218 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVIII. No. 450. 



complete study of the climate of Cairo, 

 using the observations made at the observa- 

 tory for the twenty-one years, 1868-1888. 

 Monthly bulletins vcere issued up to October, 

 1898, and in February, 1899, the observatory 

 was transferred to the Survey Department, 

 Public Works Ministry. In 1900 this de- 

 partment issued ' A Eeport on the Meteor- 

 ological Observations made at the Abbassia 

 Observatory, Cairo, during the years 1898 and 

 1899.' This report included the mean values 

 derived from the observations of the previous 

 thirty years, and was very fully illustrated 

 by means of plates showing the mean daily 

 and annual variations of the different weather 

 elements. The work at the observatory has 

 been carried on under the direction of Captain 

 H. G. Lyons, K.E., Director-General of the 

 Survey Department. Eecently (1902) there 

 has been issued a second ' Report on the 

 Meteorological Observations made at the Ab- 

 bassia Observatory, Cairo,' including the ob- 

 servations of the year 1900, together with the 

 Alexandria means derived from the observa- 

 tions of the previous ten years. Eye readings 

 made every three hours have been replaced by 

 self-recording instruments. Meteorological 

 stations have been established at Port Said, 

 the Barrage, Assiut and Aswan. The diurnal 

 and annual variations of the different weather 

 elements are illustrated by means of numerous 

 curves. 



The Abbassia Observatory, and the coop- 

 erating stations, under the wise direction of 

 Captain Lyons, are carrying on a valuable 

 work in a country whose meteorology has 

 always been of the greatest interest, and in 

 which increasing numbers of Americans seek 

 health during the winter months. 



THDNDERSTORMS AND THE MOON". 



In Popular Astronomy for June, Professor 

 William H. Pickering summarizes some pub- 

 lished statistics of thunderstorm occurrence 

 in relation to the moon's phases, using data 

 collected by Polls, van der Stok, Koppen, 

 Hazen and others. The conclusion reached 

 is that there really is a greater number of 

 thunderstorms in the first half of the lunar 



month than in the last half, and also that the 

 liability to storms is greatest between new 

 moon and first quarter and least between full 

 moon and last quarter. The difference is, 

 however, not large enough to be of any prac- 

 tical importance. 



RAIN AND DUST FALL IN EDINBURGH IN 1902. 



In the Quarterly Journal of the Boyal 

 Meteorological Society (XXIX., 1903, p. 134) 

 Dr. W. G. Black gives the results of his catch 

 of dust and soot in the central district of 

 Edinburgh during the year 1902. The fall 

 of dust and soot in an open dish or gauge of 

 75 square inches amounted to 2 ounces, giving 

 3.8 ounces per square foot, or about 24 pounds 

 for every 100 square feet. 



E. DeC. Ward. 



SEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 

 The Zoological Society has recently re- 

 ceived at the Zoological Park the following 

 interesting animals, as reported by Director 

 Hornaday: (1) A bear cub, six months old, 

 collected at Port Muller Bay, Alaskan Penin- 

 sula, and evidently representing a species re- 

 cently described as Merriam's Bear (Ursus 

 ■merriami) ; this is probably the first specimen 

 of its species to come into captivity. It is of 

 a uniform bluish-gray color, quite different 

 in appearance from all other bears that have 

 thus far been received from Alaska by the 

 Zoological Society. (2) Mr. Charles Sheldon 

 has succeeded, after more than two years of 

 constant effort, in securing a grizzly bear cub 

 from Mexico. A fine young specimen, which, 

 in spite of its black coat, is evidently a grizzly, 

 arrived on July 15, from Mexico, as a gift 

 from Mr. Sheldon. If this animal really is a 

 grizzly, it represents the most southern form 

 of that group of bears. (3) A Clouded 

 Leopard (Felis neiulosa) was brought to the 

 society by Captain Golding, from Singapore. 

 This is a full-grown specimen, and at the 

 proper time will be placed on exhibition in 

 the Small Mammal House. (4) A fine half- 

 grown specimen of the Siamang (Hylohates 

 syndactylu^), received from Captain Golding, 

 is, in all probability, the first representative 

 of its species to reach America alive. It is 



