Proceedings. 73 



8-5°, and the next coldest on the 28th of November, 9-5°. Ked- 

 hill is doubtless colder than Greenwich, certainly colder than 

 London. The thermometer did not rise above freezing on 

 10 days. The cold season of 1890 and 1891, which lasted 

 from the 25th of November, 1890, to the 22nd of May, 1891, 

 was not remarkable for the great intensity of the cold, but for 

 its long continuance. It is to be borne in mind also there 

 was great and unusual cold in October, when on the 27th the 

 thermometer fell to 23'5°. The South-east of England had 

 a mean temperature of under 30° for the whole period, whilst 

 at Cambridge, and at Hilliugton, in Norfolk, the mean was 

 about 28-5° ; and at the sea-side stations of Kent, Sussex and 

 Hants it was only 32°. In the extreme North of Scotland 

 and in the West of Ireland the mean temperature was 10° 

 higher than in the S.E. of England. In the cold district the 

 frost penetrated more than one foot into the ground, and in 

 many places the soil was frozen at 6 in. depth for above 

 a month ; it takes a lower temperature than 32° to freeze the 

 soil when dry. As to the sea-temperature, on the coast of 

 Sussex the temperature was 14° higher than the air on land ; 

 on the coast of Norfolk 12° higher; coast of Yorkshire 6°; 

 N.E. of Scotland 8°; in the Shetlands 3°. In the Hebrides 

 the temperature was the same ; west coast of Ireland 3° to 5° 

 warmerj; in Cardigan Bay 13°; and at Scilly 9°. On the 

 Continent the harbour of Toulon was frozen over for the 

 first time on record ; at Lisbon, the Tagus was frozen over, 

 and the Ebro had 19 in. of ice. In London the ice stopped 

 all progress of vessels between London Bridge and the Tower. 

 Eain. — The year was remarkable for no rain falling at 

 Eedhill in the month of February. In fact, no rain to 

 measure fell from the 1st of February to the 6th of March, 

 34 days ; notwithstanding which the total rainfall of the year 

 was considerably in excess of the average. The average fall 

 at Eedhill in a period of 25 years was 30-94 in. The total 

 fall in 1891 was 36-57 in. March and May, which ordinarily 

 are dry months, considerably exceeded the average, so did 

 July and August. October was excessively wet, and December 

 was very much above the average. The following table is a 



