March 22, 1906] 



NA TURE 



49: 



veloped locally, or might have immigrated from western 

 Asia, but there was no reason to suppose that the area 

 in which the race occurs in Europe was large enough or 

 secluded enough to account for so considerable a change. 

 The northern or steppe route into Europe was not avail- 

 able until the retreat of the ice-cap and the shrinkage of 

 the Caspian, but south of the Black Sea there was a route, 

 now concealed by submergences subsequent to the period 

 with which he was dealing. In Anatolia the conditions 

 were favourable for the development of a distinct type, 

 and at the same time south-east Europe was partially 

 isolated, and its climate rendered it little suitable for human 

 habitation. Homo alj>inus was tall in Albania, short in 

 Central France ; the dwarf broad-heads developed in south- 

 eastern Europe, where the climate was severe, the giant 

 broad-heads in Anatolia, where conditions were more 

 favourable ; and it was natural to find the latter to the 

 east of the former, for they were driven out of Anatolia 

 later, leaving scattered " Dinaric " populations east of 

 the Sea of Azov, and throwing out colonies beyond the 

 " Cevenoles." In favour of this hypothesis were the facts 

 that (1) the fruit-culture of the European lake-dwell- 

 ing peoples was characteristically Anatolian ; (2) physically 

 they were of the right type ; and (3) even in classical times 

 Anatolia was noted for this type of dwelling. 



At the eighth International Geographical Congress, Mr. 

 R. De C. Ward, of Harvard University, contributed a 

 useful paper on a more rational treatment of climatology. 

 He pointed out that the method of presenting climatic data 

 in the usual tabulated form is unsatisfactory, because it 

 does not bring out (he cyclonic variations of different 

 weather conditions experienced from day to day. He does 

 not suggest any change in the recognised order of present- 

 ation, but he urges that wherever possible the cyclonic 

 unit should be made the basis of summaries, as well as the 

 diurnal, the monthly, the seasonal, and the annual unit ; 

 also that much more attention should be paid to an 

 adequate verbal discussion. Over the greater portion of 

 the equatorial zone, weather and climate are almost 

 synonymous terms, but in the temperate zone, for instance, 

 the regular diurnal changes are very frequently over- 

 shadowed by the changes due to the passage of cyclones 

 and anticyclones. The author gives several clear illus- 

 trations, e.g. in mean monthly and mean annual ranges 

 of temperature we have the sum of both periodic and non- 

 periodic changes which occur during any month, irrespective 

 of the question whether the maxima and minima all 

 occurred under similar conditions, and thus we lose sight 

 of a very important factor in climate ; and similarly with 

 regard to rainfall and other elements. More attention 

 should be given to seasonal averages, to departures from 

 the means, and even to the single occurrence of certain 

 phenomena. A tribute is paid to the more rational treat- 

 ment of climatology as evidenced by the beautiful charts 

 by Dr. Buchan in Bartholomew's " Atlas of Meteorology " ; 

 but, valuable as such charts are, the author considers that 

 the various weather elements which, taken together, make 

 up climate should be summarised, not on the basis of the 

 year or month only, but of the cyclone which controls 

 them. 



The Journal of the Royal Sanitary Institute (No. 1, 1906) 

 contains an interesting paper by Dr. W. N. Shaw, read 

 before the conference on smoke abatement, and entitled 

 "Is London Fog Inevitable?" The author pointed out 

 that we do not know the actual course of events in the 

 physical processes comprised in the origin and persistence 

 NO. 1899, VOL. 73] 



of fog, and referred to two important inquiries made under 

 the superintendence of the Meteorological Council relating 

 to the winters of 1901-2 and 1902-3. In the first report 

 Captain Carpenter came to the conclusion that in winter 

 London was never free from a smoke haze ; for some 

 months St. Paul's was invisible from the Victoria Tower 

 at the times of observation, although in the following year 

 conditions were more favourable. The most frequent cause 

 of fog is the cooling of the surface by radiation under a 

 clear sky ; there is no limit to the extent of country that 

 may be affected by the formation of fog under this con- 

 dition. In the second winter, 1902-3, Mr. Lempfert 

 assigned twenty-four cases out of thirty-nine dealt with to 

 the effect of radiation, while eight were considered to 

 consist practically of smoke alone. Thus about 20 per cent, 

 of the London fogs in that year might have been avoided 

 by the abatement of coal smoke, while the remainder de- 

 pended upon physical processes which are beyond our 

 control. Dr. Shaw remarks that one of the unsolved prob- 

 lems of this interesting subject is why the sun's heat does 

 not dissipate the fog upon which it shines. It was found 

 that the sunshine recorder at Bunhill Row during the month 

 of December lost 83 per cent, of the sun's burning power, 

 that at Westminster 61 per cent., and that at Kew 15 per 

 cent., so that if the sun has any substantial power of 

 dissipating early morning fog, the smoke of the London 

 atmosphere must seriously interfere with its effect. The 

 peculiar manner in which the density varies from place to 

 place, and various other points about London fog, await 

 further investigation. 



The Geological Survey of Alabama has issued a revised 

 map of the south-eastern part of the Cahaba coalfield, 

 embodying the results of investigations made since the 

 publication of the original map in 1S90. The vertical 

 section shows fifteen seams, mostly of small size, in about 

 1800 feet of measures. 



Statistics of the quantity and value of each of the 

 important minerals raised in India have been published 

 by Mr. T. H. Holland, F.R.S., in the Records of the 

 Geological Survey of India (1906, part i.). Compared with 

 1903, an increase of nearly 7 per cent, is shown in the 

 total value of mineral production. The production of coal, 

 8,216,706 tons, exceeded all previous records. There were 

 also produced 3596 tons of chromite, 286 carats of diamonds, 

 618,746 oz. of gold, 3256 tons of graphite, 3778 cwt. of 

 jadeite, 13 15 tons of magnesite, 150,297 tons of manganese 

 ore, 19,575 cwt - °f IT >ica, 118,491,382 gallons of petroleum, 

 265,901 carats of rubies, 1,170,205 tons of salt, 315,558 cwt. 

 of refined saltpetre, and 138S cwt. of tin ore. Statistics 

 of the production of alum, amber, asbestos, borax, building 

 stone, clay, gypsum, limestone, marble, ochre, and slate are 

 incomplete. 



In the Records of the Geological Survey of India (vol. 

 xxxiii., part i.) Mr. E. Vredenburg deals with Pleistocene 

 movement as indicated by irregularities of gradient of the 

 Narbada and other rivers in the Indian peninsula. He 

 gives a very striking photograph of the falls of the Narbada 

 at Dhari. Recent changes in the course of the Nam-tu 

 River, in the northern Shan States, are described by Mr. 

 T. D. La Touche, and the same author gives a note on 

 the natural bridge in the Gokteik Gorge, advantage of 

 which was taken in selecting a site for the railway bridge 

 on the Mandalay-Lashio line. Lastly, Mr. P. N. Bose 

 gives an account of the geology and mineral resources of 

 the Narnaul district, in the Patiala State. The minerals 



