368 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. AU~~IJST, 1904
down in flood and destroyed the banana treee planted along
their banks, and carried away several bridges. Among the
latter was the Barnet Bridge a t Montego Bay; 3 out of the
5 mason-work arches were carried away, and the river, which
rose 20 feet above its usual level, took a short cut from the
railway bridge through the railway station to the sea.
Cane Valley, near the center of the island, suffered again,
but not to the extent it did in June, 1886, when the water rose
GO to 100 feet. The flood rains that year were much heavier
than the rains we are now considering, but they were both
due to the same cause; namely, a barometric depression.
The barometer falls slightly over a very large area, much
rain falls, a definite center is formed, and the whole phenom-
enon may, or may not, develop into a great cyclone.
The two depressions of June 13, 1904, certainly developed
into cyclones. but n o t b g more was heard of the depression
of June 7 and 8, lS86.
RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO CLIMATOLOGY.
By C. F. T ~L M %N, IT. S. Weather Bureau.
Observational work in meteorology may be said to corre-
spond to field work in the biological sciences, and has led up to
corresponding conditions in recent years. The biologist of
to-day finds himself confronted with an enormous niass of tax-
onomic material, which he has lately set himself seriously to
the task of digesting and summarizing, so that i t may form the
basis of philosophical research. I n a like manner the meteor-
ologist has now observed the weather for longer or shorter
periods over a great part of the earth's surface, but has only
recently devoted much attention to the highly important work
of computiag meansof the various series, in order to establish
normal values for the climate of each meteorological statmion
and group of st a t' ions.
The delay in reaching this stage in climatological investiga-
tion was in a measure justified by the fact that the extra-
tropical regions, in which the majority of long weather records
exist,, are just those in which the weather variability from
year to year is greatest. and in which, therefore, very long
records are ueedecl before satisfactory normals can be deduced.
For example, it is estimated that the normal monthly tem-
perature of Vienna for the winter months will not be known to
within 0.1' C. of accuracy until four hundred years of recorded
obseryations shall be available for discussion; while in west-
ern Siberia observations for eight hundred years will he
needed.' mhen we come to consider the prospect of obtain-
ing accurate clecaclal, pentadal, or daily normals, the extent of
the record required seems to relegate the whole subject to our
remote posterity. It should be remembered, however, that
practical climatology does not, for all purposes, require minute
exactitude in its numerical results; the determination of a
monthly normal temperature to within one or two degrees of
accuracy is exceedingly serviceable, while even the rough re-
sults obtained from two or three years of observations are vastly
better than nothing. This fact has found recognition, and cli-
matologists have recently been quite industrious in giving u s
mean values based on short records.
The immediate occasion of the present paper is the appear-
ance, during the current year, of two very notable contribu-
tions to the quantitative climatology of extensive regions of
the earth. These are:
Klimatographie von Osterreich. I.-Iilimatograyhie von
Niederosterreich, von J. Hann.
Indian IXeteorological Memoirs, Vol. SVII. I.-Normal
monthly and annual means of temperatures, wind, humidity.
cloucj, rainfall, and number of rainy days of stations in India,
etc. Calcutta, 1904.
The former of these works, which is published nuder the
Wen, 1904.
1 Ham : Handbuch der Klimatologie. I Bd. Pp. 11-12,
direction of the Austrian Zentralanstalt, inaugurates a series
of sectional climatographies, sixteen in number, which when
complete will cover the whole of Austria. Coming from the
pen of the most eminent of living climatologists, this memoir
may be considered the embodiment of the best and most
modern climatological ideas. In fact, Doctor Pernter, the
Director of the Zentralanstalt, in his introduction to the series
pays a tribute to his distinguished predecessor and teacher,
Doctor Hann, to whom, he says the preparation of the initial
monograph was entrusted, in order that the authors of the
subsequent parts might have for their guidance a perfect
model for form and method.
Given a series of meteorological observations which i t is
desired to discuss fully in the form of tabulated averages, the
nuinber of tables required in order to bring out every feature
of the climate deducible from the original figures is very large.
This fact is well illustrated by the work now under consider-
ation. Taking the temperature tables alone, we have, for cer-
tain stations: nlean variability of the claily mean temperature
(for each month and for the year); mean frequency of daily
teinperatnre chauges of given magnitudes (comparing the
mean of each day with the mean of the nest); departure from
normal mean temperature for the coldest and warmest winters,
and for the coldest and narmest suinmerb, during one hundred
and twentyfive years; extreme monthly and annual mean
temperatures for fifty years; mean monthly, seasonal, and an-
nual temperatures a t various altitudes; probability that the
yearly minimum will fall below O', -5", -lo', -20', etc.;
average dates on which, in the annual march, the claily tem-
perature rises aboT-e and fall8 below 5", lo", and 15'; dura-
tion, in days, of a claily temperature of 5", lo', and 15'; mean
difference between the 4 1). in. ancl 7 it. in. temperatures for
each month and for the year; besides the values regularly
found in climatological summaries, mch as the monthly and
annual means. the means of the iuonthly and annual extremes,
ancl the absolute extremes.
