Jam-akv. 101. 



knowij: nni-. 



35 



forms become soft, rounded, and full-bodied, the alliliide 

 sinking to less than two thousand feet. This contrast is due to 

 the fact that the western hills owe their smooth outlines to the 

 work of the i;reat ice-sheet which once covered the island, 

 whilst the hitjher Goatfell group became subsequently a centre 

 of independent glacialion. Its originally smooth outlines 

 have conse(|uently been destroyed, the rounded ridges have 

 been narrowed into gashed and serrated aretes, great corries or 

 cirques have been gouged out of the mountain sides as if by 

 a gigantic cheese-scoop; whilst deep I' shaped valleys have 

 been carved, in which the existing streamlets appear as 

 almost ludicrous "" misfits," and whose tributaries form beauti- 

 ful hanging-valleys. 



The .Arran mountains rise from a well-marked plateau at a 

 level of one thousand feet above the sea. This plateau 

 is built of such diverse rocks as Schist, Old Ked Sand- 

 stone, Triassic, and Granite, and has a most immature 

 drainage, presenting an example of extremely youthful 

 topography. This is taken as proof of its recent origin. It is 

 believed to represent the remains of a peneplain of marine 

 denudation, and doubtless belongs to the one thousand foot 

 platform so well developed in the adjacent Grampian High- 

 lands. 



Mr. Mort reaches the same conclusion in regard to .\rran 

 as does Professor W. M. Davis in regard to the Snowdon 

 group, namely, " that a large-featured, round-shouldered, full- 

 bodied mountain of pre-glacial time has been converted by 

 erosion during the Glacial Period — and chiefly by glacial 

 erosion — into the sharp"fe.itiired. hollow-chested, narrow- 

 spurred moimtain of to-day." 



METEOROLOGY. 



By John A. Ci'ktis. F.K.Mkt.Soc. 



Thk weather of the week ended November 18th, as set out in 

 the Weekly Weather Report issued by the Meteorological 

 Office, was mostly dull and unsettled. Over a large portion of 

 the kingdom rain was experienced daily, some of the amounts 

 being very large. Sleet or snow were common in the N. 

 and E. of Scotland late in the week. .Aurora was observed 

 in Scotland on the 16th, and thunder was heard in Ireland on 

 the 17th, 



Temperature was above the average in all districts except 

 Scotland, N., the excess reaching 4°-6 in Knglaiid K. The 

 highest readings reported were 60° at Hillington and 59° at 

 Hereford. 1 he lowest readings were 24° at Baltasound, 25° at 

 Nairn, and 26° at Kilmarnock. In Ireland the minimum was 

 35°, and in the English Channel 43°. On the grass readings 

 down to 20° (at Llanganimarch) were obscrxed. 



Rainfall was in excess very generally, and was more than 

 double the average in many places. At Tunbridge Wells the 

 total for the week was 2-67-ins., as compared with an average 

 of 0-7.S-ins. Bright sunshine was in defect in all districts 

 except Ireland N., where it was normal, and in the English 

 Channel, where it was just above. 



The mean temperature of the sea-water ranged from 41-0 

 at Kirkwall to 52-9 at Newquay. 



The week ended November 25th was cold generally, the 

 defect as compared with average reaching 5-0 in Ireland S. 

 The highest reading was 53' at Guernsey on the 20th, but 

 at a number of stations' the maximum did not exceed 45'. 

 The lowest readings were 21" at Balmoral and 22 at Birr 

 Castle. On the grass very low readings, down to 10' (at 

 Llanganimarch). were noted. Rainfall was in excess of the 

 average in Scotland E. and England N.E.. but was in defect 

 elsewhere. In Scotland W. the week was almost rainless, 

 the district value being only 0-02 inches, as compared with 

 an average of 1-19 inches. Sunshine was in excess in the 

 Western districts, but was in defect in the English Channel 

 and was about normal elsewhere. Valencia reported the 

 largest aggregate, 33-2 hours (57%), while at Westminster the 

 total was only 2-2 hours (4°b). 



