NOTIONS, NOTES, AND ODDS AND ENDS 157 



It is little more than a year ago that a 

 natural law was brought into notice by Sir 

 John Murray of the Challenger one of the 

 natural results of the work of the Medusa in 

 taking soundings and temperatures. That 

 law, shortly stated, is : During an on-shore 

 wind the temperature of the surface-water is 

 higher than during an off-shore wind. And 

 the simple reason assigned by Dr. Murray is : 

 Although the off-shore wind begins in com- 

 paratively shallow water, still the displace- 

 ment of the surface-water makes room for 

 colder strata of water below to rise to the 

 surface and take its place. But in on-shore 

 winds the surface-water alone is agitated, as 

 the agitation has either commenced in deeper 

 water, or has travelled far enough to become 

 raised in temperature by the sun or contact 

 with the air. 1 



In normal seasons our prevailing winds are 

 westerly, but in 1898 east winds have pre- 

 vailed. Therefore the waters of the west 

 coast were abnormally cold as compared 

 with other seasons. 



1 In long continuance of cold weather and absence of 

 sun heat, no doubt this would come to be in a great 

 measure neutralised. 



