Rainfall. 
153 
work of that Society in diffusing a knowledge of the science 
of Meteorology. A grass plot, 20 feet square, adjoining the 
exhibition building, was also arranged as a typical Climatological 
Station ; and in this the following instruments were exhibited 
in position : — (1) Stevenson thermometer screen, fitted with 
dry-bulb, wet-bulb, maximum and minimum thermometers ; 
(2) Snowdon rain-gauge and measuring-glass ; (3) Black-bulb 
and bright-bulb solar radiation thermometers in vacuo ; (4) 
Grass minimum thermometer ; (5) Campbell-Stokes sunshine 
recorder ; and (6) Earth thermometers at depths of one and 
four feet. The daily observations taken at this station were 
posted in the Exhibition and were much consulted by visitors. 
Inside the building, in two bays thrown into one, an 
interesting collection of instruments, diagrams, photographs, 
models, &c., was shown. Among the most important of these 
were the following : — 
Rainfall. 
1. Dr. H. K. Mill’s maps of the British Islands, showing (1) the 
distribution of mean annual rainfall, 1870-99 ; (2) the rainfall of the 
wettest year, 1872 ; and (3) the rainfall of the driest year, 1887. 
2. Dr. Mill’s specially prepared map of the average annual rainfall for 
the county of Lincolnshire, based on observations for the years 1868-1902. 
3. Statement of annual rainfall at Nottingham, 1867-1906. 
4. Statement of yearly rainfall at Boston, 1826-1906. This diagram 
showed the dryness of the last 20 years in a very striking manner. 
5. Diagram showing the monthly distribution of rainfall according to 
altitude up to 1,000 ft. above sea level in the west and east of England. 
This diagram brought out prominently the fact that the higher the altitude 
the greater is the rainfall, and also that the western districts have a 
heavier rainfall than those in the east. 
In connection with these statements it should be noted that 
the fallacy of taking too short a period in which to base a 
true local average of rainfall was well illustrated by the figures 
shown for the annual rainfall at Nottingham, which were as 
under : — 
Year 
Bain 
Year 
Bain 
Year 
Bain 
Year 
Bain 
Ins. 
1867 ... 29-90 
Ins. 
1877 ... 28-77 
Ins. 
1887 ... 15-64 
Ins. 
1897 ... 23-73 
1868 . 
. 25 53 
1878 . 
. 28 84 
1888 .. 
. 19-99 
1898 .. 
. 19-75 
1869 . 
. 27 75 
1879 . 
. 27-31 
1889 .. 
. 25 61 
1899 .. 
. 22-64 
1870 . 
. 17-93 
1880 . 
. 35-45 
1890 .. 
. 17-70 
1900 .. 
. 28 53 
1871 . 
. 26 83 
1881 . 
. 27-49 
1891 .. 
. 25-89 
1901 .. 
. 20-44 
1872 . 
. 35 90 
1882 . 
. 34-48 
1892 .. 
. 21-58 
1902 .. 
. 21-52 
1873 . 
. 20-51 
1883 . 
. 30 05 
1893 .. 
. 20-17 
1903 .. 
. 32 37 
1874 . 
. 18-14 
1884 . 
. 20-10 
1894 .. 
. 20-25 
1904 .. 
. 19-73 
1875 . 
. 31 71 
1885 . 
. 26 06 
1895 .. 
. 20-75 
1905 .. 
. 20-01 
1876 . 
. 29 31 
1886 . 
. 31 76 
1896 .. 
. 22-99 
1906 .. 
. 23-94 
Average 20 years ... 27'69. Average 20 years ... 22'16. 
The average for the whole period of forty years above 
shown is 24 '93 ins. The values above this average are printed 
