Set i a 
- Royal, Edmund Halley. 
OcTOBER 30, 1913| 
at Leeghwater (South Holland) to 596 mm. (23'5 in.) 
at Kampen (E. Zuider Zee). The rainfall diminishes 
considerably near the coasts; at some distance from 
these it increases, and afterwards the diminution 
becomes progressive and general with distance from 
the sea. The maximum values occur in July, August, 
and October; the minimum values occur generally in 
February and April. In July the increased rainfall is 
due chiefly to thunderstorms. 
THE present autumn has many meteorological 
features of especial interest. Only one-third of the 
autumn now remains, and although there is ample 
time for a thorough change to set in, there are at 
present no indications of generally colder conditions. 
The weekly reports issued by the Meteorological 
Office show an excess of temperature since the close 
of summer at the end of August, in all parts of the 
British Isles, and over England and Ireland the excess 
amounts to 3° for the period embraced by September 
and October. The absence of low temperatures is 
very pronounced, and at Greenwich the lowest shade 
temperature for October is 36°, while to October 28 
there were nine nights with the thermometer above 
50°. In October last year sharp frost was experienced 
on October 5 and 6, but it is not altogether uncommon 
to escape frost throughout the month, and in 1910 
the lowest temperature at Greenwich for October was 
39:6°. On twenty-one days out of the first twenty- 
eight days in October this year the shade temperature 
at Greenwich had exceeded 60°, and even towards the 
close of the month such high temperatures were fairly 
common. The autumn rains have so far been in 
excess of the average over the midland and eastern 
districts of England, but there is generally a deficiency 
in the western districts. 
In his remarks on Dr. Bohr’s letter on the spectra 
of helium and hydrogen, in Nature of October 23, 
p- 232, Prof. Fowler referred to certain corrections 
required in the wave-lengths calculated for the lines 
near H8, Hy, &c., as given in the original submitted 
to him. Dr. Bohr, however, corrected these wave- 
lengths in the proof, thus rendering Prof. Fowler’s cor- 
rections unnecessary. We are asked to mention this 
in order to remove any ambiguity to which the refer- 
ence to corrected wave-lengths may have given rise. 
THE September number of Terrestrial Magnetism 
and Atmospheric Electricity devotes twenty pages to 
an account of the magnetic work of the Astronomer 
In 1698 he was placed in 
command of the Paramour Pink in order “to improve 
the knowledge of the longitude and the variations of 
the compasse.” He spent two years taking observa- 
tions in the Atlantic between latitudes 50° N. and 
52° S., and published his results in a ‘‘General Chart 
of the Variations of the Compass” in won.» The 
journal in which he entered all his observations is 
reprinted under the editorship of Messrs. Ault and 
Wallis, of the department of terrestrial magnetism, 
and Dr. Bauer has collected together the references 
to Halley’s magnetic work in the journals of the Royal 
Society, and gives reprints of the letterpress which 
accompanied the sea charts of the western and 
southern oceans, and of the whole world. 
NO. 2296, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 
275 
SoME interesting results are recorded by Messrs. 
F. A. Sannino and A. Tosatti in the Atti R. 
Accad. Lincei (vol. xxii., ii., No. 5) of the effect of 
manuring grape vines with manganese sulphate. The 
result of the application is considerably to increase 
the yield of grapes per hectare, but the must obtained 
in the vintage is poorer in glucose, and higher in 
acidity than with the control, carried out on the same 
land, but without the addition of manganese. The 
wine obtained after fermentation shows a quite char- 
acteristic odour and flavour, and tends to resemble 
Marsala or Madeira. At the same time a tendency 
to develop turbidity is shown which is also found in 
wines when too rich in oxydases. The proportion of 
manganese present in the ash of the wine is at the 
same time markedly increased. 
ComMENTING on the loss of the German naval air- 
ship Zeppelin L2, The Engineer for October 24 does 
not consider that present constructive methods will 
ever render available the tactical superiority of air- 
ships. No dirigible balloon has yet been constructed 
which has fulfilled its function otherwise than by 
dodging the forces of nature. It is held that both 
commercially and  constructionally, the dirigible 
balloon of to-day appears to be an absurdity. Fur- 
ther, there is little reason to hope that conditions 
will change, and that new materials and methods of 
construction will be made available. 
Tue ‘‘ James Forrest” lecture for 1913 was delivered 
by Mr. Alexander Gracie in the new buildings of the 
Institution of Civil Engineers on October 23, the 
subject being twenty years’ progress in marine con- 
struction. Increase in size of vessel is undoubtedly 
the most valuable resource of the naval architect, 
as it leads directly towards the attainment of greater 
comfort, speed, and economy. Twenty years ago, the 
premier Atlantic vessel was the Campania, 600 ft. 
in length, 65 ft. in beam, and 41 ft. 6 in. in depth. 
To-day the largest vessel afloat is the Imperator, 
880 ft. by 90 ft. by 63 ft. The Cunard liners Lusi- 
tania and Mauretania have been surpassed in size, but 
still hold their supremacy in speed unchallenged; these 
vessels maintain an ocean speed of between 25 and 
26 knots. The advance has been greatly facilitated 
by the introduction and development of the steam 
turbine, which has provided the way to further pro- 
gress in economy, lightness, and the construction of 
very large units, while at the same time eliminating 
vibration troubles and relieving the difficulties of 
engine-room management. Twenty years ago, the 
majority of cross-Channel vessels were paddie- 
steamers. Typical vessels were the paddle-steamer 
Calais Douvres and the twin-screw Ibex. The former 
vessel had a displacement of 1065 gross tons, and 
engines of 6000 indicated horse-power: gave a speed 
of 20:64 knots. The corresponding dimensions of the 
latter vessel were 1062 gross tons, 4200 indicated 
horse-power, and 19:37 knots. The introduction in 
Igit of geared-turbines in the Normannia and 
' Hantonia has led to a great economy in fuel, these 
vessels using but 43 tons of coal per trip, as compared 
with 7o tons used by their immediate predecessors 
of the same capacity, but propelled by direct-driven 
