318 
mr. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 
on the morning of the 22nd. Fog prevailed at times, particularly 
on the 21st and 24th. On the evening of Christmas Day a thaw 
set in, and the remainder of the year was mild. 
The Seasons. 
The following tables show the mean temperature and rainfall for 
the four seasons, together with those of the five previous years, and 
of a twenty-year approximate average : — 
TEMPERATURE. 
Seasons. 
1886. 
1887. 
1888. 
1889. 
1890. 
1891. 
20- year 
average. 
Departure 
of 1891 from 
average. 
Winter (Dec. to Feb.)... 
Spring (Mar. to May) ... 
Summer (June to Aug.) 
Autumn (Sept, to Nov.) 
degrees. 
35.5 
46.5 
59.5 
52.0 
degrees. 
35.8 
43.3 
61.4 
46.9 
degrees. 
35.5 
43.5 
57.7 
49.3 
degrees. 
37.4 
46.5 
59.9 
49.2 
degrees. 
38.9 
46.8 
58.6 
50.2 
degrees. 
33.9 
44.0 
58.9 
50.9 
degrees. 
38.0 
46.4 
60.6 
49.6 
degrees. 
■ 4.1 
— 2.4 
— 1.7 
+ 1.3 
Year 
48.2 
47.0 
46.9 
48.0 
48.0 
47.7 
48.6 
— 0.9 
RAINFALL. 
Seasons. 
1886. 
1887. 
1888. 
1889. 
1890. 
1891. 
20-ycar 
average. 
Departure 
of 1891 from 
average. 
Winter ... 
Spring 
Summer ... 
Autumn ... 
in. 
4.18 
5.35 
6.70 
6.23 
in. 
5.83 
5.14 
4.04 
7.68 
in. 
4.42 
5.83 
8.52 
7.00 
in. 
4.14 
7.09 
9.57 
8.94 
in. 
4.80 
5.14 
9.61 
6.87 
in. 
3.10 
6.64 
9.39 
7.00 
m. 
6.45 
5.15 
7.10 
8.50 
in. 
- 3.35 
+ 1.49 
+ 2.29 
— 1.50 
Year 
25.23 
20.52 
25.65 
29.82 
25.96 
28.35 
27.20 
+ 1.15 
The most striking features in the above table are the great 
deficiency of temperature during the winter, spring, and summer 
of 1891 — the dryness of the winter, and the wetness of the summer. 
It will also be remarked that all the winters but one (1890) 
in the series have been below the average temperature, and all 
unusually dry ; the springs have in most instances been colder than 
the average (those of 1887, 1888, and 1891 being most exception- 
ally cold) ; every summer since 1887 has exhibited a considerable 
deficiency in temperature and excess in rainfall (the excess of 
rain in the last three summers being over 2 inches in each case) ; 
and the autumns, in both temperature and rainfall, have been much 
nearer the average than any of the other seasons. 
