86 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



century, and show a remarkably persistent uniformity in the 

 climate during the last 300 years. Kamtz succeeded Kupffer 

 as director of the Physical Observatory, and on his death Dr. 

 Wild succeeded and still fills the office. Under Wild, the 

 printing of the original data of observations has steadily gone 

 forward, thus making: them accessible to students of mete- 

 orology throughout the world. 



This method of publication, though costly, would probably 

 be adopted by all the governments of Central and Western 

 Europe had not the expenditures for military operations in- 

 creased so enormously of late years that the governments 

 have become very economical in their appropriations for sci- 

 entific purposes. Happily, Russia is now in a condition to 

 devote more means to the cultivation of science and other 

 useful purposes. It has been proposed to divide the exten- 

 sive Russian dominions into smaller sections, the observers in 

 each of which should look to some local establishment, univer- 

 sity, or other institution as its centre. This method, at pres- 

 ent, is in successful operation in the Caucasian provinces, 

 which come under the direction of Moritz at Tiflis. The 

 practical application of meteorology to public uses, of which 

 the system of weather predictions so extensively used in the 

 United States is an excellent example, so far from interfering 

 with the progress of pure science, must, according to Woei- 

 kof, by extending the number of observations and increasing 

 the number of men interested in the science, conduct to new 

 discoveries. Those scientists are therefore mistaken who 

 suppose that they can best advance their respective sciences 

 by shutting themselves out from the world, unheedful of its 

 claims upon them. The increase and diffusion of a knowl- 

 edge of pure science and its practical application should go 

 hand in hand. Smithsonian Report for 1872. 



WEATHER PREDICTIONS AT THE ISLAND OF MAURITIUS. 



In regard to the system of storm-signals used in the island 

 of Mauritius, Mr. Meldrum reports to the British Association 

 that, in his opinion, it has been of considerable utility, but can 

 be much improved by a better telegraphic communication 

 with some of the other islands of the Indian Ocean. So far 

 as his experience goes, he states that no hurricane has ever 

 passed near Mauritius without ample warning having been 



