cvl The Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 
—a home which rivals in its results the larger institutions in the Old 
Country, and has conferred further distinction on the place rendered 
famous by the labours of the two Herschels. It is specially gratifying 
to note that another worker in the same field (Mr. Roberts) has con- 
tributed valuable papers for our meetings. 
I may be almost equally brief in my remarks on the progress of 
meteorology ; for since the account of the organization of the meteoro- 
logical service to this Society by Mr. Gamble, no important changes or 
new features have been introduced. 
A beginning has been made with regular barometric observations at 
a high-level station, Mr. Stewart taking daily readings at the reservoir 
works on Table Mountain. Perhaps a further advancement in this 
direction may soon be effected by the erection of a station with self- 
registering instruments on the top of the mountain. As the Royal 
Observatory, 3,445 feet below it, is only three and a half miles distant 
from the north-eastern edge of the plateau, the comparison of the records 
of these two stations would afford highly valuable material for the study 
of atmospheric changes, relating to local as well as to general causes. 
An attempt has been made to obtain some information concerning 
the extremes of temperature occurring on the highest mountain in the 
Western Province, the Mountain Club having placed a pair of thermo- 
meters on the Matroosberg, 7,430 feet high. 
Special attention has been bestowed on the question of the ‘ Reduc- 
tion of Observations of the Barometer to Sea-level,’ Mr. Howard, as 
well as Professor Guthrie, having shown that the formula of La Place 
should not be applied to readings taken on high tablelands, such as 
Central South Africa. Professor Guthrie, in his paper read before this 
Society in 1889, came to the conclusion that, when a continuous series 
of daily observations has been taken at a fixed hour for four or five 
years, the sea-level of that place ought to be deduced from his table, 
with a probable error of less than five feet. As an additional proof of 
the value of this paper, I may mention that it has quite recently enabled 
me to correct an error in the report of the Meteorological Commission, 
the altitude of Stellenbosch for both observers being there given as 
400 feet, while the barometer is at present at a locality only 305 feet 
above sea-level. In connection with this subject, I may be allowed to 
refer to the observations which have been taken of the currents and the 
temperature of the sea along our shores. 
The changes in the temperature of the water in and near Table Bay 
are highly interesting, Mr. Good’s observations showing not only that 
the water is considerably colder in summer than in winter, but that the 
variations in summer are much greater than in winter. While the 
temperature in July and August, 1894, varied only from 57 degrees to 
