310 CONTRIBUTIONS TO METEOROLOGY. 
reading for a series of years has been in July ; and February, for a corresponding 
number of years, has indicated the lowest reading, but December of this year (1859) 
shows a minimum of 4.38 degrees compared with a series of years, and January 
2.36 degrees below the average or mean of a like series of years. The lowest 
reading of the year was on the 10th of January, and at 6 A. M. indicated —43°6 
(below zero,) a degree of cold almost unprecedented in the annals of Canadian 
Meteorology, the cold term showed .124 hours 30 minutes, during which the Ther- 
mometer was below zero. Mercury froze in open vessels—the mean temperature 
of the 9th day was —27°8, of the 10th —29°O, and of the 12th —28°2. This 
cold term was felt generally throughout Canada and the Eastern States, and 
travelled from the west, eastward. At Rochester, which is 4° 15’ West of this 
Observatory, and 398 feet higher above sea level, the extreme cold was felt some 
hours earlier than at this place. At New York the temperature was —9°0; at 
Boston, —14°8; at Toronto, —26°5; at Quebec, —40°8 ; at Huntingdon, —44°0, 
and Mercury was said to have become quite hard in fifteen minutes, when exposed 
in asaucer. The great absolute range or climatic difference for the year, was 
142.8 degrees, and the monthly range of temperature (or climatic difference) was 
as follows: 
Jandary iis). 66s 2)4 88°O | May ............ 69°0 | September ....... 4992 
February ........ BBQ dune) 1). sei iele 9 to 59°9 | October ......... 638°%7 
Miarehy irs s (4) sate: DOOM) | iehillivinsslabapera ie feteie 61°6 | November........ 48°0 
April. JR fas chee 60% | August oi)... .e 54°7 | December ....... 749% 
The mean temperature of the Winter Quarter was 12°96, of the Spring Quarter 
42°66, of the Summer Quarter 66°10, and of the Autumn Quarter 42°03. 
Frost occurred in every month of the year. ‘The ‘Thermometer, sunk eighteen 
inches in the ground, indicated in May a temperature of 58°, in June 66°10, in 
July 76°2, and in August 73°0. 
Humidity of the Atmosphere.—The mean velative.amount of Humidity for the 
year (saturation being 1.000) was .768, which was .010 less than the mean of 
last year. The mean Humidity for the months was as follows : 
Siamuany, |) cicie. cleus CTO pe aN Mayr aesietedl sai eeteiekone JOS Seplemoen. naan eto 
February .......- SHIG || SWIMS So due cosbouc - 706) | October... ec 154 
Mares see geen. 828) dilly. cacceseoces: 705 November........ -819 
Altai 50) set duilnarale HiO2, | SANYeRst |). oi</ajsi6 2 seth -742 | December ....... .808 
July was the driest month, and this is borne out by the observations of a series 
of years ; complete saturation was not observed during the year. 
Rain fell on 98 days, amounting to 49.741 inches ; it was raining 527 hours 
90 minutes, and was accompanied by thunder on 20 days. The amount of rain 
which fell indicated 0.294 of an inch less than the amount of last year, but ex- 
ceeded by 6.736 inches the mean amount of a series of years, and the number of 
days upon which rain fell exceeded by twenty-five the average amount of a like 
number of years. The greatest amount fell in September, on the 11th day, from 
3h. 40 min. P. M., to 4h. 24 min. P. M., making one hour and forty-four minutes of 
time, there fell 1.670 inches of rain ; and on the 4th of August, in two hours of time,, 
there fell 2.000 inches of rain, 
