Joseph Baxendell, F.R.S. 35 



to the pioneer. His task is to deduce, with a mixture of 

 boldness and prudence, something of human interest out of 

 the observations already accumulated, and thus to stimulate 

 meteorologists not only to go on with their labour, but to 

 cover more ground in the future than they have covered in 

 the past. Baxendell's procedure in this respect has been 

 abundantly fortified by the fact that many other men of 

 science are followers in his footsteps." 



His first communication was a note on Donati's comet, 

 October 19th, 1858 ; during this Session (1858-59) he also 

 contributed a note "On Solar Spots." In Session 1859-60, 

 "On the Barometric Pressure on November loth, 1859"; 

 "Direction of a Storm Indicated by Meteors"; "November 

 Wave of Barometric Pressure"; "Rotation of Jupiter." The 

 appearance of several spots induced him to make a series 

 of observations with a view of obtaining a re-determination 

 of the planets' period of rotation, and to test the conclusion 

 drawn from the observations of Cassini, Sir W. Herschel, 

 Schoeten, &c., to the effect that different spots have different 

 periods of rotation. His own observations confirm the con- 

 clusion drawn from earlier observations, that the different 

 spots have different periods of rotation ; Cassini's observa- 

 tion that spots near the equator move more rapidly than 

 those more remote is not confirmed ; the rotation of the 

 planet cannot with any certainty be deduced from the 

 motion of the spots. — "On a new variable star, R Sagittae" ; 

 "Observations of the Zodiacal Light"; "Remarks on the 

 Theory of Rain." After discussing the views of Professor 

 Phillips, from a consideration of the amount of rainfall at 

 different elevations above the ground, he concludes that 

 only a very small portion of the total augmentation of a 

 rain drop can be due to the condensation of vapour upon its 

 surface, and that by far the greater portion must be due to 

 the disposition of moisture which has already lost its latent 

 heat or heat of elasticity, and which is, therefore, not in the 



