Apeh. 10, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



595 



sounding balloons launched from St. Louis. 

 The detailed discussion will appear in the 

 Annals of the Harvard College Observatory. 

 " Our Present Knowledge regarding the Heat 

 of Evaporation of Water," by Professor A. W. 

 Smith. " Studies on the Vortices in the At- 

 mosphere of the Earth," by Professor F. H. 

 Bigelow. This paper deals with the applica- 

 tion of the theoi-y of vortex motion to the 

 funnel-shaped waterspout at Cottage City, 

 Mass., August 19, 1896. 



The November, 1907, number (dated Feb- 

 ruary 10, 1908) contains the following con- 

 tributions : " Phenomena connected with the 

 San Francisco Earthquake," by Dr. C. M. 

 Eichter and Professor A. G. McAdie. Eefer- 

 ence is made to the fact that the writers 

 " have no record of any detonation coming 

 from the ground " ; that they " have no proof 

 whatever that any particular optical or elec- 

 trical phenomenon occurred preceding, during 

 or following the earthquake." At the time of 

 the San Francisco earthquake there was a 

 well-defined high over practically the entire 

 area of the United States. There were no 

 unusual features connected with the wind, or 

 with other meteorological elements. " It was 

 a pleasant spring day." Dr. Richter and 

 Professor McAdie believe that the clouds 

 which have been reported over the San Fran- 

 cisco fire (see Science, November 14, 1906, 

 and April 5, 1907) showed no features that 

 can not be explained as smoke effects. " Well- 

 marked Foehn Effects with Great Diurnal 

 Ranges of Temperature in Southern Cali- 

 fornia," by Professor A. G. McAdie. A foehn 

 effect on November 29 and 30, and on Decem- 

 ber 1 gave maximum temperatures between 80° 

 and 86°, while the morning temperatures were 

 so low that frost was reported in many places. 

 This range, of about 50°, is a very unusual 

 one in southern California. " The Relation 

 of the Movements of the High Clouds to Cy- 

 clones in the West Indies," by John T. Quin. 

 This is the continuation of a previous discus- 

 sion in the Monthly Weather Review for May, 

 1907. " Studies of Frost and Ice Ci-ystals," 

 by W. A. Bentley. " The Winds of the Lake 

 Region," by Professor A. J. Henry. This is 



an important paper, on a subject which has 

 received little attention. It deals with the 

 seasonal wind directions (with charts) ; the 

 average velocities, and with high winds. " In- 

 fiuence of Vegetation in Causing Rain." A 

 brief discussion, by the editor, as to the pos- 

 sible effects of soils, bare and covered with 

 vegetation, upon rainfall. R. DeC. Ward 



THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION FOR THE 

 ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHINC 

 Me. Andrew Carnegie has added $5,000,000 

 to the endowment of the Carnegie Founda- 

 tion in order that retiring allowances may be 

 provided for professors in state universities. 



