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BY OHARLES SMALLWOOD, M.D., L.L.D., Pr(\fcH8or (^Meteorology in the University of McGill College, Montreal; Jlotwrary Member of the British Meteorological Society — of the Montreal Natural History Society— qf the Literary avd Historical Society of Quebec, and of the National Institute, United States. (Two Papers read at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for tlio Advancement of Science, Montreal August, 1857, and published in the November No. of the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist.) r i^lontteal: PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL. AT THE CiNADA DIEECTORY OPFICB, ST. NICnOlAS STKBBT. 1867. I It- ^ ON OZONE. It would be unbecoming in rae as forming a part of the depu- tation to Albany last year, for the purpose of inviting the Asso- ciation to meet at this place, were I not to take advantage of the present moment, to greet you, gentlemen Members of the Ame- rican Association, with a cordial and hearty welcome, and I need scarcely add, that the like sentiment inspires the whole of the inhabitants of this city. Until the present time, these Annual Meetings have been con- €ned to the United States alone, (although not exclusively Ame- rican,) and separated only by an imaginary boundary, which has now been removed, for we here meet, united as one family, having one common object in view, — " the Advancement of Science," we are treading the same peaceful path of knowledge, we are assembled under the broad, the vast canopy of the American fir- mament, the gentle breeze that wafts the red cross banner of St. George and Merry England, alike unfurls, the stars and stripes, the emblem of your land of freedom. Long may these two flags entwine in peace, in kindred folds, and may tliat master-piece of scientific genius, the electric cable, which is at this moment being laid beneath the Atlantic sea, whose waves science has measured with a mighty span, be the peaceful band, that will cement more firmly the destinies of the two great nations of the earth, under the benign and able guidance of your worthy I'resident, and our beloved Queen, and may science, which knows no country, no nation, no language, be rendered more subservient to the happi- ness and welfare of the whole human family. A year has now passed since the deputation from this pl.ice en- joyed the hospitalities of one of your Inrge cities, the familiar and friendly faces of many we met there, and now present, calls to mind many pleasant recollections, but like all things mundane, wo have some cause for sadness, for in the few fleeting moons that 5ril08 Ozone. have waned since last we met, death has taken from our midst a Redfield, a Bailey, and a Mitch el, each pre-eminent in his department of scientific research, and to science and us, an irreparable loss, and the Association has done itself honor in paying a tribute to their memories ; but the midnight lamp of the man of science must grow dim, the experimentalist must for ever quit the busy scenes of his laboratory, tlie eye of the astronomer must be closed, for the life of the philosopiicr is but mortal. It is my intention to lay before the section the results of obser- vations made on the amount of ozone present in the atmosphere. The place of observation is at St. Martin's, about 9 miles due west of Montreal, and is 118 feet above the mean level of the sea; it is situated in the centre nearly of the Isle Jesus, an island sur- rounded by the branches of the Ottawa, the place of observation is a little more than 3 miles from the river, thus being sufficiently inland, to be removed from any transient vapour or fog, which is often present in the proximity of rivers ; it is a flat island, and Ihe whole of the neighborhood is under cultivation. It is not my purpose to enter into a lengthy detail of the che- mical composition of ozone, enough for our present purpose to define it to bo, a compound of oxygen, analogous to the per-oxide t-l hydrogen, or that it is oxygen in an allotropic state, that is with the capability of immediate and ready action impressed upon jt. To Schonbien is awarded the discovery, who, in 1840, applied the term ozone to the peculiar srneU AAhieh is | eroeptible during the action of the electrical macLiiie, and also durirg ihe decomposition of water by the galvanic apparatus. It was subsJ»quently ascertained that a similar smell is developed by tlie infiueace of Phosphorus on moist air, and also by a great many cheroicul changes, and for some time its existence was recognized by its smell, or odour, alone ; but in April, 1848, Schonbien became possessed of another of its characters, viz : its oxidizing principle, and it is this property which it possesses more particularly, when we direct our attention to its piesence in the atmospheie, although these oxidizing pro- perties may be common to some olher bodies, as nitrous acid, which is said to be generated in the atmosphere by atmospheric electricity. When largely diffused in the atmosphere, it causes like chlorine (to which it is somewhat allied) very unpleasant sensations, such as difficult respiration, and it acts powerfully on the mucous mem- brane, it kills small animala very quickly ; it is insoluble in water, Ozone. § and oxyjizes very quickly all metallic bodies, and it has the power in a largo Jofjroe, ofUostroying miasma arising from the decom- position of animal and vegetable substances, and Schonbien came to the conulusion, that its formation depended upon the action or formation of ntmoHplieric electricity, and he referred the bene- ficial effects of thuntlor storms, to theaction of the ozone formed, neutralizing the miusma nrlsing from the decomposition of animal and may bo vegetable »ul>stancca, and it possesses in a powerful degree bleaching propufties, and in this it is again analogous to chlorine. Since Schonbien brought its properties before the scientific world, it has received more or less attention both from the physi cian and the meteorologist. It has boon advanced, that during the presence of cholera and other epidemic diHuiiHo, its absence was remarked, while on the other hand, when the atmosphere has indicated a great amount present, diseases of the lungs and mucous membrane have been more prevalent, it hiiu boon still further stated that its action on the vegetable kingdom is similar in its effects as in the animal economy ; the potatoe disease or rot especially, and other diseases in vegetables has, it is said, been caused by either its absence or presence, in too largo (pinntitles. It would far oxcieeil the limits of time alloted to me to enter fully into the progrensivo steps of the investigation or history of ozone, for it has eiigngod the attention of physicians in England, and on the continent of Europe, and I am happy to say, that some members of the American Association have devoted considerable attention to it, and I have deemed it of suflacient import, to lay before the section the result of some eight years of investigation, or nearly 0,000 observ/ilions. i'.is includes observations during the visitation of the cholera in 1854, and I heartily trust that the Association nuiy, by its influence, extend these observations through the whole of (he United States territory, and, as for as practical, throw some light on its action in the animal and vege- table kingtloni, ami I am sure a subject of so much importance, and which must (if we ni'e to believe the report of some investiga- tors) exert an influence oti both the health of animals and of plants, will bo at once a sufHcient ground for extending such ob- servations, whit'h should be ns uniform as possible. The method of cHlinjating and detecting the amount of ozone, is by what is culled the Ozoneomctcr, which is nothing more than Ozone, slips of paper, wetted with the solution of starch and iodide of potassium ; these became blue on exposure, owing to the oxidization of the potassium by the ozone, and the setting free of the iodine, the formula I use, and the one generally adopted is 3 i of starch boiled in | i of distilled water, and when cold 10 grains of the iodide of potassium is mixed with it, it is quickly spread on paper and dried in the dark, and must be kept in a dry place, and free from light until required ; when they are placed in a situation shaded from the sun and rain, these strips are one-half an inch wide, and from three to four inches long. Dr. Moffatt, an emi- nent English physician, and who has paid much attention to the subject, places his slips of paper in a box, without a bottom, so as to be excluded from the light ; but so far as my observations go, I have found so little difference in the two methods, that I have continued that of Schonbien's, as I have before stated, and expose the slips of paper to light, but excluded from the sun and rain. The amount of ozone present is estimated, in lOths the deep shade or saturation, being 10, and diminishing in depth of shade to 0. It has also been asserted that slips of paper placed At high ele- vations, has exhibited a deeper shade. To test this fact, I exposed slips of prepared paper at an altitude of 80 feet, on the top of a pole or mast, which