350 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



[1887. 



July 2. — Halo seen at 7 h ; red inside; rather broad 

 an 1 taint. Seen again at 9 h and at 13 )l . 



July 6. — At l 1 ' bright pearly cirrus seen to northward. 

 Underneath it at the northern horizon was dark roll- 

 cuin. 



July 8. — Dark ugly-looking haze all round in after- 

 noon. 



July 16. — Heavy ugly-looking cumulus all round at 

 night, though hill top and sky pretty clear. Clouds to 

 northward quite dark, though horizon faintly red at mid- 

 night. 



July 17. — No afterglow was observed after sunset, 

 though the sky was quite clear. At night bright pearly 

 cirrus to northward, height about 12°, highest to N.N.W. 

 all night, not following the sun round. 



July 18. — No upper glow before sunrise. 



July 20. — Thick fog over the lower hills in evening. 

 At 21 earth shadow seen to south-eastward. Up to mid- 

 night pearly cirrus seen to northward. 



July 21. — At 10 h 50 m a double glory was observed from 

 edge of cliff. The following measurements were got: — 

 Radius of inner red, 1° 57' 36"; 2° 1' 12"; 1° 59' 14"; 

 radius of outer red, 3° 18' 0"; 3° 19' 30". A double fog- 

 bow was also seen at times ; red inside inner bow and 

 outside outer bow ; -the rest of the bows were white — no 

 other colours. A solar halo was seen at 8 h ; no measure- 

 ments got. The fog on the lower hills gradually rose and 

 covered Ben Nevis; at 9 b and 10 h it was about level with 

 the top. 



July 24. — Heavy showers of hail fell between ll h 55 m 

 and 12 h 10 m . The hail shower at 13 h came on from the 

 south-westward. It was falling on the roof of the visitor's 

 room about four seconds before any fell at the tower. 



July 25. — A distinct shower of snow fell between 10 h 

 and ll h ; a little was seen lying at ll h . 



July 31. — Rainbow seen at 18 h 45 m ; double, primary 

 bow the brightest. Radius of red of primary, 42° 48' 

 and 44° 17'; secondary, 53° 8'. Red outside primary and 

 inside secondary. Measurements made from centre of 

 shadow of observer's head. 



Aug. 2. — Soft-looking fog over all hills round at night. 

 Northern horizon bright at midnight. 



Aug. 3. — Between 4 h and sunrise (4 h 25 m ) the eaith 

 shadow was visible. Thick fog over hills to 3000 or 4000 

 feet till about 10 h ; after which it broke up gradually, first 

 clearing away to northward. At 10 h a butterfly flew over 

 the roof. At 21 h a faint upper glow was seen; the N. 

 and N.W. horizon remained red till after 23 h . To-day the 

 repaired Robinson anemometer was set up. 



Auy. 4. — Haze and low fog in valleys in early morning. 

 Cum. -fog all round during the day, and haze in valleys again 

 at night. 



Aug. 5. — Trace of halo seen at 12 h . Very thick haze 

 all round most of the day and at night. 



Aug. 10. — At l h Robinson anemometer was tied up, 

 but it was set going again at 7 h . 



Aug. 16. — No fog in valleys all day, but cumulus and 

 cum. -fog hanging about hill tops, which at 19 h surrounded 

 Ben Nevis except to southward, where there was haze. 

 At 20 h 45 m afterglow seen to N.W. 



Aug. 17. — Low fog gathered in the valleys to north- 

 ward between 2 1 ' and sunrise ; about 5 h it had risen to the 

 level of the hill top, and the rest of the day was misty. 

 Clory seen at 5 h 7'". Single ring badly defined, with 



occasional traces of second outer ring. Radius of red (two 

 measurements), 3° 42' and 3° 52'. 



Aug. 19. — Glories seen about 9 h 40 m . Two circles 

 distinct and two others outside these indistinct. Red 

 outside in all. The colour next the shadow was yellow ; 

 between its red and red 2 was violet, and between red 2 

 and red 3 green. No measurements got. A fog-bow was 

 seen at 9 h 45 m , with glory inside it round shadow. At 10 u 

 22 m another glory seen at cliff. Red outside radius, 2° 

 36'. The violet was a deep band reaching nearly if not 

 quite to the shadow. Two other measurements of 

 different glories about the same time gave for radius of 

 red, 3° 4' and 3° 13'. Misty glories were seen at various 

 times during the day. A rainbow was seen at 19 h . 

 Flashes of lightning were observed far to southward at 22 1 ' 

 4 m and at about 22 h 30 m . 



Aug. 20. — At 3 low-lying fog over lochs and rivers to 

 northward. Fog gradually gathered on the hills round, 

 and by 6 h covered Ben Nevis. 



Aug. 21. — Glory seen at about 9 h 30 m ; colours as in fig. 

 16. Yellow 1 and red 1 faint; yellow 2 and red 2 very distinct. 

 In 2 no green and in 3 no blue (or only faint traces in both 

 cases). In ring 3 the green and red were the most distinct 

 colours, yellow barely visible. When clouds or fog blew 

 up the corrie where the glory was seen the colours got 

 blurred and indistinct. The following measurements were 

 taken: — Radius of yellow 2 (inside), 2° 36' and 2° 32'; 

 junction of yellow 2 and red 2 , 3° 15' and 3° 29' ; red 2 

 (outside), 4° 25' and 4° 18'; red 3 (outside), 7° 30'; 

 green (inside ?), 6° 48'. At 20 h faint afterglow ob- 

 served. 



Aug. 23. — At 5 h 20 m glory seen from window in tower 

 door. Two and three circles seen, red outside in each. 

 No measurements got. 



Aug. 28. — At 14 h a rainbow was seen. 



Aug. 31.— A shower of hail fell between 14 h and 15 h . 

 Thunder was noted at 16 u 9 m , and again at 17 h m ; no 

 lightning seen. 



Sept. 1. — At 22 h an ill-defined white lunar halo was 

 observed. 



Sejrt. 2. — At 18 h 45 m part of a rainbow was observed to 

 east-south-eastward. Pinkish red 



Sept. 4. — At 4 h a lunar corona was ob- Blue 

 served, arrangement of colours as shown in Yellow 

 margin. It was too fleeting for measure- White 

 ments to be obtained. ^ 



Sept. 6.— Snow and sleet fell between 18 h and 19 1 '. At 

 midnight the Robinson anemometer was tied up. 



Sept. 7. — At 5 h a lunar corona was seen. At 10 h the 

 mist cleared off summit, but lay in valleys and on hills 

 around till 13 h , after which it rose and formed into 

 cumulus clouds overhead, leaving great " visibility " all 

 round below. 



Sept. 8.- — -A lunar corona was seen at 5 h , but no 

 measurements were got. At 7 h the Bobinson anemometer 

 was untied, and for the rest of the day it went all right. 

 Lightning was seen at 21 h . 



Sept. 9. — The Robinson anemometer was tied up at 18 h 

 25 m . At 23 h St Elmo's fire was seen on the tips of the 

 lightning rod and on the vane. Its appearance was 

 accompanied by a very audible fizzing, not crackling, like 

 the sound emitted by water on a hot iron plate. A little 

 snow was falling at the time, and the wind was rather 

 gusty. It was observed that the light was brightest when 



