Brown's Almanac.-Halifax tide tables.-Messrs. J. Brown & Son,

Glasgow.

Belcher's Almanac.-Halifax tide tables.-The McAlpine Co., Halifax. Cogswell's Almanac.-Halifax; time only.-Mr. R. H. Cogswell, Halifax. McMillan's Almanac.-St. John; time only.-Messrs. J. & A. McMillan, St. John.

Moore's Tide Tables.-Quebec; time only.-Messrs. T. J. Moore & Co., Quebec.

The Quebec Chronicle.-Quebec tides tables in full; one month at a time. The St. John Telegraph.-St. John tides tables in full; one month at a time.

It was arranged to have these tide tables reprinted from Greenwood's Almanac, as a neat pamphlet ; and 450 copies of this were widely distributed. This is a step in advance of last year's publication. It served to make these tide tables more widely known, and it also enabled all applications for copies of the tables to be met.

The other tide tables issued were as follows:

Charlottetown, Pictou, and St. Paul Island.-Accompanied by tidal differences for Northumberland Strait, and the south-western side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. These tide tables were computed by the Tidal Survey and printed by the Department; and 350 copies were distributed as widely as possible.

Father Point.-Prepared in manuscript only; and posted at the Lighthouse at Father Point. As this is the Pilot Station for the Lower St. Lawrence, they are there accessible to the pilots.

Ste. Croix Bar.-Tide tables were again computed for this locality, as it is still the shallowest point in the tidal portion of the St. Lawrence above Quebec, pending the completion of the dredging operations. These tables were published in company with the tide tables for Quebec, by the Montreal Harbour Commissioners; in the publication they prepare annually for the information of the St. Lawrence pilots.

At this stage in the work of the Tidal Survey a complete series of comparisons has been made, to ascertain how far an improvement in the accuracy of the tide tables for our principal harbours has been already secured by this Survey, when compared with other sources of information.

Before this Survey was begun, the only information available for the ports of Quebec, Halifax, St. John, N.B., Charlottetown and Pictou, was that given by such tide tables as were published locally; which were roughly computed from Ports of Reference in Europe. To ascertain the improvement secured and the degree of accuracy of the tide tables

now issued by the Tidal Survey, three series of comparisons were required:-(1). With tide tables as above referred to, published by local almanacs. (2). With the tides as computed for our ports from the data given by the United States Coast Survey. (3). A direct comparison of the tide tables issued by this Survey, with the tides as actually observed. The results of the first two comparisons are given in condensed form in the Report of Progress, and the large amount of improvement in accuracy is there shown in the form of percentage values. In the Tide Tables of the United States Coast Survey, the tides of the St. Lawrence estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence are referred to Ports of Reference in all parts of the world; the selection being made solely on the basis of a range in the tide which is nearly the same. The type of the tide is thus ignored; and the result is often very wide of the mark, especially where the tide presents some special feature such as diurnal inequality. The error in time may then amount to an hour and a half, early or late. The methods now used by the Tidal Survey are distinctly superior, as shown by the comparisons made; as they are based upon a careful consideration of the local conditions derived from observation.

The direct comparisons of the tide tables of this Survey with the tide as observed at Halifax, St. John, N.B., and Quebec, are given in tabular form appended to the Report now issued; accompanied by a discussion of the result.

TIDES ON THE LOWER ST. LAWRENCE REFERRED TO QUEBEC.

The desirability of obtaining the best tidal data possible in this region need not be enlarged upon, not only because of the importance of the tides themselves to navigation, but also to obtain an adequate basis for the examination of the strong tidal currents on a route traversed by so large a volume of commerce. A thorough examination was made of the difference in the time of the tide based upon the simultaneous records obtained from the three principal stations at South-west Point of Anticosti, Father Point and Quebec, at the extreme ends and the middle of the estuary, a distance of 450 miles.

The time of the tide at South-west Point and Father Point can now be deduced from the Quebec tide tables by means of constant differences, which have been derived from a long series of simultaneous observations, as explained in previous reports. The tide tables for Father Point are computed from the Quebec tables in this way, one difference being used for high water and another for low water. With regard to the accuracy of the result as thus obtained, the point of importance is to know how far the differences in time for individual tides will vary from the average

value, which is used as a constant difference. With a view to allow in the computation for the variation in the difference, and thus to reduce the error, much labour has been expended; the object being to arrive at such relations between these three St. Lawrence stations as would enable the variation in the difference to be reduced to law. The investigations made need not be given here. For the present, it will be sufficient to say that no one law could be discovered under which a series of variable differences could be constructed, to allow for the greater part of the error resulting from this variation.

