BY GEORGE CLAYTON ATKINSON, ESQ. 241 
The dryest month, was—as usual—February. Very little 
snow fell during the year. At Wylam, when reduced to water, 
it amounted to only 1:59 inches.* 
The total rain for the year was slightly above the average 
quantity of the last eight years. Thus, for six stations, we have 
at :— 
Average fall for Difference 
eight years, Fallin 1863. of 
including 1863, 1863. 
Durham ..........22°88 24:09 +1°20 
Be@nwell .ccscccenene2l 92 28°49 +-0°57 
Wrylam -ss:ee0,..-0.25°63 28°39 +-2°76 
Stamfordham. ....29°38 28°60 —0'78 
Cresswell...ccccccess22°38 21°38 —i'00 
Sunderland........20°91 24°93 pans 02 
Mean.......24°85 25°98 sep 18 13 



Shewing an excess of 1:13 on 24°85, the average quantity for | 
eight years, equal to 43 per cent. 
The number of rainy days—reckoning only those rainy, 
when more than ‘01 of a cubic inch of rain fell in twenty-four 
hours,{ was slightly above the average of the eight previous 
years at Wylam, being 185, instead of 172 days. 
These remarks upon the rain-fall, may be appropriately closed 
by referring to two years’ observations of a more comprehensive 
Rain Gauge, which may be termed the 
TYNOMETER. 
In the year 1861 a series of figures, Roman numerals about 
4 inches high, were cut on the south side of the south pier of 
Wylam Bridge. They are an ascending series, 1 foot apart; 
zero is at a point *7 of a foot lower than I have known the water 
to fall; and the xvii. is nearly at the top of the vertical 

* J find it convenient to note the melted snow in my Journal with twoinverted commas, 
thus “ 1.59;” and sleet with one, thus‘ 1°59;’ it catches the eye and renders the quantities 
easy if sep: aration. 
+I abstain from using the combined Wylam and Denton returns for eighteen years, as I 
have previously done in these ‘‘ Transactions,’ because in framing these tables, I have 
become convinced, that from its peculiar position—at the head of a narrow dene, running 
southward at a rapid slope ; closed in on the west by trees at a distance of 80 or ‘90 yards, 
and to the north by the house itself, at 50 or 60 yards; the Rain Gauge at West Denton 
received more rain than was due to the district. 
f It is very desirable that this, which is very generally the mode of reckoning wet 
days, were more wniversaily adopted ; different observations would then be rendered 
uniform and comparable with each other. 
