128 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



ture and rainfall. For we have here two years 

 which ^vere practically similar in these respects, but 

 at the same time the result was somewhat different. 

 1883 was certainly a prosperous year, but 1884 out- 

 stripped its predecessor. This was due mainly to 

 two circumstances. In the first place, w^e have to 

 thank the season of 1883 for maturing the wood of 

 trees and shrubs, for thoroughly ripening the flower, 

 foliage, and fruit buds, and for giving the farmer a 

 firm and healthy seed and a dry and genial soil. 

 And in the second place, the weather of 1884 was 

 moist and favourable in spring and early summer, 

 dr}^ and warm in early autumn, and in late autumn 

 eminently suitable for the ingathering of the crops. 

 It is a matter of congratulation, in our variable 

 climate, when the seasons of the year thus succeed 

 one another in a sequence favourable to the agri- 

 culturist, and it is to this fact, coupled with the 

 fine season of 1883, that we are mainly indebted for 

 the prosperous year of 1884. 



There are two remarkable atmospheric extremes 

 during 1884 which are worthy of notice. During 

 March a wave of heat, almost unprecedented at that 

 time of the year, passed over Scotland, when the 

 temperature stood at 6.5 in the shade, and for 

 several days in the middle of the month vegetation 

 started as if by magic, only to be checked, however, 

 in a few days. Again, there were a series of storms, 

 of cyclones, of high Avinds, which occvirred in the 

 months of January, February, March, and October, 

 causing great damage to life and property, and 

 destroying thousands of magniflcent trees all over 

 the country. 1884 may be remembered as a prosper- 

 ous year for the farmer, but its disastrous results 

 among the mighty monarchs of the forest will be 

 seen and felt for many a year to come. 



Subjoined is the Meteorological Record for the last 

 three years, as kept at the Queen's Park, Glasgow. 



