BY B. WAGENKNECHT, ESQ. 179 
the years 1862, 1871, 1880; also in 1865, 1874, and 1883, and 
lastly in 1868 and 1877. Both these curves show great simil- 
arity, and so partially the one marked ( ); but from 1881 
up to 1884 this last has experienced some decidedly depressing 
influence, which put it out of shape and minimised the rainfall 
in 1882, also considerably in 1881; but augmented it in 1880, 
_and slightly in 1883, and it has all appearance that it will be 
further distorted by the year 1885—in which year the rainfall 
ought to reach the total of 58 inches. In the same way as this 
cyclar curve has been disturbed, so has the continuous curve on 
Plate VII. been broken up rudely during the above mentioned 
years by some unknown agent. This may be the same agent 
that caused such disastrous floods and terrible earthquakes in 
one part of the globe; and severe continuous droughts, a red 
glowing sky and quite unseasonable rains in strictly tropical 
countries, or regions, in another part. May not the recent con- 
junction of our fellow-planets, which extended over those dis- 
turbing years, have had its influence upon our meteorological 
conditions also? Why is that part of the third cycle, namely 
from 1881-5 so rudely stamped, when its fellow-cycles enjoy 
harmonious continuity to a marked degree ? 
However, I expect that, from 1886 up to 1890, four years of 
abundant rainfall will alternate with short and uninjurious dry 
periods, for both maximum and minimum curves on Plate VII. 
have a tendency to reach their respective culminating points in 
1888. 
I now come to the most important part of my researches, 
namely an attempt at determining approximately the rainfall for 
each month of the year. For this purpose I have prepared the 
different figures in Plate IX. showing cycles of 19 years 
duration—one cycle for each month of the year. The cycle 
marked ( ————— ) represents the amount of rain for the 
first 19 years, during the same month of each year, namely from 
1860 to 1878, and the second or curve the new (--------- ) 
