29 



equivalent to a good dose of manure. He recommends the adoption 

 of some means to prevent this great loss, and promises to continue 

 his researches, and bring forward more precise results. 



The following Donations were presented : — 



Anatomical and Pathological Observations. By John Goodsir, 

 F.R.S.E., and Harry D. S. Goodsir, M.W.S. — By the Authors. 



The American Journal of Science and Arts, conducted by Professor 

 Silliman, for January 1845. — By the Editor. 



Monday, 1th April 1845. 



Sir T. M. BRISBANE, Bart., President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. Observations on the Temperature of the Earth at Trevan- 

 drum, in Lat. 8° 30' 32". By John Caldecott, Esq. Re- 

 duced, with some Remarks, by Professor Forbes. 



The present notice is a sequel to one presented to the Royal 

 Society on 1st May 1843, containing the results of Mr Calde- 

 cott's Observations on the Temperature of the Earth in India, made 

 by means of thermometers sunk to depths of 3, 6, and 12 French 

 feet, corresponding to those employed in the thi-ee stations near Edin- 

 burgh, of which the results are already before the Society. 



The position of the instruments is mentioned in the former notice 

 {Proceedings, vol. i. page 432). 



A later note from Mr Caldecott, dated 10th August 1843, ac- 

 companies the detailed observations made upon the three thermome- 

 ters four times a-day (every 6 hours) for the whole year, from July 

 1842 to July 1843, Sundays excepted. 



The most remarkable circumstance connected with the observa- 

 tions, is the extraordinary excess uniformly observed of the earth 

 temperature above the air temperature. The index error of the in- 

 struments is so large, as might have excited a suspicion of some in- 

 accuracy in its determination, but for the known experience and 

 skill of Mr Caldecott. I shall therefore quote what his letter says on 

 this point. " The readings of the thermometers, as given in these 

 tables [containing the observations at large], require a correction in 

 order to reduce them to those of the standard thermometer. Thi» 

 correction, derived from a comparison of them with the standard. 



