218 



maxima temperatures was greater, or more below the averages, 

 than the depression of the minima temperatures. And this was 

 a marked feature of the winter. It explains, in part, the long 

 continuance of cold, without any such extremely low temperatures 

 as have occurred in some previous long winters ; perhaps, also, it 

 accounts for the circumstance of the Thames not having been 

 more completely frozen over. 



The number of flights, during the winter and early spring, on 

 which the thermometer, at four feet above the ground, fell to or 

 below 32° Avas very considerable, being 10 nights in November, 

 23 in December, 25 in January, 8 in February, 7 in March, and 4 

 in April ; total, 77. This number does not include frosts from 

 terrestrial radiation, which would not be indicated by a thermometer 

 placed as above, and which would much increase the total if brought 

 iato the account. In December the thermometer fell below freezing 

 pointon 23 consecutive nights (4th to the 26th inclusive) ; on eight of 

 these nights it fell to some point between 20" and 25° ; on the 

 24th it fell to 17°-6, and on the 25th to 18° 4. After this the 

 cold somewhat moderated, and on the last five days in the month 

 the thermometer did not descend to freezing point at all. 



In January, on eight of the 25 nights of frost, the thermometer 

 fell to between 20? and 25° ; on three nights it fell below 20°, 

 the lowest temperature being 14° "4 on'the 12th, — the coldest 

 night in the whole season. 



Having thus considered tlie late winter and spring in respect 

 of temperature, it will now be fitting to speak of the Rainfall. 

 This was not so large during the above two seasons, as it was 

 afterwards during the three summer months of June, July, and 

 August, when the excess of rain was such as to give the year a 

 character for wet quite as much as for cold. Before coming to 

 any details on this head the following table is given, showing the 

 rainfall, and its difference from the average, of every month from 

 November, 1878, to October, 1879, inclusive. 



