3G6 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. 



Much of modern progress in science is due to co-operation on a large 

 scale; and this is especially true of geography and astronomy. Dur- 

 ing the i)resent century the rapid progress in meteorology and terres- 

 trial magnetism has been remarkably furthered by international con- 

 ventions, and by agreements among the leaders of these scientific 

 enterprises, until now it would be regarded as injudicious to attempt 

 any great undertaking in these departments without a mutual under- 

 standing between the interested nations. 



In September, 1875, Lieut. Carl \Veyprecht, a well-known arctic 

 explorer, proposed that the nations of the world should unite in one 

 uniform system of simultaneous magnetic and meteorological obser- 

 vations at as many stations as possible in the arctic and antarctic 

 regions. 



This was an important extension of the international work already 

 in hand within the temperate zone, and was considered so certain to 

 result in a great advance of our knowledge that the idea was univer- 

 sally approved. 



The details of the plan were elaborated at an International Polar 

 Congress, held at Hamburg, in August, 1879, and at another held at 

 Berne, in July, 1880. As a result of the agitation of this question, 

 ten delegates met at St. Petersburg, in August, 1881, and organized 

 an official " Polar Commission," all the members of which had author- 

 ity to act for their respective Governments. 



. Since the organization of this commission, other nations have en- 

 listed in the work; the observing parties have all been dispatched 

 to their respective destinations, and they now are actually engaged 

 in the contemplated observations. The stations will be occupied for 

 at least one, and, in some cases, for three years, and may be divided 

 into two classes, namely, (1) the special polar stations within 30^ 

 of the north or south pole, and (2) the auxiliary stations, which are 

 spread over the rest of the habitable globe. Besides these land sta- 

 tions, observations made on shipboard are extensively called for, and 

 it is hoped that enough observations will be accumulated to allow 

 the making of a complete map of the weather, and of the magnetic 

 disturbances throughout the whole globe, for any amount of time dur- 

 ing the period in question. In addition to the main work of these 

 international stations, all possible attention will be given to numerous 

 collateral subjects. The great extent of the work will be appreciated 

 by an examination of the following list of the objects of observation, 

 and the number of stations to be occupied. 



The observations which are considered obligatory are as follows : 



I. Meteorological: 1. Temperatureof theair; 2. Temiieratureoftbesea; 

 3. Barometric pressure; 4. Humidity; 5. Wind — direction and force; 

 6. Clouds — their kind, amount, and motion; 7. Painfall; 8. Weather 

 and optical phenomena. 



II. Magnetic: 1. Absolute declination; 2, Absolute inclination; 3. Ab 

 solute horizontal intensity; 4. Variations of declination; 5. Variations 

 of inclination; 6. Variations of horizontal intensity. 



All the preceding observations are to be made hourly, except on the 

 1st and 15th days of each month, w^hen the readings will be made every 

 five minutes. 



III. — Miscellaneous : 1. The aurora — shape, color, motion, and posi- 

 .Jtion; 2. Astronomical latitude and longitude; 3. Astronomical time. 



The observations, which are considered desirable and will be gener- 

 ally undertaken, but which are not obligatory, are as follows: 1. Varia- 



