No. 3.] 



McLEOD — CANADIAN WINTERS. 



161 



The following table derived from the observations recorded at 

 the McGill College Observatory, institutes a comparison between 

 the periods we are considering. 



It will be observed that between the means for the two sea- 

 sons there is the large difference of nearly seven degrees, and 

 that January of 1876 was warmer than the same month in 1875 

 by more than twelve degrees, that is, on the average each day of 

 the month was more than twelve degrees warmer than the cor- 

 responding day in the preceding year. 



The primary cause of this most remarkable discrepancy is, at 

 present, beyond us to discover ; but if it affords any satisfaction 

 to connect it with facts which themselves require explanation we 

 may state that in the winter of 75-76 winds blowing from the 

 south-west to south-east exceded in duration those from the 

 same quarter in the winter of 71-75 by about fifty per cent. 

 Or expressed otherwise, the time during which winds in each 

 season blew between these directions bears about the same rela- 

 tion between themselves as does the average temperature for the 

 seasons expressed in degrees Fahrenheit to one another. 



The connection is evident, and it is of course also true, that 

 there was during the winter of 1874-75 a great excess of winds 

 blowing from the cold regions to the north and north west. 



In connection with the table given below, which shows the total 

 precipitation in each month and season, it should be stated that 

 in 1875-76, (taking ten inches of snow" as equal to one inch of 

 water) 79.1 inches only, fell as snow, the remaining 3.67 inches 

 being rain ; whereas in 1874-75 the rainfall only amounted to 

 .48 of an inch. 



