32 TRANSACTIONS. 
December and 9 A.M. of the 7th. There was very heavy rain on 
the 6th, followed by snow during the night, which at 9 A.M. 
measured 6 inches in depth ; and was the heaviest snowfall of the 
year. The rain and melted snow together gave a depth of 1:26 
inches in the guage, equivalent to 126 tons of water to the acre. 
The year, as a whole, however, was remarkably dry. There were 
two months in which the rainfall was less than one inch; May 
having 0:98 in., and June only 0:56 in. From the 8th June to the 
2nd July not a drop of rain fell. February, March, and April, 
and later in the year October, were also abnormally dry ; the 
ageregate rainfall of these six months being only 8-09 in., whereas 
in the previous year it was 16°79 in., and the mean of the preced- 
ing 26 years as observed at Cargen was upwards of 19 im. The 
total rainfall of the year was 30°99 in.: that of 1886 was 41°13 in.; 
showing a deficiency for the past year of 10-14 in. as compared 
with the previous one, and of 13°66 in. as compared with the mean 
of the preceding 27 years at Cargen. In consequence of this un- 
usual dryness, especially in the first half of the year, many of the 
springs and wells in the district failed as early as July, and were 
not replenished again till December. The same deficiency of 
moisture seems to have prevailed in a greater or less degree over 
the whole country, but more on its western than on its eastern 
side. Thus Colmonell, in Ayrshire, records a deficiency of more 
than 10 in., Greenock of nearly 15 in. (the lowest since 1875), 
Bridge-of-Allan of about 9 in., Leith of nearly 7 in., and East 
Linton in Haddingtonshire of nearly 5 in. In illustration of the 
fact stated, it may be mentioned that the River Tay, near Perth, 
is said to have been lower by half-an-inch on July 10th than its 
lowest point in 1826, which was one of the driest years on record ; 
and the Nith for many weeks was lower than the writer remem- 
bers to have seen it. 
There were few thunderstorms during the year, and none of 
any severity. The writer of this paper observed only six occasions 
on which thunder was heard—two in July, on the 2nd and 31st ; 
two in August, on the 17th and 18th ; one on the 1st November, 
with sharp hail showers; and one on 14th December between 4 
and 5 A.M., also accompanied by hail showers. The total number 
of hailshowers observed was ten. 
The following is a summary of the wind directions for the 
year : 
Calm or Var: \N. N.E.. EB. (S.E 8. 8. Wo Won EME 
7 AL , 3b 17 24 23. 90% 2 bts ae 
