Xll 
PROCEEDINGS OE THE 
levels were known approximately, but at present this knowledge 
was scattered and difficultly accessible. He was aware that the 
Hertfordshire Natural History Society had set the good example of 
publishing many of the Ordnance Levels : he thought that they 
might go further, and that other Societies should follow in their 
steps. A contoured model in relief (and coloured geologically) of 
the area occupied by it would be a useful and valuable adjunct 
to every field club. 
Referring to railways, they could not forget the terrible disaster 
to the Tay Bridge. It was evident that the intensity of the wind at 
that height was not known. At the present time engineers said that 
if they knew the force of wind at a particular height, it would be 
worth thousands to them, and his advice would be to let those who 
were desirous of studying that question have the thousands. Some 
persons were now engaged in ascertaining the velocity of the wind 
by an enormous kite, to which small anemometers and other instru¬ 
ments were attached, and he, for one, trusted that something would 
be discovered as to the increase of wind-force with elevation. 
After referring to the efforts of Sir William Siemens, with respect 
to discovering the heat at considerable heights above ground,* 4 Mr. 
Symons mentioned the work that was now being carried on at Ben 
Nevis, and, giving several anecdotes connected with the ascents of 
that mountain, he said he wished his Scotch friends all success in 
their efforts. Their work was, of course, of a troublesome character, 
and it was doubtful how far they would obtain scientific results. 
An observatory had been built in Trance at a great height, and 
various instruments fixed, but the hoar-frost was so thick that it 
was a question whether the records had not been thereby utterly 
vitiated. He thought it evident that the exact temperature could 
not be obtained when even telegraph-wires were covered with hoar 
frost several inches thick. 
As to the question of forecasts, the great bulk of our storms came 
from the Atlantic, and unfortunately we knew very little of what 
was going on in the meteorology of the Atlantic. The real 
requisite was observations from a station 500 or 600 miles off the 
west coast of Ireland. Of course, that would have to be done by 
means of a ship moored in the Atlantic where the sea was nearly 
two miles deep. It was much to be deplored that that was not 
done, but he believed that it would be and that successful electrical 
communications between the ship and the land could be mainl ained. 
Such a plan would prove most important to mariners. The Trinity 
House, which was considered to be one of the most thoroughly 
scientific establishments extant, had gone into the question very 
carefully, and experiments were now being tried in that direction. 
Another subject he wished to deal with was that of keeping true 
time. Of course, to have a clock that would be always correct 
required care and trouble, but not to such an extent as some people 
thought. To every postal telegraph office in England the correct 
time was signalled at ten o’clock every morning, therefore the 
* ‘ Proc. Royal Soc.,’ No. 226, 1883. 
