Cuvier's Biographical Memoir ofM. dc Lamarck. 17 



convincing liimself how far nature sometimes rebels against doc- 

 trines conceived a priori. The atmosphere, according to him, 

 may be compared to the sea, — it has a surface, waves, storms ; 

 it ought likewise to have a flux and reflux, for the moon ought 

 to heave it upwards as it does the ocean. In the temperate and 

 frigid zones, therefore, the wind, which is only the tide of the 

 atmosphere, must depend greatly on the declination of the moon; 

 it ought to blow towards the pole which is nearest to it, and ad- 

 vancing in that direction only, in order to reach every place, 

 traversing dry countries or extended seas, it ought then to ren- 

 der the sky serene or stormy. If the influence of the moon on 

 the weather is denied, it is only that it may be referred to its 

 phases ; but its position in the ecliptic will afford probabilities 

 much nearer the truth.* 



In order to demonstrate this theory in some measure by facts, 

 and to attract the attention of the public to it, M. de Lamarck 

 thought it would be useful to present it under the form of pre- 

 dictions. He had even the perseverance to print almanacs for 

 eleven years successively,*!- announcing the probable state of the 



• Of the influence of the moon on the earth's atmosphere ; Journal de 

 Physique, prairial, an vi — On the variations in the state of the sky in 

 the mean latitudes between the equator and the pole, and on the principal 

 causes which produce them ; Journal de Physique, frimaire, an xi — On the 

 mode of drawing up and notifying meteorological observations, in order to 

 obtain from them useful results, and on the considerations which ought to be 

 kept in view for this purpose ; (ibid.) — On tempests, storms, hurricanes, and 

 on the character of destructive winds ; Journal de Physique, 18 brumaire, 

 an IX — Researches on the presumed periodicity of the principal variations in 

 the atmosphere, and on the means of determining its existence, (ibid) ; read 

 to the Institute, 26 ventose, an ix. In a note to his memoir on Sound, he 

 promised to advance a theory of the earth's atmosphere, at which, he says, he 

 had laboured for more than thirty years ; but this was never published. 



t Annual of Meteorology for the year viii. (1800) of the Republic, contain- 

 ing an exposition of the probabilities acquired by a long series of observations 

 on the state of the weather, and variations of the atmosphere, iu different sea- 

 sons of the year ; an indication of the times when it may be expected to be 

 fine weather or rain, storms and tempests, frost, &c. ; finally, an enumera. 

 tion, according to probabilities, of the times favourable for fetes, journeys, 

 voyages, harvest, and other undertakings in which it is of importance not to 

 be interrupted by the weather ; with simple and concise directions regarding 

 those new measures. Paris, 1800, continued till 1810, forming altogether 

 11 vols. 



VOL. XX. NO. XXXIX. JANUARY 18S6. B 



