170 



peratures before at four feet from the ground, hut not such low grass readings for 

 so many nif^hts in succession. The following are the lowest I have observed : — 

 In 1S38, Jan. 30, the mercury sank in the bulb and was below zero. 



1855, Feb. 18, at 4 feet above ground 



To resume, — on the 14th January we had again a quick thaw, lasting only 

 till next day. A temperatuie of upwards of 52° melted the snow except under 

 the hedges. After cold rains and frosts from the east, we had a few days of bright 

 weather with bitter winds till the 20th. We had now a spell of overcast weather; 

 the sun was not seen for twelve days, with nearly the same temperature day and 

 night, the first part frosty and fine, and afterwards snow, rain, and fog. More 

 unpleasant weather could hardly be imagined. On the 5th Feliruary there was a 

 decided thaw, rain falling almost every day till February 19th. On the 20th to 

 2r)th, another week of frosty weather with some snow. From 26th February to 

 March 22nd, fine weather. The 1st, 2nd, 6th. 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, and 13th 

 being nearly cloudless days with sharp frosts at night. From the 21st to 28th 

 overcast, bleak ; constant east wind, s|5ecially bitter and strong, 20th to 25th ; the 

 last three days of the month being much warmer, and bearing out the adage that 

 "March goes out like a lamb." With the exception of the 7th and Sth, April 

 was cold throughout, and from April 10th to May 19th, or for 40 days, with the 

 exception of two days slightly above the average, every day was below the mean, 

 particularly 10th to 18th April, and 6th to 11th May. 



On the whole, the only warm intervals during the seven months have 

 been — six days at the close of December ; two in the middle of January ; seven 

 in the early part of February ; ten in the early part of March ; three at the end 

 of March ; two at the beginning of April ; two (5th and 21st) in May. There 

 have been 103 days more than 5° below the average, and only 14 days more than 

 5° above it. 



The duration of the wave of low temperature is longer than I can find any 

 instance of since 1799 ; the average mean being lower than any since 1814, the 

 year of the memorable twelve weeks' frost. Then, however, though the tempera- 

 ture was much lower from January to March than this year, the month of Nov- 

 ember was not so cold, and December and April were much warmer than this 

 year. The average mean temperature for the 31 weeks, viz., from the 26th of 

 October, 1878, to May 30th, 1879, has been at Greenwich 39-5, at Wolverhampton 



