Septesibek 4, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



307 



servations being telegraphed to other river 

 stations and to Washington. Since that 

 time each issue of the Monthly Weather Re- 

 vietv has contained a summary of the water 

 fluctuations and floods of the principal 

 waterways of the country. The work has 

 been very greatly extended during the last 

 few years, and on January 1, 1896, the 

 stations operated in connection with it were 

 as follows : 135 special river stations equip- 

 ped with standard river gauges ; 44 rainfall 

 stations, so distributed in the various catch- 

 ment basins as to give, in connection with 

 the regular stations of the Bureau, a fair ap- 

 proximation of the average rainfall over 

 each watershed; 38 completely equipped 

 meteorological stations where river meas- 

 urements were made, and 22 Weather Bu- 

 reau stations which were centers from which 

 flood warnings and forecasts of expected 

 changes in river level were issued. Since 

 July 1, 1893, the immediate supervision of 

 the river service and the predicting of river 

 changes for their several districts has been 

 delegated to the various local forecast offi- 

 cials. The importance of the flood fore- 

 casts can hardly be calculated, but as one 

 example we note that the warnings of a 

 floo,d on May 21 and 22, 1894, at Harris- 

 burg, Pa., saved property and live stock of 

 an estimated value of $60,000 to $70,000. 



WINDS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC OFF THE 

 COAST OF BRAZIL. 



The August Pilot Chart of the North At- 

 lantic Ocean makes clear the January and 

 July wind relations of the South Atlantic 

 Ocean adjacent to the coast of Brazil, by 

 means of two small charts and some ex- 

 planatory text. The charts are compiled 

 from returns made by volunteer observers 

 of the Hydrographic OflSce during 1890-95, 

 and show by wind-roses the percentages of 

 the winds that may be expected from the 

 different directions, and the chances of find- 

 ing calms. The effects of the seasonal 



changes of pressure over South America are 

 clearly seen. In July (winter) the S. E. 

 Trades are carried southward to the 20th 

 parallel, while in January (summer), owing 

 to the presence of the continental area of low 

 pressure over South America, the S. E. 

 Trades are replaced north of Cape San E,oque 

 by N. and N. E. winds, these being the in- 

 draft on the eastern side of the low pressure 

 area. 



E. DeC. Ward. 

 Harvard University. 



PSYCHOLOGICAL NOTES. 

 With the exception of the advancement 

 of scientific research there is no subject 

 more important to men of science than the 

 adequate teaching of the sciences in our 

 colleges and schools. The efforts now being 

 made by the Natural Science Department 

 of the National Educational Association to 

 properly coordinate higher and secondary 

 scientific education should be heartily sup- 

 ported, and those who have read in this 

 Journal the addresses by Profs. Bessey, 

 Carhart, Freer, Jordan and Gage, at the 

 recent meeting of the N. E. A., will under- 

 stand what excellent leadership controls the 

 movement. As a psychologist, interested 

 in the development of the child, its senses 

 and movememts, I wish to urge that scien- 

 tific education begin with the kindergarten. 

 There are but few things more pathetic than 

 the ignorant zeal of the average kinder- 

 garten teacher. I have recently examined 

 the catalogue of kindergarten supplies of- 

 fered by the Milton Bradley Co., and find 

 it simply abominable. Nearly everything 

 seems especially devised to injufl»e the eye- 

 sight and the nervous system ©f the child. 

 The young child should be taught to con- 

 centrate the attention, to observe accurately 

 and to make easily movements not requir- 

 ing nice adjustments. The best thing he 

 can do is to learn to classify things by their 

 resemblances, to watch plants grow, to take 



