MR. J. BAXENDELL ON THE RATE OF MORTALITY. 303 



XXV. On the Influence of Changes in the Character of the 

 Seasons upon the Rate of Mortality. By Joseph 

 Baxendell, F.R.A.S. 



Eead April 5th, 1870. 



In the summer of last year, I undertook a discussion of 

 the Rainfall observations made at the stations of the Man- 

 chester Corporation Water-works during the 14 years 

 1 855-1 868 ; and among the results obtained I found that 

 although the total amount of rainfall in different years 

 appeared to be governed by no regular law, yet the pro- 

 portional amounts in the different seasons, during the 

 eight years 1855-62, exhibited a marked contrast to those 

 in the six years 1863-68, the amounts in the spring and 

 summer months exceeding those in the autumn and winter 

 months during the former period, while in the latter the 

 autumn and winter amounts exceeded those of spring and 

 summer. The results for the central station, Arnfield, 

 are as follows : — 



Total fall of rain Total fall of rain 



during the spring during the autumn -pj.«. 



and summer months, and winter months, 

 inches. inches. 



1855 17-36 13-27 -\- 4-09 



1856 2i*o8 *i"53 — o'45 



1857 22-37 14*22 + 8-15 



1858 19.66 16-48 + 3-18 



1859 20-46 1974 + 072 



i860 24-02 15-56 + 846 



1861 17-71 1472 + 299 



1862 21-31 i7'68 + 3-63 



1863 15-37 22-82 — 7-45 



1864 14*54 16-80 — 2-26 



1865 13-48 15-89 — 2-41 



1866 20-71 26*79 ~" ^'^^ 



1867 18-71 20-75 — 2-04 



1868 i2-6i 22*86 —10*25 



It will at once be seen that during the first eight years 



