92 



REPOKT — 1875. 



Rainfall Woek under the atjspices of ihe British Association. 



The first reference to the rainfall work which has now reached so full a 

 development is a short note in the British Association Eeport, 1861, -Sections, 

 page 74, which is as follows ; — 



" On British Rainfall. By Gr. J. Symons. 



" The author directed attention to the very contraiy statements current on 

 the question — Is there any secular variation in the amount of British rain- 

 faU? 



" After quoting several of the most important opinions, he stated that, in 

 the hope of finally settling the question, he had commenced collecting all 

 known rain-registers, and had already tabulated [an aggregate of] more than 

 6000 years' observations. 



" He proceeded to invite criticism on the mode of discussion which he in- 

 tended to adopt, and also on a proposed method of delineation, — the rainfall 

 in 1860, at 241 stations in Great Britain, being laid down on a large map as 

 a specimen." 



In 1862, Mr. Symons submitted a paper giving the monthly fall during 

 1860-61 at 453 stations, preceded by remarks that unless all gauges were 

 accurate, well placed, and their heights above the ground and above sea- 

 level known, their results were not comparable. 



This could only be thoroughly ensured by gauges being visited and tested 

 in situ b)^ some competent person. 



This paper also contained Tables comparing the mean rainfall of the two 

 years 1860-61 with that of the ten years 1850-59, and a short one com- 

 paring that of the above-mentioned ten years with several very long series 

 of years. "NYc reprint this short Table, as it remarkably supports the results 

 subsequently obtained by entirely different methods. 



Difference between Mean Eainfall, as obtained from long series of years and 



from the ten years 1850-59. 



This paper was printed in twtcnso among the lleports. 



