made at Clapton. 79 



July 7- — A showery tendency appeared in the atmosphere by 

 the disposition of the clouds, with a strong northerly wind to- 

 wards evening; night cool and fair. 



July S. — N wind early, then westerly. Cumuli under a 

 higher veil of cloud, which showed now and then features of 

 cirrocumulative cirrostratiis ; the latter cloud also in bars, &c. 

 Some drops of inosculation towards evening. At 11 P.M. 

 Thermometer 55°, with a clouded sky. 



July 9. — This morning I witnessed a phaenomenon, of which 

 (though not uncommon) I shall relate the particulars, as it serves 

 to point out the nature and causes of some atmospheric changes. 

 Early abundance of filiform c'mi were strewed aloft, and cumuli 

 formed in a lower region ; by and by the cirri disappearing, the 

 cumulus was changed for cumulostralus ; and the progressive 

 conversion of the former into the denser and upward-spreading 

 features of the latter cloud, seemed to clear the upper air of the 

 cirrus. The cumulostralus when formed, preserved the ten- 

 dency to have its prominences curl inward, which the previous 

 cumuli had. Afterwards much cloud obscured the sky. 



July 10. — Fair warm day, with cumuli. Sec. Remarkably fine 

 evening, almost cloudless. 



July 11. — Fair hot day, with cJimulus ; the cirrus appeared 

 toward evening. The night was damp, and there was a haziness 

 in the horizon at sunset. About 1 1 at night, I noticed the 

 electricity of the blades of grass on a grass-plot behind the house. 

 It appeared as a whitish and very faint and almost momentary 

 augmentation of light on certain parts, and now and then a 

 faint scintillation. I have noticed this phaenomenon before on 

 similar fair damp summer evenings, after hot days. Thermo- 

 meter in the day 75°, at midnight 54°. Barometer 30'20. 

 Wind south-westerly. 



July 12. — Hot day, light cirrocumulative cirrnstratus was the 

 first cloud to appear to-day ; cumulus prevailed during day, but 

 did not abound. Fine clear sky in evening, with few cirri, and 

 gentle gales from SW. Thermometer 7§" and 58". By night 

 I saw a very minute falling star*. 



Five Houses, Clapton, 



July 13, 1315. Thomas Forster. 



* These very minute, and to an unsxttentive observer alnnost impercepti- 

 ble, meteor? often abound in clear weather. They may probably be as 

 ctfiiimon as the larger kind, or falling stars, but being very small are not 

 notited. Ihfv seem to move horizontally. 



MI'lI>:oKt>- 



