280 



THE MECHAXICS OF THE EARTHS ATMOSPHERE. 



and has also carried out meteorological observations when ascending 

 mountains. 



I will here first quote the results that von Sigsfeld obtained during 

 a balloon trip from Augsburg on October 26, 1889, on which occasion 

 the remarkably i)erfected aspiration psychronieter of Assmann of the 

 newest construction* was used for the determination of temperatures 

 and moisture. 



The start occured as above remarked on October 26, at about 15 

 minutes before 10 a. m. The lauding took place about o p, m., near 

 Plochingen, on the railroad line between Ulm and Stuttgart. The 

 general character of the weather on this day can be summarized as 

 follows: While an extended barometric maximum with a center closely 

 clinging to the Scandinavian peninsula, covered all of northern and 

 central Europe there prevailed over southwestern and southern Europe 

 a region of depression that starting from the southwest extended over 

 all lands bordering on the Mediterranean and sent individual outrun- 

 ners into southern Germany. The weather was almost everywhere 

 cloudy with moderate motion of the air from the east. 



Above Southern Germany itself there floated a layer of dry upper 

 haze, whose lower indefinite boundary lay at an altitude of about 600 

 metres above the sea, whereas the upper, very well defined and flat 

 boundary was found at an altitude of 1,200 metres. Up to this 

 latter altitude the wind blew with moderate strength from the north- 

 east, but above this it blew strongly from the scuth-southeast. Unfor- 

 tunately only a few observations could be made, since von Sigsfeld was 

 to a very large extent occui)ied with the navigation of the balloon, but 

 notwithstanding this some important data were secured which I here 

 reproduce : 



* Aasmann. Das Aspirationspsychroraeter. Zeitschrift f. Liiftschiffahrt, 1890, ix, pp. 1-9 and 30-38. 

 t The barometer of the AnL;sburif Meteorological Station is at the altitude 499.6 metres. 