I n the discussion of the other elements. the following are
some of the tables introduced: Fluctuation of the yearly totals
of rainfall for twenty years ( the value for each year expressed
as a percentage of the 20-year mean); distribution of the
annual rainfall among the months (per cent); mean duration
of rainless and rainy periods for each month and for the year;
meail number of claps on which the mind velocity reaches G
(decimal scale) for each season and the year; influence of the
wind direction upon the several meteorological elements.
It will be seen that a number of climatic features are here
brought out which are commonly neglected in climatological
discussions; but, far from exhausting the possibilities in this
clirection, Doctor Hann's memoir only opens up new vistas to
the climatologist. It is probable, however, that nearly all
aspects of the climate of Lower Austria which are of practical
interest and for which materials were available are here pre-
sented. There is no discussion of pressure, because, as the
author says, the differences thereof over the relatively small
surface of a country like Lower Austria have no climatological
importance." Phenological figures also are omitted because
of the lack of trustworthy observations.
The arrangement of tliis work presentg some very excellent
features. The area under discussion is clirided into a few
climatic regions, which are discussed separately. The stations
in a single region are consiclerecl together in connection with
each cliiiiatic feature; then a compact climatic table is given
for each station. Finally, a t the end of the \oluine the more
important climatic values are more fully pre8ented in general
tables, convenient for reference.
Turning nom to the latest of the Indian Meteorological
Memoirs, we are confronted with a work of trnly imposing
proportions, the plan of which presents many contrasts to that
of the Austrian memoir we have just been considering. While
AUGUST, 1904. MONTHLY WEATHER REVlEW. 369
the region discussed by Doctor Hann was but some seven or
eight thousand square miles in extent, the domain of the In-
dian climatologist amounts to above two million square miles,
including, in addition to the Indian Peninsula, stations in
Ceylon, Burma, Persia, and Afghanistan, and even stations SO
remote as Aden, Mauritius, and Zanzibar.
This vast territory is, of course, hardly amenable to the
inethocls of discussion employed by Doctor Hann. The nuin-
ber of stations represented in connection with tlie various
elements other than rainfall ranges from 107 to 171, while the
number of rainfall stations included is 2219. Only in the case
of the rainfall values is there any attempt a t topographic
grouping. I n the other tables the stations are arranged
roughly in a series, beginning in Burma, stretching thence,
by way of the Ganges plain and the Himalayas. to the north-
west frontier; then, taking a fresh start a t Colombo (C’eylon),
passing up the Malabar coast, thence across the Deccan ancl
down the Coroinandel coast, ani1 winding up a t Trincomalee
(Ceylon ), after which come various islands and other outlying
and extra-Indian stations. The climatic regions indicated on
the various charts published by the Indian Meteorological
Service are not distinguished typographically in these tables,
and no regional nieans are given. This is to be regretted;
but perhaps we should consider this memoir as a mere pro-
visional compilation, since the values which it embraces were,
as the compiler states, computed ill orcler to furnish the data
for a Climatological Atlas of the Indian Empire, tlie early
publication of which has been sanctioned by the government
of India. At any rate every meteorologist will welconie the
appearance of so vast an array of normal values for this im-
portant region, whose climate is so frequently macle the basis
of investigations of the great problems of tlie atniosphere, and
is so often called upon to furnish the weapons of controversy
to the meteorological theorists. While previous publications
of the Indian Service hare contained iiornial values, intro-
duced generally in connection with current values for piir-
poses of comparison, these are now for tlie first time brought
together in a compact volunie devoted to the presentation of
norinals exclusively, and constituting a standard reference
book upon Indian clininte. Among the distinguishing fea-
tures of this work are the retl~zction-constaIits, for various
elements, given for each station. whereby true claily means
may be obtained froin the means of the observed readings.
The methocls of obtaining these constants have been discussed
in previous numbers of the Indian RIeteorological Memoirs.
These corrections are applied in the tables. ani1 thus me hare
what purport to be true diurnal means of the several elements.
Other noteworthy features are a table of average nionthly and
annual mean tenipratures reduced to sea level, and tables of
the average monthly and annual “ steadiness of the wind ” a t
observation hours and for the day.
