; 
? 
Nov. 9, 1882 | 
The second part, which will be of still greater conse- 
quence to naturalists will be a universal index to the first 
part and to the previous nomenclators and will contain 
altogether about 80,000 references. We shall thus shortly 
have, it is to be hoped, a most useful general work upon 
this important though technical subject brought up nearly 
to the present date. 
SS 
\ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 
by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, 
or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts, 
_ Wo notice ts taken of anonymous communications, 
[The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters 
as short as possible, The pressure on his space is so great 
that it is impossible otherwise to ensure the appearance even 
of communications containing interesting and novel facts.] 
“Weather Forecasts” 
Hap the Bishop of Carlisle, in his letter in NATURE (vol. 
xxvii. p. 4), instead of extracting from the Z%mes a description 
of some results of the storm of October 24 last, quoted the 
statements as to the passage of this storm, issued in the reports 
of the Meteorological Office on October 24 and 25, his query 
concerning the failure of the weather forecasts would scarcely 
have needed reply. 
A system of six pickets is established on our extreme western 
coasts, along a line which may be roughly regarded as describing 
the third of a circle, from Stornoway in the north-west, to Brest 
in the south-west. The enemy whose movements these outposts 
are to watch, pours in upon us a series of attacks in the form of 
cyclonic disturbances, by which the weather experienced in our 
islands is affected on 63 per cent. of our days. These circula- 
tions vary indefinitely in intensity. This element, and also their 
size, figure, direction, and velocity of propagation, are in great 
measure dependent on the distributions of atmospheric pressures 
ind temperatures over a larger area than that occupied by our 
etwork of telegraphic stations. It will be enough to mention 
ere that the velocity of advance of the cyclonic centres, as also 
pf the front ares of those exterior isobars which form closed 
turves, varies from zero to about 70 English miles per hour. In 
\tormy periods like the present, the number and variability of 
he cyclonic circulations which attack us is extremely great, more 
han one per diem passing over some part of the British Isles. 
ler let it be remembered that our pickets sleep through the 
ight, or that however wakeful they may be, they have, during 
lhe night hours, no means of communication with their com- 
anding officers, Flow often a phalanx of the enemy will pass 
hese outposts so as to occupy a position fairly within our area 
im a.m., no instrumental indications having been given at 6 
.m. of the previous day—this, if treated as a question of pro- 
bilities, may be left to the Bishop of Carlisle. It is certainly 
vious that such an advance, instead of being ‘‘very strange,” 
wst at times occur, if there be no miraculous interference in 
ehalf of the Meteorological Office. At 8 a.m. on October 24, 
centre of the disturbance referred to lay over Dorset, and was 
pen moving to north-east at the rate of thirty-five miles per 
ur. Supposing the direction and velocity to have been uniform, 
ie position occupied by the centre at 6 p.m. on the 23rd would 
ve been about 180 miles north of Cape Finisterre, and, sup- 
sing the extent of the storm to have been also uniform, our out- 
sts at that hour could have received no instrumental indication 
the storm’s progress, of a character distinct enough to justify 
e Meteorological Office in the issue of warnings. As a matter 
fact the 6 p.m. observations telegraphed to the Office on the 
rd did show, as I think, no indications whatever of the 
cistence of the storm. 
|It is obvicus that the extreme velocity of the propagation of 
me of our severest storms is the element that especially renders 
Possible *‘that a storm of the first magnitude” may ‘‘come 
on us unawares.” Asa matter of fact, the velocity of propa- 
tion on October 24 was considerably above the average. But 
we refer to the charts for March 12 and 13, 1876, we find, at 
-m. on the former morning, a cyclone-centre occupying the 
cise position of that of the 24th ult., and that this disturbance 
feo to east-north-eact with a mean velocity of 62°5 miles 
r hour. 
\ 
There is a further risk, against which our system of telegraphy 
mot protect us, viz., that of a storm centre being primarily 
NATURE | 29 
developed within our area of observation during the hours when 
there is no telegraphic communication, and storms in their first stage 
of development are often the most dangerously rapid and intense. 
