mr. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 205 
in the air made it generally humid and unhealthy. The mean 
temperature was about one degree above the average, but it was 
a colder month than in 1898 and 1899. There was but little snow, 
and the winds were generally quiet, except during the last week, 
when there were gales from the S.W. veering to W.X. \Y. on 
the 24th and 25th, and again from the N.E. on the 28th and 29th. 
The Aconites and Snowdrops commenced to bloom about the 8th 
and 24th respectively, or about a week earlier than in the previous 
year, and about a week later than in 1897 and 1898. 
February. 
The month entered with dark, damp weather, followed by drying 
N.E. winds from the Gth to the 10th, giving place to a period of 
frost and snow. On tho 1 2th and 13th the thermometer fell to 18.8 
and 18-4 degrees respectively in the screen, and to 9 - 5 and 1 1 degrees 
on tho grass. The remainder of the month was rainy and milder. 
Barometric pressure was abnormally low throughout the month, 
and on the mean was lower than in any month since March, 1888. 
On the 19th the barometer, at 7 p.m., fell to 28.50 in., which was 
the same reading as had been recorded on the 29th of the previous 
December. It is somewhat singular that in an interval of but 
little over seven weeks two such low readings should have been 
registered, particularly as the barometer had not previously 
descended so low for over thirteen years. 
March. 
This was a uniformly cold month throughout, with scarcely 
a mild day. The thermometer reached 50 degrees and upwards on 
three day's only, the highest reading having been 55.4 degrees, 
which is the lowest maximum recorded here for March for 
seventeen years past. The mean temperature was nearly 3 degrees 
under the average, but the month was not so cold as in 1887, 1888, 
and 1892. Snow fell on eight days, but the rainfall of the month 
was less than the mean. Vegetation made a late start, but at the 
end of the month the fruit trees began to show signs of a fine 
prospect, which was ultimately realized. 
