Il6 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 



The Astronomer-Royal has expressed his desire that the 

 discovery may be rendered available by suitable expe- 

 ditions. ' Every series of observations,' he remarks, 

 ' which can really be brought to bear upon this im- 

 portant determination will be valuable.' Therefore, for 

 this reason alone, and even if the reputation of England 

 in the matter of arctic travel were altogether worthless, 

 it would be well that efforts should quickly be made 

 to prepare crews and commanders for the work of 1874, 

 by ' sending them to school,' as Commander Davis ex- 

 pressed it, ( in the arctic seas.' 



(From St. Paul's, June 1869.) 



IS THE GULF STREAM A MYTH? 



THE Gulf Stream has recently attracted a large share 

 of the attention of our men of science. The abnormal 

 character of the weather which we experienced last 

 winter has had something to do with this. The in- 

 fluence of the Gulf Stream upon our climate, and the 

 special influence which it is assumed to exercise in miti- 

 gating the severity of our winters, have been so long 

 recognised that meteorologists began to enquire what 

 changes could be supposed to have taken place in the 

 great current to account for so remarkable a winter as 

 the last. But it happened also that at a meeting of the 

 Royal Geographical Society early in the present year 

 the very existence of the Gulf Stream was called in 

 question, just when meteorologists were disposed to 



