COUNCIL FOR 1844 . 
21 
year since 18.35, amounting only to 19'65 inches, and being 
inches below the mean. In the four summer months 
thunder and lightning were of frequent occurrence, but these 
storms were not distinguished by violence or duration. The 
times of the moon’’s apogee and perigee have again been care¬ 
fully observed. They have not borne the critical character 
which was noticed last year. Two storms of extreme violence, 
and more destructive at sea than any others during the year, 
coincided with the moon\s apogee. The first of these occurred 
on the 24th of February. About that period the mercury 
rose and fell to an extent and with a rapidity unprecedented 
during the year. On the morning of the 24th it stood at 
29*05 ; in the evening it had risen .6, and again fell rapidly 
to 28*75, the lowest point in the year. The second storm, 
nearly coincident with the apogee, commenced on the 13th of 
June; on the 14th it blew a hurricane from the N. W. 
Hourly observations have again been made at the Vernal 
and Autumnal Equinoxes, and at the Summer Solstice. They 
were not carried on at the Winter Solstice. The foliowino* 
O 
are some of the results *.— 
Vernal Equinox, Mean of 23 Obs, 39° between ... 9 and 10 a. m. and 6 p.m. 
Autumnal Equinox. 53° . 7 and 8 a. m. and 6 p.m. 
Summer Solstice. 61° . at 8 a. m. and 8 p.m. 
Period of Maximum and Minimum Mercurial Column : 
Vernal Eq. Max. 10 A. m., then steadily descending till the end of Observations. 
Autumnal ditto, Max. Noon : Minimum, 7 p. m. 
Summer Solstice, Max. 8 a. m., steadily descending throughout. 
Result of Observations made throuMiout the vear on the 
O %j 
Oscillations of the Mercurial Column. 
Mean height at nine, a. m. 29‘9677 
three, P.M. 29‘9566 
Mean daily depression at three, p. m . *0121 
Mean height for the whole year, the result of 
2000 observations . 29‘9599. 
