186 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVI. Xo. 658 



subgeneric name {Microthele) which is ap- 

 plicable. 



While on the subject remarks on several 

 family names may be in order. Of late years 

 almost all echinodermists have adopted the 

 quasi-descriptive names given by Brandt (As- 

 .pidochirotae and Dendrochirotse) instead of 

 Holothuriidse and Cucumariidae. The last, 

 however, have been adopted by Dr. Fisher and 

 are in accordance with the custom prevalent 

 among modern zoologists. Both names were 

 attributed to Ludwig (1894), but Holothuridae 

 was used by Gray as early as 1842 and 1848. 

 Gray also used Cuvieriadee and Pentactidag, 

 but, as they were based on obsolete synonyms, 

 they are synonyms of Oucumariidse. Holo- 

 tlvuria being discarded, of course Holothuriido} 

 can not be used but may be replaced by 

 Boliadschiidw, based on the earliest generic 

 name. 



Theo. Gill 



CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY 

 AND CLIMATOLOGY 



MONTHLY WEATHEE REVIEW 



In Nos. 3 and 4 of the Monthly Weather 

 Review (1907) the following articles appeared : 

 " Eainf all and Eun-ofE of the Gatskill Moun- 

 tain Eegion," by Thaddeus Merriman; a re- 

 port to the Board of Water Supply of the City 

 of ISTew York, illustrated by a map of the 

 Gatskill Mountains and vicinity, showing by 

 isohyetal lines the probable mean annual rain- 

 fall; also by cross-sections, showing rainfall 

 values along different critical lines. 



" Variation of Precipitation in the Adiron- 

 dack Region," by Professor A. J. Henry ; com- 

 ments upon a paper by R. E. Horton, in the 

 January Monthly Weather Review, pointing 

 out that Mr. Horton's rainfall amounts for 

 the lustrum 1901-5 are not to be taken as 

 average or normal values, this five-year period 

 having been one of heavy precipitation. 



" The Temperature in the Front and in the 

 Rear of Anticyclones up to an Altitude of 12 

 Kilometers, compared with the Temperature 

 in the Central Area," by H. H. Clayton. This 

 summarizes results obtained by means of hal- 

 lons-sondes from St. Louis. Up to about 8 

 kilometers the temperature was lower in front 



and higher in the rear than in the central 

 area; between 8 and 10 kilometers the central 

 area was colder than front or rear; and above 

 10 kilometers the lowest temperature was in 

 the rear of the anticyclone and the highest in 

 front. Mr. Clayton suggests that the cold air 

 in the northern part of the anticyclone is 

 moving faster than the anticyclone towards 

 the southeast and sinks towards the earth's - 

 surface on account of its greater specific 

 weight as compared with the surrounding air. 

 The center of the anticyclone is about midway 

 between the northwest and southeast limits of 

 the inclined stratum of cold air. The circula- 

 tion of air around a central area is confined 

 to a stratimi within about 2 kilometers of the 

 earth's surface. The movement of the air at 

 different heights in cyclones and anticyclones 

 is shown by means of diagrams. 



" Cooling by Expansion and Warming by 

 Compression," by Professor C. E. Peet, and 

 " Espy's Nepheloscope," by Professor Cleve- 

 land Abbe, describe simple apparatus for use 

 in condensation experiments in school meteor- 

 ological teaching. 



"Bells as Barometers," by Professor Cleve- 

 land Abbe; note on some erroneous statements 

 which have been going the rounds of the press 

 regarding the so-called " water-bells " near Le- 

 bekke, in Belgium. 



" A Proposed New Method of Weather Fore- 

 casting by an Analysis of Atmospheric Condi- 

 tions into Waves of Different Lengths." This 

 is a paper of unusual importance by H. H. 

 Clayton which presents, in brief outline, the 

 results of studies extending over many years 

 in connection with long-range forecasting. 

 The author believes that "the discovery of 

 these facts not merely opens the way to a great 

 improvement in the forecasting of weather 

 from day to day, but also . . . furnishes a sci- 

 entific basis for long-range forecasting." This 

 paper is well illustrated, and merits careful 

 study. 



" The Velocity of Centers of High and Low 

 Pressure in the LTnited States," by C. F. von 

 Herrmann; a determination of these velocities 

 for the period 1878-1904, and a comparison 

 with Loomis's results for 1872-84. Substan- 

 tial agreement is found. The average annual 



