268 



PROFESSOR C. PIAZZI SMYTH ON 



But the differences were always decreasing, so that after 16 years had gone by, or in 

 1871, I thought it useful for the public to print all those annual returns in the 13th 

 volume of the Edinburgh Astronomical Observations, as a contribution to the successive 

 time-features of the climate of the whole of Scotland. 



So quickly however has time gone on since then, that now 16 more years have been 

 tabulated, and the final results are now for 32 years ; — giving thereby so great, though 

 still not perfect, assurance of the limits of the surprises which Nature may have in store 

 for this people in future years, — that if the first list was positively worth printing, the 

 second must be far more so ; and has now even become necessary for the prompt refer- 

 ences and methodical conclusions required for the Registrar General's work, as that great 

 task of his still goes on, perpetually functioning simultaneously with the life and growth 

 of the nation, and following in its mighty footsteps without a moment's intermission. 



On this second occasion, however, of preparing for printing, besides the 21 Tables of 

 which the old series consisted, taking up all the more ordinary, and orthodox meteoro- 

 logical points, I have added 10 new Tables to represent the. answers of observation to 

 certain new requirements of scientific theory ; and shall proceed therefore to describe some 

 of their contents and bearing at rather more length than the others, after duly recording 

 that the chief labour and merit of preparing the 21 old Tables up to the year 1880, out 

 of the millions of figures concerned therein, were mainly due to the late Mr Alexander 

 Wallace, M.A., then First Assistant Astronomer in the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. 

 While similar merit is now also most eminently due to Mr Thomas Heath, B.A., of T.C.D., 

 for continuing the old Tables from 1880 to the present year, and preparing the new Tables 

 for the whole period from 1856 to the end of 1887. 



In September of that latter year, the 55 stations, carefully chosen for the Registrar 

 General, by Mr Alexander Buchan, the present able Secretary of the Scottish Meteoro- 

 logical Society, were distributed as follows through the 8 Registration Districts of the 

 country, including islands as well as mainland. 



1. In the Northern, ....... 6 Stations. 



2. In the North- Western, 



3. In the North-Eastern, 



4. In the East Midland, 



5. In the West Midland, 



6. In the South- Western, 



7. In the South-Eastern, 



8. In the Southern, 



Total for all Scotland, 

 and have for their Mean or Central point, Latitude 



Longitude 



6 



6 

 10 



5 



5 

 12 



5 



55 Stations. 



= 56° 30' N. 

 = 3° 40' W. 

 = 256 feet.* 



uud Height above Sea-Level 



* The above given latitude and longitude are nearly those of "the fair city of Perth"; but the height above sea- 

 level is nearly double, depending on the mountains North and West thereof, chiefly. Sea-distance from general Sea- 

 bowever remaining untouched, viz., Eastward, 40 ; Westward, 90 ; Northward, 120 ; and Southward, 120, miles. 



