authors: "Instead of guessing the internal arrangement of the atoms from the outward form assumed by the crystal, we find ourselves able to measure the actual distances from atom to atom and to draw a diagram as if we were making a plan of a building." These results are arrived at by obtaining diffraction spectra from pencils of X-rays which are caused to interfere by the net-work of regularly spaced atoms of the crystal, much as a pencil of ordinary light is broken up by a diffraction grating. This idea was first conceived by Dr. Laue of the University of Zurich in 1913 and was at once recognized as the entering wedge in what has come to be a new development of the science of crystallography. The results which have been obtained by the X-ray spectrometer devised by Dr. Bragg and his son enabled them to discover both the space lattice on which the atoms are arranged and the way in which they are grouped round each point of the space lattice. This amounts to a long stride in the direction of the ultimate goal of crystal morphology and brings us close to the prediction of the crystalline form of a substance from its chemical constitution. New Minerals and Reviews.-With the publication of Dr. W. T. Schaller's "Third Series of Mineralogic Notes" (U. S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 610, 1916), the science of mineralogy becomes enriched to the extent of four new species: koechlinite, a new bismuth molybdate; inyoite and meyerhofferite, two new calcium borates; and lucinite, a new hydrated aluminium phosphate, dimorphous with variscite. space, of some of the crystallographic data which greatly enhanced the value of former appendices, a tendency which has also resulted in the elimination from the bibliography of such works of primary importance as Schaller's "Mercury Minerals from Terlingua, Texas," and Zambonini's Mineralogia Vesuviana. Meteorites. The need for a comprehensive handbook on the subject of meteorites, which has long been felt and frequently expressed, is now admirably supplied in Oliver C. Farrington's Meteorites, their Structure, Composition and Terrestrial Relations (Chicago, published by the author, 1915). In this book of 233 pages the author has achieved the difficult task of producing at once a work of undoubted scientific value and considerable popular interest. Particularly is this the case with the chapters on "Phenomena of Fall," "Structure of Meteorites," and "Origin of Meteorites." In the chapter on composition of meteorites the author has collected observations of first importance to the mineralogist and both in the annotated references under each species and in the copious footnotes has furnished a bibliography of value on meteoric minerals. In the "Catalogue of the Meteorites of North America" (Mem. Nat. Acad. of Sciences, xiii, 1915) Dr. Farrington has produced the standard work of reference on American meteorites, which is much more comprehensive than its somewhat modest title would suggest. The following data are tabulated under the heading of each fall: (1) county and state; (2) latitude and longitude; (3) descriptive classification; (4) date of fall or discovery and description; (5) total weight where known. To these facts, which constitute the bulk of information ordinarily furnished by catalogues, Dr. Farrington adds detailed descriptions, involving abstracts from original published articles, chemical analyses, information as to the present disposition of the bulk of the fall, and individual bibliographies amounting to an average of two quarto pages for each of the 247 occurrences included in the work, which is complete to Jan. 1, 1909. The catalogue is illustrated with 36 The "Third Appendix" to Dana's System of Mineralogy by William E. Ford (New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1916), covering as it does the advance in mineralogy between the years 1909 and 1915, furnishes a valuable record of a period crowded with scientific interest. That this is the fact is evidenced by the list of new mineral names, which numbers 183 for the six years, as against 202 for ten-years period from 1899 to 9. The shortening of the interval ublication, however, has not preed the suppression, for lack of EARTHQUAKES AND outline maps showing the geograph-emphasis laid upon such characters ical distribution of the falls. as index of refraction and optical Gems and Precious Stones.