18 The Present State of Meteorology, 



<^" Up to a certain point this system may be said to be 

 established in Melbourne, but beyond it seems at present 

 somewhat difficult to get, on account of the irregular 

 and unpunctual manner in which the telegrams from the 

 neighbouring colonies come to hand, rendering it impos- 

 sible to satisfactorily attempt the publication of either 

 weather bulletins or charts. Whether this is owing to 

 defective telegraph arrangements, or a want of appreciation 

 of the importance of the matter on the part of the various 

 Telegraph Departments, I cannot say ; but it must be obvious 

 to all who know anything of the matter that unless there 

 be prompt despatch and delivery of weather telegrams, it 

 will be useless to try and make any immediate use of the 

 information for the public benefit. In England, America, 

 Belgium. &c., weather telegrams have precedence of all but 

 pressing State business, as it is well known that without it 

 they would be useless. These difficulties are, however, I 

 hope only temporary, and are almost inevitable at the 

 beginning of all new undertakings. I have good hopes there- 

 fore that the system will ripen into a most useful institution, 

 which will, I am sure, be quickly and fully appreciated by 

 the public. It is hoped that Western Australia, Tasmania, 

 and Queensland will before long be included in the scheme; 

 for the two former are, from their position, of great import- 

 ance, and will increase in no small degree the prospect of 

 further theoretical knowledge. 



The meteorological observations comprised in this system 

 leave a large amount of local inquiry unsatisfied, which can, 

 however, I believe, be adequately provided for by a simpler 

 method than is required for Australian weather telegraphy. 

 While the six or seven selected stations in Victoria must be 

 kept in the most efficient working order, with a full supply 

 of instrumental means, local climatology and weather sta- 

 tistics can be furnished by a more numerous class of second- 

 ary stations, which should supply a brief daily report 

 by telegraph of the state of weather, wind, temperature, 

 and rainfall, and keep a record of the same, from which the 

 usual monthly and annual means can afterwards be deduced 

 at the Observatory for publication in the meteorological 

 statistics. Such stations should be established in every 

 township of importance, and it is a question whether this 

 might not best be done by the municipal authorities, for it 

 is not at all improbable that they might take sufficient 



