306 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 



to us from time to time by our members. On the present occasion, a dis- 

 tinguished Belgian philosopher, one of our corresponding members, (M. 

 Quetelet,) comes to us to invite us to take a part in determining, by ex- 

 tensive observations, the changes which atmospheric conditions produce 

 in periodical phenomena, — such as the times of the leafing and flowering 

 of plants, of the arrival of birds, and the like. He has obtained exten- 

 sive co-operation in his own country, and no doubt will find fellow-labor- 

 ers in ours. Meteorology, in its largest sense, is a subject, which, 

 although great collections of observations have been made, is hardly yet 

 a science : yet the interpreters of this part of the book of nature have 

 already begun to spell out some phrases, which show that the language is 

 not wholly unintelligible ; and here, therefore, we may go on hopefully, 

 recollecting always that the collection of facts is a matter of compara- 

 tively small value, except we can also trace in them some rule or order. 

 The mere gathering of raw facts may be compared to the gathering of 

 the cotton from the tree. The separate filaments must be drawn into a 

 connected thread, and the threads woven into an ample web, before it can 

 form the drapery of science. 



" We ought to have meteorological observations and observers distrib- 

 uted over the face of the globe : and even this would not be enough ; for 

 we wish to know not only what passes on the earth's surface, but through 

 the whole depth of the atmosphere ; hence it would be desirable to have 

 observations made at elevated points free from the action of the ground ; 

 such as can be attained only by the aid of balloons. Such an undertak- 

 ing has been under consideration of a committee during the past year, 

 and a report on the subject has come before the Physical Section. I 

 trust that on this subject you will soon hear more. As other subjects 

 on which we still want facts — that is, numerous and systematical collec- 

 tions of facts, and laws deduced from facts — I may mention the tides 

 of the Pacific, the velocity of sea waves, and subterraneous tempera- 

 ture. Another class of inquiries well fitted for our labors, is the deter- 

 mination of the fundamental elements, or constants^ of operations of en- 

 gineering, as the constants of railroads, steam-engines, and other works 

 of art, which form part of the wealth and resources of this great em- 

 pire. These are already under investigation. The addition of a Section 

 of Practical Mechanics and Engineering to the previous constitution of 

 the Association, which took place at Bristol, showed the interest which 

 such inquiries inspire ; and various committees have collected much 

 valuable information of this kind, and will, we trust, collect much more. 

 " There is also another Section of the Association, added to its plan 

 at Cambridge, which has for its object researches of a highly interest- 

 ing kind, — I mean the Section of Statistics ; and we trust that there is 

 ample employment for this Section, in subjects which can be dealt with 



