NOTES AND REMARKS UPON THE WEATHER. 125 



sharp to 29*70 inches on the 14th, then another sudden fall to 

 29*10 inches on the 15th presaged the storm of rain which fell 

 on the 15th and 16th. Thereafter the rise was steady, and the 

 pressure kept fairly high, when on no less than nine days it 

 was at 30*00 inches, and on the 31st at 30' 10 inches. 



While there were 21 dry days in the month, the rainfall 

 amounted to 3'37 inches — more than the half of which fell in 

 two days. The amount was about the average for this month. 

 In March, 1905, the rainfall was 3' 16 inches. 



Frost to the extent of 60° was registered on 10 days, 

 consequently the average temperatures — maximum, 45°, and 

 minimum, 33° — are lower by 4° in each case than those of the 

 same month in 1905, when only 1° of frost was registered, 

 and curiously correspond very closely to the conditions of March, 

 1904, when, with 61° of frost on 15 days, the figures were 44° 

 and 32° respectively. 



Despite the cold, vegetation generally showed signs of activity, 

 and the buds on hawthorns, willows, and balsam poplars swelled 

 fast, and several were bursting into leaf in the last week of the 

 month. The spring flowers also developed rapidly. The snow- 

 drops were past their best in the first week. The " glory of the 

 snow " (Chionodoxa lucillce.) was in full bloom on the 15th. The 

 common narcissus (Narcissus pseudo -narcissus ) began to open on 

 the 18th, while the crocuses, which had been blooming inter- 

 mittently for some time, were, along with the earlier daffodils, 

 squills, hepaticas, &o., in their glory during the latter weeks of 

 the month. Amongst shrubs, the Forsythia susyensa was in full 

 bloom, and Ribes sanguinea showing flower. 



The farmers availed themselves of the dry weather, and much 

 seed was sown under favourable conditions. 



April. — This, " the month of showers," belied its reputation, 

 as it proved to be the driest month of the year. The first 

 half was notably dry, as no rain fell, and, though there were 

 occasional touches of frost in the mornings, the days were 

 generally bright and sunny, and several were pleasantly warm. 

 On the afternoon of the 15th there was a peculiar dust storm, 

 which lasted several hours. Whether this was the precursor of 

 a change in the weather or not, there was a disagreeable change 

 for holiday-makers, as the weather of the 16th, on which the 



