NOVEMBER 12, 1903] 
epoch; Mr. J. J. Hicks, various apparatus, including a 
standard thermometer without any error shown in the Kew 
table of corrections between 32° and 212°; Dr. W. J. S. 
Lockyer, photographs of lightning and of the spectrum of 
lightning; Dr. H. R. Mill, rainfall maps; Mr. R. W. 
Munro, new pressure plate anemometer by Dines; Messrs. 
Newton and Co., altimeter; Prof. J. M. Pernter, new self- 
registering eléctrometer and anemometer, also hair hygro- 
meter and photometeorometer ; Mr. A. Lawrence Rotch, in- 
strument for determining the velocity of wind at sea, kite 
investigation exhibits, photographs of high-level stations 
and of the figures of the winds from the Horologium at 
Athens; Dr. R. H. Scott, F.R.S., Russian climatological 
atlas; Dr. W. N. Shaw, F-.R.S., Galton’s ‘ Meteor- 
ographica’’ and other historical exhibits, lantern slides, 
apparatus and diagrams illustrating the motion of air in 
circular storms, and apparatus illustrating the circum- 
stances of the formation of cloud in free air; Prof. F. T. 
Trouton, F.R.S., gravimetric recording hygrometer, and 
an electrical dew-point hygrometer; Mr. C. T. R. Wilson, 
F.R.S., experiments on ionisation; Commander Wilson- 
Barker, R.N.R., cloud studies—photographs ; Dr. W. Man- 
sergh Varley, for Mr. P. Y. Alexander, ballons sondes re- 
cords; Mr. A. Lander, new sunshine recorder, anemometer, 
_ and thermograph. 
It is difficult to particularise in a short notice the exhibits 
which deserved or those which received the greatest atten- 
tion. Not the least interesting was the one representative 
of the connection of meteorology with botany, exhibited by 
Mr. Blackman, an apparatus which showed the rate at 
which water evaporated from the leaves of the branch of 
a tree. From the point of view of meteorology, probably 
the most important exhibits were the comparatively in- 
conspicuous sheets of metal or paper on which were recorded 
the results of balloon or kite ascents by M. Teisserenc de 
Bort, Mr. Rotch, Mr. Dines, and Dr. Varley, one of the 
records exhibited by the last-named gentleman extending to 
the height of 70,000 feet. The opportunity of seeing the 
working of Mr. Aitlken’s dust counters, Mr. Wilson’s ex- 
periments on the effect of the electric field upon condensation 
of water particles, with other noteworthy experiments, the 
collection of weather maps of all countries, of magnetic 
apparatus old and new, and of the diagrams bringing 
together the results of observations from all parts of the 
world, will probably remain among the most satisfactory 
recollections of the meeting in Southport. The local exhibits 
by Mr. Baxendell, of the remarkably well equipped Fernley 
Observatory, and his assistant, Mr. Halliwell, were admir- 
able exarnples of the best kind of progress in meteorological 
instrument making, and a word ought to be said for Mr. 
Lander, of Canterbury, who exhibited some self-recording 
instruments of his own construction, among others a sun- 
shine recorder which keeps the record of sunshine for a 
month on a half-plate sheet of photographic paper. 
An interesting exhibit, which could not be confined to 
the four walls of a building, was a specimen of the 
mortars used in southern Europe for bombarding the clouds, 
as described in the columns of Nature, vol. Ixiv. p. 159. 
The apparatus was brought and exhibited by Prof. Pernter, 
being placed at his disposal by the makers for the demon- 
stration of the remarkable vortex rings which are produced 
by the discharge of the mortar, which is provided with a 
large funnel-shaped attachment. The discharges were 
directed horizontally, and though the rings did not carry 
smoke enough, as a rule, to be easily followed by eye, some 
of them showed their structure and others could be heard 
hurtling along the promenade for a considerable distance. 
