British Association Jor the Advancement of Science. 231 



of the papers have been inserted, chiefly to illustrate the plan of 

 proceeding which was pursued at the meeting. 



It only remains to be added, that the time which has been fixed 

 upon as that on which it will be most convenient for the Association 

 to assemble at Oxford, is the 18th day of June, 1832. 



York, February, 1832. 



RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SUB-COMMITTEES. 



Committee of Mathematical and Physical Science. 



Mathematics. — The Committee recommend that the Vice-Presi- 

 dent of the Association residing at Cambridge be requested to use 

 his utmost efforts to procure, from some competent individual, a 

 report to the next meeting on the progress of Mathematical Science. 

 Astronomy. — That Professor Airy be requested to fiivour the As- 

 sociation with a report on the state and progress of Physical Astro- 

 nomy, together with such remarks on the improvements of Practical 

 Astronomy as he may deem it useful to add. 



Theory of Tides. — That J. W. Lubbock, Esq. be requested to 

 furnish a statement of the means which we possess, or which we 

 want, for forming accurate tables for calculating the time and height 

 of High-water at a given place. 



Meteorology. — That James D. Forbes, Esq. be requested to draw 

 up a report for the next meeting, on the present state of Meteoro- 

 logical Science. 



The Committee, considering that the science of Meteorology is 

 in more want than perhaps any other, of that systematic direction 

 which it is one great object of the Association to give, has thought 

 it advisable to propose the following points for investigation. 



I. That the Association should employ all the means in its power 

 to procure a Register of the Thermometer during every hour of the 

 day and night, to be kept at some military or naval station in the 

 Soutli of England. 



Note*. Until the phaenomena and distribution of diurnal tempe- 

 rature are more thoroughly understood than at present, we can 

 hardly hope that any very sure footing has been obtained in the 

 study of meteorology. The hourly register kept for several years 

 at the military station of Leith Fort in lat. 56°, has shown that we 

 want nothing but the combination of a sufficient number of trust- 

 worthy observations, in order to obtain results of primary importance 

 to the science, and which may one day enable us to arrive at the 

 true form of the daily and annual curves of mean temperature with 

 a precision almost mathematical. In order, however, to extend the 

 benefit of such investigations, it is absolutely necessary that they 

 should be pursued in different latitudes. The application to ren- 

 dering available registers otherwise almost without value, from not 



• The notes appended to the Reeoniniendaiions liave been drawn up by 

 ioine of the members of the Committees since the meeting. 



being 



