December 9, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



811 



classification of cyclones of the far east, and 

 the relation between the average motion of 

 the higher clouds in the northern hemisphere 

 and the general cyclonic tracks. 



CLIMATE OF THE PHILIPPINES. 



Philippine climatology is a subject -which 

 interests a considerable number of Americans, 

 and it is well that there should be generally 

 available an authoritative presentation of the 

 most important facts in this connection. In 

 the ' Report of the Philippine Commission ' 

 for 1900, there was published an account of 

 Philippine climates, and this, with some addi- 

 tions and many modifications, appears in Bul- 

 letin 2, Census of the Philippine Islands, 1903, 

 ' The Climate of the Philippines,' by Father 

 Jose Algue, S.J. (Department of Commerce 

 and Labor, Bureau of the Census, 1904, 8vo, 

 pp. 103). The bulletin is illustrated by means 

 of twenty-seven plates, showing graphically 

 the variations of the different climatic ele- 

 ments, the tracks of typhoons, etc., and there 

 are also two colored maps of the islands, show- 

 ing the mean annual rainfall and the mean 

 annual temperature. On the latter, four 

 shades of yellow are employed to indicate 

 respectively the regions of high, intermediate 

 and mild temperature, and also cool tempera- 

 ture ' because of altitude.' Of course, the 

 word cool is relative, and the lower tempera- 

 tures of higher altitudes in the tropics do not 

 mean seasonal changes such as are experienced 

 in the extra-tropics, especially in the northern 

 hemisphere. E. DeC. Ward. 



GOSSIP ABOUT LAMARCK. 



A MOVEMENT is afoot in Paris, to erect, 

 probably in the Jardin des Plantes, an im- 

 posing monument to Lamarck. This will take 

 the form of a bronze bust, or possibly a 

 statue, surmounting a large stone base, and 

 on the latter, after the fashion in French de- 

 sign (as in the newly dedicated monument to 

 Pasteur) figures will appear in- full relief. In 

 the present case, these will represent the nat- 

 uralist, blind and infirm, seated on a bench in 

 the Jardin, and standing by his side his de- 

 voted daughter, pronouncing her memorable 

 prophecy. And one might add that the little 



model of this relief loses none of its pathos 

 when one sees it in the historic house, in the 

 room indeed in which Lamarck suffered and 

 died. 



The proposed monument is but one of the 

 many signs that interest in the work of 

 Lamarck is increasing among French zoolo- 

 gists. M. Landrieu, au eleve of Giard, has 

 prepared a translation of Packard's ' Life 

 of Lamarck,' but we are told that he has 

 added to it so much material that it will ap- 

 pear almost as a new work. It will shortly 

 be published as a separate volume of the Zoo- 

 logical Society publications (Paris). In this 

 regard it may be added that, thanks to the 

 cooperation of a number of French scien- 

 tists, notably Professor Hamy and Professor 

 Joubin, M. Landrieu has been able to glean 

 many details as to the life of the French 

 naturalist. Some of these details, it appears, 

 have been obtained through members of 

 Lamarck's family, his descendants having 

 finally been traced, and, curiously enough, 

 one has still a personal interest in the Jardin, 

 if for no other reason than that she has mar- 

 ried one of the professors. It appears, further- 

 more, that a descendant of Lamarck is at 

 present high in station, and is indeed, if gos- 

 sip be repeated, slightly annoyed at the prom- 

 inence which is being given an ancestor who 

 was in his day obscure and who was, above' 

 all things, tainted with republicanism ! An 

 interesting item, which I learned recently 

 from one of the authorities of the Jardin, is 

 that there probably exist many memorabilia* 

 of the naturalist; among them, for example, 

 is a sketch book which was known to contain 

 many portrait sketches of him made by one of 



* In this regard cf. Science, 1904, vol. XIX., 

 pp. 798-800, as to a recently discovered letter 

 signed by Lamarck and Geoflfroy (1796) dealing 

 with evolutional matters. The writer may also 

 mention that he has in his possession what is 

 said to be the lid of Lamarck's tabatiere. It is. 

 ivory-rimmed, and in the glass top appears a 

 signature of Jean Jacques, together with a speci- 

 men of Hypnum proliferum. The name of the 

 plant is in Lamarck's hand, and the specimen is 

 possibly a souvenir of Lamarck's friendship with 

 Rousseau and of their traditional walks on Mont 

 Valgrien. 



