On Storms and Meteorological Observations. 367 



from different journals a number of notes on the very remarkable 

 meteorological phenomena of the last summer, and hoped to be able 

 to draw from them some conclusions in regard to the general progress 

 of the season. But on comparing them, I find the inferences I ex- 

 pected to make are not quite certain. It is however worthy of par- 

 ticular remark, that the month of July was, not only in Germany and 

 France but as far south as Naples, rainy, changeable and cold ; whilst 

 in Russia, Norway, part of Sweden and the North Sea, it was dry 

 and warm. In America, it must have been cold in the northern part 

 of the United States and hot at the south. These however are only 

 some general conclusions, to be drawn from the comparisons just 

 mentioned. 



"If it were possible to collect meteorological statements somewhat 

 more exact, (were it only for the continent of Europe,) it is probable 

 that very interesting consequences might be deduced from them. If 

 we could, for example, color maps of Europe for each of the three 

 hundred and sixty five days of the year, according to the aspect of 

 the heavens on each day, we should discover at a glance, the bounda- 

 ries of a great stormy cloud which covered Germany and France 

 during the whole of the month of July. We should see whether 

 the limits of this cloud were extended gradually towards the north, 

 or whether new clouds were formed suddenly in the different lati- 

 tudes and longitudes, and whether whole kingdoms were covered by 

 them. 



"Whatever absurdity some persons may find in the idea of these 

 colored maps, representing the atmospherical changes, I believe 

 nevertheless that it is worthy of being carried into execution. It is 

 at least certain that three hundred and sixty five small maps of Eu- 

 rope, colored to represent in one place a blue sky, in another clouds, 

 whether light, or massy, or rain, with little arrows at each place of 

 observation to denote the direction of the wind, if we were to connect 

 with them some definite indications of the temperature, would com- 

 municate more pleasure and instruction than the most extensive me- 

 teorological tables. • 



"For making a trial in accordance with these ideas, it would be 

 necessary to procure the observations of fifty or sixty different sta- 

 tions, scattered over the region between the Pyrenees and the Ural 

 Mountains. Although this distribution would leave many points un- 

 determined, we should nevertheless obtain something alto2;ether new. 

 If you could contribute something towards furnishing me with regis- 

 ters of observations after this plan, I would willingly take upon my- 



