2jo DISSERTATION on the 



Rain, 



The quantity of rain that falls in the fix months, is io T 9 ~7, 

 or about 1 1 Paris inches. 



Rainy days, - - 80. 



Tempeft during this feafon, from n to 12. 



Showers of hail, from 2 to 3. 



Aurora Borealis, from 8 to 9. 



Fog, - - 17 days. 



I should be happy in being able to give the heat of deep 

 wells and fprings in this province, to compare with the mean 

 heat of our climate, which, according to a curious modern 

 difcovery, ought to be pretty nearly the fame ; but as our wa- 

 ter lies within about four yards of the furface, at lead in the 

 diftrict I inhabit, it may be fuppofed to be affected by the in- 

 fluence of the fun during fummer, and the fevere froft in 

 winter. To avoid, then, as much as pofhble, both thefe caufes 

 of error, I have chofen for the time of my experiment, what, 

 in my opinion, is the mod favourable of the whole year, viz. 

 the fhort interval which takes place between the rigorous feafon 

 of winter and the heat of fummer, when the water is moft ex- 

 empt from either influence. The epoch fixed upon then for 

 my experiment was the 9th of May, whilft we had ftill a little 

 floating ice in our river, the laft of that which comes down 

 from the lake Ladoga every fpring on its breaking up. At this 

 time, the trees were ftill without a leaf, except the birch, which 

 was juft budding ; and Reaumur's thermometer flood at io y 

 above the freezing point, fome degrees higher than it had yet done ', 

 fo that I think, from the fmall effect the fun had yet produced 

 on vegetation, &c. we cannot well fuppofe, that the temperature 

 of a thick covered well in my garden, excluded as much as pof- 

 fible from communication with the open air, by every precau- 

 tion I could invent, could be fo much affected by it, as to pro- 

 duce an error on the fide of heat. 



May 



