220 



EEPOKT 1887. 



The days mai-ked with an asterisk are those on which, as referred to 

 in the 'Bnllettino,' there was the greatest activity. First, I fail to see 

 that those days are the days of maximum activity, and even if they are 

 they do not appear to repeat themselves at intervals which are strictly 

 decadic. Considering that each decade is divided into three parts that 

 there should not be a near correspondence is apparently impossible. 



As residents in Japan cannot know the nature of the Italian work so 

 well as those who are carrying it on in Italy, the chief object of this 

 criticism is to gain information which may be of value in the tabulation 

 of the work which in Japan is only now commencing. Another criticism 

 which I bring forward refers to the relationship between the occurrence 

 of tremors and the movements of the barometer. In Italy it has been 

 observed that tremors are frequent and almost invariably accompany a 

 low barometer. These tremors are known as haw-seismic movements, 

 while those which occur during periods of high pressure are called vulcano- 

 seismic movements. From an examination of a large series of the Italian 

 maps it appears that there is a more general relationship between the 

 occurrence of earth-tremors and atmospheric fluctuations than that which 

 is implied in the name baro-seismic. The new law which I venture to put 

 forward is that tremors are at a maximum in the Italian, Peninsula tuhen 

 the barometrical gradient is steep, no matter whether the barometer is high or 

 whether it is low. 