The a\eragc temperature of the sea water ranged from 

 4()"-4 at Kirkwall to Sl^-S at Newquay. 



During the week ended December 2nd, the weather over the 

 L'nited Kii\gdom was changeable, but not very wet. Snow 

 and sleet were experienced in the North and East, and 

 thunder was heard at Kilmarnock on December 1st. 



Temperature did not differ greatly from the normal. It was 

 a little above the average in Scotland, England, N.W., and 

 Ireland. N.; in other districts below it. The highest reading 

 was 56°, reported from Glencarron, Hawarden Bridge and 

 Markree Castle. The lowest readings were 20" at Nairn, and 

 2 P at Strathpeffer. Frost was observed in e\ ery district except 

 the English Channel, where the minimum was 34^. The 

 lowest reading on the grass was 17° at Llangammarch. 



Rainfall was below the average in all districts except 

 England N.E. In England S.E. and the English Channel it 

 w.is but little more than half the usual amount. There were 

 no stations without rain, and at several places rain was 

 measured on each day. Sunshine was scanty ; the sunniest 

 district was England S.W.. with 17 hours (30%), but England E. 

 had only 4 hours (8%). The sunniest station was Newquay 

 with 22-3 hours (39%). Westminster reported 1-8 hours (3%)_ 



The mean temperature of the sea water varied from 

 40° -0 at Kirkwall to 48° -3 at Scilly and at Plymouth. 



The week ended December 9th was very unsettled, but with 

 bright intervals. Snow and sleet were experienced in some 

 Northern districts, and thunder accompanied by hail occurred 

 at Westbourne on the 6th. 



Temperature was below the average very generally, the 

 greatest deficiency being in Ireland S. The highest readings 

 were 57° at Pembroke, and 55° at Cambridge and Dumfries, 

 on the 3rd. The lowest of the minima was 21' at Balmoral 

 on the 8th. The English Channel was again the only district 

 which was free from frost in the air, although at Guernsey 

 there was a reading of 27° on the grass. The lowest reading 

 on the grass for the week was 12 at Llangammarch Wells. 



Rainfall was in excess in all districts except Scotland N. 

 In England S.E. and S.W. and in Ireland S. the totals were 

 more than double the average, and at many stations rain was 

 measured on each day of the week. In spite, however, of the 

 frequent and heavy rains sunshine was considerably above 

 the normal in all districts, the percentage of possible duration 

 ranging from 46° in the English Channel to 24^ in Scotland N., 

 which was just double the average in each case. The sunniest 

 station was Salcombe, 32-5 hours (58%). At Westminster 

 the aggregate was 12 hours (22%). The temperature of the 

 sea water varied from 39° at Ballantrae to 51° at Scilly. 



The week ended December 16th was mild and wet. Slight 

 thunderstorms were reported, and Aurora was seen in Scotland 

 on the 11th and 14th. 



Temperature was above the normal in all districts, the 

 excess amounting to nearly 4 in England S.E., and the Mid- 

 land Counties. The highest reading was 55° at Waterford 

 with 54° at several stations. The lowest of the minima were 

 23° at Balmoral. 27 at Kilhirney, and 29 at Nairn. At no 

 other station did the temperature fall below 30°. and indeed in 

 six out of the eleven districts into whi<:h the L'nited Kingdom is 

 divided for Meteorological purposes the temperature did not 

 fall below the free;!ing point. In the English Channel the 

 lowest reading was 41°. On the ground the lowest tempera- 

 ture reported was 20 at Balmoral. 



Rainfall was greatly in excess, except in Scotland N. Falls 

 of more than an inch in twenty-tour hours were frecjuent, and 

 at Crathes the fall on the 15th amounted to 2-03 inches. At 

 many stations the total for the week was more than double 

 the average. Sunshine was also in excess of the average 

 over the greater part of England though slightly below in 

 Scotland and Ireland. The sunniest district was England E., 

 with 15 hours (29%) ; the sunniest station being Torquay with 

 19-3 hours (35%). At Westminster the total was 10-9 hours 

 (20%). The temperature of the sea water ranged between 

 40° and 50°. 



