Meteorology Considered in its Connexion with Astronomy, Climate, and the Geographical Distribution of Animals and Plants, Equally as with the Seasons and Changes of the Weather.

MURPHY, Patrick.

Edité par J. B. Bailliere. London 8vo, 1836

A propos de cet article

pp. xi, (v), 277, (i) blank, (i) Errata, (i) blank. Original cloth, uncut, paper spine label, front board ring-marked, end-papers foxed, otherwise a very good, clean copy. *A very scarce title, COPAC records copies in the BL - Cambridge - NLS - Oxford - Edinburgh; WORLDCAT gives Hamilton Library, Hawaii - Power Library, Canada - 4 European locations. PATRICK MURPHY [born Cork, d.1847] also wrote - 'Rudiments of the Primary Forces of Gravity, Magnetism, and Electricity in Their Agency on the Heavenly Bodies' ; he was at the forefront for using astrological and astronomical principles in weather forecasting, one of the prime gifts of the almanacs that were so popular from the seventeenth century onwards. His best-selling work was 'The Anatomy of the Seasons; Weather Guide Book, and Perpetual Companion to the Almanac', 1837, in which he predicted the weather for every day of the forthcoming year. His prediction for January 20th. 1838 promised 'Fair, and probably the lowest degree in winter temperature.' The London temperature that day fell to minus 20C and Murphy's Almanac became the best seller for years to come, netting him a sizeable income. Over time, however, his detractors demonstrated the fallibility of his forecasting and the taint of inaccuracy held back meteorology as a developing science. Even Robert FitzRoy, who eventually established the Meteorology Office, invented the FitzRoy Barometer and promoted the dissemination of regular Storm Warnings, was assailed as a crank, eventually succumbing to severe depression and committing suicide in 1865. The fact that Murphy considered the question of animal and plant distribution is of some interest, foreshadowing Alfred Russel Wallace forty years later. He proposed that distribution depended upon similarities in climate, and that climate was dependent upon the sun and its magnetic activity. One could predict, for example that the climate of New South Wales being so similar to that of southern Spain, that the introduction of merinos to Australia would prove successful. In a footnote, Murphy adds, en passant, that he passed a paper on this point to the Colonial Office for consideration some two years previously but had not had a response ! See KATHARINE ANDERSON. The Weather Prophets: Science and Reputation in Victorian Meteorology. History of Science. v.37, 1999.

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Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Meteorology Considered in its Connexion with Astronomy, Climate, and the Geographical Distribution of Animals and Plants, Equally as with the Seasons and Changes of the Weather.
• Éditeur: J. B. Bailliere. London 8vo
• Date de parution: 1836
• Reliure: Couverture rigide