APPENDIX — THE ST. JOHN OBSERVATORY. 263 



THE ST. JOHN OBSERVATORY. 



In addition to the annual meteorological abstract, a brief descrip- 

 tion of the instruments and work of the St. John Observatory may be 

 of interest. 



The Observatory is the chief station in New Brunswick under the 

 Canadian Meteorological Service of the Department of Marine and 

 Fisheries. 



Observations of pressure, temperature, hygrometric conditions of 

 the air, amount and character of precipitation, clouds, velocity and 

 direction of the wind and general conditions of the weather are made 

 at intervals of four hours, commencing at 3.44 a.m. local time. In 

 addition to the meteorological work, astronomical observations are 

 made for determination of time. 



The Director's office, instrument and clock room is situated in the 

 north wing of the Customs building, the thermometer shed and rain 

 gauge on the ground adjoining the observer's residence, the anemome- 

 ter and wind vane are mounted on the time ball tower. 



The standard barometer by H. J. Green, New York, is constructed 

 on Fortin's principle, the level of the mercury in the cistern being 

 adjusted previous to each reading; secondary to this is a smaller 

 barometer of the same construction, and a Richard's barograph (self- 

 recording barometer). The thermometers are all by Negretti <k Zam- 

 bra of London, have been tested at the Kew Observatory in London, 

 and are exposed in the Canadian pattern shed and screen which faces 

 north, the bulbs of the principal thermometers being four feet above 

 the soil. The highest and lowest temperatures are registered by 

 mercurial maximum and spirit minimum self-registering thermometers 

 which are read and re-set at the midnight observation, the temperature 

 of the air at time of observation from the ordinary mercurial therm- 

 ometer, and the hygrometric observations from a pair of thermometers, 

 one of which has its bulb covered by a thin muslin wrapping, kept 

 moistened by water or covered by a thin coating of ice during freezing 

 weather. 



