Reference should be made to Dr. G. F. McEwen's article in the October, 1923, BULLETIN, pp. 142-148, telling of unusually warm late summer and early fall ocean temperatures at La Jolla, Calif., and of the prospect of the driest winter in the 8 years ocean temperature observations had been made.-C. F. Brooks. The recent drought-breaking rain in southern California forestalled a rainmaking contract between San Bernardino County farmers and Mr. C. M. Hatfield, says a long article in the N. Y. Herald and Tribune for April 6. In Kings County, however, the "rainmaker" got so far as beginning to haul the lumber for his tower before it rained noticeably. He is said to have a contract calling for $2000 for 2 inches of rain with a month, and for $1000 additional for each quarter-inch over two.—C. F. B. Last fall squirrels in northern Vermont gathered and stored apples instead of nuts. According to reports received by Director Edward Howe Forbush of the division of ornithology of the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, a farmer found that the little bushy tailed rodents had placed the fruit in rows on the high beams of his barn. The reason for this, Prof. Forbush stated, is that last summer and fall were so remarkably dry that many fruits and seeds failed to develop. All through northern New England and much of the inhabited part of the eastern provinces of Canada, there are few acorns or nuts and comparatively little wild fruit. Trappers find skunks scarce in the woods, he said, but many of these animals come into buildings, henhouses and cellars searching for food. There was so little rainfall in the breeding season that there was no water in the swamps and many of the trout brooks ran dry. Shallow ponds where ducks feed dried up, and low water about the shallow margins of larger ponds decreased the supply of food for fresh water fowl, so that comparatively few young ducks were raised. On account of the shortage of berries, Ruffed Grouse in New Hampshire fed on poplar leaves.-Science Service. A study of bird migration records has been made by Professor Frank Smith of the University of Illinois at Urbana. The records used comprised daily observations by class groups and individuals covering the period from early February till late May in fourteen years. It was desired to determine what types of weather conditions favored migration. For this purpose, the dates of the first appearance of the various species were considered. In studying the records, it was at once noticed that the birds came in waves; a large number of different birds appearing first on the same day. The average season had 89 days and the number * The Correlation between the migratory flights of birds and certain accompanying meteorological conditions, by Frank Smith, pp. 32-35, State of Illinois, Circular No. 151, 1921, pp. 21-29, (weather maps April 29, 1909, May 7, 1916); 2 days of remarkable migrations are shown on p. 28. On both days the barometric gradients for S. winds were very strong. it of "first seens" recorded averaged 120, but these were so bunched that late 61 of them were recorded on 9 days. Three-fifths of all the arrivals came the in the last 30 days of the season. The lack of uniformity in distribution a became still clearer when only the arrivals of the last 30 days were considered. Indeed, in the years 1909-1916, half of all these arrivals were recorded on 2 days. One-half of all the arrivals of the last 30 days of the 14 seasons together were recorded on 63 days. A study of the weather maps for these 63 days showed that on 54 of these days there were approaching areas of low pressure, with south winds during the preceding night. On 5 other days there had been southerly winds either at Urbana or further south in the state. On 1 only of the 63 days was there a rather light northerly wind. E cean It seems fair to conclude that the near approach of a low from the west with the accompanying rise in temperature and southerly winds favors the northward migration of birds.—Eleanor S. Brooks. WEATHER AND THE FADING RADIO SIGNALS * The first report of the Bureau of Standards on its work with the American Radio Relay League was published in QST, the official organ of that body. The ARRL, the naval radio station at Anacostia, D. C., 17 transmitting stations and 243 receiving stations co-operated with the Bureau to determine if possible the cause for the fading of radio signals. One theory takes into account the presence of the "Heaviside” surface in the atmosphere above the earth. The boundary of the Heaviside surface is not considered as absolutely horizontal, but as changing from time to time. The permanently ionized region above the Heaviside surface is the region of permanent aurora, and is so good a conductor that waves cannot penetrate it. Any waves reaching it can only slide along it, just as waves slide along the even less perfectly conducting surface of the earth. In daylight transmission, the waves cannot reach the Heaviside surface because of the intervening ionized stratosphere, and hence only those waves which travel along the earth's surface are useful during E the daytime. In traveling along the earth's surface the waves are diminished in intensity by absorption of their energy in the earth. At night, on the other hand, the waves may reach the Heaviside surface, and slide along it without appreciable absorption. Because of the variable absorption which may be introduced by the irregularities of the Heaviside surface and the adjoining regions the waves may vary rapidly in intensity. Small irregularities would affect short waves more than long waves.