58 REPORT—1904. 
Nevis the amount was considerably below that for 1898, when the total 
was as much as 240712 inches. On Ben Nevis the totals for January, 
February, March and August were the largest hitherto recorded for these 
months, whilst the aggregate for the first three months was half the total 
for the year and considerably more*than twice the average. At Fort 
William, also, about half the annual amount was registered during the 
first three months, whilst the aggregate for that period was more than 
twice the average. At the top of the mountain the greatest fall recorded 
on a single day was 4°78 inches on January 29, the corresponding fall 
at Fort William being 1-78 inch ; whilst the maximum daily amount at 
Fort William was 3:09 inches on January 25, the fall at the top on that 
day being 3:03 inches. 
At the top of Ben Nevis the number of rainy days was 280, or 17 
above the average, and at Fort William 259 days, or 25 above the average. 
The number of days on which 1 inch or more fell was much above the 
average at both observatories, Ben Nevis having no fewer than 79 such 
days, or 26 above the average, and Fort William 32, or 17 above the 
average. Of these days of heavy falls, as many as 41 occurred at Ben Nevis 
during the first three months of the year, and as many as 19 at Fort 
William. Considering also daily falls of between 0°50 inch and 0:99 inch, 
and less heavy falls, we have the following table : 
Aggregate of Falls Number of Days 
Daily Falls of ————— — -- 
B.N.O. | Fw. | BNO. F.W 
| ——— ae — ——— =e a 
1 in. and over. : ; 5 . | 149-4in. | 51:3 in | 79 32 
Pincers ia.) fg | go. a) etl ge 46 
Lessthan$in. =. .  .  .| 283,, | 306.,, | 149 181 
Higtal > Petae Pah! yet: Oe GIO. “| eM 259 
Thus, on Ben Nevis nearly half, and at Fort William nearly one-third, 
of the number of rainy days had falls of half an inch or over, whilst at the 
top of the mountain such falls contributed six-sevenths of the total for the 
year. Again, at Fort William 45 per cent. of the annual amount was due 
to daily falls of 1 inch or over, and at the high-level station nearly 70 per 
cent. to such heavy falls. 
The sunshine recorder on Ben Nevis registered 509 hours out of a 
total possible of 4,473 hours, or 11-4 per cent. of the possible sunshine, being 
227 hours below the average of twenty years. This is the smallest annual 
amount recorded since the Observatory was opened, the next least sunny 
years being 1884 with 524 hours, 1886 with 571, and 1890 with 591. The 
amounts for February and March were the least on record for these 
months, and only in June, September, and December were the totals 
above the average, and that by very small amounts. At Fort William the 
annual amount was 934 hours, being the smallest total in thirteen years and 
185 hours below the average for that period. February, March, and Octo- 
ber had the smallest amounts on record for these months, the total of 10 
hours in February being only one-fifth of the average for that month, 
On Ben Nevis the mean percentage of cloud was 87, and at Fort 
William 78, both above the average. February, March, August and 
October were very cloudy months, the eye estimations of cloud amount 
