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, 2; 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