34 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



crossed the Hudson at Albany at 14''.25, traversed northern Massa- 

 chusetts and southern Vermont and New Hampshire during the after- 

 noon, moving eastward at about 27 miles an hour, and reaching the 

 sea-coast about 19''.40, at the mouth of the Merrimack; its rain-fall 

 was not heavy, although the lightning was active and the out-blowing 

 wind was tolerably well marked in advance of the storm. A simi- 

 lar storm traversed southern Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode 

 Island at the same rate about an hour behind the first one ; its clouds 

 were heavy, the lightning was brilliant and struck in several places, 

 and the change from warm southwest to cool, brisk northwest winds 

 was generally distinct. The rain was heavy, but brief, until it de- 

 creased and nearly disappeared on reaching Massachusetts Bay, about 

 20\30. 



Aug. 6-11. This period was relatively cool and free from thunder- 

 storms, with the exception of a light shower on the 11th, correspond- 

 ing to a distinct rise in temperature on that date. The time was 

 chiefly occupied with the passage of high pressures with low gradients, 

 except on the 10th, when a vague depression, with very faint gradients 

 on its western side, passed over Canada. The shower of the 11th 

 seems to be connected with the warm southerly winds on the north- 

 western side of a high pressure area. 



Aug. 12-14, Following the high pressure above named, there came 

 a low pressure centre over Lake Superior on the 12th, that moved 

 eastward and became better developed on the loth. From the 6th to 

 the 10th, the temperature was moderate (mean max. 74-79°) ; from 

 the 11th to the 14th, it became distinctly warmer (mean max. 84-86°). 

 On the 12th, there were ten reports that seem to belong to a sharp local 

 storm moving from southwest to northeast across southern New Hamp- 

 shire from 15'' to n** or 18**, with moderate rain and west or south- 

 west squall. The morning of the 13th was generally cloudy, close and 

 oppressive, — "dog-day weather." About noon, several local showers 

 with southerly winds were reported in southern New England, but, as 

 a rule, not near the coast ; in central New Hampshire near the moun- 

 tains the rain was heavier. Later in the day, a shower or series of 

 showers stretched from southwest to northeast over Connecticut and 

 central Massachusetts, and moved obliquely to the east-northeast ; at 

 this time the lower clouds came from the south, and the upper from 

 the west. Rain was recorded at several stations without thunder, and 

 seemed generally without the characteristics of a thunder-storm ; the 

 day would have been called showery rather than stormy. On the 

 morning of the 14th, the low pressure centre stood over the lower St. 



