Meteorological Obsavatwns. 319 



practical nature, analogous to the operation of the pneumatic tele- 

 graph on these points ; the following circumstances may, however, 

 be referred to : 



There has been upwards of twenty years' experience in the trans- 

 mission of gas for illumination through conduit pipes of various di- 

 mensions. In several instances, the gas has been supplied at the 

 distances of from five to eight miles by low degrees of pressure. As 

 one proof of great rapidity of motion, it has been observed, that when 

 any sudden interruption in the supply has occurred at the works, 

 the extinction of all the lights, over large districts, has been nearly 

 simultaneous. Another instance of the great susceptibility of mo- 

 tion M'hich frequently happens, is the flickering motion of the lights 

 at great distances when water has accumulated in the pipes. 



The only experience in the transmission of atmospheric air through 

 conduit tubes, which applies more particularly to this question, may 

 be referred to at three railway establishments ; viz. Edinburgh, 

 Liverpool, and Euston-square, London. In these estabhshments, 

 air-tubes, from I| to 2 miles in length, have been employed for the 

 purpose of giving notice when a train of carriages is ready to be 

 drawn up the inclined plane by the stationary engine at the summit, 

 so that it may without delay be put in motion. This notice is com- 

 municated by blowing a current of air through the tube at the foot 

 of the inclined plane, and sounding an organ-pipe, a whistle, or an 

 alarm-bell at the stationary engine. It will be satisfactory to know, 

 that this operation has been regularly performed from two to four 

 years without one single failure or disappointment. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR FEBRUARY, 1839. 



Chiswkk. — Feb. 1. Overcast: fine: frosty at night. 2. Sharp frost. 3. 

 Thawing : hazy. 4. Fine : cloudy. 5. Hazy : heavy rain at night. 6. Foggy. 



7. Drizzly. 8. Hazy : cloudy and windy at night. 9. Overcast. 1 0. Very 

 fine. 1). Dense fog. 12. Fine: overcast: rain. 13. Fine. 14. Boisterous. 

 15. Clear. I'). Stormy and wet : fine. 17. Clear. 18. Snowing: sleet: 

 clear. 19. Sharp frost. 20. Bleak and cold. 21. Cloudy and cold : dry haze : 

 rain at night. 2i\ Hazy : rain. 23. Rain : very fine. 24. Very fine. 25. 

 Clear: showery: fine. 26. Clear and frosty : fine. 27. Fine. 28. Very fine. 



jBosfon.— Feb. 1. Fine. 2. Cloudy. 3. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 4, 5. Fine : 

 rain P.M. 6. Cloudy. 7,8. Fine. 9. Fine: rain p.m. 10. Fine. 11. 

 Cloudy. 12, 13. Fine. 14. Stormy. 15. Fine. 16. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 

 17—19. Fine. 20,21. Cloudy. 22. Cloudy: snow early a.m. 23. Cloudy: 

 rain early a.m. 24. Fine. 25. Fine : hail and snow p.m. 26. Fine. 27. 

 Cloudy. 28. Fine. 



Apptegarlh Manse, Dumfries-shire. — Feb. 1. Clear day : ground covered with 

 snow. 2. Cloudy : gentle ihaw. 3. Moderate thaw ; snow melting slowly. 

 4. Moderate thaw : small rain evening. 5. Thaw continuing : snow melting. 

 C. The same : very temperate : rain p.m. 7. Stormy day : snow gone : very wet. 



8. Quiet a.m. : wind rose p.m. : wet. 9. Rain : dark and cloudy : mild. 10. 

 Fair a ,d mild : threatening p.m. 11. Raw cold : cloudy. 12. Fine day : flying 

 hail showers. 13. Mild a.m. : rain and wind p.m. 14. Boisterous day : fre- 

 quent hail and sleet. 15. Tolerable spring day: wet p.m. 16. Showers of 

 snow: high wind. 17. Snow half an inch deep : frosty. 18. Moderate day : 

 snow melting : freezing. 19. Fine frosty day : getting cloudy P.M. 20. Favour- 

 able day: slight snow. 21. Hard frost: cloudy: slight snow p.m. 22. Thaw: 

 snow preceding night : snow melts. 23. Very fine day: temperate and spring- 

 like. 24. On the whole mild : occasional showers. 25. Moderately temperate : 

 slight frost A.M. i'). Fine day though rather chill. 27. Severe showers of sleet : 

 cleared up p.m. 28. Occasional slight showers. 



