10 



in the design or finish of instruments. When once an instru- 

 ment has come into general use a long period of preparation 

 is necessary before the introduction of an improved form 

 can be recommended. Consequently the cooperation of 

 instrument makers with the Society is necessary for the 

 satisfactory development of the Science. The Journal of 

 the Society shows that attention has been given to standardis- 

 ing rain-gauges and thermometer screens, and to the improve- 

 ment of anemometers, sunshine-recorders, and instruments 

 determining the minor fluctuations of atmospheric pressure, 

 &c. There is still scope for further development by the 

 instrument makers, notably in the direction of recording 

 apparatus for night observations. It is hoped that every 

 endeavour will be made to satisfy requirements in this 

 respect. Within recent years meteorology has entered upon 

 a new sphere in the investigation of the upper air. The 

 instruments for these researches are at present made, for 

 the most part, at the observatories where the work is under- 

 taken, and have not yet taken their place with the instrument 

 makers. 



A system of Phenological Observations was establisned 

 in 1875, and annual reports, extending over more than 

 40 years, have been published in the Journal. 



The Quarterly Journal has been issued in its present form 

 since 1872, and has taken a very high place among the 

 meteorological publications of the world. It contains the 

 papers read at the meetings, with the discussions, also notes, 

 correspondence, reviews and a current Meteorological Biblio- 

 graphy, which goes far to supply the want left by the 

 suspension of the issue of the Internaticnal Catalogue of 

 Scientific Literature. During the term of office of the last 

 President, Lt.-Col. H. G. Lyons, F.R.S., considerable improve- 

 ments were made in the Journal, notably in the introduction 

 of a series of illustrated articles on climatological and other 

 subjects, calculated to appeal to those Fellows to whom the 

 more mathematical side of the Science does not constitute 

 the main interest, and, to provide for these, the size of the 

 volume for 1917 was considerably increased. The largely 

 increased cost of publication under existing conditions has, 

 however, rendered it necessary to curtail the size of the 

 numbers for the present. The issue of a Journal at quarterly 

 intervals often entails considerable delay in the publication 

 of a communication after its presentation to the Society, and 

 the substitution of a monthly issue would very much enhance 

 its value. Material for such a publication exists in abund- 



