PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. Ixxxi. 



certainty the cause of these phenomena, the science of their 

 observation has made great progress, so that this earthquake 

 was recorded at Edinburgh, Paris, and Gottingen. Observa- 

 tions tend to show that the earth's axis is displaced by the 

 greater earthquakes to an average extent of "00275 of a second 

 of arc, which somewhat interferes with astronomical calculations 

 of its position at any past or future epoch for geological or 

 archaeological purposes. 



METEOROLOGY. 



Our knowledge of the upper strata of our atmosphere is 

 undergoing very important modifications through experiments 

 with kites, which are sometimes attached to steamers, and have 

 been raised to a height of about 3^ miles, and also through the 

 observation of the higher clouds. It is found that at great 

 heights there exists over the equatorial regions a permanent 

 easterly wind of high velocity ; that the accepted theory of a 

 vertical circulation of the atmosphere between the tropics and 

 the poles must be abandoned, together with other conclusions. 

 It is hoped that from a better understanding of these matters, 

 together with such aids as wireless telegraphy, it may be possible 

 to produce more reliable forecasts of weather at no distant date, 

 but the subject is complicated with many difficulties. It is 

 interesting to note that, in spite of their great height and of the 

 absence, I presume, of any protection by conductors, the first 

 recorded instance of a pyramid having been struck by lightning 

 only took place on March 3ist, when several of the immense 

 stones near the top of the second pyramid of Ghizeh were 

 dislodged. It is much to be regretted that the Ben Nevis 

 Observatory has had to be closed for financial reasons, though 

 it had done much valuable work. 



ELECTRICITY. 



Electrical science continues to make great strides, and it is 

 now possible to send photographs by electricity, though the time 



