TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 31 



1855, was 25*934 (nearly 26) inches. Beginning the year with March, about one- 

 sixth of the annual fall, or 4'644 inches, occurs in the three spring months of March, 

 April, and May, and the remaining five-sixths, or 2r29 inches, in the summer, 

 autumn, and winter months, the fall in each of the three latter quarters being nearly 

 equal. In any three months during the period above-mentioned, the greatest fall 

 was in the winter of 1847, 12*808 inches, and the least in the spring of 1845, 1*62 

 inch. The average number of days in each year on which rain fell was 146. The 

 height of the rain-gauge above the sea is 40 feet, and 3 feet from the ground ; distant 

 from the sea three-eighths of a mile. 



Remarkable Hailstorms in India, from March 1851 to May 1855. By 

 Dr. George Buist, F.R.S, (^Communicated by Colonel Sykes, F.R.S.) 



Perhaps nowhere do the phsenomena of hailstorms manifest themselves in such 

 frequency and magnificence as in India, or present such opportunities of studying the 

 matter itself with such care and advantage. 



Reflecting on the imperfections of the records of these remarkable phaeno- 

 mena, the author resolved, in 1839, to prepare for publication a list of the more 

 remarkable hailstorms that had occurred in India as far back as information per- 

 mitted. The most invaluable assistance was derived in this inquiry, between the 

 years 1816 and 1842, from the Asiatic Journal, a publication discontinued thirteen 

 years ago, the second part (about the half) of each volume of which was filled with 

 most judicious selections of extracts from the newspapers ; the whole work being so 

 admirably indexed, that anything contained in it, whether original or selected, might 

 be examined with the utmost certainty, and almost without trouble. For the next ten 

 years intervening betwixt 1841 and 1851, the newspapers required to be searched; 

 a somewhat tiresome task, and one of considerable labour ; so that it is not impro- 

 bable that oversights may have occurred : since 1851, the extracts have been collected 

 as they appeared in print. 



The following will afi^ord an outline of the conclusions I have for the present 

 arrived at : I say for the present, for but few of them are fully established, and all 

 stand in need of extension and elucidation : — 



Tones when Hailstorms occur*. — Hailstorms occur in India, so far as appeeirs from 

 the published extracts, in the following proportions for the various months of the 

 year : — 



January 5 



February 20 



March 31 



April 34 



May 17 



June 4 



July 2 



August 



September 2 



October 3 



November 4 



December 5 



It will be seen that hail chiefly falls in our driest months, February, March, and 

 April, and does not seem dependent on temperature ; May, which supplies seven- 

 teen hailstorms, being the hottest month of the year, the true maxima due to the 

 season being masked by the rains wherever these occur near the summer solstice. ■ 

 December and January, almost the coldest months, are nearly devoid of hail. We 

 have a few instances of hail occurring in June and July in Central India, when the 

 rains were late in setting in, but the hailstones in those cases were always small, and 

 the falls light in comparison to those experienced in other periods of the year. 



Hours when Hailstorms occur. — It very seldom happens that writers advert to the 

 hours when hailstorms occur. Of a list of 30 published from the notes of that inde- 

 fatigable observer Dr. Spilsbury, there are 10 set down as occurring at 3 or 4 p.m. ; 

 1 at 4 P.M. ; 4 at sunset; 5 at 11 a.m. or noon ; 2 at 2 p.m. ; 1 at 8 a.m. ; cind 1 at 

 9 A.M. Only 3 occur after dark, and none later than midnight. 



* The author refers to and corrects some of the statements of Mrs. Somerville and Dr. 

 Thomson. 



