172 Scientific Intelligence. 



earth. When it happens to descend on the former, a considerable body of 

 air around the spout partakes of its motion, because the water is violently 

 agitated therewith for a considerable time before the point of the cone 

 reaches the surface ; and during its approach, a cylindrical body of thick 

 spray, greater in diameter than the spout, is seen raised from the waves, 

 and appears to meet it in its descent, and when in collision the agitation is 

 extreme. The contact continues for ten or twenty minutes, according to 

 the size of the spout, and when exhausted, the lower end becomes broken, 

 less depressed, and shrinking as it were upwards, disappears as it begun." 

 On one occasion Mr Main saw Jive water-spouts from the ship at the 

 same instant, some of which were above the land and others above the sea, 

 the nearest being about five miles distant. One of these, Uluminated by 

 the sun's rays, and viewed through a small telescope, gave distinct indica- 

 tion of being tubular. — Ann. of Philosophy , No. xiv. p. 114. 



7. Meteoric Stone which fell in India on the 27th February, 1827. — 

 This aerolite fell in the district of Azim Gerh, nearly five miles from a 

 village called Mhow. It fell about three o'clock, in a perfectly clear and 

 serene sky, and was accompanied with noises like the roaring of cannons. 

 Four or five fragments were picked up four or five miles asunder; one 

 broke a tree, and another wounded a man severely in the arm. The 

 largest piece weighed three pounds. It is perfectly similar to that which 

 fell near Allahabad in 1802, and near Mooradabad in. 1808. The specific 

 gravity was 3.5. The presence of chrome and nickel was ascertained. 



8. Meteoric Stones which fell near Belostok in Russia — On the 8th 

 October 1827 a shower of stones fell from a large black cloud, accom- 

 panied with noises like that of the running fire of musketry. The fall took 

 place between nine and ten in the morning. Only four stones were picked 

 up ; the largest weighed four pounds, and the smallest fths of a pound- 

 — St Petersburgh Gazette. 



9. Vibration of Glass Vessels indicative of approaching Storms. — Profes- 

 sor Scott of Sandhurst College, observed in Shetland, that drinking glas- 

 ses placed in an inverted position upon a shelf in a cupboard, on the 

 ground floor of Belmont house, occasionally emitted sounds as if they 

 were tapped with a knife, or raised up a little and then let fall on the shelf 

 These sounds preceded wind, and when they occurred, boats and vessels 

 were immediately secured. The strength of the sound is said to be pro- 

 portional to the tempest that follows. 



10. On Terr estial Radiation. — 1. In a series of observations with register 

 thermometers undertaken to investigate the terrestrial radiation, the fol- 

 lowing results were obtained as the means of minima for May last : Ra- 

 diating thermometer freely exposed on a turf raised two feet from the 

 ground, 39°46 ; Reg. therm, in a sheltered situation, 48°39. Difference, 

 8°93. Made in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. 





