Meteorological Observations of the Royal Society. 351 
that in Oxford the streams of light rose and continued for a con- 
siderable time to pass far beyond the zenith. A little, also, after 
nine o'clock, an arch like a Jong, luminous, narrow cloud extended 
from about the E.N.E. or N.E. by E. nearly across the heavens. It 
appeared to have an altitude of about 60° where it cut the southern 
meridian. ‘The approximation of this situation to that of the mag- 
netic equator would have given great value to this phenomenon, if 
the arch had been more definite in its form, and the place could have 
been more accurately determined in which itreached the horizon ; 
but this last circumstance could only be collected from its passing 
near Jupiter. 
The Oxford Herald of the 21st mentioned that this arch had been 
also observed at Banbury. 
NOTE ON MR. ATKINSON’S PAPER INSERTED IN THE LAST 
NUMBER OF OUR JOURNAL, PAGE 188. 
We regret that we should have given currency to a paragraph in 
the above-mentioned paper, which seems to imply a degree of negli- 
gence on the part of the Assistant Secretary at the Royal Society’s, 
whose duty it is to make and record the Meteorological Observations 
there. If Mr. Atkinson had taken the precaution to make inquiries 
at the apartments of the Royal Society, he would have found that the 
anomalies and apparent errors to which he alludes are not owing to 
want of care and attention on the part of the Assistant Secretary, but 
to the position in which the instruments are placed ; which position, 
although evidently not a good one, is the best which the locale of the 
Society presents. The instruments are all of the best kind, and of 
superior accuracy and workmanship.—Eprr. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR FEBRUARY 1836. 
Chiswick.—February 1. Slightly overcast : fine. 2, Hazy: rain: baro- 
meter extremely low. 3. Rain. 4. Wet and stormy. 5. Hazy and cold. 
6. Very fine. 7. Drizzly: cloudy and'mild. 8, 9. Overcast. 10. Showery. 
11. Clearand cold, 12,Cold and windy. 13.Sharp frost: fine. 14. Fine. 
15. Clear and frosty. 16. Frosty. 17, 18. Clear, cold and windy. 
19, 20. Sharp frost: fine but cold. 21. Frosty: clear. 22, 23. Overcast. 
24, Overcast : fine. 25. Frosty: fine. 26. Sleet; rain. 27. Drizzly. 
28. Hazy: cloudy and fine. 29. Overcast. 
During the first three days of the month the barometer fell remarkably 
low, and particularly on the 2nd, on which day it was lower than it has 
probably been for many years in the vicinity of London. The fall of rain 
was notremarkably great, nor was the temperature at nights below freezing ; 
but in the country the fall of snow was, at the same time, unusually deep, 
and the storm so excessively violent that the mails were in many instances 
obstructed in consequence. 
Boston.—¥ebruary 1. Cloudy and stormy: rain early a.m. 2. Fine: snow 
pM. With rain. 3. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 4. Cloudy and stormy : rain 
P.M. 5. Cloudy. 6. Fine. 7. Cloudy: rain early a.M.; rain p.m. 
8. Cloudy: rainr.m. 9. Fine. 10, Rain: rain p.m. 11, Fine and stormy. 
12. Stormy. 13.Fine. 14, Cloudy. 15. Fine. 16.Cloudy. 17. Stormy: 
snow a.M.and p.m. 18. Stormy. 19,20.Fine. 21.Cloudy. 22. Fine. 
23—25. Cloudy. 26, Cfoudy: rain rm. 27. Cloudy. 28. Cloudy: 
raine.M, 29, Rain. 
