The Kev. H. Lloyd on the Meteorology of Ireland. 443 



of distribution, depending upon the aspect of the coast. Thus, on com- 

 paring the numbers denoting the frequency of any particular wind at the se- 

 veral stations, with their mean for the whole island, it would seem that easterly 

 winds are slightly in excess on the western coast, and westerly winds on 

 the eastern. In other words, there appears to be a preponderating tendency 

 of the wind to blow from the land, at each place, as compared with the mean 

 of all. It will remain for future inquiry to ascertain whether this holds good 

 in other years, and is, therefore, to be referred to a general law. If so, it 

 is probably the eifect of the land and sea breezes, the former preponderating 

 in the average of the winds at 9 a.m. and 9 p. m. 



Pressure of the Wind. — For the measurement of the pressure of the wind, 

 a Lind's anemometer was furnished to each station. The difficulty of ob- 

 taining acciu-ate results with this little instrument arise, partly, from the small- 

 ness of its indications, and, partly, from the oscillations of the fluid in the 

 tube ; the latter are so considerable as to render the instrument of little value, 

 except in the hands of a patient and somewhat practised oberver. After 

 some trial, accordingly, it was deemed advisable that the force of the wind 

 should be in all cases estimated, and that the use of Lind's anemometer should 

 be limited to that of furnishing a check upon this estimation in the case of the 

 stronger winds. 



The first thing to be determined, then, was the choice of a scale of force. 

 The scales in use are various: in one of them there are/owr degrees of wind- 

 force ; in another, six; and in a third (the Admiralty scale) there are twelve. The 

 last of these appears to be too minute for the ordinary powers of unaided esti- 

 mation, and the first not sufiiciently so. The intermediate scale (from to 6), 

 was accordingly adopted ; and it appears to be further recommended by the 

 circumstances, — 1, that it is the subdivision most generally used on the Conti- 

 nent ; and 2, that, as its numbers represent the same degrees of wind-force with 

 the alternate numbers of the Admiralty scale, the latter are convertible into the 

 former by simply dividing by two. The six degrees of wind-force were desig- 

 nated as follow: — 1. Light breeze; 2. Moderate breeze ; 3. Strong breeze; 4. Mo- 

 derate gale; 5. Strong gale; 6. Storm. 



VOL. xxu. 3 M 



