ndwich Islands.)

7th. Cyclones begin in the immediate neighborhood of active volcanos.

The Mauritius cyclones begin near Java; the West Indian, near the
volcanic series of the Caribbean Islands; those of the Bay of Bengal,
near the volcanic islands, on its eastern shores; the typhoons of the
China Sea, near the Philippine Islands, etc.

8th. Within the tropics, cyclones move toward the west; and, in
middle latitudes, cyclones and water-spouts move toward the N. E., in
the northern hemisphere, and toward the S. E. in the southern
hemisphere.

9th. In the northern hemisphere, cyclones rotate in a horizontal
plane, in the order N. W., S. E.; and in the southern hemisphere, in
the order N. E., S. W.

By applying the principles of electro-dynamics to the electricity of
the atmosphere, I shall endeavor to connect and explain the preceding
well-defined facts. The continuous observations of Quetelet, on the
electricity of the atmosphere, from 1844 to 1849 (Literary Journal,
February, 1850), show that it is always positive, and increases as
the temperature diminishes. It therefore increases rapidly with the
height above the earth's surface. We may, consequently, regard the
upper and colder regions of the atmosphere as an immense reservoir of
electric fluid enveloping the earth, which is insulated by the
intermediate spherical shell formed by the lower and denser
atmosphere. Now, whenever a vertical column of this atmosphere is
suddenly displaced, the surrounding aqueous vapor will be immediately
condensed and aggregated, and the cold rarefied air and moisture will
form a vertical conductor for the descent of the electrical fluid.
This descent will take place down a spiral, gyrating in the order N.
W., S. E., in the northern hemisphere, since the electric current is
under the same influence as that of the south pole of a magnet; and
in the order N. E., S. W., in the southern hemisphere. The air
exterior to the conducting cylinder will partake of the violent
revolving motion, and a tornado or cyclone will be produced.

Upon the foregoing facts I shall comment in another place.

Three theories have been advanced by meteorologists of this country, two
of which profess to explain all the phenomena of the weather. Professor
Espy attributed the production of storms and r