesitation in saying 

 that all who are interested in natural phenomena or 

 concerned with scientific progress will find this Year- 

 book of great service. 



