AND METEOROLOGY OF THE YEAR RELATKE THERETO. 359 



to it being an excess of 5°"5 in 1818, and 5°-2 in 1792 and 1847. 

 The distribution of the rainfall was strikingly unequal in Scot- 

 land. The peculiarities of temperature and rainfall were due to 

 an extraordinary prevalence of S., S.W., and W. wdnds, greater 

 indeed than has been experienced in any ISTovember during at 

 least a quarter of a century. In the south of Scotland these 

 winds were south-south-westerly, but in proceeding on their 

 course they became southerly in the south-east, and then south- 

 easterly farther north. Hence on the Solway, the rainfall was 

 fully 50 per cent, above the average, increasing to 150 per cent, 

 of excess at Moffat, and rapidly diminishing after passing to the 

 north of the Lead and Lowther Hills, till in Berwickshire and 

 the Lothians the rainfall was less than the average, the deficiency 

 in East Lothian being 50 per cent. Crossing the Firth of Forth, 

 we meet an extensive tract reachinc; as far as the hic^h <:,a^ounds 

 of the Grampians, where the rainfall was excessive, rising from 

 an excess of fully 50 per cent, on the Fife coast to 100 per cent, 

 at Pitlochrie, and 157 per cent, at Dalnaspidal. Again, beyond 

 the Grampians and including the whole of the north of Scotland 

 to north of a line drawn through the Butt of Lewis, Scourie, 

 Forres, Ballater, and Montrose, the rainfall was below the 

 average, the deficiency in the counties of Caithness, Banff, and 

 the north-east of Aberdeen being 50 per cent. It is noteworthy 

 that the foreshores of the Firth of Forth, the Moray Firth, and 

 the Pentland Firth had a rainfall greatly under the average, 

 and that this always occurs when the rain-bringing winds are 

 southerly and south-easterly. 



December. — The temperature was about half a degree above 

 the average. In Shetland the excess fully exceeded 2°'0, but in 

 Wigtownshire the temperature was about 1°"0 below the average. 

 Over the whole of the west, from Cape Wratli to Galloway, 

 temperature was under the average, though only sliglitly so ; but 

 in the east it was above the average, the greatest excess being 

 nearly 1°*0 from Inverness to Duncansbay Head. Over the west 

 the rainfall was above the average, the greatest excess, about 50 

 per cent., being to the south of Skye ; but it was under the 

 average in all eastern and inland districts, and over the whole of 

 Galloway and Clydesdale as far to westward as l)uml)arton. The 

 deficiency was greatast in Aberdeen, being 73 at Cluny Castle 

 ami 05 ])er cent, at Logic Coldstone below the average. 



Since abnormalities of temperature and rainfall are brought 

 about by the winds whicli prevail, the following table, showing 

 for each month the winds which were in excess or defect of tlie 

 averages of the previous twenty-four years, may nut be without 

 interest : — 



