COUNCIL FOR 1853. 13 



The following table exhibits the months of excess and defect 

 respectively. 



Excess. Defect. 



January 3-4 February 6'5 



April 1-8 March 4-6 



June 0-3 May 25 



October 1-2 July 1-1 



August 1'3 



6*7 September 1*1 



November 3*3 



December 5"5 



25 9 

 6-7 



12)19-2 



Defect for the whole year . . 1-6 



The rain of 1853 was 22*33 being 1*94 inches below a mean 

 of twenty years, and 4'85 below that of 1852, and yet the days 

 on which rain fell were 174 in 1853, against 156 of 1852. A 

 snow-storm commenced in the evening of the 10th of February, 

 and it was not till the 28th of March that the white robe of 

 winter was withdrawn ; the average minimum temperature 

 during the whole of that period was below the freezing point. 

 Thunder and lightning were of rare occurrence throughout the 

 year. A single flash and a long heavy peal burst over York, 

 amidst intense darkness, on the afternoon of March 15. 



The Gentiana verna, a beautiful native of Teesdale, of re- 

 markably regular habits, was in full blow on the 17th of May, 

 fully two weeks later than its mean time in the latitude of York. 



One thunder storm is noted June 6th, one July 22nd. The 

 first two weeks of August, so uniformly marked by electric ex- 

 plosions at York, were entirely free this year. Lightning was 

 seen on the evening of September 1st, and a magnificent auroral 

 arch spanned the heavens, on the evening of the 2nd. 



By the kindness of correspondents and from other sources, 

 we have obtained accounts of the fall of rain from the following 

 places : 



