NOVEMBER 15, 1906 | 
NALORE 
side excursion had been arranged for those 
the party specially interested in mining and 
These, as the guests of the Copper Queen Co., 
left the main body at El Paso, on the frontier, and 
travelled west to Bisbee (Arizona), Cananea (Sonora, 
Mexico), Douglas (Arizona), and Nacozari (Sonora), visit- 
ing the various copper mines and smelting works at these 
places, and then rejoining the main party. 
Although by that time the rainy season was supposed 
to be nearly over, the members taking part in the northern 
excursion also had some experience of the difficulties caused 
A special 
members of 
metallurgy. 
by ‘‘ wash-outs,’’ &c., in a country like Mexico, and at 
several places the programme had to be curtailed owing 
to delays to the trains. 
The last event of all was an excursion of a week’s 
duration made by a party of sixty or seventy members, 
who left Mexico City on October 6 to visit the Isthmus 
of Tehuantepec as the guests of Sir Weetman Pearson, 
whose firm have constructed the railway and docks which 
now serve as a means of communication between the 
Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the Republic at its narrowest 
part. 
As has been indicated, the members of the 
everywhere received with the greatest hospitality, on the 
excursions as well as in the capital. One of the many 
social functions during the meeting may perhaps be 
allowed special mention; this was the reception of the 
members by President and Madame Diaz in the famous 
Palace of Chapultepec (‘‘ The Hill of the Grasshopper ’’). 
After having been welcomed by their hosts, they spent 
some time admiring the magnificent views from the upper 
terraces, including the city and the distant snow-capped 
peaks of Popocatapet! and Ixtaccihuatl. In the evening 
they were entertained to a banquet on the lower terrace ; 
they had been invited ‘‘ to tea,’? but tea appeared to be 
the one thing which was not provided. 
The meeting of the congress was in all respects a very 
great success, and for this the Mexican officials, both of 
the Government and of the congress, deserve the highest 
praise. While all did well, it is no disparagement to the 
others to say that thanks are specially due to the general 
secretary, Mr. Ordonez, for the admirable manner in which 
he filled that woes and trying pee 
congress were 
METEOROLOGICAL NOTES 
THE frequency of thunderstorms in Falanione to the sun- 
spot period is discussed by Dr. Aksel S. Steen in a 
reprint from the ‘‘ Hann-Band der meteorologischen Zecit- 
schrift."’ The author has dealt with data from Norway, 
Sweden, and Denmark, using material from twenty, 
twenty-eight, and eight stations in each country respec- 
tively, extending from the years 1873 to 1903. The result 
of the inquiry is to show that the curves for the frequency 
at each of these regions have maxima at about the times of 
the sun-spot maxima, and minima at about sun-spot 
minima, but underlying this variation one of half the period 
is apparent. In combining the results of all the three 
stations, the curve still shows the eleven-year variation 
with the change of shorter duration. 
Dr. Steen suggests that similar observations covering 
other regions should be discussed to see if they exhibit 
similar changes. 
Another reprint from the same ‘* Hann-Band ”’ 
the yearly air movement as determined by 
anemometers over some European stations, and is con- 
tributed by Dr. Felix M. Exner. The author discusses, in 
the first instance, wind observations made at Pola, Vienna, 
Potsdam, Zurich, Santis, Bremen, Obir, and Sonnblick. 
His method of analysis is to calculate the resultant of 
the sixteen wind directions and to reduce them to north and 
West components. Thus winds from the west or east were 
considered as +W and —W, while those from the north 
or south were treated as +N and —N. The resulting 
west and north components were then determined for each 
year, and expressed in units of hundreds of kilometres. 
It is shown that, according to the sign of the west 
component, with the exception of Pola, all the stations 
are under the influence of the general air circulation from 
‘the west. In the case of the north component, such a 
NO. 1933, VOL: 75] 
deals with 
registering 
67 
Wy, 
general result is not obtained. It is positive in Vienna, 
Zurich, and on the Sonnblick, sometimes positive in Pola 
and on the Obir, but generally negative. Local causes are 
suggested as to the origin of some of these results. At 
Potsdam, Bremen, and Santis the north component is 
negative, and these are considered as good undisturbed 
| stations. 
