248 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



Although no one would venture to question the bona fides of 

 an observation recorded by Mr. Palmer, Sir John Coode, or 

 Mr. Kinahan, yet, in the above extracts on the subject of accu- 

 mulation and removal of beach material, we find the following 

 facts vouched for, viz. : — 



(1). "Shingle accumulates with off-shore winds." 



(2). "W. and S.-W. winds" (between Carnsore and Dalkey 

 where they are off-shore) " generate ground-swells, which usually 

 cut out the beaches." 



(3). " Shingle is carried off . . . more especially by the 

 ground-swell which follows " (on-shore winds). 



(4). " Grround-swells with E. winds" (these being on-shore 

 at the locality referred to) " sometimes seem to assist in filling in 

 the beaches." 



(5). "When ten breakers arrived in one minute, the destruc- 

 tive action was but just evinced ; when only eight breakers arrived 

 in the same period, the pebbles began to accumulate." 



(6). " . . . Seven, or any less number of waves per minute 

 indicate the destructive action, and nine, or any greater number, 

 the accumulative action." 



In the presence of statements so contradictory as the above to 

 all appearances are, there is some risk of an observer relying on 

 his own observations to the exclusion of those previously recorded. 

 The conflict of observation between Mr. Palmer and Sir John 

 Coode (quoted above) seems a case in point. Sir John Coode, 

 finding his own observations apparently irreconcileable with those 

 of Mr. Palmer, seems driven to the expedient of relegating 

 Mr. Palmer's observations to the rank of " views," as opposed to 

 the "conclusions" arrived at from his own. Taking into con- 

 sideration the eminence of the two observers, I cannot but think 

 that no such mode of explanation is admissible. In both cases we 

 have to deal, not with " views," but with well-attested facts. 



The following observations and experiment, made in the autumn 

 of 1882, with the object of solving, if possible, some of the problems 

 suggested by the above extracts, may be worth recording, if only 



