RAINFALL IN DORSET. 69 



register has come to an end ; Hamworthy ; Sturminster Newton 

 (River Side) ; and Wimborne (Codford). There are thus 

 44 complete returns against 47 last year. Abundant .rain in 

 January, February, and December raised the ratio of the fall 

 calculated from 3 1 stations to 104*3. It ranged between 115*3 

 at Binnegar Hall, where the so-year constant is based on 

 ii years observations, and 95*4 at the Nothe, Weymouth, where 

 it depends on a record of 15 years. In each of the aforesaid 

 months more than an inch of rain was measured on two days. 

 The average of 39 stations was on the 3oth of December i '74111., 

 January 6th i'i6in., and on February i5th rizin. On no other 

 day did it exceed o'yin. The largest individual falls in 24 hours 

 were on the 3oth of December 2 '45m. at Gillingham and Horton ; 

 2'3oin. at Wimborne ; 2'2oin. at Cattistock and Whatcombe ; 

 2'iyin. at Hoi well ; 2'ioin. at Bloxworth Rectory and Piddletown ; 

 2'O2in. at Houghton and Steepleton and 2'ooin. at Melbury ; 

 and on the i5th of February 2-07111. at Holwell and 2'ooin. at 

 Cattistock. June was the only other wet month. March, April, 

 July, September, and October were dry, particularly July, in which 

 month there has been a falling off of rain for the last five years. 



When two rain gauges are at no great distance apart, and still 

 more so with a larger number, there is the advantage that one is 

 a check upon the other. This is well illustrated in the case of 

 the Coneygar Hill and Portville gauges at Bridport. When 

 started in 1893 there was little difference in the amount of rain 

 collected by them, the Portville register showing, perhaps, the 

 larger rainfall but see the report for 1893. This condition of 

 things soon altered, and a deficiency at the latter station, slight 

 at first, has gradually developed till in the present year the 

 record of rain at Portville (ratio 92*9) is 12 per cent, less than at 

 Coneygar and 7 per cent, short of the deduced 5o-year average. 

 At Coneygar a ratio of nr6 is in fair accordance with the 

 nearest stations, Beaminster Vicarage and Blackdown, which 

 tends to prove the correctness of the gauge and its exposure. 

 As there is no lack of care on the part of the observer the dis- 

 crepancy must be looked for in the deterioration of the rain 



