44 Transactions. 



antl the mean minimum 40 deg., showing a mean daily range of 

 14"6 deg. The mean temperature of the year was 47 "3 deg., 

 which is half a degree lower than that of 1890, but a fraction 

 higher than that of the previous four years, with the exception of 

 1889, when it was slightly in excess of 48 deg. The most settled 

 weather was in February, during the whole of which the condi- 

 tions were anti-cyclonic, with a temperature fully 2 deg. above 

 average, and a rainfall almost nil. The spring months were both 

 cold and dry, the mean temperature of March, for example, being 



2 J deg. below average ; that of April 3 deg. ; and that of May also 



3 cleg, below average. In June and July the temperature was 

 more suitable to the summer months, with a fair proportion of 

 warm days, but the dryness continued till the close of the latter 

 month. In June there were ten days, and in July eight, with a 

 maximum temperature of 70 deg. and above. There were also five 

 in September, but only one in August, the readings ranging from 

 70 deg. to 83'4 deg. The last five months of the year were char- 

 acterised in an unusual degree by cloudy skies and frequent rain- 

 fall ; but the temperature of these months was not ftir from the 

 average. In the end of October, and again in the end of Novem- 

 ber, there was a spell of pretty sharp frost ; four nights in October, 

 with an aggregate of 9 deg. of frost ; and five in November, with 

 an aggregate of 25 '6 deg. December had ten nights on which the 

 protected thermometer fell to 32 deg. and under — aggregate, 37 

 deg. ; January, eighteen nights — aggregate, 85-3 deg. ; February, 

 nine nights — aggregate, 38-1 ; March, fourteen nights — aggregate, 

 84 "3 ; April, six nights — 17 deg. ; May, three — 6*5 deg. There 

 was thus a total of 69 nights of frost during the year, with an 

 aggregate of 302 deg. This compares favourably with some pre- 

 vious years at this station — with 1887, for example, when there 

 were 96 nights of frost with an aggregate of 360 deg. But it 

 shows a more severe winter than that of 1880, which had only 55 

 nights with an aggregate of 1 93 deg. 



Rainfall. — There were 200 days on which rain or snow fell 

 (rain, 179 ; snow or hail, 21). On 27 of these days, however, the 

 fall did not exceed oue-huudredth of an inch. Tiie l^eaviest fall in 

 twenty -four hours was on the 18th October, when a depth of 1'06 

 inches was registered. There was only one other day on which the 

 fall exceeded an inch, viz., on the 31st August, the amount being 



