Mis. No. 48. ]5 



deduced by himself, a full account of which firms one of the papers of the 

 second volume of the Contributions. It is the first accurate cnhcmoris 

 which has ever appeared of this newly discovered meni'>er of our solar 

 system. 



.An appropriation of one tliousand dollars was made at the last meetinf^ 

 of the board for the commencement of a scries of meleorological observa^- 

 tions, particularly with reference to the phenomena of American storms. 

 According to the estimate of Prof. Loornis, appended to my last report' 

 three thousand dollars will be required for the purpose of reducing this 

 part of our plan to practice. It is hoped that one thousand dollars in 



, . , _ /gy 



the direction of the Secretary of the Navy, and in order that the observa- 

 tions thus established may not interfere with those undertaken by the 

 Smithsonian Institution, that officer has directed Prof. Espy to co-operate 

 with the Secretary of the Institution. 



It is contemplated to establish three classes of observers among those 

 who are disposed to join in this enterprise. One class, without'instru- 

 mentS; to observe the face of the sky as to its clearness, the extent of 

 cloud, the direction and force of wind, the beginning and ending of rain,, 

 snow, &c. A second class, furnished with thermometers, who, besides 

 making the observations above mentioned, will record variations of tem- 

 peralure. The third class, furnished with full sets of instruments, to 

 observe all the elements at present deemed important in the science of 

 meteorology. It is believed that much valuable information may be ob- 

 tained in this way with reference to the extent, duration, and passage of 

 storms over the country, though the observer may be possessed of no other 

 apparatus than.a simple wind vane. 



With the instruments owned by private individuals, with those at the 

 several military stations, and with the supply of the deficiency by the 

 funds of the Smithsonian Institution, it is believed that observations 

 can be instituted at important points over the whole United Slates, and 

 that with the observations which we can procure from Mexico and the 

 British possessions of North America, data will be furnished for important 

 additions to our knowledge of meteorological phenomena. As a beginning 

 to this extended system, six sets of instruments have been forwarded 

 to the coast of Oregon and California, for the purpose of establishing pe- 

 riodical observations on the western side of the Rocky mountains. Also, 

 a set has been forwarded to Bent's Fort, and another to Santa Fe. Circu- 

 lars have been prepared and will shortly be issued for the purjwse of as- 

 certaining the number and locality of all those wlio, with or without in- 

 struments, are willing to join, in the enterprise. lam indebted to Prof. 

 Coffin, of Lafayette College, for a list of all persons, as far as they are 

 known, who have heretofore been accustomed to make meteorological 

 observations in North America, which will be of much imj)ortance in our 

 future investigations relative to this subject. 



As a part of the system of meteorology, it is proposed to employ, as far 

 as our funds will permit, the magnetic telegraph in the investigation of 

 atmospherical phenomena. By this means, not only the notice of the 

 approach of a storm may be given to distant observers, but also the atten- 

 tion may be directed to particular phenomena, whicii can only be properly 



