1898.] 



BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY.— LOG-BOOK. 



91 



cloudless the rest of the day. Fog all round below to 

 about 4000 feet in forenoon, gradually sinking and dis- 

 persing in evening. Lunar corona at l h , 2 h , and 3 h . 



Oct. 4. — Sky cloudless most of the day, haze in valleys, 

 and fog over Locheil, Loch Locky, and Lochlinnhe, clear- 

 ing away about mid-day. 



Oct. 5. — Absolutely cloudless all day. Slight haze in 

 valleys, and fog lying over Locheil all morning. 



Oct. 6. — Haze and fog in valleys, and fog blowing 

 across summit occasionally in forenoon. 



Oct. 7. — Sky cloudless till noon, and again for a few 

 hours in evening. Mist after 20 h . Aurora seen at 20 b . 



Oct. 8.— Clear and cloudless from ll h till 14 h . Mist 

 till 21 h , when top again cleared and sky was cloudless. 



Oct. 9. — Cloudless for a few hours in early morning, 

 but fog passing. Glory seen at 8 b . 



Oct. 11. — Fog in valleys all day, and passing over 

 summit at times. Hoar-frost on roof in early morning. 

 Deer lowing in Glen Nevis at 6 h . 



Oct. 12. — The sky was cloudless till 12 1 '; overcast iu 

 afternoon and cloudless again after 23 h . Thick fog lay 

 over Locheil, Lochlaggan, and the Caledonian Canal all 

 morning, but dispersed towards mid-day. 



Oct. 16. — Clear most of the day. Fog on hills all 

 round and passing over summit occasionally. Nine snow- 

 buntings were seen at the Hotel door at 10 h . 



Oct. 17. — Two buntings seen at 15 h . 



Oct. 22. — Lightning seen at 18 h . 



Oct. 28. — Four ravens seen flying about summit at 12 h . 



Oct. 29.— At 2 h the fog fell below the level of the 

 " Ben," but continued passing till 5 h , after which the air 

 became dry and warm. Seven buntings seen at 7 b . 



Nov. 3. — Heavy showers of snow and snow-hail fell 

 throughout the day. St. Elmo's Fire (very bright) seen 

 at 21 h and 22 h . 



Nov. 4. — Fog and heavy showers of snow all day. 

 Strong earth currents in telegraph cable all morning. 

 Thunder was heard a few minutes after 2 h . St. Elmo's 

 Fire heard at 5 h , when it was also seen faintly, ami seen 

 ai;ain at 21 h . 



Nov. 5.— St. Elmo's Fire at 7 h and 8 U . 



Nov. 8.— Mist till 1 l h ; clear, air dry, and sky almost 

 cloudless the rest of the day, with thick haze in valleys. A 

 number of snow-buntings were seen at Bucket Stage at 16\ 



Nov. 9. — Some patches of fog lay about hills to S.E. in 

 forenoon, but disappeared early in afternoon. Lunar 

 coronse seen at 5 h and 6 h . 



Nov. 10. — Sky cloudless till 5 h . Fog till 13 h and 

 almost cloudless the rest of the day, with thick haze in 

 valleys all round. 



Nov. 11. — Fog lying over Locheil and Loch Lochy all 

 forenoon. A number of snow-buntings were flying about 

 summit all day. 



Nov. 19.— Mist till 5 h . Summit clear and sky cloud- 

 less during the rest of the day ; but thick fog all around 

 below, the upper limit being from 3000 ft. to 3500 ft. In 

 the afternoon this fog broke up in places, showing thick 

 haze underneath. Snow-buntings seen iu forenoon, three 

 and four at a time. 



Nov. 21. — Fog on summit or passing till 18 h ; clear 

 thereafter, but air continued saturated. Lunar coronse 

 seen at 18 h and 19 h , and the aurora from 20 h till midnight. 

 Ravens seen in N rn> Corry at noon. 



Nov. 22. — Aurora seen at l h , and solar halos at ll h 

 and noon. Summit clear all morning; fog all evening. 

 Tower thermometer used at 23 h and midnight. 



Nov. 23. — The gale continued till 2 p.m., but moderated 

 a little in forenoon. The Tower thermometer continued 

 in use till 7\ During the height of the gale the snow 

 drifted into the kitchen and the bedrooms off it, and 

 about a ton of snow filled the outer lobby and passage. 

 The temperature on N. wall of kitchen fell to 31° "3, and 

 the water froze in the water tins. In the office at 3 b a 

 dry and wet bulb in small glass cupboard read D. 29'0, 

 W. 25T, and two hours later the temperature in large 

 cupboard fell to 27°-7. 



Nov. 24.— The wind veered to E.S.E. after 3 h , and 

 blew a moderate gale till 10 h . The Tower thermometer 

 was in use from 5 h till 9 h inclusive. Snow fell heavily, 

 but no raingauge observations could be made till after ll h . 



Nov. 26. — The small winter pattern Stevenson Screen 

 was mounted on ladder No. 2 after 19 h . Readings were 

 taken of both sets till midnight, after which the old box 

 was discontinued and the ladder box readings entered on 

 records. 



Nov. 28. — N. or N.E lv - wind all day, light to moderate, 

 except in a squall that began about 3' 1 30 m and ended 

 about 5 h . About 4 h 10 m it was blowing almost a hurri- 

 cane, shaking the house to its foundations. The door was 

 blown off the large thermometer screen — the only damage 

 done. Lunar coronse seen at 6 h , 7 h , 19 h , and 20 h . 



Dec. 3. — Very heavy rain in afternoon. Glazed frost 

 at 13 h and 14 h . Lunar coronas at 6 h and 7 h . Earth 

 currents affecting bell at 20 h 51™. 



Dec. 5. — Mist with heavy showers of sleet and snow. 

 Very large soft snowflakes fell about noon. The tem- 

 perature then was 32° "7. Some flakes covered an area of 

 li-in. x 1 in. 



Dec. 6. — Telephone bell rung several times by earth 

 currents during the evening, 



Dec. 7. — St. Elmo's Fire seen at 3 h and 4 h , and telephone 

 bell rung by earth currents at 3 h 58 m and 5 h 33 m . 



Dec. 8.— Fog in early morning and at night. Summit 

 clear, air dry, and sky somewhat cloudy with cir.-s. during 

 the day. Thick haze below in evening. Thermometer 

 box changed after 8 h . Height not altered. Solar halos at 

 noon and 13 h . Dark fog crystals forming at 20 h . Ben 

 shadow seen at 8 h . All forenoon the W rn " and S.W rn * 

 horizon was of a clear blue colour. 



Dec. 9. — St. Elmo's Fire at 2 h . A ring in telephone at 

 6 h 10 m — earth currents. 



Dec. 10.— Earth currents rung bell at 3 h 9 m and 4 h 47 m . 



Dec. 13. — A horse was brought up to the Observatory 

 to-day — the road being quite open all the way. 



Dec. 14. — Earth currents rung bell at 20 u 4 m . 



Dec. 17. — To-day there was no snow to measure at the 

 snowgauge — the latest date in this respect on record here. 



Dec. 20. — Thermometer box changed after 8 h . Height 

 not altered. 



Dec. 21. — Mist on summit all day, except at 20 h , 21 1 ', 

 and 22 h , when it sank, leaving sky cloudless and summit 

 clear. Glazed frost at 8 h and 10 h . A fogbowseeu at ll h , 

 and lunar coronse at 17" and till 22 h , with three and at 

 times four rings of colours. 



Dec. 26.— Thunder and lightning noted at ll b 37"'. 

 Heavy showers of snow-hail fell at and after 12 h . 



