42 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VOL. V. 



shifted to the south-west, and the thermometer had risen to 80°. At five 

 minutes past 5 the water had fallen again to 2y%, the wind shifted to the 

 north, blowing fresh, and a water spout appeared about four miles 

 N.N.W., moving S.S.W." General Comstock remarked in reference to 

 these reports: — "It would seem, then, from the consideration of the 

 irregular fluctuations at Milwaukee, Marquette and Oswego, that a pro- 

 bable cause is to be found in the oscillations of the barometer, either 

 local or general, and in the accompanying winds, periodically arising in 

 some cases by reflection from the opposite shores." 



The unusual fluctuations at the Queen's wharf, Toronto, in 1878 and 

 1880, are noted as follows: — Capt. Paul, in charge of the Dominion 

 Government dredging, stated in his diary, April 24th, 1878: "A.M., 

 cloudy, threatening, wind fresh, east; P.M., heavy squall from the S.E. 

 with rain. Extra rise and fall of water 3^ feet above the average. Normal 

 state of water 20 inches above zero. On the 23rd the level was 19, and 

 25th, 20 inches above zero." The time was not stated, but he informed 

 me shortly after the occurrence that it was in the afternoon. Mr. Carp- 

 mael, now superintendent of the Meteorological Observatory, kindly 

 furnished me with the barometric readings for that day. "Between 1.58 

 p.m. and 2.02 p.m. there was a sudden rise of more than a tenth of an 

 inch, viz.: from 29.122 to 29.226, in less than four minutes." Mr. Carp- 

 mael, who lectured at the Institute shortly after that time, mentions in 

 his notes on the above : " At about 2 h. 2 m. the wind suddenly increased 

 in force and veered from east to south, afterwards returning to S.E. and 

 E., the force at the same time diminishing." There were no reports of 

 water spouts or sea serpents. In reference to the second fluctuation, the 

 Toronto Globe, A^vW 19th, 1880, stated: "About 5.45 p.m. on Friday 

 last (17th inst.), a tidal wave set into the harbour, when the water sud- 

 denly with one great advancing flood raised about twenty inches. The 

 height of water was maintained, ebbing and flowing for about an hour. 

 The wave appeared to come in from the south, where the sky at the time 

 gave the appearance of a heavy squall." With reference to the supposed 

 tidal theory. General Comstock remarks : " The known existence of a 

 lake breeze at Milwaukee during the summer months, at once suggested 

 itself as a cause for this inequality, and on comparing the solar diurnal 

 curves for April and November, when the lake breeze should be weak, 

 and that for July and August, when the lake breeze should be the 

 strongest, with that of the whole season, it was found that for the former 

 months the inequality nearly disappears, while for the latter it is con- 

 siderably increased, thus justifying the supposition that the lake breeze 

 is the cause of the inequality." On such evidence the so-called tidal 



