1894.] 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



18 9/ 



Thunder peals were heard at 17 1 ' 

 Lightnins flashes were seen to S.E. 



13 h and again at 17 h , 

 19 m and at 17 h 30 m . 

 between 17 h and 18 h . 



July 24. — A luuar corona was seen at 2 h and a lunar 

 halo at midnight. 



July 26. — A click was heard on the telegraph instru- 

 ment at 5 h 2 m and rather weak earth currents were in the 

 ■cable all day. 



July 31. — Solar halos were seen at 10 h and ll h , and a 

 glory surrounded the shadow of the tower projected on fog 

 at 5 h . 



Aug. 15. — Several peals of thunder were heard and a 

 flash of lightning seen shortly before 13 u . A sharp click 

 was heard on the telegraph instrument at 12 h 55 m , evidently 

 ■due to a flash passing down the cable, as the paraffined 

 paper of the lightniug-protector was pierced. A heavy fall 

 of rain, hail and sleet occurred between 12 h and 13 11 . 



Aug. 17. — A few clicks were heard on the telegraph 

 instrument, indicating the presence of slight earth currents. 



Aug. 20. — There were strong earth currents in the 

 telegraph cable all day. 



Aug. 21. — Detached stratus-fog lay among the hills at 

 l h and ice-crystals formed on the roof. Heavy showers of 

 snow fell from 6 h to 14 h and some sleet in the evening. 



Aug. 22. — Luuar coronse were seen this morning and a 

 Solar corona, and glory round the shadow of the Tower 

 were seen at sunrise on thin passing fog. The pink after- 

 glow and green flash were seen at sunset to-day. 



Aug. 23. — Pink afterglow was observed at 20 h . An 

 aurora stretching from "W.N.W. to N.N.E. was seen at 

 midnight. It apparently consisted of two arches with 

 short streamers, extending both upwards and downwards 

 in the western part of the arch, but details could not be 

 made out very well owing to the moonlight. 



Aug. 24. — The aurora was very faint at l h but became 

 more distinct at 2 h , the dark segment being then well 

 defined but no streamers were seen ; it was again very 

 faint at 3 h . A fog-bow and glory were seen at 6 h . The 

 foreglow and afterglow were seen to-day. Dew lay on 

 roof at 23 h and midnight. 



Aug. 31. — An aurora was seen at 23 h and midnight. It 

 consisted of a single arch with very short rays at its western 

 part, darting both upwards and downwards ; the dark 

 segment was well-defined and the aurora arch stretched 

 from N.W. by W. to N. by W. 



Sept. 1. — The aurora continued to be seen till 2 h when 

 it was reduced to a small luminous patch to N.N.W. An 

 aurora was again seen at 23 h and midnight. 



Sept. 2. — The aurora continued visible till 3 h . It had 

 streamers reaching 30° upwards at l h and was then 

 brighter than at midnight. Very faint aurora from 22 h 

 till midnight. 



Sept. 14. — Some difficulty was experienced in sending 

 off the report to-night, owing to the presence of strong 

 earth currents in the cable, which continued from 21 h till 

 after midnight. 



Sept. 15. — Solar fog-bow and glories at 16 h and luuar 

 corona at 23 h . A "redpoll" was seen on a ledge of rock 

 beside the bucket-stage this afternoon, and a covey of five 

 grouse above Buchan's Well, on the afternoon of the 

 7th. 



Sept. 27. — The air was very clear to-day, the Outer 

 Hebrides and Ireland being seen. An aurora was first 



seen at 22 h but was then very faint, at 23 h it had become 

 brighter stretching from almost due W. to N.N.E. It 

 was brightest in its N.W. portion and had streamers there 

 about 50 degrees upwards but was very faint elsewhere ; 

 it had become a luminous band with no definite arch at 

 midnight. Bands of cirro-stratus lay at N. and W. 

 horizon. 



Sept. 28. — The aurora continued visible till 4 h . AtlMt 

 extended from W. by N. to N.E. by N. but had 

 decreased in extent by 3 b , stretching then from W.N.W. 

 to N. No streamers. The foreglow was seen before 

 sunrise. 



Sept. 30. — A very faint aurora was seen from 20 h till 

 midnight. 



Oct. 2. — Aurora with single arch and short streamers at 

 times was seen from 21 h to midnight. 



Oct. 4.— Sky cloudless and haze in valleys all day. 

 Temperature very high (47 to 56) and air very dry all day. 

 Humidity 27 to 38. An aurora was first seen very faintly 

 at 20 h ; at 2 l h it stretched from W.N.W. to N.E by N. 

 and had streamers about 35 degrees upwards at 22 h . The 

 rest of the night it was very faint. 



Oct. 5. — Sky cloudless and stratus-fog below all day. 

 It rose towards night and was on or passing as mist from 

 20 h . There was a fall in temperature of 10 degrees (47° to 

 37°) at 20 u when the mist came on. The aurora again 

 became very active with streamers (short) at l h and 2 b 

 when it extended from N.W. to N. but was very faint at 

 3 h and 4 h . 



Oct. 11. — A lunar halo at 19 h and lunar corona at 

 20 h . 



Oct. 16. — Lunar corona seen at 5 h . Double solar fog- 

 bows at 8 U and 9 h and a lunar fog-bow at 20 h . 



Oct. 17.— Solar fog-bow seen at 10 h . 



Oct. 18. — At l h 20 m a small thermometer box was put 

 out on ladder stand No. 1 as the louvres of the large box 

 were getting choked with hard ice. The small box readings 

 were entered on daily sheet from 2 h onwards. 



Oct. 23. — Very strong wind at night. Tower screen in 

 use ; no correction applied to it as it read almost the same 

 as the Stevenson — not over o, 2 of difference — at such 

 hours as double readings were taken. 



Oct. 24. — Tower thermometer used at l h and 2 h . 



Oct. 26. — Aurora seen at l h . Thermometer box shifted 

 at 6 h 15 m . Height not altered. 



Oct. 27. — Faint aurora seen at 19 k . 



Oct. 30. — Thermometer box shifted at 4 h 20 m . Position 

 not altered. Aurora, single arch, seen from 21 h onwards. 

 Also seen at 5 h , 8 h and 9 h . In the afternoon a weasel was 

 seen near Observatory. 



Oct. 31. — Aurora continued visible but always getting 

 fainter till 3 h . 



Nov. 4. — At 5 h a mouse was seen in front of house near 

 kitchen window. 



Nov. 8. — At 13 h St Elmo's Fire was heard as a hissing 

 noise on all posts, chimneys, etc. 



Nov. 12.— Thermometer box shifted at 15 h 25 m . The 

 fresh one was put on ladder stand No. 2 instead of No. 1 

 as formerly. Height above snow of old box 39 inches, of 

 fresh box 51 inches. 



Nov. 13. — Heavy hail and snow fell from 21 h to 23 h , 

 and at the same time there were strong earth currents in 

 telegraph cable. Thermometer box shifted at 4 h 15 m . 



