56 Notice of the Rarer Atmospherical Phenomena in 1894. 



and usual succession of the colours, without any colourless in- 

 terval/ 1 (Ann. Phil. Vol. XIV. p. 472.) 



On the evening preceding that on which the supernumera- 

 ry rainbows were seen, a lunar rainbow was observed at Mid- 

 dleton, near Edinburgh, about 10 P. M. It is stated to have 

 been fully formed, and the segment of the circle, which 

 it described on a thick cloudy sky, everywhere distinctly, 

 and even strongly marked. It began to fade in a minute or 

 two after being first seen, and had totally disappeared in the 

 space of three minutes. It was of a dull white colour. (Edin- 

 burgh Evening' Courant.) 



During the first week of October we had very variable 

 winds, and a high temperature for the season ; the thermo- 

 meter ranging between 50° and 61°.5. The pressure varied 

 much. The 8th was the day of full moon ; and then we had 

 a commencement of the most stormy weather that has occur- 

 ed here since February 1823. It was during the 11th that 

 the storm bore the most marked features. The direction of 

 the wind varied a little, but it was mostly from the N. E. It 

 blew very steadily, and not in gusts ; and was so violent as 

 to tear the trees up by the roots, and drive the largest ships 

 from anchorages in general secure. The pressure here, dur- 

 ing that day, varied from 29-10 inches to 29.20, and remained 

 tolerably steady for several days. It appears, however, from 

 the Tableau Meteorologique of the observatory of Paris, that 

 there the pressure was much lower; and that although no 

 storm of any consequence happened in France, yet they ex- 

 pected one.* M. Nell de Breaute has published, in the Bibli. 

 Univer. for November, a note of the rapid descent of the mer- 

 cury at Dieppe, which fell to 718.73. mm. (=28.301. English 

 inches.) 



As lunar rainbows have long been considered the peculiar 

 harbingers of most stormy weather, it is interesting to find, 

 that no less than three of these rare phenomena were seen in 

 the course of five weeks, of what may be reckoned as boiste- 

 rous a period as has occurred here for many years past. One 

 of these has already been described ; the second was seen on 



* See our Last Number, p. 367, for an account of the dreadful storms 

 and inundations in the north of Europe. — Ed. 



