704 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Sources of Modern English," in wLich arc 

 given an historical sketch of the French 

 language and a chapter on its etymology, 

 followed by specimens of early French. 

 Though it is subordinate to the main pur- 

 pose of the book, the execution of this de- 

 partment is equally satisfactory with that 

 which characterizes the part more closely 

 related to the English evolution. The whole 

 book, 80 far as our cursory examination al- 

 lows us to judge of its merits, bears the 

 marks of conscientious research, and of a 

 desire to be careful in statement and omit 

 nothing that might contribute to a clear 

 comprehension of the whole story which it 

 tells and of every part of it. So full a pre- 

 sentment of the facts which it comprises, 

 in their bearings upon one another, can not 

 be so conveniently found in any other one 

 book with which wc are acquainted. 



Weather. A Popular Exposition of the 

 Nature of Weather-Changes from Day 

 to Day. By the Hon. Ralph Aber- 

 CROMBY. " International Scientific Se- 

 ries," Vol. Iviii. New York : D. Apple- 

 ton & Co. Pp. 472. Price, $1.75. 



There is no class of natural phenomena 

 which compels such general and constant 

 interest as that which constitutes weather. 

 The number and importance of human af- 

 fairs which are affected by rain, snow, and 

 bail, winds, lightning, heat, and cold, make 

 a knowledge of the laws which govern 

 weather-changes extremely desirable. Al- 

 though the need of this knowledge has been 

 felt from the earliest times, it is only within 

 twenty years that the science of meteorology 

 has advanced so far as to be of much prac- 

 tical benefit. But now that weather-pre- 

 dictions are issued by the governmental bu- 

 reaus of the United States and other coun- 

 tries, and prove true four times out of five, 

 a wide-spread desire has arisen to know how 

 this baffling problem of the weather has 

 been so far mastered. To satisfy this de- 

 sire is the object of the present volume. 

 " Many books," says the author, in his pref- 

 ace, " have been written on storms and 

 climate, but none on cvery-day weather. 

 The whole of this work is devoted to weath- 

 er, in the tropics as well as in the temperate 

 zone." The more elementary parts of 

 weather-science are treated in the first three 

 chapters, the rest of the book being devoted 



to explaining the more difficult questions. 

 " This volume is not a mere compilation of 

 existing knowledge, for the results of many 

 of the author's original and unpublished re- 

 searches are included in its pages — such, 

 for instance, as the explanation of many 

 popular prognostics ; the elucidation of the 

 general principles of reading the import of 

 cloud-forms ; the classification of those cases 

 in which the motion of the barometer fails 

 to foretell correctly the coming weather ; 

 and the character of that kind of rainfall 

 which is not indicated in any way by iso- 

 baric maps." In the elementary portion of 

 the book the author tells how weather- 

 charts are made and what they teach, and 

 shows why popular weather-signs sometimes 

 prove true and sometimes fail. He also 

 describes here the various forms of clouds, 

 and notes the prognostics to be drawn from 

 them. In the advanced chapters there is a 

 further discussion of lines of equal baro- 

 metric height, which is followed by a de- 

 scription of the making and use of the rec- 

 ords of the barometer, thermometer, and 

 wind-gauge. The nature of squalls, thun- 

 der-storms, blizzards, barbers, pamperos, 

 and tornadoes is next explained. Some ac 

 count is then given of local, diurnal, annu- 

 al, and secular variations of weather. 



In the last three chapters of the book 

 the manner in which the individual weather 

 disturbances follow one another, and the 

 forecasting which depends on knowledge of 

 these sequences, are taken up. The chief 

 types of weather which occur in western 

 Europe and the United States are given in 

 detail, and are copiously illustrated by 

 charts. In the chapter on " Forecasting for 

 Solitary Observers," which can never be su- 

 perseded for the use of mariners and herds- 

 men, the author points out " the best that a 

 single observer can do, who has his eyes to 

 look at the appearance of the sky, and any 

 instruments at his disposal." This chapter 

 will interest all who have any taste for ama- 

 teur work in meteorology. The forecasting 

 by synoptic charts, as done in central bu- 

 reaus having telegraphic communication 

 with stations for many hundred miles 

 around, is described in the closing chapter. 

 It appears that forecasting is much easier 

 for some countries than for others. In tem- 

 perate regions, those countries are best situ- 



