Meteorological Observations. 79 



to be very poisonous. Its boiling point is below 212°; it readily 

 takes fire and burns Avith a brilliant white flame, terminated by a blue 

 which is quite peculiar, and it yields a very thick white vapour of 

 telluric acid. This aether, when exposed to the air, is soon covered 

 with a pellicle, which is at first yellowish, becomes afterwards white, 

 and is eventually converted into tellurous acid. If it be exposed in 

 a vessel to the direct rays of the sun, it immediately exhales vapour, 

 and its oxidation goes on much more rapidly than under the action 

 of diflfused light ; the action even of pure oxygen gas is, however, 

 never sufficiently energetic to inflame the sether. Nitric acid 

 attacks it rapidly, and dissolves it with the disengagement of nitric 

 oxide gas ; if hydrochloric acid be added to the solution, a heavy 

 colourless liquid separates in oily drops ; this has not been ex- 

 amined. 



According to calculation, hydrotelluric rether should contain 

 68-53 of tellurium ; analysis gave 68'75 ; in fact, 0"560 of this 

 aether were dissolved in nitric acid, and hydrochloric acid was 

 added ; it was then boiled for a long time, after which the addition 

 of sulphurous acid separated 0'385 of metallic tellurium dried in 

 vacuo. This product is therefore simple hydrotelluric sether 

 C^ H^ Te, and is composed of 



Hydrogen 5'33 



Carbon 26-14 



Tellurium 68-53 



100- 

 The product, corresponding to mercaptan, would contain 81 per 

 cent, of tellurium. — An. de Ch. et tie Phys., 75, 215. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR NOV. 1840. 



Chiswick. — November 1. Foggy: rain. 2. Showery: fine. 3. Foggy. 4. 

 Dense fog : clear and fine. 5. Rain : fine : rain at night. 6, 7. Rain. S. Clear 

 and fine. 9. Boisterous. 10. Cloudy and fine. 11. Hazy: rain. 12. Clear. 

 13. Boisterous with rain; barometer very low. l-l. Clear. 15. Fine. 16. 

 Cloudy and windy. 17. Stormy with heavy rain. 18. Heavy rain. 19. Rain: 

 fine. 20. Very fine. 21. Stormy with rain. 22 — 24. Fine. 25. Dense fog. 

 26. Sharp frost. 27, 28. Very dense fog. 29. Foggy : fine. 30. Overcast. 



Dnslon. — Nov. 1. Fine : lightning p.m. 2. Stormy. 3, 4. Cloudy. .^. Rain: 

 rain early A.M. 6. Cloudy: rain a.m. 7. Cloudy. 8. Fine. 9. Cloudy: rain 

 early A.M. : rain A.M. 10,11. Fine. 12. Cloudy. 13. Rain and stormy : rain 

 early A.M. 14. Cloudy. 15. Fine. 16. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 17. Cloudy: 

 rain A.M. and P.M. 18. Fine. 19. Cloudy: rain a.m. and p.m. 20. Fine. 21. 

 Rain and stormy. 22. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 23. Rain: rain early a.m. 

 24 — 30. Fine. 



Applegarlk Manse, Dnmfnes-slure.— iiov. 1. Dull, cloudy, and moist. 2. 

 Showery all day. 3. Very fine. 4. Wet nearly all day. r>, G. Occasional show- 

 ers. 7. Wet A.M. ; cleared up. 8. Slight showers. 9. Rain a.m. : cloudy all 

 day. 10. Rain a.m.: moist p.m. 11. Thick fog all day. 12. Cloudy and 

 watery. 13. Wet and stormy. 14. Fair after rain during night. 15. Fair and 

 fine : frosty morning. 16. Rain and high wind. 17. Fair but dull and threaten- 

 ing. IH, 19. Frost ; clear. 20. Thaw : cloudy. 21. Heavy rain a.m. : cleared. 

 22. Fair all day. 23. Rain early a.m. 24. Fair throughout and warm. 25. 

 Drizzling day. 26. Frost. 27. Frost : very hard. 28. Frost: threatened 

 change. 29. Cloudy: drizzling. 3U. Moist without rain. 