is used for collecting atmospheric electricity J and as far as my observations go, I could detect no appreciable difference from those exposed 5 feet from the ground, and if I might be permitted to suggest, that to insure uniformity, the ele- vation of 5 feet might be considered the standard height, and which is at once convenient and far enough removed from the effects of terrestrial radiation or deposit of dew, leaving it o course to observers to adopt at the same time, any other method which might suggest itself, during the observations on this phe- nomena. "'" ' So far I have, as concise as the subject would permit, traced its history, properties and method of observations, and the pro- priety of so doing may indeed be questionable, before so learned a body ; but I have felt that the subject might be new to some present, and with a wish that uniform observations should be made, I deemed it well to state very briefly its prominent character, and in so doing I have thrown myself on your indulgence. I may just state that the colour of the test paper may be brought more fully out, by moistening it with water. I shall now proceed to give the section the ^results of observa- tions made by these means. Ozone. The questions for our investigation, and which naturally ari.o are these : — ^What is the effect of the presence of ozone on the meteorological conditions of the atmosphere^ as indicated by the instruments most in use ? And, secondly, what influence does its presence or absence exert on the health of animals or vegetables ? or docs its presence or absence give rise to disease ? Ist. What are the 6ffrome/nc indications? The presence of ozone in the atmosphere is accompanied by a low reading of the barometer, which generally continues while the ozonic period lasts ; this period is accompanied or terminated almost invariably by precipitation in the shape of rain or snow. Therometer. I have observed the presence of ozone at all tem- peratures, when the therometer has indicated 20% (below zerc,) and as high as 80^, and in all the intermediate temperatures, and it is generally in larger quantities duricg a fall of snow than of rain. The psychometer is a certain indication of the presence of ozone, for it would appear that a moist state of the atmosj^ere was necessary for its production or development, for when the difference between the dry and wet bulb therometer is little, the presence of ozone in considerable quantity is invariably present but when the difference between the two therometers is consider- able, no ozone is appreciable by the ozoneometer. This fact and the only one which (as far as my observations here go) is in con- nexion with the presence or absence of ozone, has led me to com- pare the presence of ozone with the presence of precipitation in the shape of snow or rain, which gives a remarkable co-incidence. For in and during the past seven years there were 918 days on which rain or snow fell, (this is regardless of the amount or dur- ation,) and during the like period there were 816 days on which ozone was present in a quantity of five-tenths, any amount below that quantity in this estimation is not taken into consideration in the discussion. In the year 1850 there were 106 days of precipitation, and 110 days of ozone. (t U 114 (( u <( (( >j2 " " a ti 110 c« « « " 126 " " The small amount of ozone in 1854, which was the year of the last visitation of cholera, would tend to favour the opinion that 1851 123 1852 136 1853 136 1864 133 1855 140 1856 144 8 Ozone, there was a deficiency of ozone in the atmosphere during the prevalence of that epidemic. A deficiency was, however, observed in almost every month of that year, although the number of days on which snow or rain fell were almost equal with the other years which see the following table, which shews the amount for each year, and for each respective month : — YEARS. 1851. 1852. 1853 • 1854. 1855. 1856. Months. DATS H OF O 1 6 7 6 8 14 12 16 15 15 11 13 13 135 DATS it OP O 1 DATS OF 1 DATS OF S-2. g DATS OF H i DATS OB lit Januorv 10 6 11 12 16 12 13 8 11 12 10 11 123 14 11 17 10 9 17 11 9 10 17 10 18 7 8 ii 8 18 17 16 16 18 12 14 9 11 9 7 16 15 9 13 11 14 14 8 11 9 21 12 12 11 4 7 9 5 11 8 14 16 17 10 8 10 6 7 11 11 13 12 6 6 7 6 7 8 4 3 3 8 11 7 12 8 9 14 6 15 7 11 12 18 14 14 6 9 6 8 9 12 11 12 11 11 9 6 12 9 10 11 13 10 12 15 14 10 15 11 14 February March 16 17 April, 20 M&y 20 June 17 Jvdy 1» "Uijr, Aueust 11 September, October 12 8 November December, 8 5 Total. 