ON THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. Xlll 



the department of meteorology. The Smithsonian Institution now re- 

 ceives about one hundred and fifty monthly returns from localities widely 

 separated from each other, and distributed over different portions of the 

 United States. There are three classes of observers. One class records 

 the aspect of the sky, direction of the wind, beginning and end of rain, 

 snow, &c. ; another, besides these, notices the temperature ; and the third is 

 furnished with a full set of instruments for recording the most important 

 atmospheric changes. In this way we may hope to ascertain the place of 

 origin, direction, and velocity of motion of a storm, as well as the direc- 

 tion and velocity of the wind composing it, whether gyratory or inward 

 and upward. The record of meteors will furnish data for determining 

 their elevation and velocity. The instruments have been carefullv made 



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in New York, and the barometers are compared witjh a standard one pro- 

 cured in London. Congress has appropriated $2,000 to be expended 

 under the direction of Prof. Espy in a series of experiments having an 

 important bearing on the explanation of meteorological phenomena. Since 

 1825 a system of meteorological observations has existed in New York, 

 under the direction of the Regents of the University of that State, but it 

 has now been reorganized under the care of Prof. Guyot so as to conform 

 to that of the Smithsonian Institution. Massachusetts has also made a 

 movement towards organizing a similar system, and the medical depart- 

 ment of the army is to unite with the Institution, while observations are 

 expected from various places in Canada, Bermuda, the West India Islands, 

 and Central America. It should be mentioned here that the daily news- 

 papers of New York receive by telegraph abstracts of the state of the 

 weather at a large number of places, and, under the direction of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, it is expected that the telegraph will soon be made of 

 great use in forwarding such information. The Institution has furnished 

 a set of magnetic apparatus to Col. Emory, of the Mexican Boundary 

 Commission. 



A meteorological society has been formed in Great Britain with the 

 object of promoting in every way the pursuit of meteorological investiga- 

 tions. Samuel C. Whitbread is President, and James Glaisher Secretary. 



A magnetic and meteorological observatory has been completed at St. 

 Petersburgh, Russia. It is intended to form a central point for the mag- 

 netic and meteorological observations of the whole Russian empire. Its 

 director has the general superintendence of all the other stations, and thus! 

 in a short time a very extensive and accurate system of observations will! 

 be in operation, from which important results may be expected. ' 



A society has been formed in London for the investigation of the laws 

 and nature of epidemic diseases. Dr. Babington is President. 



The American Academy have voted to adopt the French system of 

 weights and measures in all their publications, and at the same time have 

 expressed a desire for a new and universal thermometric scale. 



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