374 
NATURE 
1 
-[Aveust 17, 1899 
THE Superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey 
has designated Dr. Frank Schlesinger, Columbia University, 
New York City, to take charge of the variation of latitude 
observations at Ukiah, California, in accordance with the plans 
of the International Geodetic Association. 
Iv is with great regret that we learn of the death of Dr. 
Daniel G. Brinton, the distinguished and erudite American 
anthropologist, in his sixty-third year. Although Dr. Brinton 
was for many years Professor of American Archeology and 
Linguistics in the University of Pennsylvania, we understand 
that he had very little actual teaching to do, and thus was at 
liberty to devote himself to research. Dr. Brinton was known 
as an enthusiastic student of linguistics, and had a profound 
knowledge of American languages. He had recently bequeathed 
his extensive and very valuable linguistic library to his University 
The following are some of his contributions to anthropological 
science: ‘*The Floridean Peninsula: its Indian Tribes and 
Antiquities” ; ‘‘ The Myths of the New World” (third edition, 
1894); ‘‘The Religious Sentiment: a Contribution to the 
Science of Religion”; ‘* American Hero Myths”; ‘‘ The 
Chronicles of the Mayas”; ‘‘The Annals of the Cakchiquels” ; 
** Ancient Nahuatl Poetry ” ; ‘f Races and Peoples ” ; ‘‘ Lectures 
on Ethnography”; ‘‘ Essays of an Americanist” ; ‘‘ The 
American Race” ; ‘‘The Pursuit of Happiness”; ‘‘ Nagual- 
ism” ; ‘‘ Grammar of the Choctaw Language’’; ‘‘ Grammar of 
the Cakchiquel Language,’ :and various other papers and 
memoirs, 
A HURRICANE of unusual severity struck the island of Mont- 
serrat, West Indies, on the 7th inst., and caused great devast- 
ation there and at othergpoints of its path. It is reported to 
have reached Porto Rico on the 8th, to have been central over 
the north-east of Cuba on the roth, and to have reached the 
southern part of Florida on the 12th. As pointed out in our 
note of July 20 last (p. 281), West India hurricanes are most 
prevalent at this season of the year; the average number 
between August and November is two a month, but the tracks 
are often over the open sea, and do not come in contact with 
the numerous islands. The course taken by the storm in 
question was more to the northward of the hurricane which 
caused so much damage at Barbados and St. Vincent last 
September, and has taken a somewhat more westerly route than 
the average path. The rate at which it travelled seems to have 
been under ten miles an hour, which is about the usual velocity 
in those latitudes ; but this has no relation to the force of wind 
in the whirl of the storm, which probably reached a rate of 100 
miles an hour at, times. By a telegram from New York on the 
12th, the fury of the storm appeared to have abated, probably 
owing to contact with the land ; but for further particulars as 
to its behaviour, we must wait for the official reports of the 
Governors of the various islands and of the United States 
authorities. 
Pror. E. VAN AUBEL, assistant proressor of physics in the 
University of Ghent, sends us an interesting note with reference 
to Dr. C. G. Knott’s recent experiments on magnetic strain in 
bismuth (p. 192) and Mr. Shelford Bidwell’s comment upon 
them (p. 222). It appears that, in 1892, Prof. van Aubel pre- 
pared a paper on the same subject, entitled ‘‘ Influence de 
laimantation sur la longueur d’un barreau de bismuth,” and it 
was published in the Fournal de physique théorique et appliquée 
(troisiéme serie, tome i. p. 424, 1892). His experiments were 
made with perfectly pure bismuth, prepared by electrolysis, and 
used by Prof. A. Classen for the determination ‘of the atomic 
weight of the metal. An interference method was employed to 
determine any change of.length, but no change was found. 
NO. 1555, VOL. 60] 
Prof. van Aubel expresses his satisfaction that the results of his 
investigation have now been confirmed by Mr. Shelford Bid- 
well’s new experiments. 
THE value of towing experiments upon small-seale models of 
ships for the purpose of deducing the resistance of a full-sized 
ship from that of the model was first demonstrated by the late 
Mr. William Froude, whose son, Mr. R. E. Froude, F.R.S., is 
the superintendent of experiments of this kind at the Admiralty 
Experimental Works, Gosport. The Construction Bureau of 
the United States Navy Department has appreciated for many 
years the value of an experimental basin, but it was unable to 
secure a grant for the purpose until about two years ago, when 
Congress granted 100,000 dols. for this work. The basin 
proper was finished towards the close of last year, and the 
special machinery and apparatus have now just been completed 
and installed, after a good deal of delay, due indirectly to the 
war with Spain. The basin is situated inthe Washington Navy 
Yard, but the building is 500 feet long and about 50 feet wide 
inside. The water surface of the basin is slightly shorter 
than the building, being about 470 feet long. The deep por- 
tion is about 370 feet long, the south end, from which runs 
begin, being shallow. The water surface is 43 feet wide, and 
thedepth from top of coping to the bottom of the basin is 14 feet 
S inches. The basin is thus larger than any other in existence, 
and it is well equipped with machinery for the performance of 
experiments. Electricity is used to drive the overhead car- 
riage which tows the models; in fact, it is used for all 
mechanical work in connection with the model tank. Experi- 
ments are now being made to determine frictional coefficients of 
varnished surfaces and other constants needed in the use of the 
basin. Experiments are also being made as opportunity serves 
upon models of the naval vessels already built and tried for the 
purpose of accumulating data which will be constantly needed 
during the life of the tank. 
AN important paper has been recently communicated to 
the Swedish Academy of Sciences by Dr. Hildebrandsson, 
Director of Upsala Observatory, entitled ‘‘ Researches on the 
centres of action of the atmosphere: II. Rainfall.” In a 
previous paper, published in 1897, it was shown that an 
intimate relation exists between the variations of barometric 
pressure in different regions of the earth, e.g. if the pressure of 
the air is above or below the mean at the Azores, the reverse 
condition would obtain between Iceland and Scotland; and 
similarly for other parts of the world. Rainfall is perhaps the 
most important element in the economy of nations, but it is 
apparently the most variable and irregular of all when dealt 
with for short periods, but for seasons, or longer periods, con- 
siderable regularity is observed. The paper contains tables and 
curves showing seasonal and yearly values of rainfall for a 
number of places ; and from these it is seen, for instance, that 
as regards Iceland and the Azores the variations in the rainfall 
during the cold season are almost always in the opposite direc- 
tion, and equally clear results are shown to exist for other 
localities. It is evident that a prediction of rainfall six months 
in advance would be of great utility in India. With regard to 
those regions, the author finds that the amount of rainfall between 
October and March in Siberia is generally in inverse proportion 
to the amount which will fall in India during the following 
rainy season. It is not pretended that any definite laws have 
been determined,* but the ,provisional results seem to be of 
sufficient importance to warrant a more detailed inquiry, 
Mr. W. E. Hoy te, Director of the Manchester Museum, 
Owens College, has presented a very satisfactory report upon 
the progress made during 1898. The museum is not merely 
a popular resort, but also.an institution which works in many 
