METEOROLOGY. 431 



est experience since the establish ment of photograpbic registration at 

 Zi-ka-wei in tbe year 1877, and be considers tbat tbe cLauges tben ob- 

 served (Ibose of seitical force iucbided, of wbicb be gives no curves) arc 

 similar to sucb as would be produced by a powerful magnet placed in 

 a certain defined position. It may jierbaps be here pointed out tbat 

 tbe results given by the astronomer royal in bis paper, "First Analysis 

 of One Hundred and Seventy-seven Magnetic Storms" {Phil. Trans, for 

 1SG3), appear to give no support to a theory of this kind, and indeed 

 seem conclusively to show tbat at Greenwich tbe observed disturbances 

 cannot be accounted for in any such a way. 



It should be added that 31. Decbevrens reports also tbat strong earth 

 currents vrere experienced on August 11 and 12, on tbe submarine tele- 

 graph lines connecting Sbangbju and Nagasaki and Hong-Kong, as well 

 as on tbe laud lines in Ja]»au, so much so tbat correspondence was fre- 

 quently interrupted, but tbat no interruption appears to have been 

 experienced on tbe occasion of tbe generally smaller magnetic disturb- 

 ance of August 18. {NaU(7-e, 1880, xxiii, p. 33.) 



Admiral Moucbez has resumed magnetic observations in subterra- 

 nean cbambers at tbe Paii.^? Observatory. The apparatus will be self- 

 registeriug by photography, but direct observations will also be made 

 with tbe old instruments used by Arago. {Nature., xxvr, p. 207.) 



Professor Nipber of Saint Louis has investigated the peculiar distri- 

 bution of magnetic x)benomena in Missouri. In explanation of certain 

 abnormal pbenomena originally observed by him in 1878 he finds 

 tbat tbe irregularities are not due to minute local causes, but tbat tbe 

 perturbing force disturbs the declination of tbe magnetic needle over 

 an area of 50 or 100 miles square. Thus the line of 8° E. crosses the 

 Missouri Valley in a SW. direction and tben bends abruptly to tbe 

 ]^E., recrossing the Missouri, and after a wide detour crosses the river 

 again for the tbird time and returns to its S^Y. direction. {Nature, 

 XXV, p. 40.) 



^Y. H. Preece, in a valuable historical paper on telephony, says : "The 

 discovery of tbe telephone bas made us acquainted with anotber ]>be- 

 nomenon. It bas enabled us to establish beyond doubt tbe fact that 

 currents of electricity actually traverse the earth's crust ; tbe tbeory 

 tbat tbe earth acts as a great reservoir for electricity may be placed 

 in tbe pbysicist's waste-paper basket. A telephone circuit wben in con- 

 nection with tbe earth gives distinct evidence of every visible Hash of 

 lightning, however far off" tbe thunder-storm may be. No difference in 

 time bas been observed between seeing the flash and hearing tbe crash. 

 There are certain natural currents flowing through tbe earth ; tbey are 

 called earth currents, and at times acquire sucb considerable energy 

 tbat with a telephone pressed to tbe ear, I have been told, altbougb 

 I have not experienced it, tbe noise made is very near." {Nature, xxvi, 

 p. 518.) 



Professor Stokes, in some remarks on bis admirable lectures on atmos- 



