22 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



interest. Professor Baclie proposes to continue his inquiries and ex- 

 tend his investigation to the influence of the moon and other agents 

 on the magnetism of the earth. He has already finished a second 

 paper on these discussions, and has a third in a state of considerable 

 advancement. These Mill probably form a part of the twelfth volume 

 of the Contributions. 



The eleventh volume also contains a second series of the discussions 

 of the physical observations made by Dr. Kane during his last voyage 

 to the Arctic regions, the first part of which, or that relating to ter- 

 restrial magnetism, was published in the tenth volume of Contributions. 

 This second part relates to meteorology, and was prepared for publi- 

 cation in the intervals of his official duties by Chas. A. Schott, esq., 

 assistant in the United States Coast Survey, under the direction of 

 Prof. Bache, and at the expense of the Smithsonian funds. This 

 memoir not only forms an interesting and important addition to 

 meteorology, which will tend to connect the name of our lamented 

 countryman with this branch of science, but also furnishes a model 

 for imitation, of the method in which observations of this character 

 ought to be reduced and discussed in order that they may best sub- 

 serve the advancement of science. 



The following account of some of the points of the memoir and of 

 the facts developed will probably be generally interesting and serve 

 to illustrate its value: 



The observations were made at Van Rensselaer harbor, on the 

 western coast, of Greenland, and extend over a period of two winters 

 and a considerable part of two summers, during which the vessel was 

 constantly frozen in the ice. 



They show in a very striking manner the constant and laborious 

 occupation of the little party in their lone abode, records having 

 been made at every hour of the day and night during the whole 

 period. It would be out of place in this report to. give a full account 

 of all the subjects discussed in this memoir, and I shall therefore 

 only glance at a few of the most prominent points, referring to the 

 paper itself for a full exposition of its more valuable contents. It 

 consists of three parts — the first is on temperature, the second on 

 winds, the third on atmospheric pressure. The first part, viz. that 

 on temperature, gives the observations for every hour, from which 

 are deduced the diurnal and annual variations of the thermometer, 

 the influence of the different winds on the temperature, and an 