Finally, mention should be made of the arrangement carried 
out in connection with the exhibition by the Meteorological 
Council for the preparation at Southport of a weather chart 
of north-west Europe ‘with remarks and forecasts in the 
same manner as those of the daily weather report of the 
Meteorological Office. For this purpose the reports of 
observations received in London were sent on by telegraph 
to Southport, and there charted and dealt with; the evening 
information of which account has always to be taken in 
preparing morning forecasts was sent by post and charted 
in readiness for thesarrival of the telegrams. 
A special feature of the Southport edition was found in 
maps of the distribution of maximum and minimum 
NO. 1776, VOL. 69] 
NATURE 
45 
temperatures, sunshine and rainfall for the previous twenty- 
four hours, which replaced the three supplementary maps 
of the daily weather report. 
The primary object of the arrangement was to enable 
the members of the British Association to examine for 
themselves the method adopted by the Meteorological 
Council for dealing with daily weather information, but it 
was also an experiment by which one can estimate the con- 
ditions necessary for carrying out a system of distributing 
telegraphic information to local centres to be there dealt 
with independently of, but in association with, a central 
office. At present in this country there is only one centre 
for the preparation of reports and forecasts, although the 
local conditions of the three kingdoms are very complex. 
The trial of the preparation of independent reports. from 
the same data is therefore of more than temporary interest. 
In the chapter of accidents it came about that the South- 
port week exhibited remarkably typical examples of British 
weather, including the rapidly travelling circular storm of 
September 10, with accompanying heavy rainfall, and 
the persistent anti-cyclone of the following week, with its 
autumnal mornings and atmospheric effects. Unfortunately 
all the types were cold, and the visitors from over sea were 
more impressed with the meteorological interest of the 
week’s weather than with its geniality. The series of maps 
remains a very interesting group of specimens for weather 
study. W. N. SHaw. 
ARCHAZOLOGY OF THE COAST OF NORTH- 
concluded his 
WEST FLORIDA. 
Me: CLARENCE B. MOORE has 
thorough archzological survey of the coast-line of 
north-west Florida. Although this district had not previ- 
ously been investigated, many mounds had been opened by 
treasure seekers and curiosity hunters, and thus valuable 
data have been lost to the students of American archxology. 
This irresponsible exploitation of mounds for spoil has 
caused great loss to science in America, but the loss in 
the Old World has been infinitely greater, and too often 
this ignorant digging has been carried on under the auspices 
of ‘* learned ’’ institutions. 
By far the greater portion of Mr. Moore’s finds consists 
of pottery which has been added to the noble collection 
that this enthusiastic archeologist has given to the museum 
of the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia. 
Indeed, there are in the various museums of the United 
States enormous collections of pre-Columbian and more 
recent pottery, comparatively little of which has been 
studied or published. It is to be hoped that ere long one 
of our American colleagues will give us a monograph on 
American ceramics as a whole; a work on this subject is 
much needed at the present day, and it could not fail to 
be of very great interest. 
There is so much variety in the vessels so numerously 
and beautifully figured a Mr. Moore that it is difficult 
to give an idea of the pottery of the district investigated. 
Many vessels are composed of several cups or receptacles, 
most are of irregular form and are often provided with 
animals’ heads, a few are perforated, and some are in the 
form of human effigies; a unique vessel has the form of 
an inverted truncated pyramid, on one side of which a 
human figure peering over the edge is modelled in relief. 
The majority of the vessels are decorated in various ways, 
usually either by incised lines or by devices or patterns in 
low relief, many of which look as if they had been pro- 
duced with a stamp; one simple cylindrical vessel is 
ornamented with an incised design representing two human 
hands, but most of the designs and patterns have no obvious 
significance. 
A good many human crania have been found, and these 
exhibit great antero-posterior flattening, while in some a 
concave depression gives evidence of early constriction by 
a band. Captain Bernard Romans, who was familiar with 
1 “Certain Aboriginal Remains of the North-west Florida Coast.”’ Partii. 
By Clarence B. Moore. (/ournal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 
Philadelphia, 2nd series, vol. xii., part ii., rg02.) 
