77

of the ‘‘ convectional units.” As Dr. Brooks mentions, the cloud patches are usually more or less lenticular in form, and they are seen a t Aberdeen o n occasions when the general cloud char,acter is lenticular.

At Aberdeen they are usually associated with westerly or south- westerly weather, as is the case with the other lenticular forms of cloud, and the form seems to owe its origin to the turbulence set up in the air when crossing the mountainous country to the south-west of the station,

G. A. CLARKE.

CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTES

The Influence of Pressure Gradient on Rainfall in the British Isles. ‘‘ The Rainfall of the British Isles considered Cartographically ”1

gives a number of correlation coefficients between the following elements : (a) Mean rainfall for the British Isles (percentage of normal). ( b ) Rainfall (percentage of normal) in the west minus that in

(c) Rainfall (percentage of normal) in the south minus that it1

( x ) Mean pressure over British Isles in mb. (y) Pressure gradient S - N in mb of pressure difference, Dunge-

( z ) Pressure gradient W-E in mb of pressure difference, Valencia

The coefficients given are of zero order, Le., they are the direct coefficients between each of the elements (a) and ( b ) and (c) with ( x ) , (Y) and ( z ) without reference to the other elements. Bearing in mind that there is probably a connection between the mean pressure and the gradient in different directions, it is of some interest to give the “partial ” correlation coefficients, i.e., the correlation between (a) and ( x ) after the influence of (y) and ( z ) has been eliminated (rar.,.J and so on.

These partial coefficients are found to be as follows :-

the east.

the north.

ness to Stornoway.

to Shields.

- *79 r1,+.y1+ .37 fo~*ys-- j* + .22 ‘bY‘IA f ‘75 ~cy.1. - ‘42 r,..,g - * 17 - .IS ‘0,*x, - -50

The most important changes from the coefficients of zero order are the diminution in the correlation between (a ) and ( 2 ) ; the increases in the correlation of (a) with ( x ) , (y) and (s); the increase of the correlation of (c ) with ( x ) so that the latter factor becomes slightly more important than ( z ) ; and the increase in the correlation between (c ) and (y) .

From these the following regression equations have been constructed : a= - 5 . 8 x + 1.2 y- 1.3 c b = + 1.6x+6.0y- 1.65 c= - 4 . 2 ~ - 3 . 7 ~ - 7 . 1 2

I t is interesting to note that the correlation between the C N and W-E gradients of pressure is only +0.03.

C . E. P. BROOKS.

The “ Buchan ” Memorial Prize. I: may be remembered that at the end of 1920 the Council were

approached by the Scottish Meteorological Society with a proposal that

1 Q.] .R.Meteor.Soc. , 49, 1923, p. 207.

78 CORKESI’0NL)EKCE AND NOTES

the two Societies should amalgamate. I t was felt that such amalgama- tion would be beneficial to both and lead to the advancement of the science. The proposal was duly adopted a t the .Annual General Meeting held on Janiinry ‘9, 1921, when 80 Annual Fellows and ++ Life Fellows were transferred to this Society, together with the existing funds and docu- ments of the Scottish Society.

.4t the time of the amalgamation it was suggested that part of the funds of the Scottish Society might be devoted to the a w r d of a prize which, in order to perpetuate the name of Scotland’s most nidely known meteorologist, might appropriately be called the “ Buchan ” Prize. Arrangements to carry out this proposal have been formulated, and the regulations drawn up to govern the award are set out below. The first award it will be seen will be made in January, 1925.

‘‘ BUCHAN ” PRIZE .\\V.\I<D. In order to commemorate the amalgamation of the Scottidi Metcorological

Society v i t h the Royal Meteorological Society and in meniory of Alexander Buchan. Scotland’s foremost meteorologist, a prize of tifteen guineas (.&IS 15s.) termed the “ Buchan ” Prize, accompanied by a certificate, shall he awarded biennially, a t the Annual General Meeting in January. the n\vnrd to take place on alternate years to that of the Symons Memorial Gold hlednl.

z . The prize shall be awarded to the author of that paper, or those papers, contributed to the Society, and published in the four immediately preceding volumes of the Quarterly Journal, which shall be adjudged by the Council to contain the most important original contribution or contributions to meteorology.

But i n the case of joint authorship the prize may, in the discretion of the Council, be divided and the certificates reduplicated, even if one author is not n Fellow of t h r Society.

I .

3. The prize shall be confined to Fcllotvs of the Society.

4. N o person will be eligible for the award a second timc.

Tables of Averages and Extremes for China-Amoy and Wei=

I n the Quarterly Joiirnal for October, 1917, nppearrd a discussion of the late Captain Tamplin’s meteorological Observations in China, which included seventeen months’ data for Amoy. The observatiu:is a t .\nwy have been carried on by Captain Bathurst, and subsequently by Captain Sowdcn, who have sent monthly reports to the Meteorological Office. -4 discussion of the observations at another station in China, namely Wei- Hai-Wei, appeared in the ]orcrnal for 1919, based on n meteorological log cwntaining sis and a half years’ observations contributed to the Society by Commander -4. E. House. Subsequent observations froin Wei-Hai- Wei have also been rcceived regularly a t the Meteorological Office.

Tables of averages and extremes for these two stations have recently been compiled a t the Meteorological Office, under the supervision of Mr. C. E. P. Brooks, in connection with the revision of the China Seas Pilot, and as these include considerably longer periods than the tables originally presented to the Society, they may be of interest. The table for Amoy combines Captain Tamplin’s and the later observations with a few for earlier years which appeared in the China Coast Meteorological Register. The table for Wei-Hai-Wei consists throughout of observations taken a t H.M. Naval Depot, except in the case of rainfall, for which element a n earlier series at Port Edward, given on p. 34 of the Quarterly Journal for 1919, has been included, after the values had been corrected for the difference of site.

Hai=Wei.