Meteorolosical Observations. 183 



"to 



Ferrate of soda is soluble in water and gives a red- coloured solu- 

 tion, which strongly resembles that of ferrate of potash ; it is, how- 

 ever, impossible to precipitate it by excess of soda ; in other respects 

 it resembles the potcish salt. 



Ferrate of Barytes. — This salt is prepared by precipitating ferrate 

 of potash with nitrate of barytes or chloride of barium; a fine pur- 

 plish-red precipitate is formed, which is ferrate of barytes. This 

 salt is insoluble in water, and appears to be much more fixed than 

 the soluble ferrates ; it may, indeed, be boiled for some time in water 

 without being decomposed. Organic substances exert but little 

 action upon it ; when washed upon a filter the organic matter of the 

 filter does not decompose it. Strong acids evolve oxygen from it, 

 and form salts of the sesquioxide of iron and barytes ; but when fer- 

 rate of barytes is treated with dilute acetic acid, it dissolves and 

 forms a solution of a fine red colour ; it may be supposed in this case, 

 either that the ferrate of barytes is dissolved without decomposition, 

 or that it is decomposed and that the red colour is owing to the free 

 ferric acid ; but when the mixture is heated, peracetate of iron is 

 immediately formed and oxygen is evolved. Thus ferric acid, com- 

 bined with a less powerful base than potash, may be separated by 

 an organic acid, and remain some time without being decomposed. 



Other ferrates are insoluble and possess but little interest ; they 

 may be prepared by double decomposition; M. Fremy appears to 

 have minutely examined the above-described ferrate of barytes only 

 of this class. — Ann.deCh.et dePhys., November 1844. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DEC. 1844. 



Chiswick. — December 1 — 3. Overcast. 4. Cloudy and cold : sharp frost. 

 5. Frosty: severe frost at night. 6, Frosty and foggy: severe frost. 7. Hazy: 

 slight frost. 8. Dry and frosty : sleet. 9. Overcast. 10. Cold and dry. II. 

 Dusky haze : clear and frosty. 12. Foggy : overcast. 13. Thick haze : overcast. 

 14. Hazy : densely overcast. 15. Slight thaw : foggy. 16. Foggy. 17. Dense 

 fog. 18. Foggy: fine at night. 19. Drizzly: boisterous. 20. Overcast: clear 

 and cold : boisterous. 2), 22. Cold and dry: overcast. 23. Overcast. 24. Hazy 

 and cold. 25. Overcast. 26,27. Dense fog. 28. Fine: overcast. 29. Drizzly: 

 rain. 30. Foggy. 31. Hazy. — Mean temperature of the month 6° -8 below the 

 average. 



Boston. — Dec. 1. Cloudy. 2. Cloudy: very dark day. 3. Cloudy: rain 

 early a.ji. 4. Cloudy. 5, 6. Fine. 7. Cloudy. 8. Fine : snowr p. jr. 9 — 16. 

 Cloudy. 17. Foggy : rain early A.M. 18. Rain : rain p.m. 19. Cloudy. 20 — 

 22. Fine. 23 — 25. Cloudy. 26 — 30. Foggy. 31. Foggy : rain early a.m. 



Savdiuick Manse, Orkney. — Dec. 1. Bright: cloudy. 2. Cloudy: drops. 3. 

 Cloudy. 4. Bright : clear. 5. Bright : cloudy. C. Bright : frost : cloudy : frost. 

 7,8, Bright : frost: hazy. 9. Showers. 10, 11. Showers : sleet. 12. Cloudy: 

 showers. 13 — 15. Snow-showers. 10, 17. Showers. 18. Showers : clear: frost. 

 19. Clear : frost : clear : showers. 20. Bright : clear : frost. 21. Clear: frost. 

 22. Frost : clear : thaw. 23. Cloudy : thaw. 24. Cloudy. 25. Cloudy : showers. 

 26. Cloudy : frost : cloudy. 27. Cloudy : frost : clear. 28. Cloudy ; damp. 

 29. Fog: damp. 30. Bright : cloudy. 31. Showers: cloudy. 



Applegarlh Manse, Dumfries-ihire. — Dec. 1. Fair, but cloudy, 2,3. Fair and 

 mild. 4 — 11. Frost. 12. Frost : slight fall of snow. i;^. Fro'st. 14, 15. Frost: 

 cloudy. 16. Frost : very slight. 17. No frost. 18. No frost : rain. 19 — 21. 

 Frost. 22. Frost : very mild. 23 — 26. Frost. 27. Frost : mild and fine. 28. 

 Frost A.M. : rain p.m. 29. Thick fog, 30. Frost : shower p.m. 31. Frost ; fog. 



