$4 REPORT—1862. 
walls, at the lowest visible depth ; they were there of a pretty bright red, visible in 
bright winter sunlight overhead. Ihave no doubt then that the temperature of 
the shaft at from 300 to 500 feet down was sufficient to melt copper, or ata 1900° 
to 2000° Fahy. 
“From the extremely bad conducting power of the walls of a volcanic shaft, 
there is scarcely any loss of heat from any cause, except its enormous absorption 
in the latent heat, of the prodigious volume of dry steam, which is constantly being 
evolved. It is perfectly transparent for several yards above the orifice of the shaft, 
and is not only perfectly dry steam but also superheated; and although this steam 
may be at the mouth very much below the highest temperature of the hottest point, 
the temperature of the shaft or duct that carries it off will be very nearly at all 
depths the same, to probably within a very short distance of the point of greatest 
incandescence.”—Rep. Roy. Soc., &c., Pt. 1. chap. xii. vol. i. pp. 313, 314. 
The writer respectfully urges that the organization of experiments to determine 
such data is a subject worthy the immediate attention of the British Association, 
the Royal Society, and other similar scientific bodies. 
From recent information he has reason to believe that the existing state of 
Vesuvius is favourable to such experiments, which the writer is himself prepared 
to attempt, provided the necessary apparatus and other means be placed at his dis- 
posal. The experiments that he would in the first instance propose are— 
(1) The temperature at the mouth or mouths, to the lowest reachable depths 
within the Vesuvian craters. 
(2) The temperature of the issuing steam vapours or gases at the mouths, and 
the degree to which the former are superheated. 
(8) Approximate determination of the velocity (extreme and mean) of the 
issuing discharge of steam, &c., with a view to estimation of the volume, in given 
time, and of the total heat carried off, in same. 
For the 1st and 2nd, three or more mutually controlling methods may be 
employed. a, The air pyrometer, or that of Daniell, maximum self-registering. 
b. The differential bar pyrometer (of two metals), with constant galyanic con- 
nexion to the surface. c. The resistance coil thermoscope, also in constant con- 
nexion with the surface. The writer, as a practical engineer, has well-founded 
hope of inserting either or all of these to a considerable and known depth within 
the crater or craters. 
For the 3rd, analogous methods should be employed. For the 4th, there is no 
doubt that Dr. Robinson’s anemometer may be so modified as to be made avyail- 
able to determine the issuing velocity in various parts of the column. Into the 
mechanical arrangements for placing, lowering, and observing, &c. these instru- 
ments, it is not necessary here to enter. 
Vesuvius presents many advantages as a first experimental station; but the 
inquiry would afterwards be advantageously extended to other volcanic vents. 
Whatever presumable difficulties may exist, if successfully overcome in the first 
case, will nearly vanish as regards subsequent repetitions elsewhere. 
On Meteorology, with a Description of Meteorological Instruments. 
By T. L, Pranrt. 
Meteorological Observations registered at Huggate, Yorkshire, 
By the Rey. T. Ranxrn, 
This notice was in continuation of those annually made for many years by the 
author on the Wolds of Yorkshire, at an elevation of 650 feet above the level of the 
sea. They contained the annual tables of means, with notes of the days on which 
eis most remarkable events connected with the weather and meteors occurred during 
the year. 
On Objections to the Cyclone Theory of Storms. By 8. A, Rowett. 
Admitting that the winds in storms do at times take a more or less circular 
eourse, and that whirlwinds may sometimes occur during storms, the author believed 
