S8 0. Little— Cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. [No. 2, 



and sfcill awaiting introduction in India. For wliat is being done in 

 this direction in other countries the reader may be referred to pages 7 

 to 14 of the Report for 1903 of the Chief of the United States 

 Weather Bureau, and more especially to the subsequent pages in which 

 some idea is given of the lavish expenditure at present being incurred 

 in establishing a central observatory for purposes of training and 

 research. To quote the report : — 



" The Weather Bureau is so far convinced of the importance of 

 finding out the laws of this cosmical physics, by which alone the prob- 

 lem can be conclusively solved, that it has been thought proper to 

 found a research observatory at Mount Weather, on the crest of the 

 Blue Ridge mountains, and equip it suitably for these investigations." 



'* Generally, the idea is to bring together for study under one 

 direction the most valuable and practical observations having a direct 

 bearing on the higher meteorology, which is now engaging the atten- 

 tion of many able physicists and astronomers." 



" Plans are being prepared for a plant adapted to generate large 

 quantities of hydrogen, for balloon ascensions, including a shop for the 

 construction of balloons and kites. The ascensions will be limited to 

 about 4 miles in height, our immediate purpose being to measure the 

 temperatures and thermal gradients, which will enable us to construct 

 daily isothermal charts on the two upper planes already described, 

 (3,500 and 10,000 feet high) so as to provide isotherms as well as 

 isobars on the high levels. It is proposed to make a complete series of 

 ascensions — first at Mount Weather, and afterwards in different portions 

 of the United States, in order to observe the temperature conditions in 

 all classes of cyclones and anticyclones. We may attempt some high 

 ascensions, up to 10 or 12 miles from the ground, when our experience 

 and other conditions warrant ; but since storm movements are practi- 

 cally limited to the strata within 4 miles of the ground, the first group 

 of ascensions will be to moderate elevations." 



If the most experienced meteorologists of the time consider such 

 operations necessary to further meteorological research in the United 

 States, it may be safely anticipated that in India where the upper atmo- 

 sphere, more especially in Bengal, passes through a cycle of change of 

 greater variety and interest, the advantage of similar investigation to 

 both storm and flood warning would be enormous. 



