September 9, 1922] 



NA TURE 



363 



the deficiency ranging from 2°-6 in the east of Scot- 

 land and 2°'5 in the west of Scotland to i°-3 in the 

 north-east of England. Rainy days were slightly 

 above the normal except in the north-east of England 

 and in the Channel Islands. The total rainfall was 

 in excess of the normal in all the eastern English 

 districts and in the south-west of England ; the 

 excess was greatest in the Midland Counties, amount- 

 ing to 2-44 in., the next largest excess being 0-83 in., 

 in the north-east of England. The duration of bright 

 sunshine was generally deficient and ranged from 

 7 hours per day in the Channel Islands to 4-6 hours in 

 the north of Scotland. At Greenwich the mean 

 temperature for the three summer months, June to 

 August, was 6o° F., which is 4 cooler than for the 

 corresponding period last year ; June was slightly 

 the warmest month, and after June 19 the thermo- 

 meter failed to touch 80° during the remainder of the 

 summer, a feature similarly outstanding in 1920 and 

 1910. The total rainfall for the three summer months 

 in London was 6-7 in., and July was the only month 

 With an excess of rain ; the total for the three months 

 was a quarter of an inch above the normal and more 

 than five times greater than in the corresponding 

 three months last year. Bright sunshine in London 

 was 150 hours less than in the corresponding quarter 

 in 192 1 ; August was the least sunny month. 



The Report of the National Physical Laboratory 

 for the year 1921 covers more than 200 pages and 

 gives outlines of many of the researches which have 

 been in progress during the year, with sufficient 

 diagrams to enable the reader to understand the 

 methods and apparatus in use. The outstanding 

 events in the history of the Laboratory for the year 

 are : — the presentation of a bas-relief of Sir Richard 

 Glazebrook executed by M. Cluysenaar of Brussels_ 

 which has been erected in the hall entrance of the 

 administrative building with the back of Sir Richard's 

 head towards the entrance ; the unfortunate disaster 

 to airship A. 38 at Hull, which involved the loss of two 

 of the most valued members of the aeronautics' staff ; 

 and the completion of the new buildings for the 

 Admiralty Research Laboratory, and some of those 

 sanctioned by the Treasury in 1920. Funds for the 

 Physics building and for the extension of the Metal- 

 lurgy building are not yet available. Research for 

 the fighting services has grown considerably during 

 the year, and the Research Associations established 

 by the Department of Scientific and Industrial 

 Research have been responsible for an extensive 

 programme of work, though with one or two excep- 

 tions all departments record a decrease in the number 

 of tests made. Dr. J. A. Harker, one of the original 

 members of the staff, has resigned to take up a con- 

 sulting practice, and Dr. G. W. O. Howe is going to 

 Glasgow University as professor of electrical 

 engineering. 



We learn that Messrs. Taylor, Taylor, and Hobson, 

 Ltd., of Leicester, the makers of the well-known 

 Cooke lenses, have now become associated in business 

 with Messrs. Bellingham and Stanley, Ltd., of 71 

 Hornsey Rise, London, N.19. It is hoped that by 

 pooling the knowledge and resources of the t\\<> firms 



NO. 2758, VOL. I io] 



the interests of the British optical industry will be 

 promoted, and that additional economy of manufac- 

 ture will be secured. 



We have received a copy of the first number of the 

 Record of Photography, a journal to be issued monthly 

 by the Professional Photographers' Association. It 

 is devoted to the interests of professional and trade 

 photographers and is not to compete with any exist- 

 ing publications. It has the feature, probably unique, 

 that the pages of text are each backed with advertise- 

 ments, so that any part may be cut out for filing 

 without the loss of other matter (except advertise- 

 ments) on the back. Accompanying it are two good 

 reproductions of portraits by Mr. Pirie MacDonald of 

 New York. 



The last number received of the Revisia de Sciencias 

 (Rio de Janeiro) contains articles on the new survey 

 of Brazil, Poincare's mathematical philosophy, clinical 

 forms of Granuloma ulcerosa, and the dynamic theory of 

 the seismograph. There are notes on the mathematical 

 theory of muscular work, on the occurrence of rare 

 earths in Brazil, the determination of the constants of 

 a thermionic valve, geological notes on the Ceara 

 region, notes on some plants which furnish material 

 for the study of protoplasmic currents, and a general 

 summary on the mineral resources of Brazil as well as 

 shorter notes and articles on other subjects. 



We have received a catalogue of microscopes and 

 microtomes from the Bausch and Lomb Optical Co. 

 (37 and 38 Hatton Garden, E.C.). A great many 

 different types of microscope stands are listed, ranging 

 from the simplest to complex models for advanced 

 research and of the binocular pattern. Achromatic, 

 fluorite, and apochromatic objectives and eye-pieces 

 of all types are supplied, as well as all the usual 

 accessories. The microtomes include the well-known 

 small and large Minot forms. Many of us had an 

 opportunity during the war of using the Bausch and 

 Lomb instruments, and found them eminently satis- 

 factory, both mechanically and optically. The prices 

 compare favourably with those of other makers. 



Messrs. George Bell and Sons, Ltd., will publish 

 this month, under the title of " Bell's Mathematical 

 Tables," a new book by Dr. L. Silberstein, suited to 

 the requirements of the mathematician and the 

 theoretical physicist. The work will be in two parts, 

 the first containing the usual logarithms of numbers 

 and of the fundamental trigonometric functions. 

 The second and larger part will contain a collection 

 of mathematical formula?, definitions, and theorems, 

 together with tables of the more important special 

 functions, such as elliptic integrals, Bessel functions 

 and spherical harmonics, Frcsnel integrals, etc. 

 Another book in Messrs. Bell's list of announcements 

 is "A Text Book of Machine Construction and 

 Drawing," by H. E. Merritt and M. Piatt, the object 

 of which is to provide a thorough and comprehensive 

 exposition of the subject for engineering students. 

 It will cover intermediate requirements, and be of 

 service to more advanced students as a book of 

 reference. A further book by the same authors on 

 the subject of machine design for the use of degree 

 students and designers is in active preparation. 



