183 



January 21, 1852. 



The President in the Chair. 



Mr. Desor said, that with the permission of the Society 

 he would offer a few remarks on the difference of the 

 cHmates of Germany and New England, although the sub- 

 ject was not directly relevant to the objects of the Society. 

 In conversation with numerous German residents here, he 

 had learned various interesting facts growing out of the 

 remarkable dryness of the climate. One of the first things 

 noticed by them was the rare occurrence of arborescent 

 forms on the windows produced by frost. These appear- 

 ances are regarded with peculiar interest in Germany, and 

 are associated with many popular legends. They are of 

 less frequent occurrence here from the circumstance that 

 the dew-point is several degrees lower. Various differences 

 noticed by artisans in the processes of their different callings 

 are due to the same cause. Painters can finish their work 

 in a shorter space of time. Cabinet-makers are obliged to 

 use much thicker glue. Watchmakers have to use animal 

 instead of vegetable oil. Articles of furniture made in 

 Europe are found not to wear well. Inlaid wood floors are 

 much more expensive, requiring to be made with much 

 greater care. In the collections of Natural History in 

 Europe, lime is necessary for the absorption of moisture, 

 which would otherwise injure the specimens ; none is 

 needed here. It has been said, that the climate of New 

 England is moister than that of Central Europe, because 

 rains are more frequent. Humboldt made the same remark 

 of the high Alps. This is not the case, however, for there 

 is a very great change of hygrometric condition in the 

 atmosphere immediately after rain. In the Northwestern 

 parts of Europe and in England, a fall of one or two degrees 

 only in the temperature causes rain. On the whole, Mr, 



