Meteorological Observations. 159 



blood-red colour is obtained. If the bottle be then exposed to the 

 action of light for some days, the liquor is decolorized ; and if the 

 external air is below 46° F. it crystallizes in long needles, which 

 disappear when the temperature rises. The product when treated 

 with alcohol is decomposed, and a whitish deposit is formed which 

 may be separated by the filter, and being dissolved in alcohol, cry- 

 stals are obtained by spontaneous evaporation. The filtered water 

 is strongly acid ; and when concentrated by a gentle heat it becomes 

 of a brownish-red colour. Phospliorus is insoluble in nicotina, but 

 sulphur dissolves in it. At 212° F. 100 of nicotina dissolve 10-58 

 of sulphur, the greater part of which is deposited in small needles 

 on cooling ; the nicotina becomes of a deep brown tint. — Ann. de 

 Ch. et de Phys., Juillet 1847 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DEC. 1847. 



Chiswkk. — December 1. Very fine: clear. 2. Frosty: overcast and mild. 

 S. Densely overcast : rain. 4. Clear : overcast : boisterous. 5. Fine. 6. Boiste- 

 rous, with rain : lightning at night. 7. Rain : cloudy and boisterous : clear and 

 windy at night. 8. Clear and cold. 9. Rain : overcast. 10. Rain : cloudy. 

 11. Densely clouded : fine. 12 — 14. Very fine. 15. Very fine : slight rain. 

 16. Cloudy. 17. Slight rain. 18. Rain. 19. Fine: cloudy. 20. Cloudy. 

 21 — 23. Overcast. 24. Foggy. 25, 26. Overcast. 27, 2S. Cloudy. 29. Hazy. 

 30. Rain. 31. Hazy and damp. 



Mean temperature of the month 41°*09 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1846 31 -26 



Mean temperature of Dec. for the last twenty years 39 '59 



Average amount of rain in Dec l"5Sinch. 



Boston.— Dec. 1. Fine. 2. Fine: 8 o'clock p.m. thermometer 54°. 3. Cloudy : 

 rain p.m. 4. Fine : rain p..m. 5. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 6. Rain. 7. Rain : 

 stormy a.m. and p.m. 8. Fine : rain a.m. 9. Rain. 10. Fine. 11, 12. Cloudy. 

 13 — 15. Fine. 16. Rain. 17. Fine : rain early a.m. 18. Rain : rain a.m. and 

 P.M. 19. Fine. 20. Rain. 21. Fine. 22 — 29. Cloudy. SO. Snow : rain and 

 Bnow a.m. and P.M. SI. Rain : rain a.m. 



Applegarlh Manse, Dumfries -shire. — Dec. 1. Wet a.m. ; cleared and was fine. 

 2. Wet A.M. : damp all day. 3. Damp a.m. : cleared: fine. 4. Heavy rain and 

 high wind. 5. Rain : unsettled weather. 6. Shower of snow : frost. 7. Heavy 

 rain : frost a.m. 8. Fair, but cloudy. 9. Rain early a. ji : fine. 10. Showers. 

 11. Rain all night and morning. 12. Fair and fine. 13. Fair a.m. : rain and 

 wind p.m. 14. Fine a.m. : rain p.m. 15. Mild and fair a.m. : rain p.m. 16. Rain 

 nearly all day: flood. 17. Fair and mild : slight rain p.m. 18. Fair, but cloudy. 

 19. Frost A.M. : dull and cloudy. 20,21. Frost, slight. 22. Frost, hard : clear. 

 23. Fine : slight frost. 24. Fine. 25. Frost : fine and clear. 26. Fine : clear. 

 27,28. Frost: fine. 29. Heavy fall of snow. 30. Snow lying : frost, hard. 

 31. Frost, very keen : thermometer 11J°. 



Mean temperature of the month 40''*2 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1846 33*5 



Mean temperature of Dec. for twenty-five years 38 "19 



Mtan rain in Dec. for twenty years , 2'94 inches. 



