The Hurricane of May 1862. 439 



cases gradual diminution has been observed, which may probably 

 be ascribed to the impinging of the star upon the limb where 

 its general direction, or that of some precipitous slope upon it, 

 forms so small an angle with the moon's path, that the star, 

 whose real (not spurious or optical) disc, however minute, must 

 have some magnitude, is hidden by slow degrees, and thus the 

 existence is manifested of a quantity too small, hitherto, for the 

 finest telescopic vision. The strange phenomenon of projection 

 is occasionally witnessed, when a star, instead of passing at 

 once behind the limb, seems to glide in front of it for a short 

 distance before it disappears. Much attention has been paid to 

 this singular appearance by South, Airy, and others, but to little 

 purpose ; it seems to depend upon some illusion in the eye or 

 the telescope; and though its recurrence from time to time is 

 unquestionable, it can never be predicted on any occasion. The 

 present month affords no very favourable specimen of occulta- 

 tion, but the following may be looked for : — 



July 10th, lOh. 57m. 30 Sagittarii, 6 mag. This, only a 

 near approach at Greenwich, will be an occultation further Sf . 

 11th (day of full moon), 57 Sagittarii, 5^ mag. Disapp. lOh. 

 22m. Eeapp. lOh. 41m. 14th, k Aquarii, 5 mag. Disapp. 

 lOh. 21m. Eeapp. llh. 24m. 15th, 9 Piscium, 6 mag. Disapp. 

 lOh. 29m. Eeapp. llh. 30m. jc Piscium, 4^ mag. Disapp. lOh. 

 31m. Eeapp. llh. 24m. 



THE HUEEICANE OF MAY 1862. 



BY E. J. LOWE, E.PwA.S., ETC. 



Theee is something very singular and startling in a hurricane. 

 The suddenness of its appearance, the rapidity of its motion, 

 and the devastation, which shows but too plainly where it has 

 been, are points of special interest to the meteorologist. Un- 

 fortunately the exact pressure or velocity cannot be satisfactorily 

 established ; a rough approximation being the nearest approach 

 to the truth of a violence so great that the anemometer or 

 instrument used to measure a gale cannot withstand its fearful 

 violence. We can register 10, 20, or 30 lb. pressure on the 

 square foot, but a hurricane, which levels all before it, even 

 sound and deeply-rooted oak trees that have withstood the 

 storms of 200 years, requires something as strong as itself to 

 enable us to record its violence. Fortunately these devastating- 

 visitants are not frequent in this country, and, more fortunate 

 still, then violence is confined within narrow limits. The one 

 we are about to describe was accompanied by a thunderstorm 

 which was more or less spread over the centre of England, 



