250 



NATURE 



[August 25, 1910 



ascents made at the Geophysical Observatory, Pavia, 

 during 190S. The balloons were observed to heights 

 exceeding lo lim. in six cases, and exceeding 5 km. in 

 thirty-one additional cases. The ascents were made gener- 

 ally during comparatively calm weather, so that the results 

 cannot be tal<en as representative of average conditions, a 

 restriction applying, of course, to all pilot-balloon 

 observations. 



The values of the observed wind are collected in a con- 

 venient table, which is ai i'.ini|ianlpd by a brief description 

 of the general pressurr di^lribution on the days of the 

 ascents, and by diagrams sliowiTig the paths of the balloons 

 and the wind at all heights for each ascent. An outstand- 

 ing feature of the results is the large proportion of cases, 

 thirty-two out of forty-four, in which the wind above 

 3 km. has a northerly component, compared with three 

 cases in which an extensive southerly current was found. 

 This agrees with the cloud observations at Perpignan and 



FURTHER RESri.TS OF THE JESVP NORTH 

 PACIFIC EXPEDITION.' 



FORCE of circumstances has prevented Prof. F. Boas 

 from giving to science a complete monograph of the 

 Kwakiutl, but he has given a further instalment in the 

 publications of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, which, 

 so far as it goes, together with his study of the sociology 

 of these interesting Indians (Report U.S. Nat. Mus. for 

 1895 [iSqy]), practically supersedes the reports published by 

 the British Association. The present memoir deals with 

 the industries of . the Kwakiutl, but the author acknow- 

 ledges the " many gaps and imperfections," which he has 

 endeavoured to supply by correspondence ; even so, we have 

 an important contribution on the technology of a repre- 

 sentative tribe of the north-west coast, a district in which 

 the natives have developed a culture which differs markedly 

 from that of other .\merican Indians. 



Fig. 



Tola, and is markedly different from those at Paris and 

 Berlin; . 



Dr. Pericle finds that the wind usually veers with in- 

 cn asing lieight.up to 2 km., veers as often as it backs 

 fioni J til 5 km., and. usually backs above 5 km. A 

 .sudden increase in the velocity of the wind .was observed 

 .jn thirty-one cases at heights between 2 and 4 km.,, and 

 . this was accompanied generally, but hot invariably, . by a 

 change in direction. The average change is from 5-2 

 m.p.s. below the level of the discontinuity to g-4 m.p.s. 

 .above it. The wind veered in passing upwards in thirteen 

 cases, backed in thirteen cases, and did not change in 

 five cases. The " backing " is usually larger than the 

 " veering," the average value being 29° for the former 

 and 18° for the latter. These results confirm the tempera- 

 ture observations in indicating the intermediate layer from 

 2 to 5 km. as the region where the more immediate causes 

 of remarkable meteorological phenomena are to be sought. 



E. Gold. 



The two key-notes from the material side of this culture 

 are the cedar tree and the salmon. The former is utilised 

 for a large number of purposes, and as the wood splits 

 easily large planks are readily made; hence we have a 

 peculiar type of house construction. .Also, the manufacture 

 of chests and boxes is very characteristic ; boxes are made 

 by bending a board, a kerf having been made where the 

 corners are to come,; the two ends are then sewn together. 

 In the late summer enormous numbers of salmon migrate 

 up the rivers, thus affording food which, with proper pre- 

 paration, can be stored for future consuntption. Fishing is 

 carried on by means of traps, nets, hooks, and with the 

 spear. In. some cases, also, combinations oT fish-wcirs and 

 nets are used, or fish are speared or hooked in pounds 



1 "The Je«up Norih Pacific Expediiion." Mem. Am. Mus. Nat. 

 H.St., N:Y. Vol. v., pt. ii. '-The Kw.ikiull of Vancomer Island." By 

 Franzlioas. Pp. 301-522 (olates xxvii-lil) + ix. V.I viii., pt. .. " Chuk- 

 chee Mythology." By Waldemar Bogoras (/<jf . ,vV ). Pp. igj. Vol. i.x. 

 pi. i. "'Ihe Yukaghir and the Yukaghiriied Tunaus." By Waldeniar 

 Jochelsonl/w. a/.). Pp. 133; i map. (Leiden : E. ;. Bnll, 1009-10.) 



NO. 



2130, VOL. 84] 



