NOVEMBKB 11, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



665 



garded as modifying the first part of the 

 Clause, or in any way throwing open the 

 whole question of notation and classifica- 

 tion. 



33. Professor Eiicker having made a 

 statement as to the probable cost of the un- 

 dertaking, and the delegates having stated 

 what assistance in their opinion might be 

 expected from their respective countries, it 

 was resolved : 



That the delegates to this Conference be 

 requested to obtain information, and to re- 

 port at any early date to the ' Provisional 

 International Committee,' as to what assis- 

 tance, by subscription or Otherwise, towards 

 the support of the Central Bureau may be 

 expected from their respective countries. 



34. M. Mascart called attention to Eeso- 

 lution 22 as being, in his opinion, incorrect 

 in English, the intention being that the 

 local Committee therein referred to should 

 report to the International Committee. 



35. The Eoyal Society was requested to 

 undertake the editing, publication and dis- 

 tribution of a verbatim report of the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Conference. 



36. It was resolved that the proces verbal 

 of the Conference be signed by the Presi- 

 dent and Secretaries. 



37. On the motion of Professor Arm- 

 strong, the thanks of the Conference were 

 accorded to the Society of Antiquaries for 

 the use of their rooms. 



38. On the motion of Professor Klein, a 

 vote of thanks to Sir John Gorst for pre- 

 siding over the Conference, and his conduct 

 in the chair, was passed by acclamation. 



39. On the motion of M. Darboux, a vote 

 of thanks was passed to the Royal Society 

 for their work in preparation for the Con- 

 ference and their cordial reception of the 



(Signed) John E. Gorst, President. 

 Henry E. Armstrong, 

 H. La Fontaine, 

 E. "Weiss, Secretaries. 



CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. 



WEST INDIAN SERVICE OF THE WEATHER 



BUREAU. 



The Montlily Weather Review for July con- 

 tains a paper by Professor E. B. Garriott on 

 the West Indian Service of the United 

 States Weather Bureau. The Service was 

 undertaken under an Act of Congress ap- 

 proved July 7, 1898. Observations by 

 regular observers of the Weather Bureau 

 were begun at Kingston, Jamaica ; Santo 

 Domingo; St. Thomas; Port of Spain, Trini- 

 dad, and Willemstad, Curagoa, on August 

 9th. Observations at Santiago were begun 

 on August 11th, and at Bridgetown, Barba- 

 does, on August 3 1 st. Eegular reports have 

 for some years been received from Havana, 

 Cuba; Nassau, Bahamas, and Hamilton, 

 Bermuda. The central station is at Kings- 

 ton, and all other stations of the system 

 cable daily, to Washington and to Kings- 

 ton, reports of observations taken at 6 a. 

 m. and 6 p. m., 75th meridian time. When 

 the weather conditions are unusual, or there 

 are signs of an approaching hurricane, spe- 

 cial observations are telegraphed. Addi- 

 tional daily morning and evening reports 

 are telegraphed to Washington via. Gal- 

 veston, Texas, from Tampico, Vera Cruz 

 and Coatzacoalas, and from Merida, Yuca- 

 tan. Arrangements have been made for 

 the prompt distribution of hurricane warn- 

 ings from Washington to West Indian and 

 Southern coast ports in the threatened dis- 

 trict. The Service is at present an emer- 

 gency service, but it is expected that, with 

 the cooperation of the European govern- 

 ments having possessions in the West In- 

 dies, and of the countries bordering on the 

 Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, a 

 permanent system of stations can be estab- 

 lished, which shall permit the forecasting 

 of hurricanes and northers, and shall carry 

 out a study of the climatologic conditions 

 of the West Indies. 



