74 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



dian ports thirty-four storm warnings were telegraphed. Of 

 these signals, seventy-three per cent, are known to have been 

 justified. From the newly established life-saving stations 

 on the Middle Atlantic coast have been received such news 

 of the saving of life and property as to fully justify the be- 

 lief entertained concerning the usefulness of this branch of 

 the service. As a general rule, the thermometer has every 

 where ranged decidedly above its average value for Decem- 

 ber. The greatest excess of warmth has been in the Lake 

 region. A slight deficiency in rain-fall in the Southwest ap- 

 pears from the reports ; but it is stated it will probably not 

 be felt seriously in the agricultural regions, inasmuch as there 

 was an excess of rain-fill in November. The highest stages 

 of the Mississippi are reported from Cairo, Memphis, and 

 Vicksburg, on the 18th, 23d, and 30th of the month respect- 

 ively. We miss the statement of the temperatures of the 

 water at the river and ocean stations, a feature of much in- 

 terest to the fisheries of the country, and, indeed, to many 

 other industries besides. Auroral displays have been rare 

 and very faint. The amount of fog which prevailed in De- 

 cember was very great. In the latter part of November vast 

 prairie fires occurred in the far West, and several dust-storms, 

 followed by a dry, black rain, are reported. From the re- 

 cently established station on the summit of Pike's Peak, Col- 

 orado, among other interesting observations, it is reported 

 that at the time of sunset there appeared to the northeast a 

 heavy mist overhanging the plains, and on this mist was de- 

 picted, by means of the setting sun, a perfect shadow and 

 profile of the mountain. This continued for the space of fif- 

 teen minutes. 



METEOROLOGY IN BENGAL. 



The report for the year 1872 of the meteorological reporter 

 to the government of Bengal, H. F. Blanford, has recently 

 come to hand, filled with its usual valuable tables of monthly 

 means for numerous stations from observations taken four 

 times a day, and affording a complete view of the climate of 

 Southern India. In the latter portion of the book very val- 

 uable information is given in reference to several storms. It 

 is stated that the most striking characteristic of the meteor- 

 ology of 1872 was the greater frequency of storms in the Bay 



