,C n 3 
for the corresponding period in 106 years, during wbicli tliere were 
but six instances of so high a mean temperature for this quarter. 
In January the mean was 42''-7, and the excess ()°-2 ; in February 
43°"5, and 4°-9 above the average, whereas the mean fell in March 
to 40°*7, and showed a slight defect. 
The measured rainfall during the quarter at the Greenwich 
Observatory was 8-3 inches, and exceeded by 3'3 inches the average 
amount in the corresponding period of C2 years. In January 
4 4 inches of rain were measured, showing an excess of 2'5 inches; 
in February and March the amounts were 1*7 and 2-2 inches, and 
the excess 0'2 and 0-6 inch respectively. So fur back as 1815 the 
excessive rainfall of last January was without precedent, although 
more than 4 inches were measured in the January both of 1828 and 
of 1868. The rainfall of the three months ending .January last 
was more than double the average amount in G2 years. 
Second Quarter (April, May, June). — The most noticeable features 
of the weather in the quarter were the low temperature during the 
greater part of April and Ma}*, and the severe night-frosts earl}"- in 
Ma}''; while the temperature of June was con.siderably above the 
average. The readings of the barometer ruled low during April 
and May, while they showed an excess in June. The mean tempe- 
rature of the quarter at the Eoj'al Greenwich Observatory was 
ol°-9, and was 0°-4 below the average for the corresponding period 
in 106 years. In April the mean temperature was 45°'4 and 
0'-7 below the average ; in May it was but 48°'9, and the defi- 
ciency 3°-6. In June, however, the mean was 61°-3, and showed 
an excess of 3^-1. May was but slightly colder than that of 1876, 
while the mean temperature in June exceeded that of June 1876 
by 2°'8, and was higher than the mean temperature of any June 
.since 1868, when it was 62°-0. 
The measured rainfall of the quarter at the Greenwich Obser- 
vatory was 5"3 inches, and was half an inch below the average 
amount in the corresponding period of 62 years. The rainfaltof 
tlie first six months was 13"6 inches, and exceeded the average 
amount by 2*8 inches, owing to a marked excess in January and 
April. In April 3'2 inches were measured, showing an excess of 
1-5 inch; in May and June the amounts measured were 1-4 and 
0-7 inches, and the deficiency 0-7 and 1-3 inches respectively, 
liain was measured at Greenwich on 37 of the 91 days of the 
quarter; on 20 days of April, 10 of May, and 7 of June. During 
the 62 years, 1815-76, there were only 7 instances of so small a 
rainfall in Juno as that recorded this year ; the smallest amount 
during those years was 0'3 of an inch in Juno 1849. 