-George | character, criteria which necessitate F. Kunz has published a companion the use of special optical instruments volume to his Curious Lore of Pre- not usually included in a jeweler's cious Stones under the title of The equipment. Magic of Jewels and Charms (Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Co., 1915). Like its predecessor this work abounds in interesting references to rare literature and esoteric information, some of which distinctly comes under the head of gem symbolism. Particularly is this the case with the chapters on the "Religious Use of Various Stones" and on "Amulets." The student of gem myth, however, will be somewhat disappointed by his failure to find a discussion of the seal of King Solomon, or the gem material from which the Sangraal was fashioned or the much discussed "chalchihuitl" question. Not only the jeweler but the diamond buying public will welcome the book_entitled Diamonds: a Study of the Factors that Govern their Value, by Frank B. Wade (New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1916). The author has given in a most readable form a wealth of information, evidently the result of intimate knowledge, regarding the valuation, cutting and mounting of diamonds. It is interesting to note that almost without exception throughout the work, Mr. Wade has refrained from the unwisdom of quoting definite values per carat, a feature which gives a lasting usefulness to his little book which it could not possibly have had assuming he had attempted to deal in anything but relative values. On the determinative side of gems and gem minerals, a very useful set of "Tables for the Determination of Gems and Precious or Ornamental Stones without Injury to the Specimen" (School of Mines Quar., xxxvi, 1915) have been prepared by Prof. Alfred J. Moses of Columbia University. In these the primary division is a color classification, an arrangement which admits of gem varieties being separated under their trade names, and also of the enumeration of such stones as calamine and chrysocolla in both the blue and green lists. The weak point of the scheme from the jeweler's point of view is the HARRY FIELDING REID Earthquakes.-The following paragraphs list the more important earthquakes which have taken place during the year. A fairly strong shock, having its origin near Skyland, N. C., occurred about 5.40 p. m. on Feb. 21; a number of houses were injured at Skyland, and at Asheville, near by, one chimney was torn down. This shock was felt over a very large area, probably 225,000 sq. miles, in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, and probably, though not reported, in West Virginia and Ohio. The most distant point from the origin reporting the shock was Wilmington, N. C., at a distance of 275 miles. A light shock had been reported from about the same origin on Oct. 29, 1915, and a fairly sharp shock about 100 miles further west on Aug. 26, 1916. On Oct. 18, a strong shock was felt at Birmingham, Ala., where many chimneys were overthrown; it was felt over a very wide area, probably 400,000 sq. miles, and at points as far as 350 miles from origin. A light after-shock was felt at Birmingham on Oct. 22. A fairly sharp shock occurred at 12.40 p. m. on Dec. 7, 1915, in the sunken country of southeastern Missouri, which was felt in Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois, over an area of about 60,000 sq. miles. Later minor shocks in that neighborhood were felt on May 21 and Aug. 24, and in southern Illinois, near by, on Feb. 17 and May 21. Quite a number of shocks have been felt in the northern part of Nevada, culminating in a pretty strong shock at 9.02 p. m. on Feb. 2, which was felt over an area of about 100,000 sq. miles. Earlier shocks were recorded on Oct. 15, 19, 22, Nov. 17, 22, Dec. 18, 1915, and Jan. 18, and later shocks on Feb. 13, April 17 and | Alamos, Feb. 27 and March 1; in Aug. 3. A series of shocks are reported from central and western Idaho on April 12, 13, 14, 29, May 12, 13 (2), and 25. The strongest was on May 13 at 7.30 p. m., and was central near the border of Idaho, about 80 miles northwest of Boise; it was felt over an area of about 50,000 sq. miles, including parts of the neighboring state of Oregon. On Nov. 21, 1915, a strong shock occurred near Calexico in the Imperial Valley, on the southern frontier of California; reports are somewhat discordant, but some damage was done to houses in Calexico. At Yuma clocks were stopped; the shock was felt as far as Los Angeles, and probably over an area of about 80,000 sq. miles. Later shocks occurred on Jan. 15, March 11, May 24, June 7, and several shocks during the day and evening of Sept. 29. On Oct. 22 a pretty strong shock, with its origin not far from Tehachapi, at the southern end of San Juaquin Valley, Cal., seems to have been felt over an area of about 30,000 sq. miles. Light shocks are reported from New York State near Lake George on Jan. 5, near Amsterdam on Feb. 2, and a little north of New York City on June 8; from Charleston or Summerville, S. C., Dec. 12, 1915, June 25 and July 14; from Worthington, Ind., Jan. 7; from Mayfield, Ky., Oct. 26, 1915; from Rongis, Wyo., Aug. 11; from Kadoka and Pine Ridge, S. D., Oct. 23, 1915, and Feb. 23, respectively; from Elberta and Santaquin, Utah, Feb. 4; from Socorro, N. M., July 1; from Nogales, southeastern Arizona, March 29; from central Washington, Dec. 10, 1915, Jan. 1 and March 2; from La Center, Nov. 18, 1915; from Marietta on Feb. 22, and from near Tacoma April 23; from Newport, Ore., Jan. 4. Many light shocks were reported in California: near Eureka, Dec. 31, 1915, July 4 and Aug. 23; in Mendocino County, Aug. 