268 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
left behind him, allowing as I freely do, that his literary style 
was wordy and diffuse to a most uncomfortable degree. 
The following is a summary of the maxims employed in the 
Meteorological Office for forecasting the weather. 
1. In the latitudes of the British Isles , and of North Western 
Europe generally there are two and only two essentially different 
atmospheric currents of importance, one S.W. running from 
the equator towards the pole, and the other N.E. running from 
the pole towards the equator. 
2. The weather in this country depends almost wholly on the 
conflict, combination, alternate preponderance, or alternate suc- 
cession of portions of these opposite currents. 
3. The characteristics of the S.W. current lie not only in its 
general direction but also in its quality, for it is light, warm 
and moist. In other words its presence is shown by a low 
barometer, by a high thermometer, and by a small difference 
between the wet and dry bulb thermometers. 
4. In a similar way, the characteristics of the N.E. current lie 
not only in its general direction, but also in its quality, for it is 
heavy, cold and dry. In other words its presence is shown by a 
high barometer, by a low thermometer, and by a large difference 
between the wet and dry bulb thermometers. 
5. Not only is the actual presence of either current shown by 
its corresponding instrumental test, but an approaching change 
from one current to another is foretold by the instruments 
beginning to change their indications. Hence as changes of 
weather must necessarily commence at some places earlier than 
at others, there is great advantage in receiving by telegraph, 
information of the state of the weather and of the instruments at 
many stations. 
6. Owing to frequent conflicts of portions of the S.W. and 
N.E. currents followed by a temporary variation in their courses, 
the direction of the wind is by no means a certain test of the 
nature of the current of which it forms a part. A volume of 
air may even become wholly detached from its parent current, 
and be enclosed in that of its antagonist, and be drifted along 
with it. 
7. When the S.W. and N.E. currents intermingle, water is 
precipitated in the form of cloud, rain or snow. 
8. Most of our violent storms travel bodily in a N.E. direction. 
9. The whole body of the atmosphere in our country travels 
in an E. direction at the rate of from two to eight miles an hour. 
10. When S.W. and N.E. currents alternately prevail, the 
wind blowing over any station has a strong tendency to “veer 5 ' and 
not to back. That is to say, the general order of the changes is 
N., E., S., W., N., and not N., W., E., S., N. 
11. The result of all rapid changes in the weather or in any 
