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ourselves now to our ovm. country, how has the matter stood in 

 previous years of an extreme character 1 In England, the three 

 last years, 1877, 1878 and 1879, have all been wet; and it is 

 noticeable that these wet years have been coincident with a 

 prolonged period of minimum sun-spots. But we must not be 

 hasty in drawing any inference from such coincidence. For if we 

 look back to the weather of former years we shall find that this 

 coincidence does not always hold good. The very wet seasons of 

 1829, 1848, and 1860, all occurred at a time of maximum sun-spots ; 

 while 1844, a very dry year, was coincident with minimum sun-spots. 

 In 1821 there was a very cold wet summer, and the next year, 

 1822, a very hot and dry summer ; neither of these being 

 coincident with years of either maximum or minimum sun-spots. 

 Again, 1823 was a year of minimum sun-spot, and not that but 

 the next year, 1824, was very wet. Then, lastly, followed three 

 consecutive hot and dry summers, 1825, 1826, and 1827, the three 

 together being about equidistant from a minimum sun-spot period 

 on one side and a maximum sun-spot period on the other side. 



The above facts, in connection with what was before remarked, 

 as to the different states of weather, in different countries at the 

 same periods of time, clearly point to the existence of other factors 

 than sun-spot agency that must be brought in to explain the 

 variability of our seasons. Neither, as it has been remarked, 

 must we consider the British islands as capable of " expressing 

 the condition of the whole globe under a cosmical influence from 

 space without." The sun, no doubt,, is the primary cause of all 

 atmospheric changes, but there are many subordinate agencies at 

 work, varying in every country and in almost every locality, which, 

 from being nearer at hand, may have more effect than the sun, 

 and, within certain limits, counteract the sun's influence, and 

 introduce more or less of irregularity to disturb the normal course 

 of things. 



We might well, too, expect that any changes in the sun, such 

 as are indicated by the sun-spot cycle, would affect our earth's 



