NOVEMBEB 27, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



715 



Lynx rufus or L. canadensis) killed in the 

 state. The following bounties have been paid 

 in Berkshire County under the provisions of 

 this act: 1903, $100; 1904, $110; 1905, $115; 

 1906, $100; 1907, $60.' The records are not 

 sufficiently explicit as to the species of Lynx, 

 but the loupcervier seems far less common, as 

 in only a few cases was the distinction made 

 on the certificate. These animals {L. rufus) 

 are sporadically reported from other sections 

 of the state, hut often from localities that lead 

 to the suspicion that they may have immi- 

 grated from the western hilly or mountainous 

 parts. 



C. E. Gordon 

 Massachusetts Ageicultueal Coixege 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE philosophical SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 652d meeting was held on October 10, 1908, 

 President Bauer presiding. The following papers 

 were presented: 



Vertical Temperature Gradients of the Upper 



Atmosphere: Mr. W. J. Humphreys. 



The extensive work that has been done during 

 the past ten years in exploring the air with sound- 

 ing balloons was reviewed and illustrated with 

 typical curves. 



The records obtained with these balloons show 

 that for about 3,000 meters above the surface of 

 the earth the winds are turbulent and the tem- 

 perature gradient irregular. Above this for some 

 distance the temperature decreases nearly uni- 

 formly to a minimum at an altitude of from nine 

 to fifteen kilometers usually. This height and the 

 temperature both are functions of season, of lati- 

 tude and of type of weather; and the temperature 

 gradient is similarly affected. 



Above the minimum the temperature gradient 

 usually changes abruptly and from that point up 

 as far as soundings have been made slowly in- 

 creases. 



All these phenomena were separately discussed 

 and explained as mainly due to the amount and 

 distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere and 

 the consequent location and temperature of the 

 effective radiating surface of the earth. 



The results are in accord with the best deter- 

 minations of the solar constant and with the 

 known laws of radiation and absorption. 



'Personal letter, Mr. Henry Brewster, treasurer 

 of Berkshire County. 



The New Magnetic Survey Yacht "Carnegie": 



Mr. W. J. Peters. 



A paper on the proposed new vessel designed 

 for a continuation of the magnetic survey of the 

 oceanic areas. 



The paper first gave the reasons which made it 

 desirable to purchase a vessel especially built for 

 the requirements of the Department of Terrestrial 

 Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Wash- 

 ington. Then followed data concerning the size, 

 sail area and expected performances. 



A brief description of the living quarters, ac- 

 companied by slides, and also a statement of the 

 methods of observation which are to be on the 

 lines followed in the previous work on the Galilee 

 in the Pacific Ocean. 



There was also exhibited a graphic representa- 

 tion of the curves of expected maximum ship 

 deviations. A more complete publication will 

 appear elsewhere. 



The 653d meeting was held October 24, 1908. 

 The following papers were read: 



The Results of Recent Observations in Atmos- 

 pheric Electricity: Mr. P. H. Dike. 

 The paper gave a summary of some of the recent 

 work in atmospheric electricity and showed the 

 relationship of this work to that done along the 

 same lines on board the Carnegie Institution 

 Magnetic Survey Yacht Galilee during the cruise 

 recently finished. 



Continuous records made at various observa- 

 tories of the course of the potential gradient show 

 its extreme variability and slight apparent con- 

 nection with other atmospheric phenomena. It is 

 of interest as a factor in the determination of the 

 earth-air current. 



The discovery of the ionization of gases led to 

 the study of the conductivity of the air, at first 

 by faulty methods through the lack of apprecia- 

 tion of the errors due to saturation currents. 

 J. J. Thomson cleared up the misunderstandings 

 and led the way to more accurate work. For field 

 work the Gfcrdien conductivity apparatus has been 

 found most useful, and gives fairly consistent 

 results. In conjunction with the record of the 

 potential gradient it gives the earth-air current in 

 absslute measure. Gerdien has found this current 

 at Grottingen to be about 2.5 X 10"" amperes, 

 with a conductivity for positive electricity of 

 1.16 X 10"* electrostatic units and for negative 

 of 1.12 X 10"* electrostatic units. 



The speaker had made use of the same type of 



