Lunar Occultations for March. 



239 



streamers, were observed ; but contrary to any preceding observa- 

 tion, the bows, instead of crossing the magnetic meridian at right 

 angles, and having the magnetic north as their centre, crossed the 

 true meridian at right angles, and had the true north as their centre. 

 As there were several bows seen during the course of the evening, 

 it was deliberately noticed that each had the true north in its centre. 

 This variation from the general l»w of the arches which sometimes 

 accompany the aurora borealis is unprecedented, so far as the read- 

 ing or observation of the writer can determine. Till the end of 

 September, the quantity of rain measured was much below what is 

 usually taken in that period of the year. In the last three months 

 the quantity, as will be seen by inspecting the preceding table, 

 amounts to 21*756 inches, — a quantity equal to the annual amount 

 which falls in many parts of England. The average annual amount 

 of rain for Kendal for the last eleven years is .56-309 inches, — a quan- 

 tity which of course will vary every year ; but the annual average 

 for Kendal may be fairly stated at about 57 inches. The greatest 

 quantity of rain measured, which had fallen in the preceding 

 twenty-four hours, was 2*882 inches on the 25th of December, but 

 the real quantity was more than 3 inches ; as the bottle which re- 

 ceives the rain was running over when noticed, and had evidently 

 lost much in that way. On that day the river was so much swollen 

 that we had the highest flood known for many years, except on the 

 9th of February 1831, which flood was partly occasioned by the 

 sudden melting of snow, the ground being too much frozen to allow 

 of its draining gradually from the neighbouring country. The 

 greatest quantity measured in this town for the last eleven years, 

 before the date first mentioned, was scarcely 2j inches in any twenty- 

 four hours. The most prevalent wind during the last year has been 

 West. 



LUNAR OCCULTATIONS FOR MARCH. 



Occultations of fixed Stars by the Moon, visible at Greenwich in the 

 Year 1833. Computed by Thomas Maclear, Esq.; and circu- 

 lated by the Astronomical Society. 



