330 OUtuary Notices of Fellows deceased. 



The first self-registering anemometer and rain-gauge, made by 

 Mr. Osier in 1835, was erected at the Philosophical Institution, 

 Cannon Street, Birmingham, and a description of its work, illustrated 

 with records obtained from it, was published in the annual report of 

 the Institution for 1836. 



Although Mr. Osier has of late years been chiefly known through 

 the connection of his name with the self-registering anemometer, he 

 took a large and active part in the introduction of a new era in the 

 Science of Meteorology, and read numerous papers before the British 

 Association on this subject. 



From the time when he first introduced the principle of obtaining 

 continuous graphic records of the direction and pressure of the wind, 

 and of the rainfall, these methods of recording atmospheric changes 

 became universally adopted, and every possible help and information 

 was given by Mr. Osier to anyone desiring to construct instruments on 

 his model. 



In the course of the next few years anemometers of this type were 

 installed at \ the Greenwich Observatory, where it has been in use 

 since 1841 ; at the Royal Exchange, London ; at Plymouth, under the 

 charge of Sir William Snow Harris ; at Inverness, under the charge of 

 Sir David Brewster ; at Liverpool, under the charge of Mr. Hartnup ; 

 and at many other stations at home and abroad. 



During succeeding years Mr. Osier expended much labour and time 

 in tabulating and working out results from observations taken at 

 various stations where his instruments were fixed. He showed great 

 ingenuity and resource in his methods of graphically depicting results 

 in such ways as would enable the eye easily to detect the characteristic 

 features, and to compare the observations of the various stations. 



His first paper was read before the British Association in 1837, 

 when he briefly described the working of the combined anemometer 

 and rain-gauge. At the same meeting Prof. Whewell's anemometer, 

 recording the total mileage and direction of the wind, was described 

 by Mr. Southwood. Prof. Whewell's instrument was the forerunner 

 of Dr. Eobinson's famous revolving-cup anemometer for measuring the 

 wind mileage, which was shown on dials as in a gas meter. 



This method of measuring the horizontal motion of the air by means 

 of revolving hemispherical cups, on the principle worked out by 

 Dr. Eobinson, soon came into general use, and Mr. Osier adopted it 

 as an addition to his pressure anemometer, by making the cup shaft, 

 geared down to a low speed, propel a ribbon of paper, which was 

 punctuated at equal intervals of time by a hammer driven by the 

 clock, thus obtaining mean hourly velocities as well as total mileage 

 of the wind. 



