45 



vegetation under the genial influences of the sun's rays. While in the month of 

 January there are often days when with south-westerly winds the warmth of 

 May is experienced, on the other hand in May the weather is often as cold as in 

 January. Occasionally severe frosts occur late in the month ; that of the 29th of 

 May, 1819, was specially severe and long remembered. The second week is liable 

 to the incursion of a cold wave, the temperature under the influence of north-east 

 breezes often descending much below that of the preceding or succeeding periods, 

 but whether this is a cosmical effect, or whether it is connected with the breaking 

 up of the Siberian frost which occurs about this time, is still an open question. 

 The coldest May this century was that of 1837, it being a continuation of a cold 

 period commencing in March ; it was succeeded by a fine warm summer, in which 

 there was a good crop of fruit, especially apples. The month of May was very 

 cold also in 1845, 1855, 1876, 1877, and 1879 (specially cold) ; it was considerably 

 above the average temperature in 1822, 1833, 1834, 1841, 1847, 1848, 1865, and 1868. 

 It is now nearly twenty years since we were favoured with a warm May. Sir 

 Joseph Paxton did not consider a hot May as particularly favourable for 

 vegetation. There is then often a gn^eat development of insect life, which — a 

 occurred in 1846 — may do much damage later on. 



The average height of the barometer varies from 29"896 at the Shetland 

 Isles, to 30'011 at Scilly. In Herefordshire 29"99 would be very near the mark. 



The average rainfall during the month varies but little in different parts of 

 the country, ranging from 1'66 to 2 inches, except in the west of Ireland and 

 Scotland, where it amounts to 3 inches. At Eoss the average is just 2 inches. 



The mean temperature varies from 45.9° at Sumburgh Head, Shetland Isles, 

 to 52 '6° at Scilly. At Ross it is about 52°. 



All deciduous trees, with the exception perhaps of the mulberry, come out 

 into full leaf for the most part by the close of the month. The hawthorn flowered 

 this year atout May 20, or nearly a fortnight later than the average ; one year I 

 recorded it in blossom on April 20. With all its changes from heat to cold. May 

 is still one of our most enjoyable months, and the time perhaps when the woods 

 appear in greatest beauty and luxuriance. 



2. Summary of the Weather during the recent Winter and Spring. 

 From July 29, 1885, to March 18, 1886, inclusive, the weather was almost 

 continuously cold. This perhaps will be best illustrated by the fact that only 

 six out of the consecutive thirty-three weeks were above the average temperature, 

 and none were so between January 3 and March 20. The only comparatively 

 warm periods were the ten days ending December 4, and the five days ending 

 January 4. Snow fell at the end of September, earlier than had been previously 

 observed this century. Frosts occurred on the ground every night from January 

 5 to March 18 (72 days), except January 29, 30, and 31, and February 13 and 14 ; 

 at four feet from the ground they were continuous from February 15 to March 18 

 (31 days). The absence of warm days may be understood from the fact that 

 there was no day between January 3 and March 19 when the thermometer reached 

 50° in the shade, whereas in 1884 there were 39 days of 50° or above. 



