September 29, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



407 



CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. 



MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 



Eecent numbers of the Monthly Weather 

 Bevieiv have contained articles of general in- 

 terest as follows: 



'No. 3, 1905 ; ' Application of Mathematics 

 in Meteorology,' by Professor F. H. Bigelow. 

 Reprinted from Bull. Phil. Soc. Wash., Vol. 

 14, 1905, p. 215. Summary of the mathe- 

 matical state of certain important meteorolog- 

 ical problems. ' The Diurnal Periods of the 

 Barometric Pressure,' by the same author. 

 ' Tornado in Eastern Alabama, March 20, 

 1905,' by F. P. Chaffee. The usual phenom- 

 ena accompanied this tornado. ' The Varia- 

 tions in Atmospheric Transparency during 

 1902, 1903 and 1904,' by H. H. Kimball. A 

 comparison of some of the results obtained in 

 the United States and in the Pyrenees. 

 ' Twilight Glows and Connected Phenomena 

 observed in 1902, 1903 and 1904, in the Pyre- 

 nees,' by E. Marchand. From the Ami. Soc. 

 Met. de France, February, 1905. This in- 

 cludes observations on the diminution of solar 

 radiation. ' Tornado near Bluif Springs, 

 Fla., March 20, 1905.' 



No. 4, 1905 : ' The Diurnal Periods of the 

 Vapor Tension, the Electric Potential and Co- 

 efficient of Dissipation' and 'The Observations 

 with Kites at the Blue Hill Observatory, 1897- 

 1902,' by Professor F. H. Bigelow. ' Mathe- 

 matical Theory of the Nocturnal Cooling of 

 the Atmosphere,' by S. T. Tamura. A his- 

 torical and critical survey of the problem of 

 the nocturnal cooling of the atmosphere, and 

 a mathematical theory of the nocturnal cool- 

 ing of the atmosphere near the earth's surface. 

 ' The Influence of Small Lakes on Local Tem- 

 perature Conditions,' by James L. Bartlett. 

 A study of the influence of Lakes Mendota 

 and Monona, and of other smaller lakes, upon 

 the climate of Madison, Wis. ' Wind Veloci- 

 ties for Different Altitudes and Exposures,' 

 by A. J. Mitchell. Observations made at 

 Jacksonville, Fla. The conclusion is that an 

 increase in elevation of the anemometer cups 

 of 50 to 60 feet results in an increase of ap- 

 proximately one mile per hour in the lower 

 circulation at Jacksonville. ' Tornadoes of 

 March lY, 1905, in Western Oklahoma,' by 



C. M. Strong. ' A Cold- Weather Dust Whirl,' 

 by F. W. Proctor. A dust whirl at 11 a.m. 

 March 13, 1905, over frozen ground, at Fair- 

 haven, Mass. A very rare phenomenon. 

 ' Note on the Winds of the Region adjacent 

 to the Gulf of California,' by Professor 

 George H. Stone. These winds come persist- 

 ently from about south, and have a constancy 

 which the author describes as monsoonal. ' A 

 Heavy Deposit of Hoarfrost and its Effect in 

 Retarding Nocturnal Cooling,' by D. A. 

 Seeley. At Peoria, 111., illustrated by a 

 thermograph curve. A good example for use 

 in teaching. ' Tornado of April 14, near 

 Pensacola, Fla.,' by Wm. F. Reed, Jr. ' Me- 

 teorological Course at Williams College,' being 

 part of a syllabus used in teaching. The 

 course is unusually complete. 



ISLANDS FOR PURPOSES OF WEATHER FORECASTING. 



In Nature for June 1, 1905, Dr. W. J. S. 

 Lockyer points out the need of securing 

 weather observations from islands to wind- 

 ward of the continents when possible, in order 

 that the conditions which are approaching the 

 lands from the sea may be known in advance. 

 The value of wireless telegraph messages from 

 vessels to the west of the British Isles; of re- 

 ports from the West Indies to the United 

 States; from Mauritius to India and to Af- 

 rica; of Tristan d'Acunha to Africa, etc., is 

 emphasized. It is pointed out that conditions 

 at a great distance are important in determin- 

 ing seasonal weather of many countries. Thus 

 the air current which passes the western coast 

 of Australia in July later becomes the south- 

 east trade of the Indian" Ocean, and finally 

 reaches India as the southwest monsoon. 



METEOROLOGY AND OTHER SCIENCES. 



Captain D. Wilson-Barker, R.N.R., in his 

 presidential address before the Royal Meteor- 

 ological Society, London (Quart. Journ. Roy. 

 Met. Soc, April, 1905), spoke of 'The Con- 

 nection of Meteorology with other Sciences,' 

 pointed out that meteorology deserves much 

 more attention than it receives, and expressed 

 the wish that the subject might be taught in 

 schools. ' The United States,' said Captain 

 Wilson-Barker, ' have devoted much attention 



