Monthly Calendar of Nature for Scotland. 



271^ 



ordinary mean. The rain and melted snow in the rain gauge is 82 decimal 

 parts deeper than the average depth for February. 



Results for March. 



The average temperature for March at this place is 40-6°. It will be 

 seen by the above table that the temperature for that month, this season, 

 exceeds the ordinary mean by 2-6° ; and the fall of rain exceeds the 

 ordinary depth for the month by 1-95 in. 



The first day of February was the coldest : mean temperature of that day, 

 31° J extreme cold, 26° ; wind boisterous and N.E. The warmest day in that 

 month was the 10th: mean temperature of that day, 52-5°; extreme heat, 

 56° ; wind west. There were 13 days on which rain or snow fell ; on 

 1 1 days the atmosphere was clear, on 7 cloudy, and on 10 days there was 

 partial sunshine. The wind blew from the N.E. on 3 days ; from the N.W. 

 on 6 days, from due N. on 5 days, and from W. and S.W. on 14 days. 



The coldest day in March was the 13th : mean temperature of that day, 

 37° ; extreme cold, 34° ; wind S.W. and extremely loud. The warmest 

 day in that month 22d : mean temperature of that day, 48° ; extreme heat, 

 51°; wind westerly. The wind blew from easterly points on 7 days, 

 from the N. on 2 days, and from westerly points on 22 days. Rain fell 

 on 16 days, 17 days were cloudy, 3 were brilliant, and 11 partial sunshine. 

 There was a violent storm of loud wind and drifting snow on the first four 

 days in February ; and, contrary to what is often observed, this storm was 

 almost simultaneous in its commencement and duration all over the 

 island. An elevated temperature, on the 8th, 9th, and 10th, rapidly dis- 

 solved the drifted snow, which the frost prevented from penetrating into 

 the soil, and of 2i in. of water which fell in the shape of snow, the greater 

 part rushed in torrents from the higher grounds, overflowing levels, or 

 finding its way to the ocean. A loud fresh westerly wind on the 10th and 

 1 1th thawed the earth's frozen surface, and nature began to assume the 

 face of spring. 



A strong gale of wind accompanied with rain set in from the S.W. on 

 the morning of the 12th of March, and continued about 48 hours. The 

 rain which fell during this storm amounted to 1^ in., and the mean tem- 

 perature during the period of its duration was 37°, lowest range 34°. 

 Loud winds, though of much less velocity than that on the 12th and 13th, 

 occurred on the 17th and 18th, also from the W., with a mean temper- 

 ature of 45°, range of thermometer between 51° and 40°. After the 

 winds and storms in the early part of February were over, the feathered 

 tribes soon forgot their privations. The bat was seen abroad on the 

 evening of the 10th, when the temperature was at the unusual height of 

 52°. The winds that followed prevented larks from singing till the 12th, 

 which, according to antiquated notions, prognosticated that we should 

 have no severe subsequent storm in the spring months, of which the early 

 singing of that bird is supposed ominous. Woodpigeons were heard 

 cooing, and partridges sounding their love-notes on the evening of the 16th ; 

 the mavis and blackbird first tuned their lays on the 18th. It may be 



