METEOROLOGY. 239 
when the mean velocity was 6.64 miles. These statements agree very nearly 
with those made in the preceding year, when the most windy hour was from 2 to 
3 P.M. and the calmest hour, from midnight to 1 A.W. 
Rain and Snow.—The depth of rain 33.274 inches, shows an increase of more than 
5 inches on that of the year 1858, and was 2.415 above the average. The depth 
of snow shows also an increase of 9 inches on that of the preceding year. This 
however, was principally due to the heavy falls in December, as the amount that 
fell in other months was below the average in every case but in January, when it 
exceeded it only by about 3 inches. The total depth of rain and melted snow 
exceeded the average by 2.724 inches. 
November was the most rainy month with respect to the amount of rain, end 
June with respect to its frequency. The smallest amount of rain fellin February, 
and the fewest rainy days occurred in December. 
The heaviest rain occurred on August 23rd, when it fell to the depth of 1.655 
inches, and the heaviest fall of snow on December 18th, when the depth was 
estimated at 6 inches. 
The fall of rain was distributed over 127 days, and the fall of snow over 87 
days, including 23 days which occurred in December alone; and there were 169 
days only, or Jess than half the year, without either rain or snow. 
The rain occupied about 514 hours and the snow about 380 hours in its fall, 
-making thus a total of about 894 hours, or 874 days, during which either rain 
or snow was falling ; a resultit is to be remarked differing only by about one day 
from that of last year. 
The hour at which rain or snow was most frequent, was between 2 P.M. and 
3 P.M. and the hour most free from rain and snow, on the average of the year, was 
between 1 A.M. and 2 A.M. 
Thunderstorms.—There were 30 thunderstorms, reckoning as such those cases 
in which thunder or lightning occurred accompanied by rain or hail, besides 16 
instances in which the thunder or lightning occurred singly or together, but 
without rain or hail. 
Auroras.—-The auroras in 1859 were not quite so numerous as in 1858, but 
there was an increase in the number of days in which those of the first class were 
observed. The aurora of August 28th, and the following days, was probably one 
of the most remarkable ever recorded, when considered with respect to its 
brilliancy, its duration, and the extent of the earth’s surface at which it was 
visible. It was accompanied by an extraordinary magnetic disturbance. The 
magnets were deflected from their normal positions to the extent of about 2° 7’ 
in the delination and 2° 20/ in the dip; and in the horizontal and vertical 
components of the force, there was a departure from their normals, of about .08 
and .006 of their respective normal absolute values. The magnitude of these 
deviations will be better appreciated when it is remembered that a disturbance is 
reckoned large when the declination differs 5', the dip 1/, the horizontal force 
-0012, and the vertical force .00026, from their respective normals. 
The following is the general Meteorological abstract for the year 1859, deduced 
from the observations taken at the Provincial Observatory : 
