502 Influence of the Moon on the Weather. [No. 6. 



period consisting of seven days, having the day on which the New or 

 Full Moon fell, or the second or last quarter began, on the middle of 

 the hebdomadal period, and having three days reckoned on each side 

 of it, making it thus equal to seven days. 



The number of days during which rain fell last year, exceeds the 

 number of days of the former year, by 11, and the quantity by 5.4 

 inches ; while the number of days which were cloudy without rain 

 last year, exceeds the number of the year before by 45. The number 

 of Storms recorded last year being double the number noted in the 

 previous year. 



Again, by referring to the accompanying Table No. 2, we remark 

 as a curious fact that the number of rainy days in the New and Full 

 Moon periods, and the number in the second and last periods, are 

 very nearly equal ; the number of days during which the east wind 

 was prevalent in each pair of periods being also nearly equal to the 

 number of rainy days in the same pair ; while the number of cloudy 

 days in each pair is double of the number of rainy ones in it, but the 

 quantity of rain which fell during the second and last periods is 

 almost double of the quantity in the New and Full Moon periods. 

 This circumstance alone stands quite at variance with, and in fact 

 opposed to, the result obtained by the observations made in the fore- 

 going year, and would go far to negative the truth of the moon's 

 influence, and to disprove the correctness of the prejudice, if the 

 observations of a single year could be thought sufficient to do so. 

 But time alone can prove this, and a series of observations extending 

 over a number of years and made at various places, is necessary before 

 we can be said to have arrived at any thing like certainty. 



In conclusion I would add, that the data from which the reduc- 

 tions for the quantity of rain are made, were kindly furnished me by 

 Mr. Middleton. 



