104 THE WEATHER OF FEBRUARY. 



REMARKS ON THE WEATHER OF FEBRUARY. 



Cheltenham. — The month opened with frost and dull, foggy weather, 

 changing to genial weather on the 16th. This continued till the 24th, 

 when duU days with wind and rain concluded the month. The 17th, 

 19th, and 21st were especially lovely days. Mean bai'ometer (corrected) 

 30-264in. Mean temperature 42-2°. Whitchurch. A mild and open 

 month. Temperatui-e above the average. Woolstastox. — Mean tempera- 

 ture of month 41°. Mean daily average 11-2°. Leaton Vicarage. — An 

 excessively mild month. Light westerly winds prevailed. Fog on 2nd 

 and 10th to 14th, with east wind. Hoar frost on the 1st and 19th. 

 Primroses in flower in numbers, and vegetation generally very forward. 

 Bishop's Castle, (More Rectorj^) — -Snow on the 12th. Missel thrush, 

 song thrush, chaffinch, and blackbird were aU singing throughout the 

 month, the last-named much earlier than usual at this place. The 

 month began with a sharp frost and bright, cloudless days, but was 

 afterwards throughout singularly mild and hue. The absence of 

 tempests and high winds was remarkable for February. Bishop's 

 Castle, (E. Griffiths, Esq.) — Rainfall again not more than half the average. 

 Waiin month, and vegetation very forward. The 12th was a very 

 changeable day. St. John's, Worcester. — Barometer uniformly high. 

 Average noonday temp. 2° below Februaiy, 1877. Rainfall a httle less, 

 but on exactly same number of days, with polar and equatorial currents 

 in both months. This year greatest cold on 1st, last year on the 28th. 

 Fruit trees in bloom — Pear, (Marie Louise and Bishop's Thumb,) 

 damson, apricot, and gooseberry. Barlaston. — Rainfall •8'.)in. below 

 average of last thirteen years. Mean temp, slightly above average. 

 Light winds fi-om all points, but chiefly S.E., S.W., and N.W. 

 Barometer very high. Burton-cpon-Trent. — Skating on shallow water 

 on 1st. Picked woodbine in full leaf on 2nd, currant and gooseberry on 

 23rd, and rhubarb on 2.jth. Bees and wasps out on 17th. Lunar hsdo at 

 6 P.M. on 12th, accompanied by easterly gale with rain and snow at 9 p.m. 

 Weston-unuer-Lyziard. — Snow and rain on the 12th. Wroxtesley. — 

 Snow and sleet on 12th. Mean temp. 39-4° ; last year 41*6°. 

 Tamworth. — Hard frosts on 1st, 7th, and 8th. Bar. very high. All 

 spring warblers singing by the 4th. Rainfall gi-eatly below average, and 

 land working better than it has done since 1874. Hedges budding fast. 

 Coventry. — Ground in excellent working order for spade and plough. 

 Thrush, missel thrush, skylark, hedge-sparrow, wren, and chaffinch 

 have been in full song during latter part of mouth, but the blackbird, 

 although very abundant, has been unusually silent. Bkkenhill 

 Vicarage. — On the whole a dry but gloomy month, with but little 

 sunshine and no winds. The early part cold, with frosts ; the latter half 

 mild. Henley-in-Arden. — Rainfall •39iu. below average of last seven 

 years. Rugby. — February was remaz'kable for (1) the number of calm days 

 — on sixteen days the wind was from U to 1 ; (2) the high average tempera- 

 ture ; (3) the few days of sunshine — on only six days was any considerable 

 amount of blue sky visible. Buxton. — Early part of month foggy and 

 cloudy. In middle of month foggy mornings succeeded by bright 

 sunshine. Snowdrop, crocus, and polyanthus blossomed. Few damp, 

 cold, and windy days at end. Stuffynwood Hall. — Driest month since 

 May, 1870, and very favourable for out-door work. Snow and sleet fell 

 from 8 p.m. on 12th till 8 a.m. on 13th. Spondon. — Temp, above average. 

 Much cloud. Worksop. — First fortnight cold and frosty, with thick fog 

 on night of 8th. A very little snow on night of 12th. Mansfield. — Dry 

 montli, rainfall •75in. below average of last seven years. Fog in middle 

 of month. Bar. high. Coston Rioctory. — Fine month, with high bar. 

 Vegetation very forward, trees and hedges breaking into bud and leaf. 

 Rain and snow on night of 12th. The 17th a perfect spring day. Last 

 six days dull and wet. Belvoir Castle. — Remarkably dry month. Th« 



