Jan. 26, 1883.] 



KNO\A^LEDGE 



53 



H. the history of the wcatlier from sunrise to 9 or 10 

 p.m. within the horizon of chimney-pots visible to me 

 during that time. When IL omits tlie wind, it agreed with 

 the prediction. I cannot tell what II. may have been for 

 other parts of ' England, S. (London and Channel) ; ' but 

 a writer from Southsea in the Tiiiicn of to-day does not 

 seem to have found much more of fulfilled prophecy there 

 of late than we have liere : — 



"Dec. 18. 'Wind strong to a gale, cold rain and snow.' 

 H. — The finest and warmest day for a fortnight; quite 

 still ; a little fog. 



" Dee. 19. ' South-east breezes, light to calm, colder, clear 

 in some places, foggy in others ; ' which means in each place 

 ' either clear or foggy ' — a very safe prophecy. H. — No 

 colder ; fine, but rather foggy, no breezes. 



" Dec. 20. ' Variable airs or calms ' (safe again) ; 

 ' ^°88y generally and cooler.' H. — Rather warmer ; some 

 fog. 



"Dec. 21. 'South-west winds, freshening; cloudy, some 

 rain.' H. — Very fine nearly all day ; a few drops of rain; 

 no wind. 



" Dec. 22. ' West to south-west, moderate to fresh or 

 strong ; fine and cold at first, afterwards cloudy and un- 

 settled, with some rain.' H. — No wind, no clouds, no rain, 

 no change all day. 



" Dec. 23. ' West to north-west, light to moderate or 

 fresh, cloudy, unsettled ; some cold showers.' H. — No 

 showers, a little wind ; fine ; a few clouds. 



" Dec. 25. ' South-west to west, light and moderate ; 

 cloudy generally, with some slight rain ; milder.' H. — 

 Milder and warm ; rain from 10.30 to 3 : no wind. 



" Dec. 2G. ' South-west and north-west, strong, very 

 changeable and unsettled, with rain.' H. — Still, dull, 

 very warm, rain early and late. 



"Dec. 27. 'South-west and west, fresh, rain at times.' 

 H. — Very warm and rainy. 



" Dec. 2S. ' South-west, strong, squally, perhaps a gale, 

 rainy, mild.' H. — No rain, a little wind, warm and fine 

 day. 



" Dec. 29. ' Strong south-west gales, subsequently lulling, 

 very squally, much rain.' H. — No rain enough to wet 

 flags, no squalls, a little wind. 



'■ Dec. .30. ' West to north-west or north, decidedly 

 colder, and perhaps some cold showers.' H. — No north 

 •wind, no colder, rain nearly all day. 



"Jan. 1. 'South-west and west, freshening, dull, close 

 and wet' H. — Damp, warm, slight rain occasionally, no 

 freshening. 



" Jan. 2. ' South-west and west, strong, cloudy, un- 

 settled, rain at times.' H. — Fine till evening and colder, 

 then rain ; windy night. 



" Jan. 3. ' West to north-west gales, moderating later, 

 fair on the whole, but some showers ; colder.' H.— North- 

 west ; still, cloudy, dark, no rain, no colder sensibly. 



" Jan. 4. ' Variable airs, finally east or south-east, cold 

 and foggy.' H. — South-east early, south-west late ; not 

 foggy, but dull, rather colder. 



" Jan. .5. ' South-east and south, light or moderate, 

 •doudy generally, somo rain.' H. — South-west ; fair morn- 

 ing, rain afternoon. 



■" Jan. 6. ' Light variable breezes, cloudy generally, 

 with some fog; colder.' IL — Fine and sunny till afternoon; 

 colder. 



" Jan. 8. ' Freshening ; east winds and dry weather ; 

 clear at times.' H. — Fine till evening, and then rain and 

 warmer ; little wind. 



" Jan. 9. ' East and north-east, strong to a gale ; cold 

 showers at timea' H. — No showers till late ; windy. 



" Jan. 10. ' South and south-west, milder, changeable, 

 clear to showery.' H. — Wind east, cold and dull, a few 

 drops of rain. 



"Jan. 11. 'Wind veering to south and .south-west, 

 milder, rain at times, with bright intervals.' H. — Wind 

 east, dull all day, cold, no rain. 



"Jan. 12. ' Wind veering to south or south-east, with 

 still milder weather and clearer sky.' IL — Wind east, 

 dull, not quite so cold. 



"Jan. 13. ' South-east breezes, moderate or light; dull, 

 foggy in many places.' H. — Wind east, a little rain, dull 

 I)ut no fog ; rather warmer. 



" I wrote this yesterday, intending to close the catalogue 

 with the month, but 1 cannot help noticing the announce- 

 ment of the secretary of the prophetic office this morning, 

 that 'no definite forecasts are possiVile' to-day. I had 

 written befori> that I was only sorry for the Government 

 Zadkiel bein;,' expected to perform impossibilities, beyond 

 proving that science knows less about the weather than 

 many an old gardener or seaman. But I must not say 

 that to philosophers who declare by this announcement 

 that ' definite forecasting ' is generally possible. Well, 

 then, if it is, what have they to say to this catalogue of 

 their successes 1 I see ' Old !Mooro ' has given up the 

 weather and sticks to politics and general mundane affairs 

 as the more certain things to prophesy. I have not seen 

 this year's real Zadkiel. I hope he is not dead, like the 

 partridge who was killed by Swift. -^ Yours obediently, 



"33, Queen Anne-street, ./a«. lo. "Edm. Beckett." 



GREAT SUN SPOTS. 



TTTHATEVER success science may have, or fail to have, 

 V T in predicting terrestrial weather, there can be no 

 doubt astronomers have learnt to predict w ith considerable 

 correctness the occurrence of the mighty solar storms which 

 produce what are called sun spots. They cannot yet say 

 that on such and such a day, or even in such and such a 

 week or month, a great spot will appear ; but they can tell 

 what years will be characterised by many sun storms, and 

 what years by few, for ten or twelve years in advance. 

 The great sun spots which have been seen during 

 the last few months were predicted at least twelve 

 years ago ; and astronomy is far better assured 

 that in the years 1893 and 1891 there will be 

 many large sun spots than meteorologists are that 

 ne.vt March will probably be stormy and next June 

 relatively calm. Yet scarce half a century has passed 

 since the periodicity of sun spots began to be recognised, 

 and not a quarter of a century has passed since the theory 

 was thoroughly established. We do not even yet know 

 why these waves of sun spots pass in their long ten-yearly 

 surge over the vast surface of the sun. The Kepler of 

 the sun has done his work ; the Newton has yet to come. 

 The work of a solar Newton will be well worth doing, even 

 though he may not (as he probably will) bear somewhat 

 the same relation to Schwabe that the profound Newton 

 bears to the ingenious and laborious Kepler. 



What a problem it is that lies before astronomers when 

 we consider what sun spots really mean I The great 

 atmosphere of the sun, whose breath is llamc, is yet so 

 cool compared with his intensely glowing surface that it 

 absorbs a large proportion of his light as well as of his 

 heat. It absorbs so much that it actually changes his 

 colour. There can be no manner of doubt, from what Pro- 

 fessor Langley has shown about the aljsorptivc qualities 



