10 FEBRUARY 1883, Page 3

Mr. F. W. Cory, writing from Buckhurst Hill, Essex, to

Wednesday's Times, appears to show that by the use of the spectroscope a much surer indication of coming rain or fair weather can be obtained than by any other of the habitual criteria. If so, it is a great pity that this method should not be adopted. At present, our weather forecasts are hardly of any use, and more often misleading than not. Only, Mr. Cory's spectroscopic experiments appear to have been made nearer to the beginning of the twenty-four hours to be forecasted, than it would be possible for forecasts which have to be distributed and published in the morning papers, to be taken. Can he get any- thing like equally good results two or three hours sooner P