Meteorological Observations. 319 



2. Calothorax MicRURtTs, Gould. 



All the \ipi)er surface mealy bronzy green ; throat of a glittering 

 amethystine hue ; under surface buff, deepest on the sides ; tail 

 narrow, rigid and black. 



Total length, 2f inches; bill, ly%; wing, 1^^; tail, f. 



Hub. Peru. 



Remark. — This is a very diminutive species, and differs from all 

 others in the extreme shortness of the tail, which is exceeded in 

 length by both the upper and vmder coverts. — Proc. Zoul. Soc. 

 Nov. 22, 18.^3. 



AIETEOKOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR FEB. 1855. 



Chiswick. — Februan' 1. Clear: overcast. 2. Drifting snow. 3. Hazy. 4. Dense 

 fog : foggy throughout. 5. Overcast : drizzly. 6. Snow-flakes : slight rain, 

 7. Cloudy : clear and frosty. 8. Snowing : drifting snow : boisterous at night. 

 9. Overcast: sharp frost. 10. Clear and frosty: severe frost at night. 11. Ther- 

 mometer within 1 degree of zero : clear. 12. Overcast : clear and cold : partially 

 overcast. 13. Snowing: cloudy : clear : intense frost : thermometer at zero. 14. 

 Clear and cold. 15. Snow-flakes: bright sun : frosty haze. 16. Snow-showers: 

 overcast. 17. Snowing, with cold wind: clear : severe frost. 18. Frosty : hazy : 

 severe frost at night. 19. Uniform haze : clear and frosty. 20. Clear and frosty. 

 21. Overcast. 22. Hazy. 23. Overcast : snowing. 24. Fine. 25. Overcast, 

 26. Rain. 27. Foggy : rain. 28. Drizzly : large halo round the moon in the 

 evening. 



Mean temperature of the month 28°"01 



Mean temperature of Feb. 1854 37*67 



Mean temperature of Feb. for the last twenty-nine years ... 39 '07 

 Average amount of rain in Feb 1*54 inch. 



Boston. — Feb. 1. Cloudy. 2. Fine. 3. Cloudy : rain and hail p.m. 4. Foggy : 

 rain p.m. 5. Foggy : rain a.m. 6, 7. Cloudy : snow p.m. 8. Cloudy : stormy p.m. 

 9 — 11. Cloudy. 12 — 14. Fine. 15. Fine: snow a.m. 1G. Fine: thermometer 

 early a.m. 6°-5. 17 — 22. Fine. 2:5. Cloudy. 21. Fine : snow a.m. 25. Cloudy. 

 26. Cloudy : rain p.m. 27. Cloudy: snow a.m. 28. Cloudy. 



Sandwich Manse, Orkney. — Feb. 1. Damp a.m. : sleet-showers p.m. 2. Thaw, 

 bright a.m. : clear, frost p.m. 3. Thaw, showers a.m. : damp p.m. 4. Thaw, 

 damp A.M. : showers p.m. 5. Showers a.m. and p.m. 6. Sleet-showers a.m. : 

 clear p.m. 7. Clear, frost a.m. : snow-showers p.m. 8. Bright, frost a.m. : cloudy, 

 frost P.M. 9. Clear, frost a.m. : cloudy, frost p m. 10. Cloudy a.m. and p.m. 

 11. Snow-showers A.M. and p.m. 12. Snow-showers a.m. : snowing, aurora p.m. 

 13. Snow-drift a.m. : clear p.m. 14. Snow, bright a.m. : clear, aurora p.m. 15. 

 Snow, bright A. M : cloudy p.m. 16. Snow, bright a.m. : clear p..m. 17. Snow, 

 thaw A.M. : cloudy p.m. 18. Snow, clear a.m. : clear p.m. 19. Snow, clear a.m.: 

 cloudy P.M. 20,21. Snow, clear a.m. : clear, aurora p.m. 22. Snow, clear a.m. : 

 lunar halo p.m. 23. Snow, cloudy a.m. : snow drift p.m. 24. Snow drift a.m. and 

 P.M. 25. Snow, cloudy a.m. : snow, cleai" p.m. 26. Snow-showers a.m. : snow, 

 clear p.m. 27. Snow, bright a.m. : snow clouds p.m. 28. Thaw a.m. : rain p.m. 

 Mean temperature of Feb. for twenty-eight previous years . 38°*24 



Mea I temperature of this month 31 '64 



Mean temperature of Feb. 1854 39 -22 



Average quantity of rain in Feb. for fourteen previous years 339 inches. 



The mean temperature of this month is lower than that of any month for the 

 last twenty-eight years — the whole period of observation — except Februaiy 1838, 

 when it was 31^'31, and when there was snow during all the month and for tiu-ee 

 weeks previously. This month it lay from the 1 1th till the last day, and the drift 

 on the 23rd and 24th formed high wreaths in many places, rendering the roads 

 mpassable to vehicles. 



