350 



NA TURE 



[January 21, 19C9 



comparative data and statistics are produced. In reference 

 to Mr. Houghton's last question, attention may be directed 

 to the prevalence of the disease called beri-beri among the 

 rice-ealing nations, and that diet is an important factor 

 was very strikingly seen at the siege of Port Arthur. At 

 that date the Japanese Navy had abandoned their rice diet, 

 whereas the Army had not, otherwise the two services lived 

 under the same conditions ; beri-beri still continued to 

 ■decimate the soldiers, but among the sailors it was prac- 

 tically stamped out. 



The Meteorological Office has sent us the monthly 

 meteorological charts (i) of the North Atlantic and Mediter- 

 ranean, and (2) of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, for the 

 present month. In addition to the usual statistical in- 

 formation referring to winds, ocean currents, &c., prepared 

 for the month in question from various publications of the 

 Iiydrographic and meteorological offices in this country and 

 abroad, all available space, both on the face and back of 

 the charts, is utilised by data of much importance to sea- 

 men. .\ cablegram from Canada, dated December 12, 1908, 

 reported heavy, close-packed ice at Quebec and L'Islct. 

 On the back of the Atlantic chart is reprinted a very 

 Interesting memorandum on observations of waves and 

 swell, drawn up by the late Sir G. G. Stokes while he was 

 a member of the Meteorological Council. With reference 

 thereto, the remark is made that " We learn from Sir 

 George Gabriel Stokes that the low swells of deep water, 

 which have long periodic times, cause high rollers when 

 they come into shallow water." 



We have received from Dr. J. R. .'\shworth a copy of 

 an analysis of the meteorological elements of Rochdale, 

 f.'om observations since 1878, reprinted from the Trans- 

 actions of the Literary and Scientific Societv of that place 

 for igoS. The author has subjected the monthly means 

 to harmonic analysis, and has computed six component 

 curves for each element. This method discovers several 

 interesting points relating to the climate of Rochdale, e.g,. 

 the fifth subperiod of the rainfall formula exhibits a re- 

 markably large amplitude ; the author points out that " its 

 maximum occurs on December 29 and every succeeding 73 

 days." A comparison with the rainfall at other stations 

 shows, e.g., that at Stonyhurst an equally large value for 

 the 73-day period is exhibited, while at Oxford and Cam- 

 bridge this subperiod is insignificant. This method is, 

 generally speaking, too laborious for ordinary observers, 

 but Dr. Ashworth's investigation will be of considerable 

 use to students to whom the advantages of exhibiting 

 results in the most concise form and the best means of 

 calculating the constants may be unknown. Perhaps the 

 greatest living advocate of the method is Prof. J. Hann ; 

 students will find much valuable information on the subject 

 and on the meaning of the various parts of the formula 

 In his papers in Himniel mid Erde, vol. vi., parts viii. 

 and ix., and Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological 

 Society, vol. xxv., pp. 40-65 (translation by Dr. R. H. 

 Scott). 



Vol. .xI. of the Transactions and Proceedings of the 

 New Zealand Institute, issued in igo8, contains several 

 Interesting contributions. Mr. R. Speight (p. 16), in a 

 paper on terrace-development of Canterbury rivers, properly 

 ■emphasises the importance of considering the varying 

 amount of waste material supplied to the streams in suc- 

 cessive epochs. Mr. A. M. Finlayson describes the interest- 

 ing veins of scheelite and quartz that are now mined in the 

 goldfields of Otago, the price of the dressed ore having 

 risen in fifteen years from 20I. to 160/. per ton. Dr. P. 

 Marshall shows that the so-called gabbro of Dun Mountain 

 consists of grossularite and a pyro-xene or an amphibole, 

 NO. 2047, VOL. 79] 



and he makes the interesting suggestion that this rock 

 probably results from the digestion of an adjacent lime- 

 stone in the peridotite magma which provides the well- 

 known dunite. Botany is represented by nine papers, in- 

 cluding Mr. D. Petrie's account of a visit to Mt. Hector, 

 5106 feet in height, in which the changes in the flora, and 

 even in the characters of individual species, at successive 

 elevations are discussed. Mr. H. Guthrie-Smith, in " The 

 Grasses of Tutira," describes the struggle between alien 

 grasses and the returning indigenous species over farm 

 lands watched by him for twenty-five years. The land 

 has already become " sick " of the alien species, and, as 

 its fertility lessens, the hardier native species tend to 

 resume possession, and thus to redress " the balance of 

 nature." There are twenty zoological papers, moUusca 

 being largely dealt with ; Mr. W. H. Webster contributes 

 seven new species, which are figured. Strong pleas are 

 put in for the protection of native birds, presumably with 

 the exception of the kea, which Mr. G. R. Marriner again 

 holds up to obloquy. This volume, including as it does 

 608 pages and thirty-four plates, is a monument to the 

 activity of the local societies and of the central institutp 

 that unites them. 



Everyone who is working at radio-activity at the present 

 time feels the need of a standard of activity in terms of 

 which all measurements of activity can be expressed. It 

 was suggested three years ago by Prof. H. N. McCoy, of 

 the University of Chicago, that the activity of one square 

 centimetre of a layer of suitable thickness of uranium 

 oxide, U3O,, would furnish an excellent standard. In the 

 December (1908) numbers of the .American Journal of 

 Science and of Lc Radium Prof. McCoy gives an account 

 of the work he has done, in conjunction with Mr. G. C. 

 .\shman, to show that such a layer has all the properties 

 required in a standard. The oxide is easily prepared, and 

 samples prepared from three different sources gave identical 

 results. A layer of thickness such that 002 gram goes to 

 the square centimetre gives the maximum activity due to 

 the a rays. The radiation due to the j3 rays is small. 



Messrs. H. F. .\ngus and Co., 83 Wigmore Street, 

 Cavendish Square, have just issued a summary of cata- 

 logues of apparatus for testing and correcting vision, 

 relative magnification, actual magnification, projection, 

 prismatic work, angular and linear measure, and other 

 scientific observations. Of particular intei'est is the 

 announcement of a series of demonstrations on the manipu- 

 lation of the microscope and its accessories, free to all 

 who care to avail themselves of them. These demonstra- 

 tions should be of real service in showing what can be 

 accomplished by modern instruments and preparations. 



The " Science Year Book and Diary " for 1909 is now 

 available. It is edited, as in former years, by Major 

 B. F. S. Baden-Powell, and maintains the distinguishing 

 characteristics to which attention has been directed in 

 these columns on previous occasions. Among other 

 additions in the present issue may be mentioned a table 

 of the vegetable kingdom specially compiled by Dr. Rendle, 

 of the British Museum. The frontispiece consists of an 

 excellent portrait of Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S. 

 The book is published by Messrs. King, Sell and Olding, 

 Ltd., Chancery Lane, London, and its price is 54. net. 



Messrs. M.acmill.xn and Co., Ltd., have published a 

 new edition of Mr. T. .A. O'Donahue's " Colliery Survey- 

 ing." The book was reviewed on its first publication in 

 Nature of March 11, 1897 (vol. Iv., p. 438). It is only 

 necessary to add that extensive revisions and additions 

 have been made in the present issue. 



