888 On Lunar Periodicities in Earthquakes. 



fill tliunder-storm in Berkshire, Hampshire, and other 

 counties, on the 3d ; and another on the 6th, in Worces- 

 tershire, &c., accompanied by a most destructive whirl- 

 Avind, which " picked up a small boat out of the Severn, 

 and left it on dry ground at some distance from the river's 

 1845. bank." The new moon was on the 4tli. 



August 2. Another whirlwind near Lowestoft,inNorfolk,*this afternoon, 

 and thunder-storm in London. Throughout the preceding 

 day a very heavj' fall of rain at Penzance, commencing 

 with a shower of hail — a most extraordinary circumstance 

 at this period of the year. 

 30. Barometer at Penzance higher than for 81 days before. The 

 following day was the warmest, and also the driest, of the 

 month in Cornwall. 



The following seven remarkable days occurred at or near succes- 

 sive first quarters ol the moon : — 



1844. 



Dec. 16. Moon's first quarter. Barometer at Chiswick 29'316 ; lower 

 than for 36 days before, and 34 days afterwards. 

 1846. 



Jan. 15. Smart shock of earthquake at St Malo.t On the preceding 

 night, a hurricane in the Mediterranean. On the following 

 morning (the 16th), a " terrific " luminous meteor seen at 

 C'ette during bright sunshine. 



Feb. 12. The greatest cold experienced in England probably during 

 the present century. Thermometer at Blackheath, at 

 half-past 7 A.M., 334° below the freezing point ; at Chis- 

 wick, 35° below that point. Barometer at the latter place 

 30"409 ; higher than for nine months before, except on the 

 21st of December, noticed in the beginning of this paper. 



Mar.13,14. Thermometer at Penzance, this night, 16" ; lower probably 

 than for many years. Barometer at Chiswick on the 16th 

 (the moon's first quarter), 29*500; lower than on any other 

 day of this or the preceding month. 



April 14. This night, until the following evening, it blew at Penzance 

 almost a hurricane from the north ; the barometer all the 

 time rising steadily and rapidly. It was also a boisterous 

 day at Chiswick. 



May 14. Moon's first quarter. Barometer at Chiswick 30"302 ; higher 

 than for 27 days before, and 25 days after. 



June 13. Extraordinary oscillation of the sea and whirlwind at Folk- 

 stone,J: in Kent ; and a terrific thunder storm at Chatham. 

 Thermometer at Penzance higher than on any other day 



* Norfolk Chronicle of 9th August, from which it appears that the 

 violence of the whirlwind was such as to dismast vessels, lift boats out 

 of the water, and blow others, lying on the land, to considerable dis- 

 tances. The spray from the river was raised twenty j'ards high ; and 

 several swallows and sparrows were dashed to the ground, and either 

 killed or stunned, so as to be easily taken. 



t This, and several other facts noticed in this paper, were derived 

 from the newspapers. 



{ It was observed at 4 o'clock, p.m. *' The tide, then flowing, 

 changed to ebbing three ditferent and continuous times, causing much 



