Meteorological Reports. io5 



As Mr. Mawley's instruments have not been in position long 

 enou'^h to give what would be considered tolerably fair 

 avera^ges, such as those derived from at least lo years' obser- 

 vations, he has had a series of tables specially prepared troin 

 those taken at Greenwich during the past 38 years, which 

 have enabled me to give the variations of the different means 

 from their respective averages at that observatory. In the 

 case of Rainfall, however, reference to the records of a nearer 

 station appeared desirable, so I have decided to employ lor 

 this purpose the observations made by Mr. James Weston at 

 South Croydon, which extend now over a period of twenty 

 years. 



General Summary. 

 Usino- Mr. Mawley's own words, *" The year 1879 was 

 colder than any of the previous 38 years, and, with one excep- 

 tion, the most gloomy. Both January and December were 

 extremely cold, while July was as extraordinarily dull, it is 

 not however, the remarkable dulness or coldness of certain 

 months or seasons that calls for special notice here so much 

 as the fact that the whole twelvemonth continued from hrst 

 to last persistently sunless and cold. Moreover, it should not 

 be lost sight of, that the two months preceding this year, as 

 well as the month immediately following it, were all singularly 



cold ones." . .v • 



" Nevertheless, if we leave out of consideration the im- 

 portant elements of temperature and sunshine, the same 

 uniformity will not be found to have been m other respects 

 maintained. In fact, 1879 appears to have shown in severa 

 ways a strange partiality for extremes. For instance, the tall 

 of rain during the summer was excessive; but for the three 

 months at the close of the year so slight as to be remarkable. 

 Again, in July there was not a single calm day, whereas in 

 December there was not, for weeks together, a single windy 

 one Then again, in Januarv the air was exceptionally dry, 

 while in July it was more humid than in the corresponding 

 month of any year since 1843, or for 36 years. The most 

 seasonable and pleasant months were those of September and 

 October, whereas the weather of July proved to be the most 

 abnormal of all." 



I will now, as briefly as possible, draw your attention to a 

 few of the most striking features of the weather of this very 

 exceptional year, and more than this, I do not think it is 

 necessary to attempt, as the accompanying tables, which have 

 been prepared with great care and afte r much consideration. 



* " The weather of 1879, as observed in the neighbourhood 

 of London." 



