The Present State of Meteorology. 13 



of the weather a day or two ahead, indicating the track and 

 intensity of marked disturbances, or the approach of fine 

 weather. It is stated that over 80 per cent, of these predic- 

 tions are realised, and if that be so, the result will not be so 

 incommensurate with the magnitude and cost of the system 

 as might at first be imagined. It is to be hoped, however, 

 that in this magnificent undertaking some of the higher 

 meteorological problems may be attempted and solved ; and 

 it is not unworthy of remark that General Myer, the 

 director of this service, has enlisted the co-operation of 

 nearly all the meteorological observatories in the world in 

 obtaining simultaneous observations — that is, the meteoro- 

 logical conditions in force at each station at one definite 

 time, that time being forty-three minutes after noon, Green- 

 wich mean time. 



From inquiries made during my late visit to Europe, I 

 ascertained that 250,000 dols. was the annual vote for the 

 American signal service, and that that amount included no 

 salaries for observers, all of which come from the military 

 votes. In Great Britain £10,000 is voted annually for 

 meteorological purposes, and the commission of inquiry in 

 its recent report on the department recommended an increase 

 to £14,000 or £15,000. 



The meteorological system of Great Britain includes both 

 ocean and land meteorology. The former comprises means 

 for furnishing the necessary instruments, &c., for observation 

 to ships of both the Imperial and mercantile navy, and col- 

 lecting and tabulating the results ; while the latter includes, 

 besides the ordinary systematic observations, a very complete 

 system of weather telegraphy and storm warnings. Every 

 morning, Sundays excepted, telegrams are received from 

 about 50 places, more than half of which are in the British 

 Isles, and the rest in other European countries. These 

 telegrams are immediately discussed_, and weather-charts 

 founded on the results are at once published and dissemi- 

 nated. By this means the movements of the atmosphere 

 over Northern Europe and the adjacent ocean become 

 known. The approach of storms can be generally predicted 

 with reasonable certainty, and warning at once given to the 

 threatened coast line by telegrams, which are made widely 

 and rapidly known by the storm-signals and other means. At 

 the same time all the purposes of agricultural meteorology 

 are subserved by the weather-charts, and the carefully pre-- 