-A. W. P. THE MEASUREMENT of time Time and Timekeepers, including the History, Construction, Care, and Accuracy of Clocks and Watches. By Willis I. Milham. New York, The Macmillan Company, 1923. Pp. xix, 609; 339 illustrations. Price $6.00. The author of this volume is well known to students of Meteorology by virtue of his excellent textbook on the subject. While the interest of the meteorologist as such in Professor Milham's latest book will perhaps be largely indirect, he will find it none the less absorbing on this account: For probably nothing so profoundly controls the activities of Extract from "QST" for August and September, 1923. 77 each and every individual, and possesses such a common interest for everybody, as Time. The meteorologist may reflect, too, that all accurate time comes from the stars, and that astronomical observations are dependent (like nearly everything else) upon the weather; while it is to the meteorologist that the practical astronomer (who is likely to look upon the atmosphere as a necessary evil) must turn for much of the information that he needs in order to correct his observations for atmospheric effects. Then, in addition, precision timekeepers must be elaborately protected against the vagaries of the meteorological elements. Our sense of time is among the most fundamental of the concepts which arise in the mind as a result of Experience. There are many aspects of the subject: The abstract philosophical problems concerning the origin of the concept of duration and the nature of time baffle the metaphysician; the accurate determination of time and time-intervals taxes to the utmost the skill of the practical astronomer and the experimental physicist; the problems of Chronology afford abundant exercise for the historian, the archaeologist, and the mathematician; and the design, construction, and care of precision instruments to measure time challenge the dexterity of man. The metaphysical treatment of time, for which we must turn to the works of the great philosophers, is not revelant to Natural Science as such, and makes little appeal to the average scientist. Such philosophical discussion of time as is necessary to physical science, and essential to that understanding of the nature and foundations of his subject which every physicist should have, is to be found in the admirable works of Poincaré (Foundations of Science, Science Press, 1913), Pearson (Grammar of Science, 3 ed., London, 1911), and Hobson (Domain of Natural Science, Cambridge Press, 1923), while the role which time plays in physical theories will be found set forth in discussions of the Theory of Relativity. The book under review has a brief introductory chapter on the different kinds of time (sidereal, true solar, mean solar, and standard), their determination and interrelations, and distribution by telegraph and wireless, but for an exhaustive treatment of this phase of the subject reference must be had to works on Spherical and Practical Astronomy, of which a list is given by the author. The great works on Chronology are those of Nilsson (Primitive Time-Reckoning, Skrifter Utgivna av Humanistiska Vetenskapssamfundet i Lund, I, London, 1920), and Ginzel (Handbuch der mathematischen und technischen Chronologie, 3 vols., Leipzig, 1906-1914). Finally, Professor Milham's book supplies an adequate treatment of Horology. The book is intended for the general reader who is interested (and who is there who is not?) in time and timekeepers. It attempts, without being superficial, and without assuming any previous knowledge of technicalities, to cover the whole field of the measurement of time, and the history, construction, care, and accuracy of all varieties of timeindicators and timekeepers; and an extensive classified bibliography (an extremely desirable, and too often lacking, feature of such a book) of 500 titles is provided for him who desires further information on any particular topic. In the preparation of the work, the author searched the literature of the subject, inspected museum and private collections of timekeepers in America and abroad, visited factories, and spent many hours with watch and clock repair men; the result is a most fascinating and valuable volume, clearly and interestingly written, and handsomely printed and illustrated, containing a wealth of useful and entertaining information. The author takes up the history of the sun-dial, clepsydra, and other early timekeepers; follows this by the early history of clocks (which had certainly not made their appearance in 960 A. D.) up