FALLS OF DUST IN THE ATLANTIC. 625 



East. At daylight, the decks, rigging, spars, arid paint-work were covered 

 with mud : and as the sun dried it, it had the appearance of a very fine 

 red mould, with no sand in it." 



The foUowing further information on this subject is derived from fifty- 

 nine observations of Eed Dust recorded in the log-books examined at the 

 Meteorological Office, in the study of the region between lat. 10° S. and 

 20° N. from long. 10° to 40° W. Of these, only one occurs in Square 38 ; 

 24 in Square 39; and 14 in Square 40; 13 in the northern half of Square 3; 

 and 7 in the northern half of Square 4 (see diagram, page 481). In the 

 different months the numbers are as follow : — January 12, February 5, 

 March 6, April 12, May 1, June 5, July 3, August 0, September 0, 

 October 3, November 0, December 12. 



The most Westerly observations are :— Lat. 17° 30' N., long. 38° 30' W., 

 10 a.m., April 13th, 1859: Eed Dust still falling; wind N.E. by E„ 

 force 4. In lat. 14° 30' N., long. 37° 30' W., 10 a.m., April 12th, 1859: 

 Eed Dust still falling in large quantities; wind N.E. byE., force 4. In 

 lat. 12° 30' N., long. 38° 30' W., 4 p.m., December 29th, 1865 : Sails 

 tinted with "cloud " Dust; wind E. by N., force 6. At 6 a.m. the clouds 

 were said to be tinted brick-dust colour. At noon, indications of " cloud " 

 Dust. The most Southerly observation is in lat. 4° 30' N., long. 

 24° 30' W., January 15th, 1866 : Our sails coloured quite red with 

 African Dust; wind N.E. 



On February 24th, 1879, a heavy S.S.E. gale brought a thick layer of 

 similar Eed Dust over the city of Naples; this was considered to have come 

 from the African deserts. 



On March 4th, 1889, a fall of yellow Dust, probably blown off the 

 American coast, was experienced on the Oscar, Capt. Le Moult, in lat, 

 30° 4' N., long. 70° W., or about 420 miles from the coast. A fall of red 

 Dust was also experienced near this position on April 3rd, 1884, on the 

 ship Ida, Capt. Schneider.* 



Land-birds &nd Insects are frequently seen far out at sea; and in the 

 region we are now treating of, the ships' logs record many instances, by 

 far the most numerous naturally occurring between longitudes 20° and 

 30° W., or in the tracks of vessels to the Equator. The latitude, however, 

 points to West Africa as the origin of these remarkable wanderers ; be- 

 tween 3° and 10° N. (long. 20° to 30° W.) about 75 observations are recorded, 

 while between 3° N. and 10° S. only 9 reports. It would clear up many 

 doubts, if the species of the various strays was known; doubtless, many of 

 the insects were shipped in the caterpillar or chrysalis state, and emerged 

 as perfect insects during the voyage. Some of the land-birds, too, no doubt, 

 had escaped from passing vessels. 



* " Staubfalle im Nordatlantischen Ocean," in " Annalen der Hydrographi-e, "1889, • 

 pages 4.50 — 454. See also same for 1891, pages 313 — 318. 



N. A. 0. 80 



