COUNCIL FOR 1844. 21 



year since 1835, amounting only to 19*65 inches, and being 

 4,^ inches below the mean. In the four summer months 

 thunder and lightning were of frequent occurrence, but these 

 storms were not distinguished by violence or duration. The 

 times of the moon"'s apogee and perigee have again been care- 

 fully observed. They have not borne the critical character 

 which was noticed last year. Two storms of extreme violence, 

 and more destructive at sea than any others during the year, 

 coincided with the moon's apogee. The first of these occurred 

 on the 24th of February. About that period the mercury 

 rose and fell to an extent and with a rapidity unprecedented 

 during the year. On the morning of the 24th it stood at 

 29*05 ; in the evening it had risen .6, and again fell rapidly 

 to 28*75, the lowest point in the year. The second storm, 

 nearly coincident with the apogee, commenced on the 13th of 

 June ; on the 14th it blew a hurricane from the N. W. 



Hourly observations have again been made at the Vernal 

 and Autumnal Equinoxes, and at the Summer Solstice. They 

 were not carried on at the Winter Solstice. The following 

 are some of the results : — 



Vernal Equinox, Mean of 23 Obs, 39° between ... 9 and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. 



Autumnal Equinox 53° 7 and 8 a. H.andG p.m. 



Summer Solstice 61° at 8 a. m. and 8 p.m. 



Period of Maximum and Minimum Mercurial Column : 



Vcmal Eq. Max. 10 a.m., then steadily descending till the end of Observations. 



Autumnal ditto, Max. Noon : Minimum, 7 p. m. 



Summer Solstice, Max. 8 a. m., steadily descending throughout. 



Eesult of Observations made throughout the year on the 

 Oscillations of the Mercurial Column. 



Mean height at nine, A. M 29*9677 



three, p.M 299566 



Mean daily depression at three, p.m •0121 



Mean height for the whole year, the result of 



2000 observations 29-9599. 



