394 METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



siderably dry, as soon as a thaw takes place, the 

 paths and fields are all in a batter. Country people 

 say that the frost draws moisture. But the true 

 philosophy is, that the steam and vapours continually 

 ascending from the earth, are bound in by the frost, 

 and not suffered to escape, till released by the thaw. 

 No wonder, then, that the surface is all in a float ; 

 since the quantity of moisture by evaporation that 

 arises daily from every acre of ground is astonishing. 



WHITE. 



FROZEN SLEET. January 20. Mr. H.'s man says, 

 that he caught this day, in a lane near Hackwood- 

 park, many rooks, which, attempting to fly, fell from 

 the trees with their wings frozen together by the 

 sleet, that froze as it fell. There were, he affirms, 

 many dozen so disabled. WHITE. 



MIST, CALLED LONDON SMOKE. This is a blue 

 mist, which has somewhat the smell of coal- smoke, 

 and as it always comes to us with a north-east wind, 

 is supposed to come from London. It has a strong 

 smell, and is supposed to occasion blights. When 

 such mists appear, they are usually followed by dry 

 weather. WHITE. 



REFLECTION ON FOG. When people walk in deep 

 white fog by night with a lanthorn, if they will turn 

 their backs to the light, they will see their shades 

 impressed on the fog in rude gigantic proportions. 

 This phenomenon seems not to have been attended 

 to, but implies the great density of the meteor at 

 that juncture. WHITE. 



HONEY DEW. June 4, 1783. Vast honey dews 

 this week. The reason of these seems to be, that, 

 in hot days, the effluvia of flowers are drawn up by 



