Meteorological Observations. 159 



patrimony in travelling throughout Europe, in studying at various 

 universities, in order to acquire an extensive knowledge of his favourite 

 branches of Natural History, and in making original observations 

 and researches at home and abroad. He was one of the first, in this 

 country, to teach these sciences in separate and extended courses of 

 lectures ; and he has been chiefly instrumental, by his numerous 

 publications, and by his lectures, in diffusing a taste for these studies. 

 But, though highly advantageous to the public. Dr. Grant's labours 

 have not been profitable to himself in a pecuniary point of view, be- 

 cause attendance on courses of lectures on these subjects is not com- 

 pulsory on candidates for diplomas or degrees ; and his income, having 

 been entirely dependent on the number of his pupils, has in some 

 years been extremely limited. It is only within the last few months 

 that the Council of University College has been enabled to grant to 

 him an income of even 100^. per annum, beyond the returns of his 

 class. Between two and three hundred pounds have been already 

 subscribed, and it is proposed to present the offering in the acceptable 

 form of an annuity. More subscriptions are, however, needed for 

 an adequate recognition of Dr. Grant's thoroughly learned, unosten- 

 tatious, and independent character ; and we cannot do better than 

 close our remarks with the name and address of the treasurer — J. S. 

 Bowerbank, Esq., F.R.S., 3 Highbury Grove, Islington. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DEC. 1851. 



Chiswick. — December 1. Frosty: fine: uniformly overcast at night. 2. Over- 

 cast : clear. 3. Hazy : cloudy : frosty at night. 4. Frosty : fine. 5. Hazy : 

 cloudy : overcast. 6. Densely overcast. 7. Fine : cloudy. 8. Cloudy : clear and 

 very fine. 9. Foggy. 10. Cloudy. 11. Clear and fine. 12. Very dense fog. 

 13. Foggy: hazy throughout. 14. Foggy. 15. Hazy. 16. Foggy: overcast. 

 17, 18. Foggy. 19. Very fine. 20. Hazy and drizzly : densely overcast at night. 

 21. Rain : boisterous at night. 22. Rain : clear at night. 23. Clear and fine. 



24. Hazy : fine. 25. Clear and fine : cloudy at night. 26. Fine : sharp frost. 

 27. Frosty : overcast : shght rain. 28. Fine : densely clouded : clear. 29. Slight 

 haze. 30. Foggy. 31. Frosty and foggy : hazy. 



Mean temperature of the month 38°-88 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1850 38*47 



Mean temperature of Dec. for the last twenty-six years ... 39 '69 

 Average amount of rain in Dec 1*52 inch. 



Boston. — Dec. 1. Fine. 2 — 4. Cloudy. 5. Cloudy: rain a.m. 6. Cloudy. 

 7—9. Fine. 10. Cloudy : rain p.m. 11, 12. Fine. 13. Foggy. 14—19. Cloudy. 

 20. Fine. 21. Rainy: rain a.m. and p.m. 22. Cloudy. 23. Fine. 24. Cloudy. 



25, 26. Fine. 27. Cloudy. 28. Cloudy : rain p.m. 29, 30. Cloudy. 31. Fine. 



Sandwich Manse, Orkney. — Dec. 1. Cloudy: damp. 2. Damp. 3. Showers: 

 damp. 4. Rain : showers. 5. Showers : drizzle. 6. Bright : drizzle. 7. Cloudy. 

 8. Damp: showers : clear. 9. Damp : drizzle. 10. Cloudy : rain. 11. Damp: 

 drizzle. 12. Bright : cloudy. 13. Drizzle : clear. 14. Fine. 15. Fine : damp. 

 16. Bright: fine: damp. 17. Damp: fine: damp. 18. Bright: fine: aurora. 

 19. Cloudy: fine: aurora. 20. Cloudy : drizzle. 21. Rain : clear : aurora. 22. 

 Frost : clear : aurora. 23. Bright : clear : aurora. 24. Frost : aurora. 25. Frost : 

 cloudy. 26. Fine : clear : aurora. 27. Fine . cloudy. 28. Cloudy. 29. Cloudy : 

 damp. 30. Drizzle : rain. 31. Drizzle : cloudy. 



