ALLISON — ON METEOROLOGY- SS^ 



l)ecember extraordinarily so. The thermomotor marked from 

 88" on the 10th of August, down to -9°. 3 below on 30th and 

 31st Jauuarj^ — a range of 97''. 3. High Avinds were frequent 

 throughout the whole year: and. though for lack of an 

 anemometer, I am obliged to estimate the force by observation, 

 each month would prol^ably show an excess if measured. The 

 notable gale of 3rd of August I have already fully mentioned 

 under that month's record. Dividing the winds, as regards their 

 direction, into two grand divisions of westwardly and eastwardly 

 Tve find 232 of the former to 91 of the latter to be the most pre- 

 valent on so many days ; or in other words, westward winds 

 exceeded eastward winds in the proportion of rather over 2 1-2 

 to 1, or 155 per cent. 



There were 87 days sleighing in the year. Hoar frost ff)rraed 

 on 32 mornings. 



The Aurora Borealis was visible on 32 nights. That of the 

 night of 8th February was a l^eautiful sight. The flickering 

 streams of light now horizontal]}' waving, and now quickly 

 darting upwards, shooting forth as it were coloured tongues of 

 pinkish, greenish, and almost yellow hue ; and on the 4th of 

 Ma3% besides a faint display of pale auroral light to the north, a 

 bright band sprang glistening from almost west to the zenith, 

 varying- in breadth and distinctness during the evening. While 

 I will not pause here to consider the diiferent theories as to the 

 cause of the phenomenon which we tej-m Aurora Borealis ; none 

 of which. I presume, may be called conclusive ; I may state that 

 in looking through eleven years of almost complete observa- 

 tions, either here or in "Windsor, I have found this luminous 

 appearance to be followed in winter by falls of snow or rain 

 within twenty-four hours, three times out of four. In spring 

 and in autumn dry or wet weather follows in equal proportions. 

 In summer, out of thirty observations twenty-one gave dry 

 weather, frequentlj'' continuing some time, and nine gave wet — 

 rather more than two to one in favour of the former. The pro- 

 bability is that we should refer this phenomenon to no one cause, 

 but to a combination producing the conditions adapted to its 

 appearance. This M'ould form of itself an interesting subject of 

 consideration. ,....-■ 



