Meteorological Observations. 191 



peculiar rapid vibratile motion. The vertebral column was continued 

 in it quite to its extremity. These young fishes therefore were essen- 

 tially identical in their tails with the Palseozoic species, and in one 

 genus of the Old Red Sandstone, named Glypticus, as stated by 

 Prof. Agassiz, the tail was similar in the form of the lobes. This 

 supernumerary lobe disappears as the fish grows older. Prof. Agassiz 

 observed, that this was among the many facts which show that the 

 order of succession of animals in past time is exemplified now in the 

 development of individuals. He also remarked on the fact that these 

 Ganoid fishes resemble reptiles in the power of moving the head on 

 the baclc-bone (owing to the ball-and-socket joint of the vertebrae), 

 and in the quasi tail. — SillimarCs Journal^ Nov. 1856. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DEC. 1856. 



[The insertion of carefully prepared Meteorological Reports in the principal 

 daily Papers has rendered our Table and Observations, which from the nature of 

 our publication cannot appear within less than a month after date, of so little 

 value, that the Editors have determined to discontinue them. In doing so they 

 beg to return their thanks to those gentlemen who for so many years have kindly 

 contributed the information.] 



Chiswick. — December 1. Severe frost : fine, but cold. 2. Clear and frosty. 3. 

 Rain. 4. Frosty and foggy : rain. 5. Foggy and drizzly : rain at night. 6. 

 Densely clouded : rain. 7. Boisterous : cloudy : fine. 8. Densely overcast : 

 cloudy : rain. 9. Fine : cloudy : rain at night. 10. Rain : densely clouded. 11. 

 Partially overcast : fine : rain at night. 12. Clear : very fine in forenoon : cloudy 

 at night : heavy rain. 13. Rain : cloudy and fine. 14. Slight rain : cloudy and 

 fine. 15. Clear and fine: frosty at night. 16. Sharp frost: clear: foggy. 17. 

 Frosty and foggy : cloudy at night. 18. Hazy : drizzly : slight rain. 19. Clear 

 and fine throughout : slight frost at night. 20. Frosty : hazy: cloudy. 21. Over- 

 cast. 22. Cloudy. 23. Partially overcast : clear : cloudy. 24. Rain: clear and 

 very fine : frosty at night. 25. Foggy : sharp frost. 26. Cloudy : frosty. 27. 

 Clear and frosty : severe frost at night. 28. Frosty : clear : sharp frost. 29. Clear 

 and frosty : overcast. 30. Hazy. 31. Cloudy. 



Mean temperature of the month 39°*03 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1855 33-99 



Mean temperature of Dec. for the last thirty years 39 "48 



Average amount of rain in Dec 1*479 inch. 



Boston. — Dec. 1. Fine. 2. Fine : snow p.m. 3, 4. Fine. 5. Cloudy : rain 

 A.M. 6. Fine: rain p.m. 7. Cloudy: rain a.m. and p.m. 8, 9. Cloudy. 10. 

 Cloudy: rain a.m. 11. Cloudy: rain p.m. 12, 13. Fine: rain p.m. 14-16. Fine. 

 17. Cloudy. 18. Cloudy : rain a.m. 19. Fine. 20. Cloudy. 21. Cloudy : rain p.m. 

 22—26. Fine. 27. Fine : snow p.m. 28. Fine. 29. Fine : rain p.m. 30. Cloudy. 

 31. Fine. 



Sandwich Manse, Orkney. — Dec. 1. Bright a.m. : clear p.m. 2. Snow-showers 

 A.M. : clear p.m. 3. Cloudy a.m. : showers, thaw p.m. 4. Snow-showers a.m. : 

 rain p.m. 5. Drops a.m.: rain p.m. 6. Showers a.m. and p.m. 7. Cloudy a.m.: 

 showers p.m. 8. Cloudy a.m. : clear, fine p.m. 9. Cloudy a.m. : rain p.m. 10. Damp 

 a.m.: showers P.M. 11. Cloudy a.m. and p.m. 12. Cloudy a.m. : fine, showers 

 p.m. 13. Cloudy a.m. : fine, clear p.m. 14. Showers a.m. : cloudy p.m. 15. 

 Cloudy A.M. and P.M. 16. Cloudy a.m.: showers p.m. 17. Cloudy a.m.: damp 

 p.m. 18. Showers a.m. : clear p.m. 19. Drizzle a.m. : cloudy p.m. 20. Drizzle 

 A.M. and P.M. 21. Drizzle a.m. : rain p.m. 22. Hail-showers a.m. and p.m. 

 23. Snow A.M. and p.m. 24. Thaw a.m. : cloudy, sleet p.m. 25. Frost, bright 

 a.m. : snow-showers p.m. 26. Frost, bright a.m. : snow-showers p.m. 27, 28. 

 Hail-showers a.m. and p.m. 29. Bright a.m. : drops p.m. 30. Showers a.m. : 

 drizzle p.m. 31. Drizzle a.m. : rain p.m. 



Mean temperature of Dec. for previous twenty -nine years ... 40°*97 



Mean temperature of this month 39 '38 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1855 39*41 



Average quantity of rain in Dec. for sixteen previous years ... 4*23 inches. 



