Meteorological Register. 



63 



and was destroyed only by the moon's passing behind a cloud a 

 few moments before setting. 



To what cause these meteorological phenomena are usually at- 

 tributed I know not, unless to atmospheric vapor; but in all 

 these cases they seem fairly to owe their origin to the state of 

 the air consequent on the intense cold. The air in such a state 

 of cold is filled with minute crystals of frost, and the reflection 

 from these is perhaps sufficient to account for the general appear- 

 ance. But the diflerence in the figure of these parhelia would 

 seem to prove that this general cause must be subject to many 

 modifications from other agents. Is this change of figure owing 

 to the diiferent forms which it is well known the crystals of snow 

 assume at different times ? The explanation I leave with you. 

 Meteorological Register. 



Below I have prepared a table of the average temperature, the 

 weather, winds, &c., for the years 1838 and 1839, as observed by 

 me at this place. Otisco is about fifteen miles west of south from 

 Syracuse, and at an elevation of eight or nine hundred feet above 

 that place, on the Seneca branch of the Erie Canal. 



The extreme range of the thermometer in 1838 was between 

 — 8° on the last day of January, and 93° on the 9th day of July, 

 giving 101°. The range for the year 1839 was —9°, January 

 23d, and 90° on the 30th of July, giving 99°. An instance of 

 those sudden changes which occur in our climate, took place on 

 the 19th of October, 1839, when the wind, which during the fore 

 part of the day had been S. W., at half past 2 o'clock suddenly 

 veered to N. W"., and the thermometer fell from 65° to 24° in 

 three and a half hours, a difference of 41 degrees. 



I have for several years noticed the fact, that whatever may be 

 the direction or course of the lower strata of clouds, that of the 

 cirri, or highest of all clouds, is almost invariably from west to 

 east. It is nothing uncommon to see the lower clouds drifting in 

 heavy masses, and with a strong wind to the N. or N. E., while far 

 above them, the streamers Qf the cirri are floating undisturbed 

 towards the S. E. or E. Indeed it is very rarely observed that cir- 

 ri take any other course, and it may fairly be inferred they never 

 do, until by greater condensation they approach the nature of 



