May 6, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



629 



of dust particles is not yet solved, but it 

 seems cei'tain that where these particles are 

 present they are the effective cause of the 

 precipitation. 



METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE KLON- 

 DIKE REGION. 



In the ' Klondike Number ' of the Na- 

 tional Geographic Magazine (April) General 

 Oreely has collected, in a brief article, what 

 little is known about the climatic conditions 

 of the Klondike district. The observations 

 of most interest are those made at Dawson 

 between August, 1895, and November, 1896. 

 From December 1, 1895, to February 1, 

 1896, the temperature fell below zero every 

 day. It was below — 40° on 28 days ; be- 

 low —50° on 14 days, and below —60° on 

 9 days. The January, 1896, mean was 

 —40.7° and the February mean —35.4°. 

 Bright weather is the rule in winter, and 

 from October 1, 1895, to May 1, 1896, snow 

 fell only on one day in seven. During June, 

 July and August, 1896, the temperature 

 rose above 70° on 29 days and above 80° 

 on 3 days. July was the only month in 

 which the minimum did not sink below 

 freezing. In June it rained on 12 days. 

 Observations at Fort Reliance, near Daw- 

 son, made in 1880-81, gave December, Jan- 

 uary and February means of — 31°, — 7° 

 and — 29° respectively. The thermometer 

 registered between —40° and —66° on 35 

 days. Snow fell on but one day in Febru- 

 ary, and 25 days were perfectly clear. 



CLIMATE AND COMMEKCE. 



The control of the severe winter cold of 

 Kussia and Siberia over the commerce of 

 those countries is well known, the blockad- 

 ing of their great ports by ice during the 

 winter being one of the serious drawbacks 

 in the development of their import and ex- 

 port trade. But now the ingenuity of man 

 comes into play, and by means of huge 

 steam rams it is found possible to keep open 

 many of the important harbors throughout 



the cold season. Vladivostok now has a 

 steam raip which is effective in keeping 

 open its harbor. In Finland the port of 

 Hango is also kept open by a steam ram, 

 and Admiral Makarof, of the Russian navy, 

 thinks it perfectly feasible to maintain com- 

 munication, through the winter, between 

 the sea and the port of St. Petersburg. 

 The struggles of man to overcome the diffi- 

 culties which nature, through climate, puts 

 in his way are among the most interesting 

 of his many activities. 



RECENT PUBLICATION. 



Frank H. Bigelow : Abstract of a Report on 

 Solar and Terrestrial Magnetism in their Re- 

 lations to 3feteorology. U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture, Weather Bureau, Bulle- 

 tin No. 21. Washington, 1898. 8vo, pp. 

 176, Chs. 39. 



E. DeC. Ward. 

 Haevaed Univeesity. 



CUBRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. 

 MEXICAN ARCHEOLOGY. 



In the Journal of American Folh-Lore (Vol. 

 X., No. 39), Mrs. Zelia Nuttall has an ar- 

 ticle on ' Ancient Mexican Superstitions ' 

 containing much information from early 

 and scarce authorities relating to the be- 

 liefs current among the natives at the time 

 of the conquest. Her conclusion is that 

 most of the superstitions were simple and 

 harmless and sprang from the same mental 

 sources as those which prevail in civilized 

 countries to-dsbj. 



A full description of the remarkable 

 temple-pyramid of Tepoztlan, south of the 

 City of Mexico, is published by Dr. Seler 

 in Globus (Bd. 73, No. 8). It is illustrated 

 with twenty-two engravings, plans and 

 views, and contains the identification of a 

 number of the hieroglyphic inscriptions. 

 The gods to whom the temple was dedicated 

 appear to have been those connected with 

 agriculture. 



