RETURNS OF RAINFALL, ETC., IN DORSET. * 215 



has been sent in. Additional returns of rainfall have been made 

 for 



Moreton Total for 1 888 ... 4(H 7 



Bere Regis ... 33-88 



WykeKegis ... 29'78 



I regret there should be no return for Minterne, which is one of 

 the rainiest spots in the county. The late Rector, the Rev. H. Pix, 

 gives me the average of the last ten years as 44 '89 inches. It will 

 be seen that, although 1888 will be remembered as a very cold and 

 wet summer, the annual average rainfall was only reached at one 

 locality "NVhatcombe out of the six for which the average is 

 given. A striking point is the .quantity of rain recorded for 

 November. The highest rainfall in one day at "VYeymouth 

 occurred on November 12th, when l'66in. was registered. 



Mr. H. Moule, at Dorchester, remarked that in the wintry spring 

 of 1888, whilst land plants seemed at an absolute standstill, there 

 appeared to be no delay in the growth of water plants. In streams 

 with ice upon them the Ranunculus penicillatus produced its long 

 shoots as freely, or nearly so, as in an ordinary spring.* Mr. 

 Eustace Bankes, writing from Corfe Castle, says the cold spring 

 and summer were succeeded " by probably the mildest autumn 

 and winter on record ; there was a most remarkable absence of 

 frost, and, as a natural consequence, a large amount of rain fell. 

 During the whole of November I think the thermometer only once 

 reached the freezing point. The results of this on all Vegetation 

 was most marked, and both garden and wild plants continued to 

 bloom in profusion. As an illustration of this it may be mentioned 

 that three observers gathered or noticed in the Isle of Purbeck 

 over 100 kinds of wild flowers (exclusive of all grasses, &c.) during 

 the month of December without any systematic search being made 

 for them ! " 



The fullest series of observations have been made by Mr. H. N. 



*Water plants are less susceptible to abnormal seasons than land plants, 

 as the temperature of water is never below 40, even when the surface is 

 covered over by a layer of ice, 



