Meteorological Observations, 88 



As the altitude of the sun will be very different at the various 

 stations, from Norway to the Black or the Caspian sea, the thickness 

 of the layers of the atmosphere which must exert some influence 

 upon the phaenomenon, will vary in a very marked degree. Now, 

 the height and the brilliancy of the red mountains will depend essen- 

 tially upon this thickness ; hence it must be expected that the moun- 

 tains will be larger afld more marked to observers situated towards 

 the eastern extremity of the band traversed by the shadow, unless a 

 greater depression of temperature compensates, towards the west, 

 for the eflTect of a less thickness of the refracting layers of air. It is 

 here again evident how far the measure of these variations may prove 

 of interest in regard to the proofs to which it may be condescended 

 to submit the preceding ideas. The eclipse of the 28th of July will, 

 I hope, be completely decisive, thanks to the admirable understand- 

 ing of the astronomers of the two great countries. — Comptes Rendns, 

 May 19, 1851. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR MAY 1851. 

 Chiswick. — May 1. Very fine. 2. Clear : fine : slight frost at night. 3. Fine : 

 rain at noon : cloudy. 4. Cloudy and fine : frosty at night. 5. Cloudy and 

 cold. 6. Slight rain : cloudy and cold. 7. Fine, but cold. 8. Fine. 9. Fine : 

 clear. 10, 11. Very fine. 12. Cloudy and fine. 13. Fine : clear. 14. Cloudy : 

 clear and frosty. 15. Very clear : fine : frosty at night. 16. Very fine : densely 

 clouded : rain. 17. Densely clouded. 18. Overcast : clear. 19. Cloudy : fine : 

 clear. 20. Clear and cold : fine. 21. Overcast. 22. Cloudy and warm. 23. 

 Hazy : fine : clear. 24. Very fine. 25. Cloudy: rain. 26 — 28. Fine. 29 — 

 31. Very fine. 



Mean temperature of the month 51°*16 



Mean temperature of May 1 850 51 '14 



Mean temperature of May for the last twenty-five years . 54 '13 ^'* 



Average amount of rain in May 1*89 inchi ■ 



Boston. — May 1. Fine. 2. Cloudy : rain p.m. 3. Cloudy: rain a.m. and p.m. 

 4. Cloudy : rain and hail a.m. and p.m. 5. Cloudy : rain a.m. and p.m. 6. Cloudy : 

 rain A.M. 7,8. Cloudy. 9. Fine. 10. Cloudy. 11. Cloudy: rain a.m. 12, 



13. Cloudy. 14— 16. Fine. 17. Cloudy. 18. Cloudy : rain p.m. 19. Cloudy: 

 rain A.M. 20— 22. Cloudy. 23,24. Fine. 25. Cloudy. 26. Cloudy : rain and 

 hail A.M. 27 — 31. Fine. 



Applegarlh Manse, Dumfries-shire. — May 1. Frost keen : hail-shower: rain- 

 shower. 2. No frost, but cold : fair all day. 3. Cold : hail-showers : wind keen. 



4. Frost : hail : rain p.m. 5. Cold : dull : quiet. 6. Milder. 7. Mild and slight 

 showers. 8. Dull and cloudy : rain p.m. 9. Heavy showers. 10. Dry and 

 parching. 11. Wind high, l)ut fair. 12. Fine: cloudy p.m. 13. Fine day. 



14. Very fine all day. 15. Fine : cloudy p.m. 16. Dull : slight showers. 17. 

 Fine : dull P.M. 18. Wet morning: cleared and fine. 19. Hail-showers fre- 

 quent. 20. Dull and showery. 21. Dull, but fair. 22. Cloudy : cold wind, 

 23. Fine clear day and fair. 24, 25. Fine a.m. : slight shower p.m. 26. Fair 

 and clear. 27. Fair, but chilly. 28. Fair and fine : wind strong. 29. Fair and 

 fine: wind keen. 30. P'air and fine : very droughty. 31. Fair and fine: verj 

 warm. , ; 



Mean temperature of the month 48°*9 



Mean temperature of May 1850 49 'I 



Mean temperature of May for the last twenty-nine years ... 50 '9 ' 



Average rain in May for twenty-four years r89incb. i 



Sandwich Manse ^ Orkney. — May 1. Damp: cloudy. 2. Damp: drizzle: showery. 



5, 4. Snow-showers. 5. Bright : drops. 6. Damp : drops. 7. Clear : fine : 

 clear. 8. Bright : cloudy : aurora. 9. Bright: clear. 10. Bright : fine. 11, 

 12. Cloudy : clear. 13. Fine: hazy. 14, Bright : hazy, 15. Clear : rain. 16. 

 Fine: clear. 17. Cloudy. 18. Bright: clear. 19. Cloudy: showers. 20. 

 Bright : drizzle. 21. Hazy. 22, Drizzle : showers. 23. Showers. 24. Fine : 

 rain. 25. Showers : clear. 26. Bright : fine. 27. Damp : showers. 28. Hazy: 

 drizzle. 29. Hazy : damp. 30. Showers : hazy. 31. Hazy. 



