NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 135 



merits of the atmosphere has scarcely been commenced ; but what 

 little knowledge we possess of such movements shows that they are 

 so closely connected with some of the most important phenomena of 

 the weather, that their further investigation is certain to be attended 

 with interesting and valuable results." 



BRITISH STORMS. 



A valuable communication has been received by the British 

 Association from Admiral Fitzroy, on British Storms, in which he 

 entered into many details of recent storms, and concluded with the fol- 

 lowing interesting intelligence : — "The British Association has made 

 application to Her Majesty's Government to authorize arrangements 

 for communicating warning of storms from one part of the country 

 to the other ; and, in conclusion, I will read to you the details of 

 that arrangement which promises to be so beneficial. Arrangements 

 have been authorized by the Board of Trade (under a minute from 

 the Fresident, dated June G), in consequence of which a daily and 

 mutual interchange of certain limited meteorological information 

 •will be transmitted between London and Paris, the results of five 

 subsidiary communications to the central stations of Paris and 

 London. Authority being thus given to collect and communicate, 

 by the telegraph, particular meteorological intelligence, a commence- 

 ment may be made on the 1st of September, as the plan proposed is 

 simple and the machinery is ready. Once a day, at about nine a.m., 

 barometer and thermometer heights, state of weather, and direction 

 of wind, will be telegraphed to London from the most distant ends of 

 our longest wires, namely, Aberdeen, Berwick, Hull, Yarmouth, 

 Dover, Portsmouth, Jersey, Plymouth, Penzance, Cork, Galway, Lon- 

 donderry, and Greenock. Facts sent thus from five of these places 

 will be put into one telegram and sent to Paris immediately, when a 

 corresponding communication will be made from the Atlantic coasts 

 southward. When threatening signs are not apparent, no further 

 notice will be transmitted to or from London on that day, respecting 

 weather. But when indications are such as to wan-ant some cau- 

 tionary signal at a certain part of, or along all our coasts, the words 

 'Caution, — North' (or ' South') will be sent to some of the thirteen 

 places specified, or to all of them ; on the receipt of which a cone (or 

 triangle) will be hoisted at a staff (point up for north, down for 

 south), indicating the side whence wind may be expected. This 

 signal will be repeated along part of the coast by the coast-guard, at 

 such of their stations as may be authorized (at most of their stations, 

 flagstaff's are visible to coasters). Danger will be implied by a drum 

 (or square), a cone, and perhaps, in addition, very great danger by 

 a cone, a drum, and a second cone. (The cones and drums may be 

 made with hoops and black canvas, to collapse, without top or 

 bottom. They will be the same shape from all points of view, and 

 unlike any other signal, such as a time-ball, used ordinarily.) As 

 the coast-guard extends all along the frequented parts of our shores, 

 and as the telegraph companies are liberally willing to have instru- 



