1 88 NOTES ON THE SEASONS OF 1 893, 



that concussion of the brain or any violent shock to the ner\oiis system, jaundice, 

 and other maladies, or over-indLiIgence in tobacco impaired the colour-vision was 

 undisputed, so that liolh congenital and contracted defects must be inquired into 

 w herever important consequences were involved. Certain drugs, santonine and 

 quinine, temporarily affected the sight, and the lecturer related his experiences 

 after taking a small dose of the first-named to try whether, under its influence, he 

 lould see the neutral grey bands of Professor Pole. The results were that all 

 objects appeared green, or suffused with that colour, as though he looked through 

 a pair of green spectacles, but there was no break in the solar spectrum, nor any 

 grey bands. He warned his hearers against repeating the experiment, on account 

 of the extiemely depressing action of the drug upon the nervous system. For 

 published details, see Rep. Brit. Assoc, 1889, p. 518, and " Photographic News," 

 Sept. 20, 1889. 



As to the possibilities of relief and cure, the lecturer stated that the " tiring " 

 of the eyes for red, by a few minutes' contemplation of a broad surface of scarlet 

 cloth, permitted his colour-blind friends to perceive at once a difference between 

 grey and green. This was to be expected, but the relief was only temporary, and 

 Dr. Edridge Green's trial of red spectacles afforded no permanent relief. The 

 contracted disorder could be dealt with, and disappeared with the removal of the 

 irritant cause, but congenital colour-blindness was, so far as we know at present, 

 quite incurable. In a certain sense we could all be made to realise the dis- 

 advantages of colour-blindness, for w-hen objects were ilbuiiinated by a salt and 

 spirit flame (Brewster's mono-chromatic lamp) they all appeared in shades of 

 grey, so that paintings appeared like engravings. This was illustrated by a final 

 experiment, throwing the yellow light upon a varieci selection of coloured prints, 

 dyed patterns, and highly-coloured objects, and then suddenl}' illuminating them, 

 for contrast, by the light from a burning mignesium ribbon. 



Mr. Spiller was cordially thanked for his interesting lecture and demonstra- 

 tions, and the meeting resolved itself into the customary conversazione, at which 

 tea and coffee were served. 



NOTES ON THE SEASONS OF 1893, PRINCIPALLY 

 IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF FELSTEAD. 



V,\ J. Kkl:,\CH. 



'T^HE year 18193 will long be remembered for its remarkable 

 character. In loose parlance it will, perhaps, be called ''the 

 summer without a spring " : the year in which the spring and 

 autumn partially interchanged, or the "year of perpetual summer." 

 Nature has here performed an experiment which we can hardly hope 

 to have repeated, and any notes of which should therefore be placed 

 upon record. 



The long-continued drought and the absence of cloud had 

 peculiar effect upon plants and animals, both directly and indirectly, 

 and although many of the phenomena are to be accounted for, there 



