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Miscellanies. 403 
19. Barometric Minima of February 16-19, 1842. —During the vio- 
lent gale, which swept along the coast of the United States a +4 
15th and 20th of February last, the oscillations of the 
very extraordinary and perhaps unprecedented. In Boston, the follow. 
ing were the observed altitudes of the mercury in that instrument, re- 
duced to the temperature 50°, to the mean — of the sea, and to sed 
true level of the cistern. 
Feb. 15, 10h. 30.36 
“16,13 = 28.47 fall: 1.89 in 27 hours. 
“- 17, 19 30:39 rise 1.92 in 30 «+ 
— “  18,° 2 30.39 stationary 5 hours. 
mo MOY Sor Q :29.46-° fall O99 ti VE a 
037 "+ 
2 30.43 rise 
Kéjiount of oscillations 5.71 inches in 4 <a 11 hours. 
aes least height [ had ever previously noticed in Boston, occurred 
, st, 1827, viz. 28.62, and the greatest on Jan. Ist, 1839, 31.11. 
Fro rom the above, it appears that the extreme range in Boston, in the 
course of many years is 2.64 inches, nearly three quarters of which 
were twice experienced in 57 hours sistance ek 15th and 17th last. 
Boston, March 7, 1842. Y 9B 
At New Haven, Conn.; the bargneptre meant oegurned Feb. 16ty 
10h. P.M., the column, when red ; 
Sone dagen blew: from °S: 62° E:; on the 17th, from’N. 
88° W.—Eps. 
dii08. 
20. Meteorite of Chéteau-Renard.—A fragment of the meteorite 
which fell near Chateau-Renard, in France, June 12, 1841, has been 
examined by M. Dufrénoy. The meteorite appears’ to have burst, at an 
elevation which cannot be determined, into several pieces, of which two 
only were seen to fall on the earth, about forty paces apart. One of 
these pieces falling on a rock was broken into a. multitude of small 
fragments; the other buried itself to a depth of about 20 centimetres, 
(8 inches, ) and has separated into but a few fragments, of which the 
largest is'85 centimetres (14 inches) long, and 11 centimetres (44 inches) 
wide, : 
The exterior of this stone is covered with the black crust which is 
observed on all meteorites. Its fracture is granular. A small vein tra- 
verses the whole mass. Externally this meteorite resembles trachyte ; 
it is of a clear gray, and is composed entirely of crystalline portions, 
Which cross each other as in the volcanic porphyries. However, the 
spherules of metallic iron, which are scattered with much uniformity, 
mass of the stone, indicate a different nature from that 
of any terrestrial product, for iron is not found here in a metallic state : 
