146 J. HOPKINSOX — METEOROLOGICAL OBSEEVATIONS 



50° at Hertford, and 51° at Hitchin, this being the highest 

 minimum recorded there in January since the year 1851. The 

 sky was completely overcast at 9 a.m. for at least two-thirds of 

 the days in the month (for 25 days at St. Albans), and there was 

 very little sunshine, as many days being sunless throughout as 

 were completely overcast in the morning, and the sun not shining 

 on the average for an hour a day. Barometric pressure was 

 unusually high after the first week, when all the rain fell except 

 about a tenth of an inch. 



Pebkuart. — Another mild month, with a rather dry atmosphere, 

 a rather bright sky, and a small rainfall, though but little below 

 the average, and on more than the usual number of days. The 

 days were about as warm as in January, but the nights were 

 nearly 4° colder, the mean daily range of temperature being 

 considerable. On the night of the 21st,* the exposed thermometer 

 on the grass at Berkhamsted registered 17°, and at Hertford 14°; 

 on the 21st of January at the latter place it was 43°. The mean 

 temperature of the 21st of February was about 20° lower than 

 that of the 21st of January. There was a fair amount of bright 

 sunshine — about three times as many hoiu's as in January. A gale 

 of wind was recorded on the 2nd at Berkhamsted and St. Albans. 

 A little snow fell at the beginning of the month, and more towards 

 the end, with some hail. On Sunday evening, the 20th, at a few 

 minutes to 9 o'clock, a large and brilliant meteor was observed by 

 several persons in Hertford and its neighbourhood, and at various 

 places in the south of England, even so far away as Devizes. 



March. — Eather cold, being colder than Febniary, and decidedly 

 colder than January, with a rather dry atmosphere but a cloudy 

 sky, and with less than the average rainfall on rather fewer days 

 than usual. The days were warmer than in either January or 

 February, but the nights were much colder, the mean night 

 temperature being more than 5° colder than in January, and 

 the mean daily range 6° greater. The exposed thermometer at 

 Berkhamsted frequently registered 13° below fi-eezing, and at 

 Hertford it sank to 15° (or 17° of fi'ost) on the 13th, this being 

 the coldest night in the month. There were about as many 

 hours of bright simshine as in January and February together. 

 Mr. Mawley says that at Berkhamsted the sun shone brightly 

 on the 20th for ten hours, which, with one exception, is the 

 highest recorded there for the past thirteen years for any day 

 so early in the year. Snow fell at the beginning and towards the 

 end of the month ; on the morning of the 25th to the depth 

 of four or five inches. 



April. — A little warmer than usual, with a rather humid 

 atmosphere, a rather cloudy sky, and with more than the average 

 rainfall, but on only the usual number of days. The excess in 

 temperature was chiefly due to the warmth of the days, the daily 

 range being considerable. On the night of the 4th the minimum 



* This was the day of the great snowstorm in the west of England. See 

 ' Meteorological Magazine,' vol. xxiii, pp. 17-20. 



