NOVEMBEB 13, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



623 



ner* has pointed out that there is a long 

 period weather variation. Ilis discussion 

 of all the available data of pressure, rain- 

 fall, temperature, etc., led him to conclude 

 that there is a periodical variation in the 

 climates over the whole earth, the mean 

 ienfrth of this period being about 35 years. 



Since this work, a recent discussion of 

 the sun-spot data by Dr. W. J. S. Lockyerf 

 has brought to light a similar long period, 

 and this has taught us that each eleven- 

 year cycle is different fi"om the one im- 

 mediately preceding and that following it. 



A further inquiry into the distribution 

 of the solar prominences, as observed by 

 Respighi, Secchi Tacchini, Ricco, and 

 Mascari,J has resulted in increasing our 

 knowledge of the circulation of the solar 

 atmosphere. The centei-s of prominence 

 action, or the centers of the prominence 

 belts, have a tendency to move from low to 

 high latitudes, the opposite of spots ; gen- 

 erally speaking, two belts in each hemis- 

 phere exist for some time, then they couple 

 up and move towards the solar poles, while 

 in the meantime a new belt begins to form 

 in low latitudes. § 



The existence of prominences in the 

 polar regions is coincident with great mag- 

 netic disturbances on the earth, just previ- 

 ous to or about the time of sun-spot 

 maxima.!! Further, these polar promin- 

 ences are responsible for the existence of 

 large coronal streamers near the solar 

 poles, as seen during solar eclipses about 

 the time of sun-spot maximum. In fact, 

 recent research seems to indicate that this 

 prominence circulation is intimately asso- 



* ' Kliraaschwankungen,' EJuaril nriickner (Vi- 

 enna, 1890). 



t I'roc. Hoy. tioc, Vol. 68, pp. 28.5-300. 



t ' Memorie della Societa degli .Spettro-scopisti 

 Italiani.' 



? Proc. Roy. Soc, Vol. 71, pp. 446-452. 



II Ibid., pp. 244-250. 



ciated with all the different forms of the 

 corona.* 



There seems little doubt, therefore, that 

 we must look to the study of the solar 

 prominences neet only as the prinuiry fac- 

 tors in the magnetic and atmospheric 

 changes in our sun, but as the instigators 

 of the terrestrial variations. 



In dealing with solar phenomena, es- 

 pecially from a meteorological point of 

 view, it is of great importance that the 

 solai- disc be treated in zones and not as a 

 whole. 



Just as it has been shown that the prom- 

 inences sometimes exist in these zones in 

 one hemisphere at one time, so is this the 

 ease with spots, but unfortunately, it is 

 only until very recently that the i)henomena 

 occurring in each hemisphere have been 

 treated in this manner. 



It has already been pointed out that a 

 possible connection existed between changes 

 in the spotted area of the sun and ter- 

 restrial temperatures. Quite recently this 

 question has been studied by Charles Nord- 

 Hiann f who finds that— 



The mean terrestrial temperature exhibits a 

 period sensibly equal to that of solar spots; the 

 elVeot of spots is to diminish the mean terrestrial 

 tomperature, that is to say, that the curve which 

 represents the variations of this is parallel to the 

 inverse curve of the frequency of solar spots. 



Norman Lockyer. 

 Soi.AK Physics Ohsekvatory, 

 South Kk.nsixoto". 



77/ A' a EKll Ay AXTHROPOLOaiCAL 

 AfiSOCIATION. 



The (icrman Anthropological Associa- 

 tion is just as old as the German Empire. 

 The thirty-fourth meeting of the society, 

 held at Worms. August 9-13, 1903, was the 

 first to take place since the death of its 

 most distinguished founder, the late Ru- 



' Mimlhhi Xoliren K. A. S., Vol. LXIH . 1903. 

 i Coniplci UvnduK. Xn. 18. May 4, 1903, Vol. 

 136. 



