286 THE NATURAL HISTORY [LETT. 



A circumstance that I must not omit, because it was new to 

 us, is, that on Friday, December the 10th, being bright sunshine, 

 the air was full of icy spiculae, floating in all directions, like 

 atoms in a sunbeam let into a dark room. We thought them, 

 at first, particles of the rime falling from my tall hedges ; but 

 were soon convinced to the contrary, by making our observa- 

 tions in open places where no rime could reach us. Were they 

 watery particles of the air frozen as they floated ; or were they 

 evaporations from the snow frozen as they mounted ? 



We were much obliged to the thermometers for the early 

 information they gave us ; and hurried our apples, pears, 

 onions, &c., into the cellar, and warm closets ; while those who 

 had not such warnings, or neglected them, lost all their stores 

 of roots and fruits, and had their very bread and cheese frozen. 



I must not omit to tell you, that, during those two Siberian 

 days, my parlour-cat was so electric, that had a person stroked 

 her, and been properly insulated, the shock might have been 

 given to a whole circle of people. 



I forgot to mention before, that, during the two severe days, 

 two men, who were tracking hares in the snow, had their feet 

 frozen ; and two others, who were much better employed, had 

 their fingers so affected by the frost, while they were thrashing 

 in a barn, that a mortification followed, from which they did 

 not recover for many weeks. 



This frost killed all the furze and most of the ivy, and -in 

 many places stripped the hollies of all their leaves. It came 

 at a very early time of the year, before old November ended ; 

 and yet may be allowed from its effects to have exceeded any 

 since 1739-40. 



