Meteorological Observations. 79 



LETTER BAROMETER. 



The equitable system of rating the postage of papers by weight gives rise to 

 the necessity for a ready method of determining what charge any letter or paclcet 

 may be liable to. 



If extreme accm-acy be desired, nothing will be found equal to good scales and 

 weights ; but as this is seldoai essential, and such an apparatus is not very conve- 

 nient on a writing-table, many contrivances of a less cumbrous nature and less 

 subject to derangement have been produced. 



These are generally variations of the steelyard, and of course require the adjust- 

 ment of a counterpoise for each different case, which is somewhat troublesome and 

 liable to mistakes. 



We have lately seen a very simple and ingenious instrument, which avoids these 

 inconveniences. It indicates the weight at once, is not subject to get out of order, 

 and while it occupies but little space, is rather of an ornamental form than other- 

 wise. 



The instrument consists of a small tube containing a portion of quicksilver, in 

 which is immersed a rod, furnished on its top with a tablet, on which a letter or 

 even an mifolded sheet of paper may be placed. The rod sinks into the mercury 

 precisely in proportion to the weight placed upon it, and by a graduation on the 

 stem, it is at once seen what the charge of postage will be. 



This httle contrivance is the invention of John Taylor, Esq., F.R.S., and the in- 

 struments are verv neatly made and sold, in a variety of forms, by Mr. Lund, No. 

 24, Fleet Sti-eet. " 



NEW SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 



Scripture and Geology. — On the Relation between the Holy- 

 Scriptures and some parts of Geological Science. By John Pye 

 Smith, D.D., F.G.S., Divinity Tutor in the Protestant Dissenting 

 College at Homerton. 1 Vol. Svo. Jackson and Walford. Of this 

 highly interesting and important work we hope shortly to give an 

 account in some degree worthy of its merits. 



Dr. Meyen's Report on the Progress of Vegetable Physiology du- 

 ring the year 1837. Translated from the German by William Fran- 

 cis, A.L.S. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR NOV., 18.39. 



Chiswick. — Nov. 1. Hazy: rain. 2. Rain. 3,4. Foggy: rain. 5. Rain; 

 fine. 6. Hazy; rain. 7. Rain. 8. Hazy: rain, 9. Fine: drizzly. 10. Hazy: 

 rain. 11. Clear. 12,13. Hazy: overcast. 14. Fine: rain. 15. Hazy. 16. 

 Overcast: clear and fine at night. 17. Rain. 18. Heavy rain. 19. Fine: a 

 large halo round the moon at nightc 20. Fine: rain. 21. Stormy and wet. 



22. Overcast: fine. 23* Clear. 24. Rain. 25. Cloudy: rain: almost a hur- 

 ricane at night. 26. Clear. 27. Dense fog. 28. Hazy. 29. Heavy rain : 

 SO. Overcast : heavy showers. 



Boston. — Nov. 1. Stormy. 2. Cloudy: rain p.m. 3. Cloudy. 4,5. Rain: 

 rain early A.M. 6,7. Cloudy. 8. Cloudy : rain p.m. 9. Cloudy, 10. Cloudy ; 

 rain A.M. and P.M. 11. Cloudy. 12,13. Foggy. 14. Cloudy; rain p.m. 15. 

 Cloudy: rain A.M. 16. Fine. 17. Fine: rain p.m. 18. Cloudy: rain early 

 A.M. 19,20. Fine. 21. Cloudy : rain early a.m. : rain p.m. 22. Cloudy. 23. 

 Fins. 24. Rain. 25. Cloudy. 26. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 27. Fine: rain 

 and snow p.m. 28. Cloudy. 29. Rain : rain early am. SO. Stormy. 



ApplegarLk Manse, Dumfries-shire, — Nov. 1. Slorm of wind with slight showers. 

 2. Fair : weather moderated. 3. Fail- : fine. 4. Rather moist. 5. Clear and 

 cold. 6. Quiet day and cloudy. 7. The same : slight drizzle p.m. 8. Cloudy 

 and moist. 9. The same: rain a.m. 10. Quiet day : moist atmosphere. 11. 

 Calm day ; still moist. 12. Showery all day. 13. Mild day throughout: no 

 rain. 14. Drizzly and gloomy : a true Nov. day. 15. Rain all day: heavy p.m. 

 16. Showery throughout. 17. Fine day and fair. 18, 19. Drizzling day. 20. 

 Very fine day: rain p.m. 21. The same : rain a.m. 22. Fine: one shower p.m. 



23. Frosty morning : shower at noon. 24. Rain all day. 25. Showery a.m. : 

 cleared up p. m. 26. Cold and frosty morning : shower snow. 27. The same : 

 frost increasing ; more snow, 28. Freezing all day : snow lying, 29. Storm of 

 wind and rain ; snow gone, 30, Rain nearly all day. 



