i 4 4 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Japan, on the underground temperature at Nagoya and Osaka and on the 

 thermal conductivity of snow. Among the papers officially published 

 by the Central Meteorological Observatory are ' Typhoon of September 

 13-14, 1881'; 'Typhoon of September 26-27, 1881'; 'Forms of 

 Clouds ' ; ' Some Eesearches on Agricultural Meteorology ' ; ' Typhoon 

 Tracks in Japan ' ; ' Low Pressure in Japan ' ; ' Normal Pressure, Tem- 

 perature and Rainfall in Japan,' etc. Since 1880 the Central Meteor- 

 ological Observatory and some provincial stations have made several 

 meteorological expeditions to high mountains in various parts of Japan 

 to investigate the atmospheric phenomena and processes in the high 

 strata. The results of these investigations have been published in sev- 

 eral volumes. There may be, besides, many important meteorological 

 papers and books written in Japanese that have not come to the notice 

 of the present writer, who has been absent from the country for many 

 years. 



The preceding paragraphs show how excellent is the work that 

 Japan is doing for the progress of theoretical as well as practical 

 meteorology. A glance at a map of the Orient will clearly show how 

 serious and difficult a matter it is to predict weather in Japan. Japan 

 stands under the direct influences of the Pacific Ocean and the Asiatic 

 continent, and also of the tropical and polar ocean currents, so that 

 meteorological as well as climatic conditions in Japan are very complex. 

 Very often a continental cyclone and a typhoon which, of course, comes 

 from the tropics, pass through Japan simultaneously, thus bringing 

 complexities to the weather. In spite of all these difficulties, storm 

 tracks and other meteorological conditions have been very carefully 

 investigated and the daily predictions that issue from the Central 

 Meteorological Observatory are said to be most trustworthy. Our 

 meteorological service has recently extended to Korea and China. 

 Under the charge of Professor Y. Wada, five stations have just been 

 completed in Korea, the Chemulpo Meteorological Observatory being 

 the center of the system. Several stations have been established in 

 Manchuria, and it is said that a large magneto-meteorological observa- 

 tory is now planned to be established in Pekin by the government of 

 Japan. As the writer has already described in Science (July 28, 

 1905), the establishment of the Mt. Tsukuba Meteorological Observa- 

 tory by His Imperial Highness Prince Yamashina is another great 

 advance. All these material items together with the alertness and 

 native ability of Japanese meteorologists give assurance that she will 

 make great contributions to the dynamics and physics of the earth's 

 atmosphere and to the allied sciences in general. 



