Meteorological Obfervations. 62h 
reafon to conclude, that when the precipitation 
begins from an elevated portion of the atmof- 
phere, it ends near the furface, and vice verfa. 
It appears to me, that the only indications 
refpecting the weather which can be taken from 
two gages placed as above, fhould be exprefied 
as follows; viz. That when the excefs in the 
under gage continues to be abfent a twenty- 
fifth part, or fomething lefs, of the whole 
quantity, the fall will not be foon over, as the 
precipitation is going on pretty generally, or 
through a large portion of the atmofphere ; but 
when the quantities in the gage are equal, or 
the inferior one cither remarkably plus or minus, 
after having been for fome time plus, the fall 
will probably foon be over ; becaufe there is 
then reafon to conclude, that the precipitation 
is confined to a thin ftratum of the atmofphere. 
Some inftances of this nature having occurred 
after I began to keep my gages fituated as above 
defcribed, I was induced to infer that to be 
a general rule, which is juft only in particular 
fituations. 
With regard to another obfervation, ftated 
in that letter, refpefting the barometer, I 
think many phenomena of the weather, ob- 
ferved fince that time, have confirmed it. But 
I fhall only notice what happened laft winter, 
when the application of fuch rules fhould be 
moft 
