258 



REPOET IS73. 



Diy, 



if 



I. Middlesex 16 



II. South-eastern Counties 90 



III. South Midland Counties ... 60 



IV. Eastern Counties 45 



V. South-western Counties ... 103 



VI. West Midland Counties ... 59 



VII. North Midland Counties ... 44 



VIII. North-western Counties ... 59 



IX. Yorkshire 60 



X. Northern Counties 60 



XI. Monmouth, Wales, and the 



Isles 45 



XII. Scotland, Southern Counties 16 



657 



Scotland (continued). Brought up 657 

 Div. XIII. South-eastern Counties... 12 

 ,, XIV. South-western Counties.. 

 „ XV. West Midland Counties.. 



,, XVI. East Midland Counties... 

 ,, XVII. North-eastern Counties . . 

 ,, XVIII. North-western Counties. 



„ XIX. Northern Counties 



Ireland, Munster 5 



, Leinster 15 



, Connaught 4 



Ulster 18 



17 

 10 



IS 

 14 



XX. 



XXI. 



XXII. 



XXIII. 



Total , 



798 



The returns have been sorted, the angular elevations of surrounding objects 

 computed, blank forms prepared ; and the tabulation has been commenced on 

 the plan showii by the following specimen (p. 259), 



"When this tabulation is completed, the information afforded ■wUl be of the very 

 highest value; but the labour of discussing the returns (mthout which they are 

 practically useless) wUl be very heavy, as may be judged by the fact that the 

 specimen sheet contains only four returns out of the 800 already received. 



Although the mass of information thus produced is so large, the Com- 

 mittee cannot but regret that a considerable number of the forms have not 

 been returned, and that it seems probable that those who have neglected to 

 send them back are the persons respecting the positions of whose gauges 

 information may be most desirable. Your Committee therefore feel that 

 there is no alternative but to press forward the personal examination of all 

 these stations as rapidly as possible. It is satisfactory to them to find that 

 the views which they have steadily held of the paramount importance of 

 personal inspection of the stations have not only been recognized and acted 

 upon by the Meteorological Committee of the Eoyal Society, but have met 

 with great support upon the Continent. 



At the Meeting of the French Association for the Advancement of Science 

 at Bordeaux, September 1872, the following resolution was passed :■ — " Wo 

 think that rules universally applicable can be laid down for the verification 

 of instruments, and the inspection of meteorological stations, and we believe 

 that it would be one of the greatest advantages which can possibly be real- 

 ized in meteorology." The same subject was discussed at the Meteorological 

 Conference held at Leipzig in August last, and the following resolution was 

 adopted : — " It is desirable to make a periodical inspection of the stations 

 of each system as frequently as possible." In consequence of the issue of 

 the position-forms previously mentioned, our Secretary has been obliged, both 

 by considerations of time and money, rather to curtail these personal ex- 

 aminations ; the number, however, described in the Appendix to the present 

 Eeport is 54, bringing the total up to 479, to which should be added 

 those tested by Mr. Buchan with the apparatus presented to the Scottish 

 Meteorological Society last year, of which, owing to Mr. Buchan's absence 

 at Vienna, the details have not yet been received. 



It will be remembered that the gauges erected in certain parts of Wales, 

 and those erected in East Cumberland and Westmoreland by Mr. Symons in 

 1865, were transferred to this Committee some years back. As some of the 

 observers have died, and some of the gauges have been disabled, your Com- 

 mittee have directed their Secretary to go over the district, and rearrange 

 them as may seem most expedient. 



