Meteorological Observations, 79 



The action of the atmospheric electricity on the telegraphs is 

 stronger on the approach of a storm ; and not unfrequently the wires 

 themselves, and the poles which support them, are destroyed by 

 electric discharges. 



M. Baumgartner cites several examples in support of what has 

 just been said. On the 17th of August 1849, a storm which had 

 burst forth at Ollmutz extended to Frielitz, that is to say, to a di- 

 stance of ten miles. A workman employed at this latter station, in 

 putting up the wires experienced a shock which overturned him, 

 and he experienced a real burn of the fingers which touched the 

 wire. At this time the sky was perfectly serene at Frielitz. — From 

 the Journal of the Franklin Institute for April 1850. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR MAY 1850. 



Chiswick. — May 1. Cloudy and cold. 2. Fine : clear : frosty. 3. Clear: very 

 dry air : overcast : sharp frost at night. 4. Fine : showery. 5. Cloudy : some 

 angular hail at 6 p.m. 6. Constant rain. 7, 8. Drizzly. 9. Heavy clouds : 

 fine: clear. 10. Clear: cloudy. 11. Fine. 12. Slight shower : fine. 13. Fine: 

 very dry air : rain at night. 14. Cloudy and fine. 15. Fine : cloudy : clear and 

 frosty. 16. Fine. 17. Overcast. 18. Foggy : rain : cloudy. 19. Very fine : 

 cloudy. 20. Uniformly overcast : fine: clear. 21. Fine: cloudless: overcast: 

 rain. 22. Rain : clear at night. 23. Cloudy : clear. 24. Slight fog : dry haze. 

 25. Cloudy : fine : showery. 26. Showery : overcast. 27. Cloudy : overcast. 

 28. Fine : showery : clear. 29. Cloudy and fine. 30. Foggy : dry haze ; clear. 

 31. Fine : slightly clouded. 



Mean temperature of the month 51 0, 14 



Mean temperature of May 1849 55 -19 



Mean temperature of May for the last twenty-three years . 54 "22 

 Average amount of rain in May , 1*84 inch. 



Boston. — May 1. Cloudy. 2,3. Fine. 4. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 5. Cloudy: 

 rain p.m. 6. Cloudy: rain a.m. 7,8. Rain: rain a.m. and p.m. 9. Rain: 

 rain a.m. 10,11. Cloudy. 12,13, Fine. 14. Rain a.m. and p.m. 15. Rain : 

 rain a.m. 16. Fine. 17—19. Cloudy. 20. Rain: rain a.m. 21. Cloudy. 

 22. Cloudy : rain a.m. 23. Fine. 24. Fine : rain p.m. 25, 26. Cloudy : rain a.m. 

 27. Cloudy : rain a.m. and p.m. 28. Fine. 29. Cloudy : rain p.m. 30. Fine. 

 31. Cloudy. 



Applegarth Manse, Dumfries-shire. — May 1. Slight frost: very cold east wind. 

 2. Slight frost : wind changed to west p.m. 3. Frost still : slight shower p.m. 

 4. Cold and ungenial : one sharp shower. 5. Frost : fall of snow : hills white. 

 6. Frost: clear and cold. 7. Frost hard : is this May? 8. Cloudy a.m. : hail : 

 rain p.m. 9. Frost hard again : most unseasonable. 10. Heavy rain : cleared p.m. 

 11. Rain in the night: slight shower a.m. 12. Occasional sharp showers. 13. 

 Cold : fair and clear. 14. Fair and clear : keen and cold p.m. 15. Frost again : 

 hail : keen and cold. 16. No frost : cloudy: mild. 17. Fine: cloudy: mild. 

 18. Fine : air feels moist. 19. Shower in the night : cold east p.m. 20. Parch- 

 ing cold east wind. 21. Warm and sultry: change great. 22. Very warm: 

 thunder and heavy rain. 23. Very warm : thunder : a few drops. 24. Very 

 warm : fair and fine. 25. Soft rain all day : genial and growing. 26. Soft rain 

 all day : blessed change of weather. 27. Rain : fair p.m. 28, 29. Fair through- 

 out : fine. 30. Fine : thunder: shower. 31. Fine : thunder : a few drops. 



Mean temperature of the month ,. 49°*1 



Mean temperature of May 1849 50 '5 



Mean temperature of May for the last twenty-eight years ... 51 *1 

 Average rain in May for twenty years 1'69 inch. 



Sandwich Manse, Orkney. — May 1. Clear: fine. 2. Fine : clear. 3. Showers : 

 sleet-showers. 4. Hail : snow-showers. 5. Snow : snow-showers. 6. Clear : 

 drops. 7. Clear: showers. 8. Damp: clear. 9. Frost: clear: cloudy. 10. 

 Cloudy : drops. 11. Showers : hail-showers. 12. Showers : sleet-showers. 13. 

 Bright : rain : clear. 14. Clear : rain : clear. 15. Bright : cloudy. 16. Damp. 

 17. Fine. 18. Cloudy: fog. 19. Hazy. 20. Bright. 21. Bright: showers: 

 fog. 22. Fine : fog. 23. Cloudy. 24. Hazy : fog. 25. Hazy : rain. 26. Hazy. 

 27. Cloudy: fine. 28—31. Bright : fine. 



