230 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 



the vapour-laden winds is usually supposed to depend 

 on the heat of the weather. In summer, for instance, 

 the clouds range higher, and therefore travel farther 

 inland before they fall in rain. In winter, on the con- 

 trary, they travel low, and hence the rain falls more 

 freely in the western than in the eastern counties 

 during winter. A similar relation prevails in the 

 Scandinavian peninsula Norway receiving more rain 

 in winter than in summer, while Sweden receives more 

 rain in summer than in winter. But this summer the 

 rain-clouds have blown so much higher than usual 

 as to pass beyond England altogether. Possibly we 

 may find an explanation in the fact that before reaching 

 our shores at all the clouds were relieved by heavy 

 rainfalls probably due to some exceptional electrical 

 relations over parts of the Atlantic Ocean. It is 

 stated that the steam-ships from America this summer 

 were, in many instances, drenched by heavy showers 

 until they neared the coasts of England. 



(From the Daily New, October 5, 1868.) 



A SHOWER OF SNOW-CRYSTALS. 



YESTERDAY morning a remarkably fine fall of snow- 

 stars took place over many parts of London. The 

 crystals were larger and more perfectly formed than 

 is commonly the case in our latitudes, where the con- 

 ditions requisite for the formation of these beautiful 

 objects are less perfectly fulfilled than in more northerly 



