1889.] 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



135 



lunar coronse were observed ; at the former hour with 

 four red rings, and at the latter with three. 



Jan. 21. — Mist or fog till 16 h , but clear thereafter till 

 midnight, and sky almost cloudless. Till 18 h there was 

 detached fog over the lower hills, but none thereafter. 

 The zodiacal light was seen in western sky from 19 h till 

 22 h ; it reached to the border of the constellation Aries. 

 From 20 h to 22 h the aurora was seen faint and low to N. 

 At 23 h and midnight cum.-cir. clouds were observed to E., 

 which retained their shape and position nearly the whole 

 hour, though the particles of the cloud were in rapid 

 motion from N. to S. At 22 h a dark cloud which cov- 

 ered the moon had its edges coloured. The central part 

 of the cloud was opaque and very irregular in shape. 

 The colours did not appear to belong to a system of rings, 

 but conformed to the following order, namely — opaque, 

 green, red. After the 17 h observation the thermometer 

 box was taken off ladder No. 2, and mounted on ladder 

 No. 1, and a fresh box was put out on No. 2. Readings 

 were taken of the thermometers in both boxes till mid- 

 night, and the following are the means of these : — 



Fresh Box in ladder No. 2. 

 Box and bulbs in good order. 



Dry. 



277 



Wet. 

 25-0 



D.P. 

 13-4 



Box in ladder No. 1. 



Box encrusted with ice and snow, 



but bulbs in good order. 



Dry. Wet. D.P. 



25-9 24-5 17-3 



The ice encrusted box was taken in after midnight. 



Jan. 22. — Cloudless till 3 !l , thin scud or stratus till 5 h , 

 on which a lunar corona was seen at 4 h , then mist till 9 h , a 

 little cirrus on sky till 13 h , and top clear and sky cloudless 

 till midnight. Fog on the other hills to 4000 feet all 

 afternoon, sinking a little at night. The zodiacal light 

 was visible till 22 h , at which hour a faint aurora was seen 

 low to N. 



Jan. 23. — Thin mist passing at times in forenoon. A 

 fog bow was seen at 6 h , and another at 12 h , and lunar 

 coronse were seen at 6 h and 7 1 '. Cirrus on sky (cir., cir.-c, 

 or cir.-s.) after 9 h . At 9 h the radiating points of cirrus 

 were N.E. to S.W., and at 13 h E. to W. Mist on 

 summit after 13 h , from when till midnight ice was forming 

 on surfaces. 



Jan. 24. — The top was clear at ll h and 12 h , but mist 

 on the other hills, and cir.-s. and cir.-c. on sky. These 

 clouds were in bands lying N.W. to S.E. Drizzling rain 

 falling from the mist mostly all day, and ice forming 

 rapidly on surfaces all afternoon. 



Jan. 27.— Thermometer box shifted at l h 15 m . Top 

 clear till 14 u , except for a little passing fog in early 

 morning, but fog after that, except at 16 h , till mid- 

 night. Cir. and cir.-c. on sky from 7 h till 14 h , radiating 

 points were at 13 h W.N.W. and E.S.E. After 13 h the 

 western sky began to thicken, and at 14 h str. or cum.-s. 

 was advancing rapidly from that direction, and fog was 

 forming over western hills. This morning there was hoar 

 frost to sea-level. The earth shadow and foreglow were 

 seen at 8 h . 



Jan. 28. — After the 16 h observation the thermometer 

 box was shifted, the hinges having fouled. 



Jan. 29. — Clearing for short intervals about mid-day. 

 The outside part of the 5 U observation was about 10 m late, 

 the lamp having been blown out several times. 



Jan. 31. — Ice forming on exposed surfaces in early 



morning. Heavy rain falling most of the day. Wind 

 somewhat squally. 



Feb. 1. — Top clear from 3 h to 5 h , but sky nearly or 

 quite overcast with cir.-s. or str.-cir., which was lying 

 W.S.W. to E.N.E. Rain fell in forenoon, and heavy 

 snow at night. 



Feb. 2. — Summit clearing at times till 13 h , but sky 

 remaining overcast. St. Elmo's Fire was seen at 6 h , and 

 heard but not seen at 9 h . Snow-hail was falling on both 

 occasions, drifting heavily most of the afternoon, which 

 makes the entries of amount of snow on daily sheet 

 somewhat doubtful. Sheet lightning seen at 7 h . 



Feb. 3. — At l u the entry of amount of snow in daily 

 sheet is an interpolation, the gauge having been found 

 lying on its side half full of snow. There are no entries 

 after 19 h , it being too stormy to work the raingauge; but 

 0"080 has been allowed for these hours, and is included 

 in total fall for the day. The wind was very squally at 

 night, and the barometer was pumping wildly. The 

 following readings of the barometer were taken : — 



Time. 



Corrected to 32°. 



Remarks. 



h m s 



in. 





About 19 59 38 



25-116 



Squall 



At 20 



25-176 



Lull 



20 33 



25-211 





20 35 



25-218 





20 36 



25-147 



Squall 



20 42 



25-152 





Immediately before 21 



25-061 





At 21 



25-202 



Lull 



Feb. 4. — Wind very squally, and barometer pumping 

 heavily all forenoon. Top clear at times in forenoon, and 

 from 14 h to 19 h . There was no gauge out till 6 h to-day, 

 but apparently no snow fell till then. Thermometer box 

 shifted after the 15 k observation. 



Feb. 5. — From 2 h till 5 h the fog, though the tempera- 

 ture was 23° to 26°, had a misty feel, and icy drizzle was 

 falling. After 5 h and till 9 h it was distinctly mist. 

 Summit clear at times in afternoon and at night, but sky 

 overcast with low stratus that was almost touching the 

 Ben. 



Feb. 6. — Top clear from 17 h till 21 h , but sky overcast 

 with cum.-cir. at 17 h , which passed into str.-cir., and was 

 lowering gradually, till at 20 h and 21 h it formed a 

 uniform pallium (of cum.-s.?) almost touching the Ben. 

 The air was dry from 19 h till 21 h ; the lowest humidity 

 observed was 41, at 20 h . The thermometer box was 

 shifted at 18 h 15 m . At 18 h the radiating points of 

 clouds were N.W. to S.E. 



Feb. 8. — Wind very squally, and barometer pumping 

 all day. Amounts of snow very unsatisfactory all fore- 

 noon, owing to the drift and squally winds. There was 

 no gauge out from ll h till 23 h , but it was snowing 

 slightly most of the time. 



Feb. 9. — At 2 h the thermometers were shifted. Top 

 clear at times in afternoon, but sky cloudy or overcast. 

 Snow to sea-level. 



Feb. 10.— Solar halo seen from 10 h to 13\ Ther- 

 mometer box shifted after 7 h . Air dry from 8 h till 14 h . 