1; in the general neighborhood of San Francisco Bay, Oct. 7, 8, 22, 1915, and Jan. 15: in the region a little south of the Bay, Dec. 26, 1915, Feb. 4, May 2, June 26, 27, July 1 and 6, and several shocks Aug. 6-8; near Los eastern California, Feb. 19, April 12 and Aug. 13; in the far southern part of the state, Oct. 23, Nov. 25, Dec. 1 and 14, 1915, and Jan. 1 and 10, Feb. 25, May 2, July 16, 27, Aug. 20 and 21. A strong shock was felt at 8.10 p. m. on Oct. 15, 1915, throughout the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. A shock occurred under the Atlantic Ocean about 125 miles north of Porto Rico on Oct. 11, 1915, which was felt throughout the western part of that island; and on April 23, late at night, a strong shock did some damage in the eastern part of San Domingo, and was felt over the greater part of Porto Rico. Two moderate shocks were felt in the center of Porto Rico on May 13 and 14. Quite a number of shocks were felt, but did not originate, in the Panama Canal Zone. A shock of Feb. 8 had its origin in the Los Santos Province of Panama; that of March 29 originated nearer the southern end of the Zone, but the exact place is not known. A very strong shock occurred near Bocas del Toro in the extreme northwestern part of Panama at 9.03 p. m. on April 25. Many houses were thrown from their supports and the railway tracks near Almirante were badly bent in several places. A small tidal wave carried canoes 200 m. inland at Bocas. This shock was strongly felt in the Canal Zone and caused some clocks to stop, although its origin was 160 miles distant. An earlier shock occurred at 3.02 a. m. the day before at Almirante; and there were several aftershocks, the strongest apparently being on May 10. The seismographs in the Canal Zone gave excellent records of these shocks. About 20 shocks were reported from Guatemala City between Dec. 20 and 22, 1915, and a very severe shock from near Gracias, Honduras, on Dec. 26, 1915; all houses there were reported to have been destroyed. A very severe shock was felt in southwestern Nicaragua and in Costa Rico on Feb. 27. It seems to have been very strong at San Jose and San Juan del Sur. Further shocks were felt in the same places on May 1 and Sept. 23. Brazil has been pretty free from earthquake shocks, but a shock was felt at San Amaro and Bahia on Nov. 6, 1915. Volcanoes. Lassen Peak has not attracted much attention during the year; eruptions were reported on Feb. 21, July 12, Oct. 5 and Dec. 25. The great lava lake in Kilauea, Hawaii, has been showing some interesting phenomena; during the spring the level of the lake rose slowly, reaching its highest point early in June; a very rapid drop then took place, the level falling 400 ft. in one day, June METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY of some of the papers have been pub lished (in the Monthly Weather Re view, xliii, 1915). Weather Forecasting.-The most comprehensive and important discus sion of weather forecasting in the United States hitherto published has been prepared by Profs. A. J. Henry, E. H. Bowie, H. J. Cox and H. C. Frankenfield, all of the Weather Bureau. This report deals with the whole subject from many points of view, and is illustrated with a large number of typical weather maps. The monograph does not, of course, solve the difficulties of the problem of forecasting, but it does give, in very complete form, the combined experience of the forecasters of the Bureau. H. H. Clayton, of the Argentina Meteorological Service, has been successful in forecasting rain by means of a new method. The pressure distribution for the succeeding day is predicted; the resulting wind directions are inferred. The regions of converging winds are likely to be rainy, while those of diverging winds are likely to be fair (Mo. Weather Rev., xliv, 1916). The Weather Bureau.-The latest | large and representative. Abstracts Report of the Chief of the Weather Bureau for the year ending June 30, 1915, emphasizes several lines of activity which have added to the importance of the work of that organization. Three intensive surveys of the snowfall at high altitudes have been made, two in Utah and one in Wyoming. A fourth study was made of the rainfall over the Salt River watershed in Arizona. All this has ref- | erence to the supply of water available for irrigation. Kites were flown from the U. S. Coast Guard cutter Seneca during her spring and summer cruises into the North-Atlantic ice fields. The Bureau is now obtaining continuous records of the amount of solar and sky radiation received on a horizontal surface at Washington, D. C., Madison, Wis., and Lincoln, Neb. A "fire-weather warning service" has been established (April 10, 1916). District forecasters are now authorized to issue these warnings when conditions are favorable for forest fires in their respective districts. Such warnings were first authorized on the Pacific coast in the summer of 1913, and have proved of great value there. This subject is discussed in the Monthly Weather Review (xliv, 1916, 133-139). (See also XVII, Ag-i, 1916). The making of aerographic riculture.) Free Air.