36 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



of the temperate zone in the eastern hemisphere travel eastwardly, 

 or in the same direction that they are observed to follow in the 

 United States. The meteorologists, however, of London and Paris, 

 are by no means as favorably situated for predicting the coming 

 .weather as those of Washington, "New York, or Boston, since the 

 storm which approaches the former comes from the ocean and admits 

 of but very limited telegraphic announcement, while those which are 

 coming toward the latter can be heralded over thousands of miles of 



wire. 



We have continued to receive records of observations from the 

 northern and western States, Canada, the Hudson's Bay Territory, 

 Mexico, and Central America. 



It was stated in the . last report that on account of the suspension 

 of the annual appropriation from the Patent Oiffice for meteorological 

 statistics the process of reduction had been discontinued, and we re- 

 gret to say that we have not been able to resume this work during 

 the past year. The reductions, however, prepared by Professor 

 Coffin, under the direction and at the joint expense of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution and the Patent Office, for the years 1854-59, in- 

 clusive, are still in the hands of the public printer. The work can- 

 not be hurried through the press, since much labor and care are 

 required for proper correction of the proof sheets ; the delay, how- 

 ever, has been mainly caused by the interruptions incidental to the 

 entire change of system of Congressional printing, and the estab- 

 lishment of a government printing ofSce. The work will form two ■ 

 large quarto volumes, the first of which is completed, with the ex- 

 ception of some introductory matter, and contains 1,270 pages. It 

 exhibits the monthly and annual reductions for the barometer, ther- 

 mometer, psychrometer, and rain guage, the observations on winds, 

 clouds, <fec. 



The following statement from this volume of the number of ob- 

 servers for the several years, shows the growth of the system: 



1854, embraces 234 stations. 



1855, " 217 



1856, " 320 



1857, " 379 



1858, " 390 



1859, " 531 

 The second volume, which is also partly printed, will probably 



contain as many pages as the first, and will give the observations on 



