OBSERVATIONS ON CHANGES Ui SEA COAST OF UNITED KINGDOM. 281 



Local loss of land is reported froni the C.G.S. at the mouth of the 

 Casheen River, and north of the mouth of the Shannon along the stretch 

 of coast between Kilkee and Milltown Malbay. 



The annual loss from Goolen to Doonbeg Bridge (Kilkee) is given as 

 6 inches, an estimate derived from information given by the older fisher- 

 men, while northwards it is rather greater, in Mai Bay, where the cliffs 

 are less high than to the south and interspersed with low and sandy coast. 

 Some sand is removed and no groynes have been built. The northern 

 shore of Galway Bay and the Aran Islands show no change (small 

 quantities of sand are removed), but the southern shore fi-om Kilcolgan 

 Bridge northward for 30 miles is undergoing gradual erosion. 



2'Ae vertical range of ordinary spring tides may be summarised 

 by taking the averages of a number of observations at adjacent points. 

 The figures (in feet) are as follows : — In the Solway Firth 22-5, falling off 

 to 15 in Wigtown and to 9 off the Ayrshire coast and towards the 

 Firth of Clyde. On the Caithness, Sutherland, coast the readings are 

 15, decreasing to 13 in the Moray Firth, to rise to 16 off Peter- 

 head and Aberdeen. A lowering of about 2 feet takes place towards the 

 Firth of Tayto rise again to the same level (16) off the Haddington coast, 

 whence there is a gradual decrease of about 3 feet to Hartlepool. At the 

 mouth of the Humber, however, the range is 19 feet (21 '75 at Barton) ; 

 but while maintaining an 18 or 20 feet range at the entrance to the 

 Wash the variation is much lower off the East Anglian coast (say 7*5), 

 thence gradually increasing to 18-75 round East Kent. The highest 

 reading on the southern coast is in the neighbourhood of Hastings 

 (2-i) ; the lowest on the southern side of the Isle of Wight, and 

 towards Portland (7"5 and 9'8 respectively). Once more the range rises 

 to about 16, which is maintained to the North Cornwall coast, where 

 the figures again increase (1875) to 27-5 in North Devon. On the 

 Glamorganshire coast we find 33-8, in the southern part of Cardigan 

 Bay 12, on the North Welsh coast 19, and in Liverpool Bay 27-5. 

 The variations in Ireland are less conspicuous, in Galway Bay 12*5, 

 decreasing slightly as we go northwards, and being decidedly less between 

 Malin Head and Belfast Lough (87 to 7-4). Southwards the range in- 

 creases to 14-6 off County Down, 11-8 off' County Dublin, and varies 

 between 13-25 and 11-75 off the southern coast. 



In this report little or no description is given of the nature of the 

 coast. Mr. Wheeler's book supplies this defect for England, while, in 

 judging from the reports sent in, it is often doubtful how closely a general 

 description of the coast can be applied to any particular part which is 

 undergoing change. The writer concluded that details of this kind would 

 not add materially to the value of the report and would greatly increase 

 its length. 



[Since this Report was read at the Southport Meeting, Mr. R. G. Allanson-Winn 

 has published various criticisms in letters to the Times, Daily Expreis, and other 

 publications, and has sent numerous communications on the subject to the Com- 

 mittee. It has been thought best, however, to allow the Report to be published as 

 it stands, and any corrections which may be found necessary, either in the infor- 

 mation supplied by the Coastguaid Service or in the deductions drawn from it, can 

 be inserted in the next Report submitted to the Association.] 



