220 J. HOPKINSON — METEOEOLOGICAL OBSEEVATIOXS 



The most noticeable features in the year (March 1876 to 

 February 1877) were the great barometric depressions in March 

 and December, the excessive heat in July and August, and the 

 heavy rainfall in September, December, and January. With the 

 exception of the rainfall, these and other phenomena of which 

 mention should be made are not shown in the table. In the 

 following notes on the months these exceptional occurrences are 

 specially alluded to, and an endeavour is made to give an account 

 of the principal changes in the weather, which — read in conjunc- 

 tion with the table, to which they are merely supplementary — may 

 serve in some measure as a substitute for the daily register. All 

 the values given are fully corrected. 



Maech. — During the first week the weather was mild, the 

 mean temperature being about 45° ; the wind was W. to S."W., 

 and rain fell every day but the 3rd. On the 9th a fall of tempera- 

 ture occurred, with a strong easterly wind and slight snowstorm. 

 Atmospheric pressure, which during the first week had been be- 

 tween 29|^ and 30 inches, decreased on the 8th from 29'726 inches 

 at 9 a.m. to 28'958 at 9 p.m., continuing to decrease until at 9 p.m. 

 on the 9th it was 28-686. The barometer had risen slightly the 

 next morning, and continued to rise until at 9 p.m. on the 11th it 

 stood at 29-231, the wind being N.W. A remarkably sudden fall 

 then occurred, and between noon and 1 p.m. on the 12th, during 

 a violent gale and snowstorm, the barometer reached its lowest 

 point, after which it rose even more rapidly than it had fallen. 

 The readings taken on the 12th were : — 



The temperature at 9 a.m. was 34"^. The minimum the previous 

 night was 31°. The snowstorm commenced at 8-30 a.m. and 

 continued till about 3 p.m. The wind continued "W. to N. to 

 the 21st, with occasional slight falls of snow, and it then changed 

 to S., was easterly for the next six days, and southerly to the end 

 of the month. During this time the temperature was very variable, 

 but there was a sudden rise from 36° at 9 a.m. on the 27th to 48° 

 on the 28th, and the weather continued warm to the 10th of April. 

 A lunar halo* was seen on the evening of the 11 th. 



April. — Pressure was very variable, mostly higher the first 

 half of the month than the last half. The barometer was below 

 29 ins. on the 19th only, and never reached 30.\ ins. The mean 

 temperature for the first nine days was 51°-6. On tlie 10th there 

 was a heavy fall of snow and a cold period set in, lasting until tlie 

 18th, with snow almost daily, — the mean for this period being 

 42°-6. On the 13th there Avas a terrific gale and snowstorm, very 

 similar to that on the 12th of March, but not accompanied by any 



* This is a rin<j of (usually) white lif^ht at a distance from the moon, and must 

 not be confounded with the corona, a ring- of prismatic colours borduriug the moon. 



