Weather and Natural History Notes. 219 



water supply. Until the la.st week the fields had a dry and parched 

 appearance, when, with the little rain which fell, a slight green 

 came on. Corn cutting began on the 8th, and as no rain fell 

 from that date till the 25th, and only a .small quantity during the 

 last days, with brilliant sunshine and a fair good wind from 

 East and North-East, corn was ready for going into the stack in 

 a short time ; and although in many cases it was less in quantity, 

 it was excellent in quality. Cut clover on the 16th. I think it 

 was the most beautiful crop I ever saw — just a complete cover 

 of purple bloom. Wasps were exceedingly numerous, destroying 

 a lot of fruit, particularly the finer varieties of apples, plums, etc. 

 Thunder on the 14th, 28th, and 29th. Highest maximum tem- 

 perature, 87 deg., on the 13th and 14th; lowest, 65 deg., on the 

 25th. Highest minimum, 60 deg., on the 8th; lowest minimum, 

 42 deg., on the 16th; lowest on grass, 39 deg., on the 30th. 

 Wind during first and last week was principally from the S.W. 

 Barometer between 29.8 and 30.35 inches. 



September. 



Delightful, warm weather; and great want of rain was also 

 the leading feature of the weather of September. A little rain 

 fell in the last week, and the temperature was a little lower. 

 There was a great want of water in many districts, and in many 

 cases there was a good deal of difficulty and inconvenience in 

 procuring it. Saw Brook's Comet on the 4th and on many 

 subsequent evenings. In my notes on the 19th I find " Fine 

 seeing, nucleus about white, tail fan-shaped, and about 6 to 8 deg. 

 Highest maximum thermometer, 73 deg., on several days; 

 lowest, 53 deg., on the 29th. Highest minimum, 55 deg.; 

 lowest, 30 deg., on the 21st; lowest on the grass, 28 deg., on the 

 21st, at 32 deg. or under on the grass on two days. Range of 

 barometer between 29.5 and 30.4 inches. Wind mostly from 

 the West and South-West. Thunder on the Uth. 



October. 



Although some rain fell in the last week of September, 

 grass did not improve. No rain fell in October till the 19th, 

 and during that time there was a withering North, North-East, 

 and South-East wind. 3t^ inches of rain fell from the 19th till 



