1895.] 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



283 



N.W. Thick fog all evening forming brown fog- 

 crystals. 



Nov. 10. — Several flashes of lightning seen after the 

 midnight observation. The summit at that time was 

 clear. During the gale this morning, the Tower ther- 

 mometer was used 5 h , 6 h and 7 h . Aurora seen at l h and 

 part of a lunar halo. 



Nov. 13. — St. Elmo's fire seen at 17 h . 



Nov. 14. — St. Elmo's fire was seen at 4 h . At 20 h 

 the telegraph instrument was short-circuited several 

 times. The mica of lightning-protector was apparently- 

 all right, but the fault seemed to have been in the 

 protector. 



Nov. 15. — Solar halo seen at 9 h . 



Nov. 17. — Earth-currents on cable at l h 55 m . 



Nov. 18. — Thermometer-box changed after 19 h . 

 Height above snow not altered. 



Nov. 19. — The top was clear from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 

 but the sky overcast and fog passing. In the morning, 

 brown fog-crystals were forming, and at 16 ]l it was noted 

 that the fog-crystals were almost black. 



Nov. 23. — An aurora was seen faintly at 1 a.m. Also 

 from 19 h to 23 l1 inclusive. At 23 h it was quite brilliant. 

 After mid-day the sky was practically cloudless. Glories 

 were seen on the fog below. The earth's shadow was 

 seen. At 1 a.m. the thermometer-box was changed, and 

 again after 17 h . 



Nov. 24. — Between 15 h and 16 h there was a solar 

 corona, and lunar corona? at 17 b , 18 h , 19 h , and 20 h . A 

 faint aurora at 21 h , 22 h , and 23 h . 



Nov. 25. — Stratus fog lay in the valleys to the E. and 

 S., and thick low-lying haze to the N. and N.W. This 

 fog increased till 15 h when only the beaks were seen to 

 E., S., and S.W. ; it then decreased, and at midnight 

 there was fog only in the S.W. valleys. A faint aurora 

 was seen till 5 h . At sunset the shadow of the earth and 

 Ben were seen well. A meteor fell from the S.W. 

 towards W. at midnight. 



Nov. 26. — There was fog on the summit at times, 

 otherwise the sky was quite cloudless. There has been 

 a low-lying valley haze all round and fog to the E. 

 and S. A solar corona at 15 h . Lunar corona? at and 

 after 17 h at times. A faint aurora at l h , 2 h , and 5 h . 



Nov. 28. — At 14 h the fog-crystals on the top of tower- 

 ladder measured 4 ft. long and on the top of the spare 

 thermometer-ladder 3 ft. They have been growing very 

 rapidly and regularly all day. 



Dec. 5. — There was thunder and lightning at 8 b 25 m , 

 and at 8 h 38 m . A click was heard on the telegraph 

 instrument at 8 h 25 m . Also at 16 h . 



Dec. 6. — There was thunder and lightning at 9 h 22 m 

 with a click on the instrument, and lightning at 9 h 28 UI 

 with a treble click. 



Dec. 10. — At noon two ravens were hovering over the 

 summit. 



Dec. 11. — At 15 h the thermometer-box was changed 

 and the height was raised to 50 inches. At 17 h the 

 thermometers were changed. 



Dec. 12. — Earth currents were heard on the telegraph 

 instrument at l h 20 m , 2 h 37 m , and 3 h 49 m . 



Dec. 13. — An aurora was seen at and after 21 h . 



Dec. 14. — The hill-top was clear till 6 h , with fog 

 resting on the hills all round. 



Dec. 15. — Till ll h the top was mostly clear, though 

 fog was passing at times. There was detached fog all 

 round, varying in position and quantity, no great masses 

 being in the vicinity of the Ben. 



Dec. 19.— The thermometer screen was shifted at 

 19 h 15 m . 



Dec. 20. — While ascending the hill to-day Mr. Bruce 

 saw tracks of a fox (or foxes) from the lake to the 

 Plateau of Storms ; also tracks of a weasel at 2500 ft. ; 

 of a hare at 2500 ft. ; of a (ptarmigan ?) at 2000 ft. 

 He picked up insects on the snow at 2200 ft. (also on 

 the 18th at 2500 and 2200 ft. Those at 2200 were 

 probably collembolv). At the Plateau of Storms he 

 emerged out of the thick haze which extended to the 

 foot the hill; at the top of this haze was a layer of fog 

 which was breaking up at that time. There was noted 

 what appeared to be the track of a fox on the roof and 

 at the window of the Observatory which must have 

 been there at night. 



Dec. 21. — The top was clear till 20 h ; at noon there 

 was fog over L. Lochy, and at 15 h a low-lying stratus 

 fog over the canal beyond (E.) L. Lochy. Haze filled 

 the valleys all day. 



Dec. 22. — There was a faint aurora at midnight. At 

 15 h the band anemometer measured 62 and 65 miles per 

 hour. 



Dec. 23. — The tower screen was in use for the hours of 

 20, 22, 23, and 24. At 20 h the lamp was blown out 

 several times, and at 21 h the observer was knocked down 

 by the wind ; it was therefore deemed advisable to use 

 the tower screen. On holding the hand anemometer out- 

 side the tower door 86 miles was registered. At 23 h the 

 observer lying on his back on the roof again registered 

 86 miles on the hand anemometer. 



Dec. 24. — The gale blew with even more violence to- 

 day and only tower screen observations were made. At 

 15 h 30 m the hand anemometer held outside the tower 

 door registered 81 miles per hour. 



Dec. 25. — The gale has continued to-day, at noon the 

 first outside observation for 38 hours was taken. The 

 tower screen was used at 17 h . 



Dec. 26. — Clear top but overcast with stratus. At 

 times these clouds are touching all the hills around and 

 passing the Ben as fog. The temperature rose and fell 

 rapidly as this fog passed over the hill-top. 



Dec. 28. — Clear till 6 a.m., with stratus fog on hills 

 especially to N. and E. Glazed frost at night. 



Dec. 29. — Glazed frost all day. 



Dec. 30. — There was a lunar corona at l h , 3 h , 4 h and 

 5 h , and a lunar fog-bow at 4 h . 



Dec. 31.— A lunar corona at 5 h . At 12 h 30 m cat 

 caught a common short-tailed field vole (Microtus agrestis). 

 At 16 h the fresh tracks of a fox were seen on the plateau. 



