Physics 547 



Smithsonian Report were papers by Professors Espy and 

 Loomis, two of the great pioneers in meteorological investiga- 

 tion in this country. Much attention was given to the study 

 and description of American storms, and also to the devis- 

 ing of suitable instruments for meteorological observers. In 

 accordance with its traditional policy, however, the whole me- 

 teorological system, which had been developed with so much 

 care, was turned over to the War Department on the organi- 

 zation of the Signal Corps as a weather service, about twenty- 

 five years ago. The work of the Institution in furthering the 

 interests of meteorological science during the first quarter of 

 a century of its existence will be considered in another part 

 of this volume, and further reference to it here is unnecessary. 

 In the Report of 1855 is printed a "Circular Relative to 

 Earthquakes," which Professor Henry had drawn up for dis- 

 tribution after the occurrence of a shock. He submitted nine 

 questions to be answered by any one who had been disturbed 

 by it, none of them requiring any special technical knowledge. 

 He makes a single suggestion as to a " seismoscope " in ob- 

 serving that the direction of the impulse may be ascertained 

 by noting the direction in which molasses, or any viscid liquid, 

 was upthrown against the side of a bowl. Frequent commu- 

 nications descriptive of earthquake phenomena were received 

 and mostly published in the Reports, from time to time. In 

 that for 1859, one of Mallet's important papers, " On the Ob- 

 servation of Earthquake Phenomena," was published. This 

 is a well-known treatment of the subject, admirable in its day, 

 but in large measure obsolete now, especially that part of it 

 which treats of instrumental seismology. An advance along 

 that line is shown in the publication in the Report of 1870 of 

 Palmieri's description of his electro-magnetic seismograph, 

 and the rapid growth of this science is again reflected in the 

 appearance for three years, beginning in 1884, of special Re- 



