PHYSICS OF THE GLOBE. 63 



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purposes in France is seen by the fact that 1000 communes 

 will by the end of the first year be in receipt of free daily 

 forewarnings from the Paris Observatory. 



Among the newest attempts to investigate the meteorol- 

 ogy of the upper strata of the atmosphere, we note the estab- 

 lishment by Secchi of a complete observatory on the summit 

 of Monte Cavo, 2800 feet above the Roman Campagna. 



The meteorology of the Libyan Desert forms the subject 

 of the second volume of Rohlf 's Expedition. The editor, 

 Dr. Jordan, finds that the diurnal barometric range is unusu- 

 ally large. The daily range of temperature is 24; the mean 

 relative humidity at 2 P.M. is 17 per cent. Half an inch of 

 rain fell in February a matter of rare occurrence. 



With the 1st of January the weather maps published by 

 the meteorological offices in Germany and Austria have re- 

 ceived considerable enlargement and improvements. The 

 daily weather map published at Vienna is for Europe the 

 best that has as yet appeared, being upon a large scale, and 

 very clear in all its details. The Hydrographic Office at 

 Berlin lias begun the publication of monthly weather re- 

 views for Europe. Its articles are compiled and signed by 

 well-known meteorologists; and as it appears only a long- 

 time after the month to which it refers, its scope and objects 

 are evidently somewhat different from those of the reviews 

 published by our Army Signal Office. 



The Monthly Weather Review deserves a wider circula- 

 tion than it appears to have in this country. It consists 

 of ten or twelve pages of text and three maps, and gives 

 in a very condensed review all the matter received by our 

 Weather Bureau within fifteen days after the close of the 

 month. 



Perhaps the most interesting event that has occurred of 

 late years to extend our means of studying the storms of the 

 atmosphere consists in the important order issued on Christ- 

 mas-day, 1876, by the Secretary of the Navy, to the effect 

 that, wherever our vessels may be, there shall every day be 

 made a complete meteorological observation, simultaneously 

 with those made at Washington at 7 h. 35 m. A.M. It is 

 hoped that the other navies of the world will unite in this 

 simultaneous system of weather observation, and that the 

 merchant marine will follow so far as able. These observa- 



