LXXVI THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



A satisfactory design of resistance thermometers for taking the 

 temperature of ocean water on board ship has been worked out and 

 it is hoped to equip some of the Pacific ships with them this year. 

 Considerable progress has been made with the installation of ther- 

 mometers for earth temperatures. 



Seismological Observations 



The Seismographs at Toronto and Victoria have continued in 

 operation with little loss of record throughout the fiscal year. 138 

 disturbances were recorded in Toronto, the greater number being of 

 small amplitude. This is 47 greater than the normal number and is 

 in striking contrast to the small yearly number recorded from 1900 

 to 1913. The largest monthly total, 19, occurred in March, and the 

 least, 7, in November. The principal movements were on September 

 20th and December 16th, the latter being one of the largest ever 

 recorded here, possibly next to the San Francisco quake of April 18th, 

 1906. The seat of the disturbance was in China, the provinces of 

 Shensi, Kansu and Szechwan being particularly affected. Damage to 

 life and property was appalling, whole families were completely 

 wiped out, hills came down into ravines and thousands of people, as 

 well as their animals, were completely buried alive. Streets opened 

 up causing the houses on both sides to fall together. 



We continue to forward abstracts of our observations to various 

 seismological centres throughout the world and receive a large number 

 of bulletins in return. We also furnish the Associated Press by request 

 with information regarding the distance, character, etc., of any large 

 earthquake. 



Investigation regarding the correlation of microseisms and 

 meteorological phenomena has been regularly carried out as well as 

 the plotting of large earthquakes. 



The new Milne Shaw instruments referred to in our last report 

 have not yet arrived. 



Climatology and Agricultural Meteorology 



In the Monthly Record have been compiled and published hourly 

 or bi-hourly records from the principal stations, daily records from 

 fifty-two telegraph stations, and monthly means and extremes for 

 some five hundred stations of the second class, for about eighty-five 

 precipitation stations, and about sixty sunshine stations. 



Preparing statements of the weather for legal claims in actions- 



