388 Scientific Intelligence. Meteorology, 



cretary of the Academie des Sciences in Paris. Sir, The Com- 

 mission appointed by the Ordonnance of the King on the 29th 

 of March 1836, to examine if there be any grounds to report 

 upon, or modify the terms of the 219th section of the chapter 

 concerning forests, so far as it respects the clearing of the woods 

 of private individuals, was occupied in its sederunt of the 1 1th 

 of last June, with various particulars referring to statistics, me- 

 teorology, and law, upon which it thought that information 

 might probably be demanded from the different ministers and 

 public officers, as well as from the Preftts and the Academy of 

 Sciences. The minute of this sederunt, which is now before 

 me, contains the proposal to request from the Academy the 

 solution of the following meteorological questions : 1 st, Have 

 thermometrical observations been made in France, or can it be 

 otherwise deduced that the temperature has remained constant, 

 or, on the contrary, has it varied ? Does the snow remain on the 

 summits of the mountains as long as it was wont to do ? 2d, 

 Within the period of historical records, has the time of harvest, 

 the ripening of the fruits and that of the vintage, been changed ; 

 has it been in some particular places ? Have the rains become 

 less and less abundant ? 3d, Does as much snow fall now as 

 there did during the last century ? Has there been any de- 

 crease of the springs which may be attributed to the clearing 

 away of wood ? 4th, Are those cantons which used to be free 

 from hail now more exposed to its ravages ? 5th, Has it been 

 observed that the destruction of the forests has made storms 

 more frequent ? 6th, Are the floodings of rivers more consi- 

 derable and sudden than they used to be previous to the Re- 

 volution ? 7th, Is the direction of the prevailing winds altered 

 since the clearing of the country, and are they become more 

 violent and injurious ? 8th, Finally, is the bed of the rivers 

 notably elevated ? And if so, to what extent is the annual ele- 

 vation ? I shall be obliged, Sir, if you will have the kindness 

 to submit these different questions to the examination of the 

 Academy, and of its correspondents in the Departments, and 

 to acquaint me with the results of the inquiry." This letter 

 was sent to a Commission elected for the express purpose, and 

 composed of MM. Dulong, Arago, Gay-Lussac, Silvestre, Gi- 

 rard, Mirbel, and Cortaz. 



