Transactions. 53 



tneau temperature of the year, taken as a whole, would have been 

 decidedly under average, but these backward influences were so 

 far compensated by tlie mildness of January and March, and the 

 unusual warmth which characterised the end of May and tlie 

 whole of September, along with a considerable part of October, 

 that the annual mean (47 '8 degs.) is higher than that of the 

 previous four years, with the exception of 1889, when it was 48-1 

 degs. In 1888 it was 46-5 degs. ; in 1887, 47*2 degs. ; and in 

 1886, 46*2 degs. A comparison of the mean annual maxima and 

 minima of 1889 and 1890 shows that the higher mean tempera- 

 ture of the former year was due to an excess in the day tempera- 

 tures — for while the annual minimum is the same for each year 

 — >viz., 40"9 degs., the annual maximum is for 1889, 55-1 degs. ; 

 and for 1890, only 54-4 degs. Over Scotland generally there 

 seems to have been a slight excess of warmtii over the average ; 

 but in England, especially in its southern and south-eastern dis- 

 tricts, there appears from the reports that have been issued to 

 have been a deficiency. 



Rainfall. — The total rainfall of the year was 35*72 inches, as 

 compared with 3517 inches iu 1889, 35-91 inches in 1888, 3099 

 inches in 1887, and 40*13 inches in 1886. The heaviest in 24 

 hours was on Gth November, when the gauge registered 2*17 

 inches. The rainiest months were January and November — the 

 former with a record of 5 "32 inches, whicii fell in 25 days, and the 

 latter of 6"93 inches, spread over 22 days. June and July were 

 also remarkable for the number of days in which rain fell — 22 

 in each ; but the amount was not much in excess of what is usual 

 iu these montlis, at least as far as July is concerned. Both 

 months were characterised by cloudy skies and frequent sliowers, 

 ^vith consequent low temperature ; but there were few heavy 

 downpours of rain, such as frequently occur in the summer 

 months. The driest months were February and Decembe)-, with 

 a record of less than one inch for each — February 0'86 in., 

 December 0'97 in. It is wortliy of remark that the whole rain- 

 fall of these two months— viz., 1-83 inches— was less than the 

 amount which fell on the single day in November before i-eferred 

 to, when 217 inches were recorded. The total number of days 

 in the year on which i-ain fell was 208, as compared with 202 in 

 1889, 195 in 1888, and 181 in 1887. There was a remarkable 

 absence of snowfall during the year. Only once or twice was 



