COLD WINTERS. 147 



November, December, and January during the last twenty- 

 one years, from which it appears : 



1. That the average maximum temperature of Novem- 

 ber was the lowest during the period with two exceptions, 

 that of December the lowest with one exception, and that of 

 January the lowest of the whole period. 



2. That the average minimum of November was the lowest 

 during the period with four exceptions, that of December the 

 lowest with one exception, and that of January the lowest. 



3. That the mean temperature of the three months was 

 not only five degrees below the average, but also lower than 

 in any previous year out of the twenty-one. 



On the whole, the winter of 1878-79 must be regarded 

 as the coldest we have had during at least the last score of 

 years, and probably during twice that time. It was not 

 characterised by exceptionally severe short periods of 

 intense cold, like those which occurred during the winters 

 of 1854-55, 1855-56, and 1860-61 ; but it has been sur- 

 passed by few winters during the last two centuries for con- 

 stant low temperature and long-continued moderate frost. 

 During the last ninety years there have been only four 

 winters matching that of 1878-79 in these respects. 



Since the preceding pages were written the weather 

 record for February 1879 has been completed. Like the 

 three preceding months, February showed a mean temper- 

 ature below the average, though the deficit was not quite so 

 great as in those months. The following table, drawn out 

 by Mr. Plant, shows the mean temperature at Moseley for 

 four winter months of 1878-79, and the average temperature 

 for those months at Moseley during the last twenty years : 



1878-79 



Deg. 



November . . . 37.0 

 December . . . 31.0 

 January . . . .29.8 

 February . . . -35-8 



Average of 20 years 



Deg. 



November . . .41.5 



December . 39. o 



January . . . .35-5 



February . . . . 39.0 



Mean of the four months in 33.4 Average of four months in 2O 



years' observations . 38.8 



L 2 



