Meteorological Observations^ 471 



cent, of antimony and 96 to 97 of tin), very elastic in its pure state, 

 amalgamates instantly, and is easily cut off. 



It is here seen, that if the permeability of brass and copper for 

 mercury is not established by the process, based on capillarity/, fol- 

 lowed by Prof. Horsford, we may still make this property evident 

 by an inverse course, that is by inducing infiltration. 



As these experiments were made only incidentally, and were not 

 intended to be published, I have not attempted to give them pre- 

 cision. Nevertheless the facts which have been mentioned above 

 are well established, for I have been accustomed to use this process 

 for dividing plates of zinc or sheets of brass in my experiments on 

 electro-magnetism. — Silliman's Journal^ January 1853. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR APRIL 1853. 



Chiawick. — April 1. Rather boisterous : fine. 2. Cloudy : fine : hazy. 3. Over- 

 cast : showery. 4. Cloudy : very fine : rain. 5. Densely overcast : rain : clear. 

 6. Overcast throughout. 7. Overcast : very fine : clear. 8. Fine : heavy thunder- 

 storm : clear at night frosty. 9. Clear : fine, but cold : overcast. 10. Overcast. 

 11. Overcast: fine: overcast. 12. Clear: fine: overcast. 13. Cloudy and cold : 

 rain : clear : sharp frost at night. 14. Cloudy. 15, 16. Overcast throughout. 

 17. Fine: overcast. 18. Very fine. 19. Cloudy: rain. 20. Low white clouds 

 and cold. 21. Rain. 22. Constant rain. 23. Fine. 24. Heavy rain. 25. Snow 

 early A.M., boisterous, with rain. 26. Fine. 27. Hoar-frost : very fine. 28. Light 

 haze : fine. 29. Cold rain. 30. Overcast : very fine. 



Mean temperature of the month 44°*93 



Mean temperature of April 1852 , 44*81 



Mean temperature of April for the last twenty-seven years . 47 '21 

 Average amount of rain in April 1*65 inch. 



Boston. — April 1. Fine: rain a.m. 2. Fine: rain p.m. 3. Cloudy : rain p.m. 

 4. Cloudy : rain a.m. and p.m. 5. Cloudy. 6. Cloudy : rain p.m. 7. Fine. 8. 

 Cloudy: rain and hail a.m. and p.m. 9. Fine. 10, 11. Cloudy. 12. Fine. 13, 

 Cloudy : rain a.m. 14 — 18. Cloudy. 19. Cloudy : rain p.m. 20. Cloudy : rain a.m. 

 21. Cloudy. 22. Cloudy : rain a.m. 23. Fine. 24. Fine : hail a.m. 25. Rain : 

 rain a.m. and p.m. 26. Fine. 27. Fine : rain a.m. 28. Fine. 29. Cloudy : 

 rain p.m. 30. Cloudy. 



Sandwick Manse, Orkney. — April 1. Drizzle a.m: rain p.m. 2. Damp a.m. 

 and P.M. 3. Showers a.m. : damp p.m. 4. Hazy a.m. : showers p.m. 5. Showers 

 A.M. : cloudy, S. aurora p.m. 6. Rain a.m. : showers, S. aurora p.m. 7. Showers 

 a.m. : showers, S. aurora p.m. 8. Hail-showers a.m. and p.m. 9. Clear a.m. : 

 rain p.m. 10. Showers a.m.: rain p.m. 11, Bright a.m. : cloudy p.m. 12. 

 Showers a.m. : clear p.m. 13. Drops a.m. and p.m. 14. Clear a.m. : cloudy p.m. 

 15,16. Drops A.M. and P.M. 17. Bright a.m. : drops p.m. 18. Showers a.m. : 

 drops P.M. 19. Drops a.m. : rain p.m. 20. Clear a.m. : clear, fine, aurora p.m. 

 21. Hoar-frost a.m. : clear, fine, aurora p.m. 22. Bright a.m. : hazy, large halo p.m. 

 23. Showers a.m. : drops p.m. 24. Bright a.m. : sleet-showers p.m. 25. Sleet- 

 showers A.M. : hail-showers p.m. 26. Bright a.m. : clear p.m. 27. Showers a.m. : 

 drops P.M. 28. Clear a.m. : showers p.m. 29. Bright a.m. : clear p.m. 30. 

 Cloudy A.M. : clear p.m. 



Mean temperature of April for twenty-six previous years ... 43*''44 



Mean temperature of April 1852 47 '64 



Mean temperature of this month 44*49 



^i^wr:: Average quantity of rain in April for seven previous years . 1*73 inch. 



