462 



REPORT 1882. 



Table showing by how many Days the Declination-range Fluctuation 



PRECEDES THE CORRESPONDING TeMPERATURE-RANGE FLUCTUATION. 



It thus appears from each year that the precedence of declination is smallest 

 about the equinoxes and greatest about the solstices, and it seems probable tha,t 

 were a considerable number of years so treated, more exact values would be 

 obtained. 



Having thus determined the amount of precedence of the declination from 

 month to month, the next point is to ascertain to what extent the two fluctuations, 

 when brought togetlier, in a manner regulated by this precedence, show any distinct 

 resemblance to each other. This has been done in a graphical representation which 

 accompanies the report above-mentioned, and I think 1 may say that there is a 

 considerable lilieness between the two ciu'ves, the one exhibiting temperature-range 

 weather, and the other declinatiou-range weather, so pushed forward. It would 

 thus seem as if a comparison of magnetical and meteorological weather might be 

 made a promising subject of inquiry, besides being one which may perhaps lead to 

 results of practical importance. 



8. On a supposed Connection between the Heights of Rivers, and the 

 Number of Swi-spofs on the Sun. Bij Professor Balfour Stewart, 

 M.A., LL'.D., F.B.S. 

 While a connection between the state of the sun's surface as regards spots, and 

 the magnetic state of the earth may be considered as well-established, the fact of 

 a connection between sun-spots and terrestrial meteorology is open to dispute. 

 This question is still siibjiidice, and without attempting to assert tlie truth of such 

 a connection, the following may perhaps be regarded as a slight contribution 

 tending to throw light upon the subject. The heights of the rivers Elbe and Seine 

 have already been examined by Fritz, who reported in favour of such a connection 

 as would make a gi-eat height correspond to a large number of sun-spots, and all 

 that I have done has been to treat the evidence in a somewhat different manner. 

 I divide each sun-period, without regard to its exact lengtli, into twelve portion* 

 (0) (1) (2) (3) &c., and put together the recorded river-heights corresponding in 

 time to similar portions of consecutive sun-periods. I find by this means residual 

 differences from the average representing the same law, whether we take the whole 

 or either half of all the recorded observations, :ind whether we take the Elbe or 

 the Seine. The results obtained are recorded in tlie following tables (0) denoting 

 always the epoch of maximum sun-spots. 



I 



