of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
355 
In October 1890 I was asked to inspect the East Coast stations where 
observations were being carried on, and accordingly I visited the Oxcar 
Lighthouse, the ^s^orth Carr Rock Light-vessel, the Bell Rock Lighthouse, 
and the Abertay Light-vessel. Again, in April 1891 I visited those 
stations, with the exception of the Bell Rock, and I also inspected the 
observations in progress at West Loch Tarbert, Ardrishaig, Brodick, and 
Loch Ryan on the West Coast. I carefully examined the instruments, 
and saw that the observers understood them and were paying attention to 
the daily observations. Without regular inspection such work cannot be 
relied upon, and all stations should be visited at least twice a year. 
The Fishery Board has placed in my hands the record of observations 
carried on at the eight stations mentioned above, together with a number 
of books containing the observations made on board the ' Jackal,' 
' Vigilant,' and ' Garland,' and requested me to draw up a report upon 
them. 
I have accordingly carefully examined the data, and have now the 
honour of submitting a report on the very valuable results obtained by 
the observers at fixed stations, postponing consideration of the equally 
valuable and voluminous record of the work done on the 'Jackal' and 
' Vigilant ' at sea for a later report. 
I have to acknowledge the services of Mr Robert TurnbuU, B.Sc, in 
reducing the specific gravities to constant temperatures, calculating the 
salinities, and working out the mean values for various periods. 
New observers, employing instruments with which they are unfamiliar, 
cannot be expected to furnish entirely satisfactory results, and the records 
of the earlier months at most of the stations are less trustworthy than 
those which come later. In one or two cases the instruments had got out 
of order, and gave readings which are obviously wrong. This can usually 
be detected, and the erroneous readings allowed for, but in some cases 
suspicion is thrown on parts of the record which make it unwise to found 
any conclusions. The ordinary duty of the observers occasionally inter- 
fered with perfect regularity in making the physical observations. This 
is especially the case on the lighthouses and lightships, where fog-signals 
have to be attended to continuously in thick weather, and where, in 
strong gales, the force of the breakers or the motion of the vessel make 
the risk of damaging the instruments too great to justify an attempt to 
use them. 
Observations on the East Coast. 
The map of part of the East Coast of Scotland (Plate XVI.) shows 
the relative position of the regular observation stations on that side of 
Scotland. 
Oxcar Lighthouse. — This station is peculiarly interesting, being situated 
close to the line where the estuary of the Forth may be said to end and 
the Firth proper to begin. It closely corresponds to Station VI. in my 
Report of 1887,* and from the occasional observations made there during 
the work of the Scottish Marine Station I was led, in the Report referred 
to, to conclude that at this point the fresh water of the River Almond 
produced a disturbing effect in the salinity, and by inference in the tem- 
perature also, at low tide. Temperature and specific gravity are observed at 
the lighthouse by the keeper in charge at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. The tcm- 
* H. R. Mill ' On the Physical Conditions of the Water in the Firth of Forth, 
Fifth Annual Report of Fishery Board, Appendix F., p. 349, 1887. 