Minor contributions to climatology hare of late appeared
in such nnmlJers that it is not easy to select those most worthy
of mention. The present year has witnessed the beginliing
of an important series of puldications entitled Climatological
Observations a t Colonial and Foreign Stations. in Rhich the
British IIeteorological Council mill puldish summaries of the
observations which i t receires from the Foreign Office, the
Colonial Ofice, ani1 directly from observers in various Britihh
dependencies and in foreign countries. This undertaking re-
calls the valnable RIeteorological Observations a t the Foreign
Stations of the Royal Engineers and the Army RIedical De-
partment. which appeared in n single \ oluine puldishecl in
1890. It is a similar work to that undertaken by tlie
Deutsche Seewarte, in its Ueberseeische Beobachtungen. es-
cept that the British reports are apparently not to contain
daily values. I n the first and only nuniber which has come
to hand-Tropical Africa, 1900-1901-1903. with Summaries
for Previous Tears-we have the various yearly summaries
49-3
for each station in the region indicated brought together,
and a few lustral means also appear. It is to be hoped
that future publications in this series will give us averages
derived from the whole extent of each record; in other words,
provisional normals, which the record of each subsequent year
will bring nearer to the true normal values for the st a t‘ ion.
I n the enumeration of recent contributions to climatology
might, of course, be included a nuniber of well-known serial
publications, appearing a t fixed intervals, which regularly in-
clude normals brought up to date. These, however, t,he writer
hopes to discuss in a subsequent paper, in connection with
certain standard reference books of climatology.
The establishment of norinal values, or rather of series-
iiieaiis which are a more or less close approximation to nor-
mal values, is now going forward apace, ancl the climatologist
hegins to hope that all of the worlcl’s vast accumulation of
iiieteorological observations will soon have been made to bear
fruit in the shape of summarized cliiiiatological clata. I n this
connection reference may be macle to tlie forthcoming Climatol-
ogy of the United States, now in preparation in the Central
Ofjice of the \ireather Bureau, which will give in a concise form
the normal climatic values for upward of 600 stations in our
own country. Professor Henry, who has this work in charge,
hopes that it mill be ready for distribution by the autumn of
1905.
RECENT PAPERS BEARING ON METEOROLOGY.
Mr. H. H. KIMEALL. Librarian aud Climatologist.
The subjoined titles have been selected from the contents
of the periodicals and serials recently received in the Library
of the Weather Bureau. The titles selected are of papers or
other coinmunications bearing on meteorology or cognate
branches of science. This is not a complete index of the
meteorological contents of all the journals from which it has
been compiled; it shows only the articles that appear to the
compiler likely to be of particular interest in connection with
the work of the Weather Bureau. Unsigned articles are indi-
cated by a -.
Science. New 1-ork. T*ol. 9.
Bishop, S. E.
Switltaonicrn Miscellnnaoirs Collections. ITuehington. T*oI. 2.
Fowle, F. E , Jr.
Nature. London. Vol. 70.
- Marconi weather telegrams.
Eliot, John. The British Ahbociation at Camlridge. Section A.
Subsection Cobrnical Phyhics. Opening dddiess. Pp. 397-406.
Cohen, J. B. Sooty rain. P. 421.
Ashworth, J. R. P. 454.
Lockyer, Norman and Lockyer, William, J. S.
The cold-current system o f the Pacific, and fiource
The absoiptiou of water vapor in the infra-red
of the Pnciflc (‘oast Current. PI). 338-341.
bolar spectruni. Pp. 1-12.
Pi). 396-397.
A source of the ionibation of the atmosphere.
A probable
cause of the yearly variation o f magnetic storms and aurore. Pp.
9W95.
B[orns], H. Heat exchange i n the soil, the water ancl the atmos-
- Rleteort)logical rebults o f the Belgiau Autarctic Expedition.
Gethin-Jones, J. R. The wettest @we in Wales, with some re-
~
Wireless tt.lepraph aut1 meteorology.
Teisserenc de Bort, L. OL+rrratirins de la station fritnco-scan-
David [PI. Sur la distribution annuelle moyenne et e x t r h e de la
[Aualgsis of R paper by Dr. Mill.]
Angot, Alfred. La pliiie B Rouin (Vend&). Pp. 173-177.
Archiilea c h Sclencea Phy8iqiles et Natiwelka. Gentre. 4me pkiode. Tome I :.
Forel, F. A. Variation de ternp6rature avec l’altitude. P. 207.
Ck-1 et Tewe. Bruzelka. %me nnnle.
- Le climat du desert de Syrie.
Proceedings of tk Royal Society. Londow. Vol. 7.j.
Scienre ,4bstrack. London. ITol 7.
lihere. [Ab+tract of article of a. Schnbert.] P. 572.
[Revieu o f a pamphlet by H. Arctowski.]
marks on the rainfall of the year 19U3. Pp 181-126.
PI?. 1‘37-128.
,Scotti*h G~ogrcrphical 3f~gcizine. Edinburgh. 1’01. 3).
Pp. 493-494.
Syntcndrc Meteorological Mugmzne. London. Vol. 39.
Anwuaire de In Societ; iWt6orologipe Cle Frccnre. Partcl. 52me nnnle.
dinave (le sonilages aerieus :L Haiil.
pluie dans les Iles Britannique~.
Pp. 161-165.
Pp. 159-161.
Pp. 303-304.