Note.—The observations are taken at 9 a.m., except at Redhill, 
Reigate Hill (Nutwood Lodge), Addington (Park Farm), and Brixton 
(8 a.m.), Croydon (Woburn Road) (8.30 a.m.), and Sevenoaks 
(10 a.m.). 
NOTES. 
(January, 1898.) 
The month has been extremely warm, dry, cloudy, and calm. It 
is certainly very remarkable that the winter anticyclonic conditions 
have brought warmth and not cold. It has also been foggy. The 
month has been an extremely unhealthy one, influenza being very 
prevalent, and, in some places, measles, diphtheria, and scarlet fever. 
The rainfall is only about one-third of the average. Owing to the 
warmth, there are many wild flowers out. At Chislehurst snowdrops 
were out on the 5th, and the yellow aconite, Pyrus japonica, and 
crocus on the 10th, and at the end of the month there were violets, 
coloured and wild primroses, liverwort, and the yellow coltsfoot; and 
at Croydon the winter aconite flowered on the 10th, the snowdrop and 
yellow crocus on the 15th, and the Scilla bifolia on the 30th. Green 
vegetables are plentiful and good. The great tit was heard at Nutfield 
on the 28th; and in the middle of the month at Chelsfield a nest of 
young blackbirds was found. At Croydon (Park Hill) the maximum 
thermometer was 50° and above on eight days, and below 40° on three 
days; whilst the minimum stood at 40° and above on nine days. A 
solar halo was seen at Upper Gatton on the 10th, and a lunar one at 
Nutfield on the 2nd. The mean temperature of the month is about 
6°5° above the average, and was at Croydon (Whitgift) 43-7°, at Wal- 
lington 43°3°, at Croydon (Duppas House) 43°1°, at Waddon 42:8°, 
at Redhill 42°4°, at Chipstead, Sevenoaks, and Sidcup 42°, and at 
Upper Gatton 41-9°. There were recorded at Upper Gatton 30:5 hours 
of bright sunshine, and at Hayes Common 32:1 hours, and Wallington 
29°6 hours of sunlight; which latter is seven per cent. below the 
January mean of the ten years 1886-95. 
F. Campsetu-Bayarp, P.R.Met.Soc., 
Hon. See. 
