May 15, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



733 



along a radial consequent valley through 

 a notch in a limestone rim. 



LE TOUE DU MONDE. 



The illustrated weekly, published by 

 Hachette <& Co., Paris, under the above title 

 supplies so many excellent illustrations well 

 reproduced from photographs taken in va- 

 rious parts of the world, that it deserves 

 mention as a contributor to physiographic 

 knowledge. The volume for 1895 contains, 

 among many others, a number of admirable 

 pictures from the inner Sahara, portraying 

 the escarpments, dunes and wadies with re- 

 markable effect of glaring sunlight ; of the 

 lakes of Bavaria, both within and without 

 the Alps ; of tropical and polar scenes. 

 The text is generally narrative and de- 

 scriptive, with much about peoples and 

 their customs, entertaining rather than 

 strictly scientific ; and some of the pictures 

 bear evidence of touching up or even of in- 

 vention by the too facile hand of the Paris- 

 ian artist ; but the volume as a whole is as 

 instructive as it is attractive. 



THUNDER STOEMS AT SEA AEE NOCTURNAL. 



The greater frequency of thunder storms 

 in the winter and at night around the coast 

 of Scotland has been shown by Buchan. 

 When thunder storms occur in New Eng- 

 land in winter they are generally observed 

 along the coast and after nightfall, as has 

 been shown by records of the 'Sew Eng- 

 land Meteorological Society. Now Meinar- 

 dus, of the Deutsche Seeivarte at Hamburg, 

 finds even the thunder storms of the Bay 

 of Bengal to have a distinct nocturnal maxi- 

 mum (Annalen der Hydrog., 1895, 506- 

 511 ) . It has been suggested by Grossmann 

 and others that the cause of this contrast 

 with thunder storms on land probably arises 

 from the dependence of the maritime storms 

 on instability produced by radiation and 

 cooling of the upper surface of cloud sheets, 

 which proceeds best at night, especially in 

 winter nights ; while local storms on the 



land arise from the overheating of lower 

 layers of air close to the hot ground, and 

 this condition has its maximum on summer 

 afternoons. 



CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. 



THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF GREAT 



BRITAIN. 



On January 21st this institution held its 

 annual meeting, when its President, Mr. E. 

 W. Brabrook, delivered the address of the 

 occasion, reviewing the work of the body 

 during the past year. It presents an en- 

 couraging list of papers on the leading 

 branches of anthropologic study, and notes 

 the advancements which have been made 

 in the popularity of this department of learn- 

 ing. The establishment of a professorship 

 of anthropology at Oxford proves that that 

 famous University is no longer the house of 

 refuge for effete ideas, as was once charged 

 against it. The speaker referred to the 

 Galley Hill skeleton (see Science, 1896, Jan. 

 17), and from a close personal inspection of 

 it declares that " the balance of probability 

 lies in favor of its authenticity." He adds 

 some strong words on the unity of the an- 

 thropologic sciences, refuting the narrow 

 views of Topinard, who, in direct conflict 

 with his great teacher, Broca, would confine 

 it to the study of physical types. 



The address is one which will foster and 

 develop the study of man in its true sense. 



CANADIAN AECHiEOLOGY. 



A VALUABLE archseological report, pre- 

 pared by Mr. David Boyle, ajjpears as an 

 Appendix to the Eeport of the Minister of 

 Education, of Canada (also printed se^ja- 

 rately). It covers 79 pages, a number of 

 which are devoted to the exposition of 

 'primitive industries and working meth- 

 ods.' Several earthworks in the province 

 of Ontario are described, with illustrative 

 plans and surveys. Some rock paintings 

 are mentioned, especially one at Lake Mas- 



