46 Specimen of a new Nomenclature for Meteorological Science. 
and others who have made use of Mr. Howard’s paper on the 
Clouds, and of my last Essay on Atmospheric Phenomena, in 
order to depict more accurately clouds, &c. and to make an 
English nomenclature, as many persons unaccustomed to Latin 
could not retain the distinctions of the Latin nomenclatures in 
their memories. The Latin terms for clouds, originally made by 
L, Howard, are very useful in descriptions in Latin, and in 
those which are to go abroad, or which are for scientific persons 
only; and should, I think, he inserted with the others. But we 
ought to use terms of science constructed out of the language in 
which that science is treated of.—I subjoin the following names 
for clouds, substituted for the former ones, and others substi- 
tuted for those which I constructed from the Latin for halos 
_and other phenomena made by refraction; and shall proceed in 
future to a more extended nomenclature for other terms of me- 
-teorological science. 
Crrrus, or Curtctoup. I propose to call this the curlcloud, 
from its constant tendency te assume the fibrous and flexible 
forms. It is bent and curled in all directions; and curlcloud 
comes nearest to its old name cirrus, of which cirrulus and curl 
are diminutives. 
CirrocuMULUS, or SONDERCLOUD, 7. e. cloud consisting of 
an aggregate of clouds asunder (from A. 8. sond, Old Eng. a- 
sonder and sonder): the distinguishing marks of this cloud 
being that of separate orbs aggregated together, and the change 
to this cloud from others is a separation of continuity into par- 
ticules. 
CirrostRAtus, or WaNEcLoUD. The constantly evanescent 
state of this cloud in all its forms suggests this name. It is al- 
ways subsiding or altering its form, or waning, a verb now not 
so much used as formerly, and which comes from the Anglo- 
Saxon Fynizean, evanescere; whence also our words to faint, 
feint, &c. 
Cumutus, or STACKENCLOUD, 7.¢. stackt cloud, from being 
piled or heaped up ; ¢o stack being a known verb for piling up. 
The participial termination en gives the word a pleasanter sound 
then stackcloud. 
Stratus, or FALLCLouD, being the subsidence or falling of 
the aqueous particles in the evening, I first thought of even- 
cloud, corresponding to the German alendwolke ; but that is 
not definite enough, as many clouds become evening clouds. 
‘  CumMuLosrratus, or TWAINcLouD; being the visible result 
often of the coalescence of two modifications (supposed with 
opposite electricities) and when it forms primarily a similar union 
being conjectured of particules separately electrified as soon as 
formed, 
NiMBUs, 
