( YII  ) 
the  Southern  Counties,  and  harvesting  was  frequently  interrupted 
both  in  August  and  September  by  heavy  rains  and  frequent 
thunderstorms,  so  that  by  the  end  of  September  very  little  pro- 
gress had  been  made  either  in  the  north  of  Ireland  or  in  Scotland, 
where  operations  were  still  further  checked  by  sleet  and  snow. 
In  the  next  three  months  the  frequency  of  rain  was  a most 
remarkable  feature.  During  this  period  it  fell  on  no  fewer  than 
67  days,  a larger  number  than  had  been  previously  experienced  at 
Greenwich  since  the  year  1815.  The  total  amount  was  large, 
amounting  to  11-32  inches,  a quantity  no  less  than  4'2  inches  in 
excess  of  the  average.  In  58  years  this  fall  has  but  once  been 
exceeded  in  the  corresponding  three  months,  viz.,  in  1821,  when 
it  was  11-47  inches,  or  0-15  in.  greater;  and  back  to  1815  there  is 
only  one  other  year  in  which  a greater  quantity xthan  11  inches 
was  recorded,  viz.,  in  1852,  11-13  inches. 
This  unusual  frequency  of  rain  was  general  over  the  country. 
At  Stonyhurst,  rain  fell  on  89  days,  and  at  Guernsey  on  80  days, 
whilst  the  general  average  over  the  country  was  67  days.  The 
amount  at  Guernsey  was  very  remarkable,  being  as  much  as 
25j  inches. 
The  mean  amount  from  all  the  stations  was  13-97  inches,  being 
more  than  double  the  fall  in  the  corresponding  period  of  1871, 
which  was  6"09  inches. 
The  total  rainfalls  for  the  year  1872  ranged  from  65-4  inches  at 
Allenheads,  to  28-5  inches  at  Eoysion,  and  the  number  of  rainy  days 
from  319  at  Stonyhurst,  to  156  at  Holkham. 
In  the  year  1879  there  was  an  excess  of  rain  in  every  month 
excepting  March,  and  the  last  three  months  of  the  year;  this 
excess  being  particularly  great  in  the  months,  May  to  August. 
The  greatest  total  fall  in  the  year  was  56-77  inches  at  Sharpies 
near  Bolton,  the  next  in  order  being  47-71  inches  at  Helston,  42-4 
inches  at  Stonyhurst,  and  the  least  was  26-19  inches  at  Carlisle; 
the  next  in  order  being  27-10  inches  at  North  Shields,  and  27-41 
inches  at  Lowestoft.  The  greatest  number  of  days  on  which  rain 
fell  was  240  at  Bradford,  225  at  Bywell,  223  at  Stonyhurst,  and 
215  at  Truro. 
