575 



[Chase. 



322. Disturbed Attraction. 



R, Lamont {Jour, of Science, Oct. 1882), says, "If we disturb the at- 

 traction which holds togetlier the atoms of a chemical compound, whether 

 it be in the solid, the liquid, or the gaseous state, we have this same ema- 

 nation of light and heat. It, then, these great effects can be produced in 

 our laboratories, what must result in our solar system from the continual 

 struggle between attraction and centrifugal force? " I attacked the view 

 that weight can be predicated of bodies at rest, as early as 18G4 (Proc. Am. 

 Phil. Soc, ix, B57), and in February, 1868, I gave a summary of various 

 phenomena which may be simply coordinated by the theory that motion, 

 rather than rest, is the natural state of matter (Proc. Am. Phil. Soc, x, 

 377-9;. Although similar views had often been advocated by others, no 

 attempt seems to have been made to confirm them by numerical measure- 

 ments, prior to my investigations, which began in 1863 (oj). cit., ix, 283-8). 



323. Lunar Barometric Tides. 

 The correlations of gravitating and magnetic tides (Notes 116-22), lend 

 interest to Bergsma's observations of the lunar atmospheric tide at Bata via, 

 1866-80 (See Nature, Nov. 23, 1882, p. 79), a tide which appears to have 

 been first observed by Luke Howard, in London. Assuming the lunar 

 day to begin at the Moon's upper transit, the following are the phases 

 above or below the mean, expressed in millimetres : — 

 mm. 

 1st max. -|- .057 at lunar hour 1 



Istmin. —.053 " " 7 



2d max. -f .064 " " 13 



2d min. —.060 " " 19 



Buchan's isobar of 29.9 in. == 759.45 mm. passes through the Malayan 

 Archipelago. This is 6491 times the mean range (.117) of lunar disturb- 

 ance, which is much greater than can be explained by simple gravitating 

 tide. It is, however, in simple harmonic relation to the square of the mass. 

 If ^3^ : i^ : : 6491 : 1, mj = 80. 56;^.. 



324. Lunar-Tidal Rainfall at Batavia. 



"The influence of the moon's phases on the rainfall [at Batavia] is quite 

 decided ; for while the mean daily rainfall is .205 in., it rises at full moon 

 to .248 in., from which time it gradually falls to .181 in. at the third octant, 

 rises t'o .212 in. at the fourth octant, then falls to .184 in. at the fifth octant, 

 and finally rises gradually to the maximum at the time of new moon. The 

 important conclusion follows that the attractive influence of the moon, and 

 consequently that of the sun, must be taken into account as factors con- 

 cerned in bringing about oscillations of the barometer." These evidences 

 of lunar-tidal influence upon rainfall are greater than those which I found 

 at Philadelphia {Proc. Am. Phil Soc, x, 523-37). about the same as at 

 Barbadoes [lb., xiv, 195-216), but less strongly marked than at Lisbon 

 {lb., xii, 178-90), and at San Francisco {lb., xii, 523-42). 



