TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 



47 



humidity of tlie air in June than in December, by which, according to the hypothesis 

 for the diurnal variations, the electrical action is diminished. According to Dr. 

 Lamont's mode of considering the solar action, the barometric pressure should be 

 diminished as the earth approaches the sun. The whole question of atmospheric 

 electricity, and its relation to the electricity of the earth, is, however, in a sufficiently 

 vague state to render a just view of the sun's supposed electrical or electro-mag- 

 netical action, if the magnetical view be taken, somewhat indefinite ; but whether we 

 suppose the atmosphere positively electrified and the earth negatively, or with M. 

 Peltier, that both are resinously electric, the latter more powerfully than the former, 

 we must consider not only the action on the atmosphere, but also that on the earth, 

 and the vapours which rise from its surface, as well as their reactions on each other. 



On the Fall of Haiti in Forfarshire. By Alexander Brown, Observing 

 Member of the Meteorological Society of Scotland, <^c. 



The above Table gives, for the year 1858, the monthly fall of rain at eight stations, 

 where rain-gauges are kept, in Forfarshire, extending from Montrose on the east to 

 Kettins on the west. The distance of these two extreme stations from each other 

 is about thirty miles, and the district embraced by the eight stations comprehends 

 about one-third part of the whole county. The first three stations named in the Table 

 and the last, are four of the Scottish Meteorological Society's stations. The three 

 stations, Hillhead, Strichen, andCraigton, are in the neighbourhood of each other, and 

 situated in the parishes of Monikie and Carmylie around the reservoir at Monikie, from 

 which the town of Dundee is supplied with water. The latitudes and longitudes of the 

 different stations are taken from Arrowsmith's large map of Scotland. The altitude 

 above sea-level of Arbroath and Barry stations is taken from the Ordnance Survey, 

 and the altitude of Monikie reservoir is 440 feet, as found from the survey made by 

 Mr. Leslie, C.E. in connexion with the construction of the Dundee Water- Works ; 

 the stations named are higher than the reservoir and estimated as in the Table. The 

 station at Kettins is not far distant from some of the highest hills in the Sidlaw range. 

 The rain-fall there for eleven months is greater than for the whole year at any of the 

 other stations, excepting Strichen and Craigton, which arises from the unusual rain- 

 fall of G - 74 inches in the month of July. For the whole of Scotland, the rain-fall 

 for 1858, as given in the Quarterly Reports of the Scottish Meteorological Society, is 

 33-91 inches, — greater than that of the above eight Forfarshire stations by 6$ inches. 



The following Table gives the annual rain-fall at five of the above-named stations 

 for six years, from 1853 to 1858, both inclusive, with average annual fall for that 



