Holmesdale Natural HistOyy Club- yj 



ferred to by the President in which a ship on the sea was distinctly seen 

 from Eedstone Hill. These instances were explained as being phenomena 

 similar to the mirage sometimes seen in the desert, and to be due to 

 either reflection from a cloud surface (possibly a double reflection), or to 

 refraction. 



Evening Meeting, Jan. 9tJi, 1880. Mr. Tyndall read some " Meteoro- 

 logical Notes for the year 1879," and presented a table of statistics of the 

 Meteorology for the year. 



The Barometer was high during the last three months of the year, reach- 

 ing to SO-T-t on the 23rd December, which, reduced to the sea-level, would 

 give about 31in. Oa 161 days it reached 30in. and over ; on 202 days 

 29in. and over ; on two days it fell below 2!)in. The lowest was 28-98, on 

 the 7th Apiil. 



The Thermometer in the shade (north aspect), never reached 80° ; the 

 maximum being 7£°, on the 29th July. The mean temperature was below 

 the average for every month ; the greatest deficiency being 7°.84, in 

 December ; the next G°.35, in November ; then 6°. 13, in May ; and 5°.^9, in 

 Januarj'. The least deficiency was 1°.42, in February ; then 1°.89, in Sep- 

 tember ; and 1°.'):?, ia June. On 18 days the temperature never rose above 

 32° ; viz., on 12 days in January, 1 in November, and 5 in December. On 

 12C dajs it ftll in some part of the day below freezing ; viz., on 



29 days in January. 

 14 ,, February. 

 18 ., March. 

 10 „ Apnl. 



5 daj-s in May. 



3 „ October. 



19 ,, November. 

 28 „ December. 



With one exception, on the 14th December, when it did not sink below 

 32°.5, it fell to the freezing point for 39 consecutive days. 



The rain has been excessive during the year, amounting to 38 '02 inches ; 

 the average for Eedhill being about 28in., and for Kcw 26-26in. The amount 

 exceedel the average in every month except March, October, November, 

 and December. The heaviest fall was in August, 5 57in. ; then June, 

 4-99in. ; July, 4-53in. The least waS in March, -COin. ; then October, -gGin. ; 

 December, 114in. ; and November, l-59in. The total number of rainy days 

 — that is, days in which -Olin. fell — was 189. The greatest number in a 

 month was 23, in February; then 22, in March ; and 21 in August. The 

 smallest number was 9 in each of November and December, and 10 in 

 Januar}". Notwithstanding there were only 10 rainy days in January, 

 3*20in. fell in the month, being "TGin. above the average. In regard to heavy 

 falls of rain, 1-59 in. fell on May 28, 1-56 in. on Sept. 23, and 1-00 in. on 

 Aug. 19. These were the only days recorded on which an inch and upwards 

 fell in the period of 24 hours noted. 



