NA rURE 



June 21, 1906 



and a table of goniometrical functions for the four 

 quadrants, compiled by Profs. J. C. and W. Kapteyn ; 

 additional formulae, both for plane and spherical triangles 

 where certain elements are small, are also included. 



The Leeds Astronomical Society. — We have just re- 

 ceived No. 13 of the Journal and Transactions of the 

 Leeds Astronomical Society, which gives a brief risumi 

 of the work accomplished by the members of the society 

 during the year 1905. 



Eight papers read before the society during the session, 

 dealing with popular astronomical subjects, are reproduced 

 in the journal, together with a number of notes contributed 

 by members to various publications. 



From remarks made in the report it appears that this 

 society is greatly in need of increased support, financial 

 and general. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 

 1 7 ROM the " Jahrbiicher " of the Austrian Meteorological 

 Office for 1904 it appears that changes have recently 

 been made in the comprehensive operations of that important 

 institution. A considerable addition to its labours has been 

 incurred by the transfer to it of the observations of earth- 

 quake phenomena originated by the Vienna Academy of 

 Sciences ; this organisation embraces a large number of 

 stations. Owing to this transfer the office has adopted the 

 title of Central-.Anstalt fCir Meteorologie und Geodynamik. 

 A considerable increase has been made in the number of 

 weather forecasts sent gratuitously to provincial post- 

 offices ; in these telegrams an attempt is made to forecast 

 the weather for two days in advance. On the other hand, 

 it has been found necessary greatly to restrict the amount 

 of data published from stations of the second and third 

 order ; this materially lessens the bulk of the year-book. 

 The investigation of the upper air by manned and un- 

 manned balloons is actively continued, and the results are 

 published in the Proceedings of the academy. A separate 

 appendix contains a revision of the yearly means of 

 barometric pressure at various stations since 1886, by Dr. 

 Margueles, and a discussion of thunderstorms and hail, by 

 M. Prohaska. 



The results of meteorological and magnetical observ- 

 ations at Stonyhurst College for 1905 have just been 

 issued. This useful observatory possesses photographic 

 recording instruments both for meteorology and terrestrial 

 magnetism, and was one of the seven principal stations in- 

 cluded in the scheme of the Meteorological Committee in 

 i,S6S for the discussion of the meteorology of the British 

 Isles : its observations extend over the long period of fifty- 

 eight years. The most notable feature of the year appears to 

 us_ to be the shortage of rainfall, amounting to just upon 

 8 inches. The total rainfall was 3884 inches; the least fall 

 in any year was 31-25 inches, in 1887. The prevailing wind 

 was between south and west on 237 days. Drawings of 

 solar spots and faculje were made on 196 days, and the 

 stellar spectrograph was employed on nearlv everv avail- 

 able night. 



The fourteenth report of the Sonnblick Society for 

 the year 1905 contains statistics of several prorninent 

 mountain meteorological stations, including an interesting 

 account of the observatory at the summit of Monte Rosa, 

 at an altitude of about 14,960 feet. The Sonnblick station 

 (Salzburg) is about 10.190 feet above the sea-level, and is 

 far from an agreeable residence for its enthusiastic 

 observers. The mean temperature for the vear 1905 was 

 19°. 9 F. ; the monthly mean was only above freezing point 

 in July and August, the absolute maxima in those months 

 being 56°-8 and 4S°-7 respectively. Rain or snow fell 

 on 230 days, amounting to 688 inches, and fog occurred 

 on 274 days. On January i the thermometer fell to -35°-3, 

 being the lowest observed since the establishment oV the 

 observatory, the next lowest reading being — 3o°-3. in 

 March, 1890 ; the wind was north-easterlv, with high baro- 

 metric _ pressure (30-71 inches) over Scandinavia and low 

 (20-53 inches) over Greece. 



