METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 427 



from the earth, are bound in by the frost, and not suffered to 

 escape till released by the thaw. No wonder then that the 

 surface is all in a float ; since the quantity of moisture by evapo- 

 ration that arises daily from every acre of ground is astonishing. 

 WHITE. 



FROZEN SLEET. 



January 20. Mr. H.'s man says that he caught this day in a lane 

 near Hackwood park, many rooks, which, attempting to fly, fell 

 from the trees with their wings frozen together by the sleet, that 

 froze as it fell. There were, he affirms, many dozen so disabled. 

 WHITE. 



MIST, CALLED LONDON SMOKE. 



This is a blue mist which has somewhat the smell of coal smoke, 

 and as it always comes to us with a N.E. wind, is supposed to come 

 from London. It has a strong smell, and is supposed to occasion 

 blights. When such mists appear they are usually followed by dry 

 weather. WHITE. 



REFLECTION OF FOG. 



When people walk in a deep white fog by night with a lanthorn, 

 if they will turn their backs to the light, they will see their shades 

 impressed on the fog in rude gigantic proportions. This phenome- 

 non seems not to have been attended to, but implies the great 

 density of the meteor at that juncture. WHITE. 



HONEY-DEW.* 



June 4, 1783. Fast honey-dews this week. The reason of these 

 seem to be, that in hot days the effluvia of flowers are drawn up by 

 a brisk evaporation, and then in the night fall down with the dews 

 with which they are entangled. 



* Honey : dew is now ascertained to be the excrement of various species of aphides, and 

 would be extremely injurious to the tree or plant, were it always so prevalent as in some 

 very warm seasons. This may be observed whenever these insects have been allowed to 

 become too abundant in the green-house, or other plant-structures. The substance acts as 

 a varnish, shutting up the pores of the leaves or stem. It is extremely sweet to the taste, 

 and therefore attracts flies, and, where it is exceedingly abundant, also bees, which we rather 

 think employ it as they would sugar. 



