Though one may have reasonable doubts about the use that can be made of weather forecasts for three days, such as are now regularly issued, on account of the finical, coy, spasmodic interludes on short notice, yet there is a wonderful certainty in the daily prognostics of the direction and strength of the wind, the temperature of the air, and the likelihood of rainy or fair weather, dependent on the broad uniformity of nature. This is very serviceable for people who have now to live at high pressure in business, in the enthralling days of keen competition. And it is a great boon to those who are in search of health by travelling, or who, in innocent pleasure, desire to live as much as possible in the open air. Very little credit is given to the “gas” of the isolated “weather prophet”; but those who have confidence in the usual weather forecasts from the Meteorological Office are satisfied in their belief; and those who, in self-confidence, ignore all weather prognostics, are still weak enough to read them and act up to them.

In practical meteorology, in the scientific explanation of popular weather-lore, and in the study of atmospheric phenomena, which so powerfully influence us, for gladness or discomfort, we may, as with other branches of science, even all our days, cheerfully go on in “the noiseless tenor of our way,”

“Nourishing a youth sublime,
With the fairy tales of science and the long results of time.”

INDEX

Abercromby, spectre on Adam’s Peak, [89]
Adam’s Peak, spectre, [89]
Afterglow described, [62];
dust-particles to form, [64]
Air, change of, [55];
clearness and dryness, [49];
devitalised, [52];
disease-germs in, [53];
thunder-clouds, [49]
Aitken, Dr., afterglows, [67];
anti-cyclones, [97];
colour of water, [75];
condensing power of dust, [43];
decay of clouds, [39];
dew-formation, [14];
dust and atmospheric phenomena, [29];
electrical deposition of smoke, [83];
false dew, [18];
fog-counter, [82];
foreglows, [67];
formation of clouds, [35];
haze, [44];
hazing effects of atmospheric dust, [47];
Kingairloch experiments, [30];
one-coloured rainbow, [70];
radiation from snow, [86];
regenerators, [85];
sanitary detective, [78]
Ammonia and cloud formation, [36]
Annie Laurie, [17]
Anti-cyclones, forecasting by, [97];
formation, [97];
cause of influenza, [109]
Aratus, forecasting by moon, [61]
Ariel’s song, [42]
Aurora Borealis, [71];
forebodings, [71-73];
name by Gassendi, [72];
other names, [72];
safety valve of electricity, [72];
sun’s spots, [72];
sun control, [74];
symptoms, [72]
Bagillt, condensing lead fumes, [84]
Ballachulish, sunsets, [64]
Ballantine’s song, [17]
Barometer, indications, [10]
Ben Nevis, dust-particles, [30];
instruments, [104];
meteorology, [102];
observations, [105];
rainfall, [103];
regret at stoppage of Observatory, [103]
Blairgowrie, personal description of afterglow, [62]
Blue sky, [74];
cause of, [75], [77]
Borrowing days, [117]
Brocken, spectre, [89];
personal description, [90];
Noah’s Ark, [90]
Brückner, climatic oscillations, [122]
Buchan, Dr., Aitken’s radiation from snow, [86];
Ben Nevis, papers on, [103];
Challenger Reports, [114];
cold of 1886, [86];
east winds, [94];
isobars, [115];
rainfall statistics, [100];
on forecasting, [121]
Buchanan, Ben Nevis Observatory, [102];
great prevalence of fog, [106]
Buddha’s Lights, of Ceylon, [72]
Burns, allusions to aurora, [71], [73]
Byron, storm in Alps, [50]
Challenger Expedition, [114];
temperature, [115];
thunder-storms, [116];
winds, [116]
Chambers on sun-spots and grain prices, [113]
Change of air, [55];
Strathmore to Glenisla, [56]
Charles II., fog and smoke, [80]
Chlorine and cloud formation, [36]
Christison and colour of water, [75]
Chrystal on Aitken’s radiation from snow, [86]
Cirro-stratus cloud, mackerel-like, [39]
Climate, Challenger notes, [115];
cone-warnings, [120];
Gulf Stream, [111];
oscillations, [120];
rainfall, [111];
sun-spots on, [112];
wooded country on, [111]
Clouds, decay of, [37];
distances of, [35];
dry, [42];
even without dust, [36];
formation of, [34];
height of, [34];
numbering of cloud-particles, [34];
sunshine on cloud formation, [35];
varieties of, [35]
Cone-warnings, [121]
Continental winds, [98]
Cyclones, [95];
formation of, [96], [98];
small natural, [98]
Decay of clouds, [37];
in thin rain, [41];
process, [38];
ripple markings, [39]
Dew, evidence of rising, [22];
experiments, [15], [16];
false dew, [17];
formation of, [13]
Disease-germs in air, [53];
causes, [53];
deposited by rain, [55]
Diseases, and east wind, [94];
personal notes, [95]
Dumfries, dust in air at, [46]

