594 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 693 



Apparently these excited individuals wish a 

 fair combat between the operator and the dog. 

 Regarding the present agitation in the 

 United States, some of our readers object to 

 our speaking of the factitious side. As far 

 as we are able, however, we print the most 

 important news in whatever direction it may 

 strike. Many people genuinely oppose vivi- 

 section, but few, if any, of them have the 

 least standing in the scientific world. The 

 New York County Medical Society was in- 

 strumental in having the Herald legally pre- 

 vented from carrying certain medical adver- 

 tising, and that paper seldom forgets a grudge. 

 Moreover, this agitation happens to be ex- 

 tremely good business. The most profitable 

 part of a daily paper is the drygoods adver- 

 tising; women are the buyers; and in this 

 howl about our dumb friends there is a mighty 

 feminine appeal, especially to those women 

 who are unfortunate enough to have no chil- 

 dren. It is more vivid to proclaim in a half- 

 inch headline, " See the bloody knife. It cuts. 

 It cuts," than it is to talk about a reduced 

 death-rate. Only two qualities are needed to 

 conduct a first-class crusade, like the Herald's 

 present picturesque effort — a slight knowledge 

 of mob psychology and a short memory. ■ The 

 Herald may have forgotten that in 1895 it 

 espoused the cause of antitoxin, started a fund 

 for its popularization with a gift of $1,000, 

 and, with its brass band of publicity, induced 

 the community to give $Y,000 more. To be 

 sure, the generosity of the Herald flagged at 

 this point, and a representative of the warm- 

 hearted newspaper asked if the original $1,000 

 could not be returned! — Collier's Weehly. 



CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND 

 CLIMATOLOGY 



MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW 



Eecent issues of the Monthly Weather Be- 

 view (U. S. Weather Bureau, Washington, 

 D. 0.) have contained many contributions of 

 general scientific interest. Among these, the 

 following are selected for special mention. In 

 the September number (dated December 16) 

 we find, under the title " On Atmospheric 

 Currents at Very Great Altitudes," a discus- 

 sion, by Profess^J* C. C. Trowbridge, of tlie 



atmospheric currents which are shown to exist 

 in the extreme upper regions of the atmos- 

 phere by the observed drifting of the luminous 

 trains formed by meteors. One method for 

 determining the height of the atmosphere is 

 by means of meteors. This paper gives many 

 facts of interest, and is illustrated. " Studies 

 of Prost and Ice Crystals," by W. A. Bentley. 

 A continuation of a paper in the August 

 Review. Mr. Bentley has made a life-long 

 study of snow crystals, and presents details 

 of extraordinary accuracy. " Colliery Explo- 

 sions and Barometric Pressure." Note on the 

 fact, many years ago pointed out by the Eng- 

 lish Commission on Prevention of Explosions 

 in Collieries, that the combustible gases escape 

 most freely into mines when the external pres- 

 sure is falling and lowest. 



The Monthly Weather Review for October, 

 1907 (dated January 21, 1908), contains the 

 following contributions : " Highest Kite Flight 

 at Mount Weather, Va." On October 3, 1907, 

 the altitude above sea level reached by the 

 leading kite and the meteorograph is believed 

 to be the greatest yet attained in any kite 

 ascension, viz., 23,110 feet. " Interconversion 

 of Centigrade and Fahrenheit Scales"; for- 

 mulae suggested by F. K. Ferguson, superin- 

 tendent of schools, Paola, Kansas, as follows: 



C = 5/9 (JP-f 40) —40, 

 i? = 9/5 (C'-^40) —40. 



" Studies of Frost and Ice Crystals," by Wil- 

 son A. Bentley. " Meteorological Stations in 

 Southern Nigeria," by C. F. Talman. Mr. 

 Talman has, for some time past, performed a 

 very useful service to elimatologists in pub- 

 tions of the meteorological stations in various 

 countries concerning whose climates we as yet 

 know but little. In the present article he 

 gives an account of the development of meteor- 

 ological observations in southern Nigeria, with 

 a map showing the location of the stations. 

 " The Lagging of Temperature Changes at 

 Great Heights behind those at the Earth's 

 Surface, and Types of Pressure Changes at 

 Different Levels," by H. H. Clayton. This is 

 a preliminary report upon some results derived 

 from a study of the records obtained with 



