Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 7 1 



six months, February, July, August, October, November and De- 

 cember. In February there fell the unprecedented quantity 30-5.5 

 inches. 



The mountains flanking the lake-district valleys increase in alti- 

 tude with great regularity towards the head or eastern extremity of 

 the vale, and it appears that it is there that the greatest depth of 

 rain is invariably found. The amount increases rapidly as the sta- 

 tions recede from the sea, and towards the head of the valley the 

 incremental ratio is exceedingly great. At Loweswater, Buttermere 

 and Gatesgarth, about two miles apart in the same line of valley, 

 the depths of rain were respectively 76 inches, 98 inches and 133'5 

 inches. 



From the observations of the thermometer, the author concludes 

 that the climate in the mountain valleys in this district is milder and 

 more equable, not only than in the open country in their immediate 

 vicinity, but also than in that considerably to the south. This he 

 attributes to the lakes giving out during the winter the heat absorbed 

 by them in the summer, and to the radiation from the rocky moun- 

 tain breasts in the valleys, but principally to the heat evolved in a 

 sensible form by the condensation of enormous volumes of vapour. 



Last summer a pair of Rutherford's self- registering thermometers 

 were stationed by the author on the summit of Sea Fell Pike. He 

 states that from the maximum thermometer no correct readings 

 could be obtained ; but that the minimum gave the following : — 

 July, 22°: August, 24°; September, 18°; October, —6°; November, 

 —6°; December,— 9°. It appears that on the night between the 2nd 

 and 3rd of January the minimum thermometer indicated the extra- 

 ordinary low temperature — 34'°Fahr. : at the same date a naked 

 thermometer on grass at Whitehaven fell to +4°, and one on raw 

 wool to — 2°-8. 



The author states that the results obtained from the mountain 

 gauges during the last year, are in strict accordance with those of 

 the two preceding years, and thus confirm the correctness of the 

 conclusion drawn from them in his former paper, " that the quantity 

 of rain increases from the valley upwards to an altitude of about 

 2000 feet, above which it begins to diminish." He does not, how- 

 ever, by any means infer that the law which appears to regulate 

 the distribution of rain in the mountain district of Cumberland will 

 equally apply to every similar locality. 



X. hitelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON THE AURORA BOREALIS OF FEBRUARY 22, 184'9. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal. 

 Gentlemen, 

 BEG leave to occupy a small space in your veJuable journal for 

 a notice of the Aurora Borealis which I observed on the 22nd 

 of February of this year. 



About ten minutes to seven there was a low arch of white light, 



I 



