Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 55 



Art. II. Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 



Meteorological Society. — Dec. 13. Dr. Birkbeck, Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. Several highly interesting communica- 

 tions were read on the tremendous gale that visited this island 

 on Nov. 29. last : the most important were from the Rev. 

 W. B. Clarke of Poole ; Captain W. H. Smyth, R.N., of the 

 Observatory, Bedford ; the Rev. W. T. Bree of Allesley Rec- 

 tory, near Coventry ; Mr. W. H. Campbell, Secretary to the 

 Botanical Society of Edinburgh ; and Mr. J. G. Tatem of 

 High Wycombe. 



From the manner in which the wind was observed to 

 change its direction at various places during the gale, it was 

 considered to belong to that class of hurricanes which tra- 

 verse the western basin of the Atlantic. These hurricanes 

 consist of a large body of air moving with considerable 

 velocity round an axis which progresses in such a direction 

 as to describe an elliptic or parabolic curve, the apex of the 

 curve being situated about the parallel of the thirtieth degree 

 of north latitude. It was requested that, on future occasions, 

 observers would be careful to note particularly the phases of 

 the storms, and the time when any change in the direction of 

 the wind takes place. 



The following extract from a letter from the Rev. W. T. 

 Bree was then read : — " On Oct. 1 1. last, between eight and 

 nine, p. M., a bright band of light appeared in the sky, ex- 

 tending over the entire vault of the heavens, in the direction 

 of s. w. by w. to n. e. by e. It was about as broad as a 

 rainbow, and brightest at the south-western extremity near 

 the horizon. In a quarter of an hour, or less, it had entirely, 

 but gradually, disappeared." This phenomenon was seen by 

 other gentlemen present; and Mr. Birt stated that he ob- 

 served it at London. It appeared to him as an arch or band 

 of light, similar to the auroral arches, much broader than a 

 rainbow, and extending from one side of the horizon to the 

 opposite. The stars it passed over were Capella, the Pole 

 Star, /3 Draconis, and p Herculis. The position of these 

 stars on the evening in question would give s. w. by w. to 

 n. e. by e. as its direction as seen from London. It had a 

 perceptible motion towards the south, and was visible about a 

 quarter of an hour. 



An interesting paper from the pen of Mr. Patrick Murphy 

 (author of an excellent work on meteorology), anticipating the 

 state of the weather during the approaching month of January, 

 1837, was next read. The author observed that the tendency 

 of the weather throughout the month will be to drought ; about 



