﻿EQUIPMENT AND WORK OF AN AERO-PHYSICAL 

 OBSERVATORY. 



ALEXANDER McADIE. 



[Memoir submitted by Mr, McAdie in the Hodgkins Fund Prize Competition of 

 the Smithsonian Institution in 1894, and awarded honorable mention, with a 

 bronze medal.] 



Subject. 



A. The known properties of atmospheric air considered in their relationships to 

 research in every department of natural science, and the importance of a study of 

 the atmosphere considered in view of these relationships. 



B. The proper direction of future research in connection with the imperfections 

 of our knowledge of atmospheric air, and the conditions of that knowledge with 

 other sciences. 



Two years ago the trustees of a New England university received plans 

 and specifications for a laboratory. It was not to be a chemical labora- 

 tory nor a physical one, nor yet geological nor biological, but one to be 

 devoted to investigation and research in aero-physics. During the pres- 

 ent year one of the universities on the Pacific slope has established, or 

 contemplates doing so, a chair of meteorology. At the time of the presen- 

 tation of the plans and specifications referred to above, it was pointed 

 out that, with the possible exception of the department of mathematics, 

 every department of science then represented at that university would 

 be directly served and greatly benefited by the work of this high-class 

 aero-physical laboratory. The chemist, the physiologist, the biologist, 

 botanist, and physicist must have authoritative knowledge of the condi- 

 tions of external air pressure, temperature, humidit}^ and atmidometry 

 (if the word may be used) at the time of their experimentation if true 

 results are to be obtained. 



And back of research and investigation always there looms up the ap- 

 plication of knowledge to the needs and wants of the community. In 

 aero-physics there exists without doubt a demand for standard records 



(3) 



