101 
that wonderfully hot year 1868, 2nd of the months of the past year, and 3rd of the 
months of Mr. Glaisher’s average year :— : 
Mr. Glaisher’s 
1868, 1874. Average Year. 
Degrees. Degrees. Degrees. 
January... SEAS Soy i ses ease ELON one be .. 369 
February ... oe A410... ae ESA EI ae: si .. 387 
March ace .. 44:00... ae vez» AASBE xs a spe ALD 
April a Pree Ye (2) Pape sas ara, OO OO) gaze ae ww. 462 
May ‘2 si OOS noes ae cant OLB 335 < weap OOD 
June oF AO ENSA TTS ae ae? SSSR a: ae pie al 
July mi BDO Re we .. 64°82... oe et Glee 
August ee eee! ses ars de (GO72.2 %. Fev 1 ba 
September ... Py it eae aos fc MR, ase a «a. 566 
October... .. 46°82 ... ay Beh 51 1) os8 .. 502 
November ... seep ELD Powe “ne saa, 400Oy onc aa w. 432 
December ... nits) AOE oo, Gs £24 A be oe ae .. 398 
50°98 49°59 49°02 
In 1868 the hottest day at Hereford was July 22nd, when the thermometer 
in shade, at 4 feet from the ground, stood at 96°1 degrees. 
In 1874, the hottest day was July 19th, when the thermometer in shade, at 
4 feet from the ground, stood at 94°2 degs. But on no other day in this year did 
the mercury reach 90 degs., while in 1868 it exceeded 90 degs. on four daysin July, 
and four in August. In fact, the only remarkable high temperature this year 
occurred in April, from the 20th to the 30th, andin July, from the 2nd to the 20th. 
December was a very cold month, the thermometer in shade, at 4 feet from 
the ground, sinking to 5°3 degs. at Hereford, and lower still in more exposed situa- 
tions. But this severe cold did not last, for January of the present year had a 
mean temperature much above the average. 
The rainfall total for the whole year is below the average quantity. We 
usually adopt the mean of the late Mr. Lawson’s rainfall measurements as the 
mean average for Hereford. He observed for 16 years, but we have the records for 
15 years only, the record for 1834 being lost. The mean calculated from these 
records is 27°48 inches. 
The difficulty, however, of establishing the mean yearly rainfall for any place 
is well known, and therefore, when I say that the mean yearly total is below the 
average, I wish to be understood as speaking of the mean of the late Mr. Lawson’s 
yearly totals. The mean of my records during the last seven years is 28°68 inches, 
although the rim of my guage stands five feet eight inches above the ground. It 
is true these seven years include the wettest year recorded in Herefordshire 
rainfall, but then it is equally certain that they include the dryest year also. The 
Whitecross rain-guage, kept by Mr. Davison, gives a mean of 29°82 inches for the 
last six years ; and these six years also include the wettest and dryest year recorded 
by Herefordshire observers, viz., 1872 the wettest, and 1870 the dryest since the 
late Captain Pendergrass commenced his rainfall observations in the year 1818, The 
rim of Whitecross guage stands one foot from the ground. 
