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Meteorological and Astronomical Notices. By Professor C. 

 PiAzzi Smyth. 



Observatory in Demerara. — A short paper has recently 

 been printed here on the Meteorology of Demerara, with a 

 view chiefly to explain the origin of the rainy seasons there, 

 based on the observations which are also given, during the 

 years 1846-50, made by Mr George Sandeman, at the ob- 

 servatory in George Town. 



It is reported that there is a probability of this observa- 

 tory, established by the colonial public, being done away with 

 before long ; a circumstance much to be regretted, as a station 

 so near the equator, the great laboratory for the preparation 

 and distribution of the atmosphere over the rest of the 

 world, cannot but be of general importance to the science 

 at large, as well as of particular interest to the community 

 amongst whom it is placed. 



The Total Eclipse of July 28. — This phenomenon seems on 

 the whole to have been very fully observed, the weather 

 being clear and the definition good at a great number of the 

 stations adopted. The results obtained have only transpired 

 as yet in a few instances, as the greater number of the 

 English observers, who went to the neighbourhood of Gote- 

 burg, followed the very good advice given to them by Mr 

 Airy, viz., not to tell each other what they had seen. Those 

 who know how prone an impression of what ought to 

 liave been seen amongst phenomena that may at best have 

 been barely distinguishable, — is to assist the memory in be- 

 lieving that those features were actually seen, will fully ap- 

 preciate the soundness of the advice given by the Astronomer 

 Royal. In the meanwhile, the separate and independent ac- 

 counts have gone to the. Astronomical Society of London, and 

 will appear in a body in their monthly notice for November. 



Baily^s Beads. — The beads of light which occur at the be- 

 ginning and end of the totality of the eclipse, appear to have 

 been very markedly seen by most of the observers, but the 

 reason of their occurrence, viz., the serrated edge of the moon, 

 combined with the irradiation of the sun's light seen in the 



