ON THE RAINFALL OF THE DRTTISH ISLES. 93 



111 1863 the only paper submitted was a short description of some ex- 

 perimental gauges erected by Colonel Ward at Calnc, Wilts ; but Mr. Symons 

 was requested to report upon the rainfall of the British Isles during the years 

 1862 and 1863, and the sum of =£20 was placed at his disposal for the purpose 

 of constructing and transmitting rain-gauges to districts where observations 

 were not then made — the gauges to be sent within the British Isles, and 

 the loan to be cancelled should the observations not be satisfactorily made. 



In 1864 the Report dealt with the steps taken to secure additional sta- 

 tions, stated whither the gauges purchased out of the grant had been sent, 

 reported the establishment, at the cost and under the personal care of Major 

 Mathew, of an extensive series of stations in the Snowdonian district, as to 

 the rainfall of which hardly any thing was known, and the testing in situ 

 of a considerable number of rain-gauges. It concluded with the biannual 

 series of tables of rainfall, viz. those for 1862 and 1863, and remarks 

 thereupon. A grant of =£30 for the same purposes as in the previous year 

 was passed. 



In 1865 an important Report was drawn up by Mr. Symons; it was 

 divided into five principal sections : (1) what had been done prior to 1860 ; 

 (2) what has been done since 1860 ; (3) what remains to be done ; (4) a 

 few particulars respecting the rainfall of the last fifty j-ears and the fall in 

 1864 ; (5) a list of all stations in the British Isles at which rainfall obser- 

 vations were known to have been made, with details respecting them. 



Sections (1) and (5) jointly give a nearly complete history of the rainfall 

 obsei-vations made in this country from their commencement in 1677 to 1864, 

 and notes of publications upon the subject. Section (2) explains the steps 

 taken by Mr. Symons to collect and arrange these old observations, to pub- 

 lish current ones, to examine rain-gauges in situ and also, before despatch, 

 to secure uniformity in records of rainy days (by the adoption of O'Ol in. of 

 rain as the unit), and to secure tolerably equal geographical distribution for 

 the stations. It also briefly notices the necessity for accurate determinations 

 of the influence of elevation above the ground and of variations in the re- 

 ceiving area, and states that experimental determination of these values was 

 in progress. Also notifies the reestablishment of the mountain rain-gauges 

 in the Western Lake-district and the new series in North Wales. 



Section (3) was devoted to what remains to be clone, and need not be con- 

 sidered at length. Much of what was then (1865) described as necessary 

 has been accomplished, and will therefore be subsequently mentioned ; but 

 quite as much remains to be done ; e. g., the search for old records at the 

 British Museum has been entirely stopped for several years, and the exami- 

 nation of gauges in situ has by no means reached its proper development. 



Section (4) gave a few joarticulars respecting the rainfall of the last fifty 

 years and the fall in 1864. This was the first approximation to the deter- 

 mination of the fluctuation of the fall of rain over a large extent of country ; 

 but as it was followed by a far more elaborate and rather difi'erent investi- 

 gation, its interest is merely historical and confirmatory. At this (the 

 Birmingham) Meeting (in 1865) it was resolved that Mr. Symons should 

 have the assistance and support of a Committee ; and the following were the 

 members originally appointed : — J. Glaisher, F.R.S., Lord AVrottesIey, 

 F.R.S., Professor Phillips, F.R.S., Professor Tyndall, P.R.S., Dr. Lee, 

 F.R.S., J. ¥. Bateman, P.R.S., R. W. Mylne, F.R.S., C. Brooke, F.R.S., 

 G. J. Symons, Secretary. 



