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XX. — The Meteorology of Edinburgh. By Robert Cockburn Mossman, F.R.S.E., 



F.R. Met. Soc. (With Three Plates.) 



(Read 1st June 1896.) 



PART I. 



Introduction. 



Since the foundation of the Scottish Meteorological Society in 1856, a mass of 

 information regarding the climate of Edinburgh has been reduced and published in 

 the Society's Journal from time to time, the data being furnished to that body by its 

 local observers. In addition, numerous unreduced manuscript books of meteorological 

 observations which extend back to the year 1764 are further available for discussion. 

 In 1861 the late Principal Forbes communicated to this Society a paper on the " Climate 

 of Edinburgh," * two elements of climate being alone discussed, viz., temperature and 

 rainfall, and for a period of but forty years. The reduction of the observations taken 

 virtually without a break during the 'past 132 years was therefore desirable for the 

 discussion of cyclical and other weather changes, for which records covering a long 

 period are absolutely necessary. Through the kindness of the Councils of the Scottish 

 Meteorological Society, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Royal Meteorological 

 Society, the loan of the manuscript registers kept in Edinburgh and its immediate 

 vicinity was obtained. 



The daily observations taken at Edinburgh from 1857 to the commencement of 

 my series in 1886 were kindly copied from the original records by Miss J. H. Buchan 

 of the Scottish Meteorological Society's office. For one or two short periods no observa- 

 tions were made in the city, but the missing values were deduced from the records of 

 contiguous stations by Dr Buchan, to whom I have further to tender my best thanks 

 for helpful advice and suggestions received from time to time in the progress of the 

 paper. I am further indebted to Mr Charles Stewart, B.Sc, for assistance in the 

 calculation of the thermal and hygrometric windroses and for other help in connection 

 with the re-tabulation of some of the temperature observations. The following state- 

 ment exhibits the data available for discussion, and it will be seen that, while the 

 period covered by the inquiry extends over 132 years, the duplication of observations 

 for certain periods lengthens the time embraced by the records to nearly 400 years. 



* Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. xxii. 

 VOL. XXXVIII. PART III. (NO. 20). 5 C 



