204 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



been lower than, the average during the previous forty years, the 

 mean minimum during those years being 15°" 1, while for the forty- 

 five years it stands at 14°-4, the mean maximum being unaltered. 



Last February was the coldest month ever recorded here, its 

 mean temperature being 26°'5. The nearest approach to it was 

 in the Crimean winter of 1855, when the mean temperature of 

 February was 27°-0 ; this was also the mean of December, 1890. 

 The following are the instances of months showing a mean 

 temperature below freezing point : — 



With regard to the rainfall, the mean of forty years was 

 24-80 inches; it is now, for forty-five years, 24-69 inches. 



I am afraid we are forced to come to the conclusion that our 

 seasons are becoming colder and drier. — William Lucan, Hitchin. 



Supplementary Note on Temperature and Rainfall at Hitchin. 

 — When giving, in our 'Transactions' (Vol. VI, pp. 72, 73), 

 a summary of the observations of Mr. Lucas for the forty years, 

 1 850-89, I stated that they did not show that the temperature or 

 the rainfall in the north of Hertfordshire was undergoing any 

 secular change, but that a connection could be traced between the 

 temperature and the rainfall, cold periods being wet and warm 

 periods being dry. The extended observations fully bear out these 

 inferences, for if the forty-five years be divided into three equal 

 periods of fifteen years each, it will be found that for the 

 first period the mean temperature was 47°- 1, the mean rainfall, 

 23°*75 ins. ; for the second period the mean temperature was 46°-9, 

 the mean rainfall, 25-78 ins. ; and for the third period the mean 

 temperature was, as in the first period, 47°' 1, the mean rainfall, 

 24-54 ins., being very nearly the mean of the first two periods 

 together. That wet periods are on the average cold, and diy 

 periods warm, is shown more strikingly if the forty-five years 

 be divided into five periods of nine years each, as follows : — 



1850-58 Mean Temperature 47°- 1 Mean Rainfall 24-42 ins. 



1859-67 „ „ 47°-3 „ „ 24-27 „ 



1868-76 „ „ 47=-l „ ,, 24-18 „ 



1877-85 „ „ 45°-9 ,, „ 26-27 „ 



1886-94 „ „ 47°-7 ,, ,, 23-31 „ 



It will be seen that both the temperature and the rainfall of the 

 first three periods of nine years each were aboi;t the same in each 

 period ; that in the fourth period the temperature was very low 

 and the rainfall very heavy ; and that in the fifth and last 

 period the temperature was rather high and the rainfall rather 

 small. — John Hophinson, St. Albans. 



