Short Notes and Queries. 



98 



have a supply by writing to me. I would guide any student of mosses to 

 the place, but am advised not to mention the exact locality, lest it should 

 be extirpated, and thus the chance of its increasing and bearing fruit in 

 the spring be taken away. — J. S. Wesley, Wetherby, 19th Dec, 1877. 



Syenite. — Origin of Name. — I must beg to correct a remark made by 

 one of our correspondents in last issue (p. 78) in the report of the 

 Ovenden Society. Syenite does not owe its name to Mount Sinai, with 

 which the name has no possible connection, but it derives it from the 

 town of Syene (in Central Egypt), on the Nile, a short distance to the 

 north of the First Cataract, where this mineral was first found, — C. P. H. 



Splendid Meteor. — Last evening I saw here a most extraordinary 

 meteor ; its position I imagine would be N N W, and the direction 

 oblique towards the earth. In appearance at first sight it closely 

 resembled an enormous rocket, with a very luminous tail. I watched it 

 traversing with incredible rapidity the infinity of space, and then 

 suddenly and noiselessly exploding, it illuminated the horizon, &c., with 

 a brilliancy far in excess of what one might expect from twenty rockets. 

 Then continuing its course still lower, it repeated the same magnificent 

 phenomena, only accompanied by what seemed like small red balls of 

 fire, regular in form : these latter fell a little lower and then vanished. 

 The time would be 8-27. — E. B. WmoGLEswoRTH, Wakefield, Nov. 24th. 



Ramfell f0r Eofaemfer. 





Height 



of 

 gauge 

 above 



sea 

 level. 



Rain- 

 fall, 



No. 



of 



Total Fall. 

 TO Date. 



Date of 

 heaviest 

 Fall. 



Amount 

 of 



heaviest 

 fall. 





Days 



1877. 



1876. 





Ft. 



350 



In. 

 3-68 



19 



37-95 



*29-35 



21st 



0-79 



(J. W. Eobson.) 



Wakefield 



120 



2-06 



22 







21st 



0-46 



Leeds ...(H. Crowther.) ... 



183 



2-79 



19 



32-30 



24-88 



21st 



0-67 





360 















Barnsley . , (T. Lister.) . . . 



350 



1-98 



19 



31-88 



26-63 



12th 



0-35 





853 



5-87 



23 



37-03 



46-79 



21st 



1-00 



Wentworth Castle (Do.) 



600 



3-62 



17 







22nd 



0-79 



Goole ... (H. F. Parsons.) . . . 



25 



1-51 



16 



24-70 



21-35 



21st 



0-33 



* This is the average to date for 11 years, 1866-76, 



