34 



-SCIENCE. 



[Vol. I., No. 2. 



patriotic and interested in the public welfare. 

 He was connected with numerous scientific 

 bodies in the eitj^ and conntrj-, and with manj' 

 abroad. Though one of the youngest mem- 

 bers of the National academj' of sciences, he 

 was one of the most effective and influential. 

 Last summer his alma mater and the Uni- 

 versity of Wisconsin honored themselves and 

 him, by conferring upon him simultaneouslj', 

 but independently, the degree of LL.D. 



Excepting his earlj' death. Dr. Draper was 

 a man fortunate in all things : in his vigorous 

 phj-sique, his delicate senses, and skilful hand ; 

 in his birth and education ; in his friendships ; 

 and esiDeciallj- in his marriage, which brought 

 him not onl3- wealth and all the happiness 

 which naturally comes with a lovely-, true- 

 hearted, and faithful wife, but also a most 

 unusual companionship and intellectual sj-m- 

 pathy in all his favorite pursuits. He was 

 fortunate in the great resources which lay at 

 his disposal, and the wisdom to manage and 

 use them well ; in the subjects he chose for 

 his researches, and the complete success he 

 invariablj' attained. 



In person he was of medium height, com- 

 pactl}- built, with a pleasing address, and keen 

 black eye which missed nothing within its 

 range. He was affectionate, noble, just, and 

 generous ; a thorough gentleman, with a quick 

 and burning contempt for all shams and mean- 

 ness ; a friend most kind, sympathetic, helpful, 

 and brotherly ; genial, wise, and witty in con- 

 versation ; clear-headed, prudent, and active 

 in business ; a man of the highest and most 

 refined intellectual tastes and qualities ; a 

 lover of art and music, and also of manlj^ 

 sports, especiallj^ the hunt ; of such manual 

 skill that no mechanic in the city could do 

 finer work than he ; in the pursuit of science, 

 able, indefatigable, indomitable, sparing nei- 

 ther time, labor, nor expense. 



His loss is lamented keenly-, not onl^- by 

 those to whom it is a personal bereavement, 

 but by every sincere lover of truth and science. 

 It must be long before another can be found of 

 such abilities, means, and versatility, to carri- 

 on his unfinished work. 



But it is violating no confidence to add that 

 his wife, who for fifteen years was his untiring 

 assistant in all his labors, who knew all his 

 plans, and thoroughly understood them too, 

 now hopes and intends to find some waj- to 

 have his work continued, to utilize the magnifi- 

 cent apparatus he had collected, and so to per- 

 petuate his memory', and keep it forever green 

 by providing for the accomplishment of his 

 most cherished purposes : — Monumentum aere 

 perennius. Charles A. Young. 



THE WEATHER IN NOVEMBER, 1882. 



The monthly weather review is one of the 

 regular publications of the United-States sig- 

 nal-service. Twentj' da3's after the close of a 

 month is allowed for the receipt of reiDorts, at 

 the expiration of which the review is made up 

 and printed. The November review is an 

 improvement over anj- of its predecessors, in 

 being stitched and furnished with a neat cover, 

 which contains the name of co-operating ob- 

 servers and of vessels whose oflScers furnish 

 marine reports, and also a list of meteorological 

 instruments, with the prices at which thej' may 

 be obtained through the signal-office. The 

 following may be mentioned as the noteworthy 

 meteorological conditions of the month : — • 



The barometric pressure was nearlj^ normal 

 when compared with the November pressure 

 of previous years. The number of minima 

 sufficientlj' well marked to allow the charting 

 of their paths is only five, an unusually' small 

 number, the average in former j-ears being 

 fourteen. Three of these depressions pursued 

 an easterlj' track over the northern portion of 

 the countrj-, and two a north-easterlj' along the 

 Gulf and Atlantic coasts. The latter were the 

 most severe storms of the month. 



The temperature was below the normal along 

 the eastern coast and from the Rocky Moun- 

 tains to the Pacific. In other portions the 

 temperature was higher than the average. 

 Frosts were frequently reported in all districts, 

 the least number being three in the South- 

 Pacific region ; while temperatures above 90° 

 F. were reported from Arizona and Texas. 

 The month witnessed the closing to navigation 

 of the upper Missouri and Mississippi rivers 

 and the upper lakes. 



There was a marked deficiencj^ in rainfall in 

 nearly the whole country, the principal excep>- 

 tion being the middle Pacific coast. New 

 England suffered most from lack of rain ; the 

 rainfall, including melted snow, amounting to 



