THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 197 



5. The region of the great lakes, Erie and Ontario. 



I regret to state that no efficient steps have as yet been taken to 

 organize the system of Massachusetts, for which an appropriation was 

 made by the legislature, at its last session. I have lately written to 

 Governor Briggs, urging immediate action, and offering, on the part of 

 the Institution, to render any assistance in our power towards further- 

 ing so laudable an enterprise. No answer has 3^et been received.* 



The observations- made at the different military stations, under the 

 direction of the Medical Department of the United States army, have 

 been partially re-organized, and a number of new stations and several 

 of the old ones furnished with improved Smithsonian instruments. The 

 head of the Medical Department of the army, Dr. Lawson, has as- 

 signed the general direction of the system of observations to Dr. Mower, 

 of New York, to whom we are indebted for the valuable aid which this 

 extended set of observations tiarnishes the general system. The im- 

 mediate superintendence of the reduction of these observations is in 

 charge of Dr. Wotherspoon, to whose zeal and scientific abilities the 

 cause of" meteorology bids fair to be much indebted. 



The most important service the Smithsonian Institution has rendered 

 to meteorology during the past year, has been the general introduction 

 into the country of a more accurate set of instruments at a rcr^sonablc 

 price- The set consists of a barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, 

 wind vane, and snow and rain guage. 



The barometer is made by James Green, No. 422 Broadway, New 

 York, under the direction of the Institution. It has a glass cistern with 

 an adjustable bottom enclosed in a brass cylinder. The barometer 

 tube is also enclosed in a brass cylinder, which carries the vernier. 

 The whole is suspended freely, from a ring at the top, so as to adjust 

 itself to the vertical position. The bulb of the attached thermometer is 

 enclosed in a brass envelope communicating with the interior of the 

 brass tube, so as to be in the same condition with the mercury, and to 

 indicate truly its temperature. Each instrument made according to 

 this pattern is numbered and accurately compared with a standard. 

 In the comparisons made by Proiessor Guyot, a standard Fortin 

 barometer, by Ernst, of Paris, was employed; also a standard English 

 barometer, by Newman, of London, belonging to this Institution. These 

 instruments, tor greater certainty, have been compared with the stand- 

 ard of the Cambridge Obsejrvator}^, and of Columbia College, both by 

 Newman ; also with the standard of the Observatory of Toronto, Upper 

 Canada. 



The results of these examinations prove the barometers made by Mr. 

 Green, according to the plan adopted by the Smithsonian Institution, 

 to be trustworthy instruments. 



The thermometers are by the same maker ; and those intended for 

 the State of New York were compared with a standard by Bunten, ol" 

 Paris, and with another by Troughton & Simms, of London. Those 

 found to differ more than a given quantity from the standards were 

 rejected. 



* A letter has since been received, and the system placed under the direction of this Insti- 

 tution. 



