Meteorology. 425 



20". It fluctuated during January 1819, decreased in Febru- 

 ary, and again fluctuated in March. Since that time the mean 

 monthly variation has decreased continually, and Col. Beaufoy 

 therefore places the maximum of western declination about the 

 month of March 1819. 



6. Earthquake in Cork — An earthquake was felt between two 

 or three o'clock in the morning of Tuesday, April 11, at Cove, 

 Ahada, Midleton, and the neighbourhood of the harbour's mouth. 

 It lasted about eight or ten seconds at Cove, accompanied with 

 Ihe^rumbling noise. The agitation appears to have been much 

 stronger at Haulbowline island. At Ahada the noise resembled 

 tlie firing of cannon. 



7. Prize Question. — Variation of the Compass. — The Royal 

 Academy of Copenhagen proposes the following prize ques- 

 tion : " Num inclinatio et vis acus magneticae iisdem, quibus de- 

 clinatio diurnis variationibus sunt subjects; ? Niun etiam lon- 

 giores, ut declinatio, habent circuitus ? Niim deniquc has varia- 

 tiones certis finibus circumscribere possumus ?" The prize is 

 50 Danish ducats. 



8. Animal Magnetism. — ^The Royal Academy of Sciences at 

 Berlin have proposed animal magnetism as a prize subject, 

 essays on which are to be rewarded in August 1820. It is de- 

 sired that the phenomena, known by the name of animal mag- 

 netism, be described so as to admit of a positive judgment 

 respecting their nature : and it.is observed that, though there 

 are many difficulties attached to the subject, still it appears that 

 the number of facts ascertained is such as to admit the hope 

 that, in the present state of the physical sciences, some light 

 may be thrown on animal magnetism, when the probability of 

 these facts has been estimated, and when their analogy with tiic 

 better-understood phenomena of natural sleep, dreams, som- 

 nambulism not magnetic, and many nervous affections, lias 

 been established. 



It is suggested to the candidates, that wonderful relations 

 arc not requited, but a description of those constant laws which 



