42 EEPORT — 1895. 



3. Earth temperature at slialloio and at great depthx. — The second half of 

 tliis subject has often been brought before you, because the Underground 

 Temperature Committee is the oldest one of the British Association. It, 

 as you know, deals chiefly with the temperature in mines and in deep 

 shafts and wells. Any one who can obtain good records at depths of, or 

 exceeding, 1,000 feet can do useful work, but I am doubtful whether much 

 juore can be learned in this country by observations at depths between 

 10 feet and 1,000 feet than we already know. I insert the words, 'in 

 this country,' because I do not think that the law of decrease for tropical 

 and for arctic localities is known. Unfortunately we have no representa- 

 tives of such localities here, or we might sow a productive seed. Obser- 

 vations at shallow depths — say 3 inches to 10 feet— are becoming less rare 

 than they were, and the time is not distant when the law of temperature 

 variation for shallow depths will be known with sufficient accuracy. That 

 much has yet to be ascertained, many persons learned by burst water- 

 pipes last winter. I mention this as an illustration of the application of 

 scientific records to the welfare of mankind, not as an indication that I 

 consider the mischief to have been wholly produced by soil temperature ; 

 but I must not distress. 



4. Phenological loork. — I am afraid that this word 'phenological' has not 

 proved very acceptable. I once heard an inquiry what meteorology had 

 to do with prisons — and it turned out that the querist had overlooked the 

 ' h,' and reading it as ' penological ' thought that it must have something 

 to do with punishment. However, I need not tell you that it means the 

 laws of the life histoiy of plants and animals ; in fact, an endeavour to 

 record the progress of the seasons not by thermometers or by rain-gauges, 

 but by plants, trees, insects, and birds, and the study of the relations between 

 the indications of the natural history phenomena and those of the instru- 

 ments and eflbrts to separate cause and effect. It has always seemed to 

 me a class of work peculiarly adapted for the local scientific societies, 

 for their Botanical and Entomological Sections. The Royal Meteorological 

 Society has spent a considerable sum in promoting this work, and in the 

 hands of Mr. E. MaAvley it is progressing. Personally, I am not competent 

 to pronounce any criticism upon the work beyond this, that Mr. Mawley 

 has devoted liimself to it, and has produced tables and diagrams of great 

 interest. But I do say this, that I think that the naturalists should either 

 co-operate heartily with the meteorologists, or else should show that the 

 meteorologists are attempting the impossible or the undesii-able. 



5. Early meteorological records. — It is a prevalent idea (especially with 

 executors) that old manuscript books of observations are useless. I have 

 every reason to believe that a long deceased relative of my own assisted 

 in burning part of the oldest i-ecord of the rainfall in this country — that 

 begun at Townley in Lancashire in 1677 ; and wliat she did at the 

 beginning of this century has been done by scores of others, and will be 

 until mankind are much more thoughtful and much better informed than 

 they yet are. But I am not addressing you in the capacity of executors, 

 but as representatives of large local bodies, many of them with museums 

 and libraries ; and I invite you to see to it that any such records that 

 you have are properly cared for. 



Another suggestion — the practice is fortunately rapidly spreading of 

 publishing the early parochial registers. If each society represented here 

 would make it a rule to go through all such publications as have been 

 issued within its area, and print in chronological order all the notes on 



