( II  ) 
The  mean  temperature  of  the  air  for  the  quarter  was  42°*7,  and 
exceeded  by  4°  the  average  for  the  corresponding  period  in  111 
years. 
The  rainfall  measured  at  Greenwich  during  the  quarter  was  3'63 
inches,  and  was  nearly  an  inch  and  a half  below  the  average 
amount  in  the  corresponding  periods  of  66  years.  The  recorded 
amount  showed  a deficiency  of  about  half  an  inch  in  each  of  the 
three  months  of  the  quarter.  Rain  was  measured  at  Greenwich  on 
10  days  in  January,  8 in  February,  and  11  in  March;  in  all,  on 
29  of  the  90  days  of  the  quarter.  At  42  stations  of  observation 
the  recorded  rainfall  of  the  quarter  ranged  from  2*96  inches  at 
Bournemouth,  to  12T3  inches  and  12*83  inches  respectively,  at 
Cockermouth  and  Stonyhurst. 
The  number  of  hours  of  bright  sunshine  recorded  at  Greenwich 
during  the  quarter  was  179*7,  against  172*0,  the  average  amount 
recorded  in  the  corresponding  quarters  of  the  four  years  1878-81. 
Second  Quarter  (April,  May,  June'). — The  mean  reading  of  the 
barometer  during  the  quarter  was  29*737  inches,  and  was  0*046 
below  the  mean  reading  for  the  corresponding  period  of  40  years; 
the  mean  showed  an  excess  in  May,  but  was  below  the  average  in 
April  and  June. 
The  weather  in  April  was  generally  warm  till  towards  the  end 
of  the  month,  with  frequent  rain,  the  total  being  in  excess  of  the 
average,  but  not  more  than  was  needed,  the  three  preceding  months 
having  been  drier  than  usual.  The  atmospheric  pressure  was  in 
excess  of  the  average  till  the  10th,  and  generally  in  defect  after- 
wards. The  prevailing  winds  were  from  the  S.,  S.W.,  and  W. 
On  the  28th  there  were  violent  gales  of  wind  and  squalls  passing- 
over  Jersey  and  Guernsey,  and  on  the  29th  a severe  gale  passed 
over  the  South  of  Wales  and  the  South  of  England,  which  proved 
to  be  very  injurious  to  fruit  trees,  and  the  foliage  of  trees  through- 
out its  course.  This  gale  was  thought  to  be  in  some  places  as 
severe  as  that  of  October  14th,  1881.  The  observer  at  Osborne 
says,  twelve  large  trees  were  overturned  ; the  observer  at  South - 
bourne  says,  houses  were  unroofed.  At  all  places  the  leaves  of 
trees  on  the  S.W.  or  windward  side  were  spoken  of  as  blackened,  as 
if  by  frost,  or  as  if  scorched  by  fire ; this  effect  was  attributed  by 
several  observers  to  saline  matter  carried  by  tho  wind.  The  gale 
entirely  changed  the  appearance  of  the  country  over  which  it 
passed,  but  it  did  not  extend  far  north.  At  Cambridge  there  was 
a gale  after  3 p.m.  ; at  Oxford  a storm  from  5 p.m.  to  9 p.m.  ; at. 
Lowestoft  a gale  after  4 p.m.;  at  Hull  the  day  was  fine  with 
showers;  at  Bradford  the  day  was  fine  throughout ; at  Stonyhurst 
