18 REPORT—1849. 


tainly none came to the ground. Reaumur 20°, no wind. Gais is 3100 feet above 
the sea. 
Of analogous facts (more or less so) Sir John F. W. Herschel, Bart. F.R.S., says, 
in a letter to Col. Sabine, R.A., I can mention two :— 
1. In or about the year 1821, I remember seeing in Sir James South’s telescope 
at Blackman Street, when turned in a direction near, but not fo the sun, about 
midday, frequent objects having all the appearance of sfars, which were seen sailing 
through the field of the telescope. Dr. Wollaston, when this was mentioned to 
him, said it was thistledown. Ido not think it was. 
2. In the hay season, some three or four years ago, the day being clear and hot 
and calm (at least in the immediate neighbourhood of our house), our attention was 
excited by what at first seemed to be strange-looking birds flying; but though pre- 
sently assured they were not birds, it was by no means clear what they were. They 
were irregular wispy masses sailing leisurely up and settling down again, apparently 
over a hay-field on the east of our grounds, and above a quarter or three-eighths of 
a mile from our house. Some of these were of considerable size, and their general 
appearance was convex downwards and ¢aily upwards. After wondering awhile, I 
got a telescope and directed it to the flying phenomenon, when it became evident 
that they were masses of hay—some of very considerable size, certainly not less 
(allowing for the distance) than a yard or two in diameter. They sailed above 
leisurely, and were very numerous. No doubt wind prevailed at the spot, but 
there was no roaring noise, nor any sign of a whirlwind, and all about us was quite 
calm. Nobody was at the time at work in that field. None fell on our side of the — 
trees, above which they rose perhaps 50 or 100 feet. 
P.S. Could Sir R. Inglis’s phenomenon have been winged ants? ‘They some- 
times appear in astonishing numbers, and might associate like gnats in masses for 
a dance, and then separate again. 
a 
’ 
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On Meteorological Observations made at Kaafjord, near Alten, in Western 
Finmark, and at Christiania in Norway. By Joun Let, LL.D., F.RS. 
of Hartwell, Bucks. 
Dr. Lee stated that he had the honour to present to the Association some meteo- 
rological observations, made by Mr. J. H. Grewe, an officer in the service of the 
Alten Mining Company at Kaafjord, in Western Finmark, near Alten, under the 
direction of S. H. Thomas, Esq., the superintendent and able geologist ofthe Company, ~ 
for the months of January to September inclusive of 1848; and that they had been — 
made at the same hours of the day and on the same plan as the similar observations 
which he had the pleasure to present to the Association in former years. 
The present observations were accompanied by two new Tables from Mr. Grewe ; 
the first containing barometrical means, deduced from the period of eleven years, — 
and arranged in three series :—Ist, the monthly means; 2nd the quarterly means; 
3rd, the annual means. The second table contained the thermometrical means, made — 
simultaneously with those of the barometer, and arranged in similar series. These — 
observations and tables of Mr. Grewe were also accompanied by two tables made by ~ 
Mr. J. F. Cole, a gentleman now resident in London, but formerly at Alten, and 
the associate of Mr. Grewe in making some of the earlier observations at Kaafjord; 
and Mr. Cole has reduced the observations of Mr. Grewe from the French measures — 
to Fahrenheit’s scale; and Dr. Lee produced a letter addressed to him by Mr. Cole, ~ 
explanatory of the tables. 
Dr. Lee also presented to the Association, through the courtesy of J. R. Crowe, 
Esq., Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul- General of Norway, a series of meteorological 
observations, made during the year 1848 at Christiania. They were stated to bea 
continuation of observations made at the same hours and on the same plan as others 
presented on former years. 
(Copy-) London, 8th September 1849. 
Srr,—I have had much pleasure in inspecting the Alten Meteorological Observas 
tions from January to September 1848, lately transmitted to you by my former 
colleague, Mr. Grewe. 
It appears that from October 1848 the hours of observation have been changed 
