914 REPORT—1885. 
April has a strong tendency to be followed by a cold May, 6 to none out of 13; a 
very cold June conduces to a cold July, 6 to 2 out of 13; and a very cold July to 
a cold August, 5 to none outof 13. A very cold August gives a remarkably strong 
probability of a cold September, 7 to none out of 14; a very cold September is 
succeeded by a cold October in the smaller ratio of 4 to 1 out of 13; and a very 
cold December tends to be followed by a cold January, 6 tol out of 14. Itis 
noticeable that in three of these months, April, July, and August, the influence of 
cold is so strong that the facts were without marked exception. 
In the other five months of the year I find no evidence that low temperature 
definitely affects the succeeding months, Meanwhile it is interesting to observe 
that of the seven which do show influence four are consecutive, namely, June, July, 
August, and September, the hottest four months of the year. 
5. A very warm June has a strong probability to be succeeded by a warm 
July, 7 to none out of 13; and a very warm July by a warm August, 7 to none 
out of 14, A very warm August tends to be followed by a warm and wet Sep- 
tember, the probability for each one of these events being identical, namely, 5 to 
none out of 15. It will be noticed that this proposition applies to the three con- 
secutive summer months, and that the facts were without any marked exception, 
6. The rainfall sequence of consecutive months and seasons appears to observe 
no definite rule, except in one striking case, which is as follows:—A very dry 
August is apt to be followed by a wet September, 7 to 1 out of 16. Nowhere else 
do we find a distinct tendency for a month or season to be of opposite character as 
regards warmth or moisture to that which it succeeds. 
In addition to the foregoing, there are some instances in which the temperature 
of certain months appears to be related to antecedent conditions of rainfall, and 
vice versd. Thus :— 
7. In two months of the year the fact of their being dry is strongly followed 
by warmth in the next month. Thus a very dry June has a strong tendency for a 
warm July, 5 to none out of 15; anda very dry July for a warm August, 6 to 
none out of 15. 
8. On the other hand, in three months of the year abundant rain gives likelihood 
of a warm month to follow. Thus a very wet January is followed by a warm 
February, 7 to 1 out of 13; a very wet March by a warm April, 4 to none out 
of 11; and a very wet April by a warm May, 5 to 1 out of 13. 
9. The contrary of this occurs in two months—a very wet May being strongly 
followed by a cold June, 6 to none out of 14; anda very wet July by a cold August, 
5 to none out of 13. 
10, A very warm January is likely to be succeeded by a dry February, 7 to 2 
out of 15. 
It may naturally occur to ask—all these being instances in which a month or 
season is looked at in one character only—What are the results when they are 
examined with relation to the combinations of temperature and moisture? Do 
their characters, as warm and wet, cold and dry, warm and dry, cold and wet, 
show a tendency to influence the months following? We cannot so fully answer 
this question, because, in proportion as we define the character, we lessen the area 
of the observation. At the same time there are a few results that it may be worth 
while to adduce, 
11. Warm and Wet.—lIf November be of this character (which has happened 
five times in the past 70 years), December will tend to be wet, 2 to none out of 5; so 
also a very warm and very wet December is likely to be followed by a wet January, 
4 to 1 out of 6. But in January the same combination gives a probability of a warm 
February, 4 to 1 out of 8. i 
12. Cold and Dry.—If November have this character, the following December 
hasa slight tendency to be dry, 2 to none out of 6. But a very cold and yery dry 
December gives likelihood of a cold January, 3 to none out of 6. 
13. Warm and Dry.—In two months this combination is strongly followed by 
a continuance of warm weather. Thus a very warm and very dry June is suc- 
ceeded by a warm July; or if July be of this description, the ensuing August tends 
to be warm, the probability in either case being 4 to none out of 7. On the other 
