606 
NATURE 
[| Apral 27, 1882 
he Atlantic, the general character of the weather of any 
coming season may be foretold. 
The following statement has been issued from the 
Meteorological Office, London :-— 
“The Meteorological Council propose to undertake the 
preparation of daily weather charts of the North Atlantic 
Ocean ror the thirteen months beginning on August 1 in | 
he present year, and ending on August 31, 1883. 
“Tt is well known that the changes of weather which 
we experience are in general caused by atmospheric dis- 
turbances, which travel more or less rapidly, and undergo 
more or less modification during their progress. By tar 
the larger number of the disturbances which visit the 
British Islands arrive on our shores from the Atlantic 
Ocean, and our earliest information as to any impending 
change is consequently derived from telegraphic reports 
from the Atlantic coasts, especially from the British 
stations at Stornoway, Mullaghmore, and Valentia, and 
occasionally from the Continental observatories at Roch- 
fort and Corunna. But of the origin and previous history 
of these systems we have no sufficient knowledge, except 
in a few isolated cases. 
“The Meteorological Council believe that any syste- 
matic information which can be obtained as to the origin 
development, and laws of motion of the atmospheric dis- 
turbances which occur over the Atlantic Ocean would 
promote the science of meteorology and be of immediate 
benefit to seamen traversing the Atlantic Ocean, and 
would tend directly to the improvement of the forecasts 
and storm warnings issued to the British coasts, by ren- | 
dering the interpretation of the first indications of ap- 
proaching changes observed at the western meteorological 
stations more easy and certain. 
“The importance of a systematic study of the weather 
of the North Atlantic Ocean bas long been recognised, 
and series of daily synoptic charts, more or less re- 
sembling those now in contemplation, have been prepared | 
at various times, not only by the Meteorological Office, 
but also by the Association Scientifique de France under 
the guidance of Leverrier, by Capt. Hoffmeyer, of the 
Danish Meteorological Institute, by the Deutsche See- 
warte, at Hamburg, and (as a part of a wider plan) by 
the Chief Signal Office of the United States. But none 
of these charts, however valuable in other respects, 
supply adequate materials for a satisfactory discussion of 
Atlantic weather, chiefly on account of the small number 
of the observations upon which they are founded as com- 
pared with the magnitude of the area over which they are 
spread. 
““ Evidence of the interest attaching to the connection 
between English and Atlantic weather is afforded by the 
efforts which have been made during the last few years 
by the proprietors of the New York Herald to transmit 
to England from America telegraphic predictions of ap- 
proaching disturbances, which (it is presumed) are founded 
on the reports of vessels arriving in America from the 
Atlantic Ocean. Reports such as these from a large 
number of vessels would be of great value ; but the pre- 
dictions taken by themselves cannot be utilised in a 
scientific investigation of weather. 
“The Meteorological Council gratefully acknowledge the | 
lar i : ybi , have hi | : : 
rge measure of invaluable help which they have hitherto | Russia, and whether it would be safe to add them to the 
received from seamen and the shipping interest generally. 
But as the object now proposed can only be achieved by 
the voluntary cooperation of an increased number of ob- 
servers, they feel justified in making a special appeal for 
assistance to the owners, captains, and officers of ships, 
and especially to the great companies whose steamers ply 
between this country and America. 
) In a science which, | 
like meteorology, is still in its infancy, every advance is | 
attended with great difficulties, and the Council are well | 
aware that it would be easy to be too sanguine as to the | 
importance of the results to be obtained by the inquiry | 
which they are about to undertake. But having regard 
| bas arisen at the Exhibition. 
to the loss of life and property occasioned by storms on 
our coasts,' they feel confident that their proposal will 
commend itself to the public generally, and will insure the 
active co-operation of those classes of the community for 
whose benefit it is primarily intended. 
“Tt is proposed to ask for observations of the baro- 
meter, of open air and sea-surface temperatures, wind 
(direction and force) and weather at 8 a.m. and noon 
each day, with the position of the ship at noon. 
“Forms for recording the observations will be sup- 
plied by the Meteorological Office, 116, Victoria Street, 
London, S.W., on application to the Marine Superin- 
tendent.” 
PISCICULTURE IN THE EDINBURGH 
FISHERY EXHIBITION 
T was a happy thought of the promoters of the Fishery 
Exhibition to secure the Aquarium for the use ot 
their visitors. Although it is on a small scale, it adds 
largely to the amenities of the exposition, and must prove 
anovel sight to many inland visitors. At most of the 
French fishery exhibitions, and at Arcachon in particular, 
an aquarium proved one of the greatest of the many 
| attractions provided for the thousands who came to the 
chalet which contained the general exhibits. It must be 
confessed, however, that the French made more use of 
their aquarium than the directors of the Edinburgh 
Exhibition seem inclined to do—we miss some of the 
wonders of the deep in the shape of ‘fancy fishes,’ 
which we think might have been included in the present 
‘““show.”? There is one exhibit, however, which helps to 
make up for numerous deficiencies; we allude to entry 
No. 23 in the Catalogue, which is as follows :— 
Mucynski, Constantine, St, Petersburg. 
10,000 live fry of the species Coregonus Bacri (Sigue), 
sent from St. Petersturg to this Exhibition (see in 
Aquarium). 
There is much more in this simple entry than all at 
once meets the mind’s eye. The fact of these young fish 
being in Edinburgh signifies a piscicultural feat of great 
importance. That impregnated fish eggs can be, and 
have been forwarded to great distances we know, but, as 
regards young fish, it has hitherto been a pretty general 
opinion that it would not be safe to send them a journey 
that. would occupy a longer period than from twenty to 
thirty hours. Now we are disillusioned as to that : in the 
Waverley Hall, at Edinburgh, we see ten thousand young 
fish in a healthy and lively state, that have come from a 
place which is two thousand miles distant. The problem 
of supplying these young fish with air during their long 
journey was solved in a very simple way, a glass tube of 
| smal] diameter being inserted in the cork, whilst the 
shape of the great bottle (a carboy ?) in which the n:h 
travelled, insured the constant motion of the water. At 
all events, in whatever way this feat was accomplished, 
the young fish arrived in safety, the percentage of deaths 
being of no consequence—not 3 per cent., we believe. 
In connection with this Russian gift, a vexed question 
Put in simple form, it is, 
Now that we have got these fish, what use can we make 
of them? Itis quite clear that we cannot return them to 
stock of any of our lochs has given rise to much contro- 
versy. It was first of all proposed to place them in Loch- 
* The wreck return published by the Board of Trade for the year ending 
June 30, 1880 (C. 2¢06) (the last published), gives on p. 20 the following list 
of casualties on cur coasts attributable to causes connected with the 
weather :— 
Total Serious Minor 
Losses. Casualties. Casualties. 
GO isee ° 
Total. 
/Founderings ... 16 
1879-20) Strandings 81 178 365 
(Other cause ° 105 405 510 
Totals for 1879-80 97 213 581 80x gross total 
” 1878-79 121 227 761 1,109 93 
1877 78 138 289 «. 1,002 1,429 . 
1876-77 180 367 1,258 1,805 > 