to 1360, the date of the first indubitable mechanical clock in the modern sense of the word, of which we have a complete and authentic description; and continues with the construction and further history of clocks and their individual parts, the construction and history of clock-watches and watches and their individual parts and numerous attachments, the care, repair, and accuracy of clocks and watches, and the history, con:struction, care, and accuracy of chronometers, tower clocks, electric clocks, and precision clocks; concluding with a history of clockmaking and watchmaking in America, a consideration of some modern European watchmakers, and a chapter on some individual clocks and watches that for one reason or another have become famous. An Appendix gives a chronological list of important names and events in the history of timekeepers, a glossary of technical terms, and a list of museum and private collections.-Edgar W. Woolard. BRITISH ASSOCIATION MEETING Toronto, August 6-13, 1924 The following circular was recently received by the Secretary: Sir (or Madam): The Annual Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science will take place this year in Toronto, from August 6 to 13 inclusive, under the Presidency of Major-General Sir David Bruce, K.C.B., F.R.S. The meeting will be attended by leading scientific men and women from Great Britain and elsewhere, and there is a general and intense desire on their part that the occasion should afford opportunity for personal contact with their colleagues in science in North America. In course of the work of Organising Committees of the various sections, I both at home and in Toronto, your name has been mentioned as one whose presence is specially desired. Particulars of the arrangements for the meeting and for excursions in Canada after it, conditions of membership, and so forth, should reach you in due course; meanwhile we beg leave to express our most cordial wish that the meeting may be favoured by your presence, and hope for an early and favourable reply. We are, Sir (or Madam), Your obedient servants, It is hoped that many members of the American Meteorological Society will attend this meeting.-C. F. B. THE PAN-PACIFIC FOOD CONSERVATION For the Pan-Pacific Food Conservation Conference, Honolulu, July 31August 14, 1924, the following agenda have been suggested for discussion at the Meteorological and Climatological Sections. 1. Submitted by THOMAS A. BLAIR, Director U. S. Weather Bureau, Honolulu Meteorological "Centers of Action" in the north Pacific: Causes of their variation in position and intensity. a. Relation to position, velocity, and temperature of ocean currents, particularly the Kuroshiwo and Oyashiwo. b. Relation to Siberian air pressures. 2. Interrelations between the variations of the "Highs" and "Lows." Resulting correlations between weather in different parts of the world. 3. a. Effects of their variation in position and intensity. a. Effects on weather in United States and Canada. 1. Relation to water temperatures along California coast. b. Effects on weather of Japan. Relations between Climate, Weather, and Crops: 1. Rainfall and wheat yield in Australia and California. 2. Rainfall and number of sheep or cattle per acre in Australia, and western United States. 3. Temperature and rice yield in Japan. a. Relation of temperature to centers of action, to ocean temperatures, to ice in Bering Sea. 4. Sunshine, temperature, cane growth, and sugar yield in Hawaii. Improvement and Extension of Marine Weather Records by Ships. Twice Daily Radio Weather Reports by Ships: 1. Extension to all ships. 2. International co-operation in sending and exchanging reports. Ocean Currents and Surface Water Temperatures: 1. Possibility of season weather forecasts on basis of ocean surface temperatures. Necessary to find out a. How changes in water temperatures originate and move, and b. How these changes control atmospheric pressure and winds. 2. _Tropical Cyclones in northeast Pacific between Hawaii and Mexico. Tropical Cyclones in Australia, the Philippines, and the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Their origin. Tracks. Frequency. Monthly distribution. Rate of progress. -Pan-Pacific Union Bulletin, Mar., 1924, p. 7. FRANK HAGAR BIGELOW Frank Hagar Bigelow, M.A., L.H.D., noted meteorologist and solar physicist, died at Vienna, March 2, 1924, at the age of 73 years. From 1891 to 1910 Dr. Bigelow was Professor of Meteorology, U. S. Weather Bureau. While in this position he was Chief of the Climatological Division and published several monumental researches, among which were: Report on the International Cloud Observations; Report on the Barometry of the United States, Canada, and the West Indies; The Mechanism of Countercurrents of Different Temperatures in Cyclones and Anticyclones, and researches into the law of evaporation at Salton Sea and in the United States generally. For a quarter century Professor Bigelow's tables have been used by the U. S. and Canadian weather serv ices in making the sea-level reductions of pressure for the daily weather |