32 



Mr. J. Brvx'E on the Low Tempeiatures 



The latter, however, does not thrive well in the neighbourhood of 

 Glasgow, on account of the dampness and cold of the subsoil overlying 

 our coal formation." 



"We have examined many scientific journals and transactions of 

 learned Societies, in the hope of finding records of similar seasons 

 of severity, with which to institute a comparison, and of perhaps 

 catching some glimpse of a law of periodicity, or a return of such 

 weather in cycles. But we have met with nothing worthy of bringing 

 before the Society, excepting a few brief notices. One of these is from 

 the pen of tlie celebrated Dr. Alexander Wilson, Professor of Astronomy 

 in Glasgow University, whose theory of the solar spots, and the nature 

 of the photosphere of the sun, has been generally adopted by astrono- 

 mers. It is found in a short paper in The Fhilosojyhical Transactions 

 for 1771, and refers to two days of January, 1768. 



On the morning of Sunday, the 3d January, 1768, awaking early, he 

 was surprised to find himself extremely cold in bed, and on putting 

 out his arm to a table near his bed for a glass of water which stood 

 tliere, and bringing it to his mouth, he found it was a mass of ice. 

 Struck with an occurrence so extremely uncommon, he got up and 

 dressed, and forthwith proceeded, with the aid of his son, to make 

 various experiments, which he describes. We need here only give his 

 record of the state of the thermometer on the two days mentioned. 

 These are probably the lowest temperatures ever recorded as having 

 occurred at Glasgow. The Observatory, where he resided, was in the 

 eastern part of the College Park. The thermometer was properly 

 protected. 



Jan. 3, 17G8. 



10 h. a.m., 



11 



12 



1 p.m., .. 



2 



3 .. 



3i 



4 



41 



5 



6 



6i 



7 



n 



8 



... 5° 

 ... 7 

 ... 9 

 ...10 

 ...11 



... H 

 ... H 



... 3i 

 ... 2 

 ... IJ 

 ... 1^ 

 ... Oi 

 — 1 

 -0.1 

 ...Of 



... 1 



Jan. 3, 1768. 



Jan. 4, ■ 



9 h. p.m. 



n 



10 



lOj 



u 



11^ 



12 



12ia.m., 



l" 



2 



2^ 



3 



3^ 



4 



_ 5 



The record extends no farther ; and there seems to have been a sudden 

 change of weather. On the forenoon of the 3d he laid a thermometer 

 on the snow, in a shady place, and found that it fell in a very short time 

 from 6° to — 2° ; and from this he inferred that before he began his obser- 



