The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-02 00:00:00

Fora similar period to the Gas which has just paned it is
necessary to go back to the year 1814. That year, however,
ensuseaced with a very low temperature, a frost having set
in on December 26, 1813. The intensity of the two periods
was about the same ; it ended in 1814 on March 21, whereas
in the penal year, with the exception of a short inter-
minion Omit the first week in March, the temperature of
the present period has descended lower and more frequently
than that of 1814, in which year the coldest day was on
January 10th, when the reading was 19.6 dcg.: the lowest
temperature of this year also occurred in January, and was
19.2 deg. In 1814 the lowest temperature in February was
on the 4th, sad was 22 deg.; the lowest in this month of
the present year was 20.6 deg., and took place on the 18th,
and this February was a much more severe month than the
February of 1814. The man temperature of February,
1814, was 32.4 deg., and that of the present year was
29.3 deg.
' '

The snow this year has been replete with crystallised par-
ticles of compound figure, which were formerly imagined
to be confined almost, if not entirely, to the Polar regions.
The primary figure or base of each crystal was either a
star of sin radii, or a plans hezagon. The compound
varieties included combinations of apical, prisms, and

clustered on and around the radii, and seemed in
their various stages of formation and almost =diem variety,
to defy any attempt to classify or arrange them into groups.
At the commencement of the frost, simple stellar forms
were chiefly prevalent, and fell in clusters of from 10 to 20
in a group. They descended quickly to the ground, where
they lay like cotton ravelling's, knotted here and there—an
effect produced by the white molecule, the centre of each
star.

On the morning of February 8 a large lumber of crystals
fell, intermingled with the snow, which continued from
early morning till late at night, with a temperature of from
29 to 32 deg. Front Bto 9 a.m. crystals of arboreseent cha-
racter fell spsriogly. After nine these entirely ceased, and
were replaced by minute and glistening hexagons of limier,
which gradually gave place to other hexagons compounded
of general solid hexagons, set round in groups. These again,
u the day advanced, became exchanged for figures
still more compound, and from the centre hexagon of which
diverged six radii laden with prisms, set on at an angle of CO
deg. Soon after noon, the crystals ceased falling for a time,
till 4 p.m., when the arboreseent form again set in, and was
soon after accompanied by a mangling. of nearly all the
figures which had previously fallen &twig the day. They
only ceased with the snow, long after dark, when it laid
upon the ground to the depth of 8 inches.
On Feb. 13th, 18th, and 17th, a large number of crystals
were observed, particularly en the 17th, oa which day the
prevailing form was an arrangement of six radii studded on
either side with prisms ranged parallel to each other, but
of different lengths. Some exhibited a double layer of
prisms, the cue superimposed upon the other. A few
were discovered of cruciform figure, made up of solid hexa-
gons, cut into numerous facets ; these last were very
minute, and scarcely discernible to the naked eye.
Oa Feb. 21 there fell a large number of very complex
crystals, made up. of solids, both of rhomboidal and irre-
gular figure, cut into many facets, and heaped one upon
the other. There were also a large number of double
crystals, that is, two crystals united to each other by an
axis at right angles to the plane of each.
On Feb. 23, the last day of the continued frost, there
fell a number of crystals of great beauty and transparency,
but of simple figure; they were arberescent, end many of
theta double. While observing them, they changed their
figure in the most curious and kaleidoscopic meaner possible,
the upper groups of prisms collapsing first, the next in order
neat, and so on, the collapeing each time dissolvisg three or
more prisms into one—a change effected with instantaneous
rapidity. This was the first step preparatory to their dis-
solving; the next step was the rounding of every angle that
remained; and the next step to that, the extension and
thickening a ',italic which had served as axes to prisms,
and which now derived accession from their half fluid and
dissolving matter. In this manner they continued to ex-
change one simple form for 'mother yet more simple, until
the pristine drop of water occupied the site of the former
crystal. The paper was illustrated by • large number of
carefully executed drawisge

PORTSMOUTH SAILORS' liollf..—A public meeting
wu held at Green-row Rooms, Portsmouth, to take into
consideration the best means of carrying out her Majesty
and Prince Albert's proposal for the enlargement of the
Sailors' House, towards which object her Majesty and his
royal highness have given 3001., sad promised 2001. more for
a still further enlargement when some adjoining premises
are available. The meeting was presided over by the Port
Admiral, Sir T. Cochrane, and was numerously attended.
Suitable resolutions were carried, and a subscription list
opened. the contemplated expense, in addition to the royal
bounty, being about 2,5001. The assess of subscribers to
the enema of 3601. were read over, as having already
ceatribairmi as the object in view. Asseart then was hie
Ouse Its Date of Norfolk, 601. ; Basisy, Bevan, Triton,
sad Os.. lid ; Admiral sad Lady Coebasee, 201., stke.
An bukIIIIIT was held yailordayationtosa at }Euler,
ZolitiLingissithesTrerwour.sa =sem vidu sf the fatal es-
of ips sa the flidt 101.Ja this dimi-
ng body woo Asa sf Pas=
Jobs SOW, seal U. The was "That
disi am do Jostled lbs surissisa, after keying bad
bath legs sweated." Its sthsr saSsess, sight ia ago-
toff as Meg well sad eat se dap/.