136 152 136 110 133 73 140 110 144 126 ■ Southerly and easterly tvinds being the point from which our rain or snow generally comes, are for the most part present, dur- ing the indications of ozone, while on the contrary northerly or westerly winds, very rarely accompany its development. In reviewing these observations, there is no condition of the atmosphere appreciable by our instruments, that indicates the pre- sence of ozone except the presence of vapour or humidity. Schonbien has asserted that a high electrical state of the at- mosphere was always present when ozone was developed, and that the amount depended essentially on the amount of atmospheric electricity. From the comparison of nearly 6,000 observations on the electrical state of the atmosphere, and the amount of ozone taken at the same hour, at this place, and carefully compared ; I have not found that opinion sustained, neither have I found its amount or presence influenced by the appearance of the aurora horealis which has also been said to be the case. From these observations it would appear that a moist and humid atmosphere was necessary for the development of ozone, and this may account in some measure for its more constant pre- sence and its greater quantity, in pro.ximity to the sea. So far as its efl'ects on the production of disease in plants, especially the ^ Ozone, potatoe, and to which it has been more especially referred ; it is al- most certain that one of two causes must have given rise to the la- mentable failure in this useful vegetable, either that the soil must have lumishcd the medium of disease, or the action of the atmos- phere upon the leaves and stem of the plant, — the causes which act upon the stem and leaves, involve the action alone of Atmos- pheric Influences, while those that act through the medium of the soil are more numerous. In this neighbourhood the disease showed itself after rain fol- lowed by a hot Sun, the atmosphere being loaded with moisture or vapour — just the condition essentially proper for indicating the presence of Ozone — the disease was much more extensive on wet and clayey soils than on sandy or drj' ones. It cannot be doubted that an agent so active as ozone, if really present, must exert a great influence on the health of individuals as well as animals and plants, the manner of its production, whether by chemical action or electricity, or magnetism, demands from us further investigation, and these investigations should be carried out with uniformity for the sake of careful comparison — one point should not be overlooked, that is, to mark carefully the amount of vapour present in the atmosphere, as the intimate connexion between them is too prominent to escape observation. I have, as you will perceive, oflered no theoretical deductions, if, as our continental brethren assert, that it does possess such powerful and wonderful properties, it must be evident that the American Association should at once take up the subject, in a way that wo may arrive at important conclusions. I should not be justified in expressing a doubt on the labours of others in this Department of Physical Science, neither do I think it fair to offer any conclusions until our o!>?ervations are more extended, and it is with this intention that I have brought it before the Associa- tion, hoping that between now and our next meeting, we may be able to investigate and compare observations so as to give it a proper place in this department of physical investigation. HIE mmmm of the vmn of iHONTREiii I Being well aware that many of you are here for the first time in this, our Northern city, and have scanned, and I have no doubt, admired the nunaerous edifices — those artificial structures erected by the human hand, guided by human skill, and well suited to our wants. I am also aware that many among you have bent your investigations beneath our alluvial and fruitful soil, to contemplate the geology of our rocky formations, and the deposits of by- gone ages, the work of that Divine Architect at whose command those bright and countless orbs that spangle in our firmament were brought into existence, and which forms to the astronomer so many objects for his study ; — and I felt it might be interesting to you to know something of our climatology, and it is for this purpose I intend laying before the section some remarks in illustration, reduced from observations taken at St. Martins, nine miles due west of this place, and I shall for this purpose confine my observations to the means reduced from the last septennial period, although the observations on record extend over a much longer period of time. The geographical co-ordinates of the place are 45° 32^ north latitude, and 