236 



set in, northerly winds still largely prevailing ; the same winds 

 being in excess in December also, with only a feAv days of south- 

 westerly winds near the close of the year. The first five months 

 of the new year, January to May inclusive, were all in like manner 

 characterised by a great prevalence of northerly winds ; in 

 January, nearly all the southerly winds (or those from some point 

 in the southern hemisphere), — and during the three following 

 months of February, March and April, nearly half of them, — ^being 

 from S.E. and not from S.W. In June, however, the tables were 

 turned. The south-westerly winds then largely increased; and 

 these winds, veering at times to north-westerly, continued through 

 July and Augiist. During the period from November to May, 

 inclusive, the northerly winds, in the aggregate, were to the south- 

 westerly in the ratio of nearly three to one. During the three 

 months of June, July and August, the south-westerly, in the aggre- 

 gate, were to the northerly in a ratio of almost four to one. The 

 prevalence of these south-westerly winds, in connection with the 

 continued cold of so many months pi'evious, will quite 

 account for the dismal wet summer we all know so well. 



It is interesting, now, to compare the weather of this year Avith 

 that of 1868, a year remarkable for its very high temperature, 

 particularly its hot dry summer, and a complete contrast in every 

 respect to the summer of 1879. In that year the winds were 

 nearly the reverse of what they have been this last season. In 

 January, from the 12th to the end of that month, they Avere 

 chiefly S.W. and westerly. In February, westerly winds prevailed 

 nearly the whole month. In March, likewise, they were chiefly 

 westerly ; with a temperature already more than 3" above the 

 mean. In April, northerly winds were more frequent, and the 

 mean temperature about the average, the maximum, however, 

 rising very nearly to 70°. In May, the winds were chiefly S., S.W., 

 and westerly ; a hot and dry month, the mean temperature nearly 

 4'' above the average, the maximum rising very nearly to 80°. 

 The rainfall was inconsiderable, and there had been a deficiency 



