262 



REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



sondes from on board ship or from aeroplane, and the Bureau of the Section was 

 instructed to make an appeal to Yacht Clubs and Aero Clubs for assistance in 

 obtaining observations from localities where otherwise no observations would be 

 available. Further sums are at the disposal of the Section for the same purpose 

 from the revenue of future years if progress with the inquiry in this direction 

 is found to be practicable. 



The Committee has been further informed that the Section for Meteorology 

 has instructed its Bm'eau to endeavour to seciu-e observations of the direction 

 and velocity of the wind in the stratosphere by means of pilot-balloons, and for 

 this purpose to appeal to the directors of astronomical or other observatories 

 which have been placed in exceptionally favourable situations for clear atmo- 

 sphere. Such observatories are generally located in the belt of high pressure 

 for which observations of the stratosphere are specially desired. The Executive 

 Committee of the Section has been authorised to devote a sum of 5,000 francs, 

 and a like amount in the three succeeding years if necessary, in order to provide 

 the instruments for making these observations, to be lent to the observatories 

 concerned. 



With regard to Resolution (2), it may be recalled that in the ' Characteristics 

 of the Free Atmosphere ' {Geophysical Mevioirs, vol. 2, p. 67), Mr. W. H. Dines 

 gave a table of coefficients of correlation between pressure and temperature 

 over England. The observations were dealt with in three monthly groups. 

 The figures for Canada, obtained by Mr. J. Patterson with apparatus supplied 

 by Mr. Dines, and forming a homogeneous series, have been similarly treated.' 

 About sixty altogether, they are not numerous enough to group in separate 

 quarters of the year. They show very high correlation for the year, which 

 implies high temperature and high pressure in the summer and low pressure 

 and low temperature in the winter. The dot diagrams show, however, that the 

 relation extends also to the individual quarters. And in any case the extension 

 of the cold in winter to eight kilometres in association with low pressiu-e is a 

 very striking fact. 



Dr. van Bemmelen's observations at Batavia have also been examined from 

 this point of view; and the CMef of the U.S. Weather Bureau has been asked 

 for the individual values of the ascents in U.S.A. for the same purpose. 



The results are shown in the following table : — 



1 



Table of Coefficients of Correlation Between Variations of Pressure 

 AND Temperature in the Upper Air of England and of Canada. 



With regard to proposition (4), it is understood that the arrangements for 

 observations with pilot-balloons at Bermuda are going forward. 



The Committee think that the Association may usefully keep the subject in 

 mind, and therefore ask for reappointment. 



' Shaw, The Air and its Ways. C.U. Press, p. 101. 



