374 Scientific Intelligence — Meteorology , 



Florins. 

 The value of the Elbogen meteorite (iron), weighing 141 



Vienna* pounds, is stated at . . . 10,000 



The Agrain meteorite, weighing 70 pounds, at . 10,000 



An Atacama specimen, ... 5 ... 5^ loth, . 506 



Weston (Connecticut) meteoric stone, weighing 3 loth, . I5 



Nashville (Tennessee), ... ... Iff ... . 20 



Richmond (Virginia), ... ... 3|- ... . 36 



— American Journal, Vol. i., No. 1, 2d series, p. 148. 



3. Observations on an Acid Rain. By M. Ducy^es (Journ. de 

 Pharm., April 1845). — During the early part of June 1842, a 

 storm occurred in the town of Nismes, accompanied with much thun- 

 der, and a large amount of hail. From some peculiarity in the 

 taste of the hail, the author was led to examine it more closely. 

 Having collected a quantity of it, and allowed it to melt, it was 

 found to have an acid reaction, which, upon examination, was found 

 to be due to nitric acid, formed, no doubt, by the action of electric 

 fluid on the elements of the atmosphere. The occurrence of nitric 

 acid in hail is not new ; but the statement of this fact goes to con- 

 firm observations previously made. — (J. L. S., American Journal 

 of Science and Arts, vol. i., 2d Series, No. 1, p. 112.) 



4. First Report on Meteorology. By James P. Espy. — This re- 

 port consists chiefly of maps of the United States, exhibiting the direc- 

 tion of the wind, state of the barometer, thermometer, &c., on va- 

 rious days in January, February, and March 1843. There are 

 twenty-nine of these maps, which contain a vast amount of valuable 

 information. They clearly indicate the proper course to be pursued, 

 if we would arrive at a complete knowledge of the laws of storms. 

 Several important generalizations, deduced from these observations, 

 accompany the report. The following are some of them. 



Storms in the United States travel from west to east ; they are 

 accompanied with a depression of the barometer near the centre of 

 the storm ; they travel about 36 miles per hour. In great storms, 

 the wind, for several hundred miles on both sides of the line of mi- 

 nimum pressure, blows towards that line, directly or obliquely. The 

 force of the wind is in proportion to the suddenness and greatness of 

 the barometric depression. In all great and sudden depressions of 

 the barometer, there is much rain or snow ; and in all sudden and 

 great rains or snows, there is a great fluctuation of the barometer. "f 

 Many storms are of great and unknown length from north to south, 

 while their east and west diameter is comparatively small. There is 



* The Vienna pound is about one-fifth greater than the English, i.e. 100 

 pounds English = 81 pounds Austrian. The loth = one-sixteenth of a Vienna 

 pound. The florin = about two shillings English. 



t There are some remarkable cases of great rains with little motion of the 

 barometer. 



