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2 0?i Certain Meteorological Coincidences. 



motions of bodies still more dense. And it would be difficult to' 

 discredit the anticipation that, one day. Meteorology is to become 

 more a science of calculation than it is at present ; and that, then^ 

 phenomena, which as yet appear arbitrary or insignificant, will be 

 recognized as elements in great normal formulae, each term of 

 which will be continually becoming more distinct and better 

 known, until, as far as finite faculties allow, we approach that 

 divine geometry of which Plato dreamed, and which cannot but 

 be prescient since it knows the structure and conditions oi exist- 



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ence and relations of all things. 



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p But, without ascending to such lofty generalities as these, it 



might perhaps be even claimed by the believers in prognostics, 

 that certain observations have been already made and discussed 

 by sceptical philosophers,* whose normal occurrence may be 

 affirmed with a high degree of probability ; and which, although 

 incapable as yet of being derived from, or bound in with, a sound 

 theory, seem fully to deserve the character of coincidences. It is 

 by such a term, not more modest than appropriate, that I prefer to 

 designate the accordances that I have observed, and which this 



paper is intended to indicate. m 



These observations and the conclusions from them are not of 

 recent origin ; although, in so far, they do not rest upon regularly 

 recorded and tabulated results. Years ago, when the enjoyment 

 of weekly half-holidays was dependent more or less upon the 

 state of the Aveather, it was of interest to me to have some means of 



prognosticating that state; and I watched and treasured npall in- 



dications which might serve to that end, until I came at last to the * 

 conclusion warranted by frequent experience, that the third day 

 before the Neio-moon regulated the weather on each quarter-day 

 of that lunation, and also characterized the general aspect of the 

 whole period. Thus, if the New-moon happened on the 26th May, 

 1824, the term-day was the 24th May ; the weather on which 24th 

 May determined what was to be on the 26th May, and on the 3d, 

 11th and 19th June, the quarter-days, respectively,of that lunation. 

 Lately, upon an accidental reference to these coincidences, in 

 conversation with certain friends who had paid much attention to 

 the subject, an interest was expressed to have this supposed rule 

 tested by some past systematic observations. Accordingly, I 

 availed of my first leisure to resort to the daily meteorological ob- 



servations at the Girard College, Philadelphia; and the accordance 

 of these with the proposed rule and the consequent probability o( 

 that rule, are all that remain to be stated here. 



These observations were made under the direction of Professor 

 Bache, now the Superintendent of the CWst Survey of ihe United 

 States ; and have, both in the character of their Director and their 

 own intrinsic evidence, all guarantee of their reliability. They ex- 



*^' *Arago: Ann. du Bureau des Longitudes^ 1833- 



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