204 METEOKOLOGICAL JOUKNAL. 



\h°. This was against the ripening of crops, which of course 

 depends more in this month on the day temperature than that of 

 the night. The amount of rain was upwards of lialf an inch 

 below the usual quantity. With the exception of a little on the 

 1st, none fell till the 16th. The wind was nine days from the 

 south-west, and as many from the north-east, so that as regards 

 time it was equal from these directly opposite quarters ; but those 

 from the southwest were the strongest. The 25th was boisterous 

 at night, and the 26th and 27th were very boisterous. 



September. — After several days of strong south-west wind in 

 the end of last month, nearly an inch and a quarter of rain 

 fell in the first two days of this, being more than half the quantity 

 which fell throughout the month. The total amount was a little 

 below the average. Four-tenths of an inch fell between 12 and 

 1 p.m. on the 1st. The mean temperature was l|-° lower than 

 usual. In many parts of the country the weather was generally 

 very fine ; but near London there was a want of sunshine, in 

 consequence of which neither the fruit nor the shoots of fruit-trees 

 were perfectly matured. The mornings were often foggy. On 

 the night of the 10th the fog was very dense. The evening 

 of the 2J:th was clear, with lightning. The 25th was boisterous. 



October. — Vegetation was checked by frost on the nights of the 

 2nd and 3rd, the thermometer on the former indicating 5° below 

 freezing, and the radiating thermometer 8° below that point. 

 The mean temperature of the month was however about the 

 average. The depth of rain was upwards of an inch more than 

 usual for this month. The barometer averaged low. The winds 

 were chiefly from the south and south-west. On the 8th, thunder 

 was heard at 4 p.m., and from that time till nearly 6 p.m., there 

 was much lightning, heavy peals of thunder, and rain in torrents. 

 The drops of rain were very large. Lightning was also seen on 

 the 27th. 



November. — The mean temperature was nearly ;3° below the 

 average. Very little rain fell till the 26th, and altogether the 

 amount was limited, being nearly one and a half inch below the 

 average. Although there was not much rain, yet the air was 

 almost constantly damp, and fogs were very prevalent ; the latter 

 were particularly dense on the 11th, 15th, 22nd, and 23rd. The 

 barometer averaged high. 



December. — This was the coldest December since 1846, and 

 with that exception it was colder than any corresponding month 

 for the last 28 years at least. The mean temperature was 



