56 AUSTRALIAN WEATHER. 



number for any hour in any year was between 9 and 10 p.m., 1891, 

 where ten were recorded. 



VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR. 



The number for each year varies considerably, the greatest being 

 fifty-six in 1869 ; the least, sixteen, in 1890. Since 1888 there 

 has been a gradual falling off in the number, and this is coincident 

 with abundance of rain each year. 



PREFERENCE FOR A PARTICULAR HOUR. 



The Table No. I shows that from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. bursters are 

 fewest, while they are most frequent from 6 p.m. to midnight, 

 the chances being slightly in favour of 7 to 8 p.m. 



It also appears that the hour of maximum varies from year to 

 year, in 1891 it was from 9 to 10; 1888, 11 p.m. to midnight; 

 1875, 1 to 2 p.m. and so on. 



The questions as to the number and strength of bursters in the 

 several seasons and months of the year I have treated in the same 

 manner. 



TABLE II. 



In Table No. 2, all the bursters on record have been grouped 

 in another way, which brings into evidence other characteristics. 

 The table has the years on the sides and months across the top, 

 and the information given under each month and for each year is 

 the maximum velocity of the wind, and if there are several bursters 

 in the month the average of their greatest velocities ; at the right 

 hand side the average of the greatest velocities for the year, and 

 the greatest velocity attained at any time during the year. It is 

 also shown that the average number in each year is thirty-two, 

 the greatest in any year fifty-six, and the least sixteen. The 

 average of all the greatest velocities is 42-7 miles per hour, the 

 greatest one hundred and fifty-three miles per hour. (It must be 

 borne in mind that all the anemometer results at Sydney are 

 recorded on the assumption that the velocity of the wind is three 

 times that of the centres of the .cup, this has been the practice 

 since 1862, and it is deemed better not to alter it until the exact 

 ratio has been decided and generally accepted.) 



