Natural History. '■- 173 



dition as those recently taken from the tree. Mr. Allsop thinks 

 that the oil applied to the shelves, sides, <§r., of bookcases, trunks, 

 ^'C, will prevent insects or vermin approaching them, and would 

 also be found useful in preserving cables, cordage, canvass, leather, 

 or articles of any description, which are liable to be attacked by 

 worms or other vermin. — Tech, Rep. vii. 17. 



9. Quantity of Rain which falls at different heights — For pheno- 

 mena of this kind observed byM. Flaugergues, see vol. xviii. p. 186, 

 of this Journal. There are two rain gauges at the observatory at 

 Paris, one on the summit of the building, the other in the court 

 yard ; the diiference being 27 metres, or 8G feet. The quantity 

 of liquid collected in them is never equal, the lower vessel always 

 collecting more than the upper. The mean of eight years gives 

 for the rain in the lower gauge 56.136 centimetres, and for the 

 upper gauge 49.551 centimetres, so that the difference of 86 feet 

 has occasioned an augmentation of one-eighth. The cause of this 

 phenomenon does not seem referable either to the direction of the 

 wind, or to the drops gathering water from the lower stratum of 

 air, and is as yet inexplicable. The circumstance may be im- 

 portant at times in estimations made of the quantity of rain fallen 

 at the same place in different periods. — Ann. de Chimie. xxvii. 397. 



10. Temperature on the Earth's Surface. — From a general and 

 extensive review of the various experimental data respecting the 

 temperatures observed at different places on the earth's surface, 

 the Editor of the Annates de Chimie deduces the following con- 

 sequences : 



In no place on the earth's surface^ nor at any season, will a ther- 

 mometer raised two or three metres above the soil, and sheltered 

 from all reverberation, attain the 37° of Reaumer^ or 46° centigrade, 

 (114^8 Faht.) 



On the open sea, the temperature of the air, whatever be the 

 place or season, will never attain 25° Reaumer, or 31° centigrade, 

 (87^8 Faht.) 



The greatest degree of cold ever observed on our globe with a 

 thermometer suspended in the air is 40° Reaumer, or 50* centigrade 

 below zero ( — 58°. Faht.) 



The temperature of the water of the ocean, in any latitude, or at 

 any season, never rises above 24° Reaumer, or 30° centigrade, (86° 

 Faht.) — Ann. de Chimie, xxvii. 432. 



11. Heights of Mont Blanc and Mont Rosa. — ^Mr. de Welden, 

 after a very elaborate examination of the various measurements of 

 Mont Blanc and Mont Rosa, gives the following as the results, 

 which appear to be most accurate : 



Mont Blanc . . 2461 toises, or 15737 feet 

 Mont Rosa . . 2370 toises, 2 feet, or 15157 feet. 



