•METEOROLOGY. 71 



than seven years, and consequently onr comparisons must he confined 

 within that period. 



1. The month of December, 1845, was remarkable for the severity 

 of its cold. On the first day, there was a fall of snow of the depth of 

 nine inches, and, at various other times, during the progress of the 

 month, there were others, which increased the total amount to twenty- 

 three inches and a half. From the very commencement, the temperature 

 was greatly reduced, and it continued so with but little abatement to the 

 close of the month. On the night of the 6th, the thermometer had sunk 

 to -7°, and on that of the 12th to -4°. Although the thermometer has 

 been frequently known to sink lower at this place, it having been even 

 as low as -22° on the morning of the 5th of January, 1835, we have 

 never before known it to sink below 0°, in December. The mean tem- 

 perature of the whole month, as will be seen below, has been less than 

 that of any month for the last seven years except that of January 1840, 

 and the nearest approach to it during any corresponding month, as far as 

 our knowledge extends, was that of December 1838. 



1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 



Jan. " 25.58S° 21.839° 27.193° 32.072° 33.572° 24.685° 34.50'' 

 Feb. " 31.536 36.146 27.117 33.919 24.044 27.386 31.53 



March " 39.713 43.279 38.613 



u a ii, u a 



Dec. 26.232 31.584 27.092 34.019' 



The great cold, which thus prevailed at the close, stands strongly 

 contrasted with the temperature of nearly the whole of the year which 

 preceded it. January was unusually mild, and although February was 

 somewhat colder, the thermometer never during that month sank below 

 9.5°, December being therefore much the coldest month during the year. 

 As the season advanced, the weather continued to grow warmer, not- 

 withstanding the occasional occurrence of cool days and severe frosts 

 as late as in June, until July, wliich was the warmest mouth that has 

 occurred for at least seven years past. The nearest approach to it was 

 that of July, 1844, as shown by the following mean height of the ther- 

 mometer : 



1839 1840 1841 . 1842 1843 1844 184.5 



July 71.37° 71.95° 72.36° 72.68° 72.27° 74.40° 74.86° 

 On eleven days the thermometer rose to above 90° in the shade and 

 free from radiation and reflection, the highest being 96°. In consequence 

 of the great dryness of the earth and air, the thermometer sank so slowly 

 at night, that it frequently remained as high as 89° and 90°, at 9 o'clock 

 P. M., in well aired chambers. And here it may be proper to remark,. 



