370 Dr, Barney's MeteorologicalJournalkepi at Gosport. [May, 



and those to the W and SW more than the one-third of the 

 period, which we beheve to be generally the case in the southern 

 part of England. The winds iVoin E and NVV are nearly equal 

 in their duration ; and those from SE prevail a less time than 

 any other. The NE and E winds prevail mostly in the winter 

 months, and the westerly winds in the summer. The uncommon 

 vicissitudes of weather, and anomalies of the seasons, chiefly 

 depend upon the prevalence of particular winds, which long 

 experience has taught us. That there is some uniformity in the 

 duration and distribution of the winds round the compass in a 

 series of years is demonstrated by the foregoing proximate scale. 

 By a strict attention to the motions of the modifications of cloud, 

 we have been recently enabled to detect more frequently the 

 simultaneous existence of several currents of wind, sometimes 

 three, and often two, crossing each other at right angles, at other 

 times nearly in opposite directions. We have observed that the 

 upper currents generally prevail over, and descend into the region 

 of the lower ones after they have subsided. The number of 

 Strong gales of wind, or the days they have respectively pre- 

 vailed this year, is as follows : N, 3 ; NE, 7 ; E, 8 ; SE, 2 ; S, 2 ; 

 SW, 19 ; W, 8 ; NW, 3 ; Days, 52. 



Clouds. — Some striking coincidences may also be seen in the 

 table in the number of days on which each modification has 

 appeared during the last two years, the stratus ^ cumulus ^ and 

 jiimbuSj differing most in the days of their appearance ; and the 

 last two are less in number than in 1819, on account of the rains 

 being less frequent. We have nothing particular to ofi^^'er respect* 

 ing the modifications of clouds, only that their assigned positions 

 have been sometimes reversed in changeable weather. Some 

 remarkable coincidences also appear in that part of the table 

 under Weather, as in the number of clear, fair, and rainy days. 

 It is necessary to observe here, that although we have allowed 

 only 83 days for rain, yet a precipitation of rain, hail, or snow, 

 has actually occurred 150 days out of the 366 ; but 83 whole 

 days and nights is nearly the time it has rained throughout the 

 year. A separation of the time has also been made for the 

 appearances of other peculiarities of weather. This method, 

 however, is attended with trouble ; still we shall pursue it, as it 

 is probable that some definite results may be obtained from it at 

 a future period. 



Atmospheric Phenomena. — Thunder and lightning have not oc- 

 curred so often this year as the two preceding ones; but the number 

 of small meteors, or shooting stars as they are commonly called, 

 is greater — of 131, no less than 80 appeared in August. On the 

 9th of this month, between 11 and 12, p. m. 35 shot in different 

 directions, three of them were caudated while passing betvveen 

 the constellations Lyra and Ursa Major, their sparkling trains 

 having been left briUiantly illuminated for several seconds of 

 time subsequent to the disappearance of the ignited bodies: this 



