PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. Ixxi. 



Two Commissions appointed by the International Meteoro- 

 logical Committee met in London last September to deal 

 with questions concerning International Weather Telegraphy, 

 storm warnings, and other matters. They recommended, 

 amongst other things, that all ships equipped with wireless 

 apparatus should transmit observations to certain centres at 

 Greenwich noon, and should receive in return forecasts and 

 warnings from those centres. At the British Association, 

 one of the most interesting points dealt with was the velocities 

 of wind at different heights, a considerable increase taking 

 place in the higher positions. The actual minimum rate of 

 wind occurs in September, the rate then rises rapidly to 

 December, and falls rapidly between March and June. It 

 seems rather inconsistent with these statements (which, 

 however, only apply, I believe, to the United Kingdom) to 

 state that a cyclone of unparalleled violence in Canada 

 passed over the city of Regina on July 4, and, though lasting 

 only three minutes and having a width of 300 feet, did 

 immense damage, overthrowing numerous buildings in its 

 course. Such storms have sometimes occurred in Dorset, 

 though not of such magnitude, and when they come usually 

 overthrow any trees in their course. There are references 

 to them in our volumes of Proceedings, the one I best 

 remember having taken place at Ranston, where a path was 

 literally cut through a wood, all the trees in it lying on top of 

 each other. On Mar. 23 last a very destructive tornado did 

 great damage in Nebraska and some of the central parts of 

 the United States, and was followed by the worst floods ever 

 experienced in the Ohio and Mississipi valleys, occasioning 

 great loss of life and property. In a report on extensive 

 observations of trees struck by lightning in the United States, 

 the usual belief that some kinds of trees are more likely to be 

 struck than others is not supported, the conclusion being 

 that the height and isolated position of trees render them 

 more liable, independently of their species. In Europe, oak 

 and poplar are considered more liable, and birch and beech 

 less. 



