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NATURE 
[ Dec. 2, 1869 
provision, such as it is, not merely fails as to system and 
quality, but that, as to extent and quantity, “zt zs far from 
sufficient for the vigorous prosecution of Physical Research.” 
Now, the opinions of men like these, so clearly and 
strongly expressed, must have carried great weight, what- 
ever recommendations they might have founded on them ; 
but when we consider their recommendation our faith in 
the soundness of their advice receives a strong accession. 
They do not say, as they might have done,—Establish 
such institutions, abolish others, alter the constitution of 
some, create great scientific offices, elevate the condition 
of scientific men, form us into a body for setting everything 
to rights, ourselves included. No; with an impartiality 
that does them honour, they say,—Place this matter before 
the highest tribunal known to our constitution for the 
deciding of such questions—before men selected for their 
high station and unquestionable independence; let all 
branches of science come in succession under their 
scrutiny ; let the truth appear openly before the world 
without a possibility that an imputation of partiality and 
favouritism, which might attach to ow decision, should 
cast a shade over their proceedings and their judgment 
and so damage the cause. 
If we next consider the composition of the Council of 
the British Association, we shall feel the most positive 
assurance that a Report coming to them from so strong a 
Committee will be considered with the utmost care. For 
our own part we cannot feel doubtful of the result. But 
the question whether or not the Government shall be 
asked for a Royal Commission on Science is at this 
moment in their hands, and having said this we have 
brought down the history of the movement to the present 
moment. 
A few words in conclusion. This is precisely one of 
those subjects which is liable to be dealt with in detail 
by minds before which it is definitely presented for the 
first, time. Let us, therefore, indicate briefly the main 
questions, the discussion of which is, in the present stage 
of the matter, desirable. ‘These are: First, does scientific 
investigation labour in England under disabilities and 
disadvantanges for want of the necessary funds and 
material appliances ? Secondly, on what principles should 
the State assist scientific exertion ; are these principles 
settled and acknowledged; and are they acted on? 
Thirdly, if the answers to these questions be, as we may 
almost assume they will be, unfavourable, is there any 
chance that piecemeal rectification will suffice to correct 
existing evils, or must we go to the root of the matter with 
the help of a Royal Commission ? 
When these questions are settled, it will be time to go 
more into details—but not before. 
PHYSICAL METEOROLOGY 
II.— SUGGESTIONS 
aN the end of a previous article, I ventured to say I 
should make some suggestions touching a method by 
which I think meteorology might perhaps be made a branch 
of physical inquiry. In doing so, I will borrow the thought, 
and very many of the words which were brought before 
the Exeter meeting of the British Association. And fur- 
thermore, no allusion will be made in the present article 
to the elements of pressure and temperature. 
With respect to the motion of our atmosphere, it 
cannot be anticipated that we shall ever possess the same 
complete knowledge which astronomy gives us of the 
motion of the heavenly bodies; for in the latter case 
the identity of the object is not lost sight of, while in the 
former case it is clearly impossible to ascertain the motions 
of individual particles of air. Our inquiries into the 
distribution and motion of the elements of our atmosphere 
must, therefore, be pursued by that method which enables 
us to ascertain the distribution and motion of any other 
substance or product with the individual components of 
which we find it impracticable to deal. 
Suppose, for instance, we wish ,to ascertain the wealth 
of our country in grain or in spirits, and the distribution 
of this commodity over the earth’s surface. We should 
first of all begin by taking the stock of the commodity 
corresponding to a given date; we should next keep a 
strict account of all the imports and exports of the mate- 
rial, as well as of its home production and home con- 
sumption. 
Now, if we have taken stock properly at first, and if our 
account of the imports, the exports, the production, and 
the consumption of our material is accurate and properly 
kept, it will obviously be unnecessary to take stock a 
second time. But if these accounts are not kept with 
sufficient accuracy, or if we suspect that our material 
leaves us by some secret channel which we wish to trace, 
it will clearly be necessary to take stock frequently ; and 
thus a comparison of our various accounts may enable us 
to detect the place and circumstances of that secret transit 
which has hitherto escaped our observation. 
Applying these principles to the vapour of our atmo- 
sphere, what we wish to know is the amount of this 
material present at any one station at any moment, and 
also the laws of its motion. It would appear that the best 
way of measuring the amount present at any moment is 
by ascertaining the mass of vapour present in a cbic foot 
of air, mass and yolume being fundamental physical 
conceptions. 
Next, with regard to the motion of the atmosphere, in- 
cluding its vaporous constituent, the method of co- 
ordinates suggested by Dr. Robinson would appear to 
be the natural way of arriving at this. Let us set up 
at a station two imaginary apertures (strictly imaginary, 
of course), one facing north and south and the other 
east and west, and gauge the mass of dry air and the 
mass of moisture that passes each of these openings 
in one hour; we shall by this means get the nearest at- 
tainable approach to the elements of motion of the atmo- 
spheric constituents from hour to hour. We shall not, 
however, obtain by this means a complete account of this 
motion, for we have at present no means of measuring its 
vertical component. This vertical component corresponds 
in fact to the secret channel in the illustration given above, 
which we must endeavour to detect by some indirect 
method. Another thing that ought to be determined is 
the production or consumption of the vaporous element of 
our atmosphere as it passes from place to place. This 
might be done could we keep an accurate account of the 
evaporation and the precipitation, the two processes by 
which this element is recruited and consumed. This 
would, however, be a very difficult observation. 
Let us now recapitulate what information regarding 
moisture we can obtain from such complete meteorological 
