INLAND WATER SURVEY 373 
For the observation of water levels there are about 300 stations on 
different watercourses and lakes, and the levels are read from one to three 
times a day by observers who receive a modest remuneration. More than 
half of the stations are provided in addition with automatic apparatus for 
recording the levels graphically. ‘These observations are reported according 
to their importance every day, every week, or every month. The most 
important stations only are permanent ; secondary stations are abandoned 
when observations have been taken for a sufficiently long period, generally 
from ten to fifteen years, and the apparatus removed to a fresh position. As 
regards hydraulic development, the Federal Water Service has supreme 
supervision over the utilisation of hydraulic power from all watercourses, 
public or private, and to this end they examine projects of hydraulic electric 
developments on the basis of a rational utilisation of the force as a whole. 
They investigate also cognate questions such as the regularisation of the 
flow from natural lakes, the creation of storage basins, the steps to be taken 
for reserving the exercise of river navigation, etc. 
IV. ITALY. 
The present Italian Hydrographic Service (Servizio Idrografico Italiano) 
is of recent formation, having been instituted at the close of the Great 
War, though it was preceded by two important regional bodies, the 
Hydrographic Office of the Royal Magistracy of Waters, located at Venice, 
and the Hydrographic Office of the Po, at Parma. In 1917 there were 
added to these two northern districts eight other regions throughout the 
country, and in 1923 the Italian Government placed them all under a 
central authority at Rome—the Third Section of the Consiglio Superiore 
dei Lavori Pubblici. 
The functions of the Service are twofold, comprising duties of a per- 
manent character and special research work. 
The permanent duties comprise :— 
(a) Meteorological observations, including temperature and rainfall. 
(b) Observations and measurements of surface water, covering levels of 
watercourses and lakes, the discharge of watercourses, the amount of 
sediment in suspension, the temperature of watercourses and lakes, 
(c) Observations and measurements of subterranean water. 
(d) The periodical publication in the Hydraulic Annual of the results 
of the above observations and measurements ; and 
(e) Collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering in developing 
water utilisation concessions and in investigating important schemes of 
hydraulic works. 
The hydrometrical organisation at the end of 1930 had a total of 1,199 
observation posts, of which 748 were hydrometric stations and 451 stations 
for measuring discharges. 
Main Memoranpum C. 
THE BRITISH RAINFALL ORGANIZATION. 
By E. G. BitHam. 
The Organisation was founded about 1860 by G. J. Symons, and remained 
a private enterprise until 1919, when the accumulated records were acquired 
by H.M. Government, and the Meteorological Office, Air Ministry, assumed 
responsibility for continuing the work. The agreement under which the 
