118 GEOLOGICAL WORK IS HEKTS. 



had such an account of Hertfordshire science under each great 

 division, botanists and zoohjgists giving us their results separately, 

 as I have now done for the geologists ? 



If the work were divided in this way it would be fairly easy, 

 and our ' Transactions ' would then contain notes of all the scientific 

 work relating to the county, a most useful thing. 



Were this done I venture to say that other kindi-ed societies 

 would follow suit, and we should be on our way to a topographic 

 aiTangement of natural science, by counties or by other convenient 

 districts. As an unit of government the county is increasing in 

 importance, and by such means as those alluded to the work of 

 county societies might be brought into line with other public work 

 and made more readily available for public use. 



XIV. 

 METEOEOLOGICAL NOTE. 



Eead at Watford, 28th March, 1899. 



Lunar Halos were observed in Hei-tfordshire on the night of the 

 28th of December, 1898. The following is a description of them 

 as seen at Much Hadham, contributed by Mrs. Gayton to the 

 'Hertfordshire Mercury' of 31st Dec. "On Wednesday night, 

 at 20 minutes to 10, there were four perfect arcs of grey colourless 

 light, two on each side of the brilliant moon, and riinning (roughly 

 speaking) south-south-east to north-north-west, fi'om horizon to 

 horizon, parallel to each other. The oiiter ones were less distinct, 

 but not close to the larger ones. The sky was cloudless, but not 

 free from haze. At 10 p.m. these arcs had nearly faded away. 

 At 1 a.m. the ground was white with frost, and later came rain." 

 In the 'Herts Mercury' they are described as "lunar coronas," 

 but it was evidently the rarer phenomena of halos which were 

 seen. — J. Hopkinson, St. Albans. 



