90 POOLE — -ON METEOROLOGY. 



The rimy frosts were forty seven against a mean of twenty six, 

 with eight times of silver thaw, against a mean of five times. 

 Hail was observed eleven times, and fogs sixty one, as compared 

 with a mean of hail six times and thirty one fogs. Lightning and 

 thunder were also more frequent, being seventeen times against a 

 mean of nine times. Twelve rainbows were observed as compared 

 with six in former years, and the unusual number of one hundred 

 and two auroras, instead of a mean of thirty three. Also thirty 

 four halos round the sun and twelve round the moon, instead of 

 an average of twenty two round the sun and Rye round the moon, 

 as previously. The mean force of vapour was 0.2691 inch, and 

 the relative humidity was seventy four per cent, one hundred being 

 saturation. 



The wind continued to give a high mean of 17.4 miles 

 per hour, or a total number of 152,353 miles for the whole year. 

 The wind veered thirty eight with and backed seven times against 

 the sun, making full revolutions ; while the prevailing directions 

 were one hundred and twenty three days from S. to W, ninety nine 

 days from W. to N., eighty five days from N. to E., and fifty 

 eight days from E. to S. In March the wind averaged 24.5 miles 

 per hour throughout the month. The equinoctial gale blew on the 

 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th; the greatest force being on the 18th 

 from 1 p. m. to 8 a. m. of the 19th, an average of 70.5 miles per 

 hour ; thence to 1 p. m. of the 19th, 89 miles per hour ; and from 

 Ip. m. to4p. m. 88 miles per hour ; and from the whole 24 

 hours of the 19th, an average of 72 miles per hour. The direc- 

 tion of the wind was north, and nine inches of snow fell. A total 

 of one hundred and two inches of snow fell on fifty six days, which 

 melted and added to the rain gave a total precipitation of 62.625 

 inches of water on one hundred and sixty days. 



Table No. 2 exhibits the rainfall compared for four years. It 

 shows that the least quantity falls in August, then July, June, 

 May, April, March, January, February, October, November, De- 

 cember, and the most in September. In 1870, May had the least 

 rain fall, 1.705 inch, shewing a reasonable excuse for the shortness 

 of the hay crop in that year. The greatest fall of rain in one month 

 was 11.265 inches in September 1867. 



