38 Dr. Bottomley on the late 



months, while at stations north or south of the belt, so far as 

 observations have yet been made, the decrease is greatest in 

 the summer months. This belt passes over Portugal, Spain, 

 Sicily, Southern Italy, the Caucasian provinces and Southern 

 Siberia. He also calls attention to some results which seem 

 to indicate that the annual rate of decrease of temperature 

 on ascending in the atmosphere is subject to a periodical 

 change. He remarks that the epoch when the rate of 

 decrease was at a maximum, as shown by the Geneva and 

 Great St. Bernard observations, corresponds exactly with 

 the epoch of minimum magnetic disturbance as determined 

 by General Sabine from observations made at the Colonial 

 Observatories and at Pekin ; and it is probable that there 

 is also a close correspondence between the periods of the two 

 phenomena. In conclusion, he thanks Mr. Vernon for his 

 assistance, and adds that without the means of reference 

 afforded by the many valuable volumes of meteorological 

 observations now in the Society's library, it would have 

 been quite impossible to have undertaken an enquiry of this 

 nature. — " Observations of Saturn." He finds that the plane 

 of the ring is not parallel to the dark belts on the body of 

 the planet. — " On the relation between the decrement of 

 temperature on ascending in the atmosphere and other 

 meteorological elements." From a discussion of the monthly 

 results of the observations made during the years 1848-58 

 at Geneva and on the Great St. Bernard, given by Mr. 

 Vernon in his paper " On the Irregular Barometric Oscilla- 

 tions" at those places, he concludes — ist, That on the 

 average of the year a decrement of temperature below the 

 mean is accompanied by a rainfall and amount of barometric 

 oscillation beloiv the mean, and by a mean temperature and 

 barometric pressure above the mean. 2nd, A decrement of 

 temperature above the mean is accompanied by a rainfall 

 and amount of barometric oscillation above the mean, and 

 by a mean temperature and barometric pressure below the 



