Sun Spots And The Weather

It was suspected a ruil century ago by Herschei tbat the variations in the nuniber of sun spots had a direct oiïect upon terrestrial weather, and he attempted to demónstrate it by using the priee of wheat as a criteriou of cliuiatic conditions, meantiine making careful observation of the sun spots. Nothing very definite carue of his efforts iu this direction, the subject being far too complex to be determined without loiig periods of observation. Latterly, however, meteorologists, particularly in the tropics, are disposed to think they finrl evidence of soine such connection bctween son spots and the weather as Herschei suspected. Indeed, Mr. Meidrum declares that there is a positive coincidence between periods of numerous suu spots and seasons of excessive rain in India. That some such connection does exist seems intrinsically probable, but tho modern meteorologist, learning wisdciri of the past, is extremely cautious about ascribing casual effects to astronómica! phenomena. He finds it hard to forget that until receutly all manuer of cliraatic conditions were associated with phases of the moon; that not so very long ago showers of falling stars were considered "prognostic" of certain kinds of weather, and that the "eqninoctial storm" had been accepted as a verity by every one until the unfeeling hand of statistics banished it frorn the earth. Yet, on the other hand, it is easily witbin the possibilities that the science of the future may reveal associatious between the weather and sun spots, auroras and terrestrial magnetism that as