150 Proceedings of the British Association. 



are taken for each day. It was recommended that all these ob- 

 servations be printed in full. 



Sir D. Brewster made a Provisional Report on the Hourly Me- 

 teorological Observations at Inverness and Unst. The hourly ob- 

 servations at Inverness were recommenced Nov. 1, 1840 ; but a 

 difficulty presented itself to their renewal at Kingussie, which it 

 was not easy to overcome. The observations have in consequence, 

 been transferred to Balta Sound, in Unst, the most northern of the 

 Shetland Islands, already distinguished in the history of science 

 by astronomical observations made there in 1817 and 1818, by 

 M. Biot and Capt. Kater. Dr. Edmonston, of Buness, undertook 

 to superintend the observations, which were begun early the pres- 

 ent year. The Isle of Unst being in N. lat. 60*^ 40', Leith in 

 55° 58', and Plymouth in 50° 22', and all of them nearly in the 

 same meridian, a series of peculiarly valuable hourly observations 

 will now be obtained. 



Prof. Whewell delivered Reports on the tide-observations made 

 at Bristol and at Leith. At the former station particular atten- 

 tion has been given by Mr. Bunt to the effect produced by chan- 

 ges of atmospheric pressure on the heights of high water. After 

 a discussion of numerous observations, he concludes that the wa- 

 ter is depressed by atmospheric pressure almost exactly as much 

 as it would be raised in the tube of a water-barometer. From 

 observations made at the latter station, Mr. Ross had made an 

 investigation of the corrections of the height and time of high 

 water due to lunar parallax and declination. 



A committee (of which Sir D. Brewster was chairman) re- 

 ported on the question how far the desiderata in our knoivledge 

 of the condition of the upper strata of the atmosphere may be 

 supplied by m^eans of ascent in balloons or otherwise, and also 

 reported brief directions for such observations, with the probable 

 expense of the necessary instruments. — The principal objects re- 

 quired, are to determine the progression of temperature, and the 

 law of the distribution of vapor, in ascending from the surface of 

 the earth to the upper regions of the atmosphere. Observations 

 of the thermometer and dew point should be unremitted during 

 the whole time both of the ascent and descent, and of course, 

 must be accompanied by simultaneous observations of the barom- 

 eter ; one person's time should therefore be wholly devoted to 

 these objects. The prevailing forms and structure of the clouds, 



