468 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 719 



per hour amplitude, with maxima at 10 

 A.M. and 10 P.M., the hours when the 

 ellipsoidal deformation of the spherical 

 atmosphere is passing over the locality. 



I have only dealt with one month. I 

 believe that when all the results that flow 

 from this simple statement can be put 

 before you, you will agree with me that 

 the argosy which the Meteorological Coun- 

 cil sent out in 1891 has indeed richly come 

 to harbor. 



Let me digress to say a word in illustra- 

 tion of the principle I laid down that, if 

 one would avoid waste in meteorological 

 work, the observations must be examined 

 forthwith and so far discussed that any 

 ambiguities may be cleared up. 



After some years of wear at St. Helena 

 the persistent rubbing of the southeast part 

 of the spiral metallic pencil upon the 

 metaUie paper wore away the metal and 

 left a flat place. This got so bad that the 

 instrument had to come home for repairs, 

 and when it was set up again, after a 

 year's absence, the average direction of the 

 trade wind differed by two points from the 

 averages of most, but not of all, of the 

 previous years. So far as we know, the 

 orientation has been attended to, as before, 

 and yet it is hardly possible to resist the 

 suggestion that the anemometer has been 

 set slightly differently. We are now ma- 

 king very careful inquiries from the ob- 

 server ; but, in the meantime, it seems to me 

 that there is a great opportunity for a 

 competent mathematical physicist to help 

 us. Dynamical explanations of the trade 

 winds have been given from the time of 

 Halley. Let me offer as a simple question 

 in the mathematical physics of the atmos- 

 phere whether a variation of two points in 

 the direction of the southeast trade wind 

 between the years 1903 and 1905 can be 

 regarded as real, and, if not, which of the 

 two recorded directions is the correct one? 

 It would be appropriate for me to add 



some words about the results of last year's 

 work upon the upper air, in which we have 

 had the valuable cooperation of the Uni- 

 versity of Manchester. These results have 

 disclosed a number of points of unusual 

 interest. But we are to have an oppor- 

 tunity of considering that subject in a dis- 

 cussion before the section, and I need not 

 deal with it here. I must, however, pause 

 to give expression of the thanks of all 

 meteorologists to Professor Schuster for 

 his support of the Manchester University 

 station at Glossop Moor. I may remind 

 you that this generous contribution for the 

 advancement of science on the part of Pro- 

 fessor Schuster is in addition to the 

 foundation of a readership in mathe- 

 matical physics at Manchester and a 

 readership in dynamical meteorology, now 

 held by Mr. Gold at Cambridge. 



I have said enough to show that the 

 speculative ventures of official meteoro- 

 logists are not all failures, and I will only 

 add that if any mathematician or physicist 

 would like to take his luck on a meteoro- 

 logical argosy he will be heartily welcomed. 

 Part of the work will be drudgery; he 

 must be prepared to face that; but the 

 prospects of reaching port are reasonably 

 good, so much so, indeed, that such a 

 voyage might fairly lead to a claim for one 

 of the higher academical degrees. 



Up to now I have been dealing with the 

 adjustment of official scientific work to 

 reduce waste to a minimum, in so far as it 

 lies within the control of those responsible 

 for an office. I turn now to an aspect of 

 the matter in which we require the assist- 

 ance of others, particularly of the British 

 Association. 



The most serious danger of waste in a 

 busy office is that it should carry on its 

 work without an adequate knowledge of 

 what is being done in advancing science 

 and improving methods elsewhere. I 

 speak myself for the Meteorological Office 