The outcome of the investigation was to show that improvement in the present method of the use of constant differences will only be secured when the means are available to make an analysis of the Father Point record itself, and to base tide tables directly upon this. It will probably be found that an improvement will then be obtained by making Father Point, instead of Quebec, the port of reference for other points in the open estuary for some distance above it. Also in the other direction, an improvement in accuracy as far as Anticosti Island and its vicinity will be obtained; as it now appears that the outstanding error in the time of the tide at South-west Point would thus be reduced by 20 per cent.

The analysis of the tidal record for Father Point itself, would be in accord with the modern view taken by the most eminent authorities on tidal questions. When the means available for this Survey are so limited, however, that the analysis of tidal record for the principal harbours of the country has to be deferred from year to year, the hope of doing similar work for Father Point would seem a long way off. It is because of this that the exhaustive examination into the tidal relations on the Lower St. Lawrence, above referred to, was undertaken, in the hope of securing improvement in the meantime.

The method above referred to, will not secure any direct advantage for the Quebec tide tables themselves, however. The variation between the tides as calculated and observed at Quebec, is chiefly due to wind disturbance; which is much felt in so long an estuary. Another difficulty is that technically speaking, Quebec is not well situated for a principal tidal station; because it is in reality in the river, and above the true head of the estuary. This must be considered to be at the lower end of Orleans Island; as it is there that the tide has its maximum range.

In connection with tidal work on the Lower St. Lawrence, proposed for the coming season, a station will be established near the lower end of Orleans Island; and it is hoped that simultaneous observations there and at Quebec, will explain some of the irregularities still unaccounted for; and also enable these to be eliminated in the comparison of places on the Lower St. Lawrence with the tide at Quebec.

PACIFIC COAST TIDE TABLES.

A reduction of the Pacific coast tidal records from Victoria, and from the mouth of the Fraser River in the Gulf of Georgia, has now been prepared and forwarded to the Nautical Almanac Office, London, for the computation of the harmonic constants. These records will thus become available for the calculation of tide tables for British Columbia.

APPENDIX C.

REPORTS FROM ASSOCIATED LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES IN CANADA.

I-From The Canadian Institute, through SIR S. FLEMING, K.C.M.G.

The Council of the Canadian Institute have the honour to lay before the members the Fifty-first Annual Report.

During the year 6 life, 28 ordinary and 9 associate members, 43 in all, were elected, and 17 names have been removed from the roll of members for the following reasons: by death 2, by resignation 13, and of members in arrears 2. Most of those in arrears might have been removed when the committee dealt with the list of members last year, but it was thought well to postpone action for one year.

The number of ordinary meetings held was 22, at which 22 papers were read. These may be classified as follows:-President's address, Geology, one; Mineralogy, three; Forestry, one; Colour Photography, one; Biology, three; Ethnology, two; Botany, one; History, one; Topography, five; Miscellaneous, six.

The Biological Section held 11 meetings at which 11 papers were read.

The publications of the Institute during the past sessions have been as follows Parts 2 and 3 of Volume 2 of the Proceedings.

The Editing Committee have met frequently in connection with the Memorial Volume which is now almost ready to issue from the press. It is confidently hoped that it will be in the hands of the members and the correspondents of the Institute before the close of the present session.

The fifth ordinary meeting of the session 1899-1900 was held in the School of Practical Science and was also a Conversazione commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of the existence of the Institute. His Excellency the Governor-General, Major-General Hutton, the three surviving members of the founders of the Institute, Sir Sandford Fleming, LL.D., K.C.M.G., Mr. Thomas Ridout and Mr. Kivas Tully were present with about a thousand members and visitors.

Various letters of welcome and congratulation were read and addresses made by the President, Lord Minto, Sir Sandford Fleming, Professor Maurice Hutton, the Hon. G. W. Allan and Mr. Kivas Tully. Proc., 1900. E.

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