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The Material Creation, being a compendious system of Universal Geography, by Herman Mann, 12mo. pp. 348, Dedham.

Occasional Discourses.

A Thanksgiving Sermon, Preached Nov. 15, 1817, by Rev. James Milnor, 25 cents, New York.

An Address, delivered before the Superintendants of Sunday Schools, by Rev. James Milnor, 25 cents, New York.

The Migration of the Pilgrims, and of their Posterity, an Address before the New England Society in Philadelphia, by the Rev. Ezra tiles Ely, A. M. 25 cents, Philadelphia.

Introductory Lecture on Natural Philosophy, by Benjamin Dewitt, M. D. Professor of Natural Philosophy, in the University of the State of New York.

An Oration delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Cambridge, at their Anniversary, Aug. 28, 1817, by William Crafts, jr. Second Edition, 25 cents, Charleston, S. C.

An Address on Physical Science, and particularly the Science of Chemistry, delivered before the Literary and Philosophical Society of South Carolina, by Timothy Ford, Esq 50 cts. Charleston. A Sermon Preached at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. Balch, jr. at Georgetown, by the Rev. Dr. Mins, Georgetown, D. C

Address to the Massachusetts Peace Society at their Second Anniversary, December 25, 1817, by the Hon. Thomas Dawes,

Boston.

An Address delivered before the New York Bible and Common Prayer Book Society in New York, by John McVickar, Coll. Col. Professor, New York.

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The British Spy, Sixth Edition, New York.

A Review of Duer's Letter to Colden, 374 cents, New York. A Narrative of President Monroe's Tour in the Summer of 1817, 12mo. $1, Philadelphia.

A View of the Principal Causes that have produced the advance of the Stock of United States Bank, by Matthew Carey, Second Edition, 25 cents, Philadelphia.

The Official Army Register for the year 1818, Washington.

The Official Navy Register, for the year 1818, Washington. The Domestick Manufacturer's Assistant, and Family Directory, in the Arts of Weaving and Dyeing, by J. & R. Bronson, $1,50, Hartford.

The Distiller, by Harrison Hall, Second Edition, 8vo. $3,25, Philadelphia.

Poetry.

An Essay on American Poetry, with several Miscellaneous Pieces, Sentimental, Descriptive, Moral and Patriotick, by Solyman Brown, A. M. New Haven.

An attempt to ascertain at which three hours of the day the thermometer will give nearly the mean temperature. By Professor Dewey.

A great number of thermometrical observations and results have been published. But very little use has been made of them, and, on account of the manner in which the observations have been made, they are likely to prove of little service. So different have been the hours of observation at different places, that only a very uncertain estimate of the relative temperature of places can be made. The advantages to be derived from records of the temperature, can but in small part be realized in the present method. A change seems important. It needs no reflection to be convinced that some hours will give a result much nearer the true mean temperature than others. Though the true mean will probably not be ascertained, yet a near approximation may be found by selecting the proper hours. Which hours these are can be determined only by observations. But so far as I can learn, no attempt has been made till the present; and, so great is the task, it will not be often repeated. At the present time the observations are made at very different hours in our country. The following may be mentioned, viz. 7 A. M. and 2 and 9 P. M. at the University of Cambridge, at Williams, Bowdoin, and Middlebury Colleges ;-the supposed coldest and warmest times of the day at Yale College ;—6 A. M. and 6 P. M. or, sunrise and sunset in many places; 8 A. M. and 1 and 6 P. M. are proposed by the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, as well as the use of Six's Self-registering Thermometer. The Royal Society, London, seem to make their observations at 8 A. M and 3 P. M. in five colder months, and at 7 A. M and 3 P. M. in seven warmer months The hours, 7 A. M. and 2 and 9 P. M. have been more extensively adopted probably than any others. The above variety of hours shows the importance of a change. Although it may be doubtful, whether the same two or three hours would give a mean equally near the true, at all places; there cannot be a doubt, it would be nearer the truth than can be obtained in the present method. Can not meteorologists be uniform in their hours of observing the thermometer ? Either of the three following plans, if they would adopt it, would be preferable to the present. 1. The selection of the same two or three hours, or of sunrise and sunset. The object would not be to obtain nearly the mean temperature, but results, from which a comparison of the temparatures at different places might be made. This plan will not, probably, be adopted, because most observers desire to obtain the mean temperature. 2. The use of the Self-registering thermometer, from whose maxima and minima of temperature a mean near the true would probably be obtained. The ease of

