1865.] on the Meteorological Department. 315 



reached Italy, and been found to correspond with the accounts subse- 

 quently received from Italian Mediterranean ports. 



"A few stations, say six, distributed at nearly equal distances in a 

 meridional direction from the south of England to the north of Scotland, 

 furnished with self-recording instruments supplied from and duly verified 

 at one of the stations regarded as a central station, and exhibiting a con- 

 tinuous record of the temperature, pressure, electric, and hygrometric state 

 of the atmosphere, and of the force and direction of the wind might 

 perhaps be sufficient to supply authoritative knowledge of those peculia- 

 rities in the meteorology of our country which would be viewed as of 

 the most importance to other countries, and would at the same time form 

 authentic points of reference for the use of our own meteorologists. The 

 scientific progress of meteorology from this time forward requires indeed 

 such continuous records, first, for the sake of the knowledge which they 

 alone can effectively supply, and next, for comparison with the results of 

 independent observation not continuous. The actual photograms, or other 

 mechanical representations, transmitted weekly by post to the central 

 station would constitute a lithographed page for each day in the year, com- 

 prehending the phenomena at all the six stations, each separate curve 

 admitting of exact measurement from its own base-line, the precise value 

 of which might in every case be specified. 



" The President and Council suggest that the Observatory of the British 

 Association at Kew might, with much propriety and public advantage, be 

 adopted as the central meteorological station. It already possesses the 

 principal self-recording instruments, and the greater part of them have 

 been in constant use there for many months. There will be no difficulty 

 in obtaining, through the intervention of the Committee of Management, 

 similar instruments for the affiliated meteorological stations, and in arrang- 

 ing for their verification and comparison with the Kew standards, as well as 

 in giving to those in whose hands they may be placed such instructions as 

 may ensure uniformity of operation. The records from the other stations 

 may be received at Kew by post weekly, or more frequently if required, and 

 may be at once arranged for such form of publication as may be % most 

 approved. It seems expedient that, if practicable, the stations which 

 should be selected to act in concert and cooperation with Kew should be 

 in localities where some permanent establishment of a scientific character 

 exists, and where a certain amount of supervision may be secured. In 

 this view the President and Council would suggest, as eligible, the follow- 

 ing chain of stations, commencing from the south, viz. : 



o * 



Falmouth Polytechnic Institution Lat. 50 9 



Kew Observatory of the British Association .... 51 28 

 Stonyhurst The College, which has already a mag- 



netical and meteorological observatory 53 



Armagh Observatory 54 21 



VOL. xiv. 2 A 



