Meteorological Observations. 379 



The temperature of the autumn months was seasonable. In 

 September and October, much rain fell ; but not so much in 

 November. On the whole, the fall of 1831 may be considered 

 very pleasant. Not a single severe frost occurred till after the 

 middle of November ; but winter then set in, without any pre- 

 liminary steps, at least one month earlier than usual. 



The year 1831 exhibits several calamitous events in the his- 

 tory of the weather. The unrivalled snow-storm of January, ren- 

 dered the roads, for a time, impassable. The drought of May, 

 (which, however, was not very extensively felt,) excited the rea- 

 sonable apprehension of the husbandman ; whilst the subsequent 

 torrents of rain were still more injurious. Finally, the sudden 

 onset of v^dnter, for which many were unprepared, put a period 

 to the navigation of the rivers, and gave rise to much suffering 

 among the crews of vessels on the coast. 



The month of December, 1831, will hold a conspicuous place 

 in the annals of meteorology, and will require more particular no- 

 tice, in connexion with the winter of which it forms a part. 1 

 will take the liberty of remarking in this place, that the meteoro- 

 logical year ought to consist of four successive seasons, commencing 

 with December, or with March. According to the Julian calen- 

 dar, the year which begins with January, comprises only three 

 entire seasons, and portions of two winters. 



For the present, it will suffice to say, that the thermometer has 

 never before sunk to zero, in this month, since the commence- 

 ment of the 19th century— that the December of 1818 was the 

 only one which equalled it in its average degree of cold since 

 1807, and perhaps for a longer period — that during the same 

 term of 24 years, there was not so much snow in any one De- 

 cember, nor so small a quantity of rain. Before the termination 

 of the month, the ' old fashioned" winter was a topic of general 

 remark ; and it was discovered by many savans, that the " goose's 

 bone" predicted a hard winter 1 



In the following table, the mean given for each month is the 

 average of two series of observations ; the one taken at sun-rise, 

 and the other at noon, or a little after. The yearly temperature 

 of 51°, is at least one degree below the average standard of this 

 latitude, which may be ascribed almost entirely to the cold of 

 the last month of the year. In one column is given the number 

 of days in each month, on which high winds occurred, which 