The twenty-eighth yearly report of the Deutsche 

 Seewarte, for the year 1905, shows a considerable increase 

 in the useful work of that institution ; the number of sets 



NO. 191 2, VOL. 74] 



of observations contained in ships' logs exceeded those of 

 the previous year by more than 28,000. These observ- 

 ations are utilised in the publication of monthly charts 

 for the North Atlantic, quarterly charts for the North Sea 

 and Baltic, the preparation of valuable daily synoptic 

 weather charts of the North Atlantic (in conjunction with 

 the Danish Meteorological Institute), and various other 

 investigations. Special mention may be made of the 

 efficiency of the arrangements for the issue of weather 

 forecasts and storm warnings, and of the careful dis- 

 cussion and publication of the observations made at distant 

 stations, including Labrador, the South Seas, the Far East, 

 and German East Africa. The exploration of the upper 

 air by means of kites is actively carried on ; 233 ascents 

 were ' made during the year, the mean of the greatest 

 altitudes being 3910 metres. It has been found necessary 

 to limit the altitudes, except on the days of the inter- 

 national ascents, owing to the frequent loss of the kites ; 

 the principal kite (which carries the instruments) broke 

 away on twenty-two occasions, three of which were due 

 to lightning. Unmanned balloons also reached altitudes 

 of 9 to 17 kilometres ; the usual inversion of temperature 

 generally occurred between 9 and 11 kilometres. A dis- 

 cussion of the results obtained will be published later on. 



The annual summary of the India Weather Review for 

 1904, which completes the discussion of the meteorology 

 of India for that year, was issued recently. This vast 

 area is, as before, divided into eleven provinces and 

 fifty-seven districts for the purpose of dealing with medical 

 and agricultural statistics respectively. In addition to 

 various tables giving the usual monthly and other values, 

 each element is separately considered under seasons, in- 

 cluding the hot, cold, and monsoon periods. We can here 

 only briefly refer to some of the general annual results. 

 The year was characterised by smaller departures from the 

 normal temperature than is frequently the case ; the mean 

 of the maxima for the eleven meteorological provinces 

 was 88°.o, of the minima 68°-7, and the mean daily range 

 i9°-4. The Arabian Sea was singularly free from storms ; 

 only eleven occurred, and they were all comparatively 

 feeble, and their tracks were less westerly than usual. 

 The rainfall stations now number 2486 ; the mean amount 

 of rainfall was 57-26 inches, about in inches below the 

 normal. On the Burma coast the fall was 152 65 inches, 

 and in the Indus valley only 7-26 inches. During the year 

 there was a marked increase in the number of sun-spots; 

 the surface of the sun was not free from them on any day. 

 Magnetic disturbances were recorded at Colaba on 205 days, 

 but there were only three days on which they were classed 

 as " great. " 



The report of the Government Observatory, Bombay, for 

 the year 1905 also quotes a remarkable deficit in the rain- 

 fall, it being stated as 41-5 inches below the normal of 

 twenty-four years, 1873-1896. The total fall for the year 

 was 33-66 inches only, and the amount for the previous 

 year was 3342 inches, both of which are record minimum 

 falls, not even excepting that for the famine year, 1899, 

 when 35-9 inches were registered. Milne's seismograph 

 recorded thirty-seven earthquakes during 1905 ; those on 

 April 4 and 9 and Julv 23 were very great disturbances. 

 Plague in a severe epidemic form broke out at Alib^g, but 

 no cases occurred in the immediate vicinity of the branch 

 magnetic observatory at that place; one case occurred at 

 CoUba in the month of April, notwithstanding that all 

 precautions were taken. 



The annual report of the Meteorological Department of 

 the Transvaal for the vear ended June 30, 1905. was re- 

 reived a few days ago. The central observatory, near 

 Johannesburg, was first occupied in May. 190.1, and is 

 situated on an abrupt ridge of hills, nearly 6000 feet above 

 sea-level. The department has been verv active in supply- 

 ing verified instruments, and has already some 250 stations 

 in different parts of the rolonv. the majority of which 

 record rainfall only ; the observers are mostlv volunteers, 

 and receive no remuneration. The report, however, con- 

 tains complete meteorological observations, or monthly 

 results, for a considerable number of places, and very 

 ■useful maps exhibitinff the cHmatological fe.itures of the 

 vear in various districts. The diurnal periodicity of rain- 

 fall, so far as siven. shows that the greater part occurs 

 between noon and midnight. Nearlv everv fall of rain is 



