94 
naturalists’ calendar. 
during hard frosts, as well as by hoar frost and snow lying longer unmelted on 
dry cow-dung, and pieces of wood, than on grass and gravel walks, which are 
more rapid conductors of heat, passing from the interior of the earth. But in 
cases where the sun’s heat can act in conjunction with the heat of the earth, the 
effect produced is often remarkable. The disappearance of frost, and the melt¬ 
ing of snow, accompanied with copious rains, are intended by nature to loosen 
the soil for the expansion of the roots of plants, and at the same time to supply 
the fluids which are to form the sap. When chalk, limestone, or marble abounds 
either in rocky marshes, or diffused through the soil in form of sand or gravel, 
the thaws at this season tend to disintegrate those compact portions, and set free 
their carbonic acid, which, being washed down to the roots of plants by rain, 
constitutes an important portion of their nutriment, or at least, serves as a sti- 
mulent to excite the absorbent orifices of the fibrillse to imbibe nutritive juices. 
— Rennie, Notes of Nat. 
Zodiacal Light. —On the 11th of December last, we observed a remarkable 
luminous appearance in the heavens. It was about half-past nine o’clock in the 
evening, our attention was arrested by the appearance of a bright narrow band 
of light, extending from the eastern horizon nearly to the Zenith; we considered 
it to be a portion of an arc, which had extended across the sky from east to 
west, although we could not distinctly trace any remains towards the western 
part. It continued very bright till towards ten o’clock, when it gradually disap¬ 
peared; it excelled in brilliancy the northern lights, and its colour was a bright 
yellow. The thermometer might be about 30 degrees the weather being rather 
frosty, and the wind about north. Several meteors have also been seen very 
bright of late. We supposed it to be what is generally termed a Zodiacal light. 
Perhaps some of our readers who saw it, may be able to give us a more accurate 
account. 
Dew. —The annual average quantity deposited in this country, is estimated 
at a depth of about five inches, l)eing about one-fourth of the mean quantity of 
moisture, supposed to be received from the atmosphere over all Great Britain in 
the year, or about 22, 161, 337, 335 tons, taking the ton at 252 imperial gallons. 
TABLE, 
SHEWING IN HOURS, THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF SUN-SHINE, DURING THE YEAR 
1832, TAKEN MORNING AND EVENING, EVERY DAY AT CHATSWORTH. 
Months. 
Morning. 
Evening. 
Total. 
January. 
12$ 
Hours. 
16 
Hours. 
28$ 
Hours. 
February. 
30$ 
do. 
45$ 
do. 
76 
do. 
March. 
54$ 
do. 
62$ 
do. 
117$ 
do. 
April. 
50$ 
do. 
82$ 
do. 
133 
do. 
May... 
131$ 
do. 
80$ 
do. 
212 
do. 
June. 
107 
do. 
97$ 
do. 
204$ 
do. 
July. 
72$ 
do. 
87$ 
do. 
159$ 
do. 
August. 
74$ 
do. 
97$ 
do. 
172$ 
do. 
September. 
59$ 
do. 
. 79$ 
do. 
139 
do. 
October. 
39 
do. 
38$ 
do. 
77$ 
do. 
November. 
32$ 
do. 
28$ 
do. 
61 
do. 
December. 
27$ 
do. 
19$ 
do. 
47 
do. 
691$ 
736 
1427$ 
Forty-four hours and a half more sun-shine in the afternoon than morning 
throughout the year. 
