10 Notes qfa meteorological Tour. 



May 1. — Clouded morniiin; wrth a mist. I noticed to-day 

 between LnureiiLckkk and Aberdeen a curious pluenomenon, not 

 very common in England. Tlie ciniiiili in many plaees rolled 

 along with their bases on the flat ground, involving us oceasiou- 

 allv in obscurity, and there being to all ap)3earance a fog, but in 

 the profile at a distance I saw their cumulated forms, I noticed 

 also the vapour conden'^ed in many places about a foot from 

 ploughed ground, so as to appear like little strati or fallclouds, 

 forming here and there clo^e to the earth. I should observe 

 that the cumiiJi touching the ground were going into the nimbi- 

 form state, and that others at some distance were actually con- 

 densing into small rain a few feet from the ground. When v/e 

 got to AI)erdeen a white and wet mist was involving the whole 

 toun and its neigiibourhood. In the fine intervals by day, the 

 different modifications were seen in very indistinct features. 



ISIay 2. — Fine spring morning, but no leaves on the trees yet. 

 Light gales. Cimiul', and the lighter modifications higher up. 



We left Aljerdeen, and ])assing through Ellon came into Peter- 

 head at night. Fleecy cinnidi evaporating, and the new moon 

 seen at intervals. In passing along we saw various kinds of gulls 

 and the heron flying after sunset. Among other birds I saw the 

 curlew (Scolopax arcuata) flying over the town of Ellon. 



Mai/ 3. — Left Peterhead again almost immediately after taking 

 refreshment, about one in the morning, and passing through Cul- 

 len, Fochabers, Elgin, Ferres and Nairne, arrived at Inverness 

 late at night. The country through which we passed was bar- 

 ren, except a few large plantations of pines and firs. The 

 weather was showery with wind, and the air cool, with not the 

 least appearance of s])ring. The inhabitants of the towns through 

 which we passed were very different in appearance from theHigh- 

 lan;lers. On inquiring at the different booksellers in our route, 

 what works on the suljject of meteorology were known here, I 

 found that the v/orks of Professors Leslie* and Jamiesonf were 

 the only Scotch works, relating to this science, kno^vn in this 

 part of the country. 



May 4. — Fair with various clouds ; much ariostrattis or 

 wanecloud in a lofty region towards night. 



Mai/ 5. — (At Inverness.) — I had an opportunity this morning 

 of observing the formation of matntine cumuli or stackenclouds ■ 

 in the convalleys of the mountains, at a time when others in a 

 higher region \veve producing rainclouds by inosculation. These 



* Professor of mathematics at E(linl)ur[;li, a gentleman to whose inven- 

 tive (genius mcleorolofiists aro iiulclitcd for many very interesting diico- 

 verics, and the construction of curious and useful instruments. 



t Professor of natural history, author Of one of the lUObt iiscfiii works 

 on mincralog)' in Great Britain. 



little 



