25G Dr Fyfe on the Evaporative Power of Coal. 



snow, which, however, generally melts, the earth being warmer 



Oct. on the surface than the atmosphere. 



10. A single blast of northerly wind will suffice to bare the trees, strip 

 the shrubs, and send all water-fowl to the south. The last of 

 these are the weak or lingering flocks of Snow-Geese or Wai- 

 wai-duck, which may frequently be observed passing. They sel- 

 dom alight except when met by adverse winds. 



20. The small lakes and rivers sometimes fast, that is, frozen. Tulli- 

 bee (Coregonus) spawns. Animals get well furred. The Wil- 

 low Grouse arrives from the north. There is usually a little 

 snow on the ground, and the American Hare, as also the Er- 

 mine, are changing colour. 

 Nov. The ground covered with snow, which in mild weather is often 

 blackened by a species of Podura, like a grain of gunpowder. 



10. I have also frequently observed crawling about at this time and 

 later, a species of Tipula. It is wingless, and I have named it 

 Chionea hiemalis. Can it be this insect which gives rise to the 

 idea of Spider rains ? 



20. Large rivers, as well as the lakes, are often solidly frozen, strong 

 rapids filling up, and setting fast. Rabbits and Ermines are en- 

 tirely white, the swamps are passable, and winter may be deemed 

 to have set fairly in. 



Geo. Baunston. 

 Martin's Falls, 10th June 1840. 



On (he Evaporaiive Power of differen( kinds of Coal* By An- 

 drew Fyfe, M.D., F.R.S.E., President of the Society of 

 Arts for Scotland. Communicated by that Society. 



The experiments, the results of which I am now to bring 

 before the Society, were undertaken with the view of ascer- 

 taining the comparative evaporative power of different kinds of 

 coal. Of course, in this investigation, my attention has been 

 directed solely to the power of the fuels in raising steam, with 

 the view of testing their comparative value for steam-engines. 



This subject has lately engaged much of the attention both 

 of scientific men and of practical engineers, and much va- 

 luable information has been communicated regarding it. 



* Read before the Society of Arts for Scotland 8th February 1841, and or- 

 dered to be printed in its Transactions. 



