595° Meteor clogical Obfervations. 
BorGury Bods é but the funnels of the two 
“Ab—Ba 
gages muft not be fimilar, for, in that wit the 
numerator and denominator would be = 9, 
and confequently nothing could be determined. 
The fecond imperfeCtion to which rain gages 
are liable, arifes from the lofs of water occafioned 
by the drops of rain burfting, when they are 
driven obliquely by a breeze, and ftrike the 
fides of the gage: in fuch cases, they difperfe 
into a number of minute drops, many of which 
never defcend into the receiver, but efcape over 
the margin of the funnel. This depends on 
principles too fimple to require any experimental 
proof. It is difficult, if not impoffible, to pre- 
vent entirely the wafte of rain. by difperfion ; 
all that we can do is to diminifh. it as much as 
poffible. Mr. Gough, in the fame letter, pro- 
pofes the following method of remedying this 
imperfection. A linen ftrainer, he fays, of a 
conical fizure, fhould be exactly fitted to the 
mouth of the gage; this flexible funnel fhould 
be ftretched by a weight or ftring faftened to its 
apex within the veffel; the drops, ftriking on 
this yielding fubftance, would receive a mode- 
rate concuffion, and the particles of water would 
be entangled in the threads of the cloth. It.is 
fufficiently evident, that this contrivance would 
greatly prevent the lofs occafioned by difper~ 
fion, 
