RETURNS OF RAINFALL, ETC., IN DORSET. 209 



Aveather there is often (particularly in .spring and antumn) heavy 

 dew morning and evening, the humidity being a.s great or nearly so 

 as if there were rain and fog. 



The amount of cloud is reckoned from when the .sky i.s cloud- 

 less to 10 when the sky is quite covered, and the mean is found as 

 above. It may be remarked that it is less cloudy on the average 

 from 9 P.M. to about 11 p.m. than at any other time of the day. 



For the years 1882-1893 inclusive the mean temperatures of July 

 and August are exactly the same G0°1 and the highest, and 

 the mean temperature of January 39°'l is the lowest ; but the mean 

 of the minima in March, 33'-7 is the lowest ; Ai)ril is the 

 driest and least cloudy month with mean rainfall l'64in., mean 

 relative humidity 72, and mean amount of cloud 60. 



In conclusion I have to thank those members and other observers 

 who have sent me their returns of Rainfall. I shall be much 

 obliged if they will kindly do the same with regard to the year 

 1894. I received a few daily records of rainfall, but nearly all are 

 on Mr. Symons' small forms, which, if accompanied liy additional 

 notes on any heavy falls of lin. or more in 24 hours, and any 

 other matters of special interest, are for the purposes of this report 

 nearly as good as a daily record. I think that there is a little 

 variation in the time of day at which the record is taken by 

 different observers. This should be 9 a.m. always, and the amount 

 of rain then found in the gauge should be credited to the previous 

 day. Thus a heavy storm at 7 to 8 a.m. on July IGth would be 

 included in the return for July 15th. This rule should be carefully 

 adhered to for the sake of uniformity. 



I would strongly urge, in accordance with Mr. Symons' 

 recommendation, that every gauge should be provided with a 

 receiver capable of holding at least Gin. of rainfall. If tl.c 

 receiver is too small, the gauge overflows, tlie returns for the year 

 are rendered inaccurate, and the particulars of an unuiually heavy 

 fall lost. 



A table of the Rainfall is given on the following pages :— 



