May 29, 1902] 
NATORE 
WI7 
very little has thus far been accomplished in discussing its 
variations of temperature month by month throughout the year ; 
indeed, the region between the 5oth and 60th parallels, from 
our islands across to Labrador, has been almost wholly 
neglected. Some years ago, the Meteorological Office published 
mean results for four months ; the Deutsche Seewarte has made 
a separate discussion of each of a number of 10°-squares ; and 
the Copenhagen Institute annually supplies information for the 
far north, mainly on the routes from Denmark to Iceland and 
Greenland. These are the principal contributions to our 
knowledge of Atlantic sea temperature. 
The Meteorological Council has now made a new departure 
in this matter. In connection with the publication of the 
monthly pilot chart of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 
the cooperation of the captains and officers of the Mercantile 
Marine has been enlisted to promptly supply daily records of sea 
temperature during their voyages. A gratifying response resulted 
in the return of more than 2500 ocean temperatures for the month 
of January last, and 2750 for February. This mass of valuable 
information has been grouped in spaces of 2° of latitude by 2° of 
longitude and means obtained. The results between 30° and 
60° N. form the new feature of the pilot charts. Those for 
January appear on the April chart, and those for February on 
the May chart. In addition to the means, the variations from 
the averages of a long series of years are also shown, and lines 
are drawn separating the regions of excess and of defect. 
Generally speaking, in January the water was a degree or two 
colder than usual from Ireland down the face of the Bay to 
Portugal and thence westward across the Atlantic, while further 
north, from about the 20th meridian westward, the values were 
nearly all in excess. In February nearly the whole area was 
colder than during the preceding month, but compared with the 
February normals the region of excess was much more extensive 
than in January. The relatively cold water south-westward 
from the British Isles had, however, expanded westward to 
about 30° W. Close inshore the fall of temperature was very 
marked—oft Eastbourne, for instance, it was 44° in January, an 
excess of 3°, while in February it was only 37°, a defect 
of 3. Here we have the commencement of an investigation 
which, if continued, and improved as may be found necessary, 
should be fruitful of the most useful results. At present, with 
only the bare ocean results presented to us, it is not easy to 
explain what effect should be produced ashore. We know that 
the air temperature over the British Isles during last January 
was above the average to the extent of about 2°, while February 
was nearly 4° too cold, the coldest month for seven years. What 
part did the temperature of the ocean play in influencing the 
mildness of the one or the coldness of the other month ? 
With only these first charts before us, it is obviously impossible 
to form a just conception of the very complicated problem which 
requires solution. We must wait for a consecutive series of such 
charts and examine closely the variations disclosed month by 
month at sea and on land. It may be that the effect produced on 
Our air temperature by the changes in that of the sea to the west- 
ward and south-westward is an indirect and not a direct result. 
The prevalence of winds from particular quarters for any length 
of time, and the cold or warm ocean surface currents which they 
set up, the movements of weather systems, &c., must be borne 
in mind. From the monthly pilot charts it is clear that at times 
the Gulf Stream fails to reach our shores owing to the existence 
of a stronger opposing flow. It has been advanced by Dr. Emil 
Lesshaft, in his paper ‘‘ Der Einfluss der Warmeschwankungen 
des Norwegischen Meeres auf die Luftcirkulation in Europa” 
(Meteorologische Zeitschrift, Band xvi.), that the paths followed 
by atmospheric disturbances are associated with the temperature 
of the sea water, and if that should prove to be the case we must 
consider first of all the temperature of the Atlantic and the march 
of weather systems, and then the effect the latter produce on 
our climate. The permanent Atlantic anticyclone maintains 
its position over a part of the ocean where there is only a slight 
variation of sea temperature, but its outer limits expand or 
contract enormously, at times stretching northward as far as 
Iceland and Greenland, especially in the month of May, when 
a broad belt of Arctic water flows southward beyond our 
western coasts. With our present knowledge we can only 
conjecture as to the causes of these variations, but the in- 
formation about the sea temperature now becoming available 
may, perhaps, help us to arrive at a better idea of the forces at 
work. As the observations become more numerous, would it be 
possible to issue weekly results of sea temperature ? 
