Meteorological Observations. 159 



While supper was preparing, he perceived something falling on his 

 hat like drops of rain ; but as there were no clouds to be seen, pre- 

 sumed it could not be rain. On looking on the ground near the fire 

 he saw distinctly that the falling substance instead of being rain was 

 a small winged insect, which although unable to fly had yet life and 

 motion. The number rapidly increased so as to give great annoy- 

 ance by falling into the frying-pan and supper vessels, and continued 

 until the ground was covered by the shower. On the following 

 morning Sir George ascertained that this extraordinary shower ex- 

 tended at least from twenty-five to thirty miles in the direction he 

 was travelling. No information has been received as to its extent 

 in other directions. It was observed that soon after the shower the 

 weather changed suddenly from warm to cold. It is therefore pro- 

 bable that the whole of this immense swarm of insects encountered 

 the cold current, and were paralyzed and precipitated thereby. 

 They all died soon after falling. Specimens of these insects were 

 collected by the attendants of Sir George, from whom I received 

 them. In no instance however were they seen to revive after coming 

 into a warmer atmosphere. — American Journal of Science and Arts 

 for Nov. 1847. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DEC. 1847- 



Chiswick. — December 1. Very fine: clear. 2. Frosty: overcast and mild. 

 3. Densely overcast : rain. 4. Clear : overcast : boisterous. 5. Fine. 6. Boiste- 

 rous, with rain : lightning at night. 7. Rain : cloudy and boisterous : clear and 

 windy at night. 8. Clear and cold. 9. Rain : overcast. 10. Rain : cloudy. 

 11. Densely clouded : fine. 12—14. Very fine. 15. Very fine : slight rain. 

 16. Cloudy. 17. Slight rain. 18. Rain. 19. Fine: cloudy. 20. Cloudy. 

 21—23. Overcast. 24. Foggy. 25, 26. Overcast. 27, 28. Cloudy. 29. Hazy. 



30. Rain. 31. Hazy and damp. 



Mean temperature of ihe month 41°-09 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1846 31 -26 



Mean temperature of Dec. for the last twenty years 39 '59 



Average amount of rain in Dec l"58inch. 



Boston. — Dec. 1. Fine. 2. Fine: 8 o'clock p.m. thermometer 54°. 3. Cloudy : 

 rain p.m. 4. Fine : rain p.m. 5. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 6. Rain. 7. Rain : 

 stormy A.M. and p.m. 8. Fine : rain a.m. 9. Rain. 10. Fine. 11, 12. Cloudy. 

 13 — 15. Fine. 16. Rain. 17. Fine: rain early a.m. 18. Rain : rain a.m. and 

 P.M. 19. Fine. 20. Rain. 21. Fine. 22— 29. Cloudy. 30. Snow : rain and 

 snow A.M. and p.m. 31. Rain : rain a.m. 



Applegarth Manse, Dumfnex -shire. — Dec. 1. Wet a.m. : cleared and was fine. 

 2. Wet A.M. : damp all day. 3. Damp a.m.: cleared: fine. 4. Heavy rain and 

 high wind. 5. Rain : unsettled weather. 6. Shower of snow : frost. 7. Heavy 

 rain: frost A.M. 8. Fair, but cloudy. 9. Rain early a.m : fine. 10. Showers. 

 11. Rain all night and morning. 12. Fair and fine. 13. Fair a.m. : rain and 

 wind p.m. 14. Fine a.m. : rain p.m. 15. Mild and fair a.m. : rain p.m. 16. Rain 

 nearly all day : flood. 17. Fair and mild : slight rain p.m. 18. Fair, but cloudy. 

 19. Frost A.M. : dull and cloudy. 20,21. Frost, slight. 22. Frost, hard : clear. 

 23. Fine: slight frost. 24. Fine. 25. Frost : fine and clear. 26. F'ine: clear. 

 27,28. Frost: fine. 29. Heavy fall of snow. 30. Snow lying : frost, hard. 



31. Frost, very keen : thermometer 11^°. 



Mean temperature of the month 40''"2 



Mean temperature of Dec. 1846 33*5 



Mean temperature of Dec. for twenty-five years 38 -19 



Mean rain in Dec. for twenty years 294 inches. 



