MICROSCOPY. 19 
impossible to use the prism with high powers. Subsequently, Mr. Forrest 
has made a great improvement, suggested to him by Mr. T.Waller. He now 
uses a rectangular prism, instead of the equi-angular one exhibited at the 
meeting, and he informs us that the light both enters and leaves the 
prism perpendicularly ; by this means the loss of light is inconsiderable, 
and even diatoms may be drawn with a1 objective. The position of the 
prism in relation to the eye-piece is as follows :—The base is parallel to 
the horizon, the other equal side being parallel and close to the eye-piece ; 
the hypothenuse thus making an angle of 45° with both the horizon and 
eye-piece. 
A valued correspondent sends the following note on ‘“ Microscopic 
Objectives.” He says ‘‘ That well-known optician, Mr. Swift, of London, 
informs me that ‘at the beginning of the new year I am going to cut the 
price of my objectives down to those of the best continental makers ; 
quality at same time will be guaranteed.’ I have seen and worked with 
paeey of Hartnack’s instruments, but have no hesitation in declaring that 
a ‘ College Microscope’ I have lately had from Mr. Switt is superior to 
any Continental model.” 
METEOROLOGY OF THE MIDLANDS. 
THE WEATHER OF NOVEMBER, 1878. 
BY W. JEROME HARRISON, F.G.S. 
The month opened with a few days of fine weather. Of this time 
the Rey. J. 5. Barber (Spondon) says: ‘‘ Bees were exceedingly active, 
and could be heard at considerable distances from their hives. They 
were busy upon all flowers, especially those of mignonette.” But this 
was not to last; soon the traditional fogs set in, the thermometer fell 
with cold northerly winds and snow, and so continued to the end of the 
month. Rainfall was about an average. At the westerly stations the 
9th was almost without exception the day of maximum fall, which in 
several places exceeded one inch, and produced slight floods. A storm 
on the 15th produced the maximum fall in the central counties, while 
the 24th gave a similar result in the Hast Midlands. On the morning of 
the 12th snow covered the ground generally to a depth of three or four 
inches, and there was another pretty general fall on the 24th. The 
nights were cold and frosts numerous. At Stoney Middleton ‘the 
minimum thermometer recorded below 32° every night during month.” 
Dense fogs prevailed from the 18th to the 21st. Gales from the North 
occurred on the 9th (when barometer fell -882in. in twelve hours at Chel- 
tenham) and 15th. Lightning was seen at Oxford on the 18th, and lunar 
halos on the 6th and 11th. A lunar rainbow was seen by Mr. Griffiths at 
Bishop’s Castle on the 10th, and a solar halo at Loughborough (Mr. 
Berridge) on the 23rd. At Tamworth, “‘an immense quantity of cobweb 
was noticed on the grass on the 20th.” Winter birds, as the Fieldafre 
and Redwing, seem very numerous, and at Nottingham Mr. Johnson 
states that they have taken a great number of the holly-berries. 
