168 METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT CARNWATH. 



XVII. Report on the Meteorological Observations made at Corn- 

 vxith, Lanarkshire. By Alexander Bucban, M. A., F.R.S.E., 

 Secretary of the ScottLsli Meteorological Society.* 



Mr Buchax read tlie report of the Committee on the grant for 

 the prosecution of the inquiry into the influence of forests on 

 climate, and idtimately in reference to the influence of forests on 

 rainfall. The Committee have already expressed their decided 

 conviction that no amount of rain gauges, however placed, would 

 throw any light on the question of the influence of forests on rain- 

 fall, for the simple reason that there were many causes which 

 determined the amount of the local rainfall of which we knew 

 nothing. The Committee had therefore come to the conclusion 

 that the question could only be attacked by means of instrumental 

 observations on the quality of the air, and particularly as regards 

 its temperature and humidity. The greatest care has been 

 taken to secure that the two sets of thermometers, with their pro- 

 tecting louvre-boarded boxes, are placed in positions so circum- 

 stanced that the one set is surrounded by air either not influenced 

 at all, or only in an inappreciable degree by the forest, and the 

 other set by air under the full influence of the trees of the forest, 

 in so far as that is possible, when the instruments are at the same 

 time placed directly under the influences of solar and terrestrial 

 radiation ; in other words, not under the shade of the trees. 



As stated in previous reports (vol. vii., p. 285), the locality 

 chosen for the observations was a wood at Carnwath, which was 

 kindly placed at the service of the Committee by Hector Maclean, 

 Esq., Carnwath House. The Committee particularly desire to 

 state that, in selecting the locality for the instruments, their 

 exposure and precise relation to immediately surrounding objects, 

 the question of the viscosity or adhesiveness of the air, was kept 

 steadily in view as regards currents of air, and the bearing of these 

 currents on solar and terrestrial radiation. 



The observations of 1876 were, as had been agreed on, made 

 with the same instruments, and in the same positions as on previous 

 years, with the view of testing the correctness of the results formerly 

 arrived at. They were made by Mr Fotheringham, and extended 



* Read at the Annual General Meeting, 1st November 1876. 



