164 METEOEOLOGICAL PEEIODICITT. 



1837. Dry ; February, hot and dry ; heavy rains, March ; Sep- 



tember to end of year, dry. 



1856. Dry ; March, April, May, heavy rains ; very dry spring. 



1875. Dry ; floods in March ; wet in April, May, and June ; July 



to end, very dry. 



1800. Early part dry ; March, heavy rain and flood; seems to 



have had dry spring. 



1819. Early part dry ; Eebruary, March, and June, floods ; drj 



spring ; summer very dry. 



1838. Early part dry ; March and April, rain ; dry spring ; storm 



and rain, 10th and 13th October ; 2nd November, day 

 of humiliation on account of drought. 



1857. Early part dry ; Eebruary, March, and April, wet ; Sep- 



tember, November, December, dry ; storm and raiia, 6th 

 and 7th October. 



1876. Early part dry ; April and May, wet ; storm and rain, 7th 



and 8th October. Eor the remainder of this year we 

 have yet to write the history.* 



1801. A very high flood in March is the only information yet found. 



1820. Summer very dry ; Sydney water all gone, except in wells: 



floods in June and July ; August, September, October, 

 and November, very dry ; heavy rain in December. 



1839. Summer very dry ; heavy rain in April ; dry spring ; rain 



in October. 



1858. Summer very dry ; heavy rain, April and May ; very dry, 



July, August, September, November, and December : 

 rain in October. 



1877. The character of this year we have yet to learn, but the 



series in which it stands has been very dry from the 



beginning. 

 Bearing in mind that in this period it is supposed that the 

 general character of the weather returns, and that it is only in 

 some of the series that well-marked characters develop them- 

 selves, it is interesting to look back and see how the question of 

 probability stands numerically, ninety years are under considera- 

 tion ; of these there are only three, 1830-48-62, that are decided 

 exceptions. I do not mean to say that there will be the same 

 wet or the same amount of dry weather in every year of a series, 

 but that the general character of the years in each series will be 

 the same ; in one year, for instance, 1870, there may be an ex- 

 cessive fall of rain for two or three months, but take the year 

 through, and it will _be found very dry at the beginning ; a wet 



* Moderate rain fell in October 1876 along tlie Mountain and Coast 

 district, but it was stiir very dry in far west. In November moderate rain 

 fell generally over the Colony, ])ut the weatlier was very hot. In December 

 no rain, 1st to 12th. 



