.MKTEOIiOLOr.Y. 25 



as wai'mest month of tlie year was August, u-ith a record of onlj' 

 l-GO in., and 10 daj's on which it fell, as com2)ared with a mean 

 of 41 Gin. The montlis in which the rainfall was in excess of 

 tlie average were January, February, March, April, jMay, and 

 November, with a total excess of about 10 in. The months in 

 which there was a deficiency were July, August, October, and 

 December — total deficiency, -5 to 6 in. It was in the summer 

 months of July and August tliat the largest deficiency occurred, 

 and although September shewed a slight increase it wa.s more 

 than counterl)alanced by tlie deficiency in October. There were 

 two periods whicli might be described as periods of partial 

 drought. The first was between the 25th of May and the 17th of 

 June, 24 days during which there was only once a slight shower, 

 which measured no more than one hundredth of an inch, on the 

 first day of June. Notwithstanding, the rainfall of June as a 

 whole was up to the average, the latter part of the month having 

 Iteen characterised bj' fretpient showers The second period was 

 between the 29th July and the 26th August, during which there 

 were only live days on which any rain fell, and only to the 

 amount of four-tenths of an inch. 



Hygrometer. — The mean of all the readings of the dry bulb 

 thermometer for the year was 48 5 deg. It is worthy of note 

 that this almost exactly corresponds with the mean temperature 

 of the year, which was 48-6 deg., as calculated by a different 

 method, viz., by taking the mean of all the maximum and mini- 

 mum readings. The readings of the dry bulb thermometer are 

 taken twice a daJ^ at 9 A.M. and at 9 p.m., and it is the mean of 

 these wliicli brings out a result differing by only one-tenth of a 

 degree from the mean of the maxima and minima. This shows 

 how nearly these different methods bring out the same result, 

 and the coincidence is not fortuitous. It is only what is to be 

 expected, so that the one may be considered as a verification of 

 the accuracy of the other. The mean of all tlie 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. 

 readings of the wet bulb thermometer was 46-2 deg., whicli makes 

 the dew point 43 7 deg. and the relative humidity for the year 

 (saturnation being equal to 100) 83. This is slightly above the 

 average annual humidity, which was to be looked for, when we 

 take into account the slight excess both of. rainfall and of the 

 numljer of days on Avhicli it fell. 



T/nmderstorms, dbc. — I have noted thunder and lightning six 

 times during the year — once in February, once in May, twice in 



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