( V ) 
sponded with tho average in 39 years ; tho mean reading showed 
an excess in November, but was below the average in October and 
December. 
The mean temperature of the quarter was 44°'0, and scarcely 
difl'ered from the average for the corresponding period in 109 years; 
in October there was an average deficiency of 3°"4, an excess of 
4°*2 prevailed in December, whereas the mean in November dif- 
fered but slightly from the average. At 43 stations of observation, 
the mean temperature of the quarter ranged from 40°-0 in Carlisle, 
to 49°-6 in Guernsey, and 47°-3 in Ventnor. The thermometer at 
the Koyal Observatory fell below the freezing point of water, on 
3 days in October, 10 days in November, and 6 in December, in all, 
on 19 days in the quarter; the lowest reading on each of these 
19 days showed an aggregate of 65°"3 of frost. In the last three 
months of 1878 and 1879, the numbers of frosty days were 27 and 
37 respectively, and the aggregate degrees of frost 157°-9 and 
249^-0. 
The rainfall at Greenwich during last quarter was 12'8 inches, 
and exceeded by 5-7 inches the average amount in the corre- 
sponding periods of the preceding 65 years. The amount of rain 
measured during the quarter was 7*7 inches in October, 2*1 inches 
in November, and 3'0 inches in December ; the excess was 5 inches 
in October, and one inch in December, while the amount was 
slightly below the average in November. Eain was measui'ed on 
18 days in October, 14 in November, and 15 in December; in all, 
on 47 of the 92 days in the quarter. 
The number of hours of bright sunshine recorded during the 
quarter at the Eoyal Observatory, Greenwich, was 125-8, against 
184'7, 157*6, and 138'3 in the three preceding corresponding 
quarters. 
Table 1. 
