300 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



of rain and snow for temperate Nortli America ; and besides discussing 

 the peculiarities of the different parts of the country east and west, north 

 and south, it illustrates the distribution by large and neatly made charts 

 like those of Berghaus's great work, republished in Johnston's Physical 

 Atlas. These charts are, an isothermal chart for each of the four seasons, 

 and one for the year; and the same number of "hyetal" or rain charts. 

 In addition to these there is a temperature and a hyetal chart for the 

 whole north temperate zone of the globe. The charts relating to the 

 United States are very similar .to those published in the Army and Me- 

 teorological Register in 1855, which work has been noticed in this Jour- 

 nal. They have undergone however some important modifications from 

 the collection of more recent facts ; yet of course can now only claim to 

 express the present state of knowledge on the subject. 



We have not space at this time to discuss or present the views or con- 

 clusions brought forward by the author, or to attempt any special verifi- 

 cation of his lines of temperature and rain regions. Science owes much 

 to his labors. The work is greatly in advance of any hitherto published 

 on American climatology. His descriptions and charts are full of instruc- 

 tion and go far towards enabling us to comprehend the nature of the 

 grand system of atmospheric temperature, winds and moisture. 



Mr. Blodget, besides enjoying the advantages derived from his connec- 

 tion with Dr. Coolidge in the collation and study of the army meteoro- 

 logical observations, was also for a while in charge of the meteorological 

 department in the Smithsonian Institution ; and to both of the sources 

 of facts here mentioned he is largely indebted for the means of preparing 

 this important survey of American climatology. The publishers have 

 issued the volume in excellent style and at a very low rate for a work so 

 large and so well illustrated, 



11. jExplorations in the Dacota Country in the year 1855; by Gr. K. 

 "Warren, Topographical Engineer of the Sioux Expedition, 80 pp. 8vo. 

 Washington, 1856. Exec. Doc, No. 76, 34th Congress, 1st Session. 

 The Government Explorations of the Eoclcy Mountain Slopes are adding 

 much to science as well as general geography. Lieut. Warren^s^ Re- 

 port, is mainly topographical, but gives also information on the distri- 

 bution and peculiarities of the Indians of the Dacota Country, some geo- 

 logical observations, and important meteorological tables. It closes with a 

 sketch of some of the geological and physical features of the region of the 

 Upper Missouri, with notes on its soil, vegetation, &c., by R V. Hayden.^ 



12. Maurfs Wind and Current Charts; Gales in the Atlanta* 

 Pamphlet in 4to, of 24 charts. Observatory, Washington, May 1857 

 This quarto pamphlet by Lieutenant Maury, consists of a series of charts 

 of the Xorth and South Atlantic, exhibiting by means of colors the prev- 

 alence of gales over the more stormy parts of the oceans, for each month 

 in the year. One color shows the region in which there is a gale every 

 6 days, another color every 6 to 10 lays, another every 10 to 14 days, 

 and there is a separate chart for each month and each ocean. The author 

 observes that this is the first attempt to delineate the rain regions over 

 these oceans, and that although the result has cost much labor it is neces- 

 sarily imperfect in conse^juence of the few observations as data on which 

 he has had to rely. It is an initial step in an important wort. 



