prevalent Disorders, tyc, wit/i J r olcanic Emanations, 23 



variation-needle to make an extraordinary deviation, to the 

 westward, of nearly half a degree. This occurred at seven 

 minutes before 4 p.m. : at 3h. 50 m. p.m. it was 15' 10" w. of 

 zero ; at 3 h. 55 m., between 40' and 50' w. of zero. * The 

 gale was scarcely felt at all at Limerick. (Naut. Mag.) ii. 

 680.) This fact is very valuable. 



Before the storm, the barometer fell suddenly and very 

 remarkably throughout the extent of its course; immediately 

 after, it suddenly rose ; the thermometer falling, from Aug. 31. 

 to Sept. 1., to 43°. Rain, to the amount of If in., fell in the 

 two days of the hurricane. During the whole month of 

 August, the mean height of the barometer was more than 

 in any August since 1827; the maximum more than since 

 1823, in August. The heat was below that of Aug. 1831 

 and 1832; and the extremes below any, in August, since 

 1823. The rain in August was less than the usual quantity, 

 though so much fell on the last two days. It has been remarked 

 that numerous birds were destroyed by this hurricane, so 

 great was its intensity. On the 31st, there were found 700 

 or 800 sparrows dead under a tree at Mr. Hairden's, at 

 Nedingworth, near St. Ives; and 14 sparrows and 14 swallows 

 at Spalding. Similar destruction occurred elsewhere ; num- 

 bers being driven, by the force of the wind, against build- 

 ings, and killed by the concussion. f Mr. Yarrell (as I learn, 

 by the kindness of the editor) has already alluded to this 



* See note in VII. 613. On May 17. 1833, and July 10. 1833, there 

 were great disturbances in the direction of the needle, during displays of 

 the aurora, in Pennsylvania. (Professor Bache, in Silliman's American 

 Journal, xxvii. 113.) 



f Birds have frequently fallen victims to the elements under similar cir- 

 cumstances. During heavy gales, many sea fowl, attracted by the light, 

 are found dead about the lanterns of the lighthouses on the coast ; as I was 

 informed at Flamborough, when visiting the lighthouses therein 1823. [See 

 V. 502.] The town of Dieppe was visited by many North American birds 

 on Oct. 23. 1834, blown thither by the hurricanes of that and the previous 

 days. During the hurricane of Oct. 24. and 25. 1822, alluded to below, 

 multitudes of birds were blown over to the Durham and Northumberland 

 coasts, and killed by the wind. (Sir W. Jardine.) The same thing occurred 

 on April 4. 1799, when lapwings, grey plovers, woodcocks, &c, were cast 

 on shore, in hundreds, on the coast of Holderness ; many of them starved, 

 with their bills under their wings. On April 6., crows dropped dead from 

 cold; and others were killed by the wind. (A. R.) 



A Mr. Templer, describing the hurricane of Oct. 13. 1690, at Bray- 

 brook, Northamptonshire, tells of an accident of the kind, in these quaint 

 terms : — "It (the wind) beat down a jackdaw from the rick, with that 

 violence^ as forced the guts out of the body, and made it bleed plentifully at 

 the mouth." (P. T. y 1671.) 



Mr. Fuller, speaking of the hurricane in Huntingdonshire, on Sept. 8. 

 1741, says : — " The poor pigeons that were caught in it were blown to the 

 ground, and dashed in pieces." (P. T.) 



c 4 



