B. TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS AND METEOROLOGY. -^s 



Lake Huron ; and it is perhaps probable that the disturb- 

 ances of the 8th at Chicasfo and Detroit were in a measure 

 independent of those observed on the 7th in Iowa. 



SIGNAL TELEGKAPHY AND THE HERRING FISHERY. 



The business men of Eastport, Maine, have succeeded in 

 having a signal station established at that place for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining information that will be of great service in 

 connection with the fishing business, which constitutes its 

 chief staple. A very important branch of trade has lately 

 risen there in what are called "frozen herring." These con- 

 sist of sea-herring {Clupea elongata) of the largest size, which 

 have recently been discovered in great abundance within a 

 circle of twenty miles' radius from the village. They are 

 taken in gill-nets and frozen, and in that state shipped fresh 

 to market, where they bring a good price, the value of the 

 fishery up to the middle of January being estimated at 

 twenty or thirty thousand dollars. In this instance it is of 

 importance that a premonition of the weather be obtained as 

 far in advance as possible, since if, during a cold snap, the 

 weather become suddenly warm, it will be an intimation to 

 close up operations, so as not to have a large stock of un- 

 salable fish on hand ; while, on the contrary, should cold 

 weather be anticipated after a warm spell during the winter, 

 the fishermen would be on the qui vive to make arrangements 

 for taking the earliest advantage of the opportunity. It is 

 also a matter of much moment for such of the boats as start 

 off with their cargoes to market, as well as for those who 

 depend on fishing out at sea on the outside fishing-grounds, 

 to know something of the probabilities for the coming twenty- 

 four or forty-eight hours. 



RAIN-GAUGE AT SEA. 



The apparatus used for the determination of the amount 

 of rain-fall on land is not adapted for use upon the sea, but 

 an arrangement has recently been devised by which the rain- 

 gauge is hung like a ship's compass in its gimbals : an open 

 mouth is thus always directed toward the sky. In this way 

 it is hoped that much valuable information will be obtained, 

 which will have an important bearing on the discussion of 

 the subject of general climatology. It is probable that here- 



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