making the observations strongly recommends this plan. The liability of this kind of thermometers to need repair, or to be inaccurate, is an objection. 3. The choice of 7 A. M. and 2 and 9 P.M. which appear from the following results to give nearly the true mean. On several accounts this seems to be the best plan.

Το get the mean temperature of the day, I took observations at the beginning of each of the twenty four hours, and, assisted by several members of the College, upon whose accuracy and fidelity I could depend, continued the observations for at least five days in succession. I give you several of the results. The first series commenced with

the second the third

the fourth

the fifth

March 25th, 1816;

April 1st;

July 23d;

Oct. 28th ;

[five days;

Jan. 23d, 1817; and each continued

and the sixth embraces 10 days in Jan and Feb. 1817.

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This

The series of observations were more numerous in winter, be-
cause it was the opinion of several gentlemen that the results in
winter must be different from those in the other seasons.
opinion was very plausible, because the highest and lowest tempe-
rature of the day is at different hours in winter and summer. And
the reason why the result so nearly agrees with the others is doubt-
less this, that in winter the temperature at 9 P. M. is several de-
grees nearer the mean of 7 A. M. and 2 P. M. than at the other
seasons. This has been ascertained by Professors Farrar and
Cleaveland, and also at this place. As the highest temperature is
sometimes between two and three, and sometimes between one
and two, had the highest been noted, instead of that at the begin-
ning of these hours, the results in the fifth column would have
been a little greater, than they are there given. The result of va-
rious other hours might be given.

Williams College, Dec. 16, 1817.
Vol. VI. No. 3.
56

Abstract of meteorological observations, taken at Cambridge for December, 1817 and January 1818. By Professor Farrar.

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January

2.76

Rain and melted snow in December

Whole quantity of snow about one foot.

On the 20th of December, when the thermometer was 15° at Cambridge, it was down to 5° at Lexington, Kentucky; and on the 21st when it was at 16° at Cambridge, it was within a degree of zero at Lexington.

Abstract of Meteorological Observations, taken at Brunswick. By Professor Cleaveland.

October, 1817.

Mean monthly temp. from three observations each day do. do. do. from maxima of heat and cold

45.18°

42.80

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Greatest monthly range of do.

Days entirely or chiefly fair

do.

do. do. cloudy 11

Directions of the winds in proportional numbers, viz.

S. W. 15.-N. W. 11.-W. 6.-N. E. 4.-S. 5.-S. E. 3.-N. 1. The prevailing forms of the clouds have been the cirro-cumuli and cumuli, until near the latter part of the month, when the cirrostratus was predominent.-Thunder on the 12th, and a very little snow on the 28th.

November.

do. do.

Mean monthly temp. from three observations each day do. from maxima of heat and cold

$7.17°

35.76

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do. cloudy 12

Directions of the winds in proportional numbers, viz. S. W. 14 —N. W. 12—N. E. 9—W. 4—N. 3—S. S.

The Cirro-stratus has been the predominant form of the clouds, often accompanied with the Nimbus or Stratus.

ERRATA.—p. 313, read to organize the militia and put the colony in a state of defence-p 317, line 9, for resemblance' read 'semblance' line 3, from the bottom, for souls' read 'soul'—p. 323, line 9, for 'name' read 'names-p. 360, line 32, for 'corrections' read 'correctness'-p. 379, line 11, for' same' read 'some.'

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