73° 36^ longitude west of Greenwich. The cis- terns of the barometers are placed at 118 feet above the level of the sea. The instruments used are standard instruments; the barometric observations are all reduced to the freezing point, (32° F.) and the temperatures are all in Farenheit's scale. The hygrometric observations are reduced by the tables and formula adopted at the Greenwich observatory in England. The receiver of the rain guage is placed 20 feet above the soil. The direction and velocity of the wind is ascertained by a self-registering instrument which indicates its velocity by dots on a paper regis- ter in miles linear. The electrical apparatus is provided with a collecting latithorn which is elevated 80 feet from the ground. The solar and terrestrial radiators are also read in terms of Faren- heit's scale. The ozonometer is of Schonbien's construction. The whole of the means are reduced from three daily observa- tions, taken at a.m., 2 p.m., and 10 p.m. ; extra hours are also set apart for any unusual phenomena. Barometer. — The mean iieighth of tho barometer for this period (7 years) was 29.070 inches, tho mean reading for the Meteorology, 11 same septennial period in January was 29.744 inches, February 29,744 inches, March 29,492 inches, April 29,679 inches, May 29,604 inches, June 29,718 inches, July 29,715, inches, August 29,754 inches, September 29,722 inches, October 29,619 inches, November 29,769 inches, December 29.565 inches. The highest reading observed and on record here was on the 8th January 1855, and at 4 p.ra. it attained the unusual height of 30.876 inch. ; the lowest reading on record was in December also in 1855, and was 28,689 inches, giving an absolute range of 2,187 inches. The mean yearly range for the 7 years was 1,032 inches, and for the months as follows : inches. January, 1,550 February, 1,131 March, 1,145 April, 1,090 , inches. May, 0,800 June, 0,752 July, 0,616 August, 0,701 inches. September, 0,815 October, 0,951 November, 1,295 December, 1,538 There are two maxima and two minima variations occurring in the barometer in the 24 hours; the maxima variations occur at between 9 and 10 o'clock a.m., and between 9 and 10 p.m., the minima variations occur at 3 a.m., and 3 p.m. Thermometer. — The temperature of the air for the same period (7 years) exhibits a yearly mean of 41'' 56'. The mean tem- perature of January was \Z° 26\ February 13° 31s March 25° 44\ April 40° 12\ May 56° 70\ June 62° \\\ July 74° 78\ August CIO 2l\ September 58° 12\ October 46° 04\ November 31° 49\ December 13o 80\ the absolute mean range for the same {)eriod has been from OO*^ 9^ + to 27 '=* 4^ — (below zero) the absolute monthly range was, in January -j- 40" 7 to 25« 1— February -[- 41" 1 to 25» 2—- March -f 56» to 0" 7— April -|- 75" 6 to lOo 1-|- May -j- 86<» 6 to 25«' 7— June -}- 94" 5 to 40o 5-|- July + 97" 1 to 47° 8-|- August 4-960 7 to40O6 + September -f. 91° 2 to 30° 4-|- Octobcr -|- 75<^ 7 to 23° 8-|. November -|- 00° 4 to 5Q 7-|- December -|_ 42'> 1 to 20*' 3 — The highest tenipeic.ture in the shade on record here was 100° 1, and the lowest range was 36" 2' beh>w zero, giving a climatic range of 130° 3' degrees ; the hottest month is July, and the coMest month is February ; tlio warmest part of the day in summer is at 3 p.m., and in the winter season at 2 p.m. ; the coldest part of tlio day in winter is at a little before sunrise. 12 Meteorology, The mean yearly temperature of the deto point reduced for tho same period was 35° 6, andforthediflcrent months as follows: — July, 65«> August, 53° 1 September, 52" 2 January 9"^ 6 February 7<^ 4 March, 20° 2 April, 340 6 May, 4T° 2 June, 54" 1 October, 40o 8 November, 26** 1 December, 8" 1 The relative degr'jo of humidity for that period saturation being 1*000 was 814, and for the months : — January, -869 February, -808 March, -835 April, -812 May, •'7T4 Juno, •T'TO July, •'r44 August,.. : -tes September, -809 October, '821 November, "824 December, -832 The Electric force of Vajjour exhibits a daily maximum at 3 a.m., and a minimum at between 3 and 4 p.m. The summer quarter, which embraces June, July and August, is the drycst quarter; next is the Spiing quarter which embraces Mareli, April and May, the Autumnal and AVinter Quarters are the most humid. Complete satni'ation does not often occur, it has never- theless taken place about four or five times in cacli year. The mean number of days on which ralti fell for the sarac period is 73 per year, and the number of days on which snow fell is 43, making a sum of 11 G days on which precipitation took place, leaving 249 fair days as a yoaily mean for the T years, — there is on an average of about 110 niglits suitable for astronoraica purposes in each year. TiiG yearly mean amount of rain for the same period was 43. 