CHAPTER VII 



LAMARCK'S WORK IN METEOROLOGY AND PHYSICAL 

 SCIENCE 



When a medical student in Paris, Lamarck, from 

 day to day watching the clouds from his attic windows, 

 became much interested in meteorology, and, indeed, 

 at first this subject had nearly as much attraction for 

 him as botany. For a long period he pursued these 

 studies, and he was the first one to foretell the prob- 

 abilities of the weather, thus anticipating by over 

 half a century the modern idea of making the science 

 of meteorology of practical use to mankind. 



His article, " De I'influence de la lune sur I'atmos- 

 phfere terrestre," appeared in the Journal de Physique 

 for 1798, and was translated in two English journals. 

 The titles of several other essays will be found in the 

 Bibliography at the close of this volume. 



From 1799 to 18 10 he regularly published an an- 

 nual meteorological report containing the statement 

 of probabilities acquired by a long series of observa- 

 tions on the state of the weather and the variations 

 of the atmosphere at different times of the year, 

 giving indications of the periods when to expect 

 pleasant weather, or rain, storms, tempests, frosts, 

 thaws, etc.; finally the citations of these probabilities 

 of times favorable to f^tes, journeys, voyages, har- 



