Meteorological Register. 63 
and was destroyed only by the moon’s pose behind a cloud a 
few moments before setting. 
To what cause these meteorological phenomena are usually at- 
tributed I know not, unless to atmospheric vapor; but in all 
these cases they seem fairly to owe their origin to the state of 
the air consequent on the intense cold. The air in such a state 
of cold is filled with minute crystals of frost, and the reflection 
from these is perhaps sufficient to account for the general, appear- 
ance. But the difference in the figure of these parhelia would 
seem to prove that this general cause must be subject to many 
modifications from other agents. Is this change of figure owing 
to the different forms which it is well known the crystals of snow ~ 
assume at different times? The explanation I leave with you. 
Meteorological Register. 
Below I have prepared a table of the average temperature, the 
weather, winds, &c., for the years 1838 and 1839, as observed by 
me at this place. Otisco is about fifteen miles west of south from 
Syracuse, and at an elevation of eight or nine hundred feet above 
that place, on the Seneca branch of the Erie Canal. 
1839 | 42 | 51 |184| 184 | 89| 55 |19) 66 |135) 62 23) 10 
The extreme range of the thermometer in 1838 was tet weeti 
— 8° on the last day of January, and 93° on the 9th day of July, 
giving 101°. The range for the year 1839 was —9°, January 
23d, and 90° on the 30th of July, giving 99°. An instance of 
those sudden changes which éccur in our climate, took place on 
the 19th of October, 1839, when the wind, which ‘during the fore 
part of the day had been S. W., at half past 2 o’elock suddenly 
veered to N. W., and the thermometer fell we 65° to 24° in 
three and a half hous: a difference of 41 d 
I have for several years noticed the fact, that einai may be 
the direction or course of the lower strata of clouds, that of the 
cirri, or highest of all clouds, is almost invariably from west to 
east. It is nothing uncommon to see the lower clouds drifting in 
heavy masses, and with a strong wind to the N. or N. E., while far 
above them, the streamers of the cirri are floating undisturbed 
towards the S. E. or E. Indeed it is very rarely observed that cir- 
ri take any other course, and it may fairly be inferred they never 
do, until by greater condensation they approach the nature of 
Year. Temperature. beer Days. bios and Course. = 
_ M.| 2, p. w.|Clear. Rain. |Snow. | 6. z| 
1838 a 1S 6a 300 im 78 i8| “72 lisa 66 Bol 6 9 is 