004 inches in depth on the surface, and the depth of snow also on tho surface, shows a yearly mean of 95. 70 inches. The monthly mean for snow and rain are as follows : — Inches of January, . . February, ■ March, . . . April,.. . . May, . Rain. 0-600 0-167 0-380 4-624 4-386 Snow. 22-38 25-00 18-79 2-46 Inches of July August,. . . September, Octobor, . . November, . December,. Rain. 3-003 5-908 5-831 6-063 5-055 0-940 Snow. 1-80 4-34 17-71 Juno, ! 6-013 This gives a nu\'m of 52,380 inches of rain and melted snow, this is reduced by the Smithsonian formula, which does not hold good or corret-t for low toniperaturos, and 1 think 1 to 8 would Meteorology, ift e more accurate. The greatest amount of rain wliich fell in 24 hours, on record here, was in September 1853, and amounted to 6,142 inches, but this is unusual ; you will perceive that we are little more than five months without snow. The diflSculty in this climate of measuring the amount of evaporation from the surface of water, except for 7 months of the year, owing to frosty nights, has induced me to undertake the registration of the amount of evaporation from the surface of ice during the remainder of the year, (5 months) so as to compensate in some measure for the defect in the observations on the amount of evaporation from the watery surface. These combined obser- vations give p mean of more than 30 inches as the amount of water ovaporaied. The evapoiator is shaded from the sun and rain, but is exposed to the eunents of wind, so is also the icy surface in winter. I am xed to believe this amount is tolerably correct. The mean amount of evaporation from the surfac*.' of water alone for the 7 months is nearly 21 inches, the remaining amount being furnishod by the evai»oration which takes place from the su'ffce of ice dur- ing the remaining 5 mojiths. Winds. — The most prevailing v. ind of the year is the Westerly, and the mean direction for the 7 years m the difl'crent months is as fallows : — January, N.E. by E. February, W.S.W Marcb, W. April,' N.E. by E. May, N.W. by N. June, S.W. by W. I July, S.W. M5- W. August, W.N.W. I September, W.N.W. i October, W. by W. I November, W.N.W. 1 December, N.E. by E. The grealc'st velocity on record here exceeds somewhat GO miles per hour linear, — there seems a disposition for a change both in the (lin-ction and velocity, at 3 y.m. and at 3 a.m., which corres- ponds precisely with the diurnal barometric lluctuations. The whole amount of miles linear of wiinl during the })ast year (1850) was 53001,03 mih's, which being resolved into the four cardinal points, gave, N. 0909,80 miles ; 8. 6298,80 miles ; E. 10770,40 miles, and W. 30010,50 miles. The maximum velocity during the ])ast year was 44,40 miles )»er hour. There were 2220 hours 16 minutes calm, and 0510 hours during which the atniosphero was in motion, Helow is a table of the anemometric observation during the year 1850, showing the direction and anumnl of miles from each quarter (if the compass, and also the aujount of miles 14 Meteorology, run in each month, also the amount of calm in hours for each month : — Velocity Velocity Velocity Course. in Course. in Course. m Miles. Miles. Miles. N. 310,50 S.E. by E. 403,00 W.S.W. 4679,66 N. by E. 211,50 S.E. 297,00 W. by S. 4542,50 N.N.E. 412,00 S.E. by S. 690,20 W. 3111,80 N.E. by W. eel,"?© S.S.B. 374,00 W. by N. 3103,00 N.E. 1325,00 S. by E. 578,50 W.N.W. 4790,00 N.E. by E. 8092,60 S. 714,70 N.W.byW. 2112,80 E.N.E. 892,70 S. by W. 238,30 N.W. 2728,00 E. by N. 237,10 S.S.W. 497,57 N.W. by N. 1269,00 E. 86,30 S.W. by S. 608,10 N.N.W. 687,00 E. by S. 156,00 S.W. 2375,70 N. by W. 77,00 E.S.E. 240,00 S.W. by W. 3845,60 RESOLVED INTO THE FOUR CARDINAL POINTS. ■ . . .. . - .^. Hours Miles Miles Miles Miles Total and Months. North. 395-40 South. West. East. Miles. 6351-23 Min. calm Jany. 95-77 4115-06 1744-10 143-00 Feby. 71-90 280-00 4854-80 277-20 5463-90 166-00 March. 674-80 017-30 3706-60 567-70 5866-40 177-00 April. 234-00 116-00 1644-00 2585-10 4r,79-10 247-00 May. 1415-00 484-00 1323-00 1321-00 4540-00 179-10 June. 35000 768-00 1450-00 582-00 3130-00 168-40 July. 776-00 345-00 1652-20 111-00 2884-00 174-20 August. 