for the year 1876. xxiii 



the monsoons, we should be able to ascertain some of the 

 more general laws which govern the weather in Australia, 

 and which will go a long way to help towards the chief 

 desideratum — obtaining a forewarning of storms, and even 

 critical periods and seasons. To this end I have lately 

 invited the co-operation of the directors of Australian 

 observatories in establishing a uniform system of inter- 

 colonial weather telegraphy, which I hope will be in full 

 operation before our next conversazione. In America a most 

 complete system has been in operation for some years, which 

 I described to you on a former occasion. This system has 

 been most successful, and it is stated that 80 per cent, of 

 the predictions — which are published nearly every day — for 

 the several districts over which the observations extend, 

 turn out to be correct. These predictions, however^ only 

 refer to the weather from day to day, and not to any 

 lengthened period ; but even with this limitation it becomes 

 of immense practical value, and no doubt commensurate 

 with the very large national expenditure which is devoted 

 to it. 



A movement has lately been made in England wdiich 

 promises to be of the utmost importance not only simply as 

 regards science, but also in an educational aspect. I refer to 

 the loan collection of scientific apparatus which has been 

 collected at the museums at Kensington, the public exhibition 

 of which was privately opened by the Queen on May 13th. 

 The proposition for this collection originated in England, where 

 it was made to the Lords of the Committee of the Council on 

 Education_, was approved^ and assumed a definite shape 

 through the efibrts of a committee including over 130 names 

 of the most distinguished men of science. Although the dis- 

 play is in London, the movement is essentially international. 

 Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, 

 Russia, Austria and Hungary, Spain, and United States, 



