362 Meteorological Observations. 



which the thermometer exhibited the temperature to be below zero 

 during the winter, was 168°.* We had seventy one inches of snow 

 and hail during the year, which was forty five inches less than that which 

 fell within the year preceding. The quantity of water, which fell in 

 rain, hail and snow was 45.5 inches, of which 22.2 inches fell in 

 day time, and 23.3 at night. February was the coldest month within 

 the year. The temperature of the first fifteen days of the month of 

 March was 6° below that of December, 3° below that of January, 

 and about the same as that of February. The Aurora Borealis was 

 seen only on eleven nights during the year, which was forty five less 

 than within the twelve months preceding the 1st of May, 1831. 

 Why such a vast difference of this phenomenon should thus occur 

 within the term of three years, is truly inexplicable. Sudden changes 

 .and extreme temperature of the atmosphere have occurred more 

 frequently than usual during the last year. On the low lands we 

 had frosts every month, during the year. There were frosts on the 

 28th of June, on the 28th of July, on the 26th of August, and on 

 the 14th of September, the latter of which was very injurious to the 

 late crops. Insects, of all kinds, were rarely ever more numerous, 

 or more injurious to the crops, especially on the highlands in Ver- 

 mont. The season was unfavorable for fruit of any kind — plumbs 

 and peaches we had none j and most of the trees of the latter were 

 destroyed by the severity of the winter of 1831-2. 



On the 18th day of August we had a celestial exhibition of Mush- 

 room clouds, which was so interesting to me, at the time, that I will 

 briefly notice it. 



On that day I was on high land, in Vermont, where I had a full 

 view of the western horizon. The morning was unusually clear and 

 pleasant. About 10 o'clock A. M. bright cumulous clouds of a very 

 slender form, arose from north west to south west. When these 

 clouds had risen to the height of about 20° above the horizon, nearly 

 at the same time, strata clouds were formed, which lay horizontally 

 upon, and capped the cumulous, and they immediately assumed 

 the forms of Mushrooms. At one time, there were to be seen more 

 than twenty of these Mushroom clouds, which were nearly of the 

 same height and form. As soon as these aerial mushrooms were 

 completely formed, they appeared to become stationary, in their 





* As the number of days, over which these degrees are spread, is not specified, 

 we cannot know the average daily depression below zero. — Ed. 



