5.752
Lignose and losses 20.978
Salts 5.534
-------
Total 100.000

The presence in these seeds of a large quantity of fatty matters and
sugar, and especially of albuminoid matters (very nutritive), largely
justifies the use made of them as a food. The innate instinct of the
savage peoples of Africa has thus anticipated the data of
science.--_La Nature._

* * * * *

THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER CLOUDS.

A knowledge of the heights and movements of the clouds is of much
interest to science, and of especial importance in the prediction of
weather. The subject has therefore received much attention during
recent years from meteorologists, chiefly in this country and in
Sweden. In the last published report of the Meteorological Council for
1885-86 will be found an account of the steps taken by that body to
obtain cloud photographs; and in the _Meteorologische Zeitschrift_ for
March last, M.M. Ekholm and Hagstrom have published an interesting
summary of the results of observations made at Upsala during the
summers of 1884-85. They determined the parallax of the clouds by
angular measurements made from two stations at the extremities of a
base of convenient length and having telephonic connection. The
instruments used were altazimuths, constructed under the direction of
Prof. Mohn, specially for measuring the parallax of the aurora
borealis. A full description of these instruments and of the
calculations will be found in the _Acta Reg Soc. Sc. Ups._, 1884. The
results now in question are based upon nearly 1,500 measurements of
_heights_; the _motions_ will form the subject of a future paper. It
was found that clouds are formed at all levels, but that they occur
most frequently at certain elevations or stages. The following are,
approximately, the mean heights, in feet, of the principal forms:
Stratus, 2,000; nimbus, 5,000; cumulus (base) 4,500, (summit) 6,000;
cumulo-stratus (base), 4,600; "false-cirrus" (a form which often
accompanies the cumulo-stratus), 12,800; cirro cumulus, 21,000;
cirrus, 29,000 (the highest being 41,000). The maximum of cloud
frequency was found to be at levels of 2,300 and 5,500 feet.

Generally speaking, all the forms of cloud have a tendency to rise
during the course of the day; the change, excepting for t