ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 877 



same elevation at which the great reduction of vapor took place, the 

 gradual diminution of temperature was for some distance arrested. 



The greatest height attained to was 19,500 feet. The first clouds 

 occurred at 2,000 feet height ; after they had been passed through, no 

 other clouds presented themselves until the balloon had obtained the 

 height of 13,000 feet. At the highest elevation, clouds were still visi- 

 ble nearly on a level with the balloon, and the atmosphere was filled 

 with fine crystals of snow. At this elevation the aeronauts found no 

 difficulty in breathing, but experienced a slight pressure <5n the ears 

 and some pain in the temples. 



COMPARISON OF THE CLIMATE OF NEW ENGLAND AND GERMANY. 



AT a meeting of the Boston Natural History Society, 1852, Mr. 

 Dasor offered some remarks on the difference of the climates of Ger- 

 many and New England. In conversation with numerous German 

 residents here he had learned various interesting facts growing ouf of 

 the remarkable dry ness of the climate. One of the first things noticed 

 by them was the rare occurrence of arborescent forms on the windows 

 produced by frost. These appearances are regarded with peculiar 

 interest in Germany, and are associated with many popular legends. 

 They are comparatively of rare occurrence here from the circumstance 

 that the dew point is several degrees lower. Various differences are no- 

 ticed by artisans in the processes of their different callings, attribu- 

 table to the dryness of the atmosphere. Painters can finish their work 

 more rapidly. Cabinet makers are obliged to use much thicker glue. 

 Watch makers have to use animal instead of vegetable oil. Articles 

 of furniture made in Europe are found not to wear well. Inlaid wood 

 floors are much more expensive, requiring to be made with much 

 greater care. In the collections of Natural History in Europe lime is 

 necessary for the absorption of moisture, which would otherwise injure 

 the specimens ; none is needed here. It has been said that the climate 

 of New England is moister than that of Central Europe, because rains 

 are more frequent. Humboldt made the same remark of the hi^h 

 Alps. This is not true, however, for there is a very great change of 

 hygrometric condition in the atmosphere immediately after rain. In 

 the northwestern part of Europe and in England, a fall of one or 

 two degrees only in the temperature causes rain. On the whole, Mr. 

 Desor regarded the climate of New England as more nearly resem- 

 bling that of the high Alps than that of any other part of Europe. 



Mr. Desor added that Germans find that they lose flesh after their 

 arrival in America. 



Mr. Briggs said that he had noticed that English workmen who had 

 been accustomed at home to drink from four to six quarts of beer 

 daily, are quite unable to drink that quantity here without intoxica- 

 tion. In Missouri, with a temperature of 120, and a dew point at 

 90, sufficient to make the roads muddy with condensed moisture, he 

 had noticed that men drank very large quantities of stimulants without 

 intoxication. At the winter season of the year the air of New England is 



