234 MR. ROBERT GURNEY ON THE TIDES OF 
accuracy which would record the changes of level on the 
same, or a larger, scale than their actual range. 
The Ant. 
The Ant is a very narrow winding river, and is obstructed 
three-quarters of a mile from its mouth by Ludham Bridge. 
Just below the Bridge the range of tide varies from 2.3 to 
4 inches, the normal range being probable about 3 inches. 
On the other hand, the very narrow span of the Bridge offers 
such an obstruction to the passage of the water that the 
range above the Bridge is much less. On September 19th — 
20th, 1906, while the range below the Bridge was 4 inches, 
above the Bridge it was only 2.9 in., showing a loss of 1.1 in. 
Other observations taken above confirm this conclusion, 
since the range was found to be 1.5 in. and 1.9 in. respectively. 
Above Ludham Bridge no observations have been taken in 
the river, but records have been kept over long periods in 
Barton Broad and Sutton Broad. Here, as in Hickling, 
though to a greater extent, no clear evidence of a tidal rise 
and fall can be detected. It was at one time thought that 
a rise and fall of \ inch could be traced at Sutton, but a closer 
study of the record throws much doubt on this conclusion. 
The water does indeed rise and fall, but no period can be 
assigned to the oscillation which agrees with that of a true 
tide. 
In August of this year hourly records were made of the 
height of the water at Sutton during the day for a whole 
week, the readings being taken with a float to ¥ Vnd inch. 
These readings were then plotted on paper on a very much 
enlarged scale, but, though on certain days there was a 
distinct appearance of a periodic oscillation, on other days 
nothing of the sort could be traced. I had hoped, by having 
a tide gauge altered to record the movements of the water on 
the natural scale, to be able to decide this question definitely 
for Sutton at all events, but unfortunately the alteration has 
affected the working of the instrument, and it has not yet been 
got into working order. 