The telegraphic observations transmitted at 6 p.m. on October 
23 and at 8 a.m. on October 24, afford no materials for deciding 
whether this may not have been the case in the instance under 
consideration, although this question can be decided from data 
since received. On the whole, to the minds of many students of 
the subject it will appear rather ‘‘ strange” that the Office, zwzt/ 
the materials at its disposal, does not more often fail to furnish 
satisfactory warnings of the more serious of our gales. It is easy 
to say, in view of occasional failures, ‘‘ the system itself must be 
at fault :” itis stilleasier toreply, ‘‘better it!” If the country 
cares enough for the welfare of ‘‘ fishermen and others” to do 
so, let it provide the necessary funds for a system of night tele- 
grams, and if possible for a series of oceanic stations. If it does 
not, it must be content with things as they are. 
IT have been careful to speak of instrumental observations only. 
It is already well known that observations of the movements of 
the higher clouds commonly give indications of the position and 
advance of distant cyclonic systems. But it has hitherto been 
found impossible to train our observers in the difficult art of 
taking these observations. To the accomplishment of this task, 
which would greatly add to the utility of our weather-forecasts, 
some of us are now devoting ourselves with every prospect of 
success. W. CLEMENT LrEy 
Ashby Parva, Lutterworth, November 3 
P.S.—Since the above was sent to press a storm-centre has 
crossed Scotland witha velocity of about 45 miles per hour. 
Indications of its pregress were however afforded by cloud obser- 
vations at a distance of more than 800 miles in advance of the 
centre, the velocity of propagation being supposed uniform.— 
W. C. L. 
The Comet 
Your engraver has missed what I thought the most im- 
portant feature in the drawings which I made of the comet on 
the 21st inst., viz. the shadow beyond the end of the tail, of the 
length of 3 or 4 degrees, very obviously darker than the sur- 
rounding space, in which it was lost, without demarcation, 
This was expressed in my sketch by a shade of lampblack, very 
slight, to avoid exaggeration, and perhaps just sufficient to escape 
the engraver’s notice. The comet, as seen this morning, is 
diminished much in size, and still more in brightness, and the 
present moonlight much impairs its beauty and distinctness. 
C. J. B. WILLIAMS 
Villa du Rocher, Cannes, France, October 30 
NoricinG Major J. Herschel’s remark in NATURE, vol. xxvii. 
p- 5, as to the difficulty he experienced in London of observing 
the comet, apparently owing to the moonlight, I may state that 
on the morning of the same Surday to which he refers, I saw 
the comet very plainly when at Rothsay, Isle of Bute, Scotland. 
The time was between 5 and 6 a.m., and therefore before sun- 
rise. The moon was brilliant, and the whole sky wonderfully 
clear, and but few stars noticeable, on account of the moonlight, 
nevertheless, the comet showed well, extending about 20° across 
the sky due south, magnetic ; the nucleus was well defined, and 
about as bright as the stars then visible. The tail was straight, 
spreading outwards to the extremity. No glass was used in the 
observation recorded. W. J. MILLER 
Glasgow, November 3 
Ir might be interesting to some of the readers of your paper 
to know that this morning, at 5 a.m., Mr. Manning, the agent 
here for Messrs. F. and A. Swanzy, merchants, and myself, saw 
a very fine comet bearing south-east, and the tail of which was 
as long as my first finger, from tip to last joint; its head, 
bearing a little to the east, was pointing into the sea, and was 
about the height from the sea of my four fingers held at arm’s 
length ; it was very brilliant, and we seem to have seen it to 
great advantage. Unfortunately we had only a field glass to 
view it through, end being also without instruments, were unable 
to take its proper <Ititade or bearings. We were standing on 
the verandah of the house at the time, which is on the beach, 
and about forty feet above the level of the sea. 
We should be glad to know if the comet has been seen further 
