July 31. 1852.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



m 



in the drawers of the library table with jrlass tops, 

 the volumes being visible. Reading cushions pre- 

 vent wear and tear of bands. 



'22. Never, in reading, fold down the corners of 

 the leaves, or wet your fingers ; but pass the fore- 

 finger of the right hand from the top of the page to 

 the bottom in turning over. 



23. Never pei mit foreign substances, as crumbs, 

 snufT, &(;., to intrude into the backs of your books; 

 nor make them a receptacle for botanical speci- 

 mens, cards, or a spectacle case, as it is like to 

 injure them. 



24. Never pin torn sheets together, or sew them, 

 as a little paste and care will join severed edges. 



25. Never leave a book face downwards, on 

 pretext of keeping the place; ibr if it continue 

 long in that position, it will ever after be disposed 

 to open at the same page, whether you desire it or 

 not. 



26. Never stand a book long on the fore-edge, 

 or the beautiful bevel at the front may sink in. 



27. Never wrench a book 0|)en, if the back be 

 stiff, or the edges will resemble steps ever after ; 

 but open it gently, a few pages at a time. 



28. Never lift tomes by the boards, but entire, 

 or they may fail in the joints. 



29. Never pull books out of the shelves by the 

 headbands, nor toast them over the fire, or sit upon 

 them ; for " Books are kind friends, we benefit by 

 their advice, and they exact no confessions." 



Luke Limneb. 



METEOEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN GREECE. 



Meteorological observations taken at the Ob- 

 servatory of Athens (Greece) on the Hill of the 

 Nymphs, west of the Acropolis, and at an elevation 

 of 120 French metres above the surfiice of the sea. 

 Mean Temperature during the Month of 



January, 1851 - - +6° Reaumur. 



FeDiuary „ - - + 7°-6 „ 



March „ . . + yo.g ^^ 



April „ - . +120-9 „ 



May „ . - +n°-6 „ 



June „ . - +I9°'9 „ 



July » - - +210-1 



August „ . . +200-8 „ 



September „ . . + 180-4 „ 



Octoher „ - . + 140-3 ^^ 



November „ - - + go 5 ^^ 



Di'ce^tiber „ - - + 70.1 ^^ 



Mean tbmperature throughout the year +13° -7 

 Reaumur. • 



During winter, Reaumur's thermometer rarely 

 fiills below — 3° ; aiid during the period of the 

 greatest heats of suuimer, it rises to +29° in the 

 shade ; and to + 45° in the sun. 



The mean state of the barometer (at a tempera- 

 ture of 0° of the niercurv) is 753-02 (thousandth 

 parts of a metre}. The highest and lowest ex- 



tremes observed, are respectively 765-00, and 

 744-02. 



Mean degree of humidity 66-67 F. 



The prevailing winds are southerly, north- 

 easterly, and north. The latter known as the 

 "Etesian winds," during the months of June, 

 July, and August, come in gusts, and are very 

 hot. The rains generally fall in heavy showers (i. e. 

 torrents), but they rarely last long. Rain in 

 summer, and snow in winter, are seldom known. 



Thunder and lightning; loud, vivid, but un- 

 frequent. 



The sky is generally without clouds ; and in 

 winter, very bright. W. W. 



La Valetta, Malta. 



A NOTE UPON SOME RECENT CORRUPTIONS OF THE 

 ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



Different to. — Things which are unlike were 

 formerly considered to differ from each other : 

 some recent living authors make them differ to each 

 other. Here are some examples of this incorrect 

 mode of writing : 



" Who, she foresaw, would regard Mr. Pen's marriage 

 in a manner very different to that simple, romantic, 

 honest, and utterly absurd way." — Petidennis, chap, vii, 



'• Helen Pendennls was a country-bred woman ; and 

 the book of life, as she interpreted it, told her a different 

 story to that page which is read in cities.". — Ibid. 

 cliap. vii. 



" How different to Lady Rockingham, who is always 

 saying ill-natured things." — The Three Paths, vol. i. 

 p. 66. 



" In a different sense to that in which our Saviour 

 applied it." — Ibid. vol. i. p. 144. 



" Appearing under such very different auspices to 

 her Jane." — Ibid. vol. i. p. 173. 



Directly. — This word, and its synonym imme- 

 diately, are often used in the sense of as soon as ,- 

 thus : 



" And directly the doctor was gone, Louisa ordered 

 fires to be lighted in Mr. Arthur's room." — Pendennis, 

 chap. xxii. 



Had the writer written " directly after the doc- 

 tor was gone," his sentence would have been good 

 English. 



The Comparative and Superlative Degrees of 

 short Adjectives. — Many living writers form these 

 by using wore and most, instead of the terminations 

 er and est; for instance : 



" Above all, pray for God's grace, and you will find 

 it much more easy to bear what is unpleasant." — The 

 Two Paths, vol. i. p. 88. 



Easier is good English ; more easy is not. 



Uheda. 



Philadelphia, Pa., June 15. 1852. 



