280 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



[1895. 



and four were seen at 13 h . A raven was seen at that 

 hour also. 



April 16. — Some cirrus in evening, otherwise cloudless 

 all day. Fog low in valleys to N.E. till 9 h . Aurora at 

 night. Air very clear all morning. At 5 h some very 

 distant hills seen to S.E. were supposed to be south of the 

 Forth. 



April 17. — Aurora seen till 3 h . Fog low to SE. and 

 N.E. in forenoon ; no fog in evening, but thick haze all 

 round. Solar halo seen at 17 h . 



April 18. — Summit clear but sky cloudy or overcast 

 all day, and thick haze, all round, above as well as below 

 the summit. 



April 19. — Clouds gradually lowering and thickening 

 till at 5 h they were just touching summit, and a shower 

 of snow fell then. Mist during the rest of the day, 

 except at and after 22 h . 



April 23. — Strong currents on telegraph wire at 17 h 

 15 m and 18 h 16 m . St. Elmo's Fire was heard at 17 h , 

 hail falling at the time. 



April 24. — St. Elmo's Fire heard at 17 h , snow and 

 hail falling at the time. 



April 25. — St. Elmo's Fire seen at l h and hissing 

 strongly on all points and on observer. Soft flaky snow 

 falling at the time. 



April 27. — Summit cleared after 8 h and remained 

 clear except for passing fog now and again during the 

 rest of the day. Fog hanging about hills all day. 

 Thermometer box shifted at 9 h . Height not altered. 



April 28. — Fog below all morning, rising in evening 

 and covering summit. Air dry till 16 h . 



April 29. — Thermometer box lowered one step on 

 ladderstand at 4 h to-day. 



May 1. — St. Elmo's Fire was seen on chimney at 2 h . 



May 2. — Summit cleared after 19 h and fog disappeared, 

 but sky was covered with cirro-stratus on which a 

 lunar halo was seen at 22 h and 23 h . 



May 3. — Sky nearly covered with cir.-s all day, but 

 summit clear and no fog below. Lunar halos were 

 seen in early morning and at night, and solar halos 

 during the day. Thick haze at night, the thickness 

 being first observed to N.E. and S.E. 



May 4. — Thick haze all around to-day, but no fog 

 on summit or below it. Cir.-s almost covering sky most 

 of day, on which a solar halo was seen at 7 h and from 

 10 h till 16 h . 



May 5. — Sky nearly cloudless. Thick haze below 

 during the day. At night the haze began to rise in 

 sheets and streaks into sky. 



May 7. — Sky quite cloudless and no fog below all 

 day ; air dry and very clear, the maximum visibility 

 being noted for several hours in forenoon. 



May 8. — Air very clear in forenoon ; somewhat hazy 

 in afternoon. Mist at and after 21 h . 



May 9. — Strong click on telegraph instrument at 2 h 

 7 m . Thunder and lightning at 15 h 53 m and several 

 peals of thunder heard during the following hour. 



May 10. — Summit clear almost all day. Sky some- 

 what cloudy. Solar halo seen at 17 h and 18 h . 



May 11.— Sky slightly cloudy and thick haze below, hut 

 air dry all day. Lunar halo seen at 2 h . Thermometer 

 box let down one step at 5 h . 



May 14. — After 3 h to-day dry bulb and wet bulb 



were put out in the summer large Stevenson Screen. 

 Duplicate readings of the thermometers in both boxes 

 were made hourly during the rest of the day. 



May 15. — Readings from instruments in ladder stand 

 discontinued to-day. Entries in daily sheet are from 

 readings of instruments in large screen. 



May 17. — Summit clear most of the day, but sky 

 cloudy, and fog below in morning and at night. Sudden 

 fall in barometer after 4 h to-day, followed by a quick rise 

 before 6 h and accompanied by heavy squalls from N.N.E. 



May 21. — Mist in morning and at night. Cumulus 

 clouds during the day. During the time the top was clear 

 low-lying fog was seen clinging to hill-tops to N.E. of 

 Loch Lochy. No fog anywhere else. 



May 23. — Summit clear most of the day. St. Elmo's 

 fire, on observer's hair at ] 3 h . Thunder and lightning 

 from 13 h till 17 h . At 13 h 17 m there was a bright flash 

 of lightning, and at same time flashes came off the stoves in 

 office and kitchen, immediately followed by a loud peal 

 of thunder. At 23 h a light was seen to N. which was 

 probably auroral. 



May 24. — Thick haze all around to-day and low-lying 

 fog in N. and N.E. valleys in morning. Thunder in 

 afternoon 13 h to 15 h , and thunder clouds seen all around. 

 Bright flash of lightning at 14 h 43 m . At 13 h 20 m a 

 strong earth-current short circuited the telegraph instru- 

 ment. 



May 25. — Thunder heard and thunder clouds seen all 

 around from ll h till 14 h . Mist in early morning and in 

 evening, with heavy showers at times. 



June 3. — Almost cloudless all morning, but fog rising 

 and forming heavy clouds in early afternoon. Fog on 

 summit at night. 



June 7. — Low-lying fog on Atlantic all morning, but fog 

 nowhere else and sky cloudless. Fog forming in afternoon, 

 and passing summit at night. Fogbow and glory seen 

 at I9 h , 



June 1 2. — Fog mostly all forenoon ; cloudy in afternoon, 

 but air very clear all around. Both yesterday and to-day 

 the summit has been white with freshly fallen snow. 



June 13. — Footprints of a hare seen round Observatory 

 on the snow and traced for 300 or 400 yards southward. 



June 15. — Very clear and dry. After 3 h to 4 h 15 m 

 glories and a brilliant solar corona were seen. One of the 

 glories had three series of rings. 



June 16. — Glories seen at 4 a.m., and pearly cirrus at 

 midnight. 



June 17. — After a cloudy but clear morning, mist came 

 on in the afternoon and snow began to fall at 15 h ; it fell 

 heavily at nightfall and thickly covered the ground at 

 midnight. A very white plumaged snow bunting seen. 



June 18. — Five inches of snow lay on the summit this 

 morning ; it has only slightly melted during the day. 



June 19. — At 14 1 ' 5 m a click was heard on the telegraph 

 apparatus, and again at 14 h 7 m , 12 m , 25 m , 32 m , 47 m 

 (double), and 49 m (double) ; heavy hail and then very 

 heavy snow were falling. The two observers were dining 

 at the hotel, and Mr Kay, who was indisposed, was sitting 

 in the office and noted the earth currents. No thunder was 

 heard or lightning seen till 14 h 57-£ m , when the observer 

 on duty was leaving the hotel. It was then that a great 

 flash filled the hotel, accompanied by a terrific crash. In 

 the Observatory there was an even more vivid flash and 



