METEOROLOGY, in its original and etymological sense, included within its scope all appearances of the sky, astronomical as well as atmospherical, but the term is now restricted to the description and explanation of the phenomena of the atmosphere which may be conveniently grouped under weather and climate. These phenomena relate to the action of the forces on which the variations of pressure, temperature, humidity, and electricity of the atmosphere depend, but in an especial sense to the aerial movements which necessarily result from these variations.

In the more exact development of meteorology, the scientific investigation of climate long preceded that of weather. Humboldt's work on Isothermal Lines, published in 1817, must be regarded as the first great contribution to meteorological science. The importance of this inquiry into the distribution of terrestrial temperature it is scarcely possible to overestimate, for, though the isothermals were necessarily to a considerable extent hypothetical, there cannot be a doubt that they presented a first sketch of the principal climates of the globe. Dove continued and extended the investigation, and in his great work 0-n the Distribution of Heat on thee Surface of the Globe, published in 1852, gave charts showing the mean temperature of the world for each month and for the year, together with charts of abnormal temperature. To this, more than to any other work, belongs the merit of having popularized the science of meteorology in the best sense, by enlisting in its service troops of observers in all parts of the civilized world.

In 1868 another series of important charts were published representing by isobaric lines the distribution of the mass of the earth's atmosphere, and by arrows the prevailing winds over the globe for the months and the year. By these charts the movements of the atmosphere and the

In 1882 Loomis published a map showing the mean rainfall of the globe. This map and others that have been constructed for separate countries show conclusively that the rainfall of any region is determined by the prevailing winds considered in relation to regions from which they have come, and the physical configuration and temperature of the part of the earth's surface over which they blow. The maximum rainfall is precipitated by winds which, having traversed a large breadth of ocean, come up against and blow over a mountainous ridge lying across their path, and the amount deposited is still further increased if the winds pass at the same time through regions the temperature of which constantly becomes colder. On the other hand, the rainfall is unusually small, or nil, when the prevailing winds have not previously traversed some extent of ocean, but have crossed a mountain ridge and advance at the same time into lower latitudes, or regions the temperature of which is markedly higher.

While the observational data for the determination of the geographical distribution of the prime elements of climate, viz., the pressure, temperature, moisture, and movements of the atmosphere and the rainfall were being slowly but surely collected, the great importance of the study of weather came gradually to be recognized. Additional impetus was given to this branch of study from its intimate bearings on the eminently practical question of storm warnings. Synchronous weather maps, showing the weather over a considerable portion of the earth's surface, were constructed, and some advance was made in tracing the progress of storms from day to day. Unquestionably one of the first problems of meteorology is to ascertain the course storms usually follow and the causes by which that course is determined, so as to deduce from the meteorological phenomena observed, not only the certain approach of a storm, but also the particular course that storm will take. The method of practically conducting this large inquiry in the most effective manner was devised by the genius of Leverrier, and begun to be carried out in 1858 by the daily publication of the Bulletin International, to which a weather map was added in September 1863. This snap showed graphically for the morning of the day of publication the atmospheric pressure, and the direction and force of the wind, together with tables of temperature, rainfall, cloud, and sea disturbance from a large number of places in all parts of Europe. From such weather maps forecasts of storms are framed and suitable warnings issued ; but above all a body of information in a very handy form is being collected, the careful study and discussion of which is slowly but gradually leading to the issue of more exact and satisfactory forecasts of weather, and to a juster knowledge of these great atmospheric movements which form the groundwork of the science.

The most cursory glance is sufficient to show that the ever-changing physical phenomena with which it is the business of meteorology to deal are all referable to the action of the sun, it being evident that if the sun were blotted out from the sky a cold lifeless uniformity would rapidly take possession of the whole surface of the globe. Meteorological phenomena naturally group themselves into two great classes, - those dependent on the revolution of the earth on its axis, and those dependent on its revolution round the sun taken in connexion with the inclination of its axis to the plane of its orbit. The science thus divides itself into two great divisions, the first comprising diurnal phenomena and the second annual phenome