Sept. 7, 1876J 



NATURE 



389 



the place of a French town, the Prefectithought it his 

 duty to report the circumstance along with the state of 

 the barometer and thermometer to his official superiors. 

 Doubtless both dry and wet bulbs were accurately re- 

 corded. But I shrewdly suspect there are other nations 

 besides the French who attach inordinate importance to 

 the reading of dry and wet bulbs. 



This confusion of mind arises doubtless from the state 

 in which the science has been for more than a century — 

 since the time when the ignis fatims and the fall of an 

 aerolite were grouped together as allied phenomena. 



Leaving these times of extreme ignorance — the 

 meteorologically dark ages — we next come to a period 

 when our whole duty to meteorology was considered to 

 be fulfilled by attaching observers of the barometer and 

 thermometer to Royal Societies and Astronomical Insti- 

 tutions. These produced results, which were reduced 

 after a mechanical and strictly statistical method, and 

 then— put aside in a drawer. But we begin to perceive 

 things more clearly now ; we see that the duty we owe to 

 the phenomena is to form them into a science, and that 

 the last-mentioned method might have been pursued to 

 the end of the world without leading to anything like a 

 true science of meteorology. To take an extreme case, it 

 would have been just as useful to tabulate the number of 

 leaves that fall in autumn or the number of swallows 

 observable in a day of summer. What then, it may be 

 asked, are we to deal with .? We reply that if we are to 

 regard this subject as a science at all, we have here to deal 

 with the action of external bodies upon the earth's enve- 

 lopes, along with certain reactions of these envelopes upon 

 each other. It will next be asked, How are we to deal 

 with the subject ? 



In the first place, there ought, of course, to be a well- 

 considered system of observations, which should be inter- 

 nationalised (if we may use the expression) as much as 

 possible, so that each observation should be current coin 

 over the largest possible area. 



In the next place there must, of course, be a method 

 of testing the accuracy of the observations. Lastly 

 (and this is a point of the greatest possible importance), 

 the individual observations ought to be thrown open to 

 men of science in general, who should be encouraged and 

 aided to utilise them to the greatest possible extent. 

 Such continuous observations would thus lead to what 

 may be called sporadic researches — that is to say, to re- 

 searches not of the nature of ordinary reductions, and 

 originating with men of science having free access to the 

 observations and generously aided in their inquiries. It is 

 only by this means that the edifice of a true science of 

 meteorology can ever be erected, and then only stone by 

 stone on the foundation of accurate observation. 



Taking our present knowledge, let us see what sporadic 

 researches naturally suggest themselves. For this pur- 

 pose we may divide the subject into three parts — one 

 embracing pure meteorology, another terrestrial magnet- 

 ism, while a third has reference to the influence of the 

 sun and moon upon terrestrial conditions. 



In meteorology we should endeavour to obtain a clear 

 and complete knowledge of the physical motions of the 

 earth's atmosphere and liquid envelope, as well as of the 

 various physical states of aqueous vapour existing in the 

 air. Secondly, we should investigate the cyclical changes 



of these motions, and inquire into the causes of such 

 changes. Thirdly, we should endeavour to utilise our 

 knowledge, once obtained, in improving our power of pre- 

 dicting weather. In magnetism we should endeavour, by 

 the help of observations already accumulated, to ascertain 

 the causes of the changes which take place in the mag- 

 netism of the earth ; and also to ascertain what is the 

 nature of the connection between magnetism and mete- 

 orology. We should also investigate into the probable 

 cause of the earth's magnetic polarity, and, lastly, ascer- 

 tain whether a method of predicting meteorological changes 

 may not be furnished by magnetism. 



Thirdly and lastly, with respect to solar and lunar re- 

 searches, we must ascertain the various periods and sub- 

 periods of sun-spot frequency, and of the frequency or 

 solar faculas and prominences. 



We have then to investigate the causes and concomi- 

 tants of these solar phenomena. It is well known that 

 disturbances of the magnetism and meteorology of the 

 earth are their concomitants. Well — we must try to find 

 out whether such disturbances are caused by the solar 

 outbreaks, or whether both are effects due to some common 

 but unknown cause. Then, with regard to the moon, it 

 will be necessary to investigate fully the nature of her 

 action on meteorology and magnetism, and to ascertain 

 whether this action is independent, or has reference to the 

 position of the sun and to the state of his surface. 



It ought here to be mentioned that the above list 

 embraces only those prominent researches that have 

 occurred to the writer of these remarks, and that if ob- 

 servations be thrown open and research encouraged, the 

 dimensions of such a list would be almost indefinitely in- 

 creased. And I will here repeat that it is only by carrying 

 out such researches as those suggested that we can 

 ever hope to raise meteorology to the rank of a true 

 science. 



It is well understood that the carrying out of such 

 researches has formed no essential part of the ditties 

 discharged by the existing Meteorological Committee, 

 and that as a matter of fact (with few exceptions) such 

 researches have not been undertaken by them in the 

 past. 



Thus, whether or not the importance of such researches 

 was in the minds of those statesmen who subsidised the 

 present system, these inquiries have not yet been carried 

 out, nor do we conceive that they could well be carried out 

 by the existing machinery. 



The Committee have, as a preliminary measure, directed 

 their strength, perhaps wisely, to the accumulation of good 

 observations, in other words, to laying the foundation 

 of a future science, rather than to erecting the super- 

 structure. 



It remains to be considered whether any change in the 

 present method of administration is absolutely necessary 

 before research can receive due attention. We assume 

 that the present meteorological system, of the country is 

 known to our readers : we may briefly state that this 

 system is controlled by a committee consisting of eight 

 unpaid members of the Royal Society, all of whom are 

 eminent in science, although not all eminent in meteoro- 

 \o^\ This is sufficiently accounted for by reason of our 

 statement, that there is not yet a true schogl or science of 

 meteorology. 



