KAINFALL IN nERTFORDSHIKE IN 1880. 227 



From this it appears tliat there are nine instances in -vrliich snow 

 hasfaUeu in October, viz. 1819, 1825, 1829, 183f), 1838, 1842, 1848, 

 1859, and 1880. The earliest instance being that of October 7th, 

 1829, and the only really important instance being that of October 

 29th, 1836, when snow fell to the depth of 2 inches, remaining on 

 the ground for five days. 



The present year makes the sixth in succession in which the 

 rainfall has been above the mean. The mean yearly fall for 

 1870-79 was about 28*01 ; the last six years have exceeded this 

 mean by the following amounts : — 



Looking back at the amounts gauged in past years, it seems as if 

 the rainfall Avas rather on the increase, as will be seen by the 

 following values of the mean fall for each ten years since the year 

 1840 at our two oldest stations. 



Each set of figures tells the same tale ; although there was a 

 slight falling ofE in the mean between 1860-G9, there was an increase 

 of something like 2 inches in the mean of the last ten years, or an 

 increase of about 3 inches in the forty years 1840-79. 



Of the heavy falls the most universal were those of Sept. 11th 

 and l4th, and October 6th. Falls of 1 inch or more occurred in 

 5 months —June, July, September, October, and December ; falls of 

 2 inches and more occurring in two months — July and September. 



