1886.] 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY.— LOG-BOOK. 



335 



1886. 



Jan. 1. — Robinson anemometer tied up at 23 h 10 m . 



Jan. 3. — Robinson anemometer started at 13 h 10 m , but 

 tied up again at 14 h 5 m . 



J an . 4.— Thermometer box shifted at 12 b 10 m . 



Jan. 5. — At 6 b tips of lightning rod, vane, and cups of 

 anemometers and kitchen chimney glowing with St Elmo's 

 fire ; heavy hail falling at the time. 



Jan. 6. — Haze at horizon and in valleys all day. At 

 ll h great white glare round sun, and brown colour under 

 it. This brown colour was under the sun all day. At 

 1 6 h pink glow to E. No afterglow to westward till 1 6 h 

 10 m . Earth shadow observed at 16 h 10 m . 



Jan. 9. — At 10 h columns of fog rising out of Glen 

 Nevis. A white ray or beam from sun observed passing 

 vertically down over Glen Nevis. It was not caused by 

 the sun shining through a rift in the clouds ; and it was 

 seen passing over or into Glen Nevis between the observer 

 and the opposite hills. No corresponding ray observed 

 above sun. At 10 h 10 m pink colour on clouds to northward 

 close over Ben Nevis. At 12 h 10 m thermometer box shifted. 



Jan. 11. — Thermometer box shifted at 12 h 10 m . 



Jan. 13.— Thermometer box shifted at 12 h 30 m . 



Jan. 14. — Thermometer box shifted at 7 h 10 m . After 

 9 h the following additional observations were made : — 9 h 

 ll m , dry 22-0; wet 25 - — fog crossing hill at second 

 gorge; 9 h 17 m , dry 20-6; wet 21*0 — fog passing at 

 Observatory. At 8 h under surface of pallium of a dark 

 brown red colour. 



Jan. 15. — Wind very unsteady, with back swirls all 

 day. Louvres of thermometer box badly choked. 



Jan. 16. — Thermometer box shifted at 3 h 20 m . 



Jan. 18. — Brown colour under moon at 5 h , and similar 

 colour under sun during day. At 17 h 

 double lunar corona ; colours as in mar- 

 gin. Radius of red, 1° 41'; yellow, 0° 58'. 

 Similar corona seen at 21 h . 



Jan. 19. — Brown colour under moon in early morning. 

 No usual pink foreglow at sunrise; but the under surfaces 

 of cirrus clouds were coloured vermilion-red about 10 

 minutes before sunrise. Dark blue band across sky from 

 N.E. to W. At 9 h double solar corona, consisting of two 

 pinkish red rings ; radius of inner ring about 2° 8'. At 

 14 h gauge found buried in drift up to the rim. The drift 

 has blown away round the stand for the thermometer box, 

 so that although the bulbs are only about 20 inches above 

 the general surface, they are 40 or 45 inches above the 

 surface immediately under them. This hole is about 2 

 yards diameter, and has steep sides. 



Jan. 20. — Double lunar corona observed at 2 b . Formed 

 on scud ; colours as in margin. Very fleet- 

 ing, and size varying. Two measurements 

 within one minute gave for radius of inner 

 red, 3° 33' and 3° 7'. The colours were 

 always the same, though the size varied. 

 Thermometer box shifted at 3 h 20 m . Brown 

 ]) colour under moon all morning. Same 



brown colour under sun in afternoon. At 17 h dark red 

 and dirty yellow at S.W., W., and N.W. horizon ; under 

 surfaces of cumulus to westward red, and under surfaces 

 of cirrus pinkish. 



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



Ked 



Yellow 

 Yellowish 



D 



Red 



Yellow 



Blue-green 



Bed 



Orange 



Yellow 



Whitish 



Jan. 22. — A light was observed in the north at 17 h , 

 which might be auroral. Thermometer box shifted at 22 b 

 15 m . 



Jan. 23. — At 17 h brownish-pink colour in sky to west- 

 ward above low-lying clouds. Sky green to S.S.W. Fog 

 on hills to E. and S. 



Jan. 25. — In morning fog crystals smoky brown in 

 colour. Fog passing in waves in afternoon and at night. 

 Very squally at night, with intervals of almost perfect 

 calm. 



Jan. 27. — Fog crystals on exposed surfaces brown. In 

 the afternoon the fog, though very thick, was dazzling to 

 the eyes. 



Jan. 28. — Fog crystals of their usual white colour in 

 morning, but possibly slightly brown in afternoon. 



Jan. 29. — Fog crystals brown in morning. Louvres of 

 box badly choked with snow all day. 



Jan. 30. — One flash of lightning seen at 7 h . Some 

 hail in rain-gauge at 8 h . At 12 h , 13 h , and 14 h gauge full 

 of drift. 



I J eb. 1. — At l h rain-gauge found leaning over to wind- 

 ward, and full of drift. At 2 h gauge buried almost to the 

 rim, and full of drift. At 21 h the gauge was again found 

 almost buried. None was put out again till midnight, when 

 it was put out as usual. Thermometer box shifted at 9 b 

 10 m . At 9 h fog on hills round in patches. At ll h fog 

 joining with upper clouds over Glencoe and Loch Linnhe; 

 very ugly. At 13 h white glare, with pink or brown edges. 

 Between 14 h and 15 b brown colour under sun, and haze 

 and cum. to S.W. 



Feb. 2.— Thermometer box shifted at 23 h 25 m . 



Feb. 3. — No fog in valleys, but horizon hazy, especially 

 to S.W. all day. At 8 h yellowish, watery glare in sky to 

 south-eastward 20° to 30° high. Pale glare, with brownish 

 red edges round sun all day. At 17 h red streak along 

 western horizon, and above it triangle of yellowish green 

 in sky about G0° wide at base and 30° high. At 19 h long 

 bluish- white glimmer in sky to westward leaning at an 

 angle of 45° to southward. Haze or fog seemed to rise up 

 on to the hill top at night, the stars remaining bright as 

 long as they were visible. Snow down to sea-level. 



Feb. 4. — Low fog on Locheil and Loch Rannoch at 8 h , 

 which gradually passed away during the day. Brown 

 colour under sun at ll h and all the rest of the day; pale 

 brownish glare round sun in afternoon. Haze over Firth 

 of Lome all afternoon. After sunset red light all round 

 horizon, which gradually rose to eastward, leaving an earth- 

 shadow underneath. At 19 h and 20 h faint triangular 

 white glimmer in western sky similar to last night. Faint 

 aurora seen at night. 



Feb. 5. — At 8 h , just before and just after sunrise, under 

 surface of clouds blood-red. Haze thickening in valleys 

 to S. and W. all morning. The cloud layer seemed to 

 come gradually down on to Ben Nevis in afternoon. 



Feb. 6. — Fog crystals forming most of the day, but of 

 their usual white colour. 



Pel. 7._Thermometer box shifted at 16 h 10 m . 



Feb. 8. — Robinson anemometer started after 12 h . 



Feb. 9. — Robinson anemometer tied up at 8 h . Thick 

 crust of ice on louvres of thermometer box and all exposed 



3 u 