Dust, condensing power, [43];
from meteors, [37];
generally necessary for cloud formation, [26];
hazing effects, [47];
numbering, [26];
instruments for numbering, [27];
produces afterglows, [64];
produces foreglows, [67];
quantity in Bunsen flame, [28];
at Ben Nevis, [30];
Hyères, Mentone, Rigi Kulm, [29];
Lucerne, Kingairloch, [30];
when not necessary, [36]
Dust enumeration, deductions on, [31]
Earn, Loch, splash of drop at, [101]
Earthshine, [59]
Ehrenberg, on colour of water, [75]
Evelyn, fumifugium, [80];
remedy for smoke, [82]
Falkirk, Dr. Aitken’s experiments on haze, [47]
False dew, [19]
Fitzroy on aurora as a foreboder, [73]
Fog, counter, [31];
dry, [41];
formation, [24];
more in towns, [25];
and smoke, [80]
Folk-lore, [50]
Foreglow, described, [66];
how produced, [67]
Fort William Observatory, [102]
Frankland, disease-germs, [53]
Franklin, lightning, [51]
Gassendi, named aurora, [72]
Gillespie, Dr., on weather and influenza, [107]
Glasgow, fog, [81]
Glass, appearing damp, [44]
Glenisla, ozoned air, [56]
Grain crops and sun-spots, [112];
Chambers’ tables, [113]
Great amazing light in the north, [72]
Gulf Stream, effects on climate, [111]
Gunpowder, great condensing power, [44]
Haze, what is, [43];
how produced, [44];
in clearest air, [45];
stages of condensation, [46];
in sultry weather, [46];
dryness of air and visibility, [48]
Health improved by change of air, [56]
Highland air, few disease-germs, [55]
Hoar-frost, frozen dew, [20];
on under surfaces, [21]
Humboldt, isotherms, [114]
Hydrogen peroxide and cloud formation, [36]
Hyères, dust-particles, [29]
Indian Ocean, colour, [75]
Influenza, weather and, [107];
six distinct epidemics, [108];
spread of anti-cyclonic conditions, [109]
Isobars by Buchan, [115]
Isotherms by Humboldt, [114]
Italian lakes, stages of condensation, [45]
Job, on dew formation, [13]
Kelvin recorder, [84];
Aitken’s radiation from snow, [86]
Kew, instruments set, [121]
Kingairloch, dust-particles, [30], [46]
Kirchhoff, lower temperature of sun-spot, [112]
Krakatoa, eruption of, dust-particles, [63]
Le Verrier and weathercharts, [119]
Lockyer, and sun-spots, [112]
Lightning, electricity, [51];
photographed, [51];
sheet and forked, [51];
ozone, [52]
Lodge, electrical deposition of smoke, [83]
London, coals consumed, [25];
sulphur and fog, [25];
fog in reign of Charles II., [81];
Meteorological Office, [11], [120]
Lord Derwentwater’s Lights, [72]
Lower animals, sensitiveness, [11]
Lucerne, dust-particles, [30]
MacLaren, Aitken’s radiation from snow, [86]
Magnesia, small affinity for water-vapour, [44]
Man in the street, [11]
Mediterranean, brilliant colour, [77]
Mentone, dust-particles, [29]
Merry Dancers of Shetland, [71]
Meteors, producing dust, [37]
Meteorological Council, London, [103];
Office, [120];
cone-warnings, [121];
regular forecasts, [123]
Milne Home on Ben Nevis, [103]
Milton, dust numberless, [26]
Moon, old, in new moon’s arms, [58];
weather indications, [59], [61]
Mountain giants, [88];
Adam’s Peak, [89];
Brocken, [89]
Munich, International Meteorological Conference, [35]
Murray, Challenger Expedition, [114]

