Correspondence. 399 
Jupiter* reflects fourteen times more of the chemical rays 
than the Moon does” (Astronomical Society, May toth, 
1861), strengthens me in this belief. 
Unfortunately, misrepresentation too often takes the 
place of fair criticism of Astro-Meteorology. A writer in 
the A thenceum, in reviewing the “ Weather Guide Book” 
said, “this is a book on weather-astrology.” This state- 
ment is very unjust, and calculated to prejudice the minds 
of the readers of the Athenwum against the system. It 
cannot be too often repeated, that Astronomic-Meteorology 
is altogether distinct from Astrology. The leading principle 
of the former science is that the planets influence the 
atmosphere at certain periods; while the leading principle 
of astrology is that the planets influence men and women 
individually. To a certain extent the planets influence 
the public health, indirectly at least, through the changes 
they produce in the stmosphere. A belief in this is very 
different and totally distinct from a belief that the confi- 
curation of the heavens at the moment of birth of a child 
influences him or her for good or for evil, according to the 
nature of the horoscope, all through his or her life in this 
world. 
Astronomy was formerly connected with astrology, 
but astronomy is not neglected and called astrology on 
that account. In like manner was chemistry formerly 
associated with alchemy, but chemistry is not neglected 
and misrepresented on that account. There exists an 
indisposition on the part of the gentlemen of the press— 
with a few honourable exceptions—to ventilate Astro- 
Meteorology. I know full well how frequently a great 
pressure on the space of a daily journal prevents the 
editor from inserting communications he would otherwise 
publish. But this is not the case with a magazine. In 
the Cornhill Magazine (March, 1865), the following para- 
graph appeared in an article on “The Winds ”—* Until 
the ‘astro-meteorologists’ tell us the principles on which 
their calculations are based, we must decline to receive 
their predictions as worthy of any credence whatever.” I 
accordingly wrote to the editor of the Cornhill Magazine, 
offering to contribute, free of expense, a paper on Astro- 
* Jupiter was on the Southern tropic (¢#. e., at extreme S. decli- 
nation) on November zoth, 1865. On that day the thermometers 
at Adelaide Observatory (Australia) marked 113°°5 in the shade, 
and 155°°5 in the sun’s rays ! 
