388 A year's weather. 



other birds' eggs to make its voice clear, but lives on caterpillars, 

 usually the hairy ones, and insects. Another peculiarity worth 

 mentioning is that as soon as the cuckoo is born it begins to lift 

 out of the nest all that is foreign to itself — eggs, foster brothers, 

 and foster sisters. As it gets older this propensity passes off, but 

 then, alas ! it has got rid of all who were in the nest with it. 

 May 1 2th, 1892. 



MAY. 



The driest May since 1887 ; the whole of the rainfall for the 

 month was little over i^ inches, i'55 inches, but fortunately the 

 winds have been light ; the wind in many cases dries the land 

 more than sunshine. Our average May rainfall here is 2 "45 inches, 

 hence the fall of rain this May was nearly one inch below the 

 monthly average. Taking the rainfalls for over forty years the 

 wettest May was in 1869 with 5"42 inches, and the driest in 1876 

 with 0*13 inch of rain. 



The greatest heat in shade during the month was 75 on the 

 1 3th ; the lowest 29 on the 8th, or a difference of 46 degrees. 

 The barometer stood 3o'39 inches on the 12th, and 29*69 inches 

 on the 3rd, a difference of "70, or nearly three-quarters of an inch. 



A glance at the comparative rainfalls shows how favourable 



the year has been as regards wetness : — 



40 years' mean. 1891. 1892. 



January 4"85-ins 3'40-ins 2-27-ms. 



February ... 3-38-ins 0-22-ins 4-43-ins. 



March 291-ins 3-90-ins 1-07-ms. 



April 2-61-ins 2-48-ins 1-36-ins. 



May 2-45-ins 2-26-ins r55-ms. 



Totals ... 16-20-ins 12-26-has 10-68-ins. 



We have had i J inches less rain these last five months than 



the same period last year, and five inches and a half less than a 40 



years' mean. This is the period when the rhyme runs in our 



heads — 



" If the ash before the oak. 



Then you may expect a soak ; 



If the oak before the ash. 



Then 'twill only be a splash." 



