ON THE rnOTECTION OF WILD TilRDs' EGGS. 36? 



could possibly pass both Houses. It also became evident, upon full 

 examination, that the Bill introduced by Mr. Alfred E. Pease in 1891, 

 which was suggested as a basis of action by the Committee, would, 

 although its principle was in agreement with the object for which the 

 CommTttee was appointed, nevertheless need to be considerably modified 

 before it could satisfy the Committee. 



Under these circumstances the Committee ask to be reappointed, in 

 order that they may endeavour to secure the introduction of a Bill in the 

 new Parliament. 



This report was inadvertently not submitted to Professor Newton, 

 who is therefore not responsible for its conclusions. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of Mr. E. Gr. Ravenstein, Mr. 

 Baldwin Latham, and Mr. Gr. J. Symons (Secretary), appointed 

 to inquire into the Glimatological and Hydrographical condi- 

 tions of Tropical Africa. {Drawn up by Mr. E. Gr. Raven- 

 stein.) 



1. The work of your committee naturally falls into two branches, viz., 

 Jirsf, the collecting and epitomising of all available series of meteoro- 

 logical observations ; and, secondly, the exercise of a friendly influence 

 over existing, and the eqaipment of new stations, likely to pro- 

 mote a better knowledge of the climatological conditions of tropical 

 Africa. 



2. As regards the first of these objects, your committee have pre- 

 pared abstracts of the records of sixty-seven stations (including forty-two 

 at which the observations extended over one year). As the places for 

 which there exist records for at least one year number close upon eighty, 

 your committee deemed it advisable to postpone the publication of 

 these abstracts until it shall be possible to present them in a collected 

 form. 



Unpublished series of observations have been received by your com- 

 mittee from Captain Chippendale (Upper Nile, 1874-5), Rev. C. Paul 

 (Kipo Hill, 1881), Rev. Mr. Wakefield (Ribe, 1886-7), Rev. G. Smith 

 (Asuan and Wadi Haifa, 1884-5), Rev. R. S. Hynde (Domasi, 1888-9), 

 and Captain Gallwey (Benin, 1891). 



Your committee ai-e likewise indebted for useful information and 

 printed meteorological records to Captain Capello, Prof. Neumayer, Dr. 

 Tacchini, Prof. Angot, Dr. Etienne, and M. A. Lancaster. 



3. As the funds placed at the disposal of your committee are not 

 sufficient for the establishment of independent stations, with paid ob- 

 servers, they are constrained to confine themselves to the distribution of 

 ' Instructions ' specially adapted for tropical Africa, and calculated to 

 ensure the trustworthiness and uniformity of the records, and of blank 

 forms intended to ensure uniformity in the record of observations, and, 

 in a few cases, to the supply of instruments to approved volunteer 

 observers. 



