124 



NATURE 



[July 28, 1910 



Hoyal Prussian Meteorological Institute (1909). — The 

 increasing work during the year was much hampered by 

 the loss of Dr. Sprung and Dr. Kremser, and by the con- 

 sequent changes in the re-oi^anisation of tlie staff. The 

 institute has now established observations of earth tempera- 

 ture at some of its principal stations, and the results will 

 be published weekly for the benefit of agriculturists. The 

 rain stations (exclusive of ordinary meteorological stations) 

 now number 2637, and the thunderstorm stations 1482. 

 The Potsdam Observatory has greatly increased its activity 

 in respect of atmospheric electricity and other useful re- 

 searches. Dr. Hellmann points out that a considerable 

 improvement has been introduced in the " Statistical 

 Correspondence " issued for many years by the Statis- 

 tical Bureau (now the Landesamt), of which the 

 institute was formerly a department. Beginning with 

 January, 1909, that publication has doubled its size, and 

 includes, as an appendix, under the title of " North German 

 Weather Report," monthly observations from forty-three 

 stations supplied by the institute, with a chart showing the 

 distribution of rainfall. The report contains several 

 interesting short discussions, in continuatio.n of the practice 

 introduced in the previous year ; we have already referred 

 to one or two of them. 



The Deutsche Seewarte (1909). — This report Is divided 

 into two parts : — (a) general part, containing interesting 

 particulars relating to the staff, the agencies for the supply 

 of instruments, &c., the observers on land and at sea, 

 together with other details ; (b) reports of the chiefs of 

 the different departments. By looking through these an 

 idea is gained of the great variety and importance of the 

 work performed under the superintendence of the Seewarte. 

 They include (i) oceanography and maritime meteorology; 

 in addition to such work as sailing directions and ordinary 

 meteorological charts, daily synoptic weather charts of the 

 North Atlantic and adjacent coasts have for many years 

 been issued in conjunction with the Danish Meteorological 

 Institute, and these furnish invaluable data for studying 

 the sequence of weather conditions over western Europe. 

 (2) Verification of nautical, meteorological, and magnetic 

 instruments, both at the Seewarte and at the agencies, of 

 which there are twenty-two, and the determination of the 

 deviation of compasses in iron ships. (3) Weather tele- 

 graphy ; in addition to a very wide distribution of weather 

 telegrams and storm warnings, this branch superintends 

 the agricultural weather service between May and Sep- 

 tember, and conducts experiments from time to time on 

 the possibility of making profitable use of wireless telegrams 

 from ships in the .'\tlantic. (4) Other branches deal with 

 the testing of chronometers and watches, the collection of 

 materials referring to coasts and harbours for the benefit 

 of navigators, the collection and publication of observations 

 at distant stations, &c. The investigation of the upper air 

 by means of kites is carried out daily when weather per- 

 mits, and the results telegraphed at once to various 

 services ; in the summer half-year the ascents are made at 

 6h. a.m., and in other months at 8h. a.m. ; the altitude 

 attained generally reaches or exceeds 2000 metres. 



The Sonnblick Observatory (1909). — The results of 

 meteorological observations made at the summit of the 

 Sonnblick, 10,187 feet above sea-level, show that the mean 

 temperature for the year was i8-o°; the highest monthly 

 mean was 33-6°, in .'\ugust (the only month with mean 

 above freezing point) ; absolute maximum, 48-2°. The 

 month with lowest mean temperature was February, 

 — 3-1°; absolute minimum, -234°. The total annual pre- 

 cipitation amounted to 61-65 inches, on 233 days; most of 

 this fell as snow; rain only occurred on eighteen days, and 

 hail on three days. Fog was prevalent on 271 days, the 

 least being in January. As in previous years, the report 

 includes observations and interesting details relating to 

 some other mountain observatories and to upper-air 

 research. 



_ Norwegian Meteorological Institute (1909). — The observa- 

 tions and results are published in two volumes : — (i) 

 Meteorological Vear-book : The principal tables include 

 hourly readings for Christiania, daily observations for 

 twelve stations, monthly and yearly summaries for sixty 

 stations. (2) Rainfall (and Snow) : Daily observations are 

 given for 200 stations, monthly and yearlv results for 

 476 stations, and normal values for the years 1876-1905. 

