November 20, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



749 



Priih regards it as equivalent to Kumm and 

 Gummi in the Alps, and to Gwm in Wales, 

 and refers all these modern forms to an 

 Indo-Germanic root, meaning valley, pre- 

 served to-day in rugged districts where the 

 the older races sought refuge from invaders. 

 Ruz, cluse, and other terms are similarly dis- 

 cussed. 



A CIRCULAR issued by Domenico Locchi, 

 Via Cibrario, 47, Turin, Italy, describes a 

 model of the morainic amphitheatre of 

 Lake Garda, which he constructed on order 

 ■of the Scuola di Ouerra at Turin. It is 

 highly spoken of by the commander of the 

 school and by so competent a geological 

 oritic as Prof. Taramelli, of the University 

 of Pavia. A photographic print of the 

 model shows it to be a remarkably fine 

 illustration of a great looped moraine. The 

 cost of the model is 250 lire, boxing extra. 

 Its horizontal scale is 1: 25,000; the vertical 

 scale being 2 J times larger; its dimensions 

 are 1.70 by 1.60 m. A list of other models 

 by the same artist may be had on applica- 

 tion to him. 



A REPORT on the erosion of English 

 coasts made to the British Association 

 (1895, 352-392) records an average annual 

 recession of 5 feet 10 inches for 37 years on 

 the clay coast of Yorkshire from Bridling- 

 ton to Spurn Head. Piers built at Dover 

 and Folkestone catch the drifting shingle, 

 and thus deprive the cliffs beyond of their 

 natural protection, making costly seawalls 

 necessary. Besides several reports from 

 local observers, there is a local bibliog- 

 raphy. 



CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. 

 CLIMATE AND MAN. 



The word anthropo-geography has been 

 coined to meet the need of a designation 

 for that branch of geography which treats 

 of the earth in its relation to man. The 

 present rapid advance of climatology has in 

 the same way rendered necessary the coin- 



ing of a similar word which can be used to 

 designate that aspect of this study which 

 deals with the relations of climate and man. 

 It is natural that the word anthropo-clima- 

 tology should be chosen for this sub-division 

 of our subject. The length of the term 

 makes it rather clumsy, yet its advantages 

 more than outweigh its disadvantages, and 

 it is to be hoped that it may come into gen- 

 eral use. Under anthropo-climatology we 

 should include all the various relations that 

 exist between climate taken in its broadest 

 sense and man. The climatic control of 

 habitability, of occupation, of colonization ; 

 the influence of climate in stimulating or 

 controlling migrations, invasions, and the 

 like ; the immediate and permanent physio- 

 logical effects of different degrees of tem- 

 perature, humidity and pressure, etc.; the 

 relation of climates to the distribution and 

 prevalence of diseases ; acclimatization, and 

 other related matters may all find shelter 

 in this subject of anthropo-climatology. To 

 some extent also, in considering the medi- 

 cal or sanitary aspect of climatology, some 

 account must be taken of soil conditions, of 

 ground water, of drainage and other matters 

 which are usually included under the head 

 of hygiene. Anthropo-climatology thus con- 

 siders subjects which belong in many other 

 departments of learning. It embraces with- 

 in its scope matters that come up also in 

 meteorology, geography, medicine, hygiene, 

 history, ethnology. At present this human 

 side of climatology receives little attention, 

 but it is certain to become a subject of in- 

 creasing importance as time goes on. Its 

 consideration belongs properly under clima- 

 tology, and instruction in climatology of a 

 university grade should lay more emphasis 

 than it now does on these interesting and 

 important relations of climate and man. 

 The student of anthropo-climatology must 

 gather his information from many sources. 

 He must consult writings of all the subjects 

 above mentioned as contributing to this 



