4 OF CLOUDS. CHAP. 1. 1. 



references to those passages in the writings of 

 the ancients which appear to bear upon the 

 subject. 



I shall not pretend, however, to give exactly 

 M. Howard's observations, but only an abstract 

 of the principal facts, as far as they immediately 

 relate to the origin and appearances of the 

 clouds ; for further particulars, I refer the reader 

 to the original paper [printed in the Philosophi- 

 cal Magazine. 



SECTION I. 



Of the artificial Distinction of Clouds. 



CLOUDS are distinguished by seven modifi- 

 cations, the peculiarities of which seem to be 

 caused by the agency of electricity : for example, 

 three primary modifications, the CIRRUS, the 

 CUMULUS, and the STRATUS; two, which may 

 be considered as intermediate in their nature, the 

 CIRROCUMULUS and CIRROSTRATUS; one, which 

 appears to be a compound, the CUMULOSTRATUS; 

 and, lastly, the CUMULOCIRROSTRATUS, or 

 NIMBUS, a state which immediately precedes 

 and attends the resolution of clouds into water, 

 and is therefore called the RAINCLOUD. 



