226 Notices respecting New Books, 



to every undertaking which endeavours to increase our knowledge 

 of meteorological science, either by improving instruments themselves, 

 their positions in observations, accuracy in observing, or the devotion 

 of the great labour necessary for their reduction to useful results, or 

 by elementary publications aiming at precision on all these points. 



Meteorology has been greatly slighted. By the term Meteorology 

 we do not mean the mere raw observations of phsenomena, but the 

 systematic observations of different subjects of research, their com- 

 plete reduction and combination with simultaneous observations, 

 and, as far as possible, the deduction of mathematical formulae which 

 will represent the results of the observations. It must be confessed 

 that there have been many meteorological journals kept by ardent 

 observers, and that some of them have extended over long periods of 

 time ; yet there has been a total want of combination of observations 

 taken simultaneously at different places. The few results, therefore, 

 which have been published from the various journals, bear the stamp 

 of local influence. Each observer has confined his attention to his own 

 observations ; which, if conducted in the best possible way and with 

 the best possible instruments, must exhibit the peculiarities of the 

 place of observation, but to an unknown amount. 



Within the last few years an attempt has been made to remove 

 these evils. The estabhshment of various observatories in the colonies, 

 that at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, that at Makerstoun, near 

 Edinburgh, by Sir Thomas Brisbane, and more recently the organi- 

 zation of many observers in England by Mr. Glaisher, the results 

 being published quarterly by the Registrar-general, are important 

 steps in the right direction. 



Such is the present state of meteorology, that facts are to be 

 assembled as observed, and principles established as soon as possible. 

 We could wish to see the present system greatly extended ; the im- 

 portant results which we then might fairly expect would be of the 

 utmost value in various ways. 



The following abstract of the work by Dr. Thompson may perhaps 

 assist our readers to judge of the additions made by it to our present 

 knowledge of meteorological literature and science. 



It opens with an introductory sketch of meteorology, and treats 

 of the ancient superstitions respecting meteorological phaenomena, 

 and the supposed power of the ancients in controlling such. 



In the Jlrst chapter are explained the opinions of the ancients upon 

 the atmosphere, and the advance of our knowledge regarding it to 

 the present time. This leads to a discussion upon chemistry, and 

 the connexion of chemical and atmospherical phaenomena ; the figure 

 of the atmosphere, its density ; the different temperatures at which 

 water boils at different elevations ; effects of elevation upon respira- 

 tion ; variations in the reading of the barometer, with many anec- 

 dotes, and a curve showing the mean monthly reading of the baro- 

 meter at Greenwich, deduced from the observations taken there 

 during the years 1841-1845, fill the second chapter. 



The third chapter opens with an interesting extract from Ossian, 

 and treats upon the sun and the solar beams, upon temperature in 



