Meteorological Summary for 1823.— Hampshire. 159 



pearance of atmospheric and meteoric phenomena has been 

 observed here this year, except a fiery meteor of an extra- 

 ordinary size, which appeared about 20 minutes past 6 o'clock 

 m the evening of the 26th of January. The extent of its 

 sudden light, and of its fiery train, was terrific, from which 

 proceeded some degree of warmth while passing over this 

 neighbourhood in a westerly direction. This meteor was seen 

 nearly at the same time by some of the inhabitants of the Isle 

 of Wight, Southampton, Salisbury, Blandford, Dorchester, 

 and other places to the westward. The air was frosty, and 

 the sky mostly overcast ; and much rain fell on the following 

 day. to 



. ,?r the , Sth °, f February, at mid-day, a large semi-halo, 

 45 from the sun s centre, appeared over the sun, accompa- 

 nied by a concentric semi-halo of the usual extent, from which 

 it is probable the large one was formed by reflection. The 

 colours of both were conspicuous in an attenuated cirrostratus 

 cloud. 



The most perfect of the anthelia appeared at 1 P. M on 

 the 25th of June, in the side of a slow-passing cumulostratus, 

 or compound cloud ; it was 90° from the sun's centre, within 

 a lew minutes, and in an opposite direction to that luminary • 

 and considering it was the imago solis, it showed but a mild 

 silvery light, which occasionally contracted its circular shape, 

 and expanded into a long and irregular diameter, arisino- 

 from the slow motion and uneven surface of the cloud from 

 which ,t was reflected The sun's altitude then, was about 

 59 , consequently the height of the anthelion was 31° nearly 



1 he rain is rather more than an inch in depth this year than 

 it was last. The evaporation this year is nearly one-third less 

 than the quantity of rain at the ground; but last year it was 

 upwards of one-fourth more than the rain, on account of the 

 copious falls in the summer months, and the high unprece- 

 dented mean temperature: and it is from this laUer circum- 

 stance that we have been more minute in our meteorological 

 comparisons of the last two years. 



DAMP DETECTOR. 



An useful application of hygrometry to the purposes of 

 good housewifery and the preservation of health has lately 

 been offered to the public, in Essex's Portable Damp De- 

 tec or, a small and neat instrument for ascertaining the hu- 

 mid, y of the atmosphere, and for enabling travellers to detect 

 the damp m beds and linen. 



