Meteorological Observations. 447 



the section of tlie great genus Equus of which Dr. Gray has formed 

 his genus Asinvs. It is most nearly alhed to the Djiggetai (Equus 

 (Asiims) Ilemionus), hut dift'ers from that species in the smaller size 

 and hotter shajie of the head, its shorter ears, and its tail partially 

 covered with long hairs. It thus appears to he intermediate hctween 

 the Djiggetai and the Horse, for which reason M. Saint-IIilaire pro- 

 poses to name it Jujnns hemippus. Its colour is the same as that of 

 the Djiggetai, and, like that species, it has a I)lackish mane and dor- 

 sal line. It is su])])osed to he a native of the deserts of Syria between 

 Palmyra and Bagdad. — Compfes Rent/us, Dec. 31, 18.J5, p. 1214. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR MARCH 1856. 



Chistvick. — March I. Cloudy : fine. 2. Cloudy : slight rain. 3, 4. Cloudy and 

 cold. 5. Overcast. 6. Cloudy and cold : fine. 7. Cloudy: fine. 8. Fine : slight 

 rain. 9. Cloudy. 10. Foggy: fine. 11. Foggy: hazy: frosty at night. 12. 

 Clear and frosty : cloudy and windy. 13. Cold and dry. 14. Excessively cold 

 wind : clear, cold and dry. 15. Cloudy. 16. Shght haze : heavy rain at night. 

 17. Hazy. 18. Hazy: fine rain. 19,20. Hazv : overcast 21. Ilazv : cloudy. 



22. Overcast : fine. '23. Hazy : fine: clear. 24', 25. Hazy and cold. 26. Cloudy 

 and cold. 27. Clear : fine : frosty. 23. Cloudy and cold. 29. Dry cold haze': 

 frosty at night. 30. Slight haze : fine : sharp frost. 31. Slight haze : very fine: 

 frosty. 



Mean temperature of the montli 38°-95 



Mean temperature of March 1855 37 'Gl 



Mean temperature of March for the last thirty years 42 "09 



Average amount of rain in March 1-344 inch. 



Boston. — March 1, 2. Cloudy. 3. Cloudy: rain p.m. 4, 5. Cloudy. 6. Cloudy: 

 rain a.m. 7 — 9. Fine. 10. Cloudy. 11. Cloudy: snow a.m. 12, 13. Cloudy. 



14. Fine. 15. Cloudy. 16. Fine. 17. Cloudy : rain a.m. and p.m. 18. Cloudy : 

 rain P.M. 19. Cloudy : rain a.m. 20. Cloudy. 21. Cloudy : rain a.m. and p.m. 

 22—26. Cloudy. 27. Fine. 28. Cloudy. 29—31. Fine. 



Sandwich Manse, Orkney. — March 1. Cloudy a.m. : fine, drizzle p.m. 2. Drizzle 

 a.m. : fine, cloudy f.m, 3. Damp a.m. : fine, clear p.m. 4. Showers, fine a.m. : 

 fine, cloudy p.m. 5. Damp a..m. : fine,' aurora p.m. 6. Drops .\.m. : fine p.m. 

 7. Fog A.M. and p.m. 8. Showers a.m. : fine, aurora p.m. 9. Showers a.m. : 

 cloudy P.M. 10. Frost a.m. : clear, frost p.m. 11, 12. Snow-showers a.m. and 

 p.m. 13. Snow, frost a.m. : clear, frost p.m. 14. Clear, frost a.m. : very clear p.m. 



15. Bright a.m.: very clear, aurora p.m. 16. Clear a.m.: very clear p.m. 17. 

 Bright a.m.: cloudy p.m. 18. Cloudy a.m. and p.m. 19. Bright a.m. : cloudy 

 p.m. 20, 21. Cloudy, fine a.m. and p.m. 22. Bright, fine a.m.: clear, fine p.m. 



23, 24. Cloudy a.m. : cloudy, fine p.m. 25. Cloudy a.m. : clear, fine p.m. 26. 

 Bright A.M. : cloudy, fine p.m. 27. Bright a.m. : clear, aurora p.m. 28. Cloudy 

 a.m.: very clear, fine p.m. 29. Clear a.m. : very clear, fine p.m. 30. Cloudy 

 a.m. : very clear, fine, aurora p.m. 31. Bright a.m. : cloudy, fine p.m. 



Mean temperature of March for previous twenty-nine years... 40'*40 



Mean temperature of this month 40 '39 



Mean temperature of March 1855 36 '61 



Average quantity of rain in March for fifteen previous years . 2*60 inches. 



This month has heen unprecedentedly dry, the rain being only about one-eighth 

 of the average for March, and less than that of any month during my obsenatious, 

 except .\pril 1852, when it was only -11 of an inch. Rain fell only on eight days. 



