PHYSICS OF THE GLOBE. ]33 



in November, 1877. Twenty-nine rainfall stations distrib- 

 uted over that small island report monthly to him. The 

 Central Observatory makes full return for the slight expense 

 of its maintenance by keeping up a sharp lookout for the 

 cyclones of the Indian Ocean. The study and prediction of 

 these storms has for years been Mr. Meldrum's specialty, 

 and he has now attained to such expertness that " there is 

 no country in the world so well provided for in this respect 

 as the little colony of Mauritius." The incurving vortical 

 motion of the air in every cycloue has for seventeen years 

 been maintained, and is now further considered in opposi- 

 tion to the purely circular theories. Charts showing the 

 tracks of cyclones in the Indian Ocean for the thirty years 

 1847 to 1876 are now nearly complete. The annual rain- 

 fall for 1876 shows a remarkable deficiency over the whole 

 island ; the cyclones were fewer, and of notably less extent 

 and intensitv, both agreeing with Mi*. Meldrum's former 



J 7 CD CD 



conclusions as to a sun-spot cycle in meteorology, for 1876 

 was a year of minimum sun-spot frequency. The most im- 

 portant magnetic storms occurred on February 19 and 20 

 and March 25 and 26. 



The reorganization of the meteorological system of Indin, 

 which was effected in 1873, and by which Blanford, of Cal- 

 cutta, was made Government Reporter for the whole of this 

 most extensive country, promises to result in work of the 

 highest importance in the progress of both observational 

 and philosophical meteorology. We have already had oc- 

 casion to refer to the valuable studies into the origin of the 

 cyclones of the Bay of Bengal. The first official publica- 

 tions of the Calcutta office consist of the "Report for the Year 

 1875," and Vol. I. of the " Indian Meteorological Memoirs." 

 The former, a quarto of 387 pages, contains the details of 

 the observations at 88 full and 198 rain stations, and a gen- 

 eral review of the atmospheric phenomena during the year, 

 as shown by monthly maps. The second publication con- 

 tains important memoirs by Blanford on the diurnal varia- 

 tions of the winds and barometer, and on the climate of 

 Kashgar. 



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The Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory of Zikawei, 

 near Shanghai, has substituted for its daily weather report 

 a more convenient Bulletin Mensitel, and annual reports. 