621-00 242-30 1018-20 569-30 2450-00 269-20 Sept. 471-00 589-50 1249-00 490-00 2799-50 243-14 Oct. 843-00 ; 371-00 2270-00 248-00 3752-10 226-45 Nov. 653-00 1650-00 2386-00 975-00 4044-00 149-00 Dec. 464-70 1 458-00 4387-00 131000 6628-20 78-30 The yearly moan intensity of the sun's rays for the same septen- nial perio'l, is 102° (J, and for the months as follows : — January, 79 ® February, 87 ® March, 119® April, 107® May, 110° June, 110® July, 121 « 4 August, 118® 4 September, 103 ® 9 October, 99 ® 4 November, 89 ® 7 December, 84 ® 9 The yearly (scptetinia]) mean of Terrestrial Radiation was 11^ 0, and for the months as follows : — January, 20 o February, 22 ° March,.'. 18® April, 8 ® May, 29® Juno, 39® 91 July, 46® 7 6 August, 38 ® I 2 September, 34 ® 2 olOctober, 18® 9 6 I November, 11® 1 1 December, 25® 1 Tile .'imiuHit of dew is very variable, but bears a proportion to the degree of lorrestrial radiation. tl S Meteorology, 15 The mean of cloudless days were 57 days perfectly cloudless — the prevailing clouds are the Cumuli Stratus and Cirri Stratus. The song Sparrow — (Fringilla Melodia) — The harbinger of the Canadian spring generally makes its first appearance the first week of April. Frogs, Bctna, are first heard about the 23rd of / pril. Shad, Alosa^ are caught the last week in May. Fire-flies, Lampyrua corusca^ are first seen about the 24th of June, and the Snow-bird, Plectrophanes nivalis, generally makes its first ap- pearance about the 20th of November ; Swallows, Hirudo rufa^ about the 18th of April. Our winter generally sets in about the latter week of November or the first week in December, and is ushered in by a fall of snow from the N.E. by E., and this is the point from which our winter storms come. Rain generally comes accompanied with a wind from the S. S.W. or S.E., and also from theN.E.by E. .' - ^ ' ■ ' ' ^ We have generally a few days of that poetic season, the Indian Summer in November. . '' - " The years last lovliest smile, That comes to fill with hope the human heart ; And strengthen it to bear the storms awhile, Till winter's days depart. " Our snow storms of winter are from the N.E. by E., and for some hours before they form, the Eastern horizon becomes gradu- ally covered with heavy strata clouds of a deep leaden hue, the upper strata of clouds are generally a mixture of Cirri Cumulus and Stratus, nioving from the South, but the surface wind is fi'om the point I have stated N.E. by E., the wind during these storms often attain a velocity of some 30 or 40 miles per hour, the barometer is falling and the thermometer somewhere about zero, the Ps^'chometer indicates an increasing amount of moisture, the Electrometers indicate a very high tension of Negative Electri- city, often an amount of 300 doi;. in terms of Volta's No 1. Elec- trometer, and sparks are constantly })H88ing between the receiver and discharsjer for hours. Minuto but perfect crystalline forms of snow t!ommence to fall, and may continue for some 48 hours, and I have seen some 12 or more inches of snow fall during this time. Precipitation then ceases ; the wind veers always by the N. to the W., or W. N.W., with a velocity of some 30 miles per hour, (this is our cold term); and the wind carries the loose finely crystallized snow in clouds before it, this is in Canadian parlance a " Poudrerie." 16 Meteorology. The wind is intensely cold ; the thermometer during this period attains a minimum of some SC below zero. The sky is partly covered by cumuli clouds, with a few strati — the electrometers still indicate a high tension, but of an opposite or Positive cha- racter, this Westerly wind may last some 48 hours or more, and lulls down at sunset ; may be of the second day into a calm. The blue tint of the sky is very deep, and the rays of the setting sun throws a red or orange shade on the snowy scene, and the atmos- r/nere attains a greater dryness, the electrical action gradually ceases with the wind. Our thunder storms of summer, which give a yearly mean of 14 (for the same period of 7 years) are of short duration, forming generally in the W, or N.W., and the electricity varies in kind. The months of April, May and June bring returning summer ; the nights of July and part of August are generally oppressive, the temperature often remains at 70'' during the night : but the Canadian autumn is very pleasant. The woods with its leaves of a thousand varied tints, and the blue and cloudless sky, with frosty nights, reminds us that the good times of the merry sleigh bells arc near. Notwithstanding these vicissitudes and extremes of temperature, the soil is very producjtive and vegetation prolific and rapid ; and it has again pleased an all-wise Providence, during the present year, to crown the labours of the Canadian husbandman with a bountiful and abundant harvest. i>-\ !;'» n' r.^.-Xt/l^'.'. i-'^:--/'!'