 NO. 2126, VOL. 84] 



'Ihe volumes have appeared in the same form for many 

 years, and contain valuable and trustworthy data for an 

 area extending as far north as latitude 71° in the Arctic 

 Ocean. The yearly rainfall varies considerably, according 

 to locality ; the isohyels for 1909 range from 1000-2000 mm. 

 and upwards along the Atlantic coast, with closed areas 

 of 3000 mm., while near the Swedish borders the lines vary 

 from 400-800 mm. and upwards. The methods of measur- 

 ing both rain and snow are explained, with illustrations of 

 the gauges. 



The Southpurt Meteorological Observatory (1909). — Every 

 effort is made to render this report as interesting and com- 

 plete as the important position of the establishment on the 

 eastern shore of the Irish Sea warrants. Fifteen carefully 

 prepared tables show the principal results obtained there 

 and at the subsidiarj' stations at Marshside and Barton 

 Moss ; rainfall returns at nine other stations in the district, 

 and a useful tabular comparison between the year's values 

 of temperature, rainfall, and sunshine at sixty health 

 resorts and ten large towns in Great Britain are included 

 in the report. The outstanding feature of the year was 

 the remarkable coldness of the summer months, due to 

 unusual prevalence of cold polar (N.W.-N.E.) winds, while 

 at other times the centres of depressions frequently passed 

 to the southward of Lancashire, producing miserable, 

 gloomy weather. The mean temperature of the year was 

 47-4°, 0-8° below the average ; the highest shade tempera- 

 ture was 784°, on May 21, the lowest 18-0'', on 

 December 21. The greatest daily range was 33-6°, on 

 May 20, and the least 2-0°, on February 4. The annual 

 rainfall amounted to 35-72 inches, 2-82 inches above the 

 thirty-five years' average. In December precipitation 

 amounted to 5-94 inches, which Mr. Baxendell states was 

 unprecedented, being nearly 3 inches above the mean ; but 

 for this the annual amount would barely have equalled the 

 normal. 



Falmouth Observatory (1909). — The important meteor- 

 ological and magnetical work performed by this institution 

 has been carried out with great assiduity during the 

 year. The observations are supplied to the Meteorological 

 Office (from which it receives an annual grant of 250!.), to 

 the National Physical Laboratory, and other organisations. 

 An event of special interest during the year was the visit 

 of the magnetic survey ship Carnegie ; the scientific staff 

 of the vessel was furnished with valuable data in connec- 

 tion with the proposed magnetic survey of the Atlantic and 

 Pacific Oceans. The results of the " climatological " 

 observations (taken for the Royal Meteorological Society) 

 show that the mean maximum temperatures were 46-4° in 

 February, 69-6° in August; absolute, maximum 80-0°, in 

 August (the highest in that month for twenty-eight years). 

 Mean minimum, 36-8'' in March, 55-3° in August ; absolute 

 minimum, 26-4°, in February. The annual rainfall was 

 37-6 inches, nearly 43 inches below the normal. Some 

 interesting details are given of the great magnetic storm 

 of September 25, whicli disorganised the telegraphic system 

 of this country and parts of the Continent. The mean 

 value of magnetic declination for the year was 

 17° 48-4' W. 



Observatory Department of the National Physical 

 Laboratory (1909). — This report shows that the useful work 

 of the observatory to which it refers continues to expand ; 

 this is especially noticeable in the verification of instru- 

 ments (exclusive of watches and chronometers), the total 

 number being 41,318, nearly 11,000 more than in the 

 previous year, and including 25,861 clinical thermometers. 

 The meteorological observations call for no special remark ; 

 the automatic records are tabulated for each hour, and are 

 published in detail by the Meteorological Office, as one of 

 its principal observatofies. The chief magnetic disturb- 

 ances took place on January 3, 30-31; March ig, 28-29; 

 May 14, iS ; September 25, 30; and October 19; the most 

 remarkable was that of September 25 (see Nature, Sep- 

 tember 30, loog). As in previous years, a table is given 

 ' of the magnetic elements at a number of observatories, and 

 reports of the results at Falmouth and Valencia. The 

 largest seismic disturbances occurred on January 23 (earth- 

 quake in Persia), July 30 (earthquake in Mexico), and 

 October 20-21. .\n account of the work at the affiliated 

 observatory at Eskdalemuir, Dumfries, N.B-, is included 

 in the report ; we note that some useful researches on 



