BY THE REV, R. F. WHEELER, M.A. 271 



WIND RETURNS. 

 (Edited by the Rev. R. E. Hooppell, LL.D., F.R.A.S.) 



It is gratifying to be able to acknowledge a very considerable 

 increase in the number of the returns respecting wind sent in 

 to the Club. 



The study of the wind has long been one of the most impor- 

 tant departments of Meteorology. It is rapidly, however, ac- 

 quiring greatly increased prominence. To enable the Club to 

 do its part worthily, towards elucidating the phenomena con- 

 nected with wind in this district, it is desirable that the returns 

 for the current and future years should be even still more nu- 

 merous. 



It would be especially valuable, also, if all who kindly furnish 

 reports of the daily direction of the wind would record also the 

 force at the same time. This should be done according to the 

 scale, from to 6, printed inside the cover of the "Meteorolo- 

 gical Kegister" issued by the Club. The Club would be very 

 glad also to have, from as many of its members as could make 

 it convenient to supply them, detailed accounts of any very high 

 winds or storms that visit their respective localities. 



Considerable attention has recently been directed to the con- 

 nection between the direction of the v/ind, its force, and the dif- 

 ferences in barometric readings, taken simultaneously at places 

 at a distance from each other. It is pointed out by Professor 

 Buys Ballot, Mr. E. H. Scott, Mr. T. Stevenson, and others, 

 that when these differences are considerable, and the places near 

 together, violent disturbances of the atmosphere take place ; but 

 when the differences are slight, and the distances considerable, 

 winds of less intensity prevail, blowing generally in a direction 

 at right angles, or nearly so, to the line connecting the places, 

 and having also the lower barometric reading upon the left-hand 

 side. Stated thus, these propositions may be said to be iden- 

 tical with conclusions deducible from the well-known laws of 

 cyclonic action ; but the meteorologists above-mentioned have 

 deduced them, not from theory, but from observation. With 

 an increased number of carefully made records the Club may be 



