Scientific Serials

Abstract

THE American Meteorological Journal for October contains:—A short memoir of the late Prof. W. Ferrel, by Prof. A McAdie, with a complete list of his scientific contributions, from 1853 to 1891; his last paper, which appeared in our columns in April 1891, was entitled “The High-pressure Area of November 1889 in Central Europe.”—The mineral waters of Ypsilanti and other places in Michigan, by Dr. E. N. Brainerd.— Cloud observations at sea, by Prof. C. Abbe. This is a preliminary report relative to the principal features of the work done by him during the recent cruise of the Pensacola to the West Coast of Africa. A number of experiments were made to determine the relative speed and direction of movement of the various strata of air, by means of clouds and small balloons. The experiments showed that the use of balloons is practicable both on sea and land, and gives accurate results. The following are some of the results of the author's observations: the vertical circulation increases and the horizontal circulation diminishes in the doldrums; the horizontal movement is a maximum at high latitudes; the bases of ihe cumuli are lower and their tops higher in the low latitudes; if there be any general east wind in the upper regions at the doldrum it is above the clouds, and therefore not observable.—The last article is by Dr. Leudet, on the action of climates at elevated stations on diseases of the chest.