Transactions. 131 



1891, inclusive, and though varying a little in some districts, the 

 period may be taken for the sake of comparison. In the southern 

 parts of the kingdom the frost was almost continuous during the 

 period ; in the north many intervals of milder weather were 

 experienced. Coming northwards we find a steady and progres- 

 sive rise in temper.iture taking place, and, on the other hand, as 

 we go southwards, an increasing number of days in which the 

 minimum temperature was below 32 degrees, and also in the 

 absolute uiiuiraum, as the following table clearly shows : — 



Average Minimum Absolute Nights 



for the period. Mininium. below 32°. 



London 24°.2 14° 40 



York 25''.4 10" 23 



Cftrgen 27°.9 17° 31 



Leith SC.S 25° 25 



Stomoway :^M 25° 13 



Shetland 1-35° 5 27° 8 



Sumburgh Head / 



Many instances of this progressive difference in temperature 

 between the south and north of the country miglit be given. One 



may be adduced. On the 12th January the mean temperature 

 for the previous 24 hours was in — 



London 2r.5 



York 32°.5 



Cargen 45°.2 



Leith 44°.8 



Stomoway .. ... ... .•• ■•■ ... 50° 



Sumburgh Head ... ... ... ... ... 46°.5 



Great damage has been done in many places by the intense 

 cold. One instance of this is the destruction amongst the oyster 

 beds at Whitstable. The sea was covered with ice, and the 

 damage done is estimated at from .£15,000 to £20,000. 



Another remarkable feature of the late winter was the small 

 rainfall in February throughout the whole country. No such 

 dry February for the whole of Gieat Britain has ever been 

 recorded, and it may be doubted if we have ever bad in any 

 month during the" present century .so small a rainfall for the 

 whole kingdom. The rainfall in the south, generally speaking^ 

 has been less than in the north. A map is given in the April 

 number of the Meteorological Magazine, which shows that the 

 average i-ainfall of the month, between a line drawn from Peter 

 head through Glasgow, and another from the mouth of the Tees 



