vapor
which always accompany it in the form of storm-clouds.

The anti-cyclone simply reverses the conditions of the cyclone. Its
centre is an area of high pressure, and the air rushes out from it in
all directions towards surrounding regions of low pressure. As before,
all parts of the current will be deflected towards the right, and
the result, clearly, is a whirl opposite in direction to that of the
cyclone. But here there is a tendency to dissipation rather than to
concentration of energy, hence, considered as a storm-generator, the
anti-cyclone is of relative insignificance.

In particular the professional meteorologist who conducts a "weather
bureau"--as, for example, the chief of the United States signal-service
station in New York--is so preoccupied with the observation of this
phenomenon that cyclone-hunting might be said to be his chief pursuit.
It is for this purpose, in the main, that government weather bureaus
or signal-service departments have been established all over the world.
Their chief work is to follow up cyclones, with the aid of telegraphic
reports, mapping their course and recording the attendant meteorological
conditions. Their so-called predictions or forecasts are essentially
predications, gaining locally the effect of predictions because the
telegraph outstrips the wind.

At only one place on the globe has it been possible as yet for the
meteorologist to make long-time forecasts meriting the title of
predictions. This is in the middle Ganges Valley of northern India.
In this country the climatic conditions are largely dependent upon the
periodical winds called monsoons, which blow steadily landward from
April to October, and seaward from October to April. The summer monsoons
bring the all-essential rains; if they are delayed or restricted
in extent, there will be drought and consequent famine. And such
restriction of the monsoon is likely to result when there has been an
unusually deep or very late snowfall on the Himalayas, because of the
lowering of spring temperature by the melting snow. Thus here it is
possible, by observing the snowfall in the mountains, to predict with
some measure of success the average rainfall of the following summer.
The drought of 1896, with the consequent famine and plague that
devastated India the following winter, was thus predicted some months in
advance.

This is the greatest present triumph of practical meteorology. Nothing
like it is yet possible anywh