Abnormal Variations of Barometric Pressure in the Tropics and their Relations to Sun-Spots, Rainfall, and Famines

MR. F. CHAMBERS, in his valuable and highly interesting article (vol. xxiii. p. 88) under the above title, has made an important step towards placing the relation between secular weather changes and sun-spots on a more substantial basis than it has hitherto occupied. This has been mainly effected by his employing the most reliable data we at present possess of the latter phenomena, thereby bringing the salient features of their minor variations for the first time into direct comparison with a definite meteorological element, which, it may be remarked, possesses the distinct advantage of representing the integrated effect of changes occurring throughout the entire atmospheric envelope.