428 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1880. 



restrial phenomena, says : " There is more than a general correspond- 

 ence between these, for it is believed that all inequalities of snnspots, 

 whether of long or short period, are accompanied by corresponding 

 changes of declination range, a large range invariably accompanying 

 a large number of spots. Perhaps I ought to say a large range fol- 

 lowing a large outbreak of spots, for the .solar ))henomena lead the 

 way and the magnetic change follows after them at a greater or less in- 

 terval of time. I may add, likewise, that we have some evidence 

 which leads us to suspect that particular states of declination range, 

 like particular states of weather, have a motion from west to east, the 

 magnetical weather moving farther than the meteorological. From a 

 preliminary investigation which I have made, I even think there nuiy 

 ultimately be a possibility of forecasting meteorological weather by 

 means of magnetic weather five or six days before." {Nature, June IG, 

 1881, XXIV, p. 151.) 



Rev. F. Howlett communicated to the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science a memoir On the general coincidence between 

 mmspots activity and terrestrial magnetic disturbance. His object was to 

 inquire how far solar activity more especially as regards sunspots, is 

 wont to be accompanied by magnetic disturbance, as recorded by the 

 automatic declination curves at Kew and Greenwich. The data for 

 such an investigation were furnished by comi^arisons instituted be- 

 tween the most striking instances of sunspots, gathered out of a long 

 series of solar observations carried on by Mr. Howlett from the year 

 1859 to the present epoch, and the synchronous conditions of the mag- 

 netic curves at the observatories above mentioned. 



Out of twenty-four comparisons instituted, the following is the sum- 

 mary of results as showing the coincidence of extensive solar activity, 

 and sj-nchronous magnetic disturbances : 



Intensely 5 



Very decidedly 3 



Decidedly 9 



Moderately 3 



Negatively (no spots, no storms) 1 



— 21 aflflrmatively. 



Questionable 1 



Contradictory 2 



— 3 contradictory. 



24 



Thus, then, from the data collected it would certainly appear that 

 marked periods of solar activity are wont to coincide with marked pe- 

 riods of terrestrial magnetic disturbance; but yet from a careful com- 

 l)arison of the days and hours of the ]nagnetic records appealed to it 

 also appeared that the disturbances were manifested in various ways, 

 not only as regarded the extent of the magnetic excursions of the 



