Sckntijic Intelligence — Meteorology. 361 



thirty-four years is 84.0; therefore, as 12419 : 840 : : 1458 : 98.6, 

 tlie number of changes which would have taken place at new and 

 full moon, had these lunar phases had no more than the share of 

 common days, but instead of which, the number was 105. Of 

 the 54 changes at new moon, 32 were from rain to fine weather, 

 and 22 from fine weather to rain. Of the 51 at full moon 31 

 were from rain to clear, and 20 from clear to rain. Thus, at 

 the new and full moon, the changes to fine weather are to those 

 to rain as 63 to 42. Having thus proved that the epoch of new 

 and full moon are not absolutely without some effect on the wea- 

 ther, the author examined whether this effect was confined to 

 those very days, or extended to the day following. On the days 

 following the new and full moon, there were 129 changes, in- 

 stead of 98.6, which would have been the number had these 

 shared the proportion only of common days. With respect to 

 the days of tlie first and last quarter, the changes on these were 

 96, which bring them nearly to the condition of common days. 

 It is thus shewn from the tables, that the chance of a change 

 at new and full moon, compared with the chance on ordinary 

 days, is as 125 to 117, and that the chance on the day follow- 

 ing these two phases, compared with the common days is as 154 

 to 117. Upon the whole, therefore, this examination lends some 

 support to the vulgar opinion of the influence of new and full 

 moon, but none whatever to any special influence of the first and 

 third quarters. With respect to the barometrical pressure, it is as- 

 certained that out of the 1458 changes of weather, there were 

 in 1073 cases a corresponding rise or fall of the barometer, ac- 

 cording as the change was from rain to fair, or the contrary. 

 This is nearly as 3 to 4. Of the 385 false indications of the 

 barometer, 182 were on a change from rain to clear, and 203 on 

 a change from clear to rain. Finally, of the 385 anomalies of 

 the barometer, 17 were at full moon, and 10 only at new moon. 

 2. Snow Blindness. — When the division of Cordova marched 

 from Cuzco to Puno, it halted at Santa Rosa. During the 

 night there was a heavy fall of snow. They continued their 

 march the next mqrning. The effects of the rays of the sun, 

 reflected from the snow upon the eyes, produces a disease which 

 the Peruvians call norumpi. It occasions blindness, accompanied 

 by excruciating tortures. A pimple forms on the eye-ball, and 



