Mr Harvey on a remarkable Formation of' Clouds. 33 



Art. VI. — On a remarJcable Formation of Clouds. By 

 George Harvey, Esq. F. R. S. Lond. and Edin. F. L. S. 

 Honorary Member of the Society for promoting the Useful 

 Arts of Scotland, Member of the Royal Geological Society 

 of Cornwall, &c. &c. Communicated by the Author. 



If the capricious alterations of our climate sometimes produce 

 inconvenience, and augment the calamities of querulous and 

 unquiet minds, there is enough to reward the attention of the 

 most active and watchful meteorologist in the beautiful variety 

 which the ever-changing aspect of the sky presents. 



An example occurred at this place, the latter end of the 

 past month, of a remarkable uniformity in the clouds, which it 

 may not be improper to record in a more permanent manner 

 than in the perishable pages of a private journal. About two 

 p. M. on a day which had all the warmth and serenity of June, 

 and when even a freshness seemed to come over " the sear and 

 yellow leaf,'^ a beautiful assemblage of separate and distinct 

 bands of delicately formed cirro-cumuli were observed to 

 spring up from nearly the southern extremity of the magne- 

 tic meridian, and, diverging in all directions, became blended 

 at last with the same beautiful uniformity near the northern 

 pole of the same great line, the whole group bearing a strong re- 

 semblance to the meridians of a common globe when rectified 

 for the equator. The band which passed through the zenith, 

 and whose axis was nearly coincident with the magnetic" meri- 

 dian, was particularly distinguished by its fine regularity of 

 form, and the symmetry pervading the small masses of cloud 

 that composed it. The bands on either side diminished suc- 

 cessively in breadth, the narrowest and lowest on each side 

 being at an elevation of from fourteen to fifteen degrees. The 

 lower bands seemed in some degree to exchange the character 

 of the cirro-cumulus for that of the cirro-stratus. 



This very novel appearance continued the whole of the af- 

 ternoon, and was clearly visible at half-past six o'clock, cover- 

 ing the azure, now studded with innumerable stars, in a man- 

 ner that very much increased the interest of the scene. At 

 seven gentle vapours began to arise ; and before eight the 



VOL. X. NO. r. JAN. 1829. c 



