1885.] 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



327 



Feb. 20. — Sunrise colours rising to about 10° at 7 h , 

 with purplish band above them. The snow drift to-day 

 formed waves or rolls. At 21 h small yellow corona, with 

 blue margin, the margin being faintly tinged with red. 

 Radius of this red, 4° 3'. 



Feb. 21. — At 13 h rain-gauge found blown away to near 

 the edge of the cliff, not put out again to-day. At 16 h 

 the note-book for the observation was torn in two and 

 blown away. After 17 h no temperature readings were 

 taken, as the lamps could not be kept alight, and the 

 observers could not stand against the wind. At 18 h , 19 h , 

 and 20 h , Mr Omond or Mr Rankin went out at the tower 

 door with a long rope and had to be hauled back. After 

 that the observer did not go out. At 22 h the outer glass 

 of south window in tower was seen to be broken, probably 

 by a flying piece of ice, many of which were heard rattling 

 on the tower like stones. 



Feb. 22. — First temperature reading taken at 8 h . Box 

 found badly choked with drift, and with about half its 

 back outer louvres smashed. The top joint of snow post 

 A was also broken. The snow was much blown away by 

 the wind, the general height being lowered several inches 

 —even the moderately hard crust on top was broken up. 

 The fog crystals, formed during the storm, were very long 

 and somewhat hard and icy in texture. 



Feb. 23.— Thermometer box shifted at 14 h . At 19 h 



faint corona formed on upper clouds. One 



Yellow** 1 re( * " n o> rather broad. Radius inside, 



Pink to violet 1° 45'; outside, 2° 40'. 



Blue Feb. 28. — Thermometer box shifted at 



YeUowJpale) 14k g olar corona seen by Mr Rankin 



jis ye ow f rom pi a t eau f storms at about 16 h 15 m . 



Formed on scud. Colours as on margin. 



Mar. 1. — At 3 h lunar corona. Colours as in margin. 



Formed on scud. Radius of inner red, 



Orange ^° ^ ' > outer re d> 4° 49'. At 4 h brown 



Greenish blue glare under moon, and very faint blue 



Red 1 corona. At 7 h the sunrise colours appeared 



wv? W ver y dusty looking. Sky hazy all morning. 



*, Solar halo at 14 h 23 m , faint red inside, radius 



about 18°. No sunset colours observed. 



Mar. 2. — Snow crystals to-day, greyish in colour. 



Mar. 3. — Snow crystals, still grey in colour. 



Mar. 4. — Snow crystals, usual white colour. 



Mar. 5. — All afternoon canopy of cloud over hill top, 

 but sun shining on lower hills round. Snow line distinct 

 at about 2000 feet. At 22 h thermometer box shifted. 



Mar. 6. — Clear views round all day. Copper colour in 

 sky. 



Mar. 8. — At ll h , when sun was behind large cumulus 

 cloud, strong copper-coloured glare round it, in sky, not on 

 the cloud itself. 



Mar. 9. — Horizon very clear in middle of day ; no fog 

 in valleys ; hazy glare round sun, and faint copper colour 

 in sky. 



Mar. 13. — At 10 h columns of cloud observed ascending 

 from above the valleys to southward, and mixing with the 

 cloud above. Lochiel dead calm all morning. In after- 

 noon haze at horizon, but no fog in valleys. At 16 h haze 

 was dark brown to E. and N., but milk-white, like cloudy 

 milk and water, under the sun to S.W. It was cut off by 

 a sharp line on its upper surface all round ; above this line 

 to S.W. the clouds were of a faint brown colour. At 18 h 

 smoke of burning heather, near upper Lochiel, showed N.W. 



TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN. VOL. XXXIV. 



wind. No afterglow at sunset; only dirty yellow, and 

 faint red above haze. From 9 h to midnight faint whitish 

 light to northward, not auroral, apparently. 



Mar. 14. — At 6 h thick haze all round horizon, the 

 eastern sky a blaze of red, scarlet, and yellow. The sun 

 rising through the haze was much elongated horizontally. 

 During the forenoon the haze had a distinct sharp upper 

 edge ; under the sun it was whitish blue in colour, but 

 elsewhere dark. Copper coloured corona round sun. At 

 10 h the haze was mixed with fog. By 12 h it had risen to 

 the level of the top of Ben Nevis, and all afternoon the 

 hill top was covered with fog. 



Mar. 15. — In forenoon grey snow crystals forming on 

 exposed surfaces. In afternoon thick haze, mixed with 

 cumulus fog, at horizon ; dark in colour, except to S.W., 

 under the sun, where it was blue-white. 



Mar. 18. — All yesterday and this morning the thermo- 

 meter box was badly choked with hard ice. It was shifted 

 at 14 h . 



Mar. 20. — Wind very gusty all day, blowing in great 

 swirls, especially at night. At 10 h straws and pieces of 

 fern observed flying about on the hill top. Ice forming 

 all day on all exposed surfaces, but not in regular definite 

 crystals. 



Mar. 21. — At 17 h a large bird, probably a kite, was 

 seen flying above the hill top. At 20 h lunar halo observed. 

 Radius by stephanome, 23° 15'. 



Mar. 22. — Faint brown colour in sky near sun in after- 

 noon ; clear views, except where clouds hung lower than the 

 hill top. At 18 h the str. and cum. clouds were of a dusky 

 yellow hue. At 19 h sky cloudy to westward, but under it 

 horizon yellow with pale green above. The under edges 

 of the clouds purple, and Lochs Eil and Red 

 Linnhe green in colour. At 20 h still faint Blue 

 red to westward. Double corona round Red 

 moon. Colours as in margin. Radius, "Watery yellow 

 inner red, 1° 53'; outer red, 4° 40'. It ^ 



was formed on passing cloud, but when the sky was 

 clear a faint blue glare surrounded the moon. Thermo- 

 meter box shifted at 22 h . 



Mar. 23. — At 6 h no upper glow, but cirrus clouds all of 

 reddish purple in colour. The sun as it rose was greatly 

 distorted. Brown haze in sky under sun all forenoon, 

 v. to N. and E., but haze gradually coming up from S.W. 

 At ll h cirrus clouds lying W.S.W. and E.N. E., but moving 

 from W. to E. In the afternoon, while sun was obscured by 

 clouds, ice formed on the cardboard of sunshine recorder 

 in the focus of the lens. 



Mar. 24. — At 23 h sky cloudless, but fog still covering 

 the east end of the hill. Thermometer box shifted at 23 h 

 18 m . 



Mar. 25. — Haze, mixed with increasing amount of fog, 

 came on from western horizon in early morning. At 6 h 

 eastern horizon red and bright yellow ; under surfaces of 

 upper clouds of a soft reddish hue. At 14 h the paper of 

 notes for the hour was torn in two by the wind, half of it 

 being blown clean away out of the book. 



Mar. 26. — At 21 h 15 m , when preparing daily report for 

 newspapers, found that communication by the cable was 

 broken. Tested the wires inside the Observatory, and 

 found them all right, but no signals could be got from 

 Fort William all night. 



Mar. 27. — At about 6 h 50 m telegraph cable tested, and 

 found to be working all right ; the signals to and from 



3 s 



