TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 813 



2. The Density, Temperature, and Motion of the Waters of the Gulf of 

 Guinea. By J. Y. Buchanan, F.B.S. 



3. Physical Geography of the Firth of Forth. 

 By Hugh Robekt Mill, D.Sc., F.B.S.E. 



The configuration of the Firths of Forth and Tay and of the neighbouring parts 

 of the North Sea was briefly described, references being given to previous papers 

 bearing on the physical conditions of the water.' Since the publication of these 

 papers the results of the observations at fixed stations by the Fishery Board for 

 Scotland furnish data for a more complete discussion. The new information 

 mainly concerns the rate of increase of transparency in the water from the river 

 seaward and the eflects of tidal action on temperature and salinity. The configura- 

 tion of the coast and the set of the tides, together with the relative strength of 

 current at springs and neaps, and the hour at which these extreme tides occur, 

 explain many apparent anomalies in seasonal change of temperature. In summer 

 estuary water is warmer, in winter colder, than that of the sea ; so that, disregard- 

 ing solar influence, the temperature of the water at a station near the mouth of an 

 estuary is either at a maximum or a minimum at high-water and low-water, the 

 maximum occurring with low-water in summer, with high-water in winter. 

 Apart from this, there is a diurnal range of temperature due to solar heating and 

 cooling by radiation, which in the absence of tides would produce a maximum in 

 the afternoon and a minimum in the early morning. Spring tides recur fortnightly 

 at the same hour, and evince the special tidal characteristics in an extreme degree. 

 It so happens that on the east coast of Scotland low-water springs occur in the 

 morning and high-water in the afternoon, and the observations at 9. Oh. and lo.Oh. 

 accordingly show the resultants of this effect at the maximum. In summer, when 

 low water occurs in the afternoon, the afternoon temperature at the Abertay 

 lightship is over 1° C. higher than in the morning, and when high-water occurs in 

 the afternoon the temperature is nearly 1° C. lower than in the morning, no matter 

 how strong the solar heating may be. • 



j^These papers have been published in the ' Proceedings of the E.G.S.,' Sept. 1892, 



p. 622.] 



4. On the Need for Teaching in Meteorologi/. 

 By H. K Dickson, F.B.S.F., F.B.Met.Suc. 



The selection of subjects for elementary scientific instruction raises several 

 questions concerning the relations of the different branches of physical science to 

 each othei-. Apart from special applications to arts and manufactures, a want is 

 felt of a subject which shall at the same time afl^ord opportunities of illustrating 

 scientific methods and give examples of practical value in accounting for many 

 natural phenomena of common observation. The ordinarj' phenomena of meteoro- 

 logy, as embodied in the weather folk-lore current everywhere, are already 

 familiar to sailors, fishermen, and farmers, the classes it is most important to 

 reach, and by properly classifying and arranging the facts already known to them 

 tieveral laws may be made to suggest themselves. In this way the meteorological 

 elements, which in this restricted sense underlie a great part of biology, geology, 

 and geography, form an introduction to the fundamental notions of these sciences, 

 as well as to those of physics involved in their discussion. 



There is as yet no instruction in meteorology available anywhere in this 

 country, but in view of the rapid development of technical education it is urgent 

 tliat this should be remedied. 



The best method of properly introducing the subject seems to be that the facts 

 of the case should be set before the Technical Education Committees of the County 



' See ' River Entrances,' in Siipp. Papers, Hoy. Gcog. Soc. ; and Bcport of the 

 Faliery Board for Scotland, 1 891, pp. 353-387. 



