480 



BEPORT — 1891. 



tions at Damfries were taken throughout the twelve months. Mr. Jas. 

 Lewis took the observations of the estuary at Kingholm Quay, from Jane 

 25 to March 21, and observations were begun at later dates in the River 

 Dee by Rev. W. I. Gordon, of Tongland, and in the Dee estuary by Mr. 

 Macdonald, ligh.thouse-keeper, Little Ross. These are not reported upon 

 in the present discussion. The Nith observations were taken at the 

 Dumfries boathouse, where there was an average depth of more than 3 

 feet. In consequence of the damming of the water by the weir below the 

 Old Bridge the river at this point never falls very low, the depth never 

 being less than 2^ feet. On two occasions of heavy flood the parapet 

 wall was overflowed — once in the beginning of November, when the 

 depth was estimated to have been fully 10 feet, towards midnight on the 

 1st; and again on January 25, after heavy rain and the melting of snow 

 on the high grounds, with a south-west gale, when the depth of 9 feet was 

 registered at the gauge on the Old Bridge. The hour of observation 

 was at or near noon. The following table shows the mean temperature 

 of the air and water for each month separately, along with the state of 

 the river or the mean depth as registered at the gauge (which was 

 erected in July), viz. : — 



From this table it will be seen that the highest monthly mean tem- 

 perature of the air for the year was in June, when it was 65°'8 ; the 

 mean temperature of the water for the same month being 63°, also the 

 highest mean for the year. The lowest was in December, when that of 

 the air was 40°'2, and the water 38°'2 ; but the mean temperature of 

 February for the water was a fraction lower than this, viz., 38°'l, while 

 that of the air was 42°' 8. 



The highest single reading for the air was on July 31 

 The lowest single reading for the air was December 1 



Extreme range for air 



Highest single reading for water was on July 4 

 Lowest single reading for water was on February 13 



Extreme range for water . 



76 

 JU 



45 



666 

 32 



34-6 



