PHYSICS OF THE GLOBE. 139 



that of 1850 shows what was its level at some remote pe- 

 riod. 



The Commissioner of Immigration for Iowa, M. M. Moui- 

 ton, Esq., of Monticello, Iowa, has rendered a most accepta- 

 ble service to his town, and set an example worthy to be 

 followed by many others, in publishing a little pamphlet re- 

 view of the meteorology of Monticello for 1876 and 1877, and 

 a comparison with the records of the preceding 25 years. He 

 gives for 25 years the number of days between the last frost 

 of spring and the first of autumn as ranging from 77 to 166. 

 The first frost of autumn occurs between August 28 and Oc- 

 tober 13; the last frost of spring occurs between April 20 

 and June 21. The average dates are respectively September 

 20 and May 20. The Maqnoketa River is closed by ice from 

 25 to 118 days during the year; the average dates of open- 

 ing and closing are March 10 and December 10. Many in- 

 teresting climatological items are given, and Mr. Moulton 

 closes by saying, very correctly, as we believe, that " it would 

 prove a paying investment for the different agricultural so- 

 cieties to offer liberal premiums for the best meteorological 

 record for the preceding year or years." It is to be hoped 

 that all who know of existing climatological records in pri- 

 vate hands, including records of frost, rivers, budding, ripen- 

 ing, harvesting, etc., etc., will exert themselves to see that 

 such records are transferred to some official Weather Bureau, 

 or are safely deposited where they may be accessible. 



In the same strain with Mr. Moulton's closing paragraph, 

 we quote from an essay read by W". T. Harris, at the Nation- 

 al Educational Association, so long asro as August 7,1872: 



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"Of all subjects of investigation that claim the attention of 

 the active laborers in physical science at the present day, 

 that of meteorologv holds the foremost rank. The next 



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great victories over nature are likely to be obtained in this 

 province, and the benefits to be derived from an application 

 of discoveries in this realm will far transcend anything hith- 

 erto achieved." 



The Canada Review, for August, devotes a short postscript 

 to the tornado and terrible hail-storm which passed over 

 Norwood and near Toronto on August 8 ; hailstones weigh- 



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ing one pound and a half were caught and measured. The 

 average weight of a large number was half a pound. The 



