DECEMBER 14, 1916] 
character of weather or climate, still a knowledge 
and an understanding of the principles of meteoro- 
logy will make for a general increase of efficiency. 
But since the general education of the majority 
in this country does not yet include such a know- 
ledge of the atmosphere and of the elements of 
physics and dynamics as will render meteorological 
and climatological descriptions fully intelligible, 
this introduction to modern meteorology has been 
issued by the Meteorological Office for the benefit, 
in the first instance, of those who are making use 
of meteorology in the present war. 
In calling it “The Weather-Map ” Sir Napier 
Shaw lays stress on an essential condition of 
weather-forecasting which is usually overlooked by 
those who are not conversant with its procedure, 
namely, that success depends not upon the skill 
or the long experience of a single observer, but 
upon the organised collection of information from 
as wide a circle of observers as possible, which 
can then be plotted on a map of the region. 
Similar maps prepared at intervals of a few hours 
enable the trained meteorologist to see what 
changes are taking place, and he can then draw 
his conclusions as to those which will take place 
in the near future. When this is generally known 
and more widely understood, the advantage of 
preparing forecasts at one centre will be recog- 
nised, since it provides much fuller information, 
and that on a surer basis than is possible for a 
single observer of long local experience only. But 
if the local meteorologist is provided with such 
a weather-map, he can by his knowledge of local 
conditions amplify with advantage the general 
deductions of the central institution. 
The construction of a weather-map, therefore, 
is here considered in detail. First, the weather 
at a number of stations in the British Isles and 
the North of France on the afternoon of a summer 
day last year (6 p.m., August 2, 1915) is shown 
eartographically, and similat maps show the dis- 
tribution of the winds, the temperature, and the 
pressure on the same occasion. The distribution 
of each is explained and discussed so as to lead 
up to the normal weather-map, on which all these 
factors are represented together. 
This brings us to a short reference to the se- 
quence of weather and its classification according to 
a few simple tyves of pressure distribution, and two 
examples are given of the effect of notable cyclonic 
depressions which have passed over the British 
Isles. A series of five maps represents the move- 
ment of the depression of November 12-13, I9I5, 
which gave rise to severe gales on our coasts, 
and four others enable the reader to follow the 
changes which took place in wind, weather, etc., 
as the deep depression of .December 27-28 of the 
same year passed over these islands. From the 
careful description of a weather-map here given 
anyone can obtain a clear idea of. the utilisation 
of meteorological observations for practical needs. 
But to ascertain the physical causes of the varia- 
tions which are shown upon the map, so that we 
may deal with them as events following causes, 
is the general problem of the application of the 
NO. 2459, VOL. 98] 
NATURE 
287 
sciences of dynamics and physics to the atmo- 
sphere—a problem of the highest interest, but of 
the utmost difficulty. 
The upper air and the conditions prevailing 
there are shortly described, but the reader is 
warned that in order to go further he must make 
himself acquainted with words and ideas which 
may be unfamiliar to him if he is to make intel-’ 
ligent use of the information which modern 
meteorology provides. To assist him in this a 
glossary of brief explanations of many technical 
meteorological terms and short articles on kindred 
matters is stated to be in preparation. As a 
supplement are given climatic summaries for 
London and Paris, and for Philippopolis, Babylon, 
Cairo, and Dar es Salaam as representing the 
types of climate in various theatres of war. The 
form which these take is somewhat different from 
that which is ordinarily met with in works which 
treat of climate. The extreme conditions and the 
variation of the climatic factors are more im- 
portant in military operations, etc., than the mean 
values with which the climatologist is usually 
concerned. Hence we find that the greatest and 
least recorded rainfall for each month are given, 
as well as the average number of days in each 
month on which rainfall was between certain 
fixed limits, viz. 1-5, 6-15, 16-25 mm. Simi- 
larly, besides the absolute extremes, the normal 
monthly extremes of temperature are given as in- 
dicating the range of temperature to be anticipated 
in each month; and as for rainfall, a table show- 
ing the average number of days in each month on 
which the maximum and minimum temperatures 
fall between certain limits clearly exhibits the 
march of temperature throughout the year and the 
special character of each month. 
These tables, together with a series of isoplethic 
diagrams of the mean temperature, pressure, wind, 
rainfall, and humidity at the four observa- 
tories of the Meteorological Office, should 
appeal to everyone as_ giving climatological 
information in a form peculiarly suited to prac- 
tical needs. 
This elementary introduction to meteorology 
will appeal to a much wider circle than those 
whose present duties on service require the use of 
meteorological information, for it will be found 
most useful in all schools where the daily weather- 
maps are in use as an exposition of their construc- 
tion and of their place in meteorological science. 
ie Gales 
THE ROYAL SOCIETY’S CATALOGUE OF‘ 
SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. 
Catalogue of Scientific Papers. 
Fourth Series 
(1884-1900). Compiled by the Royal Society 
of London. Vol. xv., Fitting—Hyslop. Pp. 
vi+1o12. (Cambridge: At the University 
Press, 1916.) Price 21. ros. net. 
"eHe Royal Society is to be congratulated on 
the publication of the fifteenth volume of its 
Catalogue of Scientific Papers, The first twelve 
