54 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. 



frequently no successor to carry on the work ; and a gap once made, 

 though not fatal to some uses of a record which has been re-established, 

 deprives it of much of its permanent value. If such a record were under 

 the charge of a Society, which by its nature is immortal, it should go on 

 continuously, ever growing in value. Anyone wishing to start such a 

 station will hnd full particulars very clearly set forth in Mr. W. Marriott's 

 •Hints to Meteorological Observers,' a little book published by the 

 authority of the Royal Meteorological Society. That Society is always 

 ready to encourage the study of meteorology, and has recently made 

 arrangements to co-operate with local Societies by providing lectures and 

 exhibitions of inscruments, full particulars as to which may be obtained 

 from the Secretaries at 70 Victoria Street, London, S.W. 



Two of the elements of climate stand in particular need or additional 

 study, and to these attention might profitably be given by all 

 scientific Societies wliose aim is not restricted to the study of one 

 department. The first is sunshine. The duration of sunshine is measured 

 best by an instrument known as the Campbell- Stokes sunshine recorder, 

 the records of which are accepted as authoritative by the Meteorological 

 Office and the Eoyal Meteorological Society, to one or other of which the 

 records should be sent for accurate measurement and preservation. There 

 is at present no such thing as an accurate map of the average annual 

 duration of sunshine in the British Isles, and yet botli in relation to 

 agriculture and to health it is a condition of great importance. 



The second element of climate for which additional observations are 

 necessary is rainfall. While a few hundred stations uniformly dis- 

 tributed over the country would supply all the information necessary 

 with regard to temperature, pressure, or wind, which vary gradually from 

 place to place, the extraordinary influence exercised by local conditions 

 of configuration of the laud upon rainfall makes it necessary to have 

 several thousand well-distributed stations in order to study the rainfall fully. 

 There arc 4,000 rainfall stations at present at work in the British Isles, 

 but they are not uniformly distributed, and so it happens that while some 

 localities are amply supplied others are almost neglected. The perfect 

 arrangement woultl be to have a network of stations at most five miles 

 apart, and to secure continuity at each five-mile centre there sliould be 

 two or even three stations within half a mile of each other. If this were 

 secured it would be possible to take account not only of the general rain- 

 fall of the country, but also of the limits and intensity of every heavy 

 shower, the incidence of which is often curiously restricted. A map was 

 exhibited showing the districts in which additional rainfall-stations are 

 most urgently wanted. While these are most numerous in the Highlands 

 of Scotland and the West of Ireland there are large areas in the East 

 and North Ridings of Yorkshire where a large increase in the number of 

 stations would be very welcome. 



It is desirable that all rainfall-observers should be in touch with the 

 British Rainfall Organisation, under the direction of the reader of tiiis 

 communication, at G2 Camden Square, London, N.W. ; there is at the 

 same time room for local associations of observers under the supervision 

 of local ^ scientific Societies, which should be charged with seeing that 

 proper instriunents are used when a new station is started, witii tlie pro- 

 vision of successors when old observers cease to record, and witli the 

 establishment of new records in places where none exist. 



Apart from the stations provided by the Meteorological Oflice in 