-A brief summary of recent progress in aerography is given by Prof. A. G. McAdie (Geogr. Rev., surveys is already under way, and the Pan-American Scientific Congress.- author believes that the day may not A large number of important papers be far distant when charts of air. on meteorological subjects were read structure will be available, for conat the second Pan-American Scientific secutive tri-hourly periods, for the Congress, held in Washington, Dec. use of aviators and aerial engineerc. 27, 1915-Jan. 9, 1916. The attend- Rainfall. What Prof. Mark Jefferance at the meetings of the subsection son considers to be "the essential on meteorology and seismology was facts of rainfall" for the United States are presented by him in the form of simplified rainfall maps, from which details are omitted, and only the larger facts of distribution are indicated (ibid.). A good many misstatements have become current regarding the differences between tropical and extra-tropical rainfalls. Using the data for Porto Rico and for Maryland, Prof. Oliver L. Fassig has made a comparison of the duration, frequency and intensity of tropical rains and of those of middle latitudes, with some interesting results (Mo. Weather Rev., xliv, 1916). A similarity in the rainfalls of North and of South America seems to H. H. Clayton so striking that he believes there is a common cause of the fluctuations. This may well be found in changes of solar heat (ibid.). A good rainfall map for New England has been lacking for some years. Such a map has now been prepared by X. H. Goodnough (Jour. New Eng. Waterworks Assoc., xxix, 1915). Storms.-The West Indian hurricane of August, 1915, which was especially severe at Galveston, Tex., and at other points in that state, has been fully described by Prof. H. C. Frankenfield (Mo. Weather Rev., xliii, 1915). The high tide at Galveston was about as in the hurricane of 1900, but far less damage resulted owing to the protection afforded by the sea wall. The hurricane of late September, 1915, passed over New Orleans and established a new low-pressure record for the United States, 28.11 inches (sea level). For half a minute the wind blew at the rate of 130 miles an hour. Henryk Arctowski has investigated changes in storm frequency in the United States, and finds a correlation between these changes and the temperature ("pleionian") variations which he has for some time been studying (ibid.). Thunderstorms.-What are likely, for some time to come, to be the standard charts of thunderstorm distribution for the United States have been prepared by W. H. Alexander (ibid.). The total numbers of thunderstorms for each month and for the year during the ten-years period 19041913 are charted. These data have been reduced to percentages by Herbert Lyman (ibid.). Frost. In a general summary of the methods of protection from damage by frost (Geogr. Rev., i, 1916), W. G. Reed concludes that the best practice is fairly clean-burning, small fires, one to each one or two trees. The meteorology of frost formation is considered by Prof. Alexander McAdie (Ann. Harv. Coll. Obs., Ixxiii, 1915). Agricultural Meteorology.-The application of the average interval curve to meteorological phenomena is suggested by W. J. Spillman, H. R. Tolley and W. G. Reed, of the Office of Farm Management, in connection with studies of the average frequency with which temperatures of any assigned limit will occur (Mo. Weather Rev., xliv, 1916). Along somewhat similar lines Reed and Tolley discuss weather as a business risk in farming, the special risk concerned being the occurrence of frost earlier or later than the "average" date. Two maps show the standard deviation of the dates of first and last killing frost for the whole United States (Geogr. Rev., i, 1916; Mo. Weather Rev., xliv, 1916). (See also XVII, Agriculture.) Blue Hill Observatory.-The very valuable series of standard, homogeneous meteorological records obtained at Blue Hill Observatory during the 30 years 1886-1915 has been summarized (Ann. Harv. Coll. Obs., lxxiii, Pt. 3, 1916). This is a unique series in American meteorology. In this connection Professor McAdie has given a brief but complete summary of the essential facts concerning the winds of Boston and vicinity. Climate and Changes of Climate.The large control of climate over civilization is a subject to which a good many writers, for decades past, have referred. Ellsworth Huntington has recently devoted himself to this particular aspect of climatic control, and in his latest volume, Civilization and Climate (1915), has made a statistical and a general study of it. Charts showing the distribution of climatic energy and the distribution of civilization are shown to be in remarkably close agreement. The relation between oscillations of climate and economic cycles is considered by the same writer (Geogr. Rev., i, 1916), with special reference to recent work of H. L. Moore in the United States and of |