;o2 



NATURE 



[January 30, 1902 



Victoria Land through those regions which Sir Thomas Ross 

 discovered in 1840, and which they hoped to explore. They 

 also hoped to pass along the ice barrier that stretched for 300 or 

 400 miles to the eastward. Then they would pass into the 

 region of the unknown. When they returned to New Zealand, 

 probably in two years' time, they might come back as beggars, 

 for, though they had provisions and outfit for a three-years' 

 cruise, wages and other things had been arranged for two years 

 only. 



Thk following ofiicial statement of the plans of the Carnegie 

 Institution (see p 278) is given in Science- — " It is proposed to 

 found in the city of Washington, in the spirit of Washington, 

 an institution which, with the cooperation of institutions now or 

 hereafter established, there or elsewhere, shall, in the broadest 

 and most liberal manner, encourage investigation, research 

 and discovery, encourage the application of knowledge to 

 the improvement of mankind ; provide such buildings, 

 laboratories, books and apparatus as may be needed, and afiford 

 instruction of an advanced character to students whenever and 

 wherever found, inside or outside of schools, properly qualified 

 to profit thereby. ,\mong its aims are these: (i) To increase 

 the efficiency of the universities and other institutions of learning 

 throughout the country, by utilising and adding to their existing 

 facilities, and by aiding teachers in the various institutions for 

 experimental and other work, in these institutions as far as may 

 be advisable. (2) To discover the exceptional man in every 

 department of study, whenever and wherever found, and enable 

 him by financial aid to make the work for which he seems 

 specially designed, his life work. (3) To promote original 

 research, paying great attention thereto, as being one of the chief 

 purposes of this institution. (4) To increase facilities for higher 

 education. (5) To enable such students as may find Washington 

 the best point for their special studies to avail themselves of 

 such advantages as may be open to them in the museums, 

 libraries, laboratories, observatory, meteorological, piscicultural 

 and forestry schools and kindred institutions of the several 

 departments of the Government. (6) To ensure^ the prompt 

 publication and distribution of the results of scientific investi- 

 gation, a field considered to be highly important. These and 

 kindred objects may be attained by providing the necessary 

 apparatus, by employing able teachers from various institutions 

 in Washington and elsewhere, and by enabling men fitted for 

 special work to devote themselves to if, through salaried fellow- 

 ships or scholarships, or through salaries, with or without 

 pensions in old age, or through aid in other forms to such men 

 as continue their special work at seats of learning throughout 

 the world." 



Au, the international balloon ascents which took place in 

 Europe on the morning of December 5, 1901, were made in an 

 extensive area of high barometric pressure, the centre of which 

 lay over (lermany. Two recording balloons were sent up from 

 Trappes (near Paris) ; one reached 14,380 m., lowest tem- 

 perature - 72"'9 C. (on ground - 1°) ; the other reached 

 14,900 m., lowest temperature - 75°'8 (on ground - 3°). 

 The Strassburg balloon rose to 6580 m., minimum temperature 



- 30° 5 (on ground - 2°). From Berlin two recording balloons 

 were sent up; at 7634 m. - 38° 7 was registered (on ground 



- 5°-4) ; at 9606 m. - 52°'8 was recorded (on ground - 4"). 

 Two manned balloons also ascended. From Vienna - 40° was 

 recorded at 6920 m. (on ground 1°). A manned balloon was 

 also sent up. From Pavlovsk (near St. Petersburg) the greatest 

 height attained was 3120 m., minimum temperature - I4°"7 

 (on ground - 11°). Mr. Rotch also sent up kites from Blue 

 Hill Observatory in the afternoon. Temperatures of — 9°-9 at 

 1343 m. and - 9 at 800 in. were recorded. The kites 

 remained up for two hours. 



NO. 1683, VOL. 65] 



The current number of the Nincleenth Cnttuiy contains an 

 instructive article on "The Reduction of Town Fogs," by the 

 Hon. Rollo Russell. The author, who has for many years 

 made a special study of the subject, divides fogs, so far as 

 London is concerned, into four classes : — (i) Damp fog or mist 

 with much cloud, from the ground up to about 1000 feet. Dust 

 particles not numerous, and town clearer than country. (2) 

 Damp fog or mist, dense in country. This type may be slight 

 in London, especially if the fall of temperature has not been 

 great. In mid-winter the fog tends to increase during the day- 

 time in town, while in the country it rapidly dissolves. (3) 

 Dense dry fog, with low temperature following a very cold night. 

 It is anticyclonic in character, and the lowest strata of air are 

 much colder than the strata at 500 to 1000 feet. Fogs of this 

 kind are the most serious and most frequent in London ; their 

 approach can usually be foretold. (4) Occasionally a fog occurs 

 after a severe frost, when a warm southerly wind displaces the 

 cold air near the surface. This fog is most dangerous to traffic, 

 being the densest. It is the least damaging to health, and may 

 not reach more than 50 feet above the ground. The author 

 considers that the need of the day is not so much scientific 

 inquiry as administrative regulation, by which dark fogs might 

 be reduced to almost harmless proportions. The preparation of 

 forecasts is useful, as in the case of storms. Observations of 

 the upper clouds are especially valuable in the prediction 01 

 fogs, but in Lyndon these clouds cannot always be seen ; in 

 such cases valuable data could be obtained by sending up a 

 small balloon, with recording thermometer and hygrometer. 



The Meteorological Office pilot chart of the North Atlantic 

 and Mediterranean for the month of February shows that very 

 little ice was reported in the neighbourhood of Newfoundland 

 during December, the latest date being the iith, when a berg 

 was seen not far from Cape Race. The Belle Isle route being 

 closed for the winter, there were no reports from that region. 

 Northward of Iceland unusually heavy ice has been seen. With 

 regard to the paths of cyclonic disturbances, it is pointed out 

 that on the eastern side of the Atlantic storm centres may be 

 fallen in with, not only near the Azores, but even southward of 

 the latitude of the Canaries. These, however, are much more 

 erratic in their movements than those of the more northern ones, 

 so that at times the changes of wind and barometer seem to be 

 subject to no rule. On the western side of the ocean there are 

 areas where the gale frequency this month is from 25 to nearly 

 40 per cent, of the wind records, the February storms being 

 amongst the most violent and disastrous experienced in the 

 course of the year, the exceptionally severe weather of February, 

 1899, being referred to as an illustration. This is the period of 

 least fog about the banks of Newfoundland, the area of slightly 

 more than 10 per cent, frequency being limited to a narrow strip 

 across the southern extremity. The "smokes '" of the Bight of 

 Benin are mentioned, and it is stated as an unusual occurrence 

 that a very dense fog visited Abaco Island, Bahamas, in 

 February, 1901, dwellings being invisible at a distance of 100 

 feet. The remarks on currents deal with Rennel's Bay of 

 Biscay current and the variations in the velocity of the Gulf 

 Stream according to the time of day and of the lunar month, 

 the daily maximum variation of strength being nearly 2 knots 

 an hour and the mean daily variation about 1^ knots. In 

 heavy gales on the coast of North Carolina strong local currents 

 are set up which completely mask the tidal streams. Two 

 inset charts illustrate the easterly and northerly types of weather 

 over western Europe at this season, and the paths of Medi- 

 terranean disturbances are dealt with. 



Some years ago Prof. J. W. Moll made experiments on the 

 effect of forcing water into cut stems ; this was managed by tying 

 the shoot into the short arm of a U tube, containing water, and 



