] 20 Mr Sa(ll(()''.s Report on Open- Air VcjcUdion. 



was at or below tlic IVeezing point on 6 occasions, while in 

 April of last year it was 13 times. The I'ollowing were the 

 6 lowest readings:— 2d, 27°; 4th, 30°; 12th, 30°; 26th, 

 30°; 27th, 28°; 30th, 29°. For the month there were 

 registered 18° of frost, as compared with 19° for the corre- 

 sponding month last year. During the first part of the 

 month there was somewhat changeable weather, with 

 bright sunshine, showers of rain and hail, and the wind in 

 the north-east. On the 16th the wind changed to the 

 south-west, which raised the temperature considerably. 

 The wind gradually increased until it reached the violence 

 of a storm, and ended in a heavy fall of rain. On the 22d 

 it changed to the west, then to the north, and ultimately 

 settled in the north-west, thus verifying the excellent mete- 

 orological observation of Solomon : " The wind goeth toward 

 the south, it turneth about unto the north, it whirleth 

 about continually, and the wind returueth again, accord- 

 ing to his circuits." At this stage an electric condition 

 occurred in the atmosphere, which resulted in a thunderstorm, 

 with hail and rain. After this there were frosty nights, and 

 during the day very bright sunshine and cloudless skies. 

 Upwards of 200 species and varieties of plants came into 

 flower in the rock garden during the mouth, including: — 

 Erythronium grandifiorum, E. Nuttallianwn^ E. gigantetcrn, 

 Dodecatheon sj^lendens, Camassia esctdenta^ Trillium grandi- 

 Jlorwrii, T'ldipa Greigii, Primula rosea, P. capitata, P. inte- 

 grifolia, P. cortusoides, Saxi/raga pidcliella, S. simtlmdata, 

 S. nervosa, S. peltata, S. hieraeifolia, Arnchia echioides^ 

 Helonias bullata, Pyrus Maulei, Drcdia Mawcana^ Podo- 

 phyllum Eniodi, Andromeda tetragona, Epigcea repens. 



May 1880. — The thermometer was at or below the 

 freezing point on 4 occasions, viz. : — on the 5th, 30° 

 (or 2° of frost); on the 8th, 29°; 9th, 32°; and on the 

 14th, 30°. There were registered for the month collec- 

 tively 7° of frost. In the same month last year the ther- 

 mometer was at or below the freezing point on eight 

 occasions, and there were registered for the month 12° of 

 frost. During the whole of this month the temperatures 

 were comparatively low, and northerly and easterly drying 

 winds generally prevailed. Although there was a good 

 deal of bright sunshine, yet the drying winds and the want 



J 



