TAKEN AT TVANSFORD HOUSE, "WATFORD, 1879. 125 



each month, believing that the tables show the general character of 

 the weather sufficiently fully. 



Jaxitary. — The unusually cold December of 1878 closed with a 

 few Avarm days, but this mild Aveatlicr ceased after the 1st of 

 January, and with the exception of this day, and the 13th, 14th, 

 and 15th, the temperature was low with occasional severe frosts. 

 Only on the days named did the maximum exceed 38°"4. Easterly 

 winds prevailed, the direction being X.E. to S.E. from the 7th, 

 and due N.E. for the last ten days. 



February. — The frost continued to the 5th, a warm period com- 

 mencing on the 6th with only two nights of slight frost to the 20th. 

 From the 21st to the 27th the temperature was again low, with a 

 maximum under 40° and frost every night. 1 he prevailing direc- 

 tion of the wind for the first half of the month was S. or S.E,, and 

 for the last half N. or N.E. Much sleet and hail fell on the first 

 four days. From the 5th to the 11 th (inclusive) rain fell con- 

 tinuously, and from the 13th to the 20th, rain or snow. There was 

 no longer interval without either than a single day. Barometric 

 pressure, generally low, fell on the 10th to 28-974 ins. 



March. — On the last day of February the weather became 

 warmer, remaining about the same to the 5th of March, when the 

 temperature again rose (about 10*^). On the 22nd, a colder period 

 set in, having a mean temperature a little below that of the first 

 four days ; but on the 29th there was again a rise (about 12°). 

 The wind was generally westerly until the 17th, when easterly 

 winds set in (^N".!!. 19th to 26th), but on the three warm days at 

 the end of the month it was S.W. A high wind prevailed from 

 the night of the 22nd to the morning of the 24th, with some sleet, 

 followed by snow. On the 8th, in the middle of a dry period, 

 when there was the only really fine weather for any considerable 

 time for the first nine months in the year, the mercury stood at 

 30-621 iLs. 



April. — A change from warm to cold weather occurred on the 

 10th, followed by several days of snow, after which temperature 

 rose slightly to the 23rd, when a more decided rise took place, the 

 remainder of the month having about the same mean temperature 

 as the first ten days. The wind varied much in direction, but was 

 easterly (X.E. to S.E.) after the 18th. 



Mat. — The only decided change in temperature was a rise on 

 the 12th, but with it came more rain, and the weather was not 

 any more genial after than it had been before this change. The 

 wind was almost persistently N.E. before the warm period com- 

 menced, and varied much after it. The last fall of snow of the 

 Winter, for it cannot be said that there had been any Spring, was 

 on the 7th. The wind was very high on the 15th, after a thunder- 

 storm with hail in the night, and there was also a thunderstorm 

 on the night of the 27th, with much rain. 



June. — The mean temperature of the month was but little 

 departed from on any single day. The wind, generally southerly, 

 during the last ten days varied only from S.W. to S.E. JBarometric 



