1869.] 



CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS. 



117 



The following table shews : — 

 Mean temperature of the Quarters, with the amount of Rain 

 and Snow, in inches, for the year ending 1868. 



Rain and Snow. — The amount of rain which fell was very 

 much below the average, when compared with previous years. 

 In the month of July there were 16 days on which no rain what- 

 ever fell. Rain fell on 31 days during the year, and amounted to 

 18.865 inches on the surftice. 



Very few observations of a reliable kind on the rain and snow 

 fall have been recorded for Montreal, but the few to which we 

 have had access would give the mean annual amount of rain 

 somewhat above 36 inches, or about double the quantity which 

 fell during the past year (1868.) This unusual dryness was also 

 felt in Grreat -Britain and on the continent of Europe. 



Snow fell on 61 days, amounting to 105.27 inches on the sur- 

 face. The first snow of Autumn fell on the 17th of October. 

 The first frost of Autumn occurred on the 17th of September, and 

 winter fairly set in on the 7th of December. The first steamer 

 arrived in the port of Montreal on the 17th of April. 



Winds. — The most prevalent winds during the year were the 

 West and W.S.W. The next in frequency were the N.E. and 

 N.E. by E. The least frequent wind was the East. 



There were 177 nights clear at 9 P.M., suitable for astronomi- 

 cal observations ; this is somewhat above the usual average. 



The year was not distinguished by any remarkable displays of 

 the Aurora Borealis, although these phenomena were visible on 



