DISTANT SOUNDS. 413 



a town HEAR the BELLS of the town-church SOME 

 TIMES, and not at OTHERS? 



A. Fogs, rain, and snow, obstruct 

 the passage of sound \ but when the air 

 is told and clear, sound is propagated 

 more easily. 



Q. WHY can we NOT hear sounds (as distant 

 church bellsj in BAINY weather, so well as in FINE 

 weather ? 



A. Because the falling rain interferes 

 with the undulations of the sound-waves, 

 and breaks them up. 



Q. Why can we not hear sounds (as distant 

 church bells ) in SNOWT weather, so well as in FINE 

 weather ? 



A. Because the falling snow interferes 

 with the undulations of the sound-waves, 

 and stops their progress. 



Q. Why can we HEAR distant clocks MOST 

 distinctly in CLEAR COLD weather ? 



A. Because the air is most uniform 

 then : there are not two currents of air 

 (one up and one down) to interrupt the 

 sound-waves. 



Q. Why can persons hear the TOICES of men 

 in conversation for a MILE distant t near the 

 POLES, in winter time ? 



Na3 



