a yeae's weather. 291 



yellow were very apparent. Other signs of the approach of autumn 

 were not lacking, but the most interesting was the bird evidence. At 

 Truro on the 18th, at Gorran Haven on the 27th, and nearer the 

 end of August at the Land's End, we saw flocks of swallows 

 practising on the wing ; at Porthcurnow large flocks of linnets,, and 

 at Marazion an immense flock of starlings. 

 September 4th, 1889. 



It is twenty four years since we had so dry a September : the 

 rain fell on twelve days, and the amount registered was i'ij 

 inches. In the same month last year the rain fell on eight days only, 

 but the amount was rather more with us ; whilst the British rainfall 

 was the lowest for ten years, and one and three quarters of an inch 

 below the average. The driest September in Truro for forty years 

 was in 1 855, • 40-inch, under half-an-inch. As our average September 

 rainfall is about three and a half inches we had a very favourable 

 month as regards rain. 



Last year, throughout England, September was bright and 

 sunny in the day and cold at night. Our thermometers gave us 

 last month an average of two degrees warmer during the days and 

 two and a half degrees colder in the nights (maximum, 67-3 • 

 minimum temperature, 497) than September last year. Our 

 warmest day was on the 12th, 78 degrees ; our coldest night on the 

 26th, 35 degrees. Those instruments nearer the ground registered 

 frost several times during the month. We had sunshine on 22 

 days. 



We learn, then, that 1889 is still drier than 1888, its September 

 nights colder, its days warmer, and that both agree in sunshine. 



There were during the month great fluctuations of the 

 barometer j the variations in height between the r6th and 24th 

 inclusive being nearly one inch, 30*39 — 29-47 inches 5 by next day 

 the glass had risen half an inch. The autumn is early, and 

 in places narrow belts of cold winds have blasted the trees 

 through. The young oaks were ladened with bud-like artichoke 

 galls, and the cherry and spangle galls burdened the leaves. 

 The swift left us so far as our own observations go, on August 

 15th, but the swallow was still with us 5 last year the latter bird 

 was seen here on October 9th. The month went out in a glow 



