WBIR BOARDS. — FRITH OP CLYDK. 4? 



lectiDg information for the purposes of that Report. My professional en- 

 gagements have occupied me necessarily so much as to oblige me to defer 

 for this year the detailed prosecution of the subject and the preparation of 

 the Report in full. I have, however, the gratification of stating, that, with 

 special reference to the researches entrusted to me by the Association, the 

 President of the Athenaeum of Boston, United States, Mr. Thomas G. Gary, 

 has generously sent to me, with the request that it be presented to the 

 British Association on his behalf, a valuable book, containing accounts of 

 experiments recently carried out on a very grand scale in America on the 

 measurement of large bodies of flowing water by means of Weir boards and 

 by other methods. 



The work is entitled ' Lowell Hydraulic Experiments,' by James B.Francis. 

 In reference to the experiments, Mr. Gary, the donor of the book, states in 

 his letter to me, " These experiments, made under the direction and at the 

 expense of the associated companies of Lowell, near Boston, who employ 

 Mr. Francis as the engineer for their cotton and woollen factories, have cost 

 about £4000 sterling ; and they make part in a series of investigations which 

 have cost those companies £15,000." 



In the Report which I hope to submit to the British Association, I shall 

 have much occasion for reference to these important experiments, and for 

 this purpose I think it right to retain the book in my hands at present. 



As the expenses incurred in reference to the researches have been but 

 small, and chiefly for the procuring of books, I do not desire to draw for 

 them on the fund of £1 liberally placed at my disposal by the Association ; 

 and as my intention is, not to conduct experiments on the subject myself, 

 but chiefly to give a review of the most important experiments and deduc- 

 tions which have been made by others, I do not think it necessary to ask 

 for a renewal of the grant. 



Dredging Report. — Frith of Clyde. 1856. 



At the last meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, held in Glasgow, the following resolution was adopted: — 



" That a Gommittee, consisting of the Rev. G. P. Miles, M.D., Professor 

 Balfour, Dr. Greville, and Mr. Eyton, be requested to report on the 

 dredging of the West coast of Scotland, and that the sum of £10 be 

 placed at their disposal for the purpose." 



Of the Gommittee only two members have been able to devote any 

 time to the object contemplated, viz. Dr. Greville, and the Rev. G. P. Miles. 

 The latter, having engaged a residence on Holy Island, Lamlash Bay, was 

 joined by the former on June 9th, when both were prepared to commence a 

 systematic course of dredging, and to give up their whole time, for several 

 weeks, to the work. They had provided themselves with the Government 

 charts, and with such books on the different departments of marine zoology 

 as were likely to be of service ; they had also everything requisite for the 

 preservation of specimens ; and they had at their command a small yacht*, 

 and a stout four-oared cutter f. So far, therefore, as material was concerned, 

 the Gommittee had armed themselves for a vigorous campaign. 



In the arrangement for their plan of proceeding, the Committee took into 



* This vessel was lent to the Rev. Mr. Miles (on the condition of his paying the expenses 

 of fitting her out) by Alexander Melville, Esq., Glasgow, 

 t The property of Dr. Carpenter, Holy Island, Arran. 



