-Meteorological Observations. 71 



M. VON HUMBOLDT ON DARWIN'S VOYAGE, AND ON SCHOMBURGK's 



EXPEDITION. 



" The volume of Mr. Charles Darwin is an admirable Supplement to 

 the voyage of the Beagle : it is one of the most remarkable works 

 that, in the course of a long life, I have had the pleasure to see pub- 

 lished. Mr. Darwin unites to sagacity for detailed observations en- 

 larged views in general physics, I should rather say in natural phi- 

 losophy — views which embrace at once geology, the geographical 

 distribution of plants, and the influence of temperature on the organic 

 types of the primitive world." 



"Mr. Schomburgk continues to explore with the same ardour. I 

 hope that he will reach the Cerro Duida, the forest of Bertholletia, 

 and the mission of Esmeralda, where I was almost devoured by mos- 

 quitoes. May this excellent young man, my countryman, always en- 

 joy the kindness of your illustrious Society!" — Letter of M. von Hum- 

 boldt in the Transactions of the Geographical Society, vol. ix. p. 50. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR JAX (J 1840. 



Chiswick. — Jan. 1. Overcast: fine. 2. Very fine. 3. Fine: slight rain. 4. 

 Rain. 5. Cloudy and fine: frosty at night. 6. Frosty. 7. Clear and frosty : 

 severe frost at night. 8. Severe frost. 9. Overcast: fine. 10. Overcast: frosty 

 at night. 11. Sharp frost. 12. Frosty: fine. 13. Clear. 14. Hazy. 15. 

 Drizzly. 16. Fine. 17. Foggy. 1 8. Frosty and foggy : rain. 19. Boisterous, 

 with heavy rain. 20. Rain : fine: boisterous at night. 21. Very boisterous with 

 rain. 22. Cloudy : clear at night. 23. Rain : windy at night. 24. Boisterous. 

 25. Overcast : rain : fine. 26. Stormy and wet. 27. Clear and cold- 28. Bain: 

 boisterous. 29. Very fine. 30. Hazy. 31. Very fine. 



The frost was, for a short time, very intense between the 7th and 8th, being 

 20° below freezing. 



Boston. — Jan. 1. Cloudy. 2. Fine. 3,4. Cloudy. 5. Fine. 6. Fine: 

 little snow p.m. 7. Fine. 8,9, 10. Cloudy. 11, 12, 13. Fine. 14, 15. Cloudy. 

 16. Fine. 17. Rain. 18. Cloudy. 19,20. Cloudy: stormy with rain p.m. 

 21. Stormy : thunder and forked lightning with rain a.m. 22. Cloudy. 23. 

 Rain. 24. Stormy : rain p.m. 25. Fine : snow a.m. 26. Rain : rain early a.m. 



27. Fine. 28,29. Rain. 30. Fine. 31. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 

 Applegarlk Manse, Dumfries-shire.— J an. 1. Fine morning: rain p.m. 2. Very 



wet a.m. : showery all day. 3. Quiet day with slight showers. 4. Fine day and 

 fair : aurora borealis. 5. Clear day : hard frost. 6. Fine frosty day. 7. Dull 

 and cloudy. 8. The same : thaw. 9. Frost again. 10. Still frosty but cloudy. 

 11. Wet and stormy. 12. The same all day. 13. Fair, but threatening rain. 

 14, 15, 1.6. Wet and boisterous, 17. Clear and tending to frost. 18. Rain 

 again and wind. 19. Heavy rain a.m. : showery all day. 20. Frequent show- 

 ers. 21. Wind very high. 22, 23, 24. Boisterous weather. 25. The same : 

 sliglit showers. 26. Moderate but showery. 27. Succession of snow showers. 



28. Frost a.m. : snow : thaw p.m. 29. Frost a.m. : fine winter day. 30. Frost 

 early a.m. : change p.m. 31. Slight showers a.m. : fine day. 



Sun shone out 22 days. Rain fell 18 days. Snow 2 days. Frost 7 days. 



Wind north !•§ day. North-east 5| days. East 1 day. South-east 5 days. 

 South 3 days. South-west 9J days. West 4 days. North-west 1^ day. 



Calm 8 days. Moderate 5 days. Brisk 3 days. Strong breeze 9 days. 



Boisterous 5 days. Storm I day. Temperature of spring water, taken 3 times 

 in the month, 43°*3. Mean temperature of the atmosphere 37*8. 



