PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 13 



and elsewhere there were considerable falls, including 3'32in. 

 at Brighton in 24 hours. The hitherto highest record of 

 the number of hours of sunshine in any month was beaten in 

 May, 1909, when 326 hours were recorded at Greenwich, 

 and even more in the south of England. At Weymouth 

 Mr. Brown's record at the meteorological station was 326^ 

 hours, being nearly 100 hours above the average. The 

 Meteorological office has determined in future to issue forecasts 

 of weather more than 24 hours ahead, when circumstances 

 justify this course, but not, as I understand, regularl}*. The 

 Paris floods of February last, which caused such destruction 

 and suffering in that city, rose higher than on any previous 

 recorded occasion since February, 1658, and were doubtless 

 produced by the conjoined effects of a sudden rise of tempera- 

 ture, which melted the snow, and a large but not unusual 

 rainfall. In a very different part of the world the Sea of 

 Aral which is supplied by two good sized rivers, but has no 

 outlet and is kept to its level solely by evaporation, has of 

 late years been rising. Its height is so much more dependent 

 on meteorological conditions than that of most lakes that I 

 mention it under this heading. For a long time before 1880 

 it had been falling as far as records show ; but since then, 

 owing to increased rainfall and possibly fewer hours of sun, 

 it has risen by 10 or 11 feet. I believe that there are traces 

 of ancient river beds, by which it emptied itself in former 

 times when it rose sufficiently high, and on the other hand it 

 seems probable that it has at times been in the condition of 

 a marsh owing to extreme lowness. There is some evidence 

 that it was in this state in the time of Marco Polo (13th cen- 

 tury). Experiments and observations on dewponds have 

 been lately carried on, but the full explanation of their 

 working does not seem to be yet forthcoming. The tempera- 

 ture of the water in the ponds does not seem low enough as a 

 rule for the deposition of dew. It is considered that the 

 straw placed underneath them when made is merely used to 

 prevent the clay with which they are lined from cracking, and 

 has nothing to do with the deposition of dew. If they are 



