Intelligence and Miscellanies. 181 



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ceive the full benefits of the returning sun. Light showers 

 and mild weather prevailed in April — the elms were putting 

 out rapidly on the 4th, and the peach trees were in full bloom 

 on the 24th. The first week in May was rather colder, and 

 slight frosts occurred as late as the 14th; but they did no 

 serious injury to fruit. The thermometer, at the time of the 

 latest frost, was no lower than 40, shewing that frosts may 

 happen, when the temperature of the air, at the ordinary ele- 

 vation of the thermometer above the ground, is 3 degrees 

 above the freezing point, the surface of the ground being so 

 much colder than the air a few feet above it. The same re« 

 mark applies to the first frosts of autumn. They occur as 

 soon as the mercury has descended to 40. 



The early part of June was cold, but the month was gen- 

 erally pleasant, the temperature ranging from 42 to 83.5 de- 

 grees, and the mean as deduced from the daily maxima and 

 minima, only 65 degrees. Strawberries were ripe on the 4th, 

 and North Haven peas were in market on the 5th. Hayma- 

 king commenced about the same time. 



July was distinguished by a great number of copious show- 

 ers of rain. Although a good proportion of clear weather 

 prevailed, yet the entire quantity of rain was 4.83 inches. 

 The thermometer ranged from 55 to 88 degrees, the mean 

 deduced as before, being about 70 degrees. During the 

 second week in July, our citizens were entertained by three 

 evening rainbows of uncommon beauty. 



August had a larger proportion of rainy weather, although 

 the sun was entirely obscured for only three days. Ten days 

 were more or less rainy, and the amount of rain for this month, 

 was greater than for any other, being 6.41 inches. But the 

 occurrence which rendered August more particularly memo- 

 rable, was the. great Auroral arch, which was seen on the 

 evening of the 28th, between the hours of nine and eleven. 

 An account of this phenomenon, written at the time for one 

 of the city papers, is herewith submitted to the Academy. 

 It may be worthy of remark, that an unusually rainy season 

 accompanied and followed these Auroral appearances. In- 

 deed the quantity of rain which has fallen since the first of 

 August, has been 27.46 at the rate 66 inches or 5} feet a year 

 — a quantity quite unprecedented at this place. The hottest 

 day of the year occurred on the 6th of this month, being 93 

 degrees ; but the mean was 68° and was a little less than 

 that of July, which, as has been already stated, was 70 de- 

 grees. 



