Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/201

 Cylinder. But for the Faces of the Sky, they are so many, that many of them want proper Names; and therefore it will be convenient to agree upon some determinate ones, by which the most usual may be in brief exprest. As let Clear signify a very clear Sky without any Clouds or Exhalations: Checquer'd a clear Sky, with many great white round Clouds, such as are very usual in Summer. Hazy, a Sky that looks whitish, by Reason of the Thickness of the higher Parts of the Air, by some Exhalations not formed into Clouds. Thick, a Sky more whiten'd by a greater Company of Vapours: these do usually make the Luminaries look bearded or hairy, and are oftentimes the Cause of the Appearance of Rings and Haloes about the Sun as well as the ''Moon. Overcast, when the Vapours so whiten and thicken the Air, that the Sun cannot break through; and of this there are very many Degrees, which may be exprest by a little, much, more, very much overcast'' &c. Let Hairy signify a Sky that hath many small, thin, and high Exhalations, which resemble Locks of Hair, or Flakes of Hemp or Flax; whose Varieties may be exprest by strait or curv'd, &c. according to the Resemblance they bear. Let Water'd signify a Sky that has many high thin and small Clouds, looking almost like water'd Tabby, call'd in some Places a Mackrel Sky. Let a Sky be call'd Wav'd, when those Clouds appear much bigger and lower, but much after the same manner. Cloudy, when the Sky has many thick dark Clouds. Lowring, when the Sky is not very much overcast, but hath also underneath many thick dark Clouds which threaten Rain. The Signification of gloomy, foggy, misty, sleeting, driving, rainy, snowy, Reaches or Racks Rh