83 
Storm Warnings. 
Since the meeting, Mr. Yernon, F.B.A.S., lias forwarded 
to the Editor a letter from Dr. Buys Ballot, of Utrecht, in 
which the writer calls attention to the fact that the system 
of issuing storm warnings was first suggested and carried 
out by himself at Utrecht, and not by Admiral Fitzroyin 
London, as is generally supposed in this country. He says, 
“ I laid down my principles before the Dutch Academy of 
Sciences in October, 1857 ; in the Comptes Rendus de 
VAcademie des Sciences de Paris in November, 1857. I 
made my first proposal to the Dutch Government on the 
14th of November, 1859, and the system was commenced 
on the 1st of June, 1860, or nine months sooner than in 
England. I communicated a paper on the subject to the 
British Association at the Newcastle meeting, and I wonder 
that my system has not been adopted in England, the more 
so because I recommended it to Mr. Francis Galton in 
August last. It is not only a right of priority that I claim ; 
but I think my system is much better, though it gives no 
particulars as to rain or snow, but only the direction of the 
wind for the next twenty-four hours almost without fail, 
and the force or strength of the wind with great probability. 
It is a fact above all doubt that the wind that comes is 
nearly at right angles to the line between the places of 
highest and lowest barometer readings. The wind has the 
place of lowest height at its left hand, and is stronger in 
proportion as the difference of barometer readings is greater. 
If Portsmouth and Yalentia rise much above Nairn, then I 
think you will have a gale from the west, and you have to 
attend to the oscillation of that difference of barometer read- 
ings. The only question is how many hours does that dif- 
ference take place before the wind comes. Now, I propose 
to introduce an instrument that in all our ports will simply 
show the azimuth in which the greatest difference of baro- 
meter readings prevails, and the amount of that difference* 
