24 EEPOET OF THE SECRETAEY. 



METEOROLOGY. 



In 1850 the Smithsonian Institution published an extended series of 

 investigations in regard to the winds of North America, by Professor J. 

 H. Coffin, of Lafayette College, Eastou, Pennsylvania. In the produc- 

 tion of this work Professor Coffin was assisted by the Institution in 

 furnishing materials from its collections, and funds to defray the expense 

 of the arithmetical calculations from the income of the Smithson bequest, 

 the labors of the professor himself being gratuitous. Since the publi- 

 cation of this work, which has been largely made use of by the British 

 board of trade in constructing its wind charts of the northern oceans, 

 and by different authors in compiling and elaborating special treatises 

 on meteorology, the Institution has continued to collect new materials 

 in regard to the winds of the earth, and instead of elaborating from 

 these a supplement to the previous treatise on the winds of the northern 

 hemisphere, it was concludetl to adopt the plan proposed by Professor 

 Coffin of making a discussion of the winds of both hemispheres. The 

 materials for this discussion are : First, all the observations reported to 

 the Smithsonian Institution from 1858 to 1870 ; second, all those, made 

 at the United States military posts ; third, all those at sea collected at 

 the United States Naval Observatory by Capt. Maury; fourth, all those 

 taken at sea in the Arctic and Antarctic regions ; fifth, those at several 

 hundred stations in other parts of the globe. 



The greatest labor of the work was principally finished by Professor 

 Coffin, when science and humanity were called to mourn the death of 

 this most highly esteemed collaborator of the Institution. The continu- 

 ation, however, of the tables was undertaken by the son of our lamented 

 friend, Prof. S. J. Coffin, who has completed this work with that con- 

 scientious sentiment of filial reverence which well becomes the appreci- 

 ative successor of so worthy a father. Very little, however, was finished 

 by the elder Professor Coffin in the way of expressing, in general proposi- 

 tions, the results contained in the vast amount of numerical tables which 

 he had elaborated. To supply this deficiency, fortunately, the Institu- 

 tion was enabled to avail itself of the assistance of Dr. Woeikof, member 

 of the Geographical Societj^ of Russia and late secretary of its meteoro- 

 logical commission, who, visiting this country for the study of its climat- 

 ology, cheerfully undertook the required work. This gentleman is now 

 engaged in adding the result of some new materials to the tables and in 

 preparing the deductions from them for publication. The work, when 

 finished, will do honor to the industry and scientific reputation of Pro- 

 fessor Coffin and to the policy of the Smithsonian Institution. 



The work of the reduction of temperatures has been prosecuted during 

 the past year as rapidly as our means will permit. The labor, however, 

 is very great, and consequently the work must be slow, unless a larger 

 force be put upon it. The observations are not confined to those which 

 have been made immediately under the direction of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution, but also include all those relative to North America which 



