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| British Association for the Advancement of Science. 281 
Having done this justice to one of his countrymen, Prof. B. re- 
marked, that he was sure Col. Reid would follow it up by an 
examination of a rival theory of storms, by Mr. James P. Espy 
of Philadelphia. In this theory, the wind was supposed to blow 
in all directions towards the center of the storm; and a large col- 
lection of observations had been brought by Mr. Espy to form 
this point, especially those at his command from various quarters 
of the United States, as Chairman of the Committee of Meteo- 
rology of the American Philosophical Society,-and the Franklin 
Institute. This theory, Prof. B. further remarked, was ‘entirely 
in accordance with observations which he had made upon the 
track of a storm, popularly. called a tornado, which passed over a 
portion of the State of New Jersey, in June, 1835. He had sur- 
veyed, by compass, different parts of this sini and found the 
objects thrown down by the storm directed towards a center. 
He had found no evidence of a mailing motion at the surface of 
the ground. =~ 
Sir Ie FW. Herschel, (the President of the. Section, ) sities 
resigned the chair to Mr. Baily, addressed the audience, and hailed 
this communication of Col. Reid, as one of happy omen for the 
progress of science in this important branch; and congratulated 
the meeting that the subject had fallen into the hands of those 
who had already made such progress in its elucidation, and from 
whom it was likely to receive so complete a sifting. . He did not 
rise at present to add any thing to the stock of information 
already given, but, as having received from Mr. Redfield his pa- 
pers on this subject, he could not neglect the opportunity of pub- 
licly expressing his thanks, and of stating the great pleasure he 
had derived from their perusal. And here he found an anecdote 
of Franklin frequently pressed on his recollection. A_blunt sea- 
faring demanded from Franklin; or in his presence, what 
had been done for the advantage: or security of sailors by any 
landsman. At least, replied Franklin, you must admit that a 
_landsman had discovered the most useful art of navigation. It 
was not only at sea that the practical value of this splendid dis- 
covery respecting hurricanes would develop itself in enabling the 
sailor to escape its violence, instead of running ignorantly into 
the very jaws of destruction, by attempting torun away; but 
even on land, it would suggest invaluable hints for the secur- 
ing of life and property. One or two circumstances connected 
Vou. XXXY. —No. 2. 
