Meteorological Observations. 463 



an adulteration. Upon being made use of for ordinary painting no dif- 

 ference has been observed, but by the microscope it may be discovered 

 that half of it consists of starch (wheat starch) which imparts to the 

 finely divided carmine a clear ground and a brilliancy highly increa- 

 sing the appearance of the colour. When such carmine is mixed with 

 much water, it diffuses itself throughout, and is for a long time sus- 

 pended ; but upon pouring off the water a white sediment remains 

 similar to white lead. This sediment is starch. Besides this distinct 

 form and size of an amilaceous body when it is examined by its reac- 

 tion upon tincture of sodium, it produces the well-known blue colour. 

 This sediment when heated with water forms a paste. The addition 

 of white lead is detected by its weight, but the addition of starch is 

 not so easily discovered ; by means of the microscope the adulteration 

 may be with certainty recognised, and confirmed by chemical ex- 

 amination. It may be perhaps interesting for the artist to know 

 that few colours of this description mixed with an organic body, al- 

 though generally pretty permanent, yet in a damp atmosphere are 

 very liable to decomposition. In regird to its covering properties 

 starch differs considerably from white lead. It covers less on ac- 

 count of its transparency. — PoggendorfF's Annalen, No. 12. 1837. 



METEOROLGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR MARCH 1838. 



CUswick. — March 1, 2. Rain. 3. Fine : rain. 4. Rain : foggy. 5. 

 Overcast. 6. Clear: cloudy : clear at night. 7,8. Fine. 9. Frosty: 

 fine. 10 — 12. Very fine. 13. Rain. 14. Hazy: fine. 15. Fine. 16. 

 Fine: stormy showers at night. 17. Clear and cold: showery. 18. 

 Cloudy and fine. 19. Drizzly. 20. Boisterous, with showers. 21. Clear, 

 cold and dry. 22. Hazy: rain. 23. Bleak and cold, with slight snow- 

 showers. 24. Fine : rain. 25. Fine. 26. Frosty and hazy. 27, 28, 

 Fine. 29. Foggy: very fine. 30. Fine. 31. Hazy and cold. 



Boston. — March 1, 2. Cloudy : rain early a.m. and p.m. 3. Cloudy. 

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

 hurricane with rain p.m. 7. Fine: stormy with rain p.m. 8—12. Fine. 



13. Rain. 14 — 16. Cloudy. 17. Fine: snow early a.m. 18. Fine. 

 19. Cloudy. 20. Stormy: rain early a.m. 21. Stormy. 22. Cloudy. 

 23. Snow a.m. : rain p.m. 24—27. Fine. 28. Cloudy. 29. Fine. 30, 

 31. Cloudy. 



Applegarth Manse, Dumfriesshire. — March 1. Soft weather: dull and 

 cloudy. 2. Rain : soon ceased. 3. Rain and sleet : cleared in the even- 

 ing. 4. Fair and mild : chill in the evening. 5. Fine and clear : wet in 

 the evening. 6. Storm of wind and rain. 7. Showery, with wind. 8. 

 Clear, but cold: morning frosty: sun shone out. 9. Frosty: cloudy: 

 raw in the evening. 10. Cloudy : wet afternoon. 11. Soft rain. 12, 

 Fine day, but frosty: sun shone out. 13. Fine rain, but soon ceased. 



14. Soft and genial shower. 15. Brisk wind and dry: sun shone out. 

 16. Hail showers: sleet: wind. 17. Showers of snow : high wind. 18. 

 Frosty: clear: sun shone out. 19. Soft: cloudy: watery. 20. Stormy: 

 wind and rain. 21. Dry and cold. 22. Sprinkling of snow : cold : sun 

 shone out. 23. Frosty : slight snow : sun shone out. 24. Frosty : fine 

 day : sun shone out. 25. Fine day: snow on the hills : sun shone. 26. 

 Drizzling day, but cleared and sim shone. 27. Fine spring day : sun 

 shone. 28. Fog in the morning: cleared: sun shone. 29. Fme and 

 clear : sun shone out. 30. Fog : sunshine for half an hour. 31. Dull 

 and cold : sun shone for a little. 



