Meteorological Observations. 
159 
While supper was preparing, he perceived something falling on his 
hat like drops of rain ; but as there were no clouds to be seen, pre- 
sumed it could not be rain. On looking on the ground near the fire 
he saw distinctly that the falling substance instead of being rain was 
a small winged insect, which although unable to fly had yet life and 
motion. The number rapidly increased so as to give great annoy- 
ance by falling into the frying-pan and supper vessels, and continued 
until the ground was covered by the shower. On the following 
morning Sir George ascertained that this extraordinary shower ex- 
tended at least from twenty-five to thirty miles in the direction he 
was travelling. No information has been received as to its extent 
in other directions. It was observed that soon after the shower the 
weather changed suddenly from warm to cold. It is therefore pro- 
bable that the whole of this immense swarm of insects encountered 
the cold current, and were paralyzed and precipitated thereby. 
They all died soon after falling. Specimens of these insects were 
collected by the attendants of Sir George, from whom I received 
them. In no instance however were they seen to revive after coming 
into a warmer atmosphere .— Journal of Science and Arts 
for Nov. 1847. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DEC. 1847- 
Chiswick. — December 1. Very fine; clear. 2. Frosty: overcast and mild. 
3. Densely overcast : rain. 4. Clear : overcast : boisterous. 5. Fine. 6. Boiste- 
rous, with rain : lightning at night, 7. Rain : cloudy and boisterous : clear and 
windy at night. 8. Clear and cold. 9. Rain ; overcast. 10. Rain: cloudy. 
11. Densely clouded ; fine. 12 — 14. Very fine. 15. Very fine : slight rain. 
16. Cloudy. 17. Slight rain. 18. Rain. 19. Fine: cloudy. 20. Cloudy. 
21 — 23. Overcast. 24. Foggy. 25, 26. Overcast. 27, 28. Cloudy. 29. Hazy. 
30. Rain. 31. Hazy and damp. 
Mean temperature of the month 41°-09 
Mean temperature of Dec. 1846 81 *26 
Mean temperature of Dec. for the last twenty years 89 *59 
Average amount of rain in Dec 1*58 inch. 
Boston. — Dec. 1. Fine. 2. Fine: 8 o’clock p.m. thermometer 54°. 3. Cloudy : 
rain p.m. 4. Fine : rain p.m. 5. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 6. Rain. 7. Rain : 
stormy A.M. and p.m. 8. Fine : rain a.m. 9. Rain. 10. Fine. 11, 12. Cloudy. 
13—15. Fine. 16. Rain. 17. Fine : rain early a.m. 18. Rain : rain a.m. and* 
P.M. 19. Fine. 20. Rain. 21. Fine. 22 — 29. Cloudy. 30. Snow : rain and 
snow A.M. and P.M. 31. Rain : rain a.m. 
Applegarlh Manse, Bximfr'ies -shire. — Dec. 1. Wet a.m. ; cleared and was fine. 
2. Wet A.M. : damp all day. 3. Damp a.m.: cleared: fine. 4. Heavy rain and 
high wind. 5. Rain : unsettled weather. 6. Shower of snow : frost. 7. Heavy 
rain : frost A.M. 8. Fair, but cloudy. 9. Rain early a.m. : fine. 10. Showers. 
11. Rain all night and morning. 12. Fair and fine. 13. Fair a.m. : rain and 
wind P.M. 14. Fine A.M. : rain p.m. 15. Mild and fair a.m. : rain p.m. 16. Rain 
nearly all day : flood. 17. Fair and mild : slight rain p.m. 18. Fair, but cloudy. 
19. Frost A.M. : dull and cloudy. 20,21. Frost, slight. 22. Frost, hard : clear! 
23. Fine : slight frost. 24. Fine. 25. Frost : fine and clear. 26. Fine : clear! 
27,28. Frost: fine. 29. Heavy fall of snow. 30. Snow lying ; frost, hard. 
31. Frost, very keen : thermometer 11^°. 
Mean temperature of the month 40°*2 
Mean temperature of Dec. 1846 33 *5 
Mean temperature of Dec. for twenty-five years 38 *19 
Mean rain in Dec. for twenty years 2*94 inches. 
