^!VP Calendar of Nature 



aurora boreatis was observed on the 17th, about 11 P.M. The evapo- 

 ration 0' 13 125 of an inch. 



December. The mean of the barometer was lower than any one in 

 December during the journalist's residence in Wycombe, and the range of 

 the thermometer greater than in the same month for the last eight years, 

 while the mean was lower, except in last year, than any in the corre- 

 sponding month, for the same period ; of the quantity of rain and melted 

 snow, the like report must be made as of the mean of the thermometer. 

 Snow fell on the 12th, 15th, 22d, 24th, and 27th,- the whole quantity not 

 more than 2-25 in. On the night of the Uth a beautiful aurora borealis was 

 seen for several hours ; about one o'clock on the following morning it 

 assumed the form of an arch, of great brilliancy, surmounted by a brown 

 tint, which faded away into a silvery light, something resembling that 

 afforded by the moon before she appears above the horizon, a deeper brown 

 colour filled up the space beneath the luminous arch ; another but very 

 faint aurora was observed on the 15th. Lunar haloes seen on the 

 nights of the 23d, 24th, and 26th ; that on the latter night was remarkably 

 bright, and well defined. The evaporation 0*0625 of an inch. 



Journal of the Weather kept at Bedford, Lat. 52° 8' 48'^ North, Long. 

 2' W East. By W. H. White, Esq., of the Commercial Academy, 

 Bedford. 



January. This year commenced with severe frost, which continued the 

 whole month. Wind blowing generally a strong breeze from the N.E., 

 except on the 16th and 17th, when it blew from E.S.E., and then 

 returned to N.E. Snow fell on the I7th, 18th, and 23d ; the average 

 depth 16 in. Not a single flower in bloom. Atmospheric phenomena: 

 one lunar halo ; and one gale of wind from the N.E. 



February. The frost continued with all its intensity till the 7th, when 

 the wind shifted to due S., with continued mild rain. On the 8th the 

 Ouse was greatly swollen, and the ice, the average thickness of which was 

 21 in., broke up. On the 10th the frost returned for three days j wind N., 

 but not with the intensity of last month. — Plants. The catkin of the hazel 

 expanded on the 16th ; snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis), on the 20th; crocus^ 

 25th,' whitlow grass (i)rabaverna), Newnh am Wall, 27th. — Birds. The 

 throstle (Z'urdus musicus) in full song on the 20th; on the 28th some 

 woodmen found a throstle's nest with one egg in it; during the last 

 week rooks (Corvus frugilegus) were actively engaged in building their 

 nests; the titmouse (Parus caeruleus) very scarce. * — Scale of general 

 winds. N. 11 days; N.E. 3; E. 1 ; S.E. 3; S. 2; S.W. 2; W. 4; 

 N.W. 2 ; total 28 days. — The atmospheric and meteoric phenomena 

 noticed this month were, two solar haloes and one lunar ; one meteor ; and 

 four gales of wind, viz. two from the W., one from the N.E., and one 

 from the S.W. From the 1st till the 20th the weather was cold,^ gloomy, 

 and cheerless ; the remainder of the month was very mild, and vegetation 

 made rapid progress. 



March. This month commenced with bleak winds from the W. and 

 N.W. ; generally cloudy till the 14th ; the rest of the month was very fine, 

 and well suited both to horticultural and agricultural pursuits, except on 

 the last day, when we had heavy rain. — Plants. During the 1st week 



* This little bird was very abundant here during the summer of 1829, 

 but during the spring of the present year they were very scarce, many of 

 them, no doubt, having fallen a prey to the severity of the winter, and 

 many also to the guns of hedgerow sportsmen. 



