TRANSACTIONS OP TUB SECTIONS. 65 



perhaps as great, if not greater than had ever occurred in England since the iBven- 

 tion of the thenuonieter, it appeared desiraljlo to record so unusual a degree of cold, 

 together Avith its destructive eiibcts in the midland counties. Some idea of the fear- 

 fid ravages amongst trees and plants might be gathered from the fact that not only- 

 had numerous branches of the oak been damaged, but in some instances large 

 trees themselves had been Irilled. The summits of hills had escaped much of the 

 ravages of the frosts that had been so seriously felt in the valleys. He gave a long 

 list of the destruction of trees and plants as recorded in the report at the Highfield 

 House Observatory, and stated that the destruction of birds and insects was also 

 very great. One circumstance Tvith regard to this excessive cold, which he recorded 

 at the time, he wished to repeat. He alluded to large icicles which he had seen 

 formed at the nose of a horse. Turning to tho teniperature, there were frosts every 

 night from the 12th of December to the 19th of January, the temperature on the 

 grass on the coldest nights being from 21° 5' on tho ISth af December, down as 

 low as 17° 5' on tho 10th of January. At four feet above the ground tho greatest 

 cold was on the 24th of December, ,(JP 5', and on the 2otli — 8-0. The mean tempe- 

 ratures of the coldest days were 13° 3' on the 24th, 4° 0' on the 25th, 22° 6' on the 

 26th, 23° 6' on the 28th, and 21° T on the 29th. The greatest heat only reached 

 12° on the 2.5th, and only 10° in full simshine. During this excessive cold wea- 

 ther he had delicate thermometers placed at various heights above the ground, up 

 to 27 feet. These instruments were used constantly. The thermometers were all 

 compared with the standard presented to him by the British Association. He 

 named this, as ho was aware that some meteorologists conceived that the records 

 given were impossible for the climate of England. Nevertheless he had the con- 

 firmation of 27 iustriiments placed on and above the ground, and also on his 

 observator}-, and giving a temperature of from 7° to 14° below zero, according to 

 the circunistances under which they were placed. He could vouch for the accuracy 

 of the readings of his instruments ; and as he had an equal number of mercurial 

 and spirit thermometers, it could scarcely be possible for the temperature given to 

 be far from tho truth. AVliatever might be the opinion as regarded the actual 

 temperature, there could be no doubt as regai'ded the destruction, which exceeded 

 anything remembered by tho oldest person. In 1854 a temperature of 4° below zero 

 destroyed many trees, but the destruction in 1860 was very much gi'eater. 



Letter from Captain Mattky. {Communicated hy the Lords Commissioners 



of tJi^ AdmiraUy). 



Admiralty, September, 1861. 

 Sm, — I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit 

 to you herewth copy of a letter, dated April, 1861, from Commander Maury, of 

 the United States, which has been referred to their Lordships by Her Majesty's 

 Under Secretary of State for Foreign Aliairs, m'giug the importance of an Expedi- 

 tion to the Antarctic Regions, for meteorological and other scientiiic purposes ; and 

 I am to request that you will lay tho same before the proper Section of the British 

 Association, at its Annual Meeting at Manchester. 



I am, Sir, youi' obedient Servant, 



W. G. EOMAINE. 



77*6 General Secretary of the British Associatimu 



Observatory, &c., Washington, April, 1861. 

 My dear Lord Lyons, — You are no doubt aware that all, or nearly all the 

 States of Christendom that uso the sea, have practically agreed to unite in carrying 

 on, through their Navies at sea, a series of observations for tho improvement of 

 navigation and the benefit of commerce, and tJiat men learned in the physics of the 

 sea and air have been appointed in Norway and Sweden, in Russia, Denmark, 

 Holland, France, England, Spain, Italy, and 'Portugal, to take charge of these ob- 

 servations, and either to discuss them themselves, or so to dispose of them that 

 they may be treated by experts and tho results made known to all concerned ; and 

 tliat from tlie Bureaus estaMislied for this purpose in Holland, London, and Paris, 

 highly important results have been already obtained and given to tho world as the 

 common property of all. These results, by rendering navigation less dangerous and 

 1861. 5 



