562 



NA TURE 



[October 5, 1905 



vaper is a continuation by M. Mougin of his report 

 of June, 1903, and deals witli tlie results obtained 

 from the seven instruments placed at appointed 

 stations between the village of Houches and the 

 Aiguille du Gouter. Unfortunatelv, the snow-gauge 

 placed on the Aiguille du Gouter was destroyed by a 

 party of young students from Geneva who attempted 

 the ascent of Mont Blanc without guides in 1902. 

 On the Tete-Rousse, again, the instrument was found 

 completely empty ; fortunately, however, the platform 

 snow-recorder, placed on the' glacier, enabled an esti- 

 mate of the snowfall to be made. 



The general results derived from the records of 

 these seven stations show that between 1000 metres 

 and 3200 metres the snowfall increases with altitude, 

 but the results are not altogether satisfactory. Thus 

 the record at 2100 metres gives a fall equivalent to 

 0.3194 mm. of water only, whereas the stations above 

 and below show falls of 1-848 mm. and 0-491 mm. 

 respectively. 



Even if the upper station is e.xcessive, the station 

 <aboye at 2850 metres at the Pierre-Rondestill shows 

 an increase, being 0-4461 mm.; it is possible, there- 

 fore, that the mouth of the instrument has become 

 blocked by a film of verglas. With regard to the 

 large fall recorded at 2550 metres, it is possible that 

 here we have the altitude at which the greatest pre- 

 cipitation takes place. The loss of the instrument at 

 the summit of the Aiguille du Gouter is all the more to 

 be regretted on this account, as it would undoubtedly 

 have thrown light on this point, and it is to be hoped 

 that the instrument may speedilv be replaced 



The report gives a detailed description of the instru- 

 ments used. These consisted of horizontal boards 

 placed one metre above the ground, and also of 

 Vallot's snow-gauges of a modified design. 



Comparative experiments were made" during the 

 winter at Chambery between the ofiicial rain-gauge, 

 the Vallot tubes, and the snow-table. The results 

 are expressed in tables and by curves. No useful 

 comparisons could be made between the rain-gauge 

 and the Vallot tubes, but the results obtained with the 

 latter instrument are compared with those obtained 

 with the snow-table, and are expressed both in depth 

 of snow and amount of water melted. The small 

 number of snowstorms during the winter of 1902-3 

 was also _ unfavourable to any definite conclusion 

 being arrived at ; further experiments are required. 



The report ends with tables showing the snowfall 

 and number of avalanches which fell in Savoy during 

 1902, also the damage done to forests, roads, and 

 water-courses, and accidents to men and animals. 



.Another report received from the Commission 

 fran(;aise des Glaciers deals with the observations 

 by M. Paul Girardin on the glaciers of Maurienne, 

 Vanoise, and Tarentaise during August and Septem- 

 ber, 1903, and also with the glaciers of the massif of 

 La Vanois in 1903, by J. A. Favre (Extrait de 

 r.\nnuaire du Club .Alpin fran^ais, vol. xxx., 1903). 

 M. Girardin arrives at the conclusion that these 

 glaciers are retreating, the amount varving in 

 different glaciers and even in different lobes of the 

 same glacier. The general law is, therefore, com- 

 plicated by local shade, &c. Retreat is most marked 

 where surface moraines are absent, while those 

 covered thickly with debris are more stationary. The 

 rate of retreat has, however, diminished during the 

 last ten years. 



In the massif of the \'anoise we find the same 

 story. Glaciers like the Grands-Couloirs, Pelvoz, &c., 

 are all losing in thickness. In the case of the Pelvoz 

 a new medial moraine has appeared owing to the 

 marked ablation, while a glacier marked on'the map 

 north of the Col d'.-Xussois has completelv dis- 

 appeared. E J Q 



NO. 1875, VOL. 72] 



INTERNATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL 

 CONFERENCE AT INNSBRUCK. 



Second and Third Meetings^ 



AMONG the various points brought under notice, 

 the president. Dr. Pernter, stated that M. 

 Violle wished that his proposals made to the meeting 

 at Southport on the question of solar radiation should 

 be discussed. Aiter considerable deliberation, it was 

 resolved that the principal observatories should be 

 requested to make observations of solar and terrestrial 

 radiation. Measurements should be made daily, those 

 of solar radiation at iih. a.m. or from iih. a.m. to 

 ih. p.m., and those of terrestrial radiation at loh. 

 p.m. or from loh. p.m. to I2h. p.m. The apparatus 

 used should be exclusively Angstrom's compensation 

 actinometer. 



Upon the subject of excessive rainfall. Dr. Landa, 

 of the k.k. hydrographisches Central-Bureau (Vienna), 

 proposed (i) that meteorological offices should be in- 

 vited to inquire into the causes of origin of cases of 

 excessively heavy rainfall over large areas, including 

 those which have already occurred, and any that may 

 occur in future, in the districts under their super- 

 vision, and to publish the results of their investi- 

 gations, and (2) that it should be recognised as useful 

 to investigate the historical documents of various 

 countries for particulars of abnormal meteorological 

 occurrences, such as floods, droughts, very severe 

 winters, Src, and to classify and publish the results 

 of their researches. 



The classification of meteorological stations, accord- 

 ing to the nature of the work carried out, was referred 

 to the International Meteorological Committee, as 

 was also the definition of such phenomena as hoar- 

 frost, silver-thaw, glazed frost, &-c. 



On the important question of long series of homo- 

 geneous observations, necessary for the study of 

 secular variations, the conference adopted Dr. Hell- 

 mann's proposal that central meteorological offices 

 should establish in their respective organisations one 

 or more secular stations, according to the extent of 

 the country, and should carry on the observations as 

 uniformly and continuously as possible. At the same 

 time, the conference expressed the hope that old 

 series of observations might be criticallv discussed 

 and published. 



On the proposal of M. Rosenthal, the conference 

 requested General Rykatcheff to undertake, on the 

 part of the Central Physical Observatory, St. 

 Petersburg, the publication of a summary of the 

 results of observations made during the last centurv. 

 Dr. Hellmann was requested to assist in the prepar- 

 ation of this useful work. 



Prof, von Bezold raised the question i>f the status 

 of the conferences of directors, and of the Inter- 

 national Meteorological Committee ; he thought they 

 should maintain an official character, so far as 

 possible, and that the number of meetings should be 

 as few as practicable. After considerable discussion, 

 a proposal by Dr. Hellmann was adopted, viz. that 

 the conference should request the International 

 Meteorological Committee to draw up a standing 

 order relating to the International Meteorological 

 Organisation, at the same time taking note of the 

 historical development of the committee. This rule, 

 dealing with conferences of directors, the inter- 

 national committee, and the subcommittees, should 

 be subinitted to the next conference of directors for 

 discussion. 



M. Froc made a communication respecting the 

 organisation of the meteorological service of the 



t of the openii 



iting appeared in Nature of Septe 



