of cyclones follow hard upon each other for several weeks, the preceding 

 members of the series being often overtaken and interfered with by 

 those succeeding. It is, however, important to remark, that amidst all 

 the complexity necessarily occasioned by such combinations — the greater 

 and more violent storms, and particularly that portion of them which is 

 most dangerous and destructive, exhibit almost invariably the simple 

 cyclonic character. It is thus with the " Law of Storms," as with the 

 '• Law of Gravitation;" the grand results of both are exceedingly simple, 

 but the minor details become more and more complicated in proportion 

 to their minuteness. 



The direction of the progressive motion of the storms which pass 

 over Britain, is most frequently from about S.W. to N.E., but occasionally 

 from other points, including it would appear all points from S.E. round by 

 S. and W. to N. They seem very rarely to come over from any point 

 between ^N. (round by E.) and S.E. About ten years ago, I was led to 

 form the opinion, that the direction of the progressive motion of any 

 storm coincides with that of the upper current of the atmosphere pre- 

 vailing at the time, at the ordinary altitude of cirrus clouds. Since 

 then, I have met with no instance adverse to this view, but, on the 

 contrary, many highly confirmatory of it. The point cannot, however, 

 be considered as determined, until placed beyond doubt by the concur- 

 rent testimony of other observers, and I would beg to impress upon 

 meteorologists the importance of giving the subject their close attention. 

 It is obviously of very great consequence that this point should be as- 

 certained, since if found to hold universally or even generally true, the 

 movements of cirrus clouds, at the time when a cyclone is approaching or 

 passing over, would be of great utility in indicating the direction of its 

 progressive motion, which being known, a little attention to the state of 

 the barometer and the wind, will suffice to enable an observer to pre- 

 dicate with confidence the general characters or elements of the storm, 

 such as its probable violence, the manner in which the veering will take 

 place, and the point from which the wind will blow with the greatest force. 



From observations made at this place during the years 1840 to 1847 

 inclusive, I find that the directions of the atmospheric currents at the 

 surface have been : — 



Days. 



From points N.W. to N.N.E. inclusive 660 



N.E. to E.S.E. „ 471f 



S.E. to S.S.W. „ 402 



S.W. to W.N.W. „ 1244f 



2778i 

 During the same period I find that the directions of the upper cur- 



