487 



Navy Department; marine reports tluougli the Xew York Herald wenthcv service; 

 niontlily re])()rts from the local services of Alabama, Arkansas, Colora(h), Illinois, 

 Indiana, Iowa weather and cro]> service, Kansas, Kentncky, Louisiana, Maryland, 

 Michigan, Minnesota, Mississijjpi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New England, New 

 Jersey, New York, North (,'arolina. North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, 

 South Oir<dina, Sontli Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wis- 

 consin; and international simultaneous observations. Trustworthy newspaper 

 extracts and. special reports have also been nsetj. 



Each number includes summarized statements for the month reigard- 

 iug the characteristics of the weather, atinosplieric pressure, Xortli 

 Athiiitic storms, temperature of the air, precipitation, winds, inland 

 navigation, atmosi^heric electricity, miscellaneous phenomena such 

 as drouth and prairie and forest fires, verifications of forecasts, and 

 extracts and summaries from reports of the several State weather 

 services, There are also original articles and meteorological tables 

 and charts, 



In the July number an article on Some Experiments in Atmospheric 

 Electricity, by A. McAdie, contains the following brief description of 

 a new type of electrometer to be used in taking observations of the 

 potential of the air : 



The instrnmeut is essentially an enlarged quadrant electrometer, with the parts 

 so arranged as to be convenient of access, and instead, of the four quadrants, single 

 needle, and bitilar suspension we use some eighty la^ge quadrants, a needle with 

 twenty blades, and a very tine platinum wire for suspension and directive force. 

 The present instrument has its defects — plenty of them, no doubt J but besides the 

 great advantages of the mechanically registered curve, recording the actual motion 

 of the needle, is the greater one of seeing and getting at any moment the potential 

 of the air — not having to wait 24 hours therefor, and the ability to compare directly 

 these curves with the curves of atmospheric pressure, tempt'rature, humidity, wind 

 direction, wind velocity, cloudiuess, etc., as given by self-recording instruments. 



