272 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1S84. 



novel descriptiou especially designed by Professor Chrystal ; ordinarily 

 the wet bulb and dry bulb read together, but occasionally the clouds 

 clear, the sun shines very hot, and the air acquires a marvelous dryness 

 calculated to test the capabilities of this instrument. {Nature, xxix, p. 

 342.) 



Dr. C. L. Wragge gives a description with illustrations of the meteor- 

 ological observatories on and near Ben jS^evis. {Nature, xxvii, p. 487.) 



The observatory on Ben Kevis is supported by private subscription 

 mostly, and it is hoped that means will be forthcoming to maintain ob- 

 servations during the winter of 1884-'85. {Nature, xxx, p. 179.) 



A general summary of the meteorology of Ben Nevis from June, 1881, 

 to June, 1884, is given by Buchau. {Nature, xxx, p. 336.) 



During the winter of 1884-'85, new rooms and conveniences for self- 

 registering wind instruments will be available, over £2,000 sterling 

 having been spent on the arrangements for observers and visitors to 

 the summit of Ben Nevis. 



52. Dr. W. Doberck, director of the new English observatory at Hong- 

 Kong, has taken active steps to carry into effect the system of meteor- 

 ological predictions and observations promised by inspector-general of 

 Chinese customs, Sir Eobert Hart, as long ago as 1^73. The instru- 

 ments were purchased at that time, but have been either injured or un- 

 packed, and are of course useless. Doberck has compared them and pro- 

 poses to establish 33 stations, mostly on the Chinese coast, whose ob- 

 servations shall be published annually, while a daily system of tele- 

 graphic storm warnings is maintained for the benefit of commerce. {D. 

 M. Z., I, p. 86.) 



53. The activity of the Hong-Kong Observatory commenced January 

 1, 1884, with tri-daily meteorological observations, daily and monthly 

 weather reports. Weather telegrams are daily received from the treaty 

 ports of China, from Luzon, Japan, Vladivostock, and Tonquin. Self- 

 registering meteorological observations began April 1; a time-ball will 

 be dropped after January 1, 1885. An excellent illustrated descrip- 

 tion of the observatory is given in Nature, xxx. It is suggested that 

 all observations that can be made available for the formation of a 

 meteorological system for that section of the world be concentrated by 

 daily and monthly reports at Hong-Kong as the most important center. 

 This, however, should not in the least interfere with the remarkably 

 successful work going on in Japan. 



54. The Geographical Society of Lisbon having maintained a tempo- 

 rary meteorological observatory near the highest point of the Serra da 

 Estrella at an altitude of 1,855 meters and a degree and a half east of 

 Lisbon, the results of the first year of observation have been reported by 

 A. C. da Silva. Among the principal results are the following: Maxi- 

 mum pressure at noon, minimum at 5 A. M., while for Coimbra (alti- 

 tude 141 meters) we have maximum at 10 A. m., minimum at 6 p. M. 

 As to temperature, Estrella has maximum at 2 p. m., minimum at 4 A. 



