The Scottish Naturalist. 



257 



d. Whether half-tide reefs had, before such removal, acted as natural 

 breakwaters. 



14. Is the coast being worn back by the sea? If so, state : — 



a. At what special points or districts. 



b. The nature and height of the cliffs at those places. 



c. At what rate the erosion now takes place. 



d. What data exists for determining the rate from early maps or other 



documents. 



e. Is such loss confined to districts bare of shingle ? 



15. Is the bareness of shingle at any of these places due to artificial, causes? 



a. By abstraction of shingle. 



b. By the erection of groynes, and the arresting of shingle elsewhere. 



16. Apart from the increase of land by increase of shingle, is any land being 



gained from the sea ? If so, state : — 



a. From what cause, e.g. embanking saltmarsh or tidal foreshore. 



b. The area so regained, and from what date. 



17. Are there dunes of blown sand in your district ? If so, state : — 



a. The name by which they are locally known. 



b. Their mean and greatest heights. 



c. Their relation to river-mouths and to areas of shingle. 



d. Tf they are now increasing. 



e. If they are blown over the land ; or are prevented from being so by 



bent grass or other vegetation, or by water-channels. 



18. Mention any reports, papers, maps, or newspaper-articles that have 



appeared upon this question bearing upon your district ; (copies will be 

 thankfully received by the secretaries). 



19. Add any remarks bearing on the subject that may not seem covered by 



the foregoing questions. 



In discussion in the Conference of Delegates Mr. Topley stated 

 that what was wanted for obtaining information regarding the 

 erosion of our coasts could be supplied by local observers alone, 

 and that accurate measurements should be taken from fixed 

 points, (e.g., the corner of a house), and repeated so as to ascertain 

 the rate of erosion, the extent of variation of the rate at different 

 periods, and the conditions on which it depends. 

 9. The Circulation of the Underground Waters in 

 the Permeable Formations of England and 

 Wales, and the Quality and Quantity of the 

 Waters supplied to various Towns and Dis- 

 tricts from these Formations (£$ ; Sec, Mr. C. E. 

 De Ranee). The labours of this Committee also, though 

 continued for about fifteen years, have not embraced Scot- 

 land ; yet the subject is one that may very well be 

 taken up by the local Scientific Societies in all parts of the 



