350 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



deaths is greater. At the commencement of the century the average age for the 

 population to arrive at was thirty-one and a half years, the figures now are thirty- 

 six years, and this the Doctor attributes to improved sanitary causes and a more 

 scientific knowledge of medicine. However, as there are less births in the 

 country, the infant death rate must be less, and that is very important in striking 

 a general average. Dr. Bertillon has drawn attention to this curious fact, that 

 where property is very divided, the mortality also is less; on the contrary where 

 property is less divided, there are more deaths, and also more births. In Nor- 

 mandy this is not quite exact ; in rich Normandy, where proverbially marriages- 

 are so largely childless. 



jyfETEOROLOGY. 



THE WEATHER-PROPHET FARCE. 



BY ISAAC P. NOYES, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Probably nothing illustrates the general ignorance of meteorology more than 

 the faith of the intelligent classes in the great farce of attempting to forecast the 

 weather upon the principle that the weather periodically repeats itself. 



When men are carried away by ignorance, it is astonishing how blind they 

 will be to all the facts which oppose their belief and how ready they are to 

 parade before the eyes of the world a few scattering facts which seem to substan- 

 tiate their theory of belief; whereas, if they were more familiar with the branch 

 of science they would have us join them in, these very scattering and isolated 

 facts would be proof to them of ignorance on the part of anyone attempting such 

 a thing; and more especially would they condemn it on the part of one holding 

 a high position in life, a position which could not be held by an ignorant person ; 

 that is, ignorant persons are to be excused where blame would and should rest- 

 upon them if they had had the advantages of education, while for the intelligent 

 person there is no such excuse or charity. Intelligence seeks to enlighten — it 

 does not attiempt to thrive upon ignorance ; and if the intelligent person is so 

 blinded by some pet idea that he continues to follow the paths of darkness rather 

 than light, so much the worse for him, and the more is he, according to circum- 

 stances, to be pitied or condemned. 



To speak of prophesying the weather after this manner as a farce may dis- 

 please many good people, yet I simply ask them to put away all bias and look at 

 the question from both sides — not to continue to do as they do at present, say 

 nothing of the many failures of this process, and when something 'favorable oc- 

 casionally occurs parade that before the eyes of the world as evidence of great 

 wisdom and complete knowledge of the whole subject. For example, suppose 



