77 [ 108 ] 



During the last summer this coliectioii oi" meteorological data Avas made 

 use of by Professor Espy for tlie preparation of a torthcoming rei^orl. 



Abstracts of all the notices of the aurora borealis have been made and 

 incorporated into a volume containing other observations of this meteor, 

 for which blank forms and directions were issued and returns received, the 

 whole of which has been placed in the hands of Captain ,L H. Tiefroy, R. A., 

 for reduction. 



All the notices of. periodical phenomena of asuinals and plants have been 

 extracted, and in connection with other obseixations, for which blank forms 

 and directions were issued and returns received, have been tabulated with a 

 \ iew to generalization hereaficr. 



The principal storms of last aiid the preceding year are now undergoing 

 reduction, including the prej<aration of a series of charts, showing the lines 

 of temperature, the winds, fall of rain, snow, &c., iS:c., all oi which will 

 serve to illustrate the formation and progress of American storms. 



Medtod of conducting the Corre^qjondence. 



When the observations for ojie inonih are completed, the observer for- 

 wards the register by mail addressed to the Navy Department, having the 

 word "Meteorology" endorsed on the envelope ; an arraiigement havino- 

 bf^en entered into with a previous Secretary of the Navy to admit the passage 

 of these documents llirough his oiiice, and thus relieve the Institution of a 

 heavy charge for postage. For each sheet filled, others in blank are at 

 once sent off, suflicient to enable the observer to keep a copy, which is 

 almost universally done. If a letter accompanies the return sheet, it is im- 

 mediately answered, and the request contained in it attended to. The tenor 

 of these communications is very various, involving the solution of questions 

 not only in meteorology, l>ut iii general physics, chemistry, mineralogy, 

 natural history, botany, applications lor public documents, and a number 

 of minor subjects. This part of our plan is always cheerfully performed, 

 inasmuch as it may be regarded as a part of the remuneration which the 

 observer has a right to expect in return for the time and labor expended 

 by him on the observations. It is believed also that the prompt attention 

 given to this part of the plan has tended greatly to keep the corps of 

 observers together. The only remuneration bestowed, consists of various 

 publications of the Institution, which are from time to time sent free of 

 postage. Among those \yhich have been distributcil during the year may 

 be enumerated, the Annual Report of tb.e Smithsonian Institution, Dr. 

 Gould's History of the Discovery of Neptune, Professor Jewett's Notices 

 of Public Libraries in the United States, IJooth and Morfit's Tmproven^ent in 

 Chemical Arts, the Occultation lists and the Epliemeris of Neptune, Ellett's 

 Memoir on the Physical Geography of the Mississippi Valley, a map of the 

 great annular eclipse of July 2S, I80I, an engraving of the Smithsonian 

 building, directions for making meteorological observations, accompanied 

 with tables for calculating barometic pressure, dew-point, &c., a map of 

 the stars in the northern heavens for delineating auroral phenomena, and 

 other occasional documents of minor importance. 



The observers are generally persons engaged in occupations which admit 

 to some extent of their being present at tiie place of observation at the re- 

 quired hours of the day all the year round. The services of an intelli- 



