XXXVl 



a.m. on the 25th, and the highest 30"288in., at 9 a.m. on the 20th. This has 

 been the coldest month experienced for many years, although the mean 

 minimum temperature was higher than that for June. The falls of snow 

 during June and July covered the city to a greater extent than has been 

 previously observed. Mr. W. E. Shoobridge, of Bushy Park, New Norfolk, 

 has kindly furnished the following record of the minimum temperature, 

 at that place, for July, the instrument being under a thermometer shed, 

 viz.— On the 29th, 29deg. ; on the 30th 26deg., the latter being the lowest 

 register for the year. 

 Rainfall in TasmaMia, July, 1882 : — 



Low Heads, rain fell on 15 days, amount 3'99in. 



Southport, rain fell on 23 days, amount 4'12in. 



Falmouth, rain fell on 9 days, amount l*21in. 



Oatlands, rain fell on 10 days, amount llOin. 



Mount Bischoflf, rain fell on 27 days, amount ll'53in. 



Mount Nelson, rain fell on 10 days, amount l"70in. 



Botanical Gardens, Hobart, rain fell on 13 days, amount l"52in. 



Hobart, City, rain fell on 13 days, amount 2'14in. 



Circular Head, rain fell on 19 days, amount 5'82in. 



J. Shortt, Government Observer. 

 The presentations to the Museum were as follow : — 



1. From Mr. G. Innes. A large specimen of Lignite, from Macquarie 



Harbour. 



2. From Mr. D. Carsons. A Cardinal Finch, from BrazO. 



3. From M. Murachi, of the Japanese warship Tsukuba. Three 



specimens of Japanese money, viz., 10 cents, paper ; 2 ditto, 

 copper ; and 10 ditto, silver. 



The Hon. W. A. B. Gellibrand exhibited samples of a Seedling Apple, 

 originally grown at Cleveland, and subsequently worked on stocks at South 

 Arm, which were greatly admired. 



Mr. Stephens read the following " Notes on Minimum Temperature 

 at Hobart during the month of July " : — 



A question having arisen as to apparent discrepancies in the records 

 of minimum temperature during the month of July in various parts of 

 Hobart, a few remarks on the subject may not be without interest. 

 On the nights of the 28th and 29th July two unusually severe frosts 

 were experienced. Mr. Leventhorpe Hall reports to The Mercury that 

 at 7*45 a.m. on the 29th his thermometer registered 23deg. (Fahr.), 

 and on the following day at 7 "30 a.m. 21deg. Comparing notes with 

 the Rev. J, C. Whall, who had also been recording the temperature, he 

 ascertained that the two observations for the night of the 29th July 

 exactly tallied. About the same time it was stated that the minimum 

 results registered by the instruments under the charge of Commander 

 Shortt, R.N., the Government Obsers'er, were 32"5deg. and 31deg. 

 respectively for the two nights in question. A considerable variation 

 may occur at any time in the readings of different instruments, which are 

 not periodically tested by the same standard. Commander Shortt informs 

 me that of two minimum thermometers which have been in use else- 

 where in the colony, and which he has compared with the standard, one 

 is 3deg. 5min., and the other 5deg. out. This possible discrepancy must 

 always be taken into account in comparing obsei-vations ; but in the present 

 instance the difference is mainly caused by registrations of temperature 

 under widely different conditions of exposure. Mr. Hall's instrument is 

 an ordinary mercurial thermometer, placed outside his house, and un- 

 protected above, but sheltered from the sun. It reads nearly 3deg. lower 

 than the Museum thermometer, and if corrected to that extent, and 

 placed " on grass," the result for the night in question would probably have 

 been much the same as was actually recorded. Mr. Whall's is a self- 

 registering instrument, of the type known aa Six's Thermometer. It 



