168 Scientific Intelligence. [Fess 
obliged if you will inform me, by means of your Journal, if i¢ carn 
be rendered combustible, or if it can only be ignited. 
ITremain, yours respectfully, 
Lb: 
Dec. 16, 1816. 
P.S. If it can be rendered combustible, you will perhaps notice 
the quantity of the ingredients. 
—=— 
It is so universally known that clay is not a combustible substance, 
that I can scarcely bring myself to believe that my correspondent is 
serious in the question which he has proposed. 1 have often seen 
the method suggested by the Lord Mayor practised in some parts of 
Scotland, which happen to be at a distance from coals, and far re- 
moved from water carriage. There can be no doubt that the dross 
of coals, which are destitute of the property of caking, may be 
rendered capable of combustion by this means, which it can scarcely 
be said to be while in powder. How far this mode of manufacturing 
the dross of caking coals would be an improvement, is a different 
question.—T. 
XX. Meteorological Register at New Malton, Yorkshire, for 
October, November, and December, 1816. By Mr. Stockton. 
Octolber.—Mean of barometer, 29°65; max. 30°09; min. 28°98; 
range, 11] inch. Spaces described, 5°94; number of changes, 
17. Mean of thermometer, 49°27°; max. 65°; min. 52°; range 
33°. Mean of de Luc’s whalebone hygrometer since the 19th, 
72°5°.—Prevailing winds, N. and E. N., 1; E.,2; N.E, 75 
S.E., 3; 8.5; W.,4; S.W., 3; N.W., 4; Var., 2. — Rain, 
3°02 inches ; total, 5°50 inches; wet days, 6; stormy, 2. 
During the nights of the Ist and 2d of this month the wind 
blew briskly from the S.W.; but.soon after sun-rise it veered to the 
opposite quarter, and was succeeded by heavy and incessant rain. 
When the moon attained her full, on the 6th, there was a consi- 
derable increase, both of pressure and temperature; and although 
we had a steady heavy rain from the N.E. on the Sth, yet the 
barometer kept steadily rising. The weather now became quite 
mild and autumnal, and the pressure and temperature continued 
high, and pretty uniform, until the last quarter, when both sus- 
tained a rapid depression. The winds, on the 19th and 20th, were 
very high from the W. and N.W., and particularly by night. On 
the 21st the air, which had long been cloudy, suddenly cleared up, 
and the next morning the temperature continued until nine at the 
freezing point. The frost this morning was extremely keen; but 
the wind veering from N.W. by W. to the S.W., with aboundance 
of the Cirrostratus, and the hygrometer at 86, indicated a change, 
which very speedily took place; for the 24th and 25th were ex- 
ceedingly wet, with high winds; and the loss in the barometrical 
