Meteorological Observations. 231 



chloride of aluminium. Heated to redness in hydrochloric acid gas 

 it furnishes dry volatile chloride of aluminium. 



It will be readily understood what important uses such a metal, 

 •which is white and unalterable like silver, which does not blacken 

 in the air, is fusible, malleable, ductile and tenacious, and has in 

 addition the singular property of being lighter than glass, may be 

 turned to if it can be obtained readily. This. I have every reason 

 to believe will prove to be the case, for the chloride of aluminium is 

 decomposed with remarkable ease by the common metals at an ele- 

 vated temperature ; and a reaction of this kind, which I am attempt- 

 ing to carry out on a large scale, will solve this question in a prac- 

 tical point of view. — Comptes Rendus, February 6, 1854. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR JAN. 1854. 



Chiswick. — January 1. Clear and frosty : snowing : frosty. 2. Frosty through- 

 out : severe frost at night. 3. Severe frost, with fog : overcast. 4. Overcast and 

 cold : snow 7 inches deep. 5. Thick haze : rain and sleet : 2 inches additional 

 depth of snow. 6. Hazy. 7. Heavy rain. 8. Clear and fine. 9. Rain : foggy : 

 rain at night. 10,11. Cloudy and cold. 12. Cloudy: slight rain. 13. Slight 

 haze: clear. 14. Clear: hazy. 15. Foggy: cloudy. 16. Dense fog : overcast. 

 17. Cloudy. 18. Densely clouded : overcast. 19. Dense fog. 20. Rain: over- 

 cast. 21. Fine : frosty. 22. Frosty haze : clear and fine : overcast : frosty. 23. 

 Foggy : verj' fine. 24. Cloudy aud windy : rain : frosty. 25. Frosty : clear and 

 fine : cloudy. 26. Fine : very clear. 27. Densely overcast : rain. 28. Slight 

 rain : cloudy : clear. 29. Boisterous, with rain : overcast. 30. Cloudy and mild : 

 clear. 31. Overcast : cloudy. 



Mean temperature of the month 37°'88 



Mean temperature of January 1853 40 '41 



Mean temperature of Jan. for the last twenty-eight years . 36 "68 



Average amount of rain in Jan 1-74 incht 



Boston. — Jan. 1. Fine. 2. Cloudy: snow a m. and p.m. 3. Cloudy : thermo- 

 meter at 8 A.M. 5°. 4. Stormy : snow-storm a.m. and p.m. 5. Cloudy. 6. 

 Cloudy: snow A.M. 7. Cloudy : rain p.m. 8. Cloudy : rain a.m. 9 — 13. Cloudy. 

 14. Fine. 15. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 16 — 19. Cloudy. 20. Cloudy : rain p.m. 

 21. Cloudy. 22, 23. Fine. 24. Cloudy : rain a.m. 25. Fine. 26. Fine : rain a.m. 

 27. Cloudy. 28, 29. Cloudy : rain a.m. 30. Fine. 31. Cloudy. 



Sandwick Manse, Orkney. — Jan. 1. Snow-drift a.m. : snow-showers p.m. 2. 

 Bright A.M. : cloudy P.M. 3. Bright a.m. : snow-showers p.m. 4. Bright a.m. : 

 clear p.m. 5. Bright a.m. : snow-showers p.m. 6. Bright a.m. : clear p.m. 7. 

 Thaw a.m. : sleet and rain p.m. 8. Sleet-showers a.m. and p.m. 9. Bright, 

 frost a.m. : cloudy P.M. 10. Bright, frost a.m. : clear p.m. 11. Clear, frost a.m.: 

 clear p.m. 12. Snow-showers a.m. snow-drift, showers p.m. 13. Clear, fine a.m. 

 cloudy i'..M. 14. Cloudy a.m. : clear, froit p.m. 15. Bright a.m. : clear, aurora 

 p.m. 10. Bright a.m. : rain p.m. 17. Cloudy a.m. : clear, aurora p.m. 18. Bright 

 a.m. : cloudy, aurora p.m. 19. Bright a.m. : cloudy p.m. 20. Bright a.m. : 

 cloudy, aurora p.m. 21, 22. Cloudy a.m. and p.m. 23. Clear a.m. : cloudy, aurora 

 P.M. 24. Cloudy a.m. : clear p.m. 25. Cloudy a.m. : slect-showers, lightning p.m. 

 26. Hail-shuwers a.m. : cloudy p.m. 27. Cloudy a.m. : showers p.m. 28. Sliowers 

 A.M. and P.M. 29. Showers a.m. : showers, aurora p.m. 30. Drizzle a.m. : 

 drizzle, aurora p.m. 31. Showers a.m. : cloudy p.m. 



Mean temperature of Jan. for twenty-seven previous years ... 38''-4C 



Mean temperature of this month 36 '47 



Mean temperature of Jan. 1853 38 "55 



Average quantity of rain in Jan. for thirteen previous years . 4'35 inches. 