Nardius, dew exhalation, [13]
Newton, colour of sky, [77]
Nimbus, cloud, [35]
Oak and ash, on climate, [118]
Ochils, one-coloured rainbow, [70]
Pacific, colour, [75]
Paris, aurora, [71];
disease-germs, [55]
Paton, Waller, bronze tints in sunsets, [64]
Piazzi Smith, aurora, [72]
Picket, dew-formation, [14]
Pilatus, fine rain, [42]
Polar lightnings, [72]
Radiant heat, producing fine rain, [41]
Radiation from snow, [86]
Rain, [98];
heavy rainfalls, [99]
Rainbow, [68];
forecasts, [62], [69];
formation, [69];
one-coloured, [70]
Rains, it always, [40];
radiant heat in process, [41];
Ariel’s song, [43]
Rankin, dust-particles, Ben Nevis, [30]
Richardson, devitalised air, [51]
Rigi Kulm, dust-particles, [29]
Rolier, aurora, [73]
St. Paul’s, London, disease-germs in air, [54]
Sanitary detective, [78]
Shakespeare, tempest, [95]
Shelley, old moon in new moon’s arms, [59]
Simoom and sirocco, [94]
Skye, rainy, [40]
Smoke, electrical deposition of, [83];
regenerators, [85]
Smoking-room, condensing power, [44]
Snow, bad conducting, [87];
radiation from, [86]
Sodium dust, condensing power, [45]
Spens, forebodings of moon, [61]
Splash of a drop, experiments, [101]
Stevenson, R. L., splash of drop, [101]
Stewart, sun-spots, [112]
Strachey on forecasts, [121]
Strathmore, observations on hoar-frost, [22];
on decay of clouds, [38];
to Glenisla, change of air, [56];
observations on old moon in new moon’s arms, [59];
afterglow described, [62];
foreglow, [66];
cold of 1886, [86];
healthy by woods, [111];
observations on barometer, [118]
Strathpeffer, [9]
Sulphur as a fog-former, [25]
Sulphuretted hydrogen and cloud-formation, [36]
Sunshine on cloud-formation, [35]
Sun’s spots, and aurora, [72], [112];
and grain crops, [112]
Symons, rainfall, [100]
Synoptic charts, [98]
Tait, on Aitken’s radiation from snow, [86]
Tay Bridge, fall of, [92]
Tennyson, aurora, [71];
dew, [19];
oak and ash, [119]
Thermometer, indications, [10]
Thomson, Wyville, Challenger Expedition, [114]
Thunder-storm described, [50]
Valkyries, aurora, [73]
Visibility, limit of, [48]
Washington, Meteorological Office, [121]
Water, pressure to show plant exudation, [18];
colour of, [75];
experiments on distilled, [76];
dust-particles vary colour, [77]
Weather and influenza, [107]
Weather-forecasting, [116];
advantages, [117];
principle, [117];
examples, [118];
old moon in new moon’s arms, [59];
by moon, [61];
oak and ash, [118];
cone-warnings, [122];
three days’, [123]
Weather-lore, [50], [118]
Weather talisman, [9];
call on barometer and thermometer, [10];
exceptional years, [117]
Wells, Dr., on dew, [14]
Wilson, Prof., on hoar-frost, [20]
Wind, [92];
rates, [92];
trade, [93];
land and sea, [93]
Wœikof, durability of cold, [88]
Wordsworth, rainbow, [68]
Worthington, splash of drop, [100]
Wragge, observations at Ben Nevis, [104]

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