174 NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



hatched in September, 1863. We have now been favoured by 

 Lady Williams with the follomng intelligence, dated October 25, 

 concerning her Tortoise nursery : — 



" The hatching of Tortoise Eggs at TreguUow this year has 

 been attended with more than usual success ; six eggs out of eight 

 having been hatched in August last, and all the young Tortoises 

 flourishing up to the present period. Two of them were presented 

 to the Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park, and the bulletins of 

 their health continue satisfactory. It is much to be regretted 

 that of the previous broods none of the young ones survived their 

 second birthday ; so that, especially in comparison with the age 

 of their parents (the mother being over 60 years old), their deaths 

 were unusually- premature. But, as the Secretary of the Zoological 

 Society has taken great interest in the little pair now in the 

 Gardens, no doubt the difiiculty of rearing young Tortoises in this 

 country when the critical time arrives, will soon be overcome." 



Rainfall in September, 1866. 



The peculiar wetness of the month of September, so important 

 in its bearing on the harvest, deserves a brief notice, in antici- 

 pation of our usual yearly summary. The total quantity of rain 

 which fell at Truro, as measured by Mr. Newcombe, at the Royal 

 Institution, was 7 '78 inches ; an amount strongly contrasted -with 

 that in September, 1865, which was only -65 inch, and consider- 

 ably more than double the average for the month during 26 years, 

 being only exceeded, and that not largely, in 1841 and 1849. Tliis 

 fall was spread very equably over the month ; rain having been 

 collected in the gauge on every one of the first twenty-eight days, 

 except the 2nd, 5th, and 8th. The •very large quantity of 1-40 

 inch was measured on the 6th ; -85 inch having fallen on the 4th. 

 This raininess was very general throughout the country, and it 

 also prevailed on the continent — in France especially. The excess 

 of rainfall was generally most remarkable in the southern districts 

 of Great Britain, and it was relatively greater in many places 

 where the average fall is not particularly large ; thus at Taunton, 

 where the mean is only 1-66 inch, 6-88 inches fell in September, 



