134 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



average depth of fourteen feet of snow. They cleared a mile. 

 Still six miles to clear, which is expected will be done by Saturday 

 next (1st March). 



21st February, 1879. — All kinds of wild animals, such as Deer, 

 Hares, and Rabbits, also Birds, are dying for want of food (report 

 from Alyth, Forfarshire). 



21st February. — A thaw has as yet only reached three inches 

 into the ground at Hawick. Deep snow in Caithness, and in 

 Dumfriesshire; Alyth (16 to 18 inches, and 30 to 34 in the north 

 of the parish) \ also at Aberfeldy, Brechin, Aberdeen (keen frost) ; 

 Peterhead, Loch Alsh, and Kirkwall (keen frost). 



Ice on Loch Vennacher when at thickest measured 16 inches, 

 and on Loch Lubnaig about 10 inches, as I am informed by my 

 friend, Mr. J. H. Buchanan, of Leny. 



It may prove useful in this connection to reissue the following- 

 record of the weather up to the end of February, as given in the 

 Field of 28th February, 1879 :— 



[The following interesting letter from Mr. G. J. Symons, F.R.S., 

 one of our highest authorities on meteorology, appeared in the 

 Times of the 2nd hist., and as it affords reliable statistics on the 

 subject inquired about, we reprint it for the information of our 

 readers : — " As we have just passed through the coldest January 

 for at least twenty-one, and, I believe, for forty-one years, following 

 a December which was also, with one exception, the coldest for 

 twenty-one years, I presume some particulars respecting the 

 present and previous winters will be acceptable. The observations 

 which I shall quote will be my own, back to November, 1858, and 

 prior to that the most trustworthy tables for Greenwich at present 

 attainable. It may be well to add that the averages for Greenwich 

 and for this high part of Loudon are nearly identical. In the first 

 place, it is necessary to give an abstract of the observations of the 

 last twenty-one years, from which we learn — (1) That the average 

 maximum temperature of November was the lowest during the 

 period with two exceptions, that of December the lowest with one 

 exception, and that of January the lowest of the whole period ; 

 (2) that the average minimum of November was the lowest dur- 

 ing the period with four exceptions, that of December the lowest 

 with one exception, and that of January the lowest; (3) that the 

 mean temperature of the three months was not only 5° below the 



