120 REPORT—1843. 
favourable reception from the naturalists of Italy. At the scientific Congress 
held last year at Padua, the Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte submitted to the 
meeting an Italian translation of our code of rules, which was generally ap- 
proved of, and a committee of six zoologists and as many botanists was ap- 
pointed to consider them in detail, and to report thereon to the meeting at 
Lucca in the present year. A French translation of our Report has appeared 
in the scientific journal called ‘ L’Institut,’ in which paper much stress is laid 
on the importance of the measure. A very gratifying review of it has also 
appeared in the American Journal of Science. Let us hope that these efforts 
to produce uniformity in the scientific language of zoology will tend to faci- 
litate intercourse between the naturalists of all countries, at once aiding the 
progress of their sciences and strengthening the bonds of their mutual amity. 
H. E. StrickLanpD 
(on the part of the Committee). 
Report of the Committee appointed by the British Association in 1842, 
for registering the Shocks of Earthquakes, and making such Meteoro- 
logical Observations as may appear to them desirable. 
Tue Committee take leave to report, that during the last twelve months the 
earthquakes in Perthshire have been more quiet than usual. From the end 
of June 1842 (down to which date its movements were last year reported by 
the Committee) only about thirty shocks have occurred at Comrie, to the first 
of July, 1843. The dates of these (the last year’s shocks) will be found in a 
table annexed to this report; and in the same table has been inserted some 
meteorological information, furnished by Mr. Macfarlane of Comrie, who 
takes charge of the instruments belonging to the Association. 
None of the Comrie shocks were so violent as to produce much, or indeed 
almost any, heave or undulation of the ground. They seem to have con- 
sisted of a sudden concussion only, accompanied by the usual trembling of the 
earth and rumbling subterranean noise. 
In the table annexed to this year’s report, and in compliance with the in- 
structions given to the Committee, there is stated the quantity of rain and 
also the average height of the barometer for each month. If (as has been 
suggested) the rain which descends into the earth has some connection with 
the causes of earthquake shocks—perhaps the remarkable dryness of last au- 
tumn may, in part at least, account for the scarcity and slightness of the shocks 
at a season when they have been generally most frequent. 
It is also not undeserving of attention, with reference to another specula- 
tion on this subject, that the barometer seems to have been particularly low 
at the time of the shocks. This at least was the case on the only two occa- 
_sions on which the height of the barometer was marked at the instant of the 
shocks, viz. on the 24th of September 1842 and 23rd of March 1843. The 
barometer was then lower, not only than the average height for the month, 
but also than that of the day when the shock occurred. Thus, on the 23rd 
of March 1843 (as the table shows), the height of the barometer was at the 
moment of the shock, at 8 p.M., 29°12, and of another shock at 11 P.m., 29°10, 
whilst the average height for that day was 29°26, and for the month 29°72. 
The height of the barometer at the instant of the shock on the 24th of Sep- 
tember 1842 will also be seen to have been lower than the average height 
for that month. 
It is to be regretted that the height of the barometer was not registered on 
the occasion of all the shocks, so that there might have been on this point a 

