ANNUAL ASSAY AT THE UNITED STATES MINT. 691 



percentage for the four elements are : Weather, 86. 9 ; Direction of the Wind, 

 83.2; Temperature, 84.5; Barometer, 82.7 percent. By geographical districts 

 they are: for New England, 85.8; Middle States, 85.8; South Atlantic States, 

 84.4; Eastern Gulf States, 80.7; Western Gulf States, 80.7; Lower Lake region, 

 84.3; Upper Lake region, 87.8; Tennessee and the Ohio valley, 84.9; Upper 

 Mississippi 90.3; Southern Pacific coast region, 96.0. There were 10 omissions 

 to predict out of 3,813, or 0.26 per cent. Of the 3,803 predictions that have been 

 made, 156, or 4.10 per cent, are considered to have entirely failed; 129, or 3.39 

 per cent, were one-fourth verified; 471, or 12 39 percent, were one-half verified ; 

 421, or 11.07 percent, were three-fourths verified; 2,626, or 69.05 per cent, 

 were fully verified, so far as can be ascertained from the tri-daily weather maps. 

 160 Cautionary Signals were displayed during the month, of which 1 19, or 74.4 

 per cent, were justified by winds of 25 miles per hour, or over, at, or within the 

 radius of 100 miles of the station. Forty-six Off-shore Signals were displayed, of 

 which 40, or 87.0 per cent, were fully justified; 42, or 91.3 per cent, were justi- 

 fied as to direction; 41, or 89.1 per cent, were justified as to velocity; and 3, or 

 6.4 per cent, were not justified either as to direction or velocity. Twenty-nine of 

 the Off-shore were changed from Cautionary. 206 Signals of both kinds were 

 displayed, of which 159, or 77.0 per cent, were fully justified. The above does 

 not include signals ordered for fifty display stations, where the velocity is only 

 estimated. Forty-eight cases of winds of 25 miles and over per hour, from scat- 

 tering stations, were reported, and for which signals had not been ordered. 

 Eight signals were reported late. — U. S. Monthly Weather Revietv. 



v 



CHEMISTRY. 



ANNUAL ASSAY AT THE UNITED STATES MINT. 



The annual assay of the coinage at the three mints of the United States was 

 begun in Philadelphia recently by the commissioners appointed by President 

 Hayes to examine and test the fineness and weight of the coins made during the 

 past year. 



The "reserved" coins, representing one of every denomination struck off on 

 every working day of the past year, were brought out, tied up in small packages, 

 and opened by the Commission — first, the gold coins from the mint at Philadel- 

 phia ; second, the silver coins; third, the gold coins from the mint at San Fran- 

 cisco; fourth, the silver coins of the same city; fifth, the gold coins from the mint 

 at Carson, and, sixth, the silver coins from the same depository. Two committees 

 were appointed by the Chair, one to take charge of the weighing and the other 

 the assaying. 



After arrangements had been completed for the weighing and assaying, the 

 in— 44 



