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BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY-LOG-BOOK, 1893. 



Jan. 1.— Strong E.S.E. or E. winds till 18 h , after which 

 it moderated. Thin fog on or passing over summit till 

 21 h ; clear and cloudless thereafter. Temperature falling 

 all day, 17 0, 4 at l h ; 6°"6 at midnight. Thermometer box 

 changed at 23 h 7 m . Height above snow not altered. 



Jan. 2. — Cloudless till 3 h . Thereafter the sky got 

 quickly overcast, and at 9 h fog came on, and did not clear 

 again till midnight. In middle of day, with temperature 

 14°, there was a thin mist on summit. A little snow fell 

 in evening. 



Jan. 3. — Lunar corona seen at 8 h . Mist observed in 

 afternoon with temperature 18°. 



Jan. 4. — Summit clear till 17 h , and sky cloudless most 

 of the time ; but fog and haze below. Earth shadow seen 

 at 9 h . Thermometer box changed after 7 h . Height 

 above snow not altered. 



Jan. 5. — Fog, with snow falling, till 5 h ; cloudy till 9 h ; 

 cloudless and air dry during the rest of the day, but thick 

 haze aud some fog below all round. Bright aurora seen 

 at and after 18 h . 



Jan. 6. — Summit clear at times in forenoon ; thick haze 

 and fog below. Lunar corona seen at l h . 



Jan. 7. — Squally E. winds all day. Fog till 13 b , 

 cloudy thereafter, with fog passing over at times. In 

 early morning it was doubtful whether any snow was 

 falling ; but owing to the strong wind and drift the 

 rain gauge was useless. Barometer pumping wildly all 

 day. 



Jan. 9. — Wind gradually falling in force all forenoon. 

 Thin fog till 6 h , and at times till 15 b . Air very dry there- 

 after, humidity falling to 18 per cent, at 22 h . Bright aurora 

 at and after 1 8 h . 



Jan. 10. — Fog all round below to-day, occasionally 

 rising to and passing over summit. Aurora visible till 2 h , 

 and at 5 h and 6 h . The zodiacal light was seen to S.W. 

 at 20 h . A weasel (stoat) was trapped inside Observatory 

 to-day. It was pure white, all but about 2 inches of its 

 tail, which was black. 



Jan. 11. — Sky cloudless till 22 h , but fog all round 

 below, which rose thereafter and covered summit also. 

 Aurora seen from 3 h to 6 h , and again at night. The 

 zodiacal light seen to S.W. at 19 h and 20' 1 . Very bright 

 afterglow seen between 17 h and 18 1 '. 



Jan. 12. — Sky cloudless in forenoon, but fog all round 

 below, on which glories and fog-bows were seen. This 

 fog rose to level of summit by 12 h , and covered summit 

 during the rest of the day. When it came on first it was 

 mist, though the temperature was only 23°. Aurora seen 

 at 3 h and 4\ A fog-bow seen at ll h to-day was triple, 

 and the outermost bow had red outside, while each of the 

 other two had red inside. 



Jan. 13. — Fog all morning; clear but somewhat 



cloudy, aud air saturated all afternoon. Thermometer 

 box changed after 15 h . Height above snow not altered. 



Jan. 16. -Mist all day, with drizzling rain and ice 

 forming on exposed surfaces. Temperature rose quickly 

 till 3 h , when it was 32°"1, and fell slowly during the rest of 

 the day. 



Jan. 17. — Ice forming freely on all exposed surfaces in 

 early morning. 



Jan. 18. — At 4 h the hourly observation sheet was 

 blown away. Mist, with ice forming on exposed surfaces, 

 all day. 



Jan. 22.— Thermometer box shifted at 4 h 30 m . Height 

 above snow not altered. For the last few days rain has 

 fallen frequently, with temperatures below freezing. 



Jan. 26. — Severe S.S.E. gale in early morning. Tower 

 screen used from 2 h to 6 h inclusive, as the high wind and 

 drift made it difficult to reach and read the Stevenson 

 screen. The rain gauge was put out for the first time at 

 9 h ; apparently no snow fell before 7 h . At 9 h hail was 

 falling, and at 14 h snow like that which accompanies St. 

 Elmo's Fire ; but no sound or appearance of St. Elmo's 

 Fire was observed. 



Jan. 27.— Top clear at 8 h , 9 h , and 10 h ; but fog on hills 

 and passing. Thermometer box shifted at 9 h lO" 1 . Height 

 above snow not altered. 



Jan. 28. — Very thick fog from 6 1 ' to 18 h . Standing 

 on roof it was impossible to see more than about 10 yards. 

 Dry white fog crystals forming rapidly. A little snow fell 

 in forenoon, but gauges were useless owing to drift. 



Feb. 6. — A snow bunting was seen this morning near 

 the snow porch of Observatory at 8 h 40 m . Top clear at 

 7 h , 9 h , 14 h , 15 h and 16 h , but sky partly covered with cirro- 

 stratus, and cum. fog on hills all round. Clouds looked 

 " hard packed " and windy. Heavy rain between 20 h 

 and 21 h , and very heavy rain about 21 h 30 m . Thermometer 

 box shifted at 14 h 20 m . Height above snow not altered. 



Feb. 9. — Lightning, accompanied with earth currents, at 

 l.9 h 40'", 45 m , 48 m , and 52 m , the two last being fainter. 

 Lightning also at 21 h 5 m ; three flashes in close succession. 

 No thunder heard. St. Elmo's Fire seen on kitchen 

 chimney at 20 h . No rain gauges out after 20 h . Little 

 snow fell, and there was considerable drift. Tower screen 

 thermometer used from 21 h to midnight. 



Feb. 12.— Thermometer box shifted at l h 28 m . Put 

 one stage higher on stand. Top clear from 9 h to 14 h , and 

 again alter 21 h ; but generally thin fog blowing over and air 

 always saturated. Air very clear to S.W. at ll h , though 

 detached fog on hills to S. and E. Solar halo seen at 10 h . 



Feb. 13. — Sky cloudless till 6 h , and only cirrus till ll h . 

 Thick fog all afternoon. Fog gathered in valleys after 6 h , 

 and gradually rose higher. The upper glow was seen at 

 6 h . Air scarcely dry all morning, and thin fog blowing 



