312 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 3, 
fore be unable to trace back tlieir causes. For it is certain that in 
proportion as effects are extreme, causes are in fact strongly marked, 
whether we see them or not. 
In truth, all meteorological phenomena are more or less directly 
dependent on the action of the sun on the earth’s surface, and just 
in the same proportion as the power of the sun is great in a tropical 
country, so are atmospheric phenomena strongly marked, and so 
have we a right to expect greater facility in investigating their 
laws. 
It is indeed, we believe, to observations made in tropical countries 
that the science of meteorology will eventually be indebted for any 
great advance that it may make. 
Having these views, we are strongly impressed with the real 
importance of the study of this branch of science in India, and we 
hope that something may be done to give method and consistency to 
the many unsystematic and independent series of observations that 
are in fact now made in various parts of the country under various 
agencies. 
The most important meteorological observations made in the 
Bengal Presidency are those of the Surveyor General’s Department 
at Calcutta. They have been maintained for many years with all 
reasonable precautions to secure accuracy, so far as we are informed, 
and we feel that we are much indebted to the Government for them. 
Other similar series are made at Bombay and Madras. But till now 
we have never had any really systematic observations of this sort 
anywhere in the interior of the great continent of India under 
British rule. There have been many isolated series for short periods 
which are of a certain value, but for the purposes of science it is 
most important that the observation should be made at one and the 
same time over a large area, and in such a manner as to be really 
comparable one with another, which is very far from being the case 
in most of the old registers. 
Next we may mention the observations made on the ships either 
of the Government or of private persons. With some little addir 
tional attention, these might be made of the highest utility as 
contributions to our knowledge; at present they can hardly be said 
to be brought into the common stock at all. 
Besides the more systematic registers, there are many other re- 
