414 The Rev. H. Lloyd on the Meteorology of Ireland. 



the recent organization of a system of meteorological observations at sea by the 

 Government of the United States. There are, at the present time, nearly 1000 

 masters of ships, belonging to the navy and merchant services of the United Statesi 

 engaged in such observations ; and the discussion of the results, by Lieutenant 

 MAUEr, has led to many consequences of great value to the sciences of meteor- 

 olo"-y and hydrography, and rich in practical applications to navigation. The 

 Government of the United States has earnestly sought the co-operation of the 

 Governments of the several maritime nations of Europe in tliis enterprise, 

 and the demand has led to a Conference at Brussels, for devising a uniform 

 system of meteorological observations at sea. This Conference, held in August 

 and September last, was attended by individuals representing the respective 

 Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Netherlands, Nor- 

 way, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. 



Impressed with the conviction that it was the duty of each country to take 

 its part in these labours, and especially in the investigation of its own clima- 

 tology, the Council of the Royal Irish Academy directed their attention, early 

 in the year 1850, to the object of organizing a uniform system of meteorological 

 observations in Ireland. And the peculiarity of the climate of this island 

 perhaps more than balances the smallness of its extent, in giving an interest to 

 the investigation. Situated as it is at the north-western extremity of Europe, 

 and exposed to the full influence of the northern branch of the gulf stream 

 which sweeps its western shores, its winter temperature is as high as that of the 

 southern shores of the Euxine ; while, on the other hand, the great precipi- 

 tation of vapour, due to the same cause, gives it a summer heat as low as parts 

 of Finland. 



The questions, whose solution was aimed at by this measure, are thus stated 

 by the Council in their second Report: — 



1. The distribution of temperature, humidity, and rain, as affected by geo- 

 graphical position and by local circumstances; and the other phenomena of 

 climate. 



2. The effect of season (combined with the influences already referred to) 



rations have been given by Dr. Lasiont, in the Annalen der Meteorologte ; and those of the 

 Belgian system, in the admirable series of papers drawn up by M. Quetelet, Sur k CUmat de 

 Bdffique. 



