lxxi 
Mr. AvuGusTuUS SMITH, after referring to observations made 
by him at former meetings of this Institution* on the subject of 
Weather Forecasts, urged that in the daily weather reports issued 
by Government the notice of temperature should not be limited 
to 8 o'clock in the morning, but should include the maximum and 
minimum of the previous twenty-four hours. To show the inac- 
curacy of the present system of Storm Warnings issued from the 
Meteorological Office, Mr. Smith stated that in November last, 
46 storm drums were hoisted, and of these 11 only were hoisted 
previous to the gale, 10 with and after the gale, and 25 for which 
no gale whatever came. During the six months from September 
1870 to February 1871 inclusive, 451 drums were hoisted, and of 
these only 94 were raised previous to the gale, 137 were hoisted 
at the time of the gale, and 220 warnings were followed by no 
gale; while 112 gales, with wind having a force of 8, came with- 
out any warning whatever from the Meteorological Office. These 
results were exhibited in Tables which had been constructed by 
Mr. Smith; and he observed that there was less atmospheric 
disturbance in Scotland than in the South and West of England, 
and that the climate of Scilly was more equable throughout the 
year than was that of Penzance; the temperature at Scilly bemg 
higher than that of Penzance in the winter, and lower in the 
summer. The omission therefore of Penzance from the weather 
tables daily published, as showing the difference of temperature 
between these two localities, was very much to be regretted. 
Dr. BARHAM made some observations on the subjects of rain- 
fall and moisture. In illustration of his remarks, he exhibited 
diagrams, from 1726 to the present time, representing the per- 
centage of rainfall annually, and urged the importance of obtaining 
secular averages, by means of recorded observations continued 
through long series of years. It was not unfrequently considered 
that records, for periods of ten or twenty years, were practically 
sufficient ; and engineers, engaged in the projecting of water-works, 
had been in the habit of adopting for their guidance the rain-fall 
in the three driest seasons within such periods. But a careful 
examination of such diagrams as were here exhibited would show 
that a reliance on records of rainfall within such brief periods was 
fallacious. For instance, it was seen that in a continuous period 
rei See 46th Annual Report of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, pp. 
XX1-XXVil. 
See Journal, No. II, pp. iv, vi. 
» 47th Annual Report, p. xi. 
» Journal, No. IV, p. ix. 
» Journal, No. VI, p. ix. 
