ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 347 



nished with full sots of instruments, will observe all the elements at 

 present deemed important in the science of meteorology. As a be- 

 ginning of this extended system, six sets of instruments have been 

 forwarded by the Smithsonian Institute to the coasts of Oregon and 

 California, and others to Bent's Fort and Santa Fe, New .Mexico. 

 As a part of this system, it is proposed to employ the magnetic tele- 

 graph in the investigation of atmospherical phenomena. 13y this 

 means, not only the notice of the approach of a storm may be given 

 to distant observers, but also attention may be directed to particular 

 phenomena, which can only be properly studied by the simultaneous 

 observations of persons widely separated from each other. Also, by 

 the same means, a single observatory, at which constant observations 

 are made during the whole 24 hours, may give notice to all persons 

 along the telegraph lines of the occurrence of interesting meteorologi- 

 cal phenomena, and thus simultaneous observations be made. 



31 any of these observations have already been commenced, and the 

 telegraph companies from Maine to New Orleans have promised their 

 aid in communicating the approach of storms, &c. In the State of 

 New York, the Regents of the University of Ne\v York, generously 

 aided by the Legislature, have organized a system of observations 

 extending over the whole State. Prof. Guyot, late of Neufchatel, 

 Switzerland, and author of " The Earth and Man," has been intrusted 

 with the superintendence and direction of the work. 



At the Lawrence Scientific School, Cambridge, Mass., a most in- 

 teresting series of experiments and observations on the constitution of 

 the atmosphere is going on, under the direction of Prof. Horsford and 

 Prof. Guyot. The result of these observations, which have not yet 

 been wholly made public, reveals some important facts relative to the 

 presence of moisture, ammonia, carbonic acid, an<l organic matters in 

 the atmosphere, and their connection with other phenomena. 



It is a mighty problem, whether human ingenuity cannot so far dis- 

 cover or foretell the approach of storms, as in some measure to prevent 

 the fearful loss of life and property with which they are usually accom- 

 panied. The regularity of the alterations of the temperature, when 

 accurately ascertained in various parts of the country, may be applied 

 with advantage to the labors of the husbandman in the introduction of 

 new articles of culture, and in the improvement of agricultural pro- 

 cesses. A proper study of climate, also, as to its heat and cold, dryness 

 and moisture, and all its other incidents, can alone furnish us with safe 

 data by means of which we can ever hope to eradicate epidemic and 

 endemic diseases, or, at least, mitigate their severity. 



AURORA BOREALIS, NOVEMBER lYlH, 1848. 



THE display of the aurora borealis on the night of the 17th of No- 

 vember, 1848, was probably as wide-spread as any to be found on 

 record, and in respect to the brilliancy of the display it has rarely, if 

 ever, been surpassed in the northern portions of our country. At one 

 time, as observed in Western New York, a circular spot south of the 

 zenith was the only part of the heavens destitute of the aurora, and 



