Piuceedinijs. 33 



The south-westerly gales which blow in autumn and 

 winter usually increase in violence after sunset, and diminish 

 in force after sunrise, so that unless an observer has a self- 

 registering barometer he is not always able to record the 

 greatest depression. The north-east gales which blow in 

 spring, and sometimes in the winter, with great violence 

 appear not to be under the same law. These gales, especially 

 in spring, are usually stronger in the day, and diminish in 

 force towards the night and during the night. There is also 

 a difference in the character of the S.W. and N.E. gales, 

 independently of the difference in temperature. The S.W. 

 gales blow in gusts at tolerably even intervals, each gust 

 gradually increasing in force and as gradually decreasing. 

 The N.E. gales are for the most part steadier in force, the 

 gusts are of longer dm'ation, and do not exceed the general 

 force of the wind to the same degree as the S.W. gusts 

 exceed the general force of the gale. The origin of these 

 gusty winds from the S.W. is not very clearly ascertained, 

 but it is believed they arise from the influence of the Gulf 

 Stream, the warm waters of which raise the temperature of 

 the air over the Stream very considerably ; and this warm 

 stratum of air coming into contact with the cold air over the 

 ocean on each side of the Gulf Stream creates sudden and 

 violent squalls, which find their way to Western Em-ope in 

 the pecuhar gusts Df the S.W. winds. 



The coldest day observed by me during 1881 was on the 

 16th of January, when the thermometer sank to 5°, or 27° 

 below freezing. The warmest day was on July 4th, when I 

 recorded 90°. I think, however, it must have ranged higher; 

 I had workmen about the house, and they moved the thermo- 

 meter to look at it and disarranged the register. The 

 thermometer reached 89*5° on July 15th, and 87'' on the 

 19th. The temperature was over 80° on twelve days during 

 July, and once in June, thirteen days in aU, compared with 

 only two days in 1880. On eight consecutive days, from 

 July 12th to 19th, it reached over 80°, the average of the 

 eight days being nearly 84°. As regards cold, the tempera- 

 ture fell to 32° and under on ninety-nine days in the year, as 



D 



