288 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



On the night of February 9 a beautiful Aurora was observed here 

 and generally all over these islands, the atmosphere being highly 

 charged with electricity, as usual, during the time of observation. 



March was dry and fine, perfect weather for tilling and sowing 

 farm and garden. The weather before and after Easter was 

 lovely, bright and warm for many days. 



June and July remarkably wet and cold. 



A very fine warm dry September. A drought generally and a 

 great shortage of water in wells, springs, and ponds, for, although 

 the summer has been a wet and cold one, yet there has been no 

 bulk or flood of rain for a long time, and the springs everywhere 

 are very low. 



October was one of the wettest months for a long time, with 

 heavy rainstorms. 



December was a very wet month, and we had floods every- 

 where. The year closed with severe cold weather, frost and 

 deep snow. A late year all through. (E. S. R.). (Chard.) 



THUNDER, &c., AT PULHAM. April 14, with very heavy rain. 

 April 1 6, two peals of very heavy thunder. June 29, very heavy 

 in distance. July 21 and 22, long storm in distance; very hot. 

 August 15, slight. October 8, lightning in evening. Nov. 27, 

 storm in early morning. December 3, lightning in evening. 



The year has been marked by extremes. A long drought of 

 26 days in September, late frosts in May, very mild days about 

 Christmas. I gathered a large bunch of roses on Christmas eve 

 of several varieties. Within a few days the thermometer had 

 sunk to 12 above zero. A few days after, it rose 27 in less than 

 24 hours. There has been little thunder. One flash of lightning 

 split an oak tree into shreds not far from here. (J. R.) 



