1871.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 71 
of temperature. Itis a vulgar error to drop out of view the essen- 
tial change of pressure as the direct cause of wind, which should 
be studiously avoided in Col, Strachey’s opinion by every scientific 
Meteorologist. The study of the winds, with the view of obtaining 
the precise explanation of their mechanical causes, is much to be 
recommended, but here, as in all other like enquiries, the observer 
must seek for true physical forces, and not permit himself to be 
blinded by the vague generalities which afflict this section of 
meteorology as they do all others. 
Closely connected with the winds is the subject of rain, but on this 
he (Col. 8.) would not venture to say anything excepting that, of all 
the phenomena with which meteorology affected to deal, this was 
least understood, and most involved in all sorts of misconceptions of 
the grossest description of the physical forces that were operative in 
its production. 
In conclusion Col. Strachey said, he would earnestly exhort every 
one who desired to assist the progress of meteorology, to treat it in 
some such spirit as he had explained, to abandon the misleading 
dogmatism that had hitherto obstructed all real progress, and to 
seek for the precise, true, physical and mechanical forces which 
produce the phenomena that he studies. 
The President briefly alluded to a few of the most important 
meteorological questions noticed by Col. Strachey, and expressed. 
a hope that the time may soon arrive when it will be possible to 
carry out the many valuable suggestions which Col. Strachey has 
brought forward. 
The following papers were read :— 
On A PRACTICAL METHOD FOR DETECTING BAD INSULATORS ON 
TrLecrapa Lives,—by Lovis ScuwEnDER, Ese. 
One of the many practical measures, and certainly not one of 
the least important, introduced during the last few years with a 
view of increasing the efficiency of the Telegraph Department, 
