Meteorological Observations. 167 



When we recollect what great discoveries have been already made 

 in the investigations of fossil botany by means of the microscope, 

 and look to the inestimable value of the information obtained by 

 Professor Owen, as to the structure of the teeth of fossil fishes, rep- 

 tiles, and mammals, and see the wonderful results of the application 

 of this new power to the examination of chalk and flint by Professor 

 Ehrenberg*, Mr. Lonsdale and Mr. Bowerbank, we may justly con- 

 gratulate ourselves on the commencement of a new^ epoch in micro- 

 scopic palaeontology. — Address delivered at the Anniversary Meeting 

 of the Geological Society, IS^l. 



EXPEDITION TO TORRES STRAITS AND NEW GUINEA. 



The Fly, one of the vessels destined for the survey of Torres Straits, 

 will sail from Plymouth in a few days, and, we are happy to learn, with 

 an active botanical collector on board, and Mr. Jukes for zoology. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR FEB. 1842. 



Chiswick. — February 1. Overcast : very fine : clear. 2. Very fine: slight rain 

 in the evening. 3. Slight haze. 4. Calm with slight haze. 5. Hazy. 6. Dry 

 haze: fine. 7. Sleet. 8. Foggy. 9. Overcast: fine. 10. Slight haze. 11, 

 12. Cloudy. 13. Clear and fine. 14—16. Very fine. 17. Foggy, 18. Clear 

 and fine. 19. Frosty and foggy. 20. Drizzly. 21. Overcast: clear. 22. 

 Drizzly : cloudy. 23. Thickly overcast : cloudy : rain. 24. Cloudy. 25. Cold 

 rain : showery. 26. Showery : clear and cold. 27. Stormy showers : heavy 

 rain : densely overcast. 28. Fine : overcast : stormy at night. 



Boston. — Feb. 1. Fine: rain early a.m. 2, 3. Fine. 4. P'oggy. 5, 6. Cloudy. 

 7. Cloudy : snow a.m. : rain p.m. 8. Cloudy : rain p.m. 9. Foggy. 10. Cloudy. 

 11. Fine : rain P.M. 12. Cloudy. 13— 16. Fine. 17, 18. Cloudy. 19. Foggy. 

 20. Fine. 21. Cloudy: rain a.m. and p.m. 22. Fine. 23. Cloudy: rain p.m. 

 24. Rain. 25. Rain: rain early a.m. : snow a.m. 26. Cloudy : snow early a.m. 

 27. Cloudy: rain a.m. 28. Stormy. 



Sdiidwick Manse, Orhiei/. — Feb. 1. Cloudy: showers. 2. Showers: aurora. 

 3. Cloudy : clear. 4, 5. Fine. 6. Damp : frost. 7. Frost : aurora. 8. Frost : 

 cloudy. 9, 10. Clear: rain. 11. Clear: showery. 12. Showery. 13. Clear: 

 cloudy. 14. Cloudy : aurora. 15. Showers: aurora. 16. Cloudy. 17. Fine. 

 18. Cloudy : showers. 19. Cloudy: rain. 20. Showers. 21. Clear. 22. Clear: 

 cloudy. 23. Cloudy. 24. Clear : cloudy. 25. Clear. 26, 27. Frost : sleet- 

 showers. 28. Showers. 



Ap])legarUi Manse, Dumfries-shire. — Feb. 1, 2. Fine: thaw. 3. Frost a.m. : 

 fog p.m. 4. Thaw and slight rain a.m. 5. Frost : fine. 6. Dull and cloudy, 

 but freezing. 7. Frost : still dull. 8. Frost : clear. 9. Thaw and heavy rain 

 P.M. 10. Wet morning : blew strong. 11,12. Very wet and stormy. 13. Wet. 

 14. Slight showers. 15. Slight showers : cleared r.M. 16. Frost a.m. : fair all 

 day. 17. Dull and moist. IS, 19. Fine and fair. 20. Fine and fair, but high 

 wind. 21 — 23. Rain a.m. : cleared. 24. Frost a.m.: fine. 25. Wet a.m.: 

 cleared p.m. 26. IJain p.m. 27. Snow, hail, rain and wind. 28. Rain. 



Sun shone out 24 days. Rain fell 15 days. Frost 7 days. Snow and hail 1 

 day. Fog 1 day. 



Wind north-north-east 1 day. East-north-east 1 dny. East 3 days. East- 

 south-east 3 days. South 4 days. South-south-west 7 days. South-west 4 days. 

 West-south-west 1 day. West 5 d;iys. 



Calm 5 days. Moderate 1 2 days. Brisk 2 days. Strong breeze 4 days. Boiste- 

 rous 2 days. Stormy 3 days. 



Mean temperature of the month 87°*7 



Mean temperature of February 1841 36 -50 



Mean temperature of spring-water 44 '30 



Mean temperature of spring-water, P'ebruary 1841 ... 42 -60 



* See vol. vii. p. 398, and Scientific Memoirs, part x. 



