369 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



METEOROLOGY. 



1. Climate of Finmarken. — " I shall here add," says Professor 

 Forbes, " a few particulars which give a general idea of the climate 

 of this part of Norway. For eleven years (1837-48), the average 

 temperature at 9 a.m. was 34°*50 ; at 9 p.m., 32°-83 ; mean 33 0, 66. 

 Von Buch estimated it, solely from the upper level of the Pine 

 (640 feet above the sea), at nearly 1° Reaumur, or 34 0, 25 

 Fahrenheit, a remarkable coincidence. The mean temperature of 

 February, which is decidedly the coldest month, is 15°*4; and of 

 August, which is usually the hottest, 54°- 3. This range is, how- 

 ever, small, compared with the actual extremes on particular days, 

 which I find to be the following, during three years, for which they 

 are specified; but of which those for 1848 only are certainly taken 

 with self-registering instruments : — 



1846. 1847. 1848. 



Maximum 83°3 84°7 86°-9 



Minimum 14-8 3 -1 20 2 



Range 98-1 87*8 107 -1 



Hence it appears that the thermometer rarely, if ever, falls below 

 the zero of Fahrenheit, whilst there is not, perhaps, another part of 

 the earth's surface on this parallel where mercury does not freeze in 

 winter. The fall of rain and snow in these three years was only 

 18 # 18, 16*81, and 17*19 inches."* — {Norway and its Glaciers, by 

 Professor James D. Forbes.) 



2. Proposed Meteorological Survey. — We regret to have to an- 

 nounce to the scientific public, on the authority of Captain James, 

 Royal Engineers, that the proposed second conference at Brussels, for 

 making arrangements for the mutual interchanges of the principal 

 results obtained from the meteorological observations taken on land 

 in all parts of the world, cannot, under the present aspect of our 

 foreign relations, take place this year. 



The opinions of all the most eminent meteorologists in Europe and 

 America are strongly in favour of such a combination and system 

 of co-operation, and we trust the war which is now pending may be 

 of short duration, and that this conference may still be held at no 

 distant day. 



HYDROGRAPHY. 



3. Amount of 'pressure borne by Animal Life in profound 

 depths. — The real amount of pressure borne by animal life in pro- 

 found depths is truly an interesting element for consideration and 



* See Reports of British Association for 1849 and following years. 



