72 



"A warm Christmas a cold Easter." 

 " A green Christmas a white Easter." 

 " AVho doffs his coat on a winter's day 



AVill gladly put it on in May." 



"A rainbow in the morning 

 Is the shepherd's warning." 



' ' .V rainbow at night 

 Is the shepherd's delight." 

 " Evening red and morning gray 

 Are sure signs of a fine day ; 

 But evening gray and the morning red 

 Brings the shepherd home wet to his bed." 



It is a curious fact that the St. Swithin's day proverb has proved cpiite 

 contrary to recent experience, although taking a series of years the latter part of 

 July is certainly one of the wettest periods of the year. 



Again, the proverb " A green yule makes a fat churchyard," embodies a 

 popular fallacy, for statistics abundantly prove that the mortality is always 

 greatest in severe weather. 



The principal extremes to which our climate is subject may be classified 

 under the heads of Heat, Drought, Cold, Rain, Gales, and Electrical disturbance. 

 It is worthy of remark that in the central districts of England, more especially 

 in the great valleys, the greatest range of temperature is noticed ; the heat in 

 shade during summer being greater, and the severity of frost in winter being 

 also greater in degree. The climate becomes more equable as we approach 

 the coast, particularly on our western side. 



Thermometer. — 'VTe have now nearly completed a century's obser- 

 vations of the readings of the thermometer, and there are tables of daily 

 values showing the maximum and minimum temperatures for every day since 

 the commencement of 1771, comprising about 250,000 records. These were 

 taken at the apartments of the Royal Society till 1840, and afterwards at the 

 Royal Observatory, Greenwich, where they still continue to be made. These 

 have been carefully reduced to standard by Mr. Glaisher. A coloured diagram 

 prepared from these, and now exhibited, shows the monthly and quarterly 

 averages for this period, excess being shaded red, and deficiency of heat in 

 blue. It also shows at a glance, and much more clearly than simple figures, 

 the general characteristics of the seasons. It appears plain from this diagram 

 that our climate has become warmer, the month of January particularly, 

 say from 2 to 3 degrees. There is not so much difference in the summer months, 

 or even of March; but the whole year is somewhat warmer on the average 

 than at the close of the last century. 



"Whether the increased number of houses and fires in London, or any 

 imperfection in the instruments formerly used may account in some degree for 

 this difference I will not determine. Mr. Glaisher thinks not ; and if wc are 



