PHYSICS OF THE GLOBE. 121 



vations at Iowa City, and a reprint of Press Bulletin No. 54, 

 which is a brief review of Iowa weather durinsr the month. 

 The temperature averaged 15 above the normal; in contin- 

 uation of the unusual high temperature that had prevailed 

 since December, an excess of rain and southerly winds also 

 prevailed. The fourth map, showing the distribution of 

 thunder-storms i. e., thunder and lightning is an impor- 

 tant aid in the study of this subject. 



The development of State systems of meteorology seems 

 to make steady progress, as we have received the first month- 

 ly report of the Missouri Weather Service, organized by Pro- 

 fessor F. E. Nipher, under the auspices of the Washington 

 University at St. Louis. The present number of voluntary 

 observers is sixty-five, and it is hoped that at least one in 

 each county will be secured. At the central station Profess- 

 or Kipher possesses the Dellraann electrometer used by Dr. 

 Wisliczenus during the past fifteen years, and will soon take 

 up a series of observations on atmospheric electricity, in con- 

 tinuation of those so faithfully made by that observer. It is 

 to be hoped that Professor Xipher's labors will meet with a 

 generous recognition. 



In Nebraska a similar State service is, we understand, now 

 organized, under the leadership of Professors Bailey and Au- 

 ghey. 



We learn that similar State organizations are talked of for 

 Kentucky, Illinois, and Colorado. Whether such State sys- 

 tems especially attend to local climatology or to minute de- 

 tails of storms and atmospheric movements, they will equal- 

 ly serve the interests of science and of the State. The eco- 

 nomic importance of an accurate knowledge of local climates 

 is Avell illustrated by the action of the Central Pacific Rail- 

 road in maintaining; a lar^e number of observing stations 

 well distributed over its extensive territories. A similar 

 work was some years ago contemplated by the Alaska Com- 

 pany of San Francisco, but we do not know how thoroughly 

 the idea has been carried out. 



Meteorological work is kept up to a limited extent at some 

 of our professedly astronomical observatories. Professor E. 

 C. Pickering, of Harvard College Observatory, writes as fol- 

 lows: "Regular meteorological observations have been car- 

 ried on here since the establishment of the observatory. r Ihe 



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