270 METEOROLOGY IN RUSSIA. 



If we take i^eriods of sixty years the difference is still less. 



The Diina at Kiga, where we have some observations made in the 

 sixteenth century, gives a similar result. The average time ot the open- 

 ing of the river, in forty years of the sixteenth century, was x\pril9.6; 

 in ninety-one years of the eighteenth century, it was April 7.2 ; in fifty- 

 four years of the nineteenth century was 8.4. The Dwina at Arch- 

 angel and the Dnepr at Kiev also show very slight differences between 

 this century and the last. 



The second part of Vfesselovski's work contains extensive tables in- 

 valuable to the meteorologists. The mean temperature, the number of 

 rainy days, and amount of fallen water, are given for every mouth of 

 every year, so far as he could obtain the data. This collection of obser- 

 vations is extremely important for the study of the non-periodic varia- 

 tions of the meterological elements. The freezing and opening of riv- 

 ers is given for every year separately, and it is much to be desired that 

 such tables should be obtained for other countries. As yet they are 

 very few in number, and no country of any considerable extent has 

 tables of this kind comparable to those given by Wesselovsky. 



About the year 1850 the geographical society of Eussia began to col- 

 lect information on the climate of tbe empire. No society or institution 

 has the means of enlisting the cooperation of so many meterological 

 observers as this society, it being widely known throughout the coun- 

 try, and having a great number of correspondents. It was thought 

 necessary to collect topographical descriptions of different places, as a 

 foundation of local climate, as well as observations of the periodical 

 phenomena. In 1857 a meterological committee of the society recom- 

 mended the establishment of a periodical devoted to the meteorology 

 of Eussia, as well as to allied branches of this science. The society 

 adopted this recommendation, and the journal known as the " Eeperto- 

 rium fiir Meteorologie " was established under the directorship of 

 •Kiimtz from 1859 to 18G3. Three volumes appeared and were highly 

 valued by men of science. The most important contribution was 

 by Kiimtz, " Klima der siidrussischen Steppeu." About this time, espe- 

 cially since ISGO, a general belief was entertained that the system of 

 meteorological observations established in Eussia had proved a failure, 

 the money given by the government had been expended to little 

 purpose, that the whole system required reorganization. As is generally 

 found in such cases, there was considerable truth, and also a great deal 



