330 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



[1885. 



hills all day, that in the glens around Ben Nevis occasion- 

 ally rising and enveloping the top. 



July 17. — Top clear at intervals, and sky visible for a 

 short time, overcast with stratus or cum.-str. 



July 1 8. — At G h solar halo observed. Radius by stepha- 

 Faint white nome > 22° 49'. Rather indistinct. 

 Strong white July 19- — At 9 h solar corona'coloured as 



Faint red in margin. Loose thin fog hanging about 



Pin ^ the Ben all day, but no dense fog in 



valleys, and no haze at horizon. 



July 20. — Low fog in valleys to E. and N. in early 

 morning. Frost on roof till 4 h . During the day and at 

 night no fog in valleys, but rolling masses of cumulus 

 fog about the hill sides. 



July 21. — Fog both in valleys and on hills to eastward 

 in early morning. 



July 23. — Dense fog in valleys in early morning, rising 

 and covering the hill top for a short time at sunrise. In 

 afternoon no fog in valleys, but very thick looking fog 

 over Atlantic. At 23 h faint brown colour under moon. 



July 24. — All morning dense level-topped fog in valleys, 

 rising to about 2000 feet. Solar halo observed at 17 h . 

 Radius by stephanome (mean of six readings), 22° 27'. 

 Dry fog came on at 23 h . 



July 26. — At 2^ fog in valleys all round, up to about 

 3500 feet ; at 4 h it was sinking lower. Air very clear 

 above the fog. At 8 h this fog was breaking up. By 12 h 

 the valleys were clear, and the hill tops in some parts 

 capped with cumulus fog. At I4 h the valleys to west- 

 ward began to fill with fog again, and it came over the 

 hills to the west of Loch Linnhe, in the evening all the 

 valleys were full again up to about 3500 feet. At mid- 

 night faint brown colour under moon. 



July 27. — Thick fog in valleys till 4 h , rising to about 

 4000 feet. At 6 h and 7 h broken fog or cumulus over 

 hills, Ben clear. Loose fog hanging about the sides of 

 Ben Nevis all afternoon. 



July 28. — At l h faint brown colour under moon. 

 Dense fog over Moor of Rannoch all morning. At 3 h 

 30 m violet foreglow in N.E. sky. At 4 h , just before 

 sunrise, reddish glow above horizon to S.W. Violet glow 

 to N.W. at 21 h . At 23 h very faint brown colour under 

 moon. 



July 29. — At 3 h heavy dew on all wood outside, not on 

 stones ; this continued till 6 h . No upper glows before 

 sunrise, or after sunset. Horizon very hazy in early 

 morning, and again at night. During the afternoon 

 several sudden and apparently rotary gusts of wind 

 crossed the hill top ; force about 2, very local in action. 



July 30. — At l h the whole sky was dull blue above 

 the thick haze that covered the horizon, except to the 

 N. and N.N.E. where a distinct path of light, coloured 

 red and pearly grey, and bounded by a sharp well-marked 

 line, was observed. This light was probably due to the 

 sun, and was not auroral. At 3 h very low-lying fog over 

 Caledonian Canal valley. At 4 h , just before sunrise, 

 reddish glow to S.W. above haze. At 21 h faint purple or 

 violet afterglow observed in sky to N.W. Thick haze all 

 round all day, quite shutting out the distant view. 



July 31. — At 2 h it was observed that the dew was 

 lying heavily on the top of the thermometer box, but not 

 on stones, nor on either lead or wood of roof. 



Aug. 1. — Before sunrise, at 4 h , low fog in valleys to 

 N. and E. Thick haze all round all day. At 20 h 50 m 



Mr Rankin heard several peals of thunder when standing 

 at Maclean's steep, none heard at Observatory. Faint 

 afterglow at 21 h . Heavy dew at night. 



Aug. 2. — At l 1 ' and 2 h dense fog in valleys to S.E., 

 rising to about 4000 feet. At these hours misty corona 

 round moon. Colours rather blurred, red outside. Radius 

 of red, 3° 16'. At 4 h faint violet foreglow to N.E. At 

 ll h glories on fog in valley to N. Radius by stephanome, 

 3° 36.' 



Aug. 4. — In early morning, all exposed surfaces, in- 

 cluding bulbs and stems of exposed thermometers, thickly 

 coated with ice. Robinson anemometer working stiffly 

 from the same cause. Fog distinctly sank under hill top 

 at night. 



Aug. 5. — Faint afterglow at sunset. At midnight, 

 northern horizon bright, but scarcely coloured. 



Aug. 12. — High wind at night, northerly and very 

 squally. Back swirls distinctly marked. Thermometer 

 box louvres badly choked with snow all the afternoon and 

 niffht. 



Aug. 14. — Aurora seen for a very short time about 22 1 ' 

 35 m . Stars very clear and bright at night. 



Aug. 15. — Sky ugly at 20 h and 21 h , and low fog over 

 Loch Linnhe. 



Aiig. 17. — No unusual colours in sky in afternoon, but 

 at sunset the clouds all over the sky were crimson and 

 yellow. 



Aug. 18. — Fog in valleys till 3 h , clear at 4 h , but level- 

 topped cloud or fog on hills to north at 5 h . Very little 

 fog in valleys all day, but at 17 h cloud-fog over hills to 

 westward, and later, fog on Atlantic. At 20 h 20 m after- 

 glow with pinkish streamers. Very clear sky at night. 



Aug. 19. — At 4 h f og in valleys far to northward. Blue 

 haze on hills round all morning, no fog in valleys after 6 b . 

 Very faint afterglow at 20 h . Haze in valleys getting 

 thicker at night. 



Aug. 20. — At 4 h the haze in valleys was mixed with 

 detached pieces of fog. In the forenoon fog from the 

 hills to eastward came rolling all round Ben Nevis, occa- 

 sionally even brushing the top. At 20 h violet or pink 

 afterglow, well marked. At same hour the sound of the 

 waterfall in Glen Nevis distinctly heard at Wragge's well. 

 In afternoon faint brown colour in sky near sun, and at 

 night below moon. 



Aug. 21. — At 2 h bright light to northward, possibly 

 auroral. Hazy all day ; but no fog in valleys or on hills 

 round till 22 u , when it gathered on the hills to eastward, 

 and afterwards sank into the valleys, mixing with the 

 haze. 



Aug. 22. — Haze and low fog in valleys all morning. 

 Fog passing over hill top all afternoon, but about 23 h 30"' 

 it sank below into the valleys, forming a B j ue 

 dense billowy sheet over almost all the Bed 

 surrounding hills. Misty corona at 23 h . Yellow 

 Colours as in margin; the blue margin being )) 



well marked. Radius of red by stephanome about 1° 50'. 

 Faint brown colour under moon at midnight. 



Aug. 23. — Faint brown colour under moon at l h . 

 Dense level-topped fog or cloud over all the hills round 

 all night, up to about 4000 feet. Faint upper glow at 4 h 

 30 m . About 14 h the fog rose and covered the hill top. 

 At 16 and 17 h the fog had cleared to northward, but was 

 still hanging above Glen Nevis to southward. Fog or 

 cloud on hills to westward at 20\ At midnight low fog 



