237 



and at most other stations, prevented these observations from being so useful 

 as they otherwise might have been. The collected results of observers at various 

 stations have been published by the Meteorological Society, and a copy forwarded 

 me by the Secretary, which I lay before you. The pamphlet contains much useful 

 information, and some that may be interesting. I will merely read the con- 

 eluding general remarks of the Secretary, Mr. Glaisher, and my o^vn obserx-ations 

 made at the time. " At 9^- the sky was overcast, prmcipally with cirrhus ; 

 occasional gUmpses of blue sky. At iih. the sky stiU overcast ; clouds more 

 dense ; wind sinking. At 12 noon, the clouds very thick ; a slight darkness was 

 to be perceived ; birds were singing cheerily. At i2h. 15m. the air ^till duskier ; 

 birds were chirping, but less than before, and getting out of sight ; blackburd 

 began to smg as at evening ; wind rising. At i2h. 30m. very dusky ; clouds to 

 south of a ruddy tinge ; blackbird singing as before, but sparrows disappeared ; 

 the clouds very thick, and in riven shapeless masses, in layers towards the horizon : 

 wind rising ; smaU rain. At i2h. 45m. the clouds rather breaking, but very 

 low • the sun visible for about 5' at the middle of the eclipse (about i p.m.) ; 

 the glimpse of sky thus afforded was of a bright light blue ; the clouds contmued 

 to break up ; Ught rain. At gh- the crocus was open ; at iih. half open ; at 

 i2h 30m. nearly closed ; at i2h. 45ni. quite closed, i p.m., from this time the 

 clouds graduaUy cleared, aUowing frequent gUmpses of the sun, when a dark spot 

 was observed on its face through the blackened glass." 



I have received another pamphlet from Mr. Glaisher, on the mean tem- 

 perature of every day in the year, as deduced from " Daily Observations taken 

 at Greenwich, during forty-three years, from 1814 to the end of 1856," of which 

 I have made some use in my own deductions. 



Donati's Comet was decidedly the great Meteorological feature of the year 

 1858 Few of us ever saw so glorious and wonderful an object, night after night 

 lighting up its marvellous transparency in the western sky, as it were a flaming 

 sword to protect the gardens of the Hesperides : and when Arcturus shone through 

 it like a brilliant diamond in the hilt of that sword, it certainly surpassed in beauty 

 and grandeur all that I had ever witnessed before ; and even our elders, generally 

 so loth to acknowledge that anything in these later degenerate days is equal to 

 what was in the good old times, were obliged to confess that this equalled, if it did 

 not surpass, the Comet of 1811. I have no remarks to make on lais subject m 

 addition to what have afready appeared in the local journals. 



The high temperature of August, the small amount of rain fallen, the damp 

 and foggy atmosphere of October, the remarkably low temperature of November, 

 and the mildness of December, are also remarkable features of the year. 



A partial EcUpse of the Moon happened on the 27th of February, but was 

 invisible from the clouded state of the sky. 



On December 2nd, as Mr. Lingen was passing through the Vale of Wye, he 

 obser^'ed a meteor in the clear sky at 4 P-m., the sun shining brightly all the tmae. 

 It appeared in the N.N.E., and after moving a short space, leavmg a trail behmd. 



