PERIODICITY OF GOOD AND BAD SEASONS. 91 
SUN SPOTS. 
For convenient reference, I have put on the diagram the 
maxima and minima of the sun spots. You will see at once that 
the recurrence of the period is very far from being the regular 
eleven years cycle which many persons suppose it to be, and it is 
equally far from being in accordance with the cycle that I have 
endeavoured to demonstrate to-night. 
APPENDIX I. 
List of Droughts of the A Series. 
1885 1886, great drought in Texas; grass completely destroyed, 
calves nearly all dead ; 180,000 head of cattle on the move; 
estimated loss so far (Sept. 1886) $3,000,000. (Hvening Vews.) 
1886, drought in Ireland for past three years. (Mr. Pollock.) 
The Scottish Agricultural Gazette, March 1886, says, the 
losses in stock in the Argentine Republic have been excep- 
tionally heavy, no less than 7 0% of the cattle and sheep cn 
some estancieros having perished ; the estimated loss in 
sheep in the Republic is 5,000,000 since this time last year. 
1885 France. Rainfall has been below the average in almost 
every month since January 1883. (Journal of Science, 
Feb. 1885, p. 116 6). 
1885 This drought in New South Wales was considered to be 
the worst since 1837-8. The estimated loss of sheep alone 
was nine millions. The Darling at Bourke was below sum- 
mer level seventeen months out of the two years 1884-5, 
and during the other months never rose more than ten feet. 
Even on the coast, the Paterson River had become a chain 
of water holes in February 1884. 
1885 Red rain fell in December 1883; in February and again 
in March, 1884 ; in August 1885. A proof of the intensity 
of this drought. 
1866 Great drought in Bengal and Orissa; one and a half" 
_ Millions of people died from starvation. (Jowrnal of Science.) 
