296 THE FROSTS OF RECENT YEARS. 



has the distinction of being the coldest February in a record 

 of 120 years. The monthly mean at Greenwich was 29-4. 

 Towards the end of the frost our Floating Harbour was 

 firmly frozen, and afforded excellent skating on the part 

 below Prince Street Bridge. 



6. In December, 1855, a frost, which lasted 4 days onty, 

 o^ave us a minimum of 13'2 on the 22nd, and a mean for the 

 period (December 19th to 22nd) of 26-3. 



7. A frost, considerably more severe than the last named, 

 and of somewhat longer duration, occurred in December, 

 1859. The 7 days from the 14th to the 20th of that month 

 had a mean temperature of 23* 1, and the minimum on the 

 19th was 10-2. 



8. In the winter of 1860-61 there were two severe frosts, 

 separated only by a three days' thaw. The 11 days from 

 December 19th to December 29th had a mean temperature of 

 25*4. The 10 days from January 2nd to January 11th had 

 a mean of 25*9. If we consider the two frosts as one frost 

 with a break, we find the mean temperature of the whole 

 period of 24 days to have been 27'3. Three extremely low 

 minima were recorded — namely, on December 25th, 11*1 ; on 

 December 29th, 7'1 ; on January 7th, 9*7. In many places 

 the frost on Christmas Day was the most severe, the ther- 

 mometer at several stations falling below zero. At Notting- 

 ham Mr. Lowe recorded a minimum of 8 degrees below 

 zero. 



9. In January, 1865, we had a 10 days' frost, the mean 

 temperature from the 20th to the 29tli day being 30*1, and 

 the minimum on the 29th, 13-5. On the same da}^ a ther- 

 mometer lying on the snow registered 6*0. • 



10, 11. In Januar}^, 1867, there were two continued frosts, 

 both worthy of mention. The first 5 days of the month had 

 a mean temperature of 26*5, with a minimum (on the 4th) of 



