TAKEX AT HOLLY BANK, WATFORD, 1877. 93 



In the six mouths to which these observations refer (March to 

 August, 1877) there are no very remarkable features to record. 

 The month of March was excessively cold, having a mean tempera- 

 ture below that of either of the three winter months — December, 

 1876, and January and February, 1877. June was exceptional in 

 being the hottest month of the summer. It was also the driest, 

 and had by far the longest period without rain. The rainfall in 

 July and August, on the other hand, was unusually heavy for those 

 months, and the temperature was below the average. 



The following notes on the months are, as before, merely supple- 

 mentary to the table, in conjunction with wliich they should be 

 read. All the values given are corrected. 



March. — The lowest night temperature recorded since these 

 observations were commenced occurred on the night of the 28th 

 February — 1st March. The weather had been getting colder 

 towards the end of February, and on this night the temperature 

 reached its minimum. A sudden change now occurred, as shown 

 by the following observations, the mean of which gives a rise of 

 13° from the 1st to the 2nd. 



On the night of the 2nd-3rd the minimum only sank to 44°* 4. 

 This warm weather lasted only three days, and throughout the 

 month the temperature was almost equally variable, there being an 

 alternation of warm and cold periods. The minimum of the 1st 

 was nearly reached on several other days, 24°' 7 being recorded on 

 the 11th, 23°-3 on the 19th and 22nd, and 22°-2 on the 23rd; and 

 on seven other days, or twelve days in all, the minimum was 

 below 32°. The maximum of the 29th was also nearly approached 

 on the 14th, when 53°'5 was recorded. With this exception the 

 last four days were the warmest in the month, the maximum being 

 53°-8 on the 28th, 54°-3 on the 29th, 54°-2 on the 30th, and 52°-3 

 on the 31st. The mean of the last seven days was 6° "7 above that 

 of the month. The mean temperature of the month was 2"*4 lower 

 than that of February, and 1°'2 lower than that of January. At- 

 mospheric pressure, which was highest, 30-408 ins., at 9 a.m. on 

 the 1st, decreased in a remarkably gradual manner to the 25th, when 

 the mercury stood, at 9 a.m., at 28"955 ins., after which it rose each 

 day without interruption to the end of the month. There was no 

 atmospheric disturbance — violent wind or heavy rain — at the time 

 of lowest pressure. The direction of the wind was as variable as 

 the temperature. It was mostly northerly for the first half of the 

 month, and south-westerly towards the end. Snow fell on the 7th, 

 8th, 11th, 17th, 20th, and 21st, and hail on the 7th and 17th. 

 'J'he mornings of the 2nd and 4th were foggy. A lunar halo was 

 observed on the evening of the 28th. 



April. — Atmospheric pressure, which had been increasing during 

 the last week in March, began to decrease on the 1st, and the 