The proportion of the north to the west component is 
generally less than 1 or —1, so that the resulting wind 
direction is from the S.S.W. The author next investigates 
the atmospheric pressure values in relation to these vari- 
ations of wind direction and velocity, and concludes that 
the yearly northern pressure gradients vary considerably, 
ind that these changes harmonise in a satisfactory manner 
with those of the air movements. The paper is accom- 
panied by numerous sets of curves showing the 
of the variations discussed. 
Prof. H. Hildebrand Hildebrandsson contributes an 
important article in the same ‘* Hann-Band”’ on the 
circulation of the upper layers of air above the maximum 
of the North Atlantic Ocean. Prof. Hildebrandsson refers 
to the recent important researches of Messrs. Rotch, 
Teisserenc de Bort, Hergesell, Clayton, and Maurice, and, 
finally, says that ‘‘ our results concerning the general 
circulation of the atmosphere are verified by direct obsery- 
ations made by means of kite flying and free balloons.”’ 
The article is accompanied by two very instructive maps 
showing for summer and winter the mean direction of 
motion of the upper clouds in relation to the isobars. 
These charts bring out clearly the east-to-west motion 
throughout the year of the upper currents over the equator 
and the west-to-east motion in the higher latitudes, in- 
dicating an enormous whirl of air round the pole. 
In another reprint from the same source we have a 
discussion of two long series of evaporation measures made 
similarity 
at the Kremsmiinster Observatory; this discussion was 
undertaken by Prof. P. Franz Schwab, director of the 
observatory. The observations divide themselves naturally 
into two groups, the first series being commenced in 1821 
and ending in 1845, while the second began in 1885 and 
is being continued to-day. 
Prof. Schwab in a series of tables brings together the 
monthly and yearly values, and treats the daily and annual 
variations at some length, ‘comparing the latter with results 
obtained at numerous other stations. 
Dietrich Reimer (Berlin, 1905) has published an excel- 
mean rainfall map of Germany, with explanatory 
notes, which have been prepared by Prof. G. Hellmann. 
This map, which is on a scale of 1: 1,800,000, shows the 
distribution of the mean yearly rainfall over the land from 
3600 stations, the observations from which the values were 
derived extending from 1893 to 1902. To gain some idea 
of the distribution of these stations, it may be stated that 
and the other North German States are repre- 
Saxony by 166, 
lent 
Prussia 
sented by 2341 stations, Bayern by 252, 
Wiirttemberg by 90, Baden by 49, Hessen by 32, and Blsass- 
Lothringen by 7o. Thus in North Germany there is one 
station for every 163 square kilometres, and one for every 
295 square kilometres in South Germany. The map gives 
twelve different shades (ten in blue and two in yellow), and 
shows at a glance the geographical distribution over this 
part of Europe. 
In the introduction to the meteorological report for the 
year 1903, published by the Survey Department, Finance 
Ministry, Cairo, we read that ‘‘ The reeorologs series for 
Abbassia closes with the end of 1903, and that for Helwan 
begins from January 1, 1904.’’ In this volume we have in 
the appendices the first instalment of a few discussions re- 
lating to the data collected at Abassia since it was started. 
These are quite brief, but the discussions will no doubt 
serve to indicate points for future study. Thus, for in- 
stance, the large differences in evaporation recorded at the 
observatory are well worth careful study, and they will 
no doubt be found to be closely associated with changes 
of other meteorological elements when a longer series of 
observations becomes available. The present report in- 
cludes all the meteorological data collected at the observ- 
atory and various out-stations, together with daily readings 
of the various river-gauges situated at different parts of 
the Nile. The reader’s attention should, however, be 
