XXIV. 



REPORT OX PHEXOLOGICAL PHEXOMEXA OBSERVED IN 

 HERTFORDSHIRE DURING THE YEAR 1894. 



By Edward Mawley, Pres.R.Met.Soc, F.R.H.S., 

 Phenological Recorder to the Royal Meteorological Society. 



Read at Watford, IZrd April, 1895. 



The number of observers remains the same as in tbe previous 

 year. No returns were received from Broxbounie, but on the 

 other hand a new station has been started at Hatfield. The 

 observing stations are now well distributed over the county, 

 the only districts unrepresented being those in the neighbourhood 

 of Cheshunt in the south-east, Bishop's Stortford in the east, and 

 Buntingford in the north-east, from any of which localities I shall 

 be very glad to receive observations. 



The names of the stations, their height above sea-level, and the 

 names of the observers are as follows : — 



Station. 



Watford (The Platts) 



Radlett (Newberries) 



St. Albans (The Grange) 



St. Albans (Addiscombe Lodge) 



St. Albans (Worley Road) 



Berkhamsted (Rosebank) 



Harpenden 



Hattleld (Symons Hyde) 



Hertford 



Hitchin 



Ashwell (Odsey) 



The Winter of 1893-94. 



With the exception of two cold periods, one lasting nearly a 

 fortnight and the other about a week, the weather during this 

 winter continued persistently mild. The first frost set in at the 

 end of December, and lasted until the 8th of January. For several 

 successive nights very low readings were registered at Berkhamsted, 

 and on one of them a thermometer exposed on the surface of the 

 snow fell to zero of the Fahrenheit scale — thus indicating 32° of 

 frost. The second cold period, which occurred soon after the 

 middle of February, was not nearly so severe, the exposed 

 thermometer at no time showing more than 18° of frost. 



Notwithstanding the exceptional keenness of the Januaiy frost, 

 very little harm was done to vegetation. This is no doubt ac- 

 counted for (1) by the gradual way in which the temperature 

 declined from night to night, until the lowest reading was reached, 



