FRANCIS G ALTON 177 



vance geographical teaching. In the initiation of this movement for 

 a larger place for the science of geography in education Mr. Galton 

 had a pioneer part. First the public schools were interested in annual 

 competitions for gold and bronze medals to be awarded for the best 

 papers in the competitive examination. This not only interested the 

 students, but it also showed up for correction weaknesses in the cur- 

 rent instruction. Later the problem of geography in the university 

 was taken up, and it probably has now a firm foothold at both Oxford 

 and Cambridge. 



Physical Sciences and Meteorology 



Francis Galton's contribution to the physical sciences, convention- 

 ally so called, was not large. We find no paper on chemistry, and 

 those of a physical or mathematical character impress one as the recre- 

 ations of a brilliantly ingenious amateur rather than the wood hewing 

 and the water drawing of the trained and speciality limited profes- 

 sional. It would be hardly fair to quote as examples of his work in this 

 field such experiments as those with spectacles for divers or stereoscopic 

 maps for tourists, although these may be in a way illustrative for 

 ingenuity. Neither can his printing electric telegraph or his suggested 

 principle for the protection of riflemen be regarded as strictly typical. 

 These do not seem to belong on the same thread as the other contribu- 

 tions which are to be spoken of in this section. This thread is the 

 unity and perhaps unconscious seriousness of purpose to secure greater 

 exactness in fields where only rough description had hitherto been 

 thought possible. 



The work of Kew Observatory, widely known among physicists, 

 offered an attractive field of activity for a man of Mr. Galton's tastes. 

 He was associated with the work of the institution for many years be- 

 fore he became its chairman in 1889, to continue in this post until the 

 observatory was merged in the National Physical Observatory in 1901. 



Among the problems which occupied him there were the standard- 

 ization of sextants, and other angular instruments, and the rating of 

 watches and the rapid verification of clinical thermometers. 



The laws of the weather were at that time beginning to attract 

 serious attention. The collection of numerous simultaneous observa- 

 tions demanded the development of self-recording instruments; in this 

 work he also had a share. Particular credit is due to him for the first 

 charting of the weather. 



As early as 1861 he pointed out the needs of presenting the meteor- 

 ological conditions observed over a given region graphically and pub- 

 lished an illustrative map. This first map which we may recognize as 

 the progenitor of our daily weather map, was printed from moveable 

 type, especially designed for the purpose. Later many experiments 

 were made with different devices for engraving plates from which the 

 meteorological charts might be printed. In 1863 he published a vol- 



