TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 17 



biu-st with teiiific violence. The writer stated that these few facts led him to 

 conclude that changes of weather are produced, not merely by aerial and electrical 

 causes, but partly by subterranean causes. It was suggested that, if it were 

 thought sufficiently important to investigate the subject, it would be desirable to 

 obtain the magnetic disturbances at the time at the KewObsei-vatory, which is within 

 fifty miles N. W.— the very direction from which the earthquake-wave proceeded. 

 The writer's views were supported by an extract from a letter by Dr. Nicholson, of 

 Framfield, in which, after alluding to this earthquake, he says, "I have frequently 

 experienced in the West Indies similar shocks after a long drought, and am inclined 

 to attribute some of them at least to electricity, as propounded by Dr. Stukely in 

 1749, when an earthquake was felt in London and other parts of England." 



Diagram of the Great Storm of December 3, 1863, from the records of the self- 

 registering Instruments of 'the Liverpool Observatory. Bij John Hartntjp, 

 F.R.A.S., Director of the Observatory. 

 _ It is scarcely possible, by means of tables of figures, to convey an idea of the way 

 in which the diflerent meteorological instruments are aftected previous to and during 

 these destructive gales of wind, and I have therefore endeavoured to make the sub- 

 .]ect more intelligible by arranging the records under each other in a diagram. See 

 Plate III. 



As is not unfrequently the case, the heavy storm of the 3rd of December last was 

 preceded by a light gale on the 2nd, in which the fall and rise of the barometer, the 

 calm, and the changes in the direction of the wind were somewhat similar to those 

 which accompanied the heavy gale. The rapid fall of the barometer from midnight 

 to 6 a.m. on the 3rd, the calm between six and seven, and the sudden shift of wind 

 from east through south to west are all indications of the approaching storm. 



The barometer-tracing has been taken from the original record produced by 

 King's self-registering barometer. The strength and direction of the wind and the 

 rain-fall have been taken from the sheets of Osier's self-registering anemometer and 

 rain-gauge. The figures at the bottom of the diagram show the readings of the 

 thermometers as recorded during the storm. The changes of barometric pressure, 

 the strength and direction of the wind, and the fall of rain are shown on the dia- 

 gram, ft'om 9 A.M. on the 2nd to 9 a.m. on the 4th of December. 



On the Regression of Temperature during the Month of May. 

 By Professor Hennesst, F.B.S., M.B.I.A. 

 He referred to the various explanations ofiered with regard to this remarkable 

 phenomenon. Dry winds from Asia and Eastern Em-ope appear to be the direct 

 causes of high noctmnal radiation, as well as immediate cooling of the west of 

 Europe during May. Why these winds should produce these results in a manner 

 so remarkably periodical is the point requiring explanation. At this time the 

 isothermals of mean temperature are nearly parallel to the equator in the greater 

 part of oiu- continent ; therefore easterly winds could not directly arise from dif- 

 ferences of temperature. These winds might, however, be northeriy currents in 

 Asia, which the earth's rotation had gradually transformed into easterly winds 

 on reaching Western Europe. The Russian observatories in Siberia might furnish 

 facts to verify this conjecture. Another operating influence might also arise from 

 the diumal variations of wind-force and temperature, both of which are very 

 remarkable during May. If we conceive the distribution of atmospheric tem- 

 perature to be represented by a system of synthermal lines, showing the actual 

 temperature of different places at the same time, it appears from tables calculated by 

 the author, as well as from a graphical projection, that such lines would deviate 

 most from equatorial parallelism during May. The paper concluded by reference to 

 the frequent occurrences of warm dry summers following marked regressions of tem- 

 perature during the early part of May, and the remarkably cold and wet summer 

 of 1860 was mentioned as preceded by precisely the opposite phenomenon. 



Tlie Te^nperature and Rainfall at Bath. 

 By the Rev. L. Jentns, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.8. 

 The author stated that no register of the weather at Bath appeared to have been 

 1864. 2 



