PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 27 



cold which will be remembered for a long time. The winter of 

 1890-91 was most disastrous to bird life generally, but the 

 migratory birds appear to have suffered more than the residents, 

 such as fieldfares, redwings, &c., hundreds of which were picked up 

 dead or in such a weak condition as to be unable to fly. A perching 

 bird was scarcely seen, and the few which escaped were robust 

 enough to seek more genial regions. Fatal as the last winter was 

 to the passeres, our usual winter visitants appeared in great ^ 

 numbers. Lord Ilch ester wrote me word at the time that the wild- 

 bird shooting at Abbotsbury was unusually good, and that he bagged 

 in one week 160 woodcocks, a hooper (weighing 21 pounds), four 

 white-fronted geese, two bean geese, two bitterns, and a quail. 

 There was also an unusual number of wild fowl on the Decoy, 

 including mallards, widgeon, teal, pochards, golden-eyes, tufted 

 ducks, pintails, and a shoveller, but no scaups or sheldrakes. 



On October 13th and 14th there was a very remarkable sea-level 

 pressure, of which the lowest was at Cawdor Castle, where it was 

 27*96 at 1.15 a.m. From the records furnished by Mr. G. J. 

 Symonds the pressure was less in Middlesex and Norfolk. The 

 rate of fall was rapid both at Lissan and Glasgow, being nearly 

 0-20 inches per hour ; but the rise at Fort William was the most 

 remarkable, being at the rate of 6*284 inches per hour. Mr. 

 Symonds gives a diagram representing about ten stations and the 

 variations of pressure below 29 inches. The curves show how 

 steep were the gradients, and the consequent heavy gales, 

 which prevailed, resulting in serious disasters to life and 

 property. As late as the month of August the rainfall in Dorset- 

 shire, and indeed throughout England, was far below the average, 

 only 13*17 inches had fallen. In February only 0*4 fell at What- 

 combe ; but 24*06 inches fell during the four following months, 

 of which 7*01 inches fell in August. This large figure was 

 exceeded in several parts of England. 



The rehabilitation of Krakatoa with vegetation is a sub- 

 ject of much botanical interest.* It will be in the recollection 

 "Proceedings," vol. 7, p. 12. 



