for the Year 1821. 277 
of wind, more especially at or near the changes from wet to dry, 
as pointed out in our daily remarks on the weather in the Lon- 
don Magazine; that the upper currents generally prevail over, 
and ultimately descend into the region of the lower ones; and 
that the wet or dry state of the weather here, very much de- 
pends cu the position of the winds: those from the South-West 
seldom fail to bring up rain before they have subsided, perhaps 
from their crossing the Atlantic Ocean, where a greater abund- 
ance of vapours must undoubtedly exist by means of a more 
powerful evaporation, and be wafted hither by their influence, 
and which are condensed and precipitated in rain on arriving in 
colder regions over the soils of the land. ‘The following is the 
number of strong gales, or days on which they have prevailed 
this year: 
Days. 
N. INE, E. S.E,| S. [s-w,| W. IN.W. 
102 
s|4|6 |10] 9 | 51] 12 7 
Hence it appears that the South-West and West winds are 
not only most prevalent in hard gales, but also in steady breezes 
and light airs, which is further corroborated by former years’ 
observations, 
CrLoups.—All, the modifications of clouds, or the days on 
which they have prevailed, appear by the table to be higher in 
numbers thaa in former years, except the stratus, which is nearly 
equal, or rather more than its average; yet this modification is 
generally a prognostic of fair weather. 
~ It is natural that the cirrus, ctrrostralus, and the compound 
cumutostratus (modifications that have a tendeney by inoscula- 
tion with others to produce rain), should exceed their average 
appearances of former years, as well as the nimlus, on account 
of the late heavy rains. The prevalence of the others shows 
that we have been favoured with intervals of fine weather, parti- 
cularly as it respects the cirrocumulus, whose frequent appear- 
ance in great measure (it being an index to increasing heat near 
the earth’s surface) accounts for the high annual mean tempera- 
ture of the atmosphere. Under peculiar states of the atmo- 
sphere, we have recently seen this cloud evaporate while within 
20° or 30° of the sun; and at other times we have seen it de- 
scend and transform itself into linear cirrostratus. The ap- 
pearance of the cumulus, which is also a fair-weather cloud, has 
been more frequent by almost one-fourth of the average timés of 
its appearance in former years, 
~ ArmospHertc PueNnoMENA.— Anthelia have appeared oft- 
ener this year than in others. The great number of parhe/ia in 
; April 
