292 



Revieios and Notices of Boohs, 



large accession to its membership tlie Society has lately received. 

 But considering the importance of the objects aimed at, the sup- 

 port yet given is not nearly such as might have been expected ; 

 and there is no doubt that many more will be induced to join the 

 Society when they are made aware of its claims, and the easy 

 terms of admission to membership. The claim to greater support 

 is strengthened by the consideration that in the case of meteoro- 

 logical investigations, numbers and extensive combination are 

 indispensable to insure anything like success. We hope the time 

 is not far distant when Government will recognise the claims this 

 and other scientific bodies have on its support. 



The first paper in the present number of the journal is a very 

 interesting one by Mr Buchan on the " Weekly Extreme Tempera- 

 tures and Rainfall in Scotland for March, April, May, and June, 

 on an average of seven years ending with 1863." From the 

 valuable tables which accompany this paper, the following highly 

 interesting and important conclusions are drawn regarding the 

 occurrence of frost over Scotland : — 



" 1st, That up to the end of May frosts may be expected to 

 occur every week somewhere in Scotland. This remark is appli- 

 cable in its fullest extent to the inland parts of the country taken 

 as a whole. 



" 2d, That in every part of the country, frost will occur some 

 time or other in the months of March and April ; in inland and 

 eastern districts nearly every year some time in May ; but in the 

 islands and in the west, the probability of its occurring or not 

 occurring in May is about the same. 



" 3(i, That in June frosts do not occur except in high situations 

 situated in hollows and surrounded by hills. 



" 4:th, That at each particular station frost may be expected to 

 occur every week in inland and eastern districts up to about the 

 end of the first week in May, but at western and island stations 

 only till the middle of April. 



" bth, That from the second week in May till the end of the 

 month, frost is as likely to occur as not in inland districts on the 

 east coast till the middle of May, and in the west and islands 

 from the middle of April to the end of the first week in May. 



" 6fA, That at inland places frost rarely — that is, practically — 

 ceases to occur from the beginning of June ; and at all other 

 places in the west and east, and islands, this takes place at least 

 a fortnight earlier, or in the middle of May. 



" 7^A, That at inland places in elevated situations and in 

 hollows, such as Braemar, Thirl estane, and Stobo, frost cannot 

 be considered as ceasing to occur till about the middle of June, or 

 a full month later than in the islands and along the sea-coast. 



" 8iA, That at elevated stations among hills, such as Castle 



