10 METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



A mercurial thermometer of the best kind made in Lon^ 

 don, with Farhenheit's scale adapted, consisting of* divisions 

 of one line to the degree, was suspended to the inner part of 

 a column of the northern gallery of a large dwelling house 

 nine feet from the earth, in such a manner that the thermo- 

 meter was not in contact with the column, being twelve feet 

 distant from the wall of the building, and entirely defended 

 from the sun-beams by surrounding forest trees, while a free 

 circulation of the atmosphere prevailed below. Frequent ex- 

 periments shewed that during the hot hours of a summer's 

 day, the thermometer being removed into a hall within the 

 building and suspended twelve feet from the wall, the mer- 

 cury fell from two to two and a half degrees, although a free 

 circulation was maintained by two large open windows and one 

 door in each of the opposite walls of the building. 



It may be proper to remark further that the summer of 

 1799 was accounted cool, the thermometer never having ri- 

 sen above 92° whereas during the warm season of 1800 it was 

 often at 96° and 97°; though at the same time if the ther- 

 mometer was placed under a deep shade of surrounding trees, 

 it would fall to 91°. It appears that the proper situation 

 for the thermometer, is such as is completely shaded from 

 the direct sun-beams, but not so as to exclude all influence by 

 reflection from the surface of the earth, being that which 

 will best indicate the influence of atmospheric heat upon ve- 

 getation, which is what has been attempted to be shewn in 

 the following journal. 



Note. The Society have bsen induced to publish this journal entire, as it is certainly the first 

 that has been kept with so much accuracy and attention in that part of the world, andmay serve 

 »s a standard with which to compare future observations. 



