METEOROLOGY. 



127 



The freedom of this county generally from the intensity of heat experi- 

 enced further east, is referred to in the report of the annual meeting of this 

 Institution, and has been pointed out in this summary of monthly results. 

 Neither animal nor vegetable life suffered materially here ; but the beneficial 

 effects of the unusually high mean temperature were clearly evidenced in 

 the abundance and weight of the cereal crops. Little reference has been 

 made in this summary to the occurrences of the " Natural Calendar," 

 because a distinct record of its phenomena in 1868, as observed by Mr. T. Q. 

 Couch, is published in this number of the Journal, in sequence to similar 

 registers for several preceding years. Altarnun is the only station at which 

 the readings of the thermometer approached those of the central parts of 

 England ; and although the stand used by Mr. Tripp, which differs little from 

 Mr. Glaisher's, would, like our own, probably give higher results than ex- 

 posure near a north wall, as adopted at the Falmouth Observatory, there is 

 no reason to doubt that the climate of Altarnun is decidedly more extreme 

 as to heat, as it is manifestly in regard to cold, than that of either of the 

 other stations here compared with it. ^~ 



Looking to the rainfall for the whole year, as exhibited in Table 5, one 

 cannot but be struck with its small amount (26-19 inches) at S. Sennen ; and 

 this is the more interesting from its agreement with the general results of 

 observation at the opposite Isles of Scilly. In both localities this condition 

 may plausibly be attributed to the fact that the ocean winds pass over 

 them without meeting with land of sufficient elevation to precipitate their 

 moisture. Newquay has been usually remarkable for similarly moderate 

 rainfall, but it was less so last year, not having escaped the torrents of 

 December. It is worthy notice, that the total quantity of rain in 1868 was 

 rather below the usual yearly average at Penzance and Helston, whilst it was 

 largely in excess (nearly four inches) at Truro, and still more conspicuously 

 60 (nearly nine inches) at Bodmin. 



C. BAEHAM. 



