18 Transactions. 
“ Meteorology,” in the ‘“ Encyclopedia Britannica” (eighth 
edition), published in 1857, is 36-9 in. But either this must be 
an under-estimate, or within the last thirty years the Dumfries 
district must have become more rainy than at a previous period, 
seeing that the mean of 26 years at Cargen is in excess of 36°9 in. 
by nearly 8 in. It is possible, however, that the rainfall at 
Cargen, from its proximity to Criffel, is in excess of that of Dum- 
fries. It has been so during the past year by more than 24 in., 
that of Cargen being 43-31 in. and that of Dumfries 40:63 in. © 
If we compare the average rainfall of Dumfries with that of 
other stations in this country, it appears to be much in excess of 
many of them; that of Edinburgh, for example, being 24:9 in. ; 
Arbroath, 27:44 in. ; Aberdeen, for last five years, 29°6 in. But it is 
a well-known fact that the western side of the country has a much 
greater rainfall than the eastern. Ardrossan has an average 
rainfall of 37:5 in., and where the stations are situated in elevated 
regions, or in the neighbourhood of mountains, as in the Western 
Highlands, the average is greatly increased, ranging from 60 to 
80 inches on the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland. At Seath- 
waite, in Cumberland, at a height of 422 feet, it is said to amount 
to 154 in., which is the greatest recorded in Britain. The cause 
of this is not difficult to explain. The greatest part of the 
moisture, which is deposited in the form of rain, is brought by 
westerly or south-westerly winds from the Atlantic; and where 
the coast is mountainous the air is forced to ascend into the 
higher and colder regions of the atmosphere, where the vapour 
which it contains is condensed by the lower temperature, pro- 
ducing the drenching rains so common on the seaward slopes of 
our western hills. We are not subject in Dumfries to such 
excessive rains as these, but still we cannot boast, as the above 
report shows, of a very dry climate, nor even as far as regards 
the past year at least, of a very warm one. 
II. Notes on the Bridge of Nith. 
By Mr J. Cartyte Arrken. (Abridged.) 
The date of the Old Bridge of Dumfries is usually given as 
1275, and that it has been assumed by some old ecclesiastics that 
Christian, sister of Devorgilla, was associated with her in the 
work, but as she died in 1246, and as the Bridge was probably 
built in her lifetime, it is possible that the structure was earlier 
