Meteorology — Chemistry. 181 



1 1. Highest and Lowest Temperature on the Earth's Surface. — M. Gay 

 Lussac has stated, — 1. That in no place on the earth's surface, nor at any 

 season, will the thermometer, a few yards above the ground, and sheltered 

 from reflections, reach the 114°.8 of Fahrenheit. 2. That, on the open sea, 

 the temperature of the air will never attain the 87°.8 of Fahrenheit. 3. 

 That, the greatest cold in the air has been — 58° of Fahrenheit- 4. That, 

 the temperature of the ocean never rises above 86° of Fahrenheit. 



18. Remarkable Auroral Arch on the 19th March. — A very beautiful 

 auroral arch was seen in Edinburgh on the 19th March, between 10 and 

 11 o'clock, p. m. Pollux and most of the large stars of the Great Bear 

 were included in it. It extended both to the east and west horizon, and 

 passed as far to the south of Orion's belt as the length of the belt itself. 

 The aich, which passed over that zenith, was widest there, (about the 

 breadth of Orion's belt,) and became narrower as it approached the hori- 

 zon ; but about 20° above the western horizon, the arch bent towards the 

 north, and at the place of bending, the auroral light contracted, and was 

 more intense. The light was for a long time perfectly steady ; but when 

 it began to break up, it exhibited the irregular motion of the aurora. The 

 usual aurora appeared at the same time in the north, but formed no connec- 

 tion with the arch now described. The barometer stood at 30.4 inches, 

 and the thermometer at 30° Fahrenheit. 



19. Bosson s Observations on Waterspouts. — The particulars of this phe- 

 nomenon seem to have been carefully observed by M. Bosson. One of the 

 most remarkable effects which he noticed, was that in the direction taken 

 by the waterspout, the trees put out new blossoms, a circumstance which 

 he attributed to the privation of leaves, an elevation of temperature, and 

 the humidity of the atmosphere. The following conclusions are deduced 

 by M. Bosson : 



1. The action of the waterspout showed itself in a valley. 



2. Its direction continued always the same, in spite of the hills and val- 

 lies over which it passed. 



3. The elevation of the ground rendered its effects more remarkable. 



4. Whenever it met heights of a conical form it moved round them. 



5. It crossed the river Le Vegre without following its course. 



5. It developed heat to such a great degree, that some persons experi- 

 enced a sensation analogous to that of burning. 



7. It displayed all the ordinary phenomena of a terrestrial waterspout, 

 by exhibiting a mass of vapours similar to a dense cloud of a conical form, 

 making a dreadful noise, throwing out flashes of lightning, spreading an 

 odour like that of thunder, and scattering all round it a great quantity of 

 water. — Journal de Pharmacie, March 1825, p. 147. 



II. CHEMISTRY. 

 20- Cold produced bij the Combination of Metals. — According to M. Do- 

 bereiner, the fusible metal consists of one atom of lead, one of tin, and two 

 of bismuth ; and it becomes fluid when exposed to a heat of 210.* If the 



1 



