F,. Loomis— Contributions to Meteorology. 255 
rises to a height unknown in any other part of the world; the 
thermometer sinks very low; and the center of the high area, 
although it vibrates to and fro, from day to day, appears to 
have no decided progressive motion. The highest pressure 
shown in table I is 31°63 inches at Barnaul, and is the highest 
pressure at any of the stations reported in the International 
Bulletin. The number of Russian stations from which reports 
were received is only 22, whereas the number reported in the 
Annalen des Physikalischen Central Observatoriums is over 
100, and one of these stations shows a pressure higher than 
Barnaul. At Ssemipalatinsk, on Dec. 16th, 1877, the pressure 
was 784:°5™, which reduced to sea level (altitude 607 feet and 
temperature — 49° Cent.) amounts to 81°72 inches. This is the 
highest pressure I have found reported at any time for any part 
of the globe. 
These high areas are characterized by another circumstance 
no less remarkable, viz: their long duration. For eight suc- 
cessive days from Dec. 14th, 1877, a pressure of 31-0 inches was 
maintained near the center of Huropasia, and it was renewed 
on the 3lst to continue for ten successive days. Moreover 
between these two periods, the high area steadily maintained its 
position, and the pressure at the center at no time sunk below 
30°78 inches. A high area had also existed in nearly the same 
region for twelve days preceding Dec. 14th, and it continued 
for eleven days succeeding Jan. 9th, so that for 50 successive 
days there was an area of high pressure covering nearly the 
whole of Huropasia, exhibiting considerable fluctuations in 
magnitude, but having no very decided progressive movement, 
and during this whole period the pressure at the center never 
fell as low as 80°5 inches. In order to exhibit these phenomena 
more clearly I have prepared table V, which shows the most 
important facts which can be collected from the International 
Bulletin. 
The arrangement is similar to that of preceding tables. Col- 
umns 2 and 38 show the position of the station where the 
barometer was highest, and the six succeeding columns show 
the pressure, temperature, humidity, direction and force of the 
wind, and amount of cloudiness at the same station. 
On Dec. 2d the isobar of 30 inches enclosed the principal 
part of Huropasia. The barometer at Archangel stood at 30°58 
inches, and at Kasan it stood at 80°55 inches, the center of the 
high area being near lat. 60°. The temperature was somewhat 
above the mean for that season of the year, and the winds blew 
outward from the high area, at some places with considerable 
force. Apparently this high pressure resulted from the air 
which rose from an area of low pressure prevailing near South 
Greenland, which air moved eastward and settled down over 
