134 Annual Retrospect. [ Jan., 
its entirety, and that his followers must to a certain extent begin de 
novo, and repeat his experiences before they can even hope to 
attain his power of benefiting the seafarmg man by forecasts of the 
weather. 
We are hopeful, however, that the work which is beg carried 
out over the large field of Europe, by Le Verrier, may lead to a 
more perfect knowledge of the laws by which the atmospheric cur- 
rents are regulated, and thus place in our hands that kind of infor- 
mation which we require to guard us from the destructive violence 
of the winds. In connection with Meteorology, much interest 
attaches to the balloon ascents made by day and night by Mr. 
Glaisher. Although a large number of observations have been — 
made with all the care possible under the circumstances, many more 
aérial journeys will be requisite before the numerous conditions con- 
nected with terrestrial radiation and the influences of heat and 
electricity on atmospheric phenomena can be recorded. Then it will 
still remain undetermined whether the results observed are constant 
or varying. We are gathering a large amount of knowledge in this 
branch of science, but we must be content to wait, never ceasing to 
work, for the development of the laws which shall embrace the 
apparently irregular phenomena with which we have to deal. 
In this work it is the duty of all who are able to give any assist- 
ance, to render it cheerfully and zealously, and there is one phase 
of the subject to which semi-scientific or even unscientific observers 
of meteorological phenomena may with advantage direct their atten- 
tion; we mean the measurement of the rainfall in their own particular 
localities. A committee, consisting of Mr. Glaisher, Lord Wrottesley, 
Professor Phillips, Professor Tyndall, Dr. Lee, Mr. Bateman, Mr. 
Mylne, and Mr. G. J. Symons has been appointed to collect inform- 
ation on this subject, and the last-named gentleman* has issued 
a circular to the press, in which he gives the localities and ele- 
vations at which, to the knowledge of the Committee, observations 
have been made since the year 1766, and asks for information on 
the subject of the British Rainfall from all who are willing to 
collect suitable data. No doubt there will be plenty of volunteers to 
provide the requisite information. 
One point of great interest in connection with this of science ap- 
* Whose address is 136, Camden-road, London, N.W. 
