320 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



[1884. 



purple glare passing into the blue sky above. At 17 1 ' 50 m 

 only streaks of yellow and red above cloud bank, above 

 this crimson, above that a peculiar yellow-red passing 

 through a whit y-green into the blue of the sky. At 18 u 

 red streak to W.S.W., with belt of dark stratus above it, 

 and pale green above that. Dirty yellow to N.W. and 

 S.W. No colour to N.E. Other hills clear of fog, and 

 stars coming out in clear sky. At 19 b still a faint greenish 

 glow low down to W. At 22 h moon rose yellow in 

 colour. At 23 h there was a reddish or copper colour 

 under her. 



Feb. 15.- — Very stormy. Every thermometer observa- 

 tion, except the one at 9 U , taken by two observers roped 

 together. 



Feb. 16. — Very stormy; every observation from 9 h to 

 19 h inclusive taken by two observers roped together. 

 At 20 h , as soon as Mr Omond went outside door of snow 

 porch, he was lifted off his feet and blown back against 

 Mr Rankin, who was knocked over. Therefore no thermo- 

 metric observations were taken at 20 h and 21 h . 



Feb. 17. — Very stormy. Every observation from 9 h to 

 21 ll inclusive taken by two observers roped together. 



Feb. 18. — Snow porch almost entirely blocked with 

 drift, no observation taken outside at 10 h ; every other 

 one from 9' 1 to 21 h taken by two observers roped together. 

 At 17 u fog began to break into very dark scud flying 

 close over hill. Top remained clear till 5 h next morning. 



Feb. 19. — Very stormy. Every observation from 9 h to 

 21 h inclusive taken by two observers roped together. The 

 snow crystals formed on ladder, &c. for last few days 

 have been of a greyish colour, with an oily taste. 



Feb. 20. — Wind lulled in early morning, but rose again 

 at night. 



Feb. 21. — Very stormy in morning ; lulled in middle of 

 day. Top clear. At noon cir.-str. seen forming to S. and 

 S.W. No special colours at horizon, but at 19 h a pale 

 glimmer to W. 



Feb. 22. — Top clear. No colours in sky except faint 

 copper colour under sun above white fog lying over south- 

 ern hills. 



Feb. 23.— Thermometer box shifted at ll u . At 19 1 ' 

 whitish-green glow to N.N.E. Dark red low down to 

 westward. 



Feb. 21. — From midnight (Feb. 23) to 4 h aurora seen. 

 Got gradually fainter up to 4 h . Only one streamer 

 observed rising at intervals from the same part of arc. 

 Arc very low down, not above 5° to top. No colours or 

 sounds. At 9 b top clear, and hills round free of fog. 

 Copper colour under sun ; other sky normal. At 13 h white 

 fog formed on hills E. and W. of Ben, and by 14 h top in 

 fog. Fog only lifted once during afternoon. Upper sky 

 had some cirrus on it lying N.W. and S.E., moving pro- 

 bably from N.E. 



Feb. 2G. — Glories seen occasionally at cliff. 



Feb. 27. — Minimum thermometer laid on cotton wool 

 on snow all night. Reading at 9 h 17° "7. Corresponding 

 minimum in box 17°'l. 



Feb. 29. — Stormy in early morning; door almost blocked 

 with drift. Shifted thermometer box at 10 h . 



Mar. 1. — Snow porch at outer door is now about 33 

 feet long, with a rise of about 12 feet in its floor. 



Ma: 4. — At 10 h 50 ,n solar halo observed. Red inside. 

 Colours very faint. Approximate measurement of radius 

 by stephanome 22°. At 20 h lunar halo observed, white. 



Very faint, approximate radius 23° 45'. At 21 h corona 

 observed. Double. Usual colours from moon out to first 

 red ring. Then bluish annular space tinged with red out- 

 side. Radius of first red 2°, second 4°. 



Alar. 6. — Box shifted at 18 h . By 19 h coating of ice 

 on box to windward. 



Mar. 8.— At 5 h 10 m a peculiar glow was observed all 

 round horizon. To N. and E. it was partly hid by banks 

 of stratus, but to S. and W. it took the form of an arch 

 or belt of light, white in colour, and dipping down to 

 southern horizon. The breadth of the belt to S. was about 

 10°. The height of top, at highest point to W., about 

 30°. The upper edge was distinctly marked, the lower one 

 filmy and indistinct. The stars were seen through it, and 

 the sky above the dip to S. was very dark. It was calm 

 at the time, cloudy and very quiet. At 6 h the clouds to 

 S. were very ugly. The wind slowly increased from S., 

 and by midnight was force 6 to 7. Slight snow shower 

 in forenoon. 



Mar. 10. — Heavy squall at night. The 21 h observation 

 was taken by two observers, and none other was taken 

 till after midnight. 



Mar. 11. — Fine all day. At 5 h detached thin clouds 

 passing under moon formed coronse at times. At 6 h east- 

 ern horizon coloured yellow, blue, and violet. Though the 

 sky was pretty clear, the atmosphere was scarcely ever 

 dry, and detached masses of cumulus were observed float- 

 ing above most of the surrounding hills. 



Mar. 15. — At 20 h the sky, where not obscured by clouds, 

 was of a milky white colour, through which the stars were 

 seen. At 23 h , just before the moon rose, there was a 

 cone of misty whitish-green light rising from eastern 

 horizon. 



Mar. 21. — At 17 h shifted thermometer box. 



Mar. 26. — Fine all day. Sky blue, without any unusual 

 colours in it, except a brown haze round the sun. For 

 most of the day there was white fog or stratus over the 

 southern hills, while all the northern and western horizon 

 was hid by a low-lying dark purple haze. Sky became 

 overcast, and fog came on in evening. 



April 1. — At 14 u thermometer box was shifted. 



April 7. — At 3 h lunar halo observed, not well defined, 

 white. Radius by stephanome 22° to 23°. At ll h ther- 

 mometer box shifted. 



April 8. — At 3 h a double corona seen ; and at 3 h 5 m 

 a meteorite. All day cumulus fog over surrounding hills. 

 At sunset at 20 h the sky to N.W. was coloured as iu 

 margin, the yellow coming down to the (Stratus) 

 horizon to westward. At 23 h a blue Yellow and 

 lunar corona observed, radius about 4° 25' Green 

 by stephanome. d 



April 9. — Lunar blue corona seen up to 3 h . Very fine 

 morning ; but later cumulus fog formed over southern hills 

 and in valleys, passing over Ben Nevis at times, By 15 h 

 fog was completely covering hill top. 



April 10. — At 2 h lunar corona observed. Inner space 

 blue, then green ring, and red ring outside B , 

 all. Radius of red ring 4° 15'. At 5 h p ur ple 

 sunrise colours of sky seen as in margin. Green 

 Horizon hazy all day; at night haze rose Yellow 

 higher, and moon was seen through it of a 

 blood-red colour. 



April 11. — In morning heavy cumulus fog over sur- 

 rounding hills, occasionally passing along sides and over 



