1885.] 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY.— LOG-BOOK. 



329 



the fog was not very thick. At 7 h copper colour under 

 sun. Very clear views in afternoon, but at 16 h dark 

 shower over upper Locheil and Banavie. Telegraph instru- 

 ment affected by earth currents from 21 h to 22 h . Appar- 

 ently a continuous current in cable, varying in strength 

 rapidly, but constant in direction. Aurora seen at 23 h , 

 faint light to N.N.E., and waves of light passing across 

 zenith. Telegraph instrument worked quite well after 22 h . 

 Earth currents were felt in all the wires at Fort William 

 office. 



May 18. — Thermometer box shifted at ll h . In after- 

 noon heavy cum.-str. pallium over all the mainland, lying 

 just higher than the hill tops ; to the west, over the sea, 

 greenish-yellow hazy light. 



May 20. — Fog crystals forming freely all day, rather 

 icy in texture. 



May 22.— At 22 h fog breaking to N. At 23 h light 

 fog passing ; sky half clear ; misty corona (red outside), 

 with blue margin. At midnight sky cloudless. Double 

 corona, inner one a greenish-yellow look inside the red ; 

 outer one very blue inside red, no yellow. No margin. 

 Northern sky coloured orange and yellow at horizon, green 

 and blue above all night. 



May 23.— Shifted thermometer box at h 20 m . All 

 night the northern horizon was tinged with orange and 

 green. Fog and haze in valleys till 4 h . Heavy cloud- 

 bank to E. at sunrise. At 7 h copper-coloured hazy 

 corona round sun, at the lower edge of which was a bright 

 red spot. Up to 10 u dense cumulus hanging about lower 

 hills. Fog came on at 13 h 5 ,n . 



May 25. — At 21 h sun just set ; N.W. horizon red, with 

 yellow above it. No afterglow. At 22 h and 23 h double 

 misty lunar corona formed on scud, inner one yellow inside 

 the red, outer one blue. Fog driving past all the time, 

 but sky clear, except for cirrus. 



May 26. — Misty lunar corona observed in early morning, 

 and again at night. 



May 30.— Shifted thermometer box at h 10 m . Icy 

 fog crystals forming out of mist in early morning ; none 

 at night. 



June 6. — At 1 2 h a bird, species not determined, seen on 

 roof of office. At 14 h 10 m thermometer box shifted. No 

 unusual colours in sky, except faint dusty-red corona round 

 sun. No afterglow at sunset. Northern horizon orange 

 coloured all night. 



June 7. — At l h and 2 h the sky to N.N.E. above where 

 the sun was, was covered with very thin cirrus clouds, 

 coloured pearly grey and pale green. Dull orange at 

 horizon. From 5 h to 9 h fog observed coming over the 

 southern hills from the S.E. At 8 h sun surrounded by 

 usual dusty-red corona, but a cloud seen for a few minutes 

 in the corona was coloured red, blue, and pink. Dense 

 haze at horizon all day, rising above level of hill top, and 

 cutting off sunset view. No afterglow. 



June 8. — No unusual colours in sky at sunrise, sunset, 

 nor during the day. The usual dusty-red corona at sun 

 was almost absent. At 18 h and 19 h rain and hail fell, but 

 in very small quantities ; rapidly ascending columns of 

 cloud or fog observed to E. and N.E. of summit. 



June 9. — In evening loose detached fog in valleys. 

 Dark blue haze and heavy clouds to westward at 21 h , 

 with loose fog blowing past the Ben. 



June 13. — At 20 h 10 m hail shower, which lasted some 

 15 m . At the same time, and till 20 h 45™, double rainbow 



seen, both arcs very perfect at times. No rain fell here. 

 At 21 h fog in valleys, especially to westward. Heavy 

 pallium of cum.-str. The sky to N.W., between the fog 

 and the clouds, orange coloured. At 22 h rather gloomy 

 to S.W., the cloud and fog mixing over Loch Linnhe. 



June 14. — Air dry in early morning, but rain falling in 

 large or moderately large drops up to 2 h . 



June 15. — To-day Stewart came up with two horses. 

 They were unable to get further than the second gorge. 



June 17. — At b 15 m box shifted to admit of muslin on 

 wet bulb being renewed. At 2 h 10 m box shifted again. 



June 20. — Very squally at night, the top almost clear 

 of fog between the gusts. 



June 24. — Thermometer box shifted at Blue, with 

 10 h 10 m . At 10 h huge masses of cumulus ^^ cirrus 

 rising from valleys all round Ben. At 14 h Tllin c ] 0U( j 

 heavy showers to westward. At 23 h horizon Smoky green 

 to N.N.W. coloured as in margin above Dull orange 

 haze or cloudbank. At midnight faint Horizon 

 brown colour in sky under moon. No distinct edge to 

 it. 



June 25. — At 8 h rosy corona round sun. At 19 h pink- 

 ish colour above sun, and dirty yellow below it. Almost 

 no colour in northern sky at night. Very fine, with clear 

 views all afternoon. 



June 26. — At i\ the sun being very low, double ringed 

 glories were observed on the thin fog blowing across the 

 hill top. From the top of the tower complete circles, 

 except where cut by the observer's shadow, were seen. 

 Too evanescent to measure. Colours rather blurred. At 

 ll h a cloud descended vertically just above the Ben with 

 great velocity. It did not, however, reach the hill. At 

 22 h hills round deep blue in colour. Sudden rise of 

 temperature at 22 h . 



June 27. — Thin fog on hill top in early morning, de- 

 tached fog in valleys all day, and denser fog over Atlantic 

 from Skye to Mull. Air very clear, except for this fog. In 

 afternoon thin fog hanging about the hill sides and rising 

 vertically from Glen Nevis. Dense cumulus pallium 

 above all the land, but apparently sky clear above the fog 

 on western sea. At night clear red or orange streak 

 under this cloud to northward. Thermometer box shifted 

 at ll b 10™. Mended Robinson anemometer in afternoon, 

 soldering flexible shaft where broken. 



June 28. — Up to 4 h dense low-lying fog in valleys north 

 of the head of Loch Lochy. Haze and detached cumulus 

 fog on other hills all day, also over Atlantic. 



June 30. — At 5 h ice forming on all exposed surfaces. 

 After 21 h dense level-topped fog filling all valleys. At 

 23 h cirrus cloud bank to N.W. gradually approaching. 



July 1. — Fog in valleys same as yesterday. No un- 

 usual colours in sky all day. Beautiful pearly coloured 

 cirrus to northward at 23 h and midnight. 



July 2. — Dense fog in valleys all day. At 3 h faint 

 upper glow in sky to N.E. No unusual colours in sky 

 during the day nor at sunset. Haze above fog to W. and 

 N.W. all afternoon. Blue 



July 3. — At l h and 2 h small misty Bed 

 corona observed. Colours as in margin, Greenish 

 with a very faint blue margin outside red. yellow 

 Radius of red ring by stephanome, 1° 52'. ** 



July 10. — At 3 h rain-gauge found leaning over about 

 20° to windward, no correction applied to readings. 



July 13. — Detached fog in valleys and over distant 



