872 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 283. 



annual rainfalls, to 1849, while the temperature 

 record begins in 1871. The warmest month at 

 San Francisco is September, with 60.9°, the 

 coldest is January, with 50. 1 ° . The highest tem- 

 perature ever recorded was 100°, on June 29, 

 1891, and the lowest was 29°, on January 15, 

 1888. A comparison of the observations at San 

 Francisco with those made at the Weather Bu- 

 reau Station at Mt. Tamalpais (2373 ft.) brings to 

 light several interesting facts. During June, 

 1899, the temperature rose at the average rate 

 of 1° in every 203 feet of elevation between 

 San Francisco and the mountain station. Fogs 

 seem to occur at times of steep inverted gradi- 

 ents, when the temperature at 2500 feet is con- 

 siderably higher than at sea level. The annual 

 rainfall is 23 inches. The largest yield of crops 

 follows a generous rainfall in March and April. 

 The average number of clear days is 149 ; of 

 partly cloudy days, 137, and of rainy days, 69. 



koppen's klimalehee. 

 Koppen's Klimalehre is a compact summary 

 of the principles of climatology. It is a small 

 octavo volume of 122 pages and 7 plates, and 

 therefore cannot for a moment be compared 

 with Hann's Handhuch der EJimatologie as re- 

 gards completeness of presentation and breadth 

 of view. Koppen's little book will, however, 

 serve very well for those who wish to learn 

 something of general climatology without going 

 far into the subject. Considering the very lim- 

 ited size of the volume the matter is admirably 

 presented. The book appears in the Sammlung 

 Ooschen (Leipzig, 1899. Price, 80 Pfgs.), in 

 which collection there has already been pub- 

 lished Trabert's Meteor ologie, also an excellent 

 brief discussion of the essential portions of the 

 subject with which it deals. 



DESTRUCTION OF BIRDS BY A HUEEICANE. 



Nature for April 5th notes a remarkable fact 

 in connection with the West Indian hurricane 

 of September, 1898. It appears that before the 

 hurricane one of the tamest and commonest 

 birds on the island of St. Vincent was a small 

 humming-bird, but none of these birds have 

 been seen since September, 1898. Other hum- 

 ming-birds, which were formerly less common 

 than the one now missing, are still to be seen in 



St. Vincent, but in diminished numbers. Th& 

 bird which has thus apparently been extermi- 

 nated was the smallest of the three species known 

 on the island, and hence probably also the most 

 easily killed. 



THE JUNGFRAU RAILWAY AND MOUNTAIN 

 SICKNESS. 



An interesting note in connection with the 

 physiological effects of diminished pressure at 

 high altitudes is contained in an article on the 

 Jungfrau railway, published in the Engineering 

 Magazine for April. The work of construction 

 is now being carried on very largely by Italians, 

 but when the tunnel reaches an altitude of about 

 3000 meters it is considered almost certain that 

 Swiss mountaineers will have to be employed. 

 The latter will, it is believed, be far better able 

 to do the necessary hard labor at the greater 

 altitudes. 



A REMARKABLE DIURNAL RANGE OF TEM- 

 PERATURE. 



del et Terre, for April 16th, contains a record 

 of an extraordinary diurnal range of tempera- 

 ture observed in Mongolia during the year 1898 

 by the traveller M. Zichy. At Urga the ther- 

 mometer at 5 A. M. stood at 30.2°, while the 

 temperature at noon was 105.8". 



R. Dec. Ward. 



Harvard University. 



THE CONGRESSES OF THE PARIS EXPOSITION. 



More than one hundred and fifty Interna- 

 tional Congresses, dealing with various subjects 

 of scientific, industrial and social importance, 

 are to be held this summer in Paris, and will form 

 no small part of the interest of the Exposition, 

 supplementing as they do the exhibits, furnish- 

 ing the theory, as the exhibits set forth the ac- 

 complishments, of art and industry. 



The delegates will be divided into three clas- 

 ses, those who oflicially represent the Govern- 

 ment, the representatives of local and national 

 organizations, and those who attend out of per- 

 sonal interest purely, the two latter classes 

 paying a membership fee varying usually from 

 two to five dollars. As all Congresses, even 

 those of a permanent character of long stand- 

 ing, such as the Congresses of Medicine, Geol- 



