1885.] METEOROLOGY. 225 



Wragge and Oinond have already noted phenomena justifying the 

 erection of this higliest meteorological station of the British Islands. 

 Observations have been made on the summit (4406 ft.), and at various 

 stations on the slope ; and they have been compared with those made 

 at the Fort-William Observatory, a sea-level station four miles from 

 the mountain's base. We can only give two examples. On August S, 

 1882, from 9 to 11 a.m., the temperature on the top of Ben Nevis 

 was only 1°'9 lower than that at Fort- William, instead of 15°'9, the 

 normal difference. When Mr. Wragge came to the lake on the 

 ascent to the mountain, 1840 feet high, the temi^erature was 47 ^"4, 

 and the air was saturated; reaching Brown's Well, 2200 feet high, 

 the temperature was 46°'0, and the air still saturated. But at 

 2700 feet the temperature was 53°'2, with great dryness, and the 

 sky cloudless, all the valleys and mountains below, except a few 

 peaks, being densely covered with dazzhng snow-white clouds. 

 And at the top the view was singularly fine. Ben Nevis was 

 within an anti-cyclone ; and when this is so, a very high tempera- 

 ture and great dryness, compared with Fort - William, prevail. 

 Again, on December 31, 1883, at 11 a.m., the summit temperature 

 was 4°'5 higher than that at Fort-William, accompanied with an 

 almost unprecedented dryness which continued till about 4 p.m., 

 after which it rapidly diminished, and at 10 P.M. the air was again 

 saturated. It continued so for six weeks, during which came the 

 great and widespread storm of January 26th, with the lowest tem- 

 perature observed by man anywhere on the land surfaces of the 

 globe. On Christmas 1883, in ten hours, during Avhich the 

 temperature remained nearly uniform at Fort-William, it ranged 

 differently at the mountain observatory. From 2 to 8 p.m. it was 

 only 5°"4 lower, instead of 16°'0, the normal difference, and 

 the mean wet bulb was 7'*0 lower. The wind on the top 

 was south-westerly, Ijlowing at the rate of 20 miles an hour. 

 From 10 a.m. to 3 I'.M. the barometer rose higher than it was before 

 or after, the highest reading being 25'834 inches, a high winter 

 reading for an elevation of 4406 feet. During this time a severe 

 storm or cyclone was raging on the north coasts of Norway, Ben 

 Nevis being within the limits of a pretty extensive anti-cyclone. 

 Now, no indications of this could be obtained from observations 

 made at the other meteorological stations. Hence the value of 

 " this special wire," now daily transmitted, of impending or actual 

 atmospheric disturbances. The wind direction, rainfall, and 

 barometric pressure being also noted, help observers at the lower 

 stations. 



Through the influence of these cyclonic movements, the daily 

 range of temperature is very different from that on low levels : the 



p 