NO. 1700, VOL. 66] 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
On Thursday next, June 5, the Sir John Cass Technical 
Institute, Aldgate, will be formally opened by the Right Hon. 
Lord Avebury, F.R.S. 
Wirt the object of creating interest in science teaching and 
nature-study in Southampton and the district, a conference will 
be held at the Hartley College, on June 14, together with an 
exhibition of home-made and other simple scientific apparatus. 
It is felt that much useful work is being done, the character 
of which is not generally known, and that teachers should be 
afforded an opportunity of comparing methods and becoming 
acquainted with that which the experience of others has proved 
to be of value. A preliminary meeting was held on May ro, 
when Dr. H. E. Armstrong, F.R.S., gave an address on the 
chief points to be borne in mind in early lessons in science. 
As he has often remarked before, science must not be taught so 
much on account of its matter as for training in scientific methods 
of work and reasoning. What is desired is that habits which 
characterise the true worker in science should become general 
habits, with the object of developing the practice of the best 
mental faculties. 
THERE are many signs that the movement for reform in the 
teaching of mathematics will have a decided influence upon the 
scope and character of elementary geometry in schools. Several 
public examining bodies have lately had the subject under con- 
sideration, and changes in the direction of reform are likely to 
be instituted. The regulations just issued for the Oxford Local 
Examinations next year contain an announcement referring to. 
the examinations in geometry which will have a very decided 
effect upon the scope and method of the subject in secondary. 
schools. The notice reads as follows :—‘‘ Questions will be set 
so as to bring out as faras possible a knowledge of the principles 
of geometry, a smaller proportion than heretofore consisting of 
propositions as enunciated in Euclid. Any solution which 
shows an accurate method of geometrical reasoning will be 
accepted. No question will be set involving necessarily the 
use of angles greater than two right-angles. Geometrical proofs 
of the theorems in Book ii. will not be insisted upon.” It is 
evident from this announcement, and the deliberations of other 
examining bodies and teachers, that Prof. Perry selected the 
right ‘‘ psychological moment ” for directing attention to the 
irrational ways of approaching geometry in schools and the need 
for recognition of work better adapted to modern needs. As 
both examiners and teachers are in general sympathy with his 
desire to get rid of artificiality in mathematics, we may expect 
that the time will come when geometry will not be commenced, 
as it is in many schools to-day, by learning Euclid’s definitions, 
postulates and axioms and reading propositions, but by the 
intelligent use of compasses, protractor and scale, 
IN introducing the Education Vote in the House of Commons 
on Monday, Sir John Gorst directed attention to some of the 
changes and developments which have taken place in the admin- 
istration of the Board of Education. Schools of science and 
other secondary day schools inspected by the Board are to have 
block grants instead of payments by results of examination, the 
grants being assessed every three years. By this system, it is 
hoped that all inducement to cram will be removed. Both in 
the administration of the Parliamentary grant and in the inspec- 
tion of schools the Board of Education will aim at encouraging 
originality and variety. The hope was expressed that the time 
would be far distant when those who had to administer the 
public funds of this country and to carry out the provisions of 
the Act with regard to secondary schools forgot the enormous 
danger of interfering to produce uniformity of system, and 
that they would give every encouragement to variety and 
independence. Referring to the Royal College of Science—one 
of the two Government colleges in London which are entirely 
under the management of the Board of Education, the other being 
the Royal College of Art—Sir John Gorst said :—“‘ The vote for 
this school, which is a very advanced science school, has been 
increased in the present year by 1000/ for the purpose of 
enabling work to be continued—begun by Sir Norman Lockyer 
—respecting the relation of certain precedent phenomena in the 
sun observed through the spectroscope to the subsequent rainfall 
in India and Australia. No certain law has yet been established, 
but if the research is successful it -will have enormous 
beneficial economic effects, both. for India and Australia.” 
