Meteorological Observations, 479 



These observations, in the opinion of the author, warrant the con- 

 clusion, that boracic acid must before long contribute to the perfec- 

 tion of glass for optical purposes, and M. Maes proposes to prepare 

 borosilicates of great density, with lead, bismuth, &c., besides ba- 

 rytas. — Comptes Rendus, Oct. 22, 1849. 



METEORS. 



On the 24th, about 8^ p.m., I saw two fine meteors in a north-east 

 direction, one about ten minutes after the other. The former seemed 

 to burst like a sky-rocket and fall a little way ; the latter to shoot in 

 a north direction and fall to the horizon in pieces of blue colour. 

 On the 30th, a little before 7 p.m., a very splendid one was seen in 

 this parish and also in Kirkwall, which is nearly twenty miles off. 

 Here it appeared first near the zenith and travelled westward. — 

 Rev. C. Clouston, Sandwich Manse, Orkney. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR OCT. 1849. 



Chhwick. — October 1. Drizzly : OTercast. 2. Cloudy. 3. Constant heavy rain. 



4. Heavy rain in the morning : showery. 5. Clear : fine : overcast. 6. Fine : 

 rain at night. 7. Hazy : cloudy : rain. 8. Cloudy and cold : clear : blight frost 

 at night. 9. Clear : very fine : frosty at night. 10. Dense fog : very fine : clear. 

 11. Cloudy : clear. 12. Cloudy and cold : clear. 13. Rain. 14. Cloudy and 

 cold. 15. Fine : clear at night. 16. Foggy : hazy : overcast. 17. Cloudy and 

 fine. 18. Very fine : clear at night. 19. Slight fog: exceedingly fine : clear. 

 20. Very fine. 21. Hazy : clouds : rain. 22. Foggy: fine. 23. Cloudy and 

 fine. 24. Overcast : fine. 25. Showery. 26. Cloudy. 27. Drizzly. 28, Over- 

 cast : very fine. 29. Foggy : exceedingly fine. 30,31. Very fine. 



Mean temperature of the month 49°'58 



Mean temperature of Oct. 1848 49 '59 



Mean temperature of Oct. for the last twenty-three years 50 "51 



Average amount of rain in Octoher 2*58 inches. 



ApplegarUi Manse, Dumfries-shire. — Oct. 1. Fair, but damp and raw. 2. Frost, 

 hard : clear and fine. 3. Frost : rain p.m. : snow on the hills. 4. Frost a.m. 



5, Frost A.M. : shower P.M. 6. Frost still harder : thermometer 24^°, 7. Frost 

 milder: windhigh. 8. Cold, but little frost : fine. 9. Frost hard again : shower p.m. 

 10. Frost hard : fine day. 11. Frost slight : a few drops. 12 — 14. Frost slight : 

 clear and fine. 15. Frost : cloudy. 16. Little or no frost : cloudy. 17. F'rost 

 hard again: rain p.m. 18. Mild: rain: cleared p.m. 19. Mild: cloudy: 

 threatening rain. 20. Fair: variable : high wind p.m. 21. Showers, but mild. 

 22. Slight frost A.M. : heavy rain p.m. 23. Mild: rain during night : rain p.m. 

 24. Rain all day : flood. 25. Rain all day : fog : flood. 26. Fine : one shower: 

 cleared. 27. Rain again : thick weather. 28. Fine: clear. 29. Frost a.m. : 

 fine : cloudy p.m. 30. Dark and cloudy : rain p.m. 31. Showery all day ; mild. 



Mean temperature of the month 44°'0 



Mean temperature of Oct. 1848 46 '5 



Mean temperature of Oct. for the last twenty-five years ... 46 '6 



Mean rain in October 3*25 inches. 



Rain, number of days in which it fell, 15. Average rain 



in Oct. for twenty years 356 „ 



Sandwiclc Manse, Orkney. — Oct. 1. Bright: hail-showers. 2. Sleet-showers. 

 3. Clear : frost. 4. Siiowers : clear : frost. 5. Clear : showers. 6. Bright : 

 clear: frost. 7. Clear: aurora. 8. Clear: showers. 9. Sleet-showers: clear. 

 10. Fine : very clear : aurora. 11. Frost : fine : very clear : aurora. 12. Fine: 

 very clear. 13. Cloudy: aurora. 14. Bright: clear: aurora. 15. Showers. 

 16. Cloudy. 17. Bright: showers: cloudy. 18. Drizzle : cloudy. 19. Bright: 

 showers ; cloudy. 20. Showers : cloudy. 21. Cloudy : showers. 22. Cloudy: 

 fine : showers. 23. Showers : clear : aurora. 24. Fine : aurora. 25. Rain : 

 fine : aurora. 26. Showers : clear. 27. Bright : showers. 28. Bright : showers ; 

 clear, 2P. Rain; cloudy, 30, Cloudy; showers ; aurora. 31. Bright; fine, 



