364 METEOROLOGICAL 



thaw. No wonder then that the surface is all in a float ; 

 since the quantity of moisture by evaporation that arises 

 daily from every acre of ground is astonishing. 



FROZEN SLEET. 



JANUARY 20. Mr. H.'s man says, that he caught this day, 

 in a lane near Hackwood Park, many rooks, which, attempt- 

 ing 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. 



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 north-east 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. 



REFLECTION OF FOG. 



WHEN people walk in a deep white fog by nightwith 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 phenomenon seems not to have been attended to, but 

 implies the great density of the meteor at that juncture. 



HONEYDEW. 



JUNE 4, 1783. Vast honeydews this week. The reason of 

 these seems 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. 1 



This clammy substance is very grateful to bees, who 

 gather it with great assiduity, but it is injurious to the trees 

 on which it happens to fall, by stopping the pores of the 

 leaves. The greatest quantity falls in still close weather ; 



1 The nature of honeydew has been already referred to in Letter 

 LXIV. to Daines Barrington, and the above explanation shown to be 

 erroneous. See p. 310 and note. ED. 



