372 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. — LOG-BOOK. 



[1896. 



kitchen window at 6 h . When out walking to-day, and 

 between First and Second Gorges, a good number of flies 

 were seen on surface of snow, but all apparently dead. 



March 12. — Sky cloudless till 4 h , hut cloudy thereafter, 

 with cirrus and cir.-stratus till 20 h , when sky again 

 hecaine cloudless. The motion of the clouds, although 

 slow, appeared to be from the N.E. Air very dry all day, 

 exceedingly dry at 8 h and 9 h , the humidity being about 

 11 per cent. Very thick haze all day, and detached fog in 

 valleys in afternoon. Strong to light N.E. breezes till 

 noon, and perfectly calm the rest of the day. Aurora seen 

 at 1\ 2 h , 3 h , and 4 h , and again at 20 h , 21 h , 22 h , 23 h , and 

 midnight. Solar halo at 16 h and the zodiacal light at 

 21 h . 



March 13. — Sky cloudy with cirro-cum. till 8 h , after 

 which fog came on and enveloped summit till 18 h , there- 

 after fog cleared off summit, and sky has been cloudless 

 since. Thick haze around, and fog on hills to E. and 

 south-eastward. Zodiacal light again seen to-night at 21 h , 

 but not quite so bright as last night. Aurora seen at l h , 

 and again at 21 h , 22 h , and midnight. Aurora was very 

 brilliant at midnight, and had a double arch with 

 streamers shooting to the zenith ; it extended from 

 W.N.W. round to N.E. by E. 



March 14. — Sky cloudless till 7 h ; fog since with 

 occasional breaks in the afternoon, and sky apparently 

 cloudy. Fog on hills to eastward and S.E. in early morn- 

 ing. Thick haze all round (pale blue in colour), probably 

 due to heather burning. Aurora seen at l h , 2 h , 3 h , and 

 4 h . Raven seen at Bucket Stage in afternoon. 



March 19. — Summit clear in afternoon, but sky almost 

 overcast. Wind backed from the north-westward to the 

 south-eastward in the evening, and blew a strong gale of 

 about 100 miles an hour. Thermometer box changed at 

 U h 15 m . 



March 23. — Aurora seen at 4 h . In forenoon glazed 

 frost was forming from the mist and drizzling rain. 



March 26. — Top joint put on ladder-stand after 14 h , 

 and a fresh box was put out in its first step, i.e., on the 

 top of the fixed ladder-stand. 



March 29. — Lunar corona on scud, and variously 

 coloured cir.-c. seen at 22 h . Box changed after 13 h . 

 Height not altered. 



March 30. — Very fine all morning. Humidity 13 per 

 cent, at 2 h and 3 h and 12 at 6 h . Cir.-s. on sky, which 

 gradually thickened into a dull uniform pallium, and 

 descended until at 14 h it was passing the summit as 

 str.-fog. A little drizzle of snow fell out of it : and later, 

 the temperature rose, and mist, and a slight drizzle, which 

 formed glazed frost, settled on the hill-top for the rest of 

 the evening. Aurora seen at 2 h . It was noticed that 

 while Mealfourvonie, Schiehallion, and neighbouring hills 

 were almost free of snow, the rest of the country was 

 well covered down to 1400 or 1500 feet. Snow-buntings 

 seen about summit in forenoon and one seen yester- 

 day. 



March 31. — Glazed frost forming in forenoon. Summit 

 clear at 23 h and midnight, when an aurora was seen. 



April 1. — Box shifted after 9 h . Height not altered. 



April 2. — Drizzling rain in evening forming glazed 

 frost. A lunar corona was seen at 4 h . Snow-buntings 

 were seen about the hill-top to-day. 



April 3. — Thermometer box changed after 5'\ 



April 9. — Flies seen on surface of snow, and the tracks 

 of a fox at plateau of storms. 



April 10. — Thunder heard at 18 h . 



April 12.— Box changed after 20 h . 



April 13. — Box changed after 13 h . 



April 14. — Summit clear most of the day, but fog 

 hanging about hill-sides and at times passing. Cloudless 

 after 20 h . Aurora with short streamers and well-defined 

 arch seen at 23 h and midnight. Snow-buntings were seen 

 about summit to-day, and several flies were seen on surface 

 of snow. 



April 15. — Clear and almost cloudless in forenoon. 

 Fog all evening. 



Glories and a solar corona seen at 5 h . Aurora visible at 

 l h and 2 h . 



April 18. — Thermometer box changed after 9 h . 



April 21.— Mist all round below to-day and covering 

 summit all morning, but sinking at times in afternoon, 

 leaving air dry. Solar halo seen at 14 h and 15 h . 

 Glazed frost forming at night. Lunar corona seen at 

 23 h . 



April 23. — Summit cleared at 9 h , and continued clear 

 during the rest of the day, except when the cumulus 

 clouds in their descent covered it for an hour about 18 u . 

 Cloudless after 19 b . Thermometer box lowered one step 

 at 2 h . Snow-bunting and a raven seen about summit, and 

 several flies on snow. A hole was dug in snow wreath to 

 westward of Hotel to-day down to the rocks: 17 ft. deep. 

 Temperatures were taken at every foot, and a uniform 

 temperature of 32° - was got throughout the whole 

 depth. 



April 24. — Cloudless till 8 h , and air very dry. Cloudy 

 with haze and fog around below till 21 h : mist thereafter. 



April 25. — Mist cleared off after 3 h , but came on again 

 at noon. During the interval the sky was mostly 

 cloudless, but haze and cum.-fog filled the valleys around 

 below. 



April 26. — Mist with rain or drizzle all day. Glazed 

 frost forming heavily at night. 



April 27. — Mist or fog all day, with drizzle and glazed 

 frost in early morning, and heavy snow and snow-hail 

 all evening. 



April 29. — Thermometer box changed after 4 h . Height 

 not altered. Lunar corona seen at l h . 



April 30. — Clear occasionally to-day. Thermometer 

 box changed after ll h . Height not altered. 



May 1. — Thermometer box changed after 4 h . Box 

 raised one step on ladder-stand. A raven was seen at ll h . 

 A trench was dug in the snow at north end of Observatory 

 to-day, and the following observations of snow temperature 

 made : — 



Surface ' . . 30° "8 



6 inches down 30 7 



1 foot 32 -1 



2 feet ,, 32-3 



3 ,, , 32-2 



4 ,, ,, 32-2 



May 2. — Summit clear and visibility 4 and at times 5. 

 Sky cloudy or overcast. Although clear to-day, the air 

 was never very dry \ and for several hours it was saturated. 

 Hoar frost forming in early morning. Aurora seen flashing 

 through breaks in the clouds overhead at midnight. 



