Chap.V. ON T.HE WEATHER. 481 



Bees. 



The bees could lay in but a finall ftock of provifions lail year, on 

 account of the fcarcity of flowers, occafioned by the drought of the 

 feafon. Three fourths of our hives perilhed with hunger during the 

 winter, and we had very few fwarms. 



Height of the W a t e r . 



All our high fprings became dry, and remained Co, notwithfland- 

 ing the rains in November and December : but our fprings in low 

 grounds continued to run plentifully. 



SECT. II. 



Ol>fervations 07z the Tear 1756. 



January, 



THIS month was mild and wet : it rained almofl: erery day: %vs 

 had ^nly fome hoar-frofts, and the thermometer was never 

 more than three degrees and a half below the freezing point. The 

 earth was fo wet, that no ground could be tilled, nor could any car- 

 riage go in the fields. The legs of the horfes of our ftage waggons, 

 by being always in the water, fwelled. The fkin peel'd off after- 

 wards with the hair, and no bad confequence enfued. 



The quickfilver of the barometer was in continual motion : its va- 

 riation extended from 27, to 28 inches and a half. 



On the 13th, at night, we had a furious blaft oi wind, which 

 happily lafted but a quarter of an hour. 



Febr u ar y. 



This month may be faid to have been a mild one, tho^ there was 

 a hoar-froft almofl every morning. It may likewife be faid to have 

 been wet ; becaufe, though we had no heavy fliowers, yet the fky 

 was almofl conflantly clouded, and fmall milling rains fell very 

 frequently. 



The barometer varied greatly and fuddenly during all this month. 

 It rofe to above 28 inches and one-fixth, and fell below 26 inches and 

 a half. 



In the morning of the 1 8 th, on which day fome fhocks of an earth-, 

 quake were felt at Paris, and in other places, the thermometer 



Q^q q was 



