173 
of Edinhurgh, Session 1863 - 64 . 
degree and a-half (1°*4) above the average, thus indicating a cloudy 
sky and comparative absence of frost. At the Botanic G-arden, the 
thermometer fell only three times to freezing, the lowest being 28°‘0 
on the night of the 6th. This frost continued but for a short time, 
and very little damage was done except to Heliotropes ; dahlias 
were only slightly affected. 
In November, the mean temperature was 4° '2 above the average, 
which increase was very unequally distributed between day and 
night, — the mean temperature of the day being 5°-2, and of the 
night only 3°'2 above the mean of the month. This temperature 
is not only greatly above the average, but it is also about a degree 
and a-half higher than any previously recorded November, and 6°*6 
higher than the November of 1862. 
In December, the mean temperature was 3°*5 above the average, 
and the manner of its distribution between day and night similar 
to November, — the mean of the day being 4°‘2, and of the night 
2°‘5 above the average. 
Hence the characteristic feature of the weather of this period is 
the unprecedentedly high temperature during the day in Novem- 
ber and December, — a point to which special attention is directed. 
Table II. gives the highest temperature of the day, and Table 
III. the lowest temperature of the night, in each week of the period 
under consideration. 
Table IV. gives the number of nights each week on which the 
temperature at the Botanic G-arden fell to freezing or lower, and 
an asterisk is put to mark those cases when it fell to at least 6°‘0 
below freezing. 
These tables furnish the data from wBich an explanation may 
be had of the remarkable vegetation of December last, in so far as 
that depended on the character of the then current weather. The 
explanation is twofold— the high temperature during the day 
in November and December; and, secondly, the comparative absence 
of frost during the night. 
This remarkably high temperature was preceded by a period of 
cold weather, extending from the 29th of October to the 12th of 
November, during which frosts were of frequent occurrence. At 
Balfour the thermometer, four feet above the ground, and pro- 
tected, fell to 26®'5 ; and at the Botanic Garden, four feet above 
VOL. V